Meet Tieja MacLaughlin, Founder & CEO, TIEJA Inc.
Tieja is the Founder & CEO of TIEJA Inc., a boutique firm that specializes in crisis management.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER PATH
I’m the Founder & CEO of TIEJA Inc., which is a boutique firm that specializes in crisis management. We help brands, executives and individuals manage their digital footprint, mitigate crisis and share their story. And yes, I named the company after myself. It’s been my longest running joke to date.
Prior to founding my company, I spent time with a few marketing agencies, after working in sports media for the better part of a decade. I’ve previously held positions with Hockey Canada, Sportsnet, and the Ottawa Senators, to name a few.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU OR WOMEN FACE IN YOUR INDUSTRY?
I started my career in a very male-dominated industry (professional sports), and it wasn’t until I exited that industry that I realized how truly detrimental the environment was. You kind of form these very negative, adaptive behaviours to fit in. Like over-compensating in terms of your comprehension of a subject in order to be taken seriously by male counterparts who are actually less knowledgable, or having to be assertive just to have your voice heard in a testosterone-fuelled meeting or, worst of all, having your sexuality either exploited or used against you.
The great thing about what I do now is that I can pick and choose the clients I want to work with. I’ve turned down jobs and let clients go because their values didn’t align with mine in terms of gender equality. And I can wear heels now… so that’s a plus!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG GIRLS WHO WANT TO BE THE NEXT YOU?
Embrace your biggest mistake, regret or flaw, and realize it is actually your greatest asset.
HOW DO YOU SEPARATE WORK LIFE FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?
It’s tough. And I would say I’m still figuring that one out. I think as the owner of a business, you get a lot of feelings of guilt or shame if you’re not working 24/7. But recently I heard Jeff Bezos say something about work-life balance that really struck a chord with me. He said it was a debilitating phrase because it implies there’s a strict trade-off between the two. I completely agree.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Creativity. In any form.
WHEN YOU’RE OFF THE CLOCK, WHAT ARE YOUR INDULGENCES?
I’m always at some kind of art event. My friends’ joke that I’m becoming an art snob – the ballet, symphony, opera, some indie art show, stand-up comedy, or whatever. If I’m playing hooky, I like to see an afternoon matinee at the movie theatre, and then wander around the AGO.
