BBDO Americas CEO Nancy Reyes takes our career questionnaire

Advertising veteran Nancy Reyes has spent the past 25 years helping some of the world’s biggest companies, including Google, H&M, and Frito-Lay, connect with consumers. Reyes has long championed inclusivity, founding Circle of Women, which gives leadership coaching to female executives, and serving as a founding member of the nonprofit Time’s Up, which supports victims of sexual harassment.



What’s your best habit, and what’s your worst? Best: Waking up early. Worst: Never sleeping in.



What do you do when you’re creatively stuck? I do something mundane like make a list. It gives my brain a break.



Is there a businessperson you admire? I can’t decide between Oprah and Beyoncé.



Is there an expression you never want to hear again? The annual declaration that advertising is dead. It’s never been a better time for a great idea.



What’s the best mistake you ever made? My husband delayed critical surgery so I could finish a pitch. I made him feel like he had to. It became the best mistake because the perspective I gained as a result was life-changing. I tell others never, ever do that.



How do you unplug? I read a Colleen Hoover novel or watch a show like Below Deck .



Is there a book you recommend to everyone? As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.



Is there advice you’re glad you ignored? Somebody told me in my first job that if I left, I would be making the biggest mistake of my life. I remember thinking: If this is the biggest mistake I will ever make, then I’ll take the chance.



What advice would you give your younger self? You know exactly what you are doing. Keep going.



Did you have a career fork in the road? A startup within an agency I was working at didn’t work out. I had to decide between taking another agency role or heading to a totally different life on the client side. I decided to do the latter because it was so different. That job humbled me. I saw I had so much room to grow.



What is your work uniform? Massive chunky heels. Chunky = practical, right?



Do you have a style icon? Um . . . me.



Do you have a favorite object in your office? A rose quartz skull.



What is your biggest indulgence? Any dessert that my daughter makes for me.



How do you exercise? At the moment, rowing is kicking my ass.



What TV show are you mid-binge on? I’m rewatching The Sopranos because I’m convinced I missed 50% of the storyline when I first watched it. It’s still so damn good.



Do you have a favorite podcast? I prefer true crime. I just started Up and Vanished .



Do you have a mantra? To become who you want to be, you need to be more of who you are.



What is your go-to food for fast fuel? An Aloha coconut bar.



How do you congratulate someone? Usually a fire emoji, clapping hands, or a “yaaaaassssss” by text.



What’s your “get pumped” song? “Da Da Ding” by Gener8ion.



Is there a meeting you never miss? Any jam sesh with my partner, Chris Beresford-Hill. It will be fun, and we will get the work done.