Women in Business: Lela Davidson

Residence: Rogers

Education: B.A., business administration/accounting, University of Washington

Professional background: With a wide-ranging digital media and marketing resume, Davidson has held leadership roles for a leading shopper marketing agency since 2016 and was promoted to EVP in 2021. Before that, she launched a media business (One Country Media) inside the venture-backed e-commerce retailer Country Outfitter. In its first year of operation, she led the team that built One Country into the No. 1 media outlet for country music entertainment and lifestyle. Davidson is also a best-selling author, national speaker and “recovering” CPA.

What is the most fulfilling part of your work? I like to build things. Nothing makes me happier than seeing an idea I’ve created or collaborated on become something of value that goes on to live a life of its own.

What habits or traits do you feel are most important for leaders to have? Empathy, patience, and organization. Any success I’ve had with the first two have been hard won, and it’s a continuous journey to improve these attributes. My natural sense of organization has compensated for my shortfalls in other areas, helping me increase my personal capacity, prioritize and move ideas into action.

What is something distinctive that people would be surprised to know about you? For a time, I was a successful freelance writer and author. My last essay collection was published in 2012, which feels so long ago sometimes even I forget.

What do you do to relax when not working? My favorite ways to unplug are watching movies and TV, spending time in my backyard and walking in the woods.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry? Master the art of building relationships. Always prioritize people over tasks and learn to find things to admire and emulate in everyone you meet, because everyone has something to teach you.

Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women at the top? Women are 50% of the population, so 50% of the smartest, most creative, collaborative and hardest working people are women. Companies can’t afford not to nurture top talent.

What do you think of the opportunities that exist for women in business compared with when you started? There is no comparison, and yet there is still a long way to go. Working in a bank while still in college, women were not allowed to wear pants in the home office branch. While my generation was told we had every opportunity, women entering professional life today have real opportunities that were still only available to a rare few in the 1990s.

What’s the most recent book you’ve read? I tend to read several books at the same time. I’m currently reading “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson, “Building a Second Brain” by Tiago Forte, and David Sedaris’ latest collection, “Happy-Go-Lucky.” I’m in a book club with some of my best friends, and they keep my reading list varied and interesting.

There has been a renewed push in the legislature to reduce or alter affirmative action programs. Do you believe they are still necessary to provide opportunities for women and minorities? I’m not knowledgeable about affirmative action programs, but over the past few years I have been learning about my own biases and those of my organizations. We are so far from equity for women and minorities. The leadership composition of our organizations does not represent the diversity of our population, and the pandemic set women back decades. I don’t claim to know the solution, but I’ve personally committed to continue my own education and to use my privilege to support and empower others.

Who was a big mentor to you in the early part of your career? I was fortunate to have a number of strong women managers and other mentors early in my career who helped me see different parts of myself reflected in a leadership role. I’ve always looked for individual traits in role models that I felt comfortable emulating, and all these women’s most valuable skills and best qualities have contributed to my personal and professional success.