Unrealistic Workloads: Account distribution was consistently unmanageable. At times, I was responsible for more than 20 enterprise-level brands simultaneously, which made it extremely difficult to provide the level of service expected. This led to high stress, burnout, and mistakes, despite best efforts.
Limited Leadership Support: Leadership often lacked understanding of the day-to-day demands of client-facing teams. When challenges arose, whether with difficult clients or high workloads, guidance or support was minimal. The prevailing expectation was to “push through,” even in situations where the workload or client behavior was unreasonable.
Challenging Client Dynamics: Many clients were extremely demanding, and internal processes did not adequately support account teams in navigating these relationships. There was little training, escalation process, or intervention when clients were overly aggressive, leaving team members to manage these situations largely on their own.
Inconsistent Career Advancement: Promotions and recognition often felt influenced by favoritism rather than performance. Even when performing the responsibilities of a higher-level role, advancement required multiple internal interviews and navigating internal politics. Team members outside the “favorites” circle had to work significantly harder for the same recognition.
Frequent Turnover and Layoffs: The company frequently reorganized, and layoffs were common. Even high-performing employees could be deemed “too expensive” based on external benchmarks or other non-performance factors, creating uncertainty and low morale.
Insufficient Investment in Staff: While high-value accounts generated revenue, the company did not invest sufficiently in the teams managing them. Support structures, training, and resources were limited, and the focus seemed to favor leadership visibility over operational support.
Technology Limitations: The platform did not evolve as quickly as competitors, making it harder to optimize campaigns efficiently. Many workflows required manual effort that competitors had automated, slowing down productivity and impacting client satisfaction.
Burnout Culture: The combination of high workloads, insufficient support, and challenging client relationships contributed to a culture of burnout. Many colleagues left within a short period, particularly on high-demand accounts, and there was minimal intervention to address the root causes.
