Judy Lewis Looks Back At 2021

2021 has been another year full of ‘adventures,’ before we put in the rear view we thought we’d take a moment and give a few members of the community Look Back At 2021. Next in the series is Judy Lewis who shares some moments from her year. 

Who are you?

Hi: I’m Judy Lewis, head cheerleader at Strategic Objectives. I have an unyielding passion for innovation, breaking rules, being a fearless fighter for equity, and inspiring anyone who will listen to understand that they are capable of so much more than they believe.  

Looking back at January 2021 – what did you have planned for the year?

The pandemic has impacted so much. While planning is important, I have always believed that our flexibility and ability to turn-on-a-dime to seize opportunity, fresh ideas, and our ability to be scrappy, nimble, and highly creative has differentiated us and fueled our growth and incredible roster of long-term clients. 

Any business highlights for 2021 to share?

Our client campaigns continue to rack up honours and recognition for excellence. We are super proud of our clients who invest in PR as a marketing strategy and have embraced communications collaboration and marketing innovation to achieve great business growth and success, even throughout the pandemic.

Any personal highlights for 2021 to share? 

My business partner, Deborah Weinstein, and I were honoured to receive the 2021 Canadian Public Relations Society Entrepreneurial Leadership Award. This brings us such joy, as it recognizes the contribution our agency has made in mentoring and developing talent and the public relations profession in Canada. We continue to be pioneers in original approaches and redefine the possibilities of PR. 

What did you learn about yourself

I love getting together with people to share ideas, laugh, love and share motivation, inspiration, and innovative ideas to change the world. I could live my life in leggings. 

Who or what inspires you to get up and keep going?

I am propelled by a simple What If philosophy of life. I believe in the possibilities and going beyond what is expected. Defining new territories and bringing innovation to our profession is inspiring. Being able to merge my obsession with communications strategy with creativity is so enjoyable. 

How do you motivate your team?

The Values and Culture of our agency are motivating to our team. It is inspirational to work with the best and the most award-winning team in the country. Kindness, empathy, and that special family-feeling of our agency are all integral to our DNA and to doing our absolute best. 

If you were to put something in a 2021-time capsule, what would it be?

Deborah and I alternate writing and sharing a Monday Morning all-team email. We’ve done so since we went into lockdown in March, 2020, to kickstart the week, reflect on current and social events, creativity, resilience, and express gratitude and hope. They’ll certainly serve as a Pandemic Time Capsule.  

And we’re still waiting to open our real-life time capsule from Y2K!!!! 

Is there a song that represents your 2021?

Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson

Dave Forde

Dave “The Connector” Forde is a 20-year veteran of the Canadian marketing, PR, and tech industries. He is the founder of The Connected One network, including industry news sites Profectio and PR In Canada, and serves as a strategic business advisor. Connect with him on LinkedIn and X.

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