For this interview, Anna Anisin invited consultant Virginia Leard Rojo, who explains why traditional models of agency and client cooperation struggle, how brands can rebuild their marketing ecosystems, and what today’s leaders should demand from partners.
Family-based beginnings
Virginia grew up in Miami and learned marketing while working for her mother’s baby-proofing company, which served celebrity clients such as Madonna. By high school she ran the firm’s loyalty programme and email outreach. After graduation she joined New York agencies, moved in-house on the brand side, and eventually opened her own consultancy.
But this traditional model is apparently collapsing.
Why Legacy Agency Structures Fail Today
“Client budgets have just been slashed dramatically so every dollar needs to work so much harder” says Virginia.
Longstanding fee models depend on large teams and extended timelines, but many brands now require faster results with lean resourcing. At the same time, some companies have outsourced so much strategic work that they no longer hold critical brand knowledge internally.
Building a Modern Ecosystem
Virginia’s first step is an audit: do internal teams fully understand the brand, objectives and audience? If not, that gap must be fixed before adding partners. Industry titles now merge marketing, growth and commercial accountability. Leaders face “much higher emphasis on financial pressure and commercial pressure” as she says.
Personal Style as Strategic Signal
Early in her corporate career Virginia chose neutral outfits to “blend in,” but feedback about her height in heels reduced confidence. As an entrepreneur she now uses colour red, echoing her surname Rojo—to project authority.
“If I’m dressing to make myself smaller, then clients view me as smaller and less confident” she says.
Conclusion
Today’s marketing leaders operate under cost pressure, rapid technological change and shifting organisational charts. Virginia’s story illustrates that professional presence, whether in agency selection or wardrobe choices, signals confidence that clients and teams recognise.
