Give to Gain: The industry we built, and the one we need

Written by Kylie Gould

Being a woman in business for 17 years is my normal. It’s the only version of owning and running a business I’ve ever known. But only recently did I realise it’s not normal. It’s anything but. This International Women’s Day, the global theme is Give to Gain, a simple but powerful idea that when we give support, opportunity, trust, and advocacy to women, everyone benefits.

It sounds obvious. But in practice, it requires a fundamental shift in how our workplaces operate. Because the reality is this: women are not leaving our industry due to lack of talent. They’re leaving because of friction. Structural friction. Cultural friction. Invisible friction. And that friction accumulates.

The invisible shift that happens before 9am

I run a design studio of twelve people. Six are working mothers. Between them, they have twelve children. Which means most of our studio lives and dies by 9am. School drop-offs. Lunch boxes. Assembly days. Swinging by the uniform shop. The invisible labour that happens before the workday even begins. By the time many women arrive at work, they’ve already completed a full emotional and logistical shift. Yet most industries still operate as though everyone arrives at work untouched by life. This is the disconnect. And this is why Give to Gain matters. Because giving isn’t just about donations or gestures. It’s about giving something far more powerful.

Giving trust.

Giving flexibility.

Giving psychological safety.

Giving opportunity.

Giving trust changes everything

The studio should be the place where you walk through the door and drop your shoulders. Not the place where they rise. We do our best creative work when we feel safe. When we feel trusted. When we’re supported. Psychological safety is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for excellence.

At Creatik, we’ve built an environment where if someone needs to leave early for a school assembly, a childcare call, or one of life’s many unpredictable moments, someone else steps in and carries the load. Not as a favour. As a system. Because giving support doesn’t weaken a team. It strengthens it. And over time, something remarkable happens.

People stay. They grow. They lead.

This is the essence of Give to Gain. When individuals and organisations give time, support, mentorship, and opportunity, the return is collective: stronger teams, stronger leadership, and more inclusive workplaces.

The industry was not designed this way

Most industries, including design, were built on models that assumed linear careers, constant availability, and visibility as proof of commitment. These systems weren’t intentionally exclusionary. But they weren’t intentionally inclusive either. And that distinction matters. Because when systems are not designed with women in mind, women adapt for as long as they can. Until eventually, many leave. Not because they lack ambition. But because the cost of staying becomes too high.

The theme Give to Gain challenges us to move beyond symbolic support and invest in meaningful change, recognising that when women are given opportunity, mentorship, and trust, workplaces and communities thrive.

What I was given changed everything

Seventeen years ago, I started Creatik in the spare bedroom, then upgraded to an office space the size of a cupboard. Literally.

Early on, a male mentor asked me my hourly rate. It was low. He told me to increase it. That moment changed my trajectory. He gave me something simple but transformative. Belief. And belief creates momentum. It creates confidence. It creates leaders.

That is Give to Gain in its purest form.

Giving is not charity. It is infrastructure.

We often think of giving as generosity. But in reality, giving is infrastructure. When you give flexibility, you gain retention. When you give trust, you gain ownership. When you give opportunity, you gain leadership. When you give psychological safety, you gain excellence. This is not theory. It is operational reality. And it benefits everyone. Because when women thrive, businesses thrive. When women stay, industries strengthen. When women lead, the system evolves.

The industry we need next

I’ll be speaking at AGDA on a topic titled Women Don’t Stay: The Industry We Built and the One We Need. Not as criticism. But as an invitation. Because as designers, we don’t just design brands, experiences, and systems. We design the future. Which means we have the ability, and the responsibility, to redesign our industry itself.

To build workplaces where women don’t have to choose between their ambition and their life. Where leadership is accessible. Where support is structural. Where women stay.

The theme Give to Gain reminds us that progress doesn’t happen passively. It happens when individuals and organisations intentionally give time, trust, mentorship, opportunity, and support, creating momentum for meaningful and lasting change.

This International Women’s Day, the question is not what women need to give more of. The question is what the system needs to give back. Because when we get that right, everyone gains.