Karen Kaplan began her career as a receptionist at the advertising and marketing agency Hill Holiday, and after working tirelessly for many years, her title is now president and chief executive officer.
In 1982, while considering going to law school, Kaplan was looking for an administrative position at a well-known local business.
And after failing to demonstrate any short hand - a skill needed at the time to secure a secretarial position - she secured a job as front desk receptionist.
Just 22-years-old at the time, Kaplan quickly understood she would have to earn her stripes after being bullied by a group of "mean girls."
"They come on my second day, and they stand in front of my desk," she told Business Insider. "They're looming over me with hands on their hips with their little headbands, and I remember they were like, 'Just so you know, just because you're out here and everyone can see you, you are still on the bottom of the totem pole. You are below us, you are below the guy in the mail room, you're below the guy who delivers the packages.'"
A young and determined Kaplan remembers thinking to herself, "We'll see about that."
And while she never had intentions of working in advertising, she fell in love with the company and knew she wanted to grow with it.
Kaplan positioned herself for success, being the receptionist and face of Hill Holiday. She made sure to introduce herself and get to know as many people as possible.
But it was one document that changed her life forever.
During one work weekend, Kaplan found a jammed piece of paper in the copy machine. It was the pay sheet of her company's executives and other higher-ups.
"I didn't even know that people made six figures in the whole world," she remembers thinking. "I thought, 'Wow, I could spend some time at this place."
Karen would use this moment, and not only made it her life's mission to climb the corporate ladder, she would climb the Hill Holiday ladder, not allowing the male-dominated advertising world damage her professional or personal growth.
"I had the same 12 jobs that everyone has, I've just had them all at Hill Holiday."
Today, Kaplan is one of the most power women executives in the advertising world.
Read Karen's company profile here.
