Why You Must Always Trust Your Gut with Becca Ratcliffe

Becca Ratcliffe is a dynamic force in experiential marketing, currently serving as managing partner at Bearded Kitten, the award-winning global brand activation agency known for its bold creativity and immersive experiences.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Becca has held senior leadership roles at leading agencies including 160/90, XYZ, and Jack Morton, which includes a six-year tenure in Hong Kong, where she served as SVP, where she led client relationships and campaign delivery across APAC markets.

Becca is passionate about creating unforgettable experiences that connect brands with audiences in meaningful ways, blending insight, creativity, and accountability in everything she leads.

It sounds simple. Obvious, even. But the biggest lesson I've learned in my career is this: trust your gut.

I've learned this lesson more than once.

Like many people coming up in our industry, I've found myself torn between instinct and hierarchy. Your boss asks you to take an approach with which you disagree. You've been there too, right?

You've built trust with your client, so you know their values, tone, and expectations. But someone more senior says, "Do this," and you do it. Because you don't want to rock the boat, especially in the earlier years of your career.

We often trust our seniors, thinking, "Maybe they know something I don't." Other times, it's because you don't want to jeopardise your career.

But, one moment in particular made this lesson hit home hard.

We had just lost a HUGE pitch. We had been told it was ours, but Procurement had to pitch it out, so we, as an agency, were in shock.

The most senior client, someone whose time was precious and near impossible to pin down, offered a quick 15-minute chat. It was a Saturday. His Saturday. He should have been with his family or friends, but he carved out a window to talk to me. That alone felt significant and pretty scary.

I'd envisaged how this chat should go, but my boss suggested an alternative strategy that gave me a bad feeling: “Bring up something negative about the competing agency.” It didn't sit right with me.

This wasn't how I built relationships. It wasn't how he wanted to be spoken to, and I knew that. I tried to push back, but I lost the argument. So, I made the call.

I still remember where I was: standing alone in a friend's apartment in Shanghai. I opened it warmly, lightly. Talked through his thoughts and feedback on our proposal. Then, reluctantly, I mentioned the other agency.

The mood changed instantly. He exploded. And honestly? He was right.

He said, "You've ruined my Saturday." And he meant it. And it was worse than just anger. It was a major disappointment. Not only had I misjudged the moment, but I'd misrepresented myself. The trust I'd spent months building with him crumbled in seconds.

I hung up, devastated. I'd followed someone else's lead, and in the end, I hadn't achieved what they wanted or stuck to what I believed in. The pitch was lost. The relationship was damaged. And the worst part? I knew it was coming. My gut had SCREAMED at me not to go down that path.

From that day on, I made a promise: I will always trust my gut. Even if it's uncomfortable. Even if it's risky. Even if it means disagreeing with someone more senior than I am. Because instinct is more than emotion, it's built from experience and observation. And in our industry, where client relationships are everything, listening to that instinct is the smartest move you can make.

When you trust your gut, you protect not only your agency and your client but also your personal brand, your values, and your long-term goals. I've seen first-hand that saying "no" to the wrong approach is often the most professional move of all.

As for sharing this wisdom with others, I believe it's an important message to convey, particularly to those in the early stages of their careers. Now that I lead a large team, I've learned that listening is just as crucial as sharing advice. I ensure I listen to their thoughts on how to handle their clients, as they know them best.

This approach has served me well throughout my career. I haven't encountered any pushback, and it's confirmed that trusting our collective gut instincts is usually the right path forward.

So, if you're ever in that moment standing on the edge of a call, a pitch, a decision, and something deep inside you says this doesn't feel right, listen. That voice is there for a reason.

And trust me: you'll regret ignoring it far more than you'll ever regret standing by it.