Thedrum

One can’t say that Sharon Napier is quiet. Growing up in a “loud first-generation Italian family” outside of Buffalo saw to that. Another thing one can’t say about the CEO of Partners + Napier in Rochester is that she follows the rules. The competitive fire she exhibits day in and day out sparks her team, which works on a number of interesting clients such as Delta Vacations, BMW and MINI Financial Services, USA Today, Xerox, Robert Mondavi and others. But that doesn’t mean that Napier, a proud mother with two daughters in the advertising business in New York City, doesn’t make a mistake or two along the way. In fact, she believes that learning from the failures (actually learning from them) has been of great benefit to her over her 20+ years in the industry. Napier is a massive advocate for women in the industry and strongly encourages, especially young women, to understand their personal brand, know their value and never apologize. “Every time we say sorry we sort of lose our relevance, our import