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138k as an ACD in San Francisco - too low?
Strategy Director Salary / LA / 8-10 years exp?
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Some positions just require a lot of meetings, but it's true that meetings in general have gotten entirely out of control. Too many people think the meetings are the work. The reality is that a lot of meetings just get in the way of work. It can get worse as you move up, but it also seems to be a sign of the times, people just want to have meetings more than they used to.
You definitely aren’t alone. As I moved up the ladder, I noticed my meetings kept increasing. I end up spending most of my day in meetings and then staying late just to get my actual work done.
This is what happens as you move up. you are expected to increase soft skills and strategic thinking and spend less time on hard skills/in the weeds
OP: This topic has nothing to to with the bowl. Are you a bot or a paid contributor?
Mentor
Sorry, I may have just been venting to a group of my peers. But you’re right, let’s add some value aligned to the bowl. Can you share your role, city, industry and salary?
Marketing Manager, Chicago, CPG (in-house), $185k base
Definitely gets worse as you climb the ladder.
Subject Expert
Yes, it gets worse. Senior/Director level? 60-70% of your day is meetings, stakeholder management, and administrative overhead. VP+? You're basically a full-time meeting attendee who occasionally does strategy.
Individual contributor/specialist roles have the best ratio—maybe 30-40% meetings, rest is actual work. Manager level is when it flips to meeting-heavy.
This is why some smart people plateau at Senior Specialist intentionally—they'd rather do the work than manage calendars for $15K more.
If you're already drowning in meetings at a junior level, that's a company culture problem, not a seniority thing. Good organizations protect IC time.
What level are you at, and what percentage of your week is meetings right now?