What did you want to be when you grew up?
There are two very different things that stick in my mind. I remember wanting to be an artist, which is probably not too surprising given where I've gone, but the other thing I wanted to be was a brain surgeon. I wanted to be something that was really difficult, that not many people wanted to do.
Who would you most like to be stuck on a desert island with? Why?
I’d love to be stuck with my three kids. My youngest is now 11 years old, and I’ve got a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old. They’re growing up into really interesting people. They always find the good in things, they're really curious, so I think it would actually be a lot of fun.
What single book has had the greatest impact on you? Why?
When I was growing up my parents had this really small set of art books that featured all the greats: Botticelli, Rubin, Rembrandt, Leonardo. Art books from the Renaissance, the high Renaissance, Bruegel and Bosch, and they blew my mind. They’re all so different as you can hear from that list, but they sparked my imagination.
When do you go to bed and when do you get up?
If I'm still up after 10pm on a weeknight I'm not happy and then I always get up early around 5:30.
Can you briefly explain your career path to date?
That's a long one. Where did it all start? I looked at doing a Fine Art Degree, but then was told I had to do something a bit more sensible, so I did a Business Degree and an Arts Degree. Basically, I trained to be a client! I still loved art and I was drawn to that by way of communications, which allowed for creativity. So that's how I kind of fell into advertising.
A long time ago, there was a thing called The Advertising Federation of Australia Training Program, and I applied for that and got in. It was like an advertising internship that allowed me to work in the different departments and by the end of the program I knew I wanted to be a Creative. Then I did Copy School and then I moved into the Creative Department. I remember there were seven of us who did the trainee program, there were three women and four men, and when I entered the Creative Department there was another female team, but no women at the top.
I worked for a few years and then felt that all the work I loved and all the directors and creative people that inspired me at that time were coming out of London, so when I was 25 I moved across the world. I did various placements at different agencies for very little money in an effort to get a foot in the door. I set my sights on two or three agencies that I really wanted to work and was lucky to get a job at TBWA\ London in the days when Trevor Beattie ran it. It was a really exciting time to be there.
I came back to Australia and spent many years at TBWA\ Australia and more recently DDB. In April 2021, I joined the Monkeys as Chief Creative Officer.
What is the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome, as it relates to your career or industry?
There are always challenges. I would say the biggest thing I had to overcome, and I regret how this is going to sound, but it was having children. I've taken about five years off from my career, which is quite a long time, to have three kids. I went back and forth when I had each one but getting back into the industry was really difficult. I lost my confidence when I went back. Advertising is a very competitive industry, it's fast paced, and you're expected to keep up with things. I got through it with persistence and tried to embrace the upside in having stepped away for some time and coming back with fresh eyes.
What motivates you?
I get really excited when a brief comes in with huge potential. That feeling of what’s possible is so motivating. Making something out of nothing with endless possibilities, collaborating with the whole team - it's super exciting and it never gets old.
What do you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
When I started my career, I felt like things had to be done a certain way, or if I wasn't thinking about things in a certain way I wasn't doing it right. This came from lots of different things, and also being a woman in a very male dominated area. Quite often I would quietly think to myself, "Oh, I quite liked that idea," or sometimes I wouldn't be thinking the same as the room, and I think if I could go back, I would probably tell myself that, "Maybe actually you're not wrong, maybe that's your superpower."
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The juggle of having children and a big career. It's not easy and it's not perfect, and that's okay.
What do you believe has been the key to your success?
Not giving up. Having a goal and then even if someone says, "Oh no, that's not going to happen here," then I just find somewhere else where I can do that.
What is your life motto?
No guts, no glory.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
"Make a decision, and then if that's not the right decision, just make another decision."
That was so liberating for me. I don't find it hard to make decisions at all, but there's something about that where you just think, "Well, we'll try something, and if it's not right we'll try something else.” It just makes you realise that you can experiment a bit with anything you're doing.
Who do you most admire in business? Why?
David Droga. Look at what he’s built. He’s an ex-Creative and now he’s running Accenture Interactive globally, which makes him my boss, and I'm okay with that!
Are there work ethics and attitudes that you most admire in women?
I'd have to generalise answering this, but I would say collaboration. I've had lots of projects I've worked on with a group of women and it’s so open and collaborative. I believe there's such a sense that you can say and do things, just to test it out.
What's next?
My flippant answer is world domination. I’m building a great team here at The Monkeys, and we are poised to do the next thing in what an advertising business could be. With the different groups of people, and the different specialty brains we have here, I'm really, really looking forward to the next wave of work, and what we can do for our clients.
As told to Caroline Hugall at The Monkeys on Thursday 3rd February 2022.