Have you seen our sea cat?
Looking back on 2019, I feel incredibly proud of what our brand new(ish) creative agency has experienced and achieved.
For the second year running, we were the only Canberra-based team ever to pitch to Gruen’s 750,000+ viewers. Certainly a big tick on my bucket list. I represented our team on-air in ABC’s Sydney studio and co-directed/co-wrote what Gruen panelist Russel Howcroft described as “… absolutely fantastic. Fantastic storytelling, single camera shot, lots of great casting, beautifully timed”. Our team met the show’s host and comedian Wil Anderson, spent time backstage with a bunch of lovely industry folk, and I didn’t screw up my line. Nailed it!
We traveled to the beautiful Byron Bay to present at s p a c e — Australia’s first festival / ‘Burning Man’ style conference — spending three nights rubbing shoulders with the likes of Magda Szubanski, Adam Ferrier, Russel Howcroft, CJ Holden and Holly Ransom. We soaked in their brilliance and shared a little of our own, set fire to a symbolic sculpture, and left feeling more inspired than ever to channel our creativity towards a more ambitious Australia. Let Australia’s tall poppies grow taller than ever.
Back home, we launched Be Curious — our very own event series daring our clients and team to venture beyond our echo chambers and into the unexpected with acclaimed speakers from Australia and around the world. To kick things off, we invited the legendary Todd Sampson (Gruen, Body Hack) to take us behind-the-scenes of his extraordinary (and often nail-biting) scientific journeys — sharing with us his strategies and techniques for improving our brains through the untapped potential of neuroplasticity.
Jumping on an opportunity to do something different, we reinvented ‘meetings’ with our retrofitted 1960’s Kombi van ‘Another Meeting’ — a proactive initiative that earned national media coverage. With its beer taps pouring, barista coffee flowing, and boom boxes doof-doofing, going to ‘another meeting’ has become something to look forward to. The van’s name also greatly satisfies my longstanding penchant for puns.
This initiative, alongside our other branding and campaign work, went on to score a bunch of awards and left us all feeling rather chuffed. Tinkering away on fun and impactful work every day is a win in itself, but the shiny things certainly don’t hurt.
While growing a creative agency has its challenges, it’s also given us the opportunity to be deliberate in building the team culture and approach we’ve always wanted — blending the best of the creative agency world with the consulting world. No longer is an Account Manager firmly wedged between the client and the creative. No one is confined to the parameters of their job description — meaning anyone can feel supported in pursuing whatever they’re passionate about and willing to learn. A rarity in the industry — our Account Managers are encouraged to share their ideas, and our Creatives get to see their clients’ faces light up as they talk about the work. This all leads us towards better work that the entire team (and even the client) feels a real connection to.
I’ve also experienced (and witnessed within the team) unprecedented support in growing professionally. The entire team has attended industry events such as AGDA’s Culture Before Creativity with Christopher Doyle, andI was fortunate to be able to skip town for a few days and head to Thredbo for the first of Synergy’s annual leadership retreats — finding headspace to focus ahead on the bigger picture, expand my mindset, and learn from the vast diversity of the incredibly smart, talented, and experienced people we have here at Synergy.
Having worked with so many of Synergy’s capabilities throughout the year (ranging from Change Management, Defence and National Security, Audit, and Recruitment), I was invited to not one, but seven end-of-year celebrations — including a wine tour, a ‘Splendour in the Grass’ style party at Goolabri, and a fully-catered family-friendly party in our new courtyard with face painting, Mr Papas Peruvian food truck, games, and a gelato stand. Not to mention Synergy’s epic Gatsby themed 20th birthday party at Parliament House earlier in the year. Synergy sure knows how to throw a party. In fact, this year I discovered that I’m actually kind of incredible at doing the worm on the dance floor. Who knew?
Doing great work meant Synergy quickly outgrew its existing office, so we doubled our space and expanded across the hall. We were able to design our own nook — Nerf guns, bubbles and a sassy interactive mural were the obvious essentials. Office-wide, we also upped with perks with ping pong, foosball, a kids entertainment room, an epic drinks fridge, and unlimited coffee.
It’s crazy to imagine that throughout all of this, I gradually returned from maternity leave, was promoted into our senior leadership team (and at just 30 years old, becoming the youngest at this level across all of Synergy). As a woman in a creative industry largely led by (still very talented) middle-aged men, this is a pretty great thing. Of course, I worked my tush off — but I’m also incredibly lucky to work within a team that believes everyone should be as successful as they are talented. Hard work and initiative should (and does) pay off.
It also strikes me how inclusive and diverse our larger Synergy family is. Being part of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee has really highlighted for me just how much we continually strive for and value this — both in terms of background and neurodiversity. It’s not just ticking a box. We live and breathe it. Our Healthy Work Committee has also seen our team out running in Spartan, and taking part in daily bike rides, runs, and boot camp style sessions led by our Defence veterans.
I really am on the edge of my seat to see where 2020 takes us, as we venture onwards and upwards towards accessing bigger, bolder work with clients who believe in the power of a strategic and brave idea.
By the way, have you seen our Sea cat? …. Seek ad?
Creative Designer (mid-senior) > https://bit.ly/2NE0mvS / Creative Consultant > https://bit.ly/3atwhJ4