Our Young Gun profile takes a look at some of the young talent across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.
Sydney Church: Client solutions manager at Half Dome.
Time at the company: A year and a half.
How long have you been in the industry? Four and a half years.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
The journey was far from linear, but I’ll try to give my “Coles Notes” summary (that’s a Canadian reference). I was born and raised in Canada and jumped around from the East to the West coast after finishing a degree in Fine Arts. I landed my first job at a media agency in Vancouver, and honestly, it was the only entry-level position I could find that seemed interesting and didn’t require one to two years of experience. At the same time, my best friend had just moved to Melbourne. It took a bit of convincing, but she got me over here for a holiday before I decided to make the move myself. I vividly remember landing in Melbourne and getting a call from a recruiter saying, “We think you’ve got the job, but don’t book your flights just yet.” Little did they know…
Who is your right-hand person/who guides you day to day?
My group business director, Michelle Tempest. She hired me for my first role in Australia and helped me land the job at Half Dome. She’s been a constant advocate for my development and is an unreal sounding board for my ideas.
I also joined the IAB Mentorship Program a few years ago and was paired up with Veronica Mayne, Managing Director at a market research company. I’m all about gaining perspective from people outside of my day-to-day, and she’s taught me a lot of valuable lessons.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
The many opportunities it gives me to exercise both sides of the brain and build meaningful connections with people.
And the biggest challenge?
Avoiding using media acronyms and buzzwords in everyday conversations. But more seriously, getting ahead in an ever-changing industry and finding answers to many unknowns.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to be still somewhere warm(er than my hometown). Despite its reputation for weather, Melbourne still ticks that box. The truth outside of that is that I don’t like to try and plan too far into the future, but hopefully, I’ll still be surrounded by people that are smarter than me.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
I’m guilty of doing a lot of TikTok scrolling in my downtime, and I’m constantly blown away by the hustle of creators and their use of social media to build a brand. Outside of that, I do some of my best thinking on my morning walks. I try to get one in every day before I start work. It’s one of the few good habits I’ve gained from lockdowns.
My favourite advert is:
Ikea’s “Start the car” campaign. It’s simple, effective, and memorable (and I still reference it all the time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlWCLw75XnE
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
Some people know this already, but I can’t drink tea. Not because I’m allergic, I just really, really don’t like it. Put it in a cocktail and I may be convinced otherwise.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future:
Thinking far into the future, I dream of creating my own job. I’m not sure exactly what that looks like just yet, but it’s a leap of faith I’m keen to take further down the tracks in life.
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