Young Gun profiles takes a look at the young talent across the Australian advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector. Aiming to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.
Tia Sullivan: investment partnerships executive, Group Yellow at Initiative Perth
Time in current role/time at company:
Two and a half years.
How long have you been in the industry?
Also two and a half years!
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
I was first introduced to Initiative when my media planning tutor from uni sent through a link to apply for an internship program titled ‘The Iso-Internship’. I didn’t know much about Initiative other than a Google search which showed LEGO as one of their clients – I thought this must be a pretty big deal.
With Covid at its peak and not much to do at home, I wrote my application. I ended up being one of the 10 selected from over 400+ applicants. We had an absolutely jam-packed four weeks, getting online at 7am with cameras on to collaborate and work on a live NFP brief with some of the most talented people in the industry.
This was not the plan. Before the internship, I originally planned to take a gap year after graduating and then hoped to pursue something in marketing. But with borders closed and after getting a taste of the infamous Ini-culture, I knew this is somewhere I wanted to work.
Who is your right-hand who guides you day to day?
My OG - Brianna Wells.
Bri has been the pillar of consistency that I have needed over two years that has been filled with plenty of change (to say the least).
She is always there when I need her – whether it’s reprioritising my list, going for a walk or grabbing a snack.
Whenever I feel stressed or unsure at work, I often think WWBD – What Would Bri Do?
Bri has an amazing attitude; she handles stressful situations in a logical and effective way – always creating the best plan of attack. This is one of the things I admire about her and something I try to incorporate into every day. It has helped me work through difficult conversations & problem solving.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
The people. And not just my team (they’re great) but the entire Initiative / Mediabrands group in Australia & beyond; the media partners we get to work with; and my clients – I’ve met some of the most amazing people and have learned so much from each of them. I am definitely a social creature and thrive off getting to know different people, their experiences and what gets them going – that’s a big motivator for me.
And the biggest challenge?
Stopping and celebrating the little wins and not getting bogged down in the day-to-day.
In my second year in the office, sometimes I felt through the normal course of a day that accomplishments could be missed. I found that a little unmotivating, so to try and overcome this, I set up the ‘Slay Board’ which resides in my office pod.
It started off as a piece of paper & bunch of sticky notes my colleagues and I would update every time someone in the team did something they were proud of. Now it has upgraded to a whiteboard and the whole office participates.
The slays now ranges from Tyler being shortlisted to Cannes Young Lions to Dan setting up a new digital trafficking process, to Ben buying a new puffer jacket. Every slay is celebrated with the whole office erupting in cheers & clapping.
It makes the little things worthwhile, can turn someone’s day around, allows you to stop and celebrate the good work you are doing, no matter how big or small.
Whose job have you set your sight in the future?
This I am not sure…but something starting with C and ending in O has a nice ring to it.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
I don’t think I ever consciously turn to inspiration; it just seems to appear. Particularly on my FYP on TikTok – somehow, I can apply the endless scrolling to my work. TikTok is full of excel hacks which is great. But it also allows you to tap into what’s happening in culture. With my client currently working to launch on TikTok, simply seeing how brands operate in the space as a user has allowed me to have a better understanding of smart ways to tap into audiences in a new and uncharted environment.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you:
Unfortunately for the people at work, they already know way too much about me. But for those who haven’t had the absolute pleasure…I’m obsessed with getting my nails done every month. It provides me with too much joy. For me, it’s a creative outlet. Looking at the latest styles and working with my nail tech to create actual ART on my nails is my favourite self-care habit. Hit me up if you’d like me to talk you through my archive.
In five years time, I’ll be:
I don’t even know what I’ll be doing in 5 days’ time…
But in five years’ time, I’d like to feel super confident in what I am doing and to feel like I can call myself a leader without hesitation. I want to be able to mentor the team around me. I love teaching & training people, supporting them in their passions and watching them grow. I want to be the leader everyone wants to spend time with. It can make such a difference to the version of yourself you bring to work every day and the output you deliver.
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