Women in Digital, Author at Women In Digital

One of those key ‘adulting’ moments is when you start talking about money. These conversations are so important to have with all professionals. But particularly for early-in-career women as being able to confidently and successfully negotiate a higher salary is crucial (and necessary) for bridging the gender pay gap. The Women in Digital team were lucky enough to be invited to share their experience and advice on having those difficult conversations with the Assisterhood community.

Watch our Q&A with Assisterhood now:

Prefer to read? Here are their key takeaways on how and when to ask for a raise, avoid self-sabotaging, and knowing your true worth:

But first, here’s a quick summary:

Just do it – stop avoiding the conversation
Be proactive and start the conversation early -it’s all about building a relationship
Find that sweet spot – talk about more than just money
Back yourself even when you’re not feeling confident & know your worth!
Remember, value isn’t just monetary
Avoid comparing your salary with others
Your employer is human too! (and chances are, they are nervous as well!)

Let’s get started…

Just do it!

It’s probably inevitable that conversations around money are going to make you nervous – we feel you. But if you don’t feel like you are getting what you are worth, you may start to build resentment towards your employers which could be totally avoided through one simple, uncomfortable conversation. At the very least, this process will help you build both resilience and confidence over time.

Be proactive and start the conversation early

Many people ask us, “but when is a good time to talk about pay rises?” The answer is sooner rather than later. And the best way to approach this conversation is by building a relationship with your employer. Whether that’s weekly or monthly check-ins, you and your manager can discuss your professional and performance goals and work towards them together. This will naturally open up to conversations about your pay goals and put you both on the same page!

But what do I say?

It’s all about finding that sweet spot. To start this conversation, we suggest discussing more than just money with your employer. Together you can talk about arrangements to provide you both the best value possible. That could be a flexible workspace, a shortened probation period, work-from-home environment or other lifestyle options. You can always include these terms in your contract as well including a pay review 6 months down the line.

Back yourself even when you’re not feeling confident & know your worth!

Facts, facts, facts! When it comes to finally having this dreaded conversation, be prepared! Think about the value you have contributed to the business whether that’s through sales, operational changes or equity. Unfortunately, effort does not translate into business results. You have to prove your worth. If you are in a larger organisation and don’t understand how you are contributing value, talk to your employer and start building your ‘court case’ around that value. Before your meeting, you can even ask your employer beforehand what information you should prepare to set yourself up for success. But keep in mind, calm confidence trumps over-confidence in this case.

If not a pay rise, what else?

Sometimes a salary increase just isn’t possible (think Covid-19!). But that doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate a different form of remuneration. Value isn’t just monetary. For example, what about a new and improved role title? This could set you in a better position long term or open you to better future opportunities.

More than just money

When searching for new opportunities, think beyond your pay and consider what else the organisation has to offer you. If they are a great employer and an ideal culture, this could benefit you long term more so than another opportunity. Remember, the right fit can also lead to internal growth in more ways than one. Sometimes it’s about getting your foot in the door first.

Stop comparing!

It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your salary to your coworkers. But just like avocados, there are fluctuating market demands for jobs roles. Not to mention, many factors go into salary pricing. That could be someone’s professional network, experience, personal branding, skills and strengths, qualifications, agency vs. in-house and more. So before you start comparing salaries, consider talking to a recruiter who will have a better idea of overall demands within the job market.

Remember, your employer is human too!

Chances are your employer might be just as nervous about having these conversations as you! But they also can’t read your mind. Don’t wait and see if they give you a raise, take the initiative to ask for it! It can be as simple as sending an email to request a chat about your progress and current remuneration. Last but not least, when in doubt… break the tension with an ice-breaker!

A big thank you to Assisterhood for having us and putting on such a terrific event and to Alpha Digital for hosting.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Connect with the Women in Digital team here – they can help by providing strategic career advice and more!

2020 has been a year of pandemics, pain and pivots for the events industry. Festivals, corporate events, and gloriously spectacular Awards Galas like the 2020 Women in Digital Awards had to go into COVID-induced hibernation or switch online. But with Zoom fatigue at an all-time high and people craving the social enjoyment that in-person events bring, how do you bottle that energy up and create an engaging, atmospheric and memorable high-end virtual event?

Honestly, as we began planning the 2020 Women in Digital Awards we did not have the answer. Every year we set ourselves the auspicious task of going bigger and better than the year before but there is nothing that will knock the wind out of your large-scale-event-planning-sails quite like a global pandemic.

Back to the drawing board, we knew that we wanted to capture the Women in Digital Awards in all of its glory and not lose a teaspoon of the special sauce that makes the night (click here to watch the 2019 Women in Digital Awards video, you’ll see what we mean).

So we called in our favourite AV-partner, the team that helped us execute the awards last year, and asked them “how are we going to do this?” They have held our hand every step of the way and we are excited to sit down with Gareth Percey, Director of Scene Change, today to ask him all your virtual event planning questions.

Get your notepads ready.

What a year! Before we deep dive into creating a high-end virtual event we want to first ask – how are you doing?

As with all businesses within the live events industry it has been really tough especially during the early stages of COVID. It was hard to see literally hundreds of events that we had been working on for a long period of time disappear almost overnight. But with every situation, you need to focus on the positives and look for opportunities for us to pivot the business so we could survive. We have certainly experienced every emotion possible over the past 8 months but we are still here and still producing events, just a little differently now.

When 2020 first kicked off – what did you picture your year would look like?

At the start of the year we finally had the opportunity to reflect on how big a year 2019 was for Scene Change not only here in Brisbane but right throughout the group. Plans were being put in place to further expand the business and restructure our staffing to accommodate, we had identified some key staff acquisitions that we were lining up. Everything was looking rosy. I said to my business partner “I’ve got a great feeling about 2020, we are going to take this thing to another level, things are starting to come together”…… well it’s fair to say it went to another level just not in the right direction, how wrong I was hey.

And then March hit – and overnight all events were shut down and you saw your calendar going from being entirely booked out to empty. What were those initial few days and weeks like?

Those early days were horrific, it got to the point where I didn’t want to open up my emails or answer my phone, each call or email was another event cancellation. My initial thoughts were that this was a short term shut down and we will be back to “normal” in a matter of months, sadly I was wrong. Our first instinct was to formulate a plan to keep our team together. Over the years when you put together such a strong group of AV professionals you need to hang on to them so that was our focus.

Okay – so onto your comeback story. Tell us, how did you go from being an AV company to an all-in-one production studio for high-end virtual events overnight?

For us, once we got over the initial shock of what was going on, the focus turned to our staff and keeping them active, using this opportunity to catch up on the training we always wanted to do on that new piece of gear that we never quite had a chance to organise.

Similar to Stage Kings we had a team that had their own skill sets that were used to deliver the traditional corporate events day in day out. We had audio specialists, video specialists, lighting specialists and IT specialists, and we were unable to utilise those skills in the normal way due to Government restrictions. So we needed to cross-train our staff and create more-rounded technicians. Our video technicians now know how to operate lighting systems and our audio team can now run complex video systems. It’s been something they have really embraced and are better technicians for it.

It became obvious pretty early on that in-person events were a long way from coming back and that there was still the need for people to communicate, share ideas and stay connected, it’s what we humans do.

So the question was how do we help people do this with a warehouse full of near-new equipment that is not being used and a group of talented technicians with a lot of spare time on their hands? What started off as a training exercise ended up turning into a fully equipped class-leading online event studio. One day the studio included a simple LED Wall backdrop and stage, the next it included a concert-quality PA System, fully programmable LED backdrop and an intelligent lighting rig to make any production manager happy. It’s fair to say we got a little carried away and the spec could be seen as a little excessive, but hey if you’ve got the technology you might as well use it.

It has been such an exciting time to see this all come together and for it to be so successful in such a short amount of time. Our technical team are the real stars here, they have been the driving force on this whole journey pushing every boundary possible.

What has been the most surprising thing for you during the pivot process?

How long it has taken people to embrace this new method of communication. It’s something that has been a part of traditional events for a long time however now it’s at the forefront rather than being a small piece of the puzzle. That and the fact people accept low-quality video call platforms as being the standard way to communicate at a corporate level.

You run tens to hundreds of events each and every year. What have been some of your favourite events this year? And what did they do particularly well to adapt to the virtual format?

Well the Women in Digital Awards of course!

It’s always fun to stage an event that has a real strong element of human connection to it. My favourite part of the event is when the doors open and guests enter the room for the first time. It makes the whole thing worthwhile to see people’s amazement and hear their comments about how the room looks. I have really enjoyed producing the online awards nights we have been involved in for a similar reason, in this case winning an award or being recognised for something and being able to capture that initial reaction in real-time. It is priceless and this was something that we were able to capture this year for the WID Awards. A lot of people are suffering from online fatigue so to do something special and something that evokes a raw emotional response is amazing and to provide that experience is a privilege.

To someone planning a virtual event, what would be your three key pieces of advice?

Keep your mind open to new ideas and concepts and be willing to drop the traditional format of events.
If you don’t already have one, find a production team that you trust and listen to them. They know how to get your message across and will be able to guide you through the design and delivery process. Please please please engage with your technical team as soon as you can, as soon as the idea pops into your head.
Embrace the technology. Have fun with it, get creative, push boundaries and be prepared to invest a larger portion of the event budget into the technical. Traditionally only a few hundred delegates can be involved in an event. Now you have the ability to reach just about anyone around the globe, it’s an exciting time so why not run with it.

This is a pretty broad question but in a couple of sentences, where do you start? can you explain how an organisation might move their in-person event online, and what they need to consider before doing so?

First step is to consider what you want to achieve with the event, is it to recognise staff? Is it to communicate with a broader audience? Is it educational? Are you selling a product? Or is it just to stay relevant with your industry peers? Think about what features you need to incorporate. Do you need to interact with your audience and at what level? Do you require additional features such as Q&A or polling to do this? Do you need to interact with your audience in real-time?

The next step is to consider what you want the end users experience to be like how will the features be accessible to them and what will the website or platform look like, can you include branding that sort of thing, but most importantly get your technical team involved early, I really can’t stress that enough.

What are the benefits of an organisation pushing ahead with an online event instead of postponing it?

Staying relevant and engaged with your audience, this new platform allows you to reach a bigger audience than ever before. Your reach is only limited by the effort you invest. There are a lot of organisations that have battened down the hatches and stopped communicating. Here is your opportunity to take advantage of their negative approach and get a few steps ahead of them ready for better days.

How far in advance should you start planning for a large scale event like an Awards Gala?

An awards gala has many moving parts so it’s best to start planning as soon as possible, maybe three to six months out. With WID we started the process just over 6 months from the event date and that was plenty. For a simpler event format, we can turn them around in a matter of days if required.

Would the organisation planning the event need to provide the venue or do you organise that for them?

It all depends. The beauty of this technology and the way we package it up is that we can deliver an online event almost anywhere, well anywhere we have access to the internet. Having said that, we do also have a purpose-built studio full of all the gear you need to right on the edge of Brisbane’s CBD so we can assist with providing a venue for you if required.

What equipment does Scene Change provide/have?

Large screen video, audio, lighting, staging, cameras and all the back-end systems for streaming events online and bringing in remote presenters.

What sort of team does the company need to have (ie. event coordinator, admin coordinator etc.) to pull off this type of event?

We can obviously supply all the technical crew required, audio, video and lighting specialists, webcast technicians, camera operators, technical directors, producers, autocue operators and stage managers, basically the full event-tech team. From the other side of things, it’s best to supply a single point of contact like an event coordinator as a minimum, if you have an inhouse or preferred graphic designer or creative team that knows your brand they can be brought on board to design the visual assets required. The bigger the project the bigger the team is required to share the load as there are a lot of moving parts and elements that need to be coordinated.

The ol’ Live Stream vs. Pre-Recorded debate. In your professional experience, which one is better? Or is it a blend?

This is a good question with a simple answer, it’s about creating a balance and understanding what style of event you are wanting to produce. In the case of the WID Awards, it was a blend of both but heavily weighted to the pre-recorded content. Pre Recording key speeches and other elements allow you to rerecord it until you get it right. Prerecording content also reduces the risk of technical issues and relieves some of the pressure on your technical team. But you still need to have that live content in there as well so that it doesn’t feel too sterile. This live element will enhance the human connection and provide personality and that’s the key, getting that balance.

Something a lot of virtual events feel like they are missing is the atmosphere. Do you have any tips for creating an engaging and enjoyable virtual event?

Incorporate some of the elements found in traditional events such as lighting and visual effects, stage sets also add an extra element. Think about how you can provide that atmosphere by including audio grabs of audience noise, applause that sort of thing but above all have fun it, enjoy the experience and don’t get bogged down in being too serious, by the way I do love a good bloopers reel so consider packaging up the outtakes to add some humour.

In the initial meeting, what kind of information do you need from an organisation to help them plan their event?

Where? When? And why? If you can answer those questions then we can guide you from there. The most important is why, you need to know why you are staging this online event. The rest is simple.

Is there anything we have missed that you think we (and other event-planning people) need to know?

Embrace this new platform and be prepared to push the boundaries of what you believe online events to be. Most importantly have some fun.

You have now set up your Brisbane Virtual Event Studio in the Hotel Grand Chancellor – how can people get in touch with you if they need assistance producing their own high-end virtual event?

My phone is always on so give me a call, whether you are thinking about staging an event with our team here at Scene Change or just want to learn more I am more than happy to have a chat and answer any questions you may have.

This new vehicle of communication is here to stay so the more you know the more you embrace it as a legitimate platform and the more you understand how this can be incorporated into your corporate events the more successful your event will be.

Thank you so much to Gareth and the team from Scene Change for chatting to us and of course, their support in helping us navigate a virtual stage during a pandemic!

For more on Scenechange, read our blog with Gareth on diversity in AV and don’t forget to check out everything they do on their website, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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With such a wide array of new opportunities available in marketing, it isn’t surprising that many people struggle to see exactly where they fit in. Emma Wilkinson knows this first-hand.

A self-reported ‘digital unicorn’, Emma is an adventurous go-getter who has worked across a broad range of industries and specialisations, gaining a wealth of experience along the way. She has worked in Fortune 500 companies, including AVON, AECOM and Mitsubishi, as well as smaller boutique businesses throughout Australia. Currently, she is helping bridge the gap between traditional marketing communication and the burgeoning technology sector as the Digital Project Manager at The Distillery. Impressive right?

We were thrilled to have Emma share with us her impressive journey as a female tech lead and hear how she found her niche in the fascinating field of marketing, who although isn’t on the tools, is absolutely thriving.

The following words are by Emma Wilkinson…

A year ago I walked away from being on the front line in digital because no matter how hard I tried I felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Five months ago after trying on new career hats, a concerning number of “hope you are okay” gift baskets from my parents I came to the conclusion that maybe I was a mythical digital unicorn (cringe) as well a female tech lead who didn’t have the ambition to gain c-suite title or work on the tools.

Without a doubt, the industry requires more females on the tools however what I have found in my time is that some technical people are better suited to become Mary Poppins of digital. Someone who takes the project lead role and can using their technical know-how to proactively predict what a client is going to require, know how they will react (good and bad), and understand when to agree, disagree or suggest alternatives. They are also someone who understands the creative and technical functions and constraints of platforms and systems so that they can easily map out the next move and know when to react by changing direction needs or raising a red flag with their teams whilst be comforting, informative but firm in direction.

I am a project manager with a background in IT, strategy, system design and development, web development, UX and graphic design, digital marketing, account, and community management. Some skills and knowledge are more proficient than others but my technical knowledge has allowed me to become more of a ninja project lead whilst still being a role model to those who want to be on the tools and a mentor to those launching businesses who find the world of tech overwhelming.

I am often misunderstood because I don’t fit into the presumed roles of a software engineer, digital architect or digital marketing specialist. But I have over time learnt that my voice doesn’t need to be the loudest or in every conversation to be heard. I have led over a hundred websites in launching, I still wear my heart on sleeve and genuinely care about each project and supporting my team in their own career journey. I am breaking the mould of what a female tech lead is not because I think I should but because this is just who I am.

To those who want to thrive in tech, my message is simple. You don’t have to be at the top of the chain, an expert or be on the tools to thrive you just need to learn when it is appropriate to interject with your knowledge, actively listen and learn and respect the ecosystems you work in to predict the next move or recognise a red flag. You are not saving the world but you are building systems that keep the world afloat and provide tools to those who are saving the world.

Thank you so much Emma for sharing your insights. If you are interested in learning more about Emma, connect with her on LinkedIn.

Are you a woman in digital that wants to contribute an article. We would love to hear from you! Send us an email to community@womenindigital.org.

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Love where you work and accelerate your business at Hub Australia.

Founded by Brad Krauskopf in 2011, Hub Australia provides state-of-the-art functional workspaces designed for organisations of all sizes to focus and grow their business. With stunning hospitality areas, cafés, professional development events and end-of-trip facilities, Hub Australia is more than just an office space – it is one of the largest Australian owned and operated flexible workspace providers. Their workspaces can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and of course, Women in Digital’s own beautiful location in the heart of Brisbane city.

We chatted to Hub Australia about their impressive growth, the popularity of co-working spaces and what it is like to be a member of one of Australia’s Best Places to Work.

We love Hub Australia and are lucky to call it home for 2020, but tell us, what makes Hub Australia special to you?

The community at Hub is wonderful and incredibly diverse – we have teams from large global businesses working alongside and creating relationships with entrepreneurs and startups in the same spaces.

Our great team also works to support and connect the members in lots of ways, and we’ve seen hundreds of great business connections and collaborations on top of the social relationships made in the space.

What is something that not many people know about Hub Australia?

We were the first B Corp Certified co-working space in Australia, and are set to be the first Carbon Neutral Certified co-working space recognised by the Australian Government.

Co-working spaces are still a relatively new phenomenon, do you think that they’ll eventually become standard?

Co-working has been in Australia for almost ten years, but has really started to gain traction in the last 3-4 years. Co-working and flexible office spaces are a logical choice for most businesses, but many people get stuck in the habit of commercial leases without researching alternatives and all their benefits.

When you look at it, moving into an all-inclusive co-working space like Hub Anzac Square lets you work in a beautifully designed space in the centre of the CBD, upgrade your membership or office space when you grow, and use great amenities like our fitness studios, media studios, fully-equipped member kitchen, and our in-house cafés.

On top of that, Hub looks after all the day-to-day logistics – we keep the plants alive, make sure everything’s looking lovely and working as it should, greet all your guests, and our Community Leads and Member Experience team work hard to help your business stay happy and successful with events, benefits, and networking.

Why do you think co-working is so popular?

As well as making financial and logistic sense for teams and businesses, co-working has risen in popularity due to the great communities. Our members build strong professional relationships and friendships with each other, and each of our locations has an intangible ‘vibe’ that contributes to it being an enjoyable space for working, holding meetings, and having social catch-ups. Outside of COVID-19 restrictions, we foster these communities with member events including Wellness days, Breakfast Club, and our popular weekly Wine Down sessions (Brisbane is lucky enough to have them in our beautiful rooftop space!).

Co-working is also popular due to the flexibility – we offer everything from one-off day passes and virtual offices up to dedicated desks and office suites for large teams. This makes it incredibly accessible for professionals – a lot of members come in on a day pass or for a tour and fall in love with our spaces and community.

What do you think sets Hub Australia apart from other co-working spaces?

Hub Australia aims to help every member love where they work – we focus on creating premium experiences through hospitality, space design, programming, and community management, while also helping our members to live something bigger with our focus on growing positive impact through our communities with things like our Flexi Impact program and B Corp certification.

The majority of our members credit our amazing clubhouse teams as a highlight at Hub Australia – they consistently go above and beyond to ensure our members have positive experiences at Hub, from welcoming guests with a smile and a quality coffee to finding the right space and community connections for each member.

How has Hub Australia adapted to COVID-19 restrictions?

At Hub we worked swiftly to make sure our spaces stayed as safe as possible for our members, upgrading our cleaning schedules and focus points, ensuring all communal spaces are set up for social distancing, and adapting our in-house cafés and member amenities. We put together a comprehensive communications program for our members, keeping them fully across all our changes and creating a brochure for them to share what steps they could take to ensure they and their teams remained safe too.

Hub is also the founding Australian representative on the Workplace Operator Readiness Council, a global board working to set standards for everyone operating offices and workspaces following COVID-19.

We absolutely love the perks of being a Hub Australia member! What do you think are the best perks/ benefits?

There are so many! When you’re in the space, you get to make use of all the amenities, whether it’s using the end-of-trip services, spending some time in the fitness studio, or cooking up a storm in the full member kitchen. We also have dozens of discounts available to our members, covering everything from premium stationery at MiGoals to big discounts at FitBit, ASOS, and savings on groceries.

There are a lot of savings to be had, and our members can also offer their own discounts or benefits to our national community to reach new markets and potential clients.

Hub Australia is also on track to becoming a fully-certified carbon neutral organisation, how have you achieved this?

Our carbon neutral certification has been a long time in the works, and we’re very excited about it! We set it as a goal a few years ago, and have worked to ensure we can have a carbon neutral product rather than just our organisation. This is great because it means that every membership and every Hub location is now 100% carbon neutral. This also makes it easier for our members to achieve their own carbon neutral or B Corp certification, so we hope to see more people making environmentally-minded changes into the future.

Looking for extra space to facilitate return to work post-COVID-19? Or just looking for a new flexible office space? Find out more about Hub Australia’s range of workspaces and membership options here.

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Rebecca Wikman has certainly built herself an impressive resume. Boasting an extensive career in senior marketing roles, she has over 8 years’ experience delivering fast paced business growth. Currently, Rebecca is Head of Growth for video creation and editing tool Clipchamp, helping the world’s creatives produce professional quality video content. We were lucky enough to chat with her about her career journey, including her time working in London.

These are incredible professional accolades, but tell us, who is Bec the person?

I’m your pretty classic ESTJ! I love bringing people together and love leading the pack. Although, I’m very conscious of the fact that I’m also incredibly stubborn (I’m working on it!). I am not a morning person and rely on a few filter coffees a day to keep me sane. I’m at my happiest when I’m sharing red wine and Asian food with my partner and my family.

What is something that not many people know about you?

My parents named me after the female leading lady in the book Tom Sawyer.

What’s the most useless talent you have?

I can remember the marketing jingles for businesses. I’m the annoying one that always sings along while the ads are playing on TV/radio.

What are you currently watching/reading/listening to?

Watching: I’m currently on the Masterchef bandwagon. I love how the show has transformed with the new judges. Currently aspiring to be as well spoken and well dressed as Mel.

Reading: I’m re-reading Bryon Sharps’ ‘How Brands Grow’. Now seems super relevant for the journey we are about to go on at Clipchamp.

Listening: I’m an avid listener of the ‘How I Built This’ podcast – find it inspiring, relatable and reassuring. This week Guy Raz interviewed the founder of ClassPass which gave me all the feels!

Who is your professional inspiration, e.g. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I honestly have to say my Dad. He was the perfect example of how hard work, perseverance and risk can pay off. Besides that, with most of my career to date being in the startup world, I have been following Melanie Perkins success for many years as well as the other #girlbosses out there like Sophia Amoruso (NastyGal), Jennifer Hyman (Rent The Runway) and Payal Kadakia (ClassPass) – the female leaders out there paving the way for a diverse future.

What’s on repeat with your work playlist right now?

My go to for work is ‘Currents’ by Tame Impala. But this week I’m loving ‘Heavy Weather’ – The Rubens and Lucky – PNAU

What’s your most recommended Business/Marketing resource?

You can’t go past the AARRR framework (Pirates framework – Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral and Revenue) – I constantly refer back to it and it really helps myself and my team focus on the metrics that really matter.

It is commonly recognised that there are fewer female leaders in digital and technology. How did you end up working in this industry?

I’ve always been a bit of a tech nerd – especially when it came to learning a new skill to allow myself to just get the job done myself; HTML, graphic design, marketing automation. So naturally I’ve always been drawn to companies that are tech first, and also those that have quite diversified leadership teams. Also, I’ve always put in a lot of work into expanding my network. Four out of five jobs that I secured in my career I was introduced to the hiring manager by a contact. LinkedIn for the win.

What has been your biggest career challenge?

For me personally, my biggest challenge is trying to maintain a healthy work/life balance. I’m one of the 700k women in Australia that suffer from endometriosis and I’m still learning how to manage my chronic illness and making sure I give my body the time it needs. I find this hard to do when there are so many exciting and rewarding parts of my job that need more than 8 hours of the working day!

What technology development is most exciting you at the moment?

I love anything to do with marketing automation.and predictive modelling – and specifically anything that combines the two! If your digital marketing and lifecycle strategy can automatically trigger based on predictive behaviour (i.e. propensity to pay), you’re onto a winner.

What is next for you?

For the first time in a long time, I’m just embracing ‘the now!’ I’m so excited to be back in Brisbane with my family and friends. It’s exciting seeing how much the Brisbane market has changed in the past 5 years and I’m so proud to work for such a fast growing start-up. I’m looking forward to spending time exploring Australia – I will be on a plane to Barossa Valley or Margaret River whenever the craziness of Covid-19 calms down.

A big thank you to Rebecca for taking the time to chat with us. If you’d love to read more Q&A’s head over to our blog, we will be sharing further business success stories so stay updated with our Facebook and Instagram.

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Bernadette Stone is the Chief Information Officer of the Brisbane City Council and the quintessential woman in digital. With over 20 years’ experience in IT and senior management positions in Enterprise Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Bernadette has demonstrated her passion to drive change in fast paced environments. Companies on her resume include Accenture, Rio Tinto, Queensland Rail, Aurizon and Virgin Australia.

Clearly, she has built an impressive career in male dominated industries and we were very lucky to hear from Bernadette at a Women in Digital panel event earlier this year. Today, we were excited to chat to her about her career journey and developments in IT.

These are incredible professional accolades, but tell us, who is Bernadette the person?

Wow thank you… and that’s a big question. I guess first and foremost now I’m a wife and a mum of three girls. I used to be driven by very different things and definitely lived to work rather than the other way around. I now prioritise my time. I love simple things like winding down with my husband on a Friday night, gardening (geez now I sound old…) and watching my girls in whatever competition they’re in. Work is still important to me and I have a high work ethic and I loved to be challenged and to be part of real change. However, I think I have the balance not in a bad place right now – most of the time – where I didn’t before…

What is something that not many people know about you?

I guess it used to be little known that I’m hearing impaired. I was embarrassed about it for a long time and in some professional situations it can pose quite a challenge so actively trying to keep it hidden was hard. I learned to accept it for what it is and seek out help when I need to, such as letting the Chair of a Board know prior to a meeting or potentially weaving it into my introduction in large meetings.

What are you currently watching/reading/listening to?

From a leadership perspective I’m listening to Marty Moore’s leadership podcasts – you can find those on yourceomentor.com

Over the past 20 years, you’ve risen through the ranks in very male-dominated environments, do you have any advice or insights on this?

I’ve always been pretty ambitious not just in terms of vertical progression but in my professional growth. Sometimes that’s meant taking sideways moves to fill skill gaps where I felt I needed that growth. The other lens to apply is whether your core values are aligned to that of the organisation – especially as you take on leadership roles.

“Great careers don’t just happen, they are planned.” What does that mean to you? And what have you done in your own life to carve out your career?

I think I agree with that but when do you need to develop a plan and at what level of detail? I knew early on that I wanted to lead but hadn’t determined what that meant so I worked hard. When I started working it was at that time ‘work life balance’ started to be a conversation but no one took it seriously and I was routinely working more than 70 hrs a week. I knew I wanted vertical progression but I was also very determined that I wanted to develop the capability and leadership skills to be good at it when I got to the next level. I think there’s times in my career I could’ve taken more chances to move up quicker but I’ve chosen some sideways steps along the way that were meaningful for me. I’m a leader that genuinely wants her people to succeed so I’ve spent a lot of time planning how to understand my strengths and my ‘derailers’. There are so many diverse experiences I’ve had that I call on day to day that I wouldn’t have necessarily had if I had been in a bigger hurry to get here…

What would you tell early-in-career women reading this?

I wish I could’ve realised early on that I put more pressure on myself than anyone else did. I guess I’d say to try to keep perspective. All the dimensions in our lives live in a carefully balanced ecosystem – when one goes out of balance then it does impact other parts of your life. Try as much as you can to set your goals and be good to yourself while you’re killing it…

What technology development is most exciting to you at the moment?

There is a lot of hype surrounding Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Extended Reality and so on. The value of these technologies rely on good data so the exciting, emerging technologies, for me, are Data Technologies. There are technologies now that automate so much of what was manually intensive before – such as auto-tagging video images and automating the restructuring of data to enable bringing together previously disparate data. I’m hopeful these technologies mean that we can avoid having to wholesale change application landscapes to transform data to be usable and deliver more of the exciting extended reality, Robotics and AI outcomes.

What is next for you?

What’s next for me is what is now! Right now we (me and my fantastic leadership team) have set audacious goals for a target state that is transformational. Working with great people is important to me and that’s what I have in my team. I also need to know I’m creating impact. Seeing through this change will broaden and deepen my capabilities which will enable me to further my executive progression.

A huge thank you to Bernadette for taking the time to chat with us about your impressive career in digital so far. As a WID Advisory Board member, we are sure to hear from her again soon. If you want to read more Q&A’s with the top women in business, head over to our blog and stay updated on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

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Elise Bentley boasts an impressive resume. Having worked as an Electorate Advisor at the Office of Premier Campbell Newman, Business Analyst and currently the Senior Director of Marketing at Tiny, Elise has dipped her toes across a broad range of industries. We were excited to sit down with her to talk about all things marketing including her impressive career, digital trends in the industry and the lack of female leaders in digital.

These are incredible professional accolades, but tell us, who is Elise Bentley the person?

Behind the work persona is someone who I would say is pretty normal. Away from the office, I’m the person you will find avidly planning their next overseas adventure or taking time out to be with friends, family, and of course, my dogs. I will most likely always be able to tell you about what’s been happening in the latest Netflix movies and shows as well.

It is commonly recognised that there are fewer female leaders in digital and technology. You actually started your career in political communications. How did you end up working in this industry?

When my time in politics was finished, I decided I wanted to go into the commercial side of things and branch out of communications into general marketing. My first role from there was actually with a consultancy specialising in HR. It was a great experience to be able to see the impact we were able to make for clients, but I was after something that was more technical and product orientated. I then happened to land at a company which had a service arm, but was also building a tech start-up within the financial space. It was such a great experience, I thought finance was the space to be, but I ended up really missing the technological aspect, so decided to come back into tech. It has been an interesting mix of different experiences from different industries, but having all these various backgrounds I found has really allowed me to have a strong understanding of many different viewpoints, techniques, and concepts, which you wouldn’t be exposed to if you have always sat within a single industry.

Tiny was well-primed for remote working considering your team is dispersed across countries and timezones – what advice do you have for team leaders that are new to remote working?

The most important thing is to ensure your team can reach out to you whenever they need to. I find it is important to have both a professional relationship with the team, but also the understanding that everyone is human and we have all been going through massive upheavals over the last few months. It has been so important to touch base with everyone daily, not just about what they are working on, but also stimulating more casual conversation and trying to find activities to do with more team members.

What do you think can be done to improve diversity in the digital industry, particularly in more technical positions?

I have been very fortunate within all my digital and tech roles that diversity has always been fairly strong, both at the leadership level and among the wider team. I think a lot of this has been because of the human approaches these businesses have taken. It is about being willing to take risks with people who may not have been the perfect fit on paper, but have the attitude and the willingness to go the extra mile. Being in the marketing side, I have been lucky that there are always loads of really talented women marketers (along with men) and focusing on the right fit and the right attitudes has always worked out well.

What is on the cards for Tiny in the new 20/21 financial year?

We have some pretty big plans for Tiny over the next year which I cannot quite talk publicly about yet, but I’m really excited to see where we go. Watch this space!

What’s your most recommended Business/ Marketing resource?

I loath to recommend a single source, there are so many great people (and companies) out there who are doing such amazing things within the marketing space and are happily sharing their journey, and learnings, online. The digital world has opened so many different avenues to grow and explore your passion in marketing. For those who are just starting out, I always point them over to the Hubspot Blog. Love them or hate them, they provide great content on a lot of the fundamentals of marketing.

What technology development is most exciting to you at the moment?

Real-Time Collaboration. It may sound like something that has been around for ages (Google Docs anyone), but within our niche we are seeing the pent up demand for a scalable, easily deployable system which can be integrated into any product or platform. For those that follow Tiny’s blog they will know we have been working on it, and listening to the development team talk about all the different ways they are trying to solve this problem and take it to the next level. This is something I find truly fascinating. We’ve been really public about why we have been making technical decisions, and the reaction we are getting from the developer community has been amazing. We get so many comments and thoughts from developers who have tried similar things but not been able to make them work.

What is something that not many people know about you?

I am a complete nerd about far too many things. Marketing being one of them. I truly love the way you are able to take so many concepts and ideas, and bring them together to create something truly amazing and creative, and turn it into something that resonates with your customers and helps solve their problems and fulfil their needs.

What is next for you?

Being with Tiny is such a great experience – working with the team to create software which truly makes a difference in the world of Open Source. I cannot wait to continue working to redevelop and redefine the marketing arm at Tiny and deliver a world-class experience.
It is too hard to say what will be next for me as I continue to explore marketing!

A big thanks to Elise for chatting with us. If you want to read more Q&A’s with the top women in business head over to our blog! We will also be sharing further female success stories on our socials so stay updated with our Facebook and Instagram.

From a career in the commercial sector to co-founding a social enterprise, Zoe Caplen-Black is one of our top picks for women in business to keep an eye on. As CEO and co-founder of Happy Paws Happy Hearts, Zoe is helping make the world a happier and loving place by connecting socially isolated individuals with rescue animals in a safe and positive environment. We were thrilled to chat with Zoe about her insights as a business co-owner and her successful career journey so far.

You have achieved so much in your career but tell us, who is Zoe the person?

I’m an adventurer who has always had a big heart – sometimes to my own detriment! I love time with my family and puppies, travelling in Oz and abroad.

I’m the kind of friend who is always there for a long open-ended chat. You don’t have to twist my arm to have a whiskey either.

What is something that not many people know about you?

Most people would be surprised to know that I’m allergic to cats and yet I still chose to work with animals each day! Telfast does quite well out of me!

What’s the most useless talent you have?

I can still do the Highland Fling because during school I did Scottish dancing competitions with my cousins.

What are you currently watching/reading/listening to?

I’ve just finished reading Cilka’s Journey – sequel to another book I absolutely devoured. I’m almost always listening to some country music or Queen.

Who is your professional inspiration?

I look locally for my inspiration. Sandy Blackburn has taught me so much about social impact measurement and is a constant inspiration to me.

What’s on repeat with your work playlist right now?

Conversations about scaling enterprises whilst maintaining our culture and quality of outcomes for people and animals.

What’s your most recommended Business/Marketing resource?

Your own network! You don’t have to follow their advice however getting some different opinions and experiences has always helped me determine which direction to go.

You left the security and stability of corporate to co-found a social enterprise. We so often talk about ‘taking the leap’ but how did that evolve and what did that practically look like for you?

‘Taking the leap’ actually looked more like small stepping stones in quick succession! When we started our venture it was just an idea that might work so it really was a part-time gig supported by amazing volunteers. I job-shared between Happy Paws Happy Hearts and RSPCA QLD who offered me a Business Partnerships role. It was tough going because both felt like full-time jobs. After a few years, our social enterprise took off so I needed to work solely on it.

Looking back, when was a big ‘aha moment’ when you knew you were going to take your career on a new, squiggly path?

When we first pitched the concept of Happy Paws Happy Hearts, I didn’t even know I was in a pitch! I was having a side conversation with a contact I’d met through another Board position. They asked me what else I did outside of work and if I had any other ideas for what I might do. When I explained this idea, they quickly said, “we’ll fund this… go and do it” so off we went…

What role has mentors/sponsors played in your career/life?

I’ve had mentors and supporters every step of the way. I used to have only ‘care bear’ mentors who would cheer me on and over time I realised I needed to add some ‘tough love’ mentors who would deliver hard advice based on their experiences. Whenever I’m faced with a really challenging phase in the business, I go to both sets so I can help organise my thoughts.

What do you think can be done to improve diversity in the digital industry, particularly in more technical positions?

We need to engage the next generation of leaders so they understand the challenge. I’ve heard of some amazing leaders who are constantly looking to improve diversity and are even scanning their pay brackets to make sure no one is underpaid simply because they didn’t come forward. These types of leaders are actively paying the position, not the person. We need more of this.

What technology development is most exciting you at the moment?

I’m pretty amazed by voice recognition technology – even my 2 year old can tell our home devices to “play baby shark on Spotify…” Truly scary stuff!!

What is next for you?

We’re taking our programs to more rescue shelters this year in both Queensland and NSW. It’s hugely exciting and also brings on more challenges as we manage fast-paced growth.

A massive thank you to Zoe for chatting with us. Be sure to check out all the wonderful things Happy Paws Happy Hearts are doing over on their website, Facebook and Instagram! If you want to read more Q&A’s with the top women in business head over to our blog! We will also be sharing further female success stories on our socials so stay updated with our Facebook and Instagram.

GlobalX is undoubtedly a leader in the gender diversity space; their software team is 50% female and their entire workforce is 49.46% female. When it comes to gender diversity, they aren’t working towards it, they have achieved it! And now, they are setting their sights on greater diversity and inclusion – including racial and cultural diversity. We are so happy to have GlobalX onboard as a Corporate Member and we hope you enjoy this interview with their CMO, Lara Paholski as much as we did.

How would you describe GlobalX in just one sentence?

An innovative and collaborative organisation with a strong focus on team culture, diversity and having some fun along the way.

How long have you been at GlobalX?

Coming up to 2.5 years.

What is one thing not many people know about GlobalX?

Our staff organise and serve hot meals during work time to local members of the Brisbane community who are homeless or disadvantaged. We do this monthly for local charity Community Friends – a group that holds weekly grocery giveaways at West End.

We have partnered with Community Friends quietly for several years doing both the food giveaway and an annual Christmas Food and Toy Drive. We’ve never promoted our presence at the food giveaway publicly, as we prefer to spend our time genuinely getting to know the people we serve rather than using it as a photo opportunity.

How did you enter a career in marketing?

I was fortunate enough to get my first “real job” straight out of university at a multi-national advertising and marketing agency.

Grateful for the opportunity, I sank my teeth into learning and doing as much as I could. I got as many life lessons during my stint there as I did work lessons.

I loved the fast pace and diversity of marketing then…and I’ve never looked back.

What made GlobalX want to become a Women in Digital Corporate Member?

GlobalX is incredibly supportive of women in its workplace and creates opportunities and pathways for them.

So the opportunity to further support both our female employees and the broader ecosystem of women across the industry through Women in Digital was a terrific fit for our company values.

Obviously, diversity in digital is important to you but what is your definition of diversity and how or why do you think diversity is important?

Diversity to me means all types of employees coming together to express their unique point of view and working productively together; regardless of age, religion, gender and other factors. It means inclusivity for all.

Diversity is crucial in workplaces as we know it drives higher employee engagement, innovation, collaboration, creativity, reduced employee turnover and improved decision making.

Diversity helps build great culture and you just can’t put a price on that!

In what ways do you think diversity is important to someone in the role of Chief Marketing Officer?

In my role as Chief Marketing Officer at GlobalX, I’m responsible for overseeing all our marketing and branding activity, with the wonderful support of my talented and dedicated team.

I’ve genuinely found that our team’s overall creativity and innovation towards our work is enriched because of the many contributions from our diverse range of employees from across the organisation.

The multiple perspectives that we seek to find internally via working groups and cross-department project groups inspire our marketing team to try new things and ways of approaching specific problems.

And our own marketing team is also diverse in its own right and I’m proud to say we operate as a highly engaged and productive team, where everyone’s contribution is valued and heard.

How would you describe your current thinking about diversity, and how has your thinking changed over time?

I think diversity in workplaces used be an ideal that was typically thrown around as a “nice to have” or “strategic business imperative” – but it is now a mentality and a reality.

Companies who have embraced diversity have witnessed the highest rates of growth and success and research tells us that it’s a critical factor to overall company success.

If I think back to my first job out of university, there’s been a gradual, but real shift in the focus and importance placed upon it in workplaces.

I think employees truly now realise the benefits of diversity for not only their workforce, but their customers. It’s a cyclical effect of employees working hard to make the customer happy!

What does it mean to GlobalX to have a commitment to diversity?

For GlobalX diversity means inclusion and creating supportive pathways for a career in digital.

How is GlobalX demonstrating that commitment?

Nearly 50 per cent of GlobalX’s software development team is now made up of females and 49.46 per cent of its entire workforce are females. This is more than double the national average of less than one quarter (23 per cent) in the Australian Information and Communication Technology industry.

We also run initiatives aimed at arming female staff with the tools they need to feel empowered, such as an internal leadership program run throughout the year to help women prepare for leadership and executive roles within the company.

And whilst we can always improve, we’re actively championing women to make their mark in digital.

What do you think is the biggest struggle for businesses when it comes to diversity in digital?

On the whole, I think businesses are supportive of diversity in digital.

The biggest struggle they are actually facing is individuals believing in themselves. As an example, I think many women are often challenged to believe in themselves and that they deserve an equal seat at the table. And it’s probably the case for many individuals, not just women.

But workplaces these days are helping to continue diversifying their workplaces and are putting their money where their mouth is.

What do you think GlobalX can improve on when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

I truly believe that GlobalX is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, and this is evident even in our female employee numbers that are well above the national average. We would like to move towards increasing our number of internal programs and initiatives that not only focus on gender diversity, but also racial and cultural diversity. This could include awareness activities (e.g. Potluck lunch with a dish from an employee’s country of origin, office decorating, days employees can dress up in outfits from their country of origin) to help foster better understanding of the racial and cultural diversity that comprises Team GlobalX.

To businesses or leaders out there that know they want to improve gender diversity within their team but don’t know where to start…. What advice do you have for them?

Reach out to your network and connections! Speak to individuals who are working the space, employers who are walking the talk and other organisations such as Women In Digital who are supporting and putting measures in place to proactively support gender diversity.

So many of us have had positive experiences throughout our careers like myself who are happy to share our insights to help you pave a positive way forward in your own workplace and teams.

There’s more people and companies out there ready to help you than you might think – just reach out!

Thank you so much to Lara Paholski for not only sharing her time with us, but for being such a fierce supporter of Women in Digital and the team here. Lara truly goes above and beyond to support us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Also, a big thank you to GlobalX for coming on board as a corporate sponsor and for being a leader in gender diversity.

If you are interested in learning more about GlobalX and their people, click here. You can also find them on Facebook and LinkedIn.

You can learn more about our Corporate Membership here.

Insights from the WID Squiggly Careers Evening…

The following points are my squiggled down reference notes from an interesting Women In Digital International event that I attended in February 2020. The topic was Squiggly Careers with guest speakers Bernadette Stone, Zoe Caplen-Black and Karen Whiteford.

I picked upon a few common themes as I listened to these three distinguished female professionals during the course of the evening. Throughout their squiggly careers they have retained their positive attitude and embraced the change that was thrown their way. I won’t try to summarise their stories, rather expand on a few points that I found particularly interesting.

Look after people and all the rest will follow

From the outset, my handwriting couldn’t keep up with all the golden nuggets of information Bernadette shared about what was important to her as a successful leader. Her message, put quite simply; look after people and all the rest will follow. As a leader myself, I strive to surround myself with the best; people that embrace change and have a desire to keep learning. Surrounding our self with the best, as an example, could mean hiring people that are better than ourselves in the areas we need knowledge in. As I continued to listen and squiggle down note after note, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief knowing that we don’t have to feel as if we have to ‘do it all’. Whether that be in the home or in the workplace, we tend to juggle and forget to ask for help. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a break. Hiring people with strong leadership and EQ will prevail over capability sets when faced with challenging situations.

Choose values, skills and capabilities and NOT role titles

As a Program Manager by trade, I live and breathe project plans so it’s probably no surprise that I used to have a career plan in my 20s. That was until I actually hit my goal. What then? I found myself unsure of where to go from there because I was searching for a specific role title to put ‘in the plan’, yet I knew it was important to keep planning to help stay driven and focused. Bernadette, Karen and Zoe, all suggested that when career planning, stay away from choosing specific role titles and focus on what values, skills and capabilities sets you’d like to acquire, what it is that you want to achieve from the role and what you want to do, rather than exactly what it is. With that in mind, start to think about what makes you happy and what you’re good at. Do what you believe in. Do what you love. If you focus on your strengths, then you are more likely to shine. Although it’s good to have a career plan, ensure you’re continuing to scan, internally (self) and externally (market), not for the purpose of jumping ship but to validate you’re still on the right track – plans change, and so do you. If you hit a roadblock within your plan, remember that failure isn’t fatal. In fact, it can quite often be seen as an opportunity, at the very least for learning how to do things differently next time. If what you tried didn’t work, jump back in and start again. The failures will have taught you a lot and have helped define what your ‘non-negotiables’ are when looking for that next role. Don’t lose confidence with a failure. Communicate your value proposition with the value you are bringing to the next opportunity. When that time comes, ensure you are interviewing the organisations as much as they are interviewing you.

Don’t forget to acknowledge your current success (it’s not all about the next big move)

While executing this career plan, it’s important to self-reflect and remind yourself that ‘this’ is what you wanted. My husband reminds me of this often, as many years ago I wrote on my career plan that I wanted to be a project coordinator, then project manager and now a program manager. It seemed so far away at the time but before you know, through a combination of steps, you’ve reached your goal and onto the next challenge. So, remind yourself that ‘this’ is what you wanted, don’t forget to acknowledge the success rather than continuously trying to get to the next big move.

Choose a mentor that will challenge you to grow

The other person to assist with career planning is a mentor. Quoting Zoe “don’t just choose a ‘carebear’ mentor”, choose someone who will help you critically think and improve. Although it’s important to have inspiring people around you who make you feel good, choose someone who tells the truth, always pushing you to the next level. Seek diversity in guidance. This person might also be able to help you define what your non-negotiables are when looking for the next role.

Bring everyone along on the journey to diversity

Lastly, and maybe an apt way to finish the Women In Digital International event as we near International Woman’s Day, it was interesting to hear where the Q&A honed in on. There was a strong focus from the audience’s question on the importance of equality. Specifically, how can we find ways to learn from our male colleagues and leaders and involve them in diversity and equality conversations. We need their help. We can’t and shouldn’t do this alone as we have a lot to learn from each other. I felt that was an insightful way to end a jam-packed evening as Women In Digital International actually have a strong focus to include both male and females on their Board, within their speaker selections and in their event attendance. Let’s keep the diversity of thought alive by inviting your Man-bassador along to the next event!

Words by: Julia Morton

For more information on upcoming community events, follow our Women in Digital Facebook page.

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