PHOEBE SLOANE

What’s your “breaking into advertising” story?

Originally, I thought journalism was my calling. I loved real people’s stories, global politics, and culture. All that juicy stuff that makes you sound smart at dinner parties.

Back in journalism school, there was one small issue – I had a teensy-little-bad habit of “enhancing” the stories I reported. A little emotional seasoning here. A sprinkle of suspense there. Maybe even a plot twist if I was feeling spicy.Turns out, “truth” is kind of a big deal in journalism. Who knew? Spoiler – my professor certainly did.

One day, after yet another “creative” interpretation of a local council meeting, she looked at me and said, “Phoebe, have you thought about advertising?”

Bam. The rest is history.

Reflecting on it now, it turns out, I still get to tell stories about the world — just with less objectivity, more punchlines and some Helvetica. So, to all the failing journalists out there with your slightly-inaccurate, overly-inflated stories – you are not wasted.

What’s one misconception about underrepresented creatives that you would like to dispel through your work?

Women can be funny too. We aren’t just the emotional-manifesto girlies, we can make you snort with laughter. Chortle if you will. Take us off the beauty and lifestyle accounts. Put us on the brands with humour in their DNA, and watch them get even funnier.

“Take us off the beauty and lifestyle accounts. Put us on the brands with humour in their DNA, and watch them get even funnier.”

What personal or professional challenge has shaped you most as a creative leader?

As you journey through your advertising career, you meet and work with so many different kinds of people.

Very, very fortunately in my case, I’ve had so many incredible creative leaders, especially early on in my career that nurtured and cultivated me at such a pivotal time. And still do today.

But equally, when you do encounter someone who is not a great leader or good human, they too can teach you a lot. You build an enormous amount of resilience. You learn the importance of relationships and value people you trust and confide in. Most importantly, you promise yourself that you never want to behave or act in the same way because you know just how devastating that can be.

I’m grateful for the leaders who have built me up, but with hindsight and a whole lot of therapy, I’m also grateful for the ones who have tried to break me down.

“I’m grateful for the leaders who have built me up, but with hindsight and a whole lot of therapy, I’m also grateful for the ones who have tried to break me down.”

What’s a piece of work are you most proud of and why?

I founded The Aunties during a time when Melbourne was the most locked-down city in the world, and throughout our industry we had heard some shocking and devastating stories of junior women being taken advantage of. They were isolated, had no baseline of what “normal is” and little support with surrounding industry, which meant power dynamics ran rife.

After being so fortunate to have been mentored over the years (shout out to icon, Esther Clerehan) I had this innate desire to replicate this at scale. To pair up juniors with senior women to give them an objective person to confide in, troubleshoot scenarios and have someone in their corner. I called up a bunch of people I admired in the industry, and formed a powerful initiative that still runs today.

Over the last four years, we’ve grown into the largest creative mentoring movement. We created an Australian-first mentor training resource to help mentors respond to disclosures, launched a sentiment-tracker that tracks how women+ are feeling in the industry, and provided countless spaces for underrepresented people to come together.

It has been extremely rewarding and such a privilege getting to meet and know so many incredible women+ in my industry, and the memories and connections I will hold onto for the rest of my life.

What does “paying it forward” look like for you?

For me, paying it forward means providing a solution. Big, small, whatever it is, but it has to be tangible. It’s about using your creativity, time and connections to make someone else’s experience better than your own. That could look like a 15-minute coffee that encourages a junior creative to keep ideating. Or creating a space for someone to share something deeply difficult happening at work. It’s about being present. Letting the other person feel that you’re with them. That they’re not alone in navigating their barriers.

“Paying it forward means providing a solution. Big, small, whatever it is, it has to be tangible.”

Sometimes, a solution is simply validating someone’s experience. Sitting in silence and saying, “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” It might be helping someone plan their next career move and reminding them they’re incredibly talented and have options. That they’re not stuck. It could also mean connecting them with someone who might be able to support or guide them. Be generous with your relationships. Share the contacts. Write the email intro.

Networking has started to feel like a vapid, sanitised, overly corporate performance. But at its core, it’s about connection. Helping someone feel seen, heard, and lifted up. Creative networking — especially among underrepresented groups — is one of the most supportive, caring and nurturing environments out there. We need to protect that and keep making space for more of it.