The Mediaweek Academy will host its eighth session this month, which will explore inspiring creativity.
Global leadership and marketing consultant Rowena Millward will lead the session, featuring a Legend of the industry sharing their career development wisdom and a Superstar discussing their insights.
This month’s Mediaweek Academy Legend is Julia Zaetta, editor-in-chief at Market Magazine, with Superstar speaker Adam Ross, Coca-Cola creative lead across the ASEAN and South Pacific region.
Zaetta has had a prolific career and is known as the longest-serving editor in Australia’s publishing history. She was the editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens for over 30 years and the Australian Woman’s Weekly magazine editor-in-chief.
Most recently, she has been editing Market Magazine for Harris Farm Markets and also editing the Australian Carers Guide.
A few of her accolades include the Women in Media Lifetime Achievement Award, Magazine Hall of Fame and Editor of the Year among many others.
Zaetta spoke to Mediaweek about how she got her start in the industry, how she deals with creative catastrophes and how to entertain by being creative.
MW: How did you get your start in your career?
JZ: “My career started for me at about the age of 11. I had this love affair with decorating and gardens etc, and I used to photograph my own bedroom around that age. I went through school and university not really thinking to make a career out of it to be honest but it was still my hobby. I had a boyfriend at the time and his father told me I should apply at House and Garden magazine for a job, I said ‘Are you crazy? Why would they employ me?’ He said well all you got to lose is a stamp, and the rest is sort of history. It was very life-changing.
“It turns out however that I ended up at Australian Home Journal Magazine as House and Garden didn’t have any positions open at the time I applied. And after a 15-minute interview, I got the job.”
MW: In a competitive industry, how important is it to have a sense of creativity in order to stand out?
JZ: “I think it’s critical to have a sense of creativity in order to stand out. What I’ve always said and what still applies in this day in age is what drives your creativity is an excellent love affair with your audience. Getting into their headspace and their heart and figuring out what is going to make them feel good.
“With your own abilities with creativity, you try and work out the best and most impressive and satisfying way you can do that.
MW: Have you ever experienced a creative block, and how did you overcome it?
JZ: “No, not really. I say that because you’re just constantly thinking and trying to make things better so I guess maybe blocks is not the right word. I’ve had a few instances in my career where there have been creative catastrophes not so much blocks so I think I’m more used to that.
“When you have creative catastrophes, you can write down, you can progress, you can learn from a catastrophe so you know what not to repeat.
“I also think people should never let anyone else be their finish line. Keep going at whatever it is you want and believe in until you can go no further or you choose not to. ‘No’ is not a word you should ever accept on anyone else’s terms. Go in, around, over, under, to get there until there is nothing or nowhere else to go. Even then, give it one more push. And another.”
MW: What do you hope attendees take away from your Mediaweek Academy session?
JZ: “I hope that they walk out going, ‘God, thank you. I’ve never thought about it that way.’ I hope they also walk out knowing that it is their job to entertain their customers or clients or whoever.
Their role is ultimately to be entertaining, and that means making them smile, making them cry, making them curious, making them laugh and also, making them remember memories.”
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Top image: Julia Zaetta