This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Ally Marchetti and Shania Loughnan from podcast company Acast reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge, and career goals.
The Mediaweek series showcases diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions by bringing together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.
Ally Marchetti – Acast’s Senior Account Manager
Favourite podcast/read – I am flicking between a few podcasts, but my current binges are Cheeky Run Club (yep, I have become a running podcast listener) and Troubled Waters. I’m currently reading Coco Mellor’s new book, Blue Sisters.
Current streaming binge – Architectural Digest’s Open Door series on YouTube. If you are yet to watch Troy Sivan’s episode, I highly recommend it.
Guilty pleasure content – TikTok
What do you have on repeat – Divine Fault Line by Angie McMahon (Anything Angie McMahon, really)
Best career advice – Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone, you are going to get a lot more achieved faster, and everyone loves one less email. Eat the frog – get the big and daunting tasks out of the way first, it will set your day up so much better.
Leadership hero – I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a breadth of strong leaders, it’s hard to say just one. However, these leaders have all shared similar values that I see as important such as being authentic, collaborators and always curious.
Best training course/session – NIDA Corporate’s presentation skills course. Two days of pretending to be a drama student was the best fun, and it has honestly changed the way I present myself internally and externally ever since.
I wish someone had told me – Feedback is a gift.
Favourite place to network – In person with clients, I always love to put a face to the name and get to know who I am chatting with every day.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – How small the industry is, not only Melbourne/Australia but even globally. A connection in Melbourne led me to a role in Dublin, Ireland.
What is your hot take on the industry – We’re seeing real results with clients who are being brave, testing the waters and experimenting with (not so) new channels and formats.
Career goal for 2024 – Since returning to Melbourne, after travelling and working abroad in the past year, my main focus for 2024 is to re-establish myself back in the Melbourne market and continue building my network and knowledge of the media industry.
Shania Loughnan – Acast’s Sales Planner
Favourite podcast/read – My top two favourite podcasts right now are Rotten Mango and What It Was Like.
Current streaming binge – I tend to get bored of series quickly, so I usually juggle 2-3 shows at a time. Right now, I’m watching Bridgerton (big yes to saucy period dramas) and American Housewife.
Guilty pleasure content – True Crime… always
What do you have on repeat – Sabrina Carpenter’s Please, Please, Please.
Best career advice – If you truly want something, people will support you in achieving it. Don’t hesitate to speak up about your goals—whether it’s attending a webinar, taking a short course, or aiming for a promotion.
Leadership hero – Elle Woods (yes, the fictional character). She proved everybody wrong and stayed true to herself, despite people undermining her… and she looked phenomenal doing it!
Best training course/session – NGEN offers a wide range of courses taught by enthusiastic industry experts eager to share their knowledge. It’s definitely worth signing up for. My favourite course was on how to read and digest a brief, as someone new to responding to briefs, it’s crucial to know which information is key and what to inquire further about.
I wish someone had told me – Choose your battles wisely. Not everything is worth fighting for, but it’s important to recognise what is.
Favourite place to network – At industry events, you have the opportunity to meet a diverse range of people you might not typically have a reason to connect with in your current job.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – We party hard (some people think my job is just attending lunches and events like the Australian Open), but we work even harder. I love that about this industry: striving to achieve my personal and professional goals while having fun along the way.
What is your hot take on the industry – My hot take is that authenticity and accountability are increasingly paramount— people value companies that embrace diversity, work-life balance and recognition in their brand values and actions.
Career goal for 2024 – To truly excel in the Sales Planner role and continue to build relationships within the industry, ultimately with the goal of becoming an Account Executive in the future.
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To take part in future editions of Meeting of the Minds, please email: [email protected]
Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.
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Top image: Ally Marchetti and Shania Loughnan