This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Sally Lawrence and Tracy-Lea Meyer from full-service digital agency Enigma 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.
Sally Lawrence – executive director of media – Enigma
Favourite podcast/read – Where to start? My daily routine is listening to The Squiz, followed by The Guardian’s Full Story. Outside of that I am a sucker for American politics. The BBC’s Americast is a personal fave. Trace and I have also bonded over ‘We Mean Well’. No shame at all Trace.
Current streaming binge – Presumed Innocent on Apple TV. So good.
Guilty pleasure content – Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. 100% guaranteed to make you laugh.
What do you have on repeat – Country music. Makes me laugh. Makes me cry.
Best career advice – Focus on what you can control. Detach yourself from external outcomes and instead channel your energy towards what you can influence and what truly matters. The more you focus on what you can control, the more control you’ll have. Truly life changing.
Leadership hero – My mum. She may not be a leader at work, but she has been my own personal leader my whole life. She is my sounding board, confidant, she grounds me when I need it and she is the reason I am who I am today. She has taught me to be the person I want to be, and I think that is a big part of how I have got to where I am.
Best training course/session – I have a big passion for the people and I was lucky enough to go through Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead workshop a couple of years ago. Then as most people do, I became obsessed with her work. So much of what Brene teaches in her book is relevant to all elements of life. I would highly recommend familiarising yourself with Dare to Lead, as well as her other books. For anyone who is also passionate about the people and wants to be a better leader for their teams I’d recommend subscribing to Medium. So much great and informative content to learn from.
I wish someone had told me – no one is going to die. To be fair someone did tell me this, I just wish I had listened when I first started in the industry.
Favourite place to network – My preference is actually 1:1’s with media owners and industry people. I have met so many amazing people this way, some that I now consider friends. Through these people I have learnt a lot, been given amazing opportunities and they have gotten me out of a pickle or two.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – it is small! Make friends from day one! It’s important.
What is your hot take on the industry – we need to stay curious. With so much happening around automation and AI the need to show the power of the human mind is becoming increasingly important. No technology or platform will ever do better than what we can achieve as humans. We’re lucky to work in an industry where we can be creative and push boundaries. Make the most of it.
Career goal for 2024 – Lead a happy and fulfilled team!
Tracy-Lea Meyer – media coordinator – Enigma
Favourite podcast/read – No judgment zone… We Mean Well with Lu and Jarch is hands-down the funniest podcast I’ve ever heard. If you’re looking for educational content or deep thoughts, I would most certainly not recommend. This podcast is all about the laughs and good vibes. Basically, it’s the opposite of what Sal listens to!
Current streaming binge – Trying to get into The Bear? But also can’t resist rewatching Gossip Girl on the side.
Guilty pleasure content – Mamma Mia… It is the perfect film to put on for literally any mood.
What do you have on repeat – A few things I’ve had on repeat in my life: Fred Again, endlessly scrolling through cooking TikToks, lifting heavy weights, and devouring spring rolls (I know, random, but they’re just too good).
Best career advice – My two key principles: staying continuously curious and learning from my gains and losses. As Nelson Mandela wisely put it, “It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.”
Leadership hero – I feel incredibly fortunate to work under an amazing line of powerful women. Every day, I’m surrounded by these inspiring women at work, from my Manager and Director (shoutout to you, Sal!) to the Founder of Enigma, Lisa Sutton Gardner. Among these women are not only incredible friends, mothers and visionaries, but also absolute bosses in the workplace. They embody everything I aspire to be, and I count myself lucky to be in their company.
Best training course/session – Anything Meta! Their Blueprint training and Agency Acceleration Workshops have been fantastic learning experiences for me, led by some truly brilliant people. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone who advertises through Meta.
I wish someone had told me – It’s okay to make a big leap even if you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. It’ll all work out in the end.
Favourite place to network – I would have to agree with Sal on this one; I’m much more into 1:1 interactions. I like to keep it casual over coffee so you really get to know someone. However, I’m trying to put myself out there more at networking events and get more comfortable in larger groups of people I don’t know.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – There truly is no “one size fits all” approach, and this is precisely what makes the industry so exciting. When I interviewed for my job, I was told that no two days would be the same. While I wanted to believe that, I also knew it was a common refrain.
However, it turned out to be entirely true! In my role at Enigma, I have the opportunity to be involved in everything—from strategising to making recommendations, planning, and buying. This has given me the experience to indicate just how diverse our audiences are and how smart we need to be in our media buying strategies. For a single client, we might need to target four different audiences, each requiring a unique approach.
What is your hot take on the industry – I believe that creative and media teams need to work together more to create truly effective campaigns. A standout example of this collaboration is the Pedigree campaign. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend checking it out. The campaign seamlessly combined smart media placements with creativity and machine learning technology, transforming every ad into a promotion for a dog shelter.
My favorite aspect was how media utilised geographic data, such as proximity to parks and household sizes, to target ads featuring adoptable dogs to households best suited to house them. I believe that the most effective campaigns come to life when we all work together as one.
Career goal for 2024 – Say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes your way, whether it’s attending a networking event, joining a club, or even grabbing coffee with a colleague. You never know where these experiences might lead you.
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Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.
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Top image: Sally Lawrence and Tracy-Lea Meyer