Meeting of the Minds brings together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.
The Mediaweek series aims to showcase their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions.
This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Marcelle Gomez and Natalie Tobin from iProspect reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge and career goals for 2023.
Marcelle Gomez, iProspect NSW managing director
Marcelle Gomez
Best career advice: In this industry, your reputation is everything. Always do what you say you’re going to do and take a long-term view on relationships. You never know where you’re going to cross paths again (and I guarantee you will), so make sure you foster relationships that are respectful and built on trust.
My favourite podcast/read: Anything by Taylor Reid Jenkins.
Current streaming binge: The Diplomat – I watched it in a few days and was hooked the whole way through. Seeing Keri Russell in this is a far cry from her Felicity days and I love it!
Leadership hero: Toto Wolff for his authenticity, honesty, tenacity, determination, and ambition. He talks about following your intuition and the importance of calculated risks in leadership.
I wish someone had told me: Not to sweat the small stuff. I’m naturally a perfectionist so I’m not sure how it would have gone down at the time. But now with age and experience I know what to focus on and what to let go of that doesn’t serve me. There is liberation in that.
Guilty content pleasure: I can’t pick one and anyone who knows me, knows I love me a bit of Bravo. So, it would have to be Below Deck and Real Housewives. I watch all the franchises, but my absolute favs are Below Deck Sailing Yacht, RH of OC and RH of New Jersey.
Best training course/session: I attended a future leaders residential in Berlin about eight years ago, with 29 peers from across the world. Not only was it amazing to experience the best of Berlin, but it was also a deeply transformative experience for me as a leader. We worked on our vulnerability as leaders and how to lead with authenticity. I came back from that experience energised, understanding myself better and having built lifelong friendships and a support network that spans the globe.
Your mentor: There are a few who have had big impacts on my career and they are all 20+ year relationships. The most notable would be Henry Tajer who always believed in me, advocated for me and created opportunities for me, Chris Winterburn who helps me see a different perspective and is a great listener and sounding board, and Anne Parsons who showed me that I could do anything (it’s true that you need to see it to believe it).
Hot medium or show: Vanderpump Rules. If you missed the unravelling of Scandoval, get out from under that rock and do yourself a favour – watch it.
Favourite media event: Melbourne knows how to do an event well, so it would have to be the F1 Grand Prix. Who doesn’t love fast cars and Lewis Hamilton?
Wish I’d done that: Continued studying French beyond Year 10 so that I could be fluently tri lingual.
Career goal for 2023: Simply put, to continue to grow the iProspect team and business.
Natalie Tobin, iProspect, senior client manager
Natalie Tobin
Best career advice: Advocate for yourself. Don’t be afraid to speak up about your achievements, skills, and career goals.
My favourite podcast/read: The Rest Is Politics. It’s a twice weekly podcast discussing politics/current affairs in the UK and abroad. It helps me feel up to date with news from home, whilst staying informed about global topics that get little mainstream coverage.
Current streaming binge: The Parisian Agency. Patiently waiting for a new series.
Leadership hero: I don’t have a single hero as such, but I admire women like Angela Merkel and Jacinda Ardern who have occupied some of the most influential roles in the world, leading with empathy and diplomacy.
I wish someone had told me: You don’t always have to be 100% certain when it comes to making a big decision. The best decisions are often the ones you weren’t sure about.
Guilty content pleasure: I can easily watch back-to-back episodes of ‘Closet Confessions’ (@trinnylondon) and ‘What Are People Wearing?’ (@unknownvlogs) on YouTube.
Best training course/session: I took part in the 2022 TikTok Agency Accelerator Program which was great – it involved a series of networking and speaker events over several months, culminating in a residential to Byron Bay (the only part I couldn’t make, still gutted). More recently, iProspect have started a ‘Management Essentials’ program run by The Hummingbirds. It’s been super informative, covering everything from how to motivate, to giving effective feedback. The fact the trainers have a background in media makes it even more engaging.
Your mentor: My manager from my first role in London has given me great career advice and was the person who inspired me to work agency-side. Otherwise, my unofficial mentors are family and friends whose opinions I value.
Hot medium or show: I’m terrible with TV so will have to say Spotify or YouTube. There’s just so much good content to be discovered through both. I love finding new music/live events, so Spotify is one of the best mediums for this.
Favourite media event: Quantcast know how to throw a good party.
Wish I’d done that: Learned to surf when I was younger and more fearless.
Career goal for 2023: Get more involved in new business/pitching.
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Top image: Marcelle Gomez and Natalie Tobin