This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Aishling Farrell and Ayaki Ito from digital marketing agency Orange Line 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.
Aishling Farrell, general manager – Orange Line
Favourite podcast/read – Work Life with Adam Grant is a staple.
Current streaming binge – Emily in Paris. One of my first jobs was in Paris. Although my French friends might roll their eyes reading this, I find aspects of the show, particularly what it’s like as a foreigner entering a Parisian workplace, hilariously accurate.
Guilty pleasure content – It has to be Star Trek. Growing up, one of my best friends was a huge fan, and his whole career is now based around Star Trek. I love keeping up with it as it’s something I can share with him, and it keeps us connected even though I moved to the other side of the world.
What do you have on repeat – Music, and I like everything. I move from classical to pop, to metal to Irish trad music. I never stick to any mood.
Best career advice – When someone underestimates you, particularly if you are a woman, it says more about them than it does about you, and you have the advantage from that point on. They’ve made it very easy for you to impress them. Just make sure that the next time you work with them you are overprepared.
Leadership hero – Indra Nooyi, she’s one of the world’s top CEOs, and is most well known as being the former CEO of Pepsico. I’ve been following her since I was a teenager, and to this day, the perspectives she shares resonate with me the most. In my 20’s I may have overly taken to heart her point of view that in order to be successful, you had to outwork everyone else. In my 30’s, I love her honest discussion on juggling a big job and a family. She’s brutally honest about her experiences, which I respect.
Best training course/session – I thoroughly recommend buying ‘You Can Be Yourself Here’ by DDS Dobson-Smith. They are a former manager of mine and the former Head of Training & Culture at Essence. Imagine having the lessons from the manager who taught you the most new things in a tiny book. When they published it, and I was reading through it nostalgically, I thought, wow, what a gift.
I wish someone had told me – Nothing is as permanent as it feels, businesses move fast, change is constant.
Favourite place to network – Anywhere, anytime, with anyone. I have the stereotypical Irish gift of the gab, and I love meeting new people.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – I moved from London circa 2016 and there were lots of things about the industry in Australia that surprised me. But it was the calibre of marketing thinking that comes out of Australia that blew me away. The Ehrenberg Bass Institute has in some ways, kept Australian marketers ahead for years, embracing concepts that the rest of the world is only now catching on to.
What is your hot take on the industry – That we shouldn’t be advertising to children in any circumstance, and we all need to do whatever is in our power to dissuade this practice.
Career goal for 2024 – To ensure broader awareness of the amazing work that our team has been doing over the last few years. The Orange Line story is a unique one. I can’t think of any other agency in Australia working on the types of projects that we get invited to work on.
Ayaki Ito, paid media manager – Orange Line
Favourite podcast/read – Any novel written by Patrick Gale, I want to read everything he has written before I turn 30.
Current streaming binge – I am not a TV series person, but I have been recommended to watch The Bear by many of my colleagues, as I am quite passionate about cooking, so I’ll give it a go!
Guilty pleasure content – Fishing videos – it’s the perfect light content when you just want to turn your brain off.
What do you have on repeat – Suchmos, a Japanese jazz/rock group
Best career advice – Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity; whenever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together. So don’t be afraid of taking risks!
Leadership hero – I would have to say Gavin Chew, our Head of Media at Orange Line. He is committed to helping others grow and is always listening with genuine care (he owes me a coffee for this!)
Best training course/session – I personally learnt everything from all the talented people I have worked with over the years. People are the best training resource, you just need to ask them for help!
I wish someone had told me – If you’re a hard worker and you enjoy what you’re doing, the hard skills will come to you naturally, but what really gets you far are the soft skills.
Favourite place to network – Networking isn’t my forte, but as my career grows it’s something I’d like to improve on. It’s always nice to meet others in the industry and connect over the thing we love to do.
Something that’s surprised you about the industry – All the best creative ideas can come from anyone and anywhere. I have seen one of the best creative ideas born in the kitchen by IT people, making sandwiches.
What is your hot take on the industry – The quality of ads that actually make an impact is dropping as fast as our attention spans. It’s as if brands realised that to catch our scrolling thumbs, all they need is a five-second clip of a dancing llama, and we’ll eat it up – welcome to the fast-food version of advertising!
Career goal for 2024 – To step up as a manager where I can focus on developing my soft skills, particularly in managing and mentoring individual team members. I want to help people grow professionally, offering guidance and support as they navigate their own career paths.
–
To take part in future editions of Meeting of the Minds, please email: [email protected]
Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.
–
Top image: Aishling Farrell and Ayaki Ito