I often reflect on how much longer I can pull off being tapped into the cultural zeitgeist and what this means for my time in the industry. 

It’s never more evident than when the Inspiration X speakers take the stage at MFA EX.

This year, I managed to catch three sessions of the series in Sydney, which were about as eclectic and inspired as Iris Apfel’s wardrobe.

The Lessons in Improv session with Leah Franco and Kate O’Loughlin was performance art. 

It reflected on the stressors of the everyday show we put on for our clients, while demonstrating how we should bring our whole selves to work. This punchy session managed to squeeze in ways to support each other in difficult situations and was as colourful as the epic Barbie blockbuster – and just as authentic.

In contrast, we heard how a Business Walrus was going to help us supercharge our staff to keep pushing the work and the industry forward. 

Sophie Gallagher from Slingshot presented a visual feast that commanded the imagination of the audience and simply highlighted the importance of stretching our thinking beyond the obvious. Her presentation was certainly anything but that! 

She offered up everyday techniques and drew a link between feeling creative and a reduction in fatigue and burnout.

Both these presentations showed that there isn’t a template for what the perfect media professional looks like. It’s become so much more than knowing the ins and outs of media to include showing up in a more holistic way that’s unique to you.

Never have I seen three personal brands better demonstrated.

And it didn’t end there. Elizabeth Gulliver managed to quell my anxiety as I head closer to the boundary of the 25-54 buying demo (or should I say the over 45s to be exact) and I’m no longer seen as valuable to marketers and maybe the industry too. 

She touched on a topic that was clearly playing on my mind and challenged the industry to think differently, so I thank her for that.

I learned three unique lessons from these future leaders:

1. There is a place for all of us in this industry, but we need to accept we have different views of how ‘professional’ looks, sounds, and behaves.
2. In an industry of marketers, we need to own our personal brand and our distinctive assets and be unashamedly who we are.
3. There is no doubt that ideas can come from anywhere so let’s lean on each other to make this industry more creative than any AI tool could ever predict.

In the words of Mike White, write and director, The White Lotus: "Let’s move towards what keeps us excited".