Lessons to My Younger Self: A Special Q&A for International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on the powerhouse women who make our agency bold, creative, and unstoppable. From leading campaigns to shaping the future of PR, their talent, passion, and drive inspire us every day. Below, they share the advice they’d give to their younger selves – lessons in resilience, confidence, and career growth.
Kya de Rome
Chief Operations Officer

What advice would you give to your younger self, personally or professionally?

This too shall pass — how you feel today in the moment will not last forever and what seems overwhelming today is not something you’ll give a second thought to later in life.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped who you are today?

Have a bias to saying YES you never know where that decision may lead you and just because it wasn’t part of “the plan” doesn’t mean you should close yourself off to something

If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you’d tell yourself to worry less about?

No is a complete sentence — we don’t need to have a socially acceptable rational to justify every decision we make in life OR get out of your head and take action — overthinking paralysis and inability to make a decision is often worse than doing nothing, it’s ok to fail fast and apply the learnings but being in a constant state inertia never helped anyone.

Kelly Owens
Director

What advice would you give to your younger self, personally or professionally?

I got into comms and media at a time when the greenest people in the room were not expected to be seen or heard. I put my head down and did stellar work for extremely seasoned people in the industry but I didn’t do a great job of keeping those relationships. I was known for being reliable and competent at what I did, but I thought I was being a “good worker” by letting my work stand on its own.  I’ve learned that’s not enough and the relationships are usually what matters. I’d tell myself “Just go say hello!!!” when a few years later I see those very important people again instead of assuming they don’t remember me or don’t want to hear from me. Nurture the network!

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped who you are today?

It’s not one lesson in particular but something I’ve learned over time in both my personal and professional lives… I’m excellent in a crisis. They say practice makes perfect and I’m on my way to a masterpiece! Friends, family, clients, all have called me pretty high up in the phone tree when something has gone wrong. Another one that’s not one lesson but a stack of little lessons is how to be a better people manager. I put in a lot of work to be good at it, it’s not something that you just know how to do because you know how to do your main job well, it’s it’s own skillset that you need to have a strategy for.

If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you’d tell yourself to worry less about?

My younger self wouldn’t listen to me (or anyone) about what to worry less about, and I wouldn’t venture to try. You worry about what’s important to you, so who am I to change that for anyone including myself. If I’m going back in time to have a yap with my younger self, I’ll just tell her I live in Sydney and how dope of an auntie I am, and she’ll be pumped. She’ll be asking a million questions anyway!

Erin Grant
Head of Growth

What advice would you give to your younger self, personally or professionally?

What advice would you give to your younger self, personally or professionally? Stand firm in what you expect for yourself and what you deserve. Don’t let anyone else define your worth or what you should accept.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped who you are today?

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped who you are today? What is meant for you won’t miss you. I stand by this in every facet of life and it has yet to be proven incorrect to me.

If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you’d tell yourself to worry less about?

If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you’d tell yourself to worry less about? Don’t worry so much about a title when it comes to your career, worry about the experience you’re getting and if it’s progressing you. And personally, worry less about what others opinions are about you. The opinion that matters most is the one you hold of yourself.

Sian Church
Head of New Zealand

What advice would you give to your younger self, personally or professionally?

To not overly worry about the future. Everything happens for a reason and do what makes you happy.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped who you are today?

You’re never too old to learn new skills. Honestly the world is moving at such pace and I’m constantly learning new things each day, even from colleagues who just finished university. Knowledge can happen anywhere, anytime.

Let’s continue to celebrate, uplift, and champion the incredible women around us—not just today, but every day.