Inspiring Futures - Lessons from the Worlds of Marketing and Advertising
Inspiring Futures pulls back the curtain on the minds reshaping advertising and marketing today. Host Ed Cotton, former Chief Strategy Officer at Butler Shine and Stern & Partners, engages industry visionaries in raw, unfiltered conversations about their career pivots, creative breakthroughs, and strategic innovations. No canned responses. No PR filters. Just honest insights about navigating the complex world of brands, creativity, and agency life. Each episode delivers actionable wisdom from those who've mastered the craft and aren't afraid to share their failures alongside their successes.
Inspiring Futures - Lessons from the Worlds of Marketing and Advertising
Mike Doman- Hellions
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Australia’s indie agency scene feels on fire right now, and Hellions feels like part of that new wave.
With new work already out in the world for Figma and a fresh win with BISSELL, this is more than a start-up story.
In this episode, Hellions co-founder Mike Donman shares his story, and in our conversation, five lessons emerged that could be valuable for anyone thinking of starting a new shop.
- Create value, don’t extract it
Make the client better, not just busier. - Lose the grand reveal
Transparency and collaboration build trust faster than theatre. - Build a team with different strengths
The best founding groups are not clones. They’re combinations. - Make work that does something
Attention is easy. Consequence is harder and far more valuable. - Protect optimism
Cynicism drains creative businesses. Energy builds them.
This podcast is created and produced by Ed Cotton https://invernessconsult.com/