The Digital Picnic

One of the [many] perks of an agency with an all-female senior leadership team, is that we definitely know a thing or two about navigating life as a working parent. [and then we accommodate, accordingly]. We know this either via; ?? Lived experience ourselves as working parents, or ?? Allyship off the back of wanting to really lean in to matriarchy within our agency setting as opposed to the patriarchy far-too-often seen within agency settings. We’re proud of the parental leave policies we’ve developed at The Digital Picnic, but something we knew that was missing within our parental leave policies was policies that honoured x2 integral parts of parental leave, which is; The “4th trimester of pregnancy”, a.k.a after JUST having given birth [what can a workplace do to support YOU throughout your “4th trimester”], and The return to work post-parental leave [and in the lead-up to returning]. We knew, given our passion for matriarchy over patriarchy, that we could really LEAD in this space… and so that’s what we’re committed to doing. Within the “4th trimester” that looks like: a one-off voucher to go towards food/cleaning, because babies are a FULL-TIME JOB… and nobody has time to cook/clean in that newborn bubble period… but we want [nay: need] to feel like we’re the workplace that’s thinking of you throughout that period.? Additionally, we survey you prior to leaving to find out exactly what comms you do, or don’t, want to receive during parental leave [everyone’s different.? Some like zilch comms, and others feel “left out” not receiving big, company-wide updates etc.? Whatever your preference? We cater for it, and honour accordingly]. And in the lead-up to RTW post-parental leave, that looks like: an earlier finish time in your first week back, so you can get to childcare much earlier [good for the hormones!], $500 extra towards your overall earning & development budget so that you feel like you’re “not out of the game”, an additional $500 voucher to put towards that first week of childcare [because mannnnnn, those fees are really… fee’y], and a parents group within the workplace so that you can talk with like-minded’s who are at similar stages etc. What would you add to the above?

For as long as TDP has had “team” [so: October 2018 onwards] we’ve had a management team. Now, admittedly, In October 2018? That management team was a team of x1… but a “management team” all the same [lol]. Over time, our management team has not only grown in size… but in skillsets, also.? And it’s gone from management, to leadership, and our ultimate goal? … a team of coaches. In 2024? Our agency experienced rapid [for us] growth… and we grew so big [for us] that we needed middle management > for the first time in TDP’s history.? This isn’t just company growth now, but OPPORTUNITY for our middle management crew to lean into their brand new promotions to Senior Specialists and - as a result - pick up 1-2 direct reports, who they’ll subsequently be mentoring and leading. We’ve invested in their leadership well before this structural change rolled out, because “leadership isn’t just a title”, but a responsibility, and an ongoing act of service… and so we pulled our Senior Specialists into advanced leadership training with Shelley Johnson from Boldside in the lead up to the upcoming changes to their roles/responsibilities. It’s been celebration all ‘round, and whilst it might just seem like yet another company further advancing an internal structure? … to this here Indie agency? This is delivering on promises we made to our team in January 2023 when we were coming out the other side from one of TDP’s hardest years [2022]. → We promised growth. → We promised internal advancement. → And external hires. → And more seniority. → And more specialist work. … and this month? We’ve delivered on our promises, and even surpassed them. ?? WE ARE SO BLUDDY PROUD. A big congrats to our Senior Specialists Dane DiCaprio, Kath Kiddell and Zara Jarvis.

In 2024 we had some influencer partnerships that *truly* changed-the-game for our clients. And while we know EGC is going to be even bigger in 2025, there’s no denying the power of big creators.

… ever wished some of the businesses you’ve followed for a while, or even a really-long-while would share some of the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE things they’ve done for their business. The whole story. And the why. And the how. And the lessons. The inevitable f*ckups. The how they fixed it. The what they learnt from it. The step-by-step framework. The “you can do this, too”. And the “this is how”. This is what our x2 day marketing conference titled ‘The Comeback Conference’ is entirely dedicated to, and x1 big example of this is TDP’s huge 2024 story [where we brought in 76k worth of revenue > via marketing automation > and ALL while we slept: it’s a *huge*, and hugely transformative, story.? Zilch “bro energy”, despite the title.? All the work of a team o’ geniuses who realised our business was leaving money on the table > that could be collected via marketing automation > while we slept > so we grabbed it]. We’ll be walking you through that step-by-step, as well as COUNTLESS other high-growth stories possible for *your* business.? And not just our stories, and our examples, but examples from an entire lineup of our very favourite marketing experts, Australia-wide. $600 tickets for x2 full days of high-growth conversations and lessons, with payment plans available. https://lnkd.in/gZdEUe6M Cherie Clonan, Kim Elizabeth James, Tara Ladd, Anaita Sarkar, Deanna Notice, Ellen Powell, Odette Barry, Anucia de Boer, ?? Victoria Obieglo, Savannah Young, Jessie Zevaka, Zara Jarvis, Brooke Ayano, Michael Saliba

… when you walk into our offices? There’s a [dimmable] neon sign that says: nobody belongs here more than you. → We picked that sign deliberately. → Strategically. → It needed to share an obvious message. → You belong here. → Nobody else does, more than you. … and that means the onus is on *us* to ensure we’re doing everything we possibly can to drive home a sense of belonging and inclusion within our workplace, right down to something as simple as including a prayer mat and Islamic affirmations within a recent onboarding pack. ?? There’s the usual stuff.? Y’all know it.? It’s the headphones, and the books with meaning, and the fidget tools, and the clicky clacky keyboard… but we ALWAYS include x1 final fully customised somethin’ for everyone who starts, e.g a wheat bag for someone we knew battled endo a few months back [so that they knew we fluently understood endo, and would support them through that] and this week? … a prayer mat. Because nobody belongs here more than our people, which is why it’s forever-important to us that they FEEL that.

The best thing about hybrid workplaces is that you don’t fall into bad, pre-pandemi habits [like, remaining at your office desk throughout a designated lunch break]. Here at TDP, we’re only in the offices x6 days per month [because hybrid work schedules *truly* are King]… and so when we’re here? We really make the most of BEING HERE; ?? Lunch breaks? Take them. ?? And not just that, but OUTSIDE. ?? And now that we’re growing? ?? [just add more seats to the table]. Chaining yourselves to a desk, and eating a rushed lunch while chained to a desk, feels like something workplaces with mandated x5 day per week RTOs would do… but for hybrid’y workplaces like ours? ?? We’re for a slower lunch. ?? An appreciation of team via exchanges like this. ?? [and discovering we all loved Hairy Maclary. #lol]. ?? Movement throughout the work day. ?? And VITAMIN D. So, to all o’ you, this is your reminder to; Put a calendar block in over lunch. Invite the team in, if they’re interested. And get outside. Are you gonna do it?

From our Founder, Cherie; x5 years ago today? I posted a job to a private Facebook group for folks looking for babysitting work, and I remembers telling my husband “nobody is going to want a job that’s Monday-Friday > x2 hours only > 3-5pm > for after-school care”. → I posted it anyway, because I was desperately not winning the working parent juggle [which is additionally difficult when you’re the Founder in the early years of launching your business, i.e the hours are double, and the salary doesn’t exist. #lol]. → And so: x2 hours, daily, is all that we could afford [actually, we couldn’t even afford that… but we did it anyway]. → Danielle saw the post, replied, APPLIED, interviewed, got the role… and within x6 months? TDP had grown to a point where we needed a part-time Studio assistant, so Dani worked that from 9am-2.30pm Mon-Fri, and then made it home in time for the school pickup and spent 3-5pm with my kids. → Since then she’s gone from Studio Assistant, to PA, to EA, and - in fact - the only thing that HASN’T changed throughout all of this? … she still maintains that 3-5pm is “for the Clonan babes” [they’ve grown up with her, and she says that she *too* has “grown up” with them]. → It’s been x5 incredible years of an incredible career growth story where Dani herself says, “I never thought what began as x2 hours of after-school babysitting, could go on to become completing an MBA with all high distinctions and working within the leadership team and supporting TDP’s CEO, as well as her x2 neurodivergent children, throughout”. Dani is such an above and beyond human being, with capabilities stretching to so much across TDP.? She is relied on by so many, such is the breadth of how much she can do [and to the HIGHEST of standards].? She is systems, and processes, and lately? … boundaries [more EAs need to learn from Dani’s boundary setting].? She is an absolute leader, and someone whom our business leans heavily to keep TDP > TDP’n the way that it does. ?? Happy x5 years, Dani: you are appreciated by ALL of us.

We’ve attended a LOT of marketing events in x10 years of TDP’n.? So many of the big marketing events we’ve been to? … almost entirely the same [an all-white lineup of speakers talking AT you, instead of with you, and in ways you just *can’t* see yourself represented… nor your business]. Lots of girlboss’n, and “I just dreamt it, so I did it” [without acknowledging the level of privilege that’s associated with “dreamt it, so did it”]. We’ve admittedly been too polite to call it for what it is, so we decided to just “call in” instead… via the creation of something we’ve been craving ourselves, and off the back of our own agency teaching folks for 10+ years now [and having trained more than 20,000 people in that time]. What we’ve learnt? You neither learn, nor feel inspired, by speakers that neither represent you, nor your business, and talk *at* you for a micro’ish 30 minute keynote… and then walk off stage like, “ok.? Anyway.? GOODLUCKWITHTHAT!” [lol]. What we’ve *especially* learnt? 30 minute keynotes are where it’s at, absolutely, but less talking AT y’all… and more doing WITH you… and so that’s why our conference will specifically pull folks *from* the audience community itself on-the-day > to do WITH > *whilst* that person is on stage, using their own business as the “ok, *this* is how you do it”.? So that you can learn by “do” [it’s the no.1 adult learner win, btw], and likely feel inspired to do that ‘do’ WHILST you’re sitting there… watching that transformative ‘do’ come to life > via the line-up of folks who’ll be called on stage > in real time. … no-bluddy-wonder tickets have been selling so well: y’all know TDP has advocated for PRACTICAL for 10+ years now, and would never dream of putting speakers on stage that neither represent you, nor your business, and then just talk *at* you for 30 minutes a pop, keynote after keynote. #ConferenceICK[S]. https://lnkd.in/gZdEUe6M?

We have’sum’NEWS! We have welcomed x2 additional humans to TDP… *and* we’ve promoted another, let us walk you through it! → Introducing Sunshine Napa: Shine has joined us as a Paid Media Specialist, and has been supporting our phenomenal in-house team with her above and beyond paid ads prowess [and winning over *every* member within the paid ads team in, oh, we dunno, LESS THAN x1 WEEK! Ha!]. We already can’t remember what TDP life was like before you were with us, Shine. → And then we’re *also* introducing Persa Hussain: Persa joins our team as our Digital Growth Manager, and will be collaborating heavily with our Head of Digital and Head of Growth to partner with truly values-aligned organisations who believe this here team of scaling experts are the right growth partner for them. Persa had us IN AWE in not one, not two, but THREE interviews… where it was abundantly clear we were about to add a woman to our team who is passionate, and hungry, and ambitious, unapologetically so.? And all of that is paired back with the most stunning blend of IQ & EQ. → And then sum’pretty’BIG’news? … Anucia de Boer has been promoted from Senior Digital Growth Manager to Head of People & Culture. Can we make a confession with you all? … this was *always* the plan.? She was keeping that 'Digital Growth Manager' “seat warm” while we recruited for that role... but her expertise, and her pattern recognition, is in people & culture and leading an exciting vision for TDP in that space. Our Founder, Cherie Clonan has been asking for a Head of People & Culture for, oh, we dunno, roughly FIVE YEARS STRAIGHT NOW… and it’s finally happened.? And with the finest of humans in Nush.? Leading our team of fine humans. --- TDP’s future is looking oh-so-BRIGHT with this phenomenal crew to add their Kind Genius?? to our team of kind geniuses.

POV: you’re in the thick of a company-wide team strategy day… and you receive the bluddy good [and long awaited] news that we’ve been accepted as an OFFICIAL Canva AGENCY PARTNER. [and yes.? You better believe we immediately broke out into dancing to Bad Bunny’s ‘debí tirar más fotos’]. So, what does this mean for us? ?? We get to access exclusive training ?? We get to become a trusted advisor on Canva offerings ?? We are now a preferred service provider, where Canva will specifically be recommending *our* agency to values-aligned vendors. ?? We get our very *own* dedicated support person at Canva ?? We’re also now listed in Canva’s Partners directory, which means businesses can collaborate with us to streamline their Canva experience [i.e we can offer onboarding services, help to set up brand kits, create custom templates, and provide tailored training programs]. A HUGE shoutout to Maddy Riley who was *instrumental* in this partnership. We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it a thousand times more, but 2025 is SERIOUSLY ?? OUR ?? YEAR [and we bluddy deserve it].