How I Propelled – A (short) memoir by Zac

Alright everyone, grab a tissue, gather around, this one is bound to bring a tear to your eye. After 9 months at Propel Digital, I’ve made the difficult decision to move on and have accepted a marketing graduate position with Optus in Sydney. As my days at Propel are drawing to a close, I thought it would be best to reflect on all the wonderful experiences, challenges and learnings that have occurred along the way, to give a bit of an insight into the inner workings of all things Propel!

My Key Learning – Always Have A Crack!

Back when I started at Propel in July 2020, I was very fresh to the digital marketing space. Whilst I had been studying marketing for 3 years prior at university, that pales in comparison to the amount of learning that can occur when you dive in head first and try something new. Lauren would often set me a task that I had never seen before, using X program that I’d never used and for a client that I was only vaguely familiar with. This might sound daunting, however it was always prefaced with, ‘just have a crack.’ This was my first big learning, having a crack meant going in with confidence and that as long as I tried my best I couldn’t go wrong! Being given the freedom to play with new software or writing some copy for clients that weren’t my cup of tea did lead to mistakes, lots of them. But without these mistakes, I wouldn’t have learnt as much as I have. So as Lauren always tells me, just have a crack and we can always fine-tune it later.

My Biggest Challenge – Creativity

I always thought I had a keen eye for aesthetics, knew how to add a little bit of ‘spice’ and was fairly strong with making an eye-catching piece of content or two but yikes… There is so much more to it than just adding a fancy font, changing a colour and throwing in a shape or two. Thank goodness I have had the ability to lean on the creative expertise of Loz & Em. Getting to play around in Canva has helped me to strengthen my creative skills, but there is still much to learn! Frankly, I think Em will breathe a sigh of relief that I no longer have to ask her the questions ‘Is this aligned properly?’ ‘How do I centre this?’ ‘Are these images straight?’ But yes, it’s important to acknowledge your weaker areas, because when you have a super team (like we do at Propel) you can lean on each other!

My Greatest Experience – Loz in Action

One of my favourite things to do at Propel was watching the marketing maestro herself in action. In particular I’ve loved being involved in Loz’s strategy sessions! Here is where she really works her magic, breaking down a businesses audience and offering to then provide a savvy digital solution to help achieve their goals. Getting to meet the clients, understand their business and brainstorm our most creative and effective solutions is always fun and a guaranteed learning experience for me – plus who doesn’t love an excursion!

My Greatest Experience #2 – Content Captures

Now this is where all our hard work really begins to pay off! All the researching of ideas, seeking inspiration and writing down setlists, shot lists and scripts all culminate in a fun content capture session with some impressive end results. No content shoot is the same, and it’s great to get to know the clients on a more personal and relaxed level when we go out and shoot with them. Working with Propel has also given me exposure to the world of hand modelling, whether it’s holding a can of Mister Mixer, sipping on a glass of Campbells Wines, holding onto items from The Co Store Wangaratta or grabbing a piece of fruit from Wangaratta Wholefoods my hands have seen it all! Have a scroll back through their content and see if you can spot a pair of gorgeous, tan hands !

Have you got your tissues ready? It’s time to say goodbye. Firstly, I wish to thank all the wonderful clients that I’ve met along the way, you have all made each day fun, exciting and unique and I can’t wait to see your businesses all grow under the watchful eye of the Propel Team! All the best to Sarah our newest account manager – you have big shoes to fill ! To Em, you’ve made working in the office so much fun, you’ve been the Simon to my Garfunkel (Em taught me who those were only a few days ago…) and of course last but never least to Loz, I’m so glad you let me join the Propel family back when we were working at your dining table. It’s been so incredibly exciting seeing Propel grow into the exciting digital marketing agency that it is now! I can’t wait to watch Propel Digital continue to thrive and I’m looking forward to our next boozy Friday arvo when I’m back in Wangaratta. Peace out!