Path to Prosek: From Stamps to Stories

My path to Prosek feels a bit like flipping through my passport – every chapter stamped with a lesson, a leap and a story that brought me here. I hope it leaves you inspired, moved, or at the very least, with a smile on your face.

Departure: Where It All Began

My journey to Prosek really begins with my Australian parents who met in London in the 1980s. They met as friends: my dad had moved there to become an architect – famously sleeping on the staircase of his friend’s apartment (a story he still tells fondly), while my mum was just passing through. Somewhere between the sleepless nights and the city lights, their friendship turned into something more and led to my sister, brother and me.

Growing up in Australia, I heard countless stories about their London days, including the challenges, the adventures and the lessons learned. My parents would always say, “You have to live overseas at some point in your life. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do.”

They took my brother and me traveling often. At the time, I didn’t realize how much those experiences were shaping me. But looking back, I can see how they taught me that new places and experiences aren’t scary – they’re just adventures waiting to happen.

Exploration: Finding My Way

I’ve always loved traveling – discovering new places, experiencing different cultures and meeting new people. So, after high school, it was easy for me to fall into a rhythm: work, travel, repeat.

The memories and perspectives I’ve gained from my travels are indescribable and have shaped the way I see the world. From backpacking across South America for four months and Europe for two, to scuba diving in the Galápagos, skiing off-piste in Japan, skydiving in Cairns and hiking Machu Picchu – every adventure has taught me something new. Whether it was enduring 48-hour bus rides, boarding the wrong boat in Croatia (resulting in having to cross two Bosnian borders without a passport) or missing my flight home from Paris, each experience has become a lesson I’ll never forget. The greatest highs and some very low lows – but all worth it – and the detours (read: outright mistakes) are my favorite stories to tell. There is a solution to everything, even if it’s not the one you expected, and everything works out in the end, as long as you don’t give up.

Somewhere along the way, I realized those same themes are what drew me to brand & advertising – the perfect intersection of creativity, people and storytelling.

My first job out of university was with the marketing team at National Storage. Not the sexiest product, but if you can sell storage, you can sell anything. In my interview, they asked me to sell them something in the room. I pointed to my bracelet and said, “It costs $100. If you wear it every day for a year, that’s only 27 cents per day.” Cost per wear (or as TikTok now calls it, girl math). I got the job.

From there, I moved to Sydney and joined a creative talent agency representing photographers, stylists, and makeup artists. Not me personally – I was the one getting everyone’s coffee – but I did it, along with many other things, with pride and very well. I loved that world: the hustle, the variety, the beautiful chaos of no two days ever being the same.

My next role was at Carbon Creative, a social-change advertising agency, and that’s where I really found my stride. It was a place where art, people and purpose collided. I was part account manager, part assistant producer – helping to tell stories that mattered and reach audiences with impact.

Turbulence: The Leap

Then came 2019. I was in my mid-twenties, fresh off a breakup and back living with my parents in Brisbane, when an invitation arrived for an art show in New York by Australian artist CJ Hendry. The invite was bold, creative, undeniably cool and sat on our fridge for weeks.

One night over sushi, still nursing my heartbreak, my dad looked at me and said,

“Get out of here. Go to New York. Go to that art show.”

“Dad, it’s in six weeks,” I said. “How am I supposed to pack up my life in six weeks?”

He smiled and said, “Make it happen.”

So, I did.

I packed my life into two suitcases, said my goodbyes and flew to New York on a three-month visa. I told myself that if it didn’t work out, I could always go home.

Those first three months in New York were a whirlwind. I couldn’t believe a city like this existed. I was meeting people left and right – going to networking events, dinners and shows nearly every night. I felt alive, energized and wildly motivated (and had completely forgotten about that ex).

Eventually, I landed a job at a creative agency in Flatiron called Terri & Sandy. I’ll forever be grateful that they took a chance on an Aussie with an E3 visa and a passion for agency life.

Arrival: Finding Prosek

Three months quickly turned into four years in New York… and I started to feel a shift. I still loved agency life – the people, the pace, the energy – but I wanted something more connected. I believe agencies attract the best of the best: people who hustle hard, wear many hats, excel in their craft and love the chaos. But I also craved the camaraderie that comes from working in-house, all chasing one, big ambitious goal.

When Prosek came along, I couldn’t believe my luck! It felt like the perfect combination of both worlds –entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative.

Now, two years in, everything I felt during the interview process has proven to be true. Everyone here is top of their game – smart, kind, ambitious – constantly building, growing and lifting each other up. I love and respect this community deeply.

Full Circle

So, what do my parents and London have to do with all of this? Well, everything. The risks we take, the trust falls we leap into, the stories we tell – they matter. They shape our lives and sometimes change its course entirely.

If my parents hadn’t told me their stories of London, the joy, the hardship and the courage to start over, I’m not sure I would’ve felt the freedom to still be here over six years later.

Stories are like stamps in our passports – each one a reminder of where we’ve been, who we’ve met and how far we’ve come. The way we talk about ourselves and share our experiences – with our friends, families, colleagues and one day, our kids… It all becomes part of our journey.

So, chase the dream. Take the leap. Collect the memories. Because the connections we make and the stories we share — those are the marks that last forever.