The Lunchbox List – Make a ten year plan or just follow your heart?

This blog is about a different event I got to attend through TSH, the organisation I am doing my internship for. This was a great advantage for me and I got a chance to go with my supervisor to represent Telethon for Speech and Hearing. I’m not sure how many people would have heard about this. This year there was a marketing event called the Lunchbox List Marketing Mavens, which was held at the Parmelia Hotel last week on Thursday October 22 2009.

The event kicked off at around noon, and guests arrived in throngs. Well dressed successful business women who were a part of different industries came to listen to the three motivational speakers chosen to tell us about their inspirational journeys throughout their lives so far. Champagne was served as we waited, and there was heaps of networking going on. I was trying really hard not to get distracted by the gorgeous shoes, handbags and outfits worn by so many present, and focus on the real reason I was there. I got the chance to meet so many women who work in PR companies, and how they deal with every day challenges.

Three of WA’s top women in marketing: RAC senior manager brand strategy Jo Carson, Brand Agency account director Louise Ardagh and The Hub Marketing Communications principal Nicolle Jenkins. As we entered the hall to listen to their talk, we were each handed a lunchbox, befitting the name of the organisation. We eagerly took our places and had some lunch as the MC for the afternoon Leanne Petchell from the Western Australian, started off the seminar.

These three brand experts talked about their experiences to women who had turned up and how they have grown their own careers including a myriad of experience working on big brands here, interstate and overseas including RAC, Telstra, Reebok, Universal Pictures, PCEC, Esanda, the list goes on.

Some very good advice was given by these speakers and I thought I would list them down just for everyone to have a look at, and implement if they believe they are as useful as I thought they were. I wrote down the best quotes each speaker had to say.

Jo believes it is important to know what you really want. Find direction and do as much as you can, not just in your field but any field. Do not let any opportunity pass unless you believe it is not worth your time.

Nicole added on to that by saying: Always be positive and be decisive. Make a ten year plan if you like to be organised, and you can always add more to that plan if you want to achieve more. Sometimes it is fun to take the necessary risks and follow your heart!

And Louise finished off by adding that there are two rules that she goes by in her life.
Rule number one: everything is possible

Rule number two: Nothing is easy

Great advice given by three great speakers who had such amazing journeys! Murdoch University was the event partner for this unique event and Dr Hermina Burnett was there to represent them. I feel like I benefitted a lot from this seminar, and I can implement whatever I have learnt in the remaining time left for my internship as well as in the future..