Now, you might be wondering how I pivoted from fashion to cycling to weddings and now I'm here? (If you're reading this title thinking 'what the heck', scroll down and start from the beginning...)Well the answer to that is, I love change, I embrace change. Moreover, I love a challenge. It doesn't matter what industry or sector I'm pivoting to, I'm giving my all. When I first clicked 'Apply' on this job, I knew what I wanted. I wanted an organisation that partners with people, that cares about people and that provided flexibility. Waterstons is that place for me, I'm able to effectively build this brand in Australia and give my all to the team here whilst also manage my side-hustle. I'm forever grateful to the company for allowing me grace to have both and not making me choose.I don't see myself going anywhere, anytime soon! So, recruiters.. you might not have so much luck with me!A little bit about the organisation and my role within it... Waterstons Australia has been optimising global organisations through technology based solutions for over 30 years. We are a cyber and IT tech consulting firm offering a breadth of services to improve business function and propel organisations into the future.As the Marketing Manager and marketing lead in the APAC region, I am solely responsible for creating brand, across all channels both physical and digital. With our profile only being in AUS since 2020, this is a pivotal time of growth for the organisation, and I am honoured to be part of the journey. From managing budgets, copywriting, project management, content creation, public relations and creating AUS wide marketing strategies, this role, this team and organisation is a dream.

So, creating content lead me to this.. One day, I was scrolling TikTok (typical..) and I came across a Wedding Content Creator in the US and I was obsessed. "OMG,", I thought.. "Why is no one doing this here?" As a certified insane person, I thought it would be fun whilst planning my wedding, working full time and being a TikTok creator with 30k followers - I would start a wedding content creation business. This time in my life, I was hungry for more, more experiences and I love business, having 2 in the past, I thought that my TikTok presence and my love for all things weddings - this business would do well. And, it did.. Be careful what you wish for. Over a year now into the business, we have done over 100 weddings, been featured across podcasts, news articles with acclaim, we have 5 dedicated team members and it doesn't look like we're slowing down. With over 10 years experience in social media, client management and business, The Big Day Events and Content is a deep passion of mine and a creative outlet. I love spending my Saturday's at weddings, watching people say their 'I do's'. It's a privilege and an honour. If you're looking for someone who will love your wedding, just as much as I do - get in touch. ⭐ claudia@withsocials.com

As most Gen Z, I am chronically online with certified Brain Rot. (If you're not Gen Z, that probably meant nothing to you.)In 2022, I got engaged and as most bride-to-be's in this day in age, I was online. Looking for inspiration, advice, tips, tricks, anything! I didn't find what I was looking for, I didn't find a dedicated page of someone in Australia, in the wedding industry, talking about weddings in a no fuss way. Everyone I came across painted wedding planning as this super cute, super fun experience. Newsflash, it's not.So, I started creating my own content and I went viral.. I've got just on 30,000 followers and over 1,1M likes on all my videos + over 10M video views. So yeah, I think that's pretty viral.I created no fuss wedding content for Australian brides, I found my niche and I stuck to it and it's been one of the most fun journey's. It's opened the doors to so many things I never thought possible and I found something I'm both good at, passionate about and I love the community I've built. Content creation is a form of expression, it's fun and I love doing it.

Working for Yaffa Media was my big marketing break, after studying, applying for every marketing job I could find for months during COVID - I finally got the interview with Yaffa. It was like Christmas, I couldn't sleep the night before. This interview was working for the Cycling Classics, the biggest cycling events in Australia. Now, the last time I rode a bike, I fell over in the middle of Moscow and sprained my ankle but that's another story.. I remember in the interview, my future boss asked me "You've worked in music and you love the entertainment industry, why would you work for a cycling company?" and I remember TO THIS DAY saying "It doesn't matter if I'm marketing toilet paper, the foundations are the same, I just love seeing the numbers go up and my work to matter." That's what got me that job. Working for Yaffa took me across Australia for these events, I did everything marketing related from social media, EDM's, partnership engagement, strategised to event planning, coordination, being a marshall for the events themselves. I wrote press releases, executed complicated marketing campaigns, content managed over 10 social media accounts, managed databases and practically lived on Excel and Instagram. I learned how to use FarCry, Marketo and Canva (life changing as a marketer). I did everything and marketing and comms manager would do and more. The job was fulfilling, challenging and exciting. No, I never cycled.. Not even once. But, I loved it. I moved on from this role to start another business and for career progression, working in another organisation that fulfilled my passion for challenge was the next task to tackle.

COVID really did a number on us.. After enrolling into UTS to complete my Bachelor of Communications after I left AIM, I was studying hard and couldn't find work. After 6 months, I was bored out of my brain on full time study and determined to get back on the horse and work.Chatting with a friend one day who worked at Platypus, she offered me to come in for an interview, I was so excited to start working again. I got the job and more importantly, got out of the house. It was fantastic to have a routine of work again, but we both knew it was temporary until something more solid came along. I still gave the role my all and I loved talking with people every day, but it didn't feed my worker-bee soul!

So, I left Cluey Learning and started a Bachelor's Degree in Entertainment Management with AIM. I thought the entertainment industry was where I wanted to be, after being a lover of the arts for so long and turning 23, I thought I had it all figured out. Being a little older than most of the students and a lot of work and entertainment experience under my belt, I was hand picked by the faculty at AIM to be a marketing intern. And I did what marketing interns do, content creation, assisting in day to day ops, copywriting, blog posts, editorial content. When COVID hit, we decided to do weekly live sessions on Instagram, I hosted on camera once a week, secured talent, coached them prior to the live stream, hosted the live stream and reported back. It was a thrill and something fantastic to do during the lockdowns. But, all good things must come to an end... With COVID not slowing down and the unfortunate demise of the arts in Australia, I came to the lightbulb moment that Arts is not going to be an option for me.See, I'm an extremely persistent and motivated person but I know when I'm beat. I wanted to get back into the work force and quickly, I also wanted to progress my career and quickly. Completing this degree and continuing with AIM just didn't align with my long term goals. I

Can you tell I'm good with people? I moved from a customer service job at HelloFresh to another customer service job! I love people and this job was kind-of a call centre, but kind of not. With the ability to work with other teams and solve problems for people in a deeper sense, this job was fascinating. Working in a start up, the team had to be agile, quick on our feet, resolve conflicts quickly, I loved every second of it. I decided to move on from Cluey Learning as I was about to enter the next phase of my life, University.

Working for HelloFresh was one of the most enjoyable times in my life. I met life-long friends, travelled Australia and the world and also learned that yes, people can be very mean to you when you don't deliver their food.This call centre worked like clock-work and had a supportive management team who wanted the best out of us, it was a nurturing environment with an excellent social aspect. Which, as a 20-something year old was a huge added bonus. I finished working with HelloFresh because I wanted to move on to bigger and better things. (I still have so much love for this organisation...)

Most of you won't know, but I spent my entire life singing and playing music. I was always in and out of the music industry, writing, creating, producing and working on tour with awesome bands and artists. I wanted to continue down this path and married my love for photography with music! So, I started my own live music photography small business. Being 22 and owning your own business taught me a lot about grit, tenacity, hard work and to be a business woman. It was an invaluable time in my life and I shot some very cool artists and very cool venues and festivals. I ended this business in 2019 because sometimes when you turn a passion into a hobby, it often does not stay a passion anymore.

This organisation and role helped me understand how to treat clients and how to work efficiently with them and for them.I dabbled in sales, administrative duties and a lot of stakeholder engagement. There was little room for error in this role and I learned the hard way that detail orientation is a skill that needs to be nurtured (and I still nurture it to this day...)

This period in my life was filled with odd jobs, call centres, having fun with friends, travelling. I was super young and falling in love with life, with friendships and finding my feet.

The second I left high school, I was lost (as many of us are) and had no idea what was next. So, I started my first job with the Campbelltown City Council. This incredible first opportunity afforded me so many new experiences which built on my foundational skills of working the family business in my high school years.This is where I started to fall in love with marketing and client services.Working with some of Australia's most talented artists, musicians and technical professionals in the Arts Space, working for CAC was a time in my life I will look upon very fondly.

Working for the family business as a kid definitely didn't seem like the 'fun and cool' thing to do after school and on weekends.. But, it taught me some valuable lessons. Mum had 2 clothing stores in the heart of Leichhardt and every Saturday and Sunday for 3 years in High School, I was the friendly face greeting you and helping you choose the perfect outfit.I completely owned the operational side of the business on weekends, balancing books, keeping the store presentable, maintaining stock, negotiating with suppliers, cash flow, e-commerce and marketing. Even though I gave up a lot of my teenage years to work the business, I could not be more grateful for the foundations it taught me.