Today, I'm connecting with Olivia (Liv) Panzic, Head of Marketing Communications at TikTok ANZ.
**Join us at our first-ever podcast meetup in Sydney. Info below**
Today, I'm connecting with Olivia (Liv) Panzic, Head of Marketing Communications at TikTok ANZ. A core part of Liv’s belief system? Look after people. And it shows. Her colleagues and mentors describe her leadership at TikTok as “people-centric,” “human-first,” and “transformative for those around her.” This conversation covers three big themes: creating thumb-stopping content, being brave, and leading from the heart.
In this episode, we cover:
Connect with Liv:
Others Mentioned in the Episode:
Huge thanks to Hayley Saddleton and Shani Kugenthiran for the pre-interview chats. You're so right. Liv. Is. Magic.
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Hello Calling Operator listeners, this is Laura. A quick note before we kick off today's episode. I've teamed up with Notion to bring the Calling Operator community together in Sydney later this month. It's a coffee meet with guests from the show—and also you, our listeners. But just a quick heads-up: there's limited space, so if you want to come along, please RSVP via the Luma link in the episode notes. We’ll also be running a waitlist. So—Surry Hills location, Sydney, on the 29th of April. See you there.
Connecting with Olivia Panzic, Head of Marketing Communications at TikTok ANZ:
[Note: This transcript is AI-generated via Descript. Please expect typos]
Laura Nicol: Liv, welcome to Calling Operator How are you
Olivia Panzic: I'm very well thank you How are you
Laura Nicol: I'm good I'm so happy to be reunited after all these years
Olivia Panzic: I know it's been a while what was it Startmate back in the day I think brought us together
Laura Nicol: Yeah Women's Fellowship I wasn't on the same cohort with you I know that you were the first Kiwi going through the program
Olivia Panzic: Yes yes I was I think we were second cohort and it was when there were only I believe eight of us So it's amazing to see how they've scaled it to the place that they have now
Laura Nicol: Yeah I love that All the women fellows reunite I'd love to hear from you Who are you beyond your job title
Olivia Panzic: so beyond my job title I am a very proud auntie of two nieces and nephews that absolutely make my world go round I have two sisters and brothers in laws and my mum and dad in New Zealand So originally a Kiwi now based in Sydney Outside of work I am very much a film and TV buff I'm that person in the office that's like have you seen the latest episode of this Or have you seen this movie Trying to get through all the Oscar nominated films like everyone in Sydney I feel I'm very much a Pilates buff as well which seems to be very trendy at the moment outside of that love cooking and music and spending time with family and friends being outdoors so that's what keeps me busy outside of work
Laura Nicol: I always get so excited when Netflix shows Oscar nominations as a category I'm like yes that's my watch list
Olivia Panzic: Thank goodness for Netflix and their recommendations
Laura Nicol: good who has shaped you as the Liv you are today
Olivia Panzic: I have to give a lot of credit to my parents my dad was a Croatian or is a Croatian immigrant And my mom is a Kiwi but I think in terms of my values and who I am today as you can imagine on the Croatian side There was a lot of messaging around the importance of family and community and hard work And then on my mom's side she was brought up in the Anglican church So while I'm not particularly religious myself there was a lot of great messaging there around the importance of looking after other people the importance of just humans and connection and being kind and thinking of others hopefully I have a bit of a mix of those two things now as an adult and Just that sense of family community hard work and looking after other people I think are probably core to who I am as a person today
Laura Nicol: you've been described as someone who's deeply thoughtful about how you show up in the world I'd love to hear from you in your words what drives that intentionality
Olivia Panzic: That's very kind First of all that the people you talk to have said that a core part of my belief system is that it is so important to look after people probably this shows up in a work context in terms of I truly believe that if you can create a psychologically safe environment for people that is where they can thrive I think that sometimes that's also looked at as a bit of a I guess the right answer or the good answer when you say Oh I care deeply about people But I think that is when you create An environment where people can also perform to a high level again other than sort of my upbringing instilling those values in me I think it is something that I've also seen work very well in terms of you look after people and they'll also look after whether it's your customers or your business or just each other and create a really good environment
Laura Nicol: one of my questions was going to be how have you learned to show up for yourself and your growth that's personal and professional but then also learn how to apply those things while looking after others Is there a secret sauce there
Olivia Panzic: Look it's a double edged sword isn't it And I think it's something I've learned particularly in my leadership journey is it's one thing to care deeply about other people but you also need to look after yourself in that process we speak a lot at TikTok actually as a leadership team around the difference between being nice and kind nice is very much the people pleasing right It's the oh I don't want to have that difficult conversation because they might think that I'm not a nice person or it might be tough and being kind is going hey no this is actually the right thing to do This is actually going to help whether it's myself or someone else's growth and so I think that's very much been the journey I've been on I think it comes quite naturally for me to care about people but it's also been hey you can care about people and also whether it's standing up for yourself Or having those tough conversations at the same time those two things can exist in harmony but yeah it's definitely been a journey I think there would be times when I would be sweating my heart would be racing just having to think about having what I would consider an uncomfortable conversation in time also you learn Hey when people know who you are at your core and you've built that foundation of trust you can have those difficult conversations and know that Hey they're not going to think differently of me And hopefully in time they'll actually go Hey that was really helpful Thank you for being direct with me
Laura Nicol: today you're at TikTok but let's take us back a little bit where did you think you would end up at the start of your career if this is where you are now
Olivia Panzic: if I go back to high school days I think the two things I thought I wanted to do in my career were first of all to be a fashion editor I went on a day of work experience and I was like wait this isn't like the Devil Wears Prada the movies were lying to me This is actually you know quite hard work in terms of I learned that there wasn't just one big office where everyone just went about creating these magazines and hey it's actually a lot of freelancers just pulling together work and at least that's how it was at the time in Auckland so I thought okay it wasn't as glamorous as I'd hoped this is again 17 year old me thinking here and then I thought okay I actually want to be a journalist I went to I remember it was a guest lecture featuring one of my favorite Kiwi journalists David Farrier And I was like right this is it I'm gonna be like a news anchor and start this amazing career And he was like hey there are often days I'm eating two minute noodles because the work is not consistent It's really really hard You have to love it because you know this is definitely not a career for the faint hearted And again I was like That maybe doesn't sound as exciting as I thought there was definitely a lesson there around I think we need more exposure at a high school level to what careers are like particularly in sort of marketing and comms but off the back of that I was lucky enough to start my career with some great internships in the startup space And I quickly learned that okay marketing is what I love And this is very exciting being the ambitious again young person I was thought okay what's the highest you can climb as a marketer Like what is that career trajectory look And I learned about the term CMO chief marketing officer then through again my research all of this skills that they're saying a chief marketing officer needs are around You need to be analytical You need to be able to talk to a CEO to be able to talk to the CFO And I was like Oh okay I dropped out of math as early as I could at high school I'm doing a comms degree And so look I don't know if this is necessarily the right path but at the time I decided okay I need to do a master of international business so that I have the skills needed to be a CMO I think now at age 30 I can look back and go okay there are many ways you can become a CMO and learn those skills without needing to do your masters but I did do my masters and I'm very thankful that I did because it taught me a lot of the skills I think that are now helpful today in terms of you do need to as a marketer be able to balance art and science in your job and you do need to be able to be data backed and analytical in the way that you approach problems off the back of that I went out into the workforce and again I was like oh okay it's harder to get a job than I maybe hoped in all these exciting sexy industries I had my sights set on I remember as clear as yesterday I had a recruiter call me and go okay don't hang up But I've got a job I think you would really like it's just in financial services So I went and met with my first big boss I guess Tony Reid he's now I think heads up corporate affairs at Kiwi Bank is still to this day one of the most amazing bosses I've had And as soon as I met with him I was like okay I have a good feeling I originally thought Oh I'll just stay there for a year you know so I've got something on my CV outside of internships and part time work and I ended up staying for four years
into digital marketing into leading large customer experience projects and it was absolutely incredible that was the first stage of my career and kind of where I ended up And then off the back of that I guess is where a startmate comes in My boyfriend at the time was trying to build a startup And I remember thinking wow this is so interesting And it was my first real exposure outside of internships to this whole world of startups and so I applied to the start mate fellowship and got accepted that was when everything really changed for me was lucky enough the early fellowships we were able to go to San Fran with The founders which was incredible come back and learn from I mean this was sort of early days of eucalyptus and culture amp and hearing from these incredible founders and operators as well And so I thought okay my next step after Suncorp needs to be a startup I joined a early stage startup and I was there for a year and then that startup actually failed which was difficult We can obviously unpack that in time that led me ultimately to my job now at TikTok where I started as a marketing manager and yeah now lead the team there a real whirlwind journey but again I can now look back and go okay everything that has happened has been for a reason has helped me become not only the operator I am today but the person very very happy to have landed where I am now
Laura Nicol: What was it that you learned in the fellowship that you were like yes tech and startups is for me
Olivia Panzic: there was just something about the energy and look I think particularly when I went to San Fran sometimes that energy was a bit scary I remember thinking sometimes it was almost like the founder was a head of this cult and everyone was like we can't wait to help them achieve their vision and I was like oh this is a lot but I think it was just this general dedication and passion to the vision and the cause in a way that I hadn't had exposure to yet I have a lot of respect for large corporates And essentially if a startup goes well you want to be probably one of these larger corporates right it was just really the energy and the alignment it really drew me to sort of startup space as a next career move
Laura Nicol: from that you've seen startups from the very earlier stages to large scale organizations What are the things that you've seen and what lessons have you learned along the way
Olivia Panzic: so many lessons I'm like where to begin one of the first things that I would say has been a key lesson is the importance of making sure that You are not solely going into an interview situation at a early stage startup thinking how can I get the job you need to particularly when you're going to be often sacrificing market salary in terms of getting equity instead making sure that you're really clear on Are these the right people to solve this problem how far along that journey are they do I truly believe that me plus this small group of people are the right people to be able to do this And what evidence is there that that is the case It's different when you get to even a scale up or more of a high growth stage where at that point usually if that early stage has gone right they've got a clear idea of culture of the next people that they need and seat as well to make that vision continue to grow at the pace it has been really my advice would be if you're going for an early stage startup job or if you're considering it make sure that you are also interviewing the founders in the same way that they're interviewing you trying to understand what they're trying to solve and if you're bought in on their vision and if you are the right person and I think this is probably coming from someone who obviously was at a startup that failed and I can probably look back and say Hey you know could I have figured this out And I think I probably could have And again it was because I was so in that mindset of I just want to be chosen for a job because I think that's what we're taught right You go into an interview and you go okay if I don't get the job it means that there was something deficient in me versus Hey I probably Couldn't have helped them in the way that they needed or you know actually maybe this wasn't right for me How often do we actually say you know I'm going to tap out of this job interview process it's not what we're taught from a young age So that would be one of my key learnings there are many others but just to really make sure that you're approaching joining companies in the appropriate way for the size and scale they're at
Laura Nicol: in contrast what's unique about leading marketing and communications at a global giant versus either an early stage or a fast growing startup
Olivia Panzic: when I think about TikTok for example it's very unique in terms of you have this global backing right So I think that's a real key difference particularly when it comes to marketing Obviously you've got larger budgets and I think there's probably more of a risk tolerance in many ways because Again there's more money there versus an early stage startup It's like Hey we've got this much money It runs out at this point If we haven't hit these goals we probably won't be able to raise our next round successfully I'd say the speed we operate at is very similar to an early stage startup but you have slightly more backing You also obviously have the added benefit of having a network of other marketers in a global company right So I think where I'd often feel isolated in an early stage startup is you might be one of the only marketing hires You might have a very small team And so I think I always found myself I need to put in time with other marketers I need to try and find people to chat to that are going through similar challenges versus you have some of the best marketers just a message away in a global company while I've been there through The early stages of starting in Australia and New Zealand to where we are now there is that comfort in knowing okay we've got some money that's not going to run out And we also have access to those tools and experts that are going to help us sort of scale faster
Laura Nicol: and so good for your growth as well that you've got people around the table that know what good looks like
Olivia Panzic: A hundred percent
Laura Nicol: Now that you've seen a couple of stages what's a minimal viable product for a comms function at an early stage company
Olivia Panzic: it's interesting because I think often you won't even have sort of marketing or comms at an early stage Company often it'll be someone who is in charge of growth and it's essentially marketing but it's kind of okay Let's try and pull in more customers and make this machine move faster if we're looking at comm specifically is often around what is that story that you're telling to the market about your company one person who I have to shout out who I think has done this so brilliantly And again the impact cannot be understated was Elly Strang at Tracksuit
Laura Nicol: great job
Olivia Panzic: Just an absolute master at again you could often say Oh wow we've hired someone for comms and content early on at a startup That's often not something you'd see But again the ability that she has had to build this brand and it's been like a masterclass in how to do that on LinkedIn from a B2B perspective And so I think coming back to your question around like minimum viable product I think you want someone who is an expert at storytelling And that can take your customers or your users on that journey at the same time as you're growing the company so that they feel invested and really bought into this Hey I want this company to win as much as I love their product And I think having someone doing comms and content from an early stage depending on the company can be really really powerful And often that strategic I guess unlock or superpower that you have
Laura Nicol: today you're leading marketing and comms at TikTok ANZ How would you describe your role and growth journey since joining the company till today
Olivia Panzic: so when I first started at TikTok I was a marketing manager looking after content and communications it's an area after my own heart I love it very much and I think the growth journey that I've been on So I've been there three years now I'd say when I first started year one was very much about why TikTok we were still feeling you in market And the job that we had to do was to convince people why TikTok was a platform First of all they should even care about let alone advertise their brand or products on that was sort of year one Year two was really about okay we understand why we should be on TikTok We get the hype now How do we do it How many pieces of creative do we need to have on platform for a campaign How do we show up How do we take our big TV commercials and repurpose Can you even do that So really getting into the nitty gritty of how and what products we had to help them achieve their business goals And then I'd say our challenge now and what we I think are doing really successfully is helping to go okay you know the why you know how to do it why should TikTok be an always on channel for your brand why should we be a part of the media plan the same way that you know other platforms or channels are it's been a really interesting growth journey and I think to have all those things happen in such quick succession it's been quite whirlwind quite a ride in terms of growth journey if I look back to where I started I feel like I've learned maybe what I could have in 10 years in three years because it's an environment and it's probably similar to startups right where what was true two days ago is not true anymore and being able to adapt to that and respond effectively I don't think I realized how much of a I guess scale up it was going to be I think in many ways thought oh okay this is probably going to be a bit more corporate a bit more safe after I'd come from an early stage startup And I was pleasantly surprised to be like oh okay we have the ability To do things our way and to have a say in what is a huge global company now right it was really nice to be able to step in and go okay this is an incredible brand I love the platform I love the product But we can also make this feel very Australian very Kiwi We had the power to do that and a lot of trust from sort of senior leaders overseas
Laura Nicol: So let's use that as a segue to dive into more of your work and impact I'd love to hear how you've built a comms marketing comms strategy that resonates with this market
Olivia Panzic: I think in terms of a strategy it's been great that we have again this access to global assets branding examples of how things have been done but then also we've been able to really localize a lot of the assets or the ways that we go to market an example of this is we have different event series where we focus on certain verticals So it might be fashion on TikTok FinServ on TikTok And while we have again these beautiful assets and whether it's presentation decks or ways of creating events we can also make them very local in the way that we want to have case studies from brands that are doing well in Australia and New Zealand we want to make sure that events in the way that they're executed again are right for our market So sometimes it's really small things you don't think about I think Aussies and Kiwis were a little bit more reserved when it comes to asking questions for example at an event like in a Q A section where in the U S they might be like Oh you know we open up the floor to questions It's like Hey we might need to use a Slido or you know something like that that makes people feel more comfortable sort of sharing questions that has been really helpful to the strategy Obviously we have an idea of what we need to do in terms of the growth targets we have to hit but then it is really okay how can we take what is this big global brand and really make it feel Aussie and Kiwi another important part of the strategy and I have to shout out my colleagues Julia and Lauren at TikTok is also creating a sense I think of community what we've been able to do outside of just saying hey look Marketers come to an event right There's no shortage of events for us to go to these days It's what are we giving back in exchange for you coming and listening to how we can help you Julia and Lauren ran these amazing programs called Incubator and Accelerator locally So Incubator was around creating sort of a community for high growth marketers and Accelerator was for emerging agency leaders And so it's Hey yes you're going to come along and you're going to also learn about TikTok and how you can make the most of it But we also want to invest in your personal and professional development we want to make sure that you are able to connect with each other because we know that's also where a lot of the learning happens is not only TikTok tells you you should do this but Hey I've tried this on TikTok Have you Oh I yes I did And it did or didn't work and how they can learn from each other outside of obviously having an amazing global support system it's also the kind of sense of community and giving back to the ecosystem has been really at the core of what we've been doing for the last couple of years as a company in Australia and New Zealand
Laura Nicol: and that really relates to what Hayley your colleague says that you've managed and I'm sure there's like bits of personality from each of your team in the strategy but you've managed to anchor in your authenticity and human insights
Olivia Panzic: Wow I mean that's yeah very kind of her to say that particularly in B2B marketing it can be very easy to get stuck on just talking about the product and just talking about okay this is why we're the best but I think yeah where you can say hey look These things are all true We've got a great product and you know we feel like we can drive results for you really understanding Okay What are your pain points What keeps you up at night what makes you come to work and feel like Oh I just can't solve this problem where you can stop looking at it as a business to business and look at it as person to person as cliche as that sounds then I think that's where the magic happens we shouldn't default to B2B is boring
Laura Nicol: definitely not Please don't be boring given TikTok moves so fast can you share examples of successes and failures or learnings that you've had at TikTok
Olivia Panzic: I think something i'm particularly proud of the team for is just the level of execution look i'm gonna toot their horns horns for them and say that it's a regular occurrence that we'll have industry talking about how they're some of the best events that they've been to in terms of B2B marketing they're going to cringe at me saying that but they're absolutely phenomenal and the best at what they do So I think have been yeah very successful in terms of how we've engaged the community at the stage that they're at and in a way that like I mentioned before is exciting and innovative I think in terms of failures or learnings from a marketing perspective it can be very easy to go okay we need to try as many channels as possible I think it's very much the same at a startup or at a scale up you almost kind of think oh you know like maybe there's something better out there so you might go okay we need to put a little bit of budget on this platform and a little bit of budget and out of home and a little bit of budget here and I think that is where maybe you can lose focus I always recommend if something looks like it's working scale it as far as it can go until you've reached that sort of point of diminishing returns or where you've kind of become flat rather than I think spreading yourself too thinly being like oh but maybe this channel could be slightly better than this one there's a difference between testing and learning and having an appropriate amount of budget that you go yeah we want to check out a few different things And almost like Constantly reaching for the next great thing or the next best thing where we've probably had failures or key learnings is where we've gone okay but what if paid media on this channel was better or what if this is good versus going hey actually this is working well and we can take this further We can scale it further We haven't reached that inflection point of where it's not Able to scale anymore that would be one of my key learnings for whether it's early stage startup or a growth startup if you see something that is working keep pushing it before you start to go Okay What other shiny objects or toys are there that I could be testing out
Laura Nicol: so that's very tactical around learnings about your strategy and I'd love to dive in more to you as a leader your leadership style has been described as service leadership and I'd love to know what is your philosophy on leadership
Olivia Panzic: I feel like a bit of a broken record servant and service leadership is often something I think that even me I think sometimes wants to roll my eyes at right Like oh it's the classic thing I'm in the trenches with my team and I'm just like everyone else it just comes back to that fundamental truth of when people feel psychologically safe and supported at work And there is trust there and they feel like you are there alongside them of figuring it out That is when they can perform at their best So that to me is quite a fundamental I guess truth to me behind leadership I also often think about the difference between a manager and a leader as well any good leader is also a good manager to some degree I think of a manager as that's the day to day that's you know making sure you have a good regular cadence of whips in the diary to use again the corporate lingo I hate you know circle back whips blah blah blah but you know it's those tactical things of like okay what is the work that we have to do How are we measuring our impact That sort of thing but I feel like the best leaders that I know are people that have your best interests at heart and they're there with you And I often say and I don't know if this is going to be popular with other people in their leadership philosophies but I'm like if something goes wrong that's on me If something goes right that's the team And I think you have a it's a duty of care to your team but it's also a responsibility to make sure that we are performing and we're doing what we need to do So yeah look my philosophy on leadership is very much it's people first It is servant leadership but it's also probably broader than that in terms of okay how am I getting the best out of people as well And how am I hopefully creating an environment that facilitates trust and collaboration and performance
Laura Nicol: Can you share an example of how you give people and your teams the space to grow
Olivia Panzic: it's an interesting question because everyone's growth or the growth that they want is going to look different So I think the way that I would support the growth of one person in my team is very different from the next What I recommend is that you actually sit down and understand what growth means or looks like for each person in your team So for example I could have someone in my team that's like 17 year old me that's like I want to be a CMO one day and you're like okay here's how we help to get you there And another person that goes Hey I want to show up to work every day and just have a positive team environment and do good work And I want to be an individual contributor I don't ever want to manage people That sounds terrible to me and so the way that I try and give the team space to grow is by understanding each of their unique needs and their goals and desires and the creative element they have And then basically putting a plan in place as much as possible to make that happen So look it can be very easy and I'm not perfect at this either but it can be easy to get bogged down in the work and forget to kind of take a step back and look at what you're doing from above and going Hey okay are we actually getting you closer to your goals and Making dedicated time or putting aside dedicated time with each person in your team to go Hey we're actually not talking about the work today We're talking about you and your development again I think as much as possible having a tangible plan So we have a great tool internally that is called a drive plan which is where you put down your broader goals but then also what are those tactical level steps that you're taking to help achieve those as well So you might say okay I want to be a CMO say you are a marketing coordinator and that's your ultimate goal in 20 30 years How do we take a step back and how do we say okay what are the steps that we need to get you there at a junior level It's probably okay we want to master the basics How do we get you exposure to lots of different areas of marketing and making sure that you can perform them at a solid level or that you've got a Decent sort of base skill set versus someone who maybe is you know a senior marketing manager and is looking to step into taking on a team and then for them it's going to be more Okay how can I help to promote them with our senior leadership team How can I help To work on their executive presence How can we help to get you out there in market and talking on panels to help grow your profile there's no one way I think that I support the growth of everyone It's really working I think on an individual level based on the stage of the career that each person is at and what they want to do It's really working I think on an individual level based on the stage of the career that each person is at and what they want to do
Laura Nicol: Hayley also I'm laughing because she called you a leadership whisperer Yeah Yeah
Olivia Panzic: my gosh
Laura Nicol: and then when I also talked to Cheyney who I believe is or was your mentor she also said that you have an unconscious strength in the way that you command a room and get senior leaders on your side Do you feel that Or does it come naturally
Olivia Panzic: Wow I'm blushing very very kind I would say look I think it's actually probably a skill that I've developed over time some days are better than others depending on what you're having to bring to senior leadership right In terms of the level of maybe nervousness or how am I going to communicate this But again probably the same way I talked about B2B being person to person at the end of the day I think that's also a philosophy I probably carry through to my interactions with everyone at work So I think it's so important to just remember that that person that you're maybe nervous to talk to or you're like Oh gosh what if they think my ideas aren't good Or they've got so much more experience than me They were once in your shoes and at the end of the day they're not waiting for you to stuff up a conversation or a presentation most people are inherently rooting for you to do a good job And when you're all working towards the same goal it doesn't matter what level whether you're you know a CEO or you know a marketing coordinator you're all working towards the same thing it's not something that has probably come naturally my whole life Again I used to always yeah heart would be racing Oh my gosh do I sound stupid Do I know what I'm talking about but I think yeah just in time the more you can focus less on how you're coming across to a senior leader and more on what is the problem we're trying to solve together think that takes a lot of the nervousness out of those situations and I think the second thing is I think there's a lot of chat around imposter syndrome And I think for me I can sometimes feel like okay imposter syndrome in my mind is the cop out you know you go Oh I've got this imposter syndrome and that's why versus I think for me an important learning has been reframing imposter syndrome as Hey no actually I'm the right level of nervous for this situation it's not that there's any imposter syndrome going on It's Hey I'm about to present to a CEO or a board member And guess what I should be nervous That's not imposter syndrome That's just this is the right level of nervousness for going into this sort of conversation So I think that reframing has been really helpful I think particularly as women we often can be like yeah oh it's the imposter syndrome No no no it's okay to feel nervous It's okay to feel like you don't belong there and that you just need to go and do it and realize that no everyone is nervous in these situations and it's okay
Laura Nicol: Yeah that's so true And it's like growth doesn't come without being scared but it's being to step into that But I love that reframing I understand you've got a culture around stealing with pride and scaling with pride How do you balance fresh ideas with not reinventing the wheel and leveraging global playbooks and I guess global leaders around you
Olivia Panzic: yeah we very much talk about scaling with pride stealing with pride and I think that that's more around not repeating something that's been done before I know our global CMO ran I think it was a bit of an analysis on how much work had been sort of repeated across all of the global teams and it was quite a high percentage And again through no fault of anyone but again when you're dealing with similar problems or there are similar concerns in market around oh you know we need to Talk to C suite about certain things or we need to focus on performance or whatever it may be sometimes you're not going to have the time to sit down and go Hey right How is everyone tackling this in every single different region So the stealing and scaling with pride is really around Okay Take that moment to pause Has this been done before by another region even in a early stage startup you can probably learn from that as well in terms of has anyone else tackled a similar problem So it might not be reaching out to someone within your big global organization but it might be Hey there's you know another startup I know is in the B2B space and has probably had some experiments that I can learn from when it comes to how we know when to leverage something vs create something bespoke and new really comes down to is this a unique need for our market or is there something that culturally won't translate here So an example of something that we built net new was our vodcast series culture drivers which really came off the back of Hey I think there's this unique kind of and it's very much an Aussie Kiwi thing of wanting less I guess formal or structured content and more sort of raw honesty and conversation right It's how we prefer to interact versus something that's very polished It actually came off the back of watching a series called Actors on Actors I think it is I'm getting that wrong it's a YouTube series maybe did Vanity Fair or Variety do it a current member two actors basically in conversation with each other So you know it might be Margot Robbie and Timothee Chalamet something like that And I was like this is a really interesting concept because Often in B2B marketing you'll be like here is you know someone from a company interviewing a CMO or here is a thought leader interviewing a CMO And I was like wait what if we just put two CMOs together to have a chat And we remove ourselves entirely from the equation no one really wants to sit back and watch a platform with you know tell us why TikTok is so great It's like no let's actually just get them to have the conversation themselves basically the series was yeah two senior marketers or creative directors or chief strategy officers in conversation with each other And we just basically gave them a card of various questions and they picked them up and just chatted And I was terrified if that was actually going to work but I had this hypothesis of I feel like This could be magic in terms of really hitting that need for authentic unpolished content that we have in Australia and New Zealand and yeah it went really well it was Amazing Just to see again when you sort of remove yourself from the picture and again focus on just what are those raw real conversations you want to hear And I'm like that's what I want to hear as a marketer right going back to your question it's probably an example of we identified a specific need culturally for a certain type of content or engagement with our audience that wasn't something that had been done elsewhere And that's where we invested the time and energy into creating something bespoke
Laura Nicol: pretend I'm a head of marketing at a different company What would be your burning question that you would want to ask another comms person at the same level as you right now your biggest challenge
Olivia Panzic: it's something that I basically ask all marketers which is how are you measuring your impact I think that it's just so interesting and it's something that no one has nailed completely but I think we're getting closer to it
Laura Nicol: if you had to name one thing what would you say your superpower strength or your genius zone is as an operator
Olivia Panzic: Oh gosh growing up in New Zealand this is like the most icky question for us right what are you amazing at You're like oh I don't know It's not right to talk about yourself I would say collaboration I think my superpower is being able to get people with very different or opposing views to find common ground So I'd say yeah that's something that I would confidently say is a place that I feel like okay I'm in my element So you put a bunch of people in a room arguing and I'm like okay you can get them to come together You can do this
Laura Nicol: looking back what would be the most resilient moments of either your life or career
Olivia Panzic: probably two the first one was definitely when I could see that the startup I was in was failing and I think I went through a lot of feelings of shame and feeling like okay which company would want me now CV was that I failed and in reality it's like we all failed collectively right It didn't work out but I think understanding that when you move forward from that you know position of having a business fail it's actually something that the right leaders and the right companies will look at as a benefit so for example I remember thinking again these feelings of shame and oh my gosh how what is my next career move going to look like after this And It was TikTok that actually said Hey you've actually got the perfect blend of skills You've come from this world If you've got the corporate experience but you also know what it is to be scrappy and move fast and trial and error And so again it's funny how in hindsight you look back and go wow this was something I felt was my biggest failure And now it's helped me get this job That is a is dream And I think the second was around I was promoted into my current role last year and also went through a big relationship breakup and was probably one of the hardest years I'd say of my life But also again I think the resilience that you build going through that and also I think the way it helps you again when I talk about like servant leadership or grounding yourself in that it really helps you remember that people are showing up to work every day going through things that you have no idea about And again that continues to reinforce my leadership philosophy around people first because you have no idea if that person's just had the best day of their life or if they have you know left the house in tears and they're just trying to get through the day two very different examples one being you know what feels like a career failure and the other feels like a bit of a life failure and how am I going to get through this but I think the message there that I can definitely say is when you look back you can realize again how impactful in a positive way these experiences can be
Laura Nicol: Totally they're all just learning moments
Olivia Panzic: Yeah Yep a hundred percent but yeah look in the moment I get it So I'm like if anyone's listening to this and is really in the trenches just know that again so many people are going through different things out there and struggles and that again I think number one message I would say is just to open up and to talk about it and to find your people that get it and can support you through those things
Laura Nicol: Yes Very powerful message which is a perfect place to look ahead to the future And I'd love to hear from you what's the biggest shift happening in communications right now that comms leaders aren't talking about enough
Olivia Panzic: I think there's a lot of chat about AI at the moment rightly so but I think the element that I haven't heard a lot of conversation on is how that is going to change The way that we engage customers in terms of advertising I know so many people now as I'm sure you do that they are working from home and they are chatting out loud to chat GPT as they go almost like a personal assistant And I think in a world where advertising has primarily been okay what you can see with your eyes whether that is as basic as a banner ad or out of home or a TV commercial I'm like outside of say radio I think we're moving into a new space where voice and the words that you use in terms of like listening to potential advertising is going to be a very new world that we're entering in So you can imagine if again People are just sitting there chatting to almost whether it's a robot one day or just chat GPT or different versions of almost this personal assistant that has all the information of the world you know at their fingertips how that may change the way that we actually consume whether it's content or advertising and how brands need to be prepared for that shift and how they plan for it And I think it's funny because often we think oh radio you know it's right for some products but often it's like oh radio isn't really as much of a thing anymore right We look at it as kind of old school but I think being able to reach people through voice through sound they might not be reading the press releases you might not be getting the eyeballs that you're used to It's like okay how do you now communicate messages or tell a story through some of these new mediums where again people will potentially be listening more than they are looking when it comes to reaching audiences
Laura Nicol: So interesting And thank you so much for telling your story in audio today
Olivia Panzic: No worries
Laura Nicol: on trend And then looking at ANZ as a startup ecosystem where do you reckon that's heading
Olivia Panzic: I have been really encouraged by the increasing level of connection that I'm seeing So even in the last five years if I think back to the Starmate Fellowship the way that that has grown and is bringing so many more people into the ecosystem I think I look at what Chanel Clark is doing with the marketing sort of clubs and things like that There are more opportunities than ever for people to connect with other operators across the ecosystem So I think the way we're moving is to having more of a supportive community thinking about what I mentioned earlier around that board of directors that you need to have in life and yeah I think we're moving in the right direction in terms of this is something that's being talked about much more broadly I think that is also down to a lot more publicity around startups Obviously our success stories the likes of Atlassian and Canva and people going wait okay what is this all about And like how could I have been a part of that Oh okay There's these hubs and these ecosystems and these programs to help me get there a very positive change in terms of creating more of a community across Australia and New Zealand
Laura Nicol: And then community if you had to name an operator who's at the top of their game who would you name
Olivia Panzic: So many I've got to go back to Elly I know I've already mentioned her I just think it has been a while particularly from a New Zealand startup perspective that I've really seen that sort of excitement and trajectory created by a startup and so yeah I just have to give her the biggest shout out because I think they should be doing case studies on what a masterclass in comms and content that has been big big shout out to Ellie I don't even know what else to say without going on a complete fan girl moment She's a good friend of mine but yeah she's someone who again if you're looking for some of the best in terms of like marketing and comms examples then I think yeah look no further than her
Laura Nicol: Oh I love that so much Is she in Sydney now or is she still
Olivia Panzic: Yes she's in Sydney Yeah so I actually met her when we both moved over here through some mutual friends
Laura Nicol: So we're at a time that we're going to do a quickfire round So this was inspired by a previous guest Harry Uffindell are you ready best tech stack for operators
Olivia Panzic: I'm a big HubSpot gal
Laura Nicol: Oh
Olivia Panzic: marketing comms and content for events Splash or Splash That is what we use those are probably two I'd give a shout out to
Laura Nicol: one book framework or tool you swear by and why
Olivia Panzic: Think Again by Adam Grant which is a great book and again is really all about challenging your assumptions and why you think the way that you do which is yeah both important in personal and work life
Laura Nicol: one thing that has helped you level up as an operator
Olivia Panzic: Again coming back to community the people around me I think there's only so many books you can read and case studies and things like that but when you can actually connect with people that are at the same stage in the trenches with you figuring it out it's the most powerful tool at your disposal to level up
Laura Nicol: A leader you're aspiring to be like
Olivia Panzic: I would have to say Pip Marlowe So she was the chief customer officer at Suncorp when I was there And also she was the CEO of Salesforce Australia New Zealand And now I believe she's doing a lot of sort of board work she was the first example I've seen of A leader that was authentically herself as well as being an extremely high performer in terms of the teams that she built So that's someone I aspire to be like keeping your humanity and your empathy at all times but also being an absolute gun and amazing at what you do
Laura Nicol: And talking of humanity If you could start a TikTok trend that makes the world a better place what would it be
Olivia Panzic: an initiative that I'm not creating myself but I think is worth a shout out because it's something that a lot of us at TikTok are passionate about is from Dylan Alcott and his foundation It's called Shift20 and it's Basically making sure that across advertising in Australia and New Zealand there is more representation of people with disabilities so highly recommend you go and look up Cast and Call on TikTok and check out all of the amazing work that is happening in this space
Laura Nicol: a piece of advice you've received that you'd love to pay forward
Olivia Panzic: this was from a mentor back in the day which was you are never too big for a small job And I think it is something that I have always stuck with as a core value of mine from a work perspective in that if there's ever a moment where you feel like oh I'm too senior for or you know you start to be like I shouldn't have to or whatever I think That's something I always keep in the back of my mind hopefully I'll never get to a point where I feel like I'm entitled or you know I think sometimes as you move through your career you can become whether it's like jaded or you're so far removed from the front line of people doing the work that's something I always like to remind people is that hey we're all just human at the end of the day You're no more important than anyone else Work is work it's not life
Laura Nicol: 100 And who's an operator I should have on the show next
Olivia Panzic: you should chat to Kendall Moses who is currently at Uber if we're thinking these big tech companies and going on a journey she has been everywhere from San Fran to London to Sydney to now yeah moving back to New Zealand to basically open up the sales division of Uber Eats I think she's someone who is incredibly resilient and intelligent and has had this amazing career across the world and has a lot of lessons that she could share
Laura Nicol: And something that's really important to me is us all sharing some guidance to ensure mental wellness as we all work to become better operators what's one thing that helps you stay grounded
Olivia Panzic: I feel like I've got so many things that I do and tools that I use to help me stay grounded but honestly the number one thing that's in my head right now is advice that my mum gave me from when I was really young that I still try and hold onto to this day is everything is better after a good night's sleep very simple but I think sometimes if you're spiraling in the evening or you're feeling stressed or you're feeling sad or whatever it may be I just think it's amazing how many things seem clearer in the light of day after a good night's sleep uh Uh your community around you whether that's your family whether that's even just one good friend that you can open up to I think it's important to make sure you put time and energy into both being a good friend as well as having good friends and then you're finding the things outside of work I was actually chatting to a colleague about this the other day finding those things outside of work that if work were to go away you could say these are the things that make me happy and fill up my cup So you know whether it's Pilates or for the colleague I was talking to it was DJing it was what are the things that really fill your cup outside of work Because I think yeah especially in the startup and tech world it can be very easy to be consumed by the vision by the mission by the speed And it's like at the end of the day No matter how much you believe in a company it's it's a job it's work and you need to have more outside of the office to be able to perform at your best when you're there
Laura Nicol: And that's the perfect place to end the podcast thank you so much for your time today It's been so nice reconnecting where can people connect with you
Olivia Panzic: Olivia Panzic on LinkedIn And I'm always very happy to chat or grab coffee if I can help whether it's with a marketing or career question or just general work life balance flick me a connection on LinkedIn