Welcome.
Pat yourself on the back - you’ve done good. Why? Because if you’re reading this, that means you went out of your way to pop your email addy into the bar, hit the subscribe button, and joined the Hype Womxn community. Unless you did all of that entirely by accident… in which case I’m still happy you’re here.
You’re probably wondering who this mysterious ‘I’m’ is. My name is Chloe Saintilan, and I’m an advertising creative, writer and co-founder of Merch Aid based in NYC. That’s more than enough about me (except maybe the fact that I’m a mochi addict and obsessive patter of dogs) - let’s chat about what you’ve signed up for.
Hype Womxn is a newsletter for career-minded-womxn-on-a-mission. Every issue will feature an exclusive interview with an amazing womxn, who’ll be sharing advice and wisdom gained throughout their stellar careers.
I’ve named it Hype Womxn as back in the day, my girlfriends and I used to call each other exactly that - each other’s career ‘hype girls’. We’d send each other profiles of inspiring people to keep us motivated, attend industry events together (‘cause we’d be too scared to go alone), and share tips and advice whenever we had some to share. And this ‘career sisterhood’ and sharing words of inspiration and wisdom is more important than ever during these challenging times. With mentorship coffee days a no-go indefinitely, with Hype Womxn I hope to bring you that dose of inspiration and mentorship right to your inbox.
Hype Womxn isn’t just a newsletter, it’s a community. Leave comments, email me who you’d like to be interviewed, and be a ‘hype womxn’ too by sharing this with your friends.
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A virtual mentorship coffee with Marina Go
I first met Marina Go at B&T’s Women in Media Awards in Sydney, where she participated in a ‘mentor speed dating’ initiative aimed at empowering young women in the advertising industry. After the conference finished I shot her a note saying how awesome I thought she was and if she’d be down for a quick career chat some day, and she kindly (and surprisingly) offered to have breakfast with me for a one-on-one. She was full of so much great advice that I naturally had her at the top of my list of people to reach out for Hype Womxn.
Marina became the editor of Dolly Magazine at the age of 23, and rose the ranks to become General Manager of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Cosmopolitan. She was the first female chair of the Wests Tigers NRL Club, and is currently Chair of Ovarian Cancer Australia and Netball Australia, and a non-executive director of Energy Australia, 7-Eleven, Autosports Group, Pro-Pac and The Walkley Foundation.
Not only is her career truly remarkable, but Marina is dedicated to helping the next generation of female leaders- she wrote Breakthrough, which I can’t recommend enough.
Here’s Marina’s exclusive Hype Womxn interview where she dishes out advice on everything from staying motivated to self-care.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I am proud that I have been able to give so many younger women the opportunities to showcase their talents.
In high positions of power at such a young age, did you ever struggle with imposter syndrome? If so, how did you overcome it?
I didn’t struggle with imposter syndrome as a naive, young woman. I was confident and I backed myself. I was also too busy to be worried about whether or not I deserved to be there. Strangely imposter syndrome has been something that I have struggled with later in my career, especially in roles that have been high-profile and have attracted gender-based criticism. My method for dealing with this is to read my CV and remind myself of how I have built my career brick by brick, with a number of important achievements along the way. And also to remind myself that critics are not always right and often have an agenda.
How are you staying motivated and inspired right now?
I have always loved the work that I do. My ‘why’ is about equality. And that is enough to motivate and inspire me. My work as a non-executive director on a number of boards is ideal for how I like to work and why I like to work. Every company that I am involved with is trying to solve a problem that makes life better for their people, customers and stakeholders. That is pretty motivating in itself. Every day is different and that appeals to me.
What is one piece of advice you give every mentee?
Treat your career like a business. Remain focused, back yourself and never forget why you are doing what you do.
What’s the most important thing university didn’t teach you?
The importance of developing strong networks. Education and experience isn’t enough if the right people don’t know you.
What can young womxn gain from joining a junior board?
I spent 10 years on not-for-profit and sports boards gaining governance experience before I left my executive career to pursue a board career full-time. Board experience made me a better executive because I gained a better understanding of how my endeavours contributed to the overall success of the organisation.
Which womxn do you look up to?
There are so many, by especially Wendy McCarthy, Ann Sherry and Sam Mostyn. All are women with integrity and a personal commitment to improving the lives of others.
Book / article / podcast recommendation?
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
How do you self care?
Regular mini-breaks to change the scenery.
What has 2020 taught you?
That the need to focus on ‘Why’ has never been more important.
Love this. Marina and Chloe you are amazing! - Olivia