The "new way" is here

I was blessed to recently experience possibly the sweetest night of my 25+ year marketing career. And that the big explosion of joy was around what I believe it signals for others (including you!).

Being awarded Life Member of the Australian Marketing Institute is the most prestigious honour that the AMI awards for outstanding service, achievement and leadership in the marketing industry.

And of course, the ability to do marketing and leadership well, so as to receive recognition like this,  is a pretty big superpower in this day and age.

The shy me a few years ago would have played that down.

Me today can stand before you and proudly own it. 

But it hasn't been that way for too long.

And so for those here in my email community, I want to go a bit deeper than I did on social to explain why this meant so much, in the hope that as I do, there could be bits you may relate to.

This chapter started a few years ago I even decided to completely walk away from the marketing agency I’d built and run for 20 years, because I wasn’t enjoying the experience anymore.

Between us, I also believed that the traditional agency model that we've had over the last few decades was heading towards it’s “best before date”, to be honest.

It was interesting timing, because it was the year that this agency won “Best Marketing Agency” at the same Marketing Excellence awards -  a weird time to decide not to do it anymore.

So I decided to “opt-out” of a legacy system that wasn’t serving me.

But with that choice came a big realisation.

I could no longer hide behind the agency brand, the logo, and the polished and professional veneer that it represented.

That was confronting at first.

I felt a lot more exposed and vulnerable.

And looking back, I was caught up in how my industry colleagues and peers would regard me – would I measure up?

I found myself often second guessing the way I wrote, showed up on social, at events, in meetings, how I presented, how professional I was, was I being "too personal"?.......and of course, always feeling the need to demonstrate my technical expertise.

And honestly, that was just so exhausting.

But because I truly love what I do professionally, my personal mission became to “create a new way” where there was traditionally “no way”.

Not an easy path as a parent of five young children, who is also a full-time parent, but one I was committed to.

And that meant removing those expectations, about what I thought people "wanted to see" and making things easier by just being "fully me" everywhere where I interacted, and showed up. 

If those choices were going to affect how I was perceived in my industry, then so be it.

Turns out, in the last few years it no longer mattered to me whether I received recognition or how I was regarded by my peers and industry heroes.

The impact being created was reward enough. 

And this year especially, I have taken things to another level – with my programs, my work, my service and commitment to the people I work with.

I went all in on my “Marketing Me” program, am writing the book, and regularly speak on this topic.

Because marketing your brand in 2023 won’t be just about getting your message & products in front of more people.

It will about connecting with your audience in a deeper more emotional way and to do that it’s necessary to make people “feel something” with your marketing.

And my standout talent is in helping business leaders and experts do exactly this - as well as unlock and master the future of marketing as it’s just unfolding.

With each session I always bring new content, fresh insights and different ways of applying it.

Because at my core, I believe It's time to do marketing in a more human way, that feels good to you, and to your audience. So you can feel confident, clear and energised in your marketing.



So appreciative of the recognition.

And overwhelmed with joy that it came on my own terms.

And so what I equally love is what it signals to others.

That we don’t have to follow a linear path.

We don’t have to dull down our uniqueness to “fit in”.

 Just because that’s the way people before us did it.

Or the way others are doing it now.

There’s room for you to create your own path, and express your personality, without having to wonder if you are “too much”, even as a professional.

And with the right strategic approach, it’s your most powerful asset.

The world is changing. Society is changing.

And how we market ourselves is changing as well.

And so I dedicate this award to everyone who desires to forge their own path.

Let’s DO this together.

And there's never been a better time than this!


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina Christian is a Marketing Futurist & Global Marketing Mentor who helps people do their marketing in a more human way. 

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and for 20 years was director of Braveda (Winner, Best Marketing Agency, Australian Marketing Excellence Awards).

Several years ago Nina saw the world of marketing shifting – this time as people became their own brands.  With this, she created a new business as a thought leader, combining her expertise in brand building with personal positioning, resulting in a breakthrough praxis known as Marketing Me™.

She has a knack for simplifying the complex which comes from being a hands-on mum to five children, and uses this to turn time-sucking activities into easy-to-follow systems and processes that make a lot of sense and get outcomes fast.

There are different ways to work with Nina based on your situation and organisation size - with all of them you'll see rapid transformation and tangible outcomes fast. Book a chat with Nina here.