Important business and life lessons from Vogue Codes Summit Melbourne 2019

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5th Jun 2019

The second Vogue Codes Summit in Melbourne brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, influencers and game-changing women and men turning their industries upside down and agitating for transformation across industries like beauty, food, banking and fashion.

The biggest takeaways from the day also double as solid pieces of career advice, lessons to take with you into the boardroom, a coffee meeting with a mentor, a job interview and day-to-day life. Here, Vogue rounds up thoughtful lessons to memorise immediately.

“Women in tech shouldn’t be science fiction,” said Anastasia Cammaroto, chief information officer, consumer bank at Westpac, adding, that to be a “STEM-confident and STEM-capable nation” we must all take up the mantle. 

“It takes all of us, parents, teachers, co-workers to ensure we’re supporting each other,” Cammaroto finished, noting that getting women of all ages into the tech industry is everybody’s job.

“Business has been dominated by the masculine,” Shama Sukul Lee of Sunfed told the audience in her keynote address, imploring us to move towards more soft, more feminine language and codes of conduct in business.

“The language is oppressive. The focus is on short-term profits at all cost…It’s an easy trap, the game is rigged,” Sukul Lee noted of the ‘rules’ adding it’s men who “have set the rules” but that these business guidelines are now archaic and no longer work for the greater good. 

“We wanted to be able to control our day,” Ava Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette revealed of her desire to start and run a business of her own. “It’s about making it work for you….we really believe in balance,” Matthews continued, advising the audience of the benefits of building something from scratch on your own terms.

“Find people who are willing to help you,” Matthews said of building a start-up, acknowledging it’s okay to know where your weaknesses lie and find people to assist. “There is a lot of sacrifice but learn where you strengths and weaknesses are and outsource your weaknesses!” Matthews finished.

Kate Gildea, corporate digital and social media marketing lead, The Estée Lauder Companies, revealed her best piece of advice for influencers looking to grow their business and reach organically is to be true to yourself and what inspires you:

“Feature what you love and that will be most influential to your audience… We want to invest in people who invest in us as well.”

“You can’t necessarily see around corners,” Lucy Lloyd of Mentorloop said of the benefit of finding yourself a mentor. This is particularly important when a career change or pivot is on the horizon and having a contact, or mentor, who has done it all before and knows what may be in your future work-wise, can be a great resource to dip into.

“Connecting with your peers can be really valuable,” Lloyd recommended to the audience when asked how to find the best support or advice. “Those [who are] streets ahead of you may not remember or recall the effort that went into” building their dream but those just a little way ahead of you, or those going through the same issues will know exactly how to help.  

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“Mentoring is holding up a mirror to your experience,” Lloyd said of becoming or seeking out a mentor-mentee relationship. “When you give advice you’re more likely to listen to it.”

“Hire slow, fire fast!” Valeria Ignatieva, co-founder and co-CEO Work180 said. Advising the audience to put in energy and framework around hiring processes to ensure the best people, with the right skills are around you. 

“Instagram won’t save you,” Karen Walker declared of social media, adding, you must have a story to tell rather than just fill social platforms with empty content.“You have to have the story…They’re just the conduit, what matters is the story,” Walker continued of social media, observing that social media, and Instagram especially, has allowed the digital landscape to grow in wonderful ways permitting us to create anywhere at any time.

“In the digital landscape it doesn’t matter where you’re creating but what you’re creating,” Walker said during her keynote, pleading with the audience to remember that social media can be a great resource but cannot be your only focus.

“I think of Instagram of somebody else’s front yard and I don’t want to build my house on somebody else’s front yard,” Walker concluded.

“You should never take a role where you know how to do everything in the job description,” Becky Dawson, head of business development, LinkedIn Australia/New Zealand, told the crowd, telling them to take a chance on themselves and take up challenges (read: jobs) that test you.