CB Hot Suit Takes: Simon Stewart, Client Services Director, Rare
CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for senior leaders and senior suits across the WA industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. Next up in the hot seat is Simon Stewart, Client Services Director, Rare.
1. What made you get into advertising?
I started my career client side, with a couple of roles in Perth before doing the usual Perth thing – heading over to London for a couple of years where I continued that career with BSkyB (Sky TV). Following my return to Perth in 2013, I bumped into an old friend at the pub, had a quick chat about what I was looking for and he put me in touch with Cal. From there, I had a couple of meetings with Cal to get a lay of the land in the Perth market, and ultimately he sold me on the idea of a career in advertising and I joined the team a couple of weeks later.
2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?
There’s definitely a few over the years – West Coast Eagles re-brand, original Horizon Power Stay 10m, the recent Black Puppy work and more – but for a few different reasons, the first campaign we did for WAPHA on depression and suicide prevention (Depression looks different for everybody) stands out for a few different reasons. It was our first major project for that client and the trust we had to build with them so they had the confidence in us, the idea and approach was immense. Furthermore, engaging with real people with real lived experience and getting them to share their stories was so incredibly powerful and the team of artists we worked with to bring those stories to life were so brilliant and empathetic.
3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?
Geez – how long we got? Change is a constant in our industry and there are so many external factors that impact what we do on a daily basis, that it feels like every day there’s a new challenge. For me, the biggest focus right now is finding the right balance of work for the agency: balancing financial viability, work that aligns with who we are, and work that excites the team. Can’t say yes to everything.
4. Was there a moment, a course, an experience, a mentor or advice that really kick-started your career?
It sounds simple now, but before joining the Rare team I really didn’t have a full understanding of the role of an agency, and how critical they are in the whole process. It wasn’t until I joined, that I got to see the inner workings and see the immense amount of work, care, graft and craft that goes into it. Once I was part of that environment, I knew I had found my place and have never looked back.
5. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned – professionally or personally?
Maybe not the most recent, but certainly the most profound is ‘control the controllables’. So much of what we do (professionally and personally) is out of our control, and to constantly stress and worry about things that are out of your control consumes you and takes your focus away from where it’s needed. Staying laser focused on what I can change and impact has really shaped how I operate professionally, and it’s helping me be a better father, husband and friend as well.
6. What song best sums up your career so far?
Never had so much fun – Frenzal Rhomb. Bit cheesy, but I do genuinely love my job.
Read previous Hot Suit Takes below:
Jo Bulline – Trilogy
Brendon Lewis – The Brand Agency
Georgie Frampton – KWP+Partners
Nicole Lennox Gray – Wildlings Creative Agency
Hannah Muirhead – Chapter
Silvana Visinoni – Workhouse Advertising
Nat Green – Block
Kelsey Fraser – VML
Kate Kenyon – Berlin
Nita Davey – Trilogy
Magda Wood – Gatecrasher Advertising
Amber Martin – Hypnosis Creative Agency