Dyson & Womack’s Post

Crossed the 30-day marker of my new position with Inspire Brands this week. Some thoughts and takeaways - -- The saying “Walking a mile in someone’s shoes” is hitting differently right now. I’ve partnered with lots of internal recruiters over the years and thought I had an idea of what it must be like for them, however experiencing it firsthand my perspective has changed and my respect has deepened. -- Starting a new job is a big life moment, and it’s important to BE IN THE MOMENT for it. This is something I will keep having to remind myself. (Like sticky note on the monitor type constant reminder!) --It’s important to start good organization and documentation habits early on. Yes, OneNote is my BFF right now.  --I'm learning folks know our Brands, but they may not know of Inspire Brands (yet). Especially in the engineering community here in Atlanta. And with the tremendous opportunity ahead of us on that front to continue building out applications that touch such a large % of the world's population, I’m excited to help spread the word. 🙂 --It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Set small goals for yourself, and chip away at them. Excited for the next 30 days and to keep building! 

📣 Creative Careers is BACK 📣 - Next Cohort starts 5.12.24 ⭐ Our Creative Career Preparation Programme is a fantastic fit for someone with a creative spark considering a career in the creative industry, from actors, to artists, to photographers, to social media stars, to teachers, to film makers, game designers, dancers, singers and so much more. ⭐ What is happening and when? This program is happening every week Thursday 1-4pm for 12 week – plus there are extra opportunities for volunteering, gaining a qualification and industry work experience. Over 12 weeks, people can soak up knowledge in group workshops, connect with fellow creatives, and build a supportive network. Plus, there are one-on-one sessions tailored just for the person – a personal guide to navigate a unique creative journey. ⭐ Who is this for? The course is open to anyone aged 16 and above who is enthusiastic about exploring a career in the creative industry. We welcome individuals who may be on universal credit, personal independence payment, economically inactive or socially excluded, particularly those facing challenges accessing suitable support elsewhere in Sheffield. This course is designed to support and empower you. Our goal is to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where participants can engage in meaningful conversations about their aspirations, gain valuable training, and explore opportunities within the creative sector. 📅 Our next course is starting on the 5th of December 2024 and is completely free. ❓ If you have any questions, require any further information or to book your spot, email Dani at danielle@amindapart.org.uk. #CreativeCareers #PreparingForACreativeCareerProgramme #NewCourse #FreeCourse

Yesterday I was invited back to my old workplace East London Arts and Music to give a talk for #mentalhealthawarenessweek to the trainees. Having spent years working with young creatives and supporting them throughout their careers, I wanted to share with them some tips to prepare them for the journey ahead. Here’s the very top line version of what we chatted about. Don’t make your art your entire personality - For so many creatives we can base our worthiness in our art or our talent. What happens when it isn’t received in the way you imagined? Or something happens to us that temporarily stops us from creating? There is more to you than your talent. Remember that Develop a hobby, that’s not connected to what you do you - Following on from the last point, you should have hobbies that are not centred around your productivity as an artist. Resilience - Expect Change always. Develop a growth mindset (this didn’t go the way I imagined. What can I learn from this? What does it mean? What doesn’t it mean? Movement (however you wanna engage in it, move your body!) - Creative people are overflowing with energy that needs to be continuously flowing. When things are not going the way you would like, the worst thing you can do it is to stop moving. Whilst you regenerate and find your creativity again, get outside go for walks, stretch, run. Always move your body. Seek Community - friends, family, join a group (reading, running, crotchet, baking, walking) we are seeing a resurgence of communities popping up all around London to help combat the loneliness epidemic than we’re facing, post pandemic. Find one that resonates with you and join. Imposter syndrome/ get out of comparison - Some of the most talented people, and the most brilliant minds, stop themselves from sharing their talent with the world, because they’re comparing themselves to others. There is a whole world out there of people who want to hear what you have to say, and you’re kinda being selfish by not sharing it with them imo. 🤷🏾♀️ Shout out to ex trainee Ellie Carney (and now staff member) for inviting me down. 💐

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲-𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 The once a week video series, by me. Yes, I did just make all that up ^ But, we're rolling with it. 😈 Today, we're talking about: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. By understanding this principle: the mere exposure effect. ➡️ Easy: people like things they're more familiar with. ⬅️ Soooo when we're talking male-dominated industries... Females have 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 been the minority, by far. Based on the mere exposure effect.. It's going to take longer + you're going to have to show up more than a guy would to build the same authority. But 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 or we quit. Those are kiiiiinda the only options we have. 🤷 So don't do what I did for my first month working in a paper mill... don't hide in your office. ✅ Keep showing up. ✅ Keep building relationships. ✅ Keep getting them familiar with you. & listen, those cold shoulders? 🖤 Hard not to take them personally. 🖤 Hard not to feel uncomfortable as all hell. 🖤 Hard not to think there's something wrong with you. But there's nothing wrong with you :) This system wasn't designed for you. That's what I'm here for - to give you strategies to succeed anyway. #femaleengineers #manufacturing #mereexposure If you found this helpful, you'll love my 12-week program. Message me to get the info!

The State of Recruiting Recent Beauty School Graduates https://lnkd.in/e_cwVs83 Join Penny Burns, Anthony Civitano, and a special guest, Bruce & Theresa McGaha and Coral Pleas, for an insightful webinar tailored for beauty school owners and administrators. The webinar will focus on "The State of Recruiting Recent Beauty School Graduates." This session will address top salons' pressing challenges in attracting and hiring upcoming and recent beauty school graduates. With an ever-evolving industry landscape, it has become increasingly difficult for salons to connect with new talent ready to embark on their professional journey.

Getting into the creative industries is no mean feat. It's tough and, without knowing the right people, or even what roles are available out there, it's even tougher. So to anyone who doesn't know anyone, or who didn't take the 'traditional' path through design school into this world, for anyone like me who has pivoted from one career path to another many times in search of the right fit, and who isn't necessarily right 'on paper', D&AD Shift is a great opportunity to get a foot in the door. No age limits, and no degree necessary – just a great attitude and a creative mindset. You'll get to learn from some of the best in the industry (including a few of us from R/GA Australia), collaborate with like minds and get your creative brain firing. Take my advice - if you like the sound of this and think it sounds interesting, JUST APPLY. Don't overthink it. Don't tie yourself in knots. Don't doubt yourself. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Deadline for Syd/Melb applications is 15 April so get applying. #ShiftSydney https://lnkd.in/g3W3NN2D

𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐖𝐒: 𝐌𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛 🎨 During my internship at Amazon Web Services (AWS) two years ago, I picked up a few unique habits thanks to my environment—grabbing free bananas outside the Spheres before 3pm, office-hopping around our Seattle campus, and attending art workshops at the 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛. Located inside 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐫, the 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐛 is our in-house art studio, fully equipped with an extensive array of art supplies. For someone like me, who once used rice as glue for scrapbooking, it's a dream come true. They offer drop-in activities, art workshops, and open studio sessions every week. Here's a photo of my old workspace, adorned with artworks from my favorite sessions at the studio. Even now, I still try to visit the studio at least once a month. It's become part of my personal brand. “Amelia, I hope you have time to finish what you envision today,” Daniel from the admin team often says when he checks me into a workshop. Art workshops are meant to be a relaxing break from work, but I often find myself in a MasterChef-like race against the clock when they announce 10 minutes left, 5 minutes left, then "Time’s up!" If you're a coworker, you've probably heard me promoting our art studio at least once—I don't gatekeep information 🤐. This passion has become a key part of my work identity, and it’s taught me that even though art might seem unrelated to my technical role, it’s a testament to: • My commitment to making the most out of every experience • My curiosity beyond my immediate role • My ability to be my authentic self at work • The value of soft skills and seemingly unrelated experiences in a technical workspace! (I organize team activities and share fun events around our campus with my friends 🙂↕️) This is the end of my first LinkedIn post, and I plan to post more often as I get into the habit of writing ☕️. Thanks for reading!

Wow. I never expected my last post to blow up, but I grateful that it did. Before I dive into why that is, let me provide some context. For the last ten years, I've spent the majority of my time building community and connection within the Austin circus community. By day, I was teaching the youth of America before transitioning to teach the corporate adults of America, but by night, I was learning (and teaching people) how to fly in the air "like those cirque people in Vegas". 😆 A phrase I often heard when I'd tell people I practice aerials or circus arts. I still practice aerials today (though I'm no longer teaching), but in 2025, I set a goal for myself to take back a lot of the time I used to dedicate to that community, and instead I want to invest in building my professional learning community. So to tie back to the gratitude of my last post blowing up, so many of you sent me connection requests and started following me as a result of finding value in what I had to say. Thank you to each of you who connected and helping me drive towards my goal of expanding my reach and community. Especially with things happening in other social platforms right now, I'm so appreciative for the positive and supportive space LinkedIn continues to be. I'm going to lean into it more this year and move away from other ones. But digital connection only goes so far. So, for accountability, I also want to gauge interest in organizing meetups for women local to the Austin area that are engaged and invested in learning and talent development. I've seen #womenintech cohorts in other cities, but haven't seen anything here in the Austin area. If you're local to Austin and would find value in something like this for us to meet and learn from each other, drop a comment and let me see if it's worth the time and effort. Or if you know of something like this already in existence, let me know. Austin friends, hope you're staying warm today, and let a girl know if I should organize something. Enjoy this photo of our snow explorations while you ponder. #instructionaldesign #learninganddevelopment #talentdevelopment #austin #atx #womeninlearning

it’s my favorite time of the year: GRAD SZN! so here’s my unconventional advice for new grads: 🎓 if you’re into designer fashion, find one designer you REALLY love and make that your go-to for main designer pieces. for example, i only wear sandals and heels, so all my everyday sandals and heels are from TORY BURCH 🎓 put yourself on a reward or incentive system for luxury items and financial splurges. for instance, each semester and term i complete in grad school, i treat myself to something nice. i’ve created a Notion document to add my wishlist items, and at the end of every semester, i get one thing from my wishlist. 🎓 invest in your social life and in cultivating community. 🎓 understand that career mobility isn’t linear and networking is the quickest way to get what you want. 🎓 when asking for help, be direct and clear about what you need. leave little to no room for misconceptions. 🎓 you’re going to fail, so fail fast. 🎓 learn not to internalize things, especially career-related issues. i promise you, they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. 🎓 use social media in moderation. 🎓 invest in your personal style. 🎓put your money in a high yield savings account.

DixonBaxi Journeys. A 200-page book mapping the creative journey for every role in our studio—from intern to creative director, strategist to head of production. It’s packed with insights, tips, and cheat codes that reflect our ethos and approach, with specific nuance for each role. Originally crafted for the DB team and new starters, we’re exploring an open-source version as we step into 2025. We believe it’s a resource that anyone curious about or working in the creative industry will find invaluable.