Three days of big ideas, bold personalities, and honest conversations – Cairns Crocodiles 2025 delivered all this and more.
I was reminded why we’re so fortunate to work in this industry. Beyond the brilliant presentations, what I loved most about my week wasn’t the presentations (though they were brilliant)—it was the relationships. The old catch-ups picked up right where we left off, and the new connections sparked unexpected camaraderie conversations.
We’re so lucky to work in this industry, despite its challenges. Our business thrives on authentic connections, and last week proved again that no digital interaction can ever replace the energy of face-to-face conversations.
Three days in Cairns delivered a whirlwind of high-impact ideas, hard truths, big personalities, and serious creative firepower. Among the many brilliant sessions, below are my three standouts that will continue to shape my thinking:
Olympic Mindset: Outstanding or Dogshit
One of the most impactful sessions came from Ariarne Titmus, who shared her extraordinary journey from Tasmania to Olympic gold. Her story isn’t one of fate, but of relentless conviction against all odds. She said, “I shouldn’t have been an Olympic champion swimmer, I’m from little old Tassie – this cold and freezing place. It shouldn’t have happened for me.”
What made her story particularly humbling was how her family made an almost unthinkable leap of faith – packing up their entire lives based solely on their belief in her potential. At just 14 years old, this future champion found herself sleeping in a baby bed in a stranger’s house, all because her parents dared to dream as big as she did.
“I look back and realise now more as an adult, how tough it was on my Mum and Dad, the sacrifice they made for me to pursue my dreams,” she shared. “I can wholeheartedly say I wouldn’t be the athlete that I am, and I wouldn’t have had the success without that relocation, and I owe my mom and dad everything.”
What resonated most was her partnership with coach Dean Boxall, who set the tone with a philosophy that shaped every session: that she only had two options—outstanding or dogsh*t—nothing in between.
It’s a mindset that applies perfectly to the curiosity and endless learning that drives this industry forward.
A Leadership Revolution with Sherilyn Shackell
Sherilyn Shackell came out swinging, cutting through the noise with her passionate take on leadership in our industry.
Her critique of outdated leadership models struck a chord. She highlighted how many of us are still operating under archaic principles: work harder, be in the office every day, motivate by fear, reward with money. We are products of our upbringing, and “We cannot continue to shape leaders in the shape of the leaders that led us badly,” she declared. “We need a paradigm shift. We need a new playbook.”
Shackell made the crucial distinction between management and leadership: “Great managers will ensure the people perform the best they can by telling them what they need to do—telling them how to do it, telling the budget… but it’s very much about control. Great leaders inspire people to do those things for themselves, and that’s about freedom.”
Her message that leadership is not a position in the hierarchy but a capability available to everyone was particularly powerful. “It’s a choice, not a job,” she emphasised, outlining the characteristics of real leaders: responsibility, influence, inspiration, collaboration, risk-taking and action.
The UN’s Creative Force: David Ohana
When David Ohana, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the United Nations Foundation, took the stage, we were in for something special. His confession that while he’s presented to CEOs, royalty, and world leaders, “This is the first time I’ve ever delivered a speech in front of my children”,—one of whom he later caught yawning during his presentation!
From record-breaking campaigns that brought Beyonce to tears to creating videos that have transformed parenting approaches globally, Ohana spoke with such verve and simplicity that even the most cynical industry pro took notice.
He shared glimpses of his extraordinary career bringing creatives and the UN together to tackle global challenges – evacuating half of UN headquarters to shoot a music video, convincing Messi to play football blindfolded, having “a very memorable moment with a friendly terrorist organisation” when detained in North Korea, and becoming Ban Ki-moon’s filmmaker simply because he got off on the wrong floor at UN headquarters.
Setting audacious targets is part of his impact strategy, like generating a billion social mentions for the UN’s Thunderclap platform. His story behind #WorldHumanitarianDay was particularly moving, with Beyonce as an early advocate who began tearing up while performing her donated song “I Was Here” upon learning the son of a Baghdad UN office attack victim was in the audience.
What captivated me most was his perspective on the UN as a place of hope – “the only place you’ll see a Ukrainian and a Russian sharing a drink and sharing a meal” – and his belief that storytellers like us can help get things back on track in troubled times.
As he put it, we’re in “arguably one of the craziest and most troubling periods in history,” but that presents “an opportunity to try new things, to take some risks, and find impactful ways to get things back on track.”
He also shared that he applied to get a job with the UN 28 times and was knocked back 27 times. It was only on the 28th attempt that he got his dream job. That’s the type of resilience and bravery we need to draw upon to stay strong and remain aligned with our values in challenging times.
Parting Thoughts
After three jam-packed days blending high-impact ideas with hard truths, big personalities and some serious firepower, I’m reminded that at its heart, this is a people business, and from that, I continue to move forward with these gems of wisdom:
- Have the courage to question what you don’t believe in
- The right people can fuel your rocketship
- Have integrity in everything you do
- Have mutual trust and respect for your people and your clients
- We need to walk in others’ shoes and show real, deep appreciation
- It’s not about what you get, but what you give
- Sometimes the craziest ideas create the most meaningful impact
Because in the end, as Ohana reminded us, storytellers have the power to get things back on track in troubled times. Sherilyn Shackell reminded us that our industry impacts every single human being on this planet. We have the power to change lives and change the world – whether we’re running our own independent business or working within a larger organisation, whether we’re creating campaigns that sell products or stories that shift global perspectives.
That’s the challenge and responsibility we all share. And after this week in Cairns, I’m more inspired than ever to embrace it.
