The Gatherer Vol 11

CONGRATULATIONS from Wrays!

What this taught me is what I call the three C’s - culture that is ready to be innovative and is supportive of failure and try new things. You also need to have a connection or community of trusted networks who can support you through all the hard times. I think that is very important. And then thirdly, of course, the courage to carry through. Rob: So, you’ve mentioned your day job at PwC Al ign, but another exciting project is your very busy side hustle, If Innovation Could Talk. So, tel l us al l about that, and I think importantly, how did it come about? Eva: Well, If Innovation Could Talk is an online community of people who turn ideas into actions. And very important to me is it is a community built on trust. The idea I think came about when I experienced a moment of anxiety when we had the lockdown in Perth. As an optimistic and usually very cheerful, positive person, I was overwhelmed by that feeling. I wasn’t familiar with why I felt like bursting into tears all of a sudden. I think it was all the negative news on TV. And I didn’t know what was going on. I was travelling a lot pre-COVID, and I was worried about my friends and people whom I care about whom I couldn’t see. It then occurred to me that we needed a way to bring everyone together. I wanted to find a way to provide ongoing support, a trusted community. Since most of the people that I have known over the years working overseas and in Australia, most of the people that I know and admire have done amazing things, and they have always been generous in sharing their experiences with me and helping me grow. So, I thought, “Why don’t I take control of the unknown and set up an online community that is based on trust and built on innovation?” So, I turned that anxiety into confidence because I’ve got something to look forward to, I started telling people about what I wanted to do. Then I met my co-founder, Danny Morris. He had come back from the US having worked in Silicon Valley with tech start-up companies, very good with digital marketing. I mentioned my idea and who I was going to interview, and he asked if he could help with marketing.

Rob: It goes back to your point at the start that people l ike innovation, that they want to get involved. Eva: Yes – people want to get involved. You build a community. You go further when you work as a team. So, exactly five weeks from our very first coffee, we launched If Innovation Could Talk. Danny Morris is what I call the engine room of If Innovation Could Talk. Within seven weeks, we posted 21 videos and achieved 12,500 impressions on LinkedIn. Rob: That’s bri l l iant. So, there’s obviously a need and a want for the materials that you’re putting out there. We’re inundated nowadays with emai ls, with video cl ips, through our social media, LinkedIn, Instagram, et cetera, et cetera. If you think yourself how many articles you would actual ly cl ick through and be held long enough to watch unti l the end or read unti l the end, it’s probably not too many. So, the fact that you’ve got so many views and such high engagement is sensational . Eva: We must be doing something right! Rob: What is the vision, Eva? Where do you see this going in the future? Eva: It’s only just beginning, and the reality is we are doing this in our spare time. So, we have to be realistic what the future would look like. For us, every day we have people engaging on the platform is a good day. Whenever someone likes a video, it is great for us because it pushes our message out further. Rob: That’s excel lent. So, how can people become involved? Eva: If you like what you see, please follow and engage with If Innovation Could Talk on LinkedIn. And if you have got any suggestions and ideas, people you like to see interviewed, do let us know. You can find our email address on LinkedIn. So, you can easily get in touch. To listen to the full conversation, please visit: https://www.wrays.com.au/pioneer/if-innovation- could-talk/

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Wrays’ trade marks and brand protection team member, Emma Steeper, as she recently registeded as a Trade Mark Attorney.

Emma has been an integral part of the Sydney office since joining the firm in 2015. She held a range of positions providing secretarial and paralegal support covering all areas of IP before taking the opportunity to join our trade marks practice in 2018. Initially, Emma specialised in providing full administrative support for the Trade Marks team which enabled her to gain a strong understanding of the support required to ensure the smooth management of clients’ Trade Mark portfolios at every stage. Since the completion of her studies, Emma immersed herself in an additional year of intensive practical training under the guidance of Jennifer McEwan and Jessica Murphy before officially registering as a Trade Marks Attorney. Managing large portfolios across the consumer, cosmetic and food and beverage industries, Emma enjoys working with some of Australia’s well known iconic brands, where she is seen as a valuable extension of their team.

Before moving into IP, Emma had a background in psychology. This foundation not only makes her people-focused, but it also feeds her deep understanding of brand messaging. Please join us in congratulating Emma on her great achievement.

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