How I Got Here: The Founder and Director of Emma Gott Creative on why having a great attitude will get you far
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN CULLEN
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“Be a joy to be around and approach tasks with a smile. Even the less sexy ones – go out of your way to make other people’s jobs easier.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.
This week we speak with Emma Gott, the Founder and Director of Emma Gott Creative. Growing up in Hobart, Emma always knew she wanted to work in fashion but the path into the industry never seemed clear. After moving to Melbourne to study professional communication, chance encounters with Edwina McCann and Kym Ellery led to internships with each of them in Sydney. Realising the industry connections and jobs she wanted were in Sydney, she made the move and landed a job in PR at EVH.
After five years, she set out on her own and launched Emma Gott Creative, a boutique creative agency that specialises in PR, VIP services and special projects and events. While experience is important, for Emma, having a great, can-do attitude is a must, and it’s what she believes has helped her get to where she is today. Here’s what she’s learnt along the way.
What do you do and what’s your official job title?
I am the Founder and Director at Emma Gott Creative, a fashion and lifestyle creative and communication practice based in Sydney.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start out with an internship/entry-level role and climb the ladder? Tell us the story.
At my school in Hobart, the career paths set out to us were doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse. I was very fortunate that my mum took me to Melbourne to attend the RMIT open day to see what other options might be out there. During this trip, we went into Scanlan Theodore and got chatting with an extremely chic sales assistant with very shiny, long hair who was studying professional communication at RMIT. They only took 80 submissions per year so it was hard to get into.
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After meeting her I was sold – that was the course I would apply for. I didn’t even really understand what career path the degree would provide but if it meant getting out of Hobart and being chic with good hair I was there (I think I was also attracted to the fact that it wasn’t easy to get into, I’ve always liked an almost unrealistic challenge). After studying for three years I finished my degree with absolutely no idea what next or even what jobs I qualified for. I naively thought at the end of university they handed you a little job on a plate and off you went into the world to be a grown-up. All I knew was that I wanted to work in the fashion industry but I wasn’t sure what exactly.
To make a long story short, I met Edwina McCann – who was the Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar at the time – at an event and she very kindly gave me her business card and said to email her if I ever wanted to come to Sydney and intern at the magazine. Following that I met Kym Ellery from Ellery at another event who also gave me the opportunity to come up to Sydney and intern at her fashion week show. I did two trips to Sydney interning and very quickly realised that Sydney was where I needed to be if I wanted to work in fashion. After that an opportunity to move to Sydney popped up to work in retail and within two weeks I had made the move.
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I knew if I got myself to Sydney, the rest would work itself out. I was very fortunate to meet Robyn Catinella, who is still a dear friend and mentor, in the early weeks of living there and I was offered a job three days a week at EVH (the leading PR agency in Sydney). To begin I worked three days as her assistant and four days in my retail job just to be able to afford my expensive new Sydney rent. Eventually, I was offered a full-time job in wholesale and then moved into PR. After five years working for EVH, I started my own business which is now in its sixth year.
What challenges/hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now? Can you tell us about one in particular?
COVID was a scary time to have just launched a business however everyone was going through the same thing together so that made it slightly easier. Running a business every day you are faced with different hurdles but the biggest challenge I face at the moment is finding good staff.
What do you want people to know about your industry/your role?
The Australian fashion industry is full of the most wonderful, supportive humans – I don’t think you would make it very far these days without being nice or with a bad attitude. I have been so lucky to have made so many lifelong friends from the industry. Some of my best friends have very successful businesses in similar fields and they are the first to give business advice or a contact when you need it. There is no gatekeeping or sense of competitiveness between us – everyone is always happy to help the other out.
What’s the best part about your role?
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I love that I get the opportunity to work dynamically with my clients. I am in constant direct contact with each and every one of our clients and we work together closely. I like to think of myself as an extension of their team which means I get to be a part of several different teams that all have varied needs and creative ideas – I find it keeps me constantly inspired (and on my toes).
No day is the same which suits my personality perfectly. I am lucky to work and support across many different facets of a client’s business. I really love working across a creative concept from inception and then seeing it come full circle whether that be a shoot, an event or a launch.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
I am very grateful for learning how to do budgets and a broad scope of work quite early on in my career. The much less sexy side of running a business is what allows the business to function.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
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Experience is everything! Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Put yourself out there even if it makes you nervous or uncomfortable. But even before experience is a great attitude. I am a firm believer that a really good attitude can get you very far in the industry; actually, just in life in general. Be a joy to be around and approach tasks with a smile. Even the less sexy ones – go out of your way to make other people’s jobs easier. I promise you will not be forgotten quickly.
What about a practical tip?
Learn about tax before setting a business up. I wish tax was something that was taught at school! Make sure you seek good advice before you start and get a great accountant on board from the get-go which will help set solid foundations for the future.
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