Alicent Wong
Account Director, Excite Media
I'm Alicent (Ali), a seasoned Marketing Specialist with over 20+ years of experience spanning over two decades and continents. I've had the privilege of shaping successful marketing strategies for some of the world's most beloved brands such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, American Express, and DHL to name a few in Singapore, ANZ and APAC.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
In terms of my marketing career, it has always been the creative in me that inspired me to do what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years of my career. I love writing, writing and design so advertising and marketing appeal to all of those facets. Even though I ended up in Client Services rather than Creative Services, I still get to use those creative brain juices coming up with strategies and ideas for my clients, and applying out-of-the-box thinking to projects.
I also secretly love the adrenaline rush of the fast-paced and ever-changing industry. It means that I’m always learning and it keeps my job exciting. I get bored easily so it suits me to a tee! My husband will be the first one to tell you that I can never sit still.
What was your journey and where are you headed in your career right now?
I’ve been in marketing since graduating from University with a Bachelor in Mass Communications and Advertising in 2002. I was very lucky to have landed my first job with Dentsu, Young and Rubicam working on the Ericsson APAC account just months after graduation. I then was asked by the same boss who hired me into my first job to join her team at Ogilvy & Mather a few years later. It was the most sought after advertising agency at that time so I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work there. During my time at Ogilvy, I worked with clients such as Levis, American Express, DHL and Nestle so it was pretty cool to have all of those brands under my belt as such an early stage of my career. It was via Ogilvy and Mather that I pushed for a transfer to work for Singleton, Ogilvy and Mather in Sydney managing the IBM account.
Fast forward to the year 2013 when my eldest daughter was born. Then, I was working for a digital agency in Sydney, managing 13 brands under the Johnson and Johnson’s umbrella and Apple. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out the way I had planned after returning to work part time after maternity leave and there were several unpleasant incidences with my manager and MD. But by then, my husband and I had already signed up to start an agency with an ex-colleague of mine 2 years prior.
I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur so that immediately piqued my interest. There were many sleepless nights working on the business whilst I was breastfeeding in the middle of the night, and with my baby in my carrier. It was after pitching for and landing a prestigious sneaker brand for our little start-up agency meant that I was able to leave my job and join the business full time. One of the proudest days of my life as I handed in my resignation letter telling my boss that I was going to work at my own agency.
I always say that I’ve reached the peak of my career in ‘agency-land’ after having built and sold an incredibly successful digital agency that was working with brands like ING Direct, Pizza Hut, KFC, Pepsico amongst other great brands.
So now that I’m back working as an Account Director with an agency in Brisbane since relocating here at the end of 2019, I’m very much focused on mentoring and coaching younger team members, particularly female team members on stepping back into their power, holding space and building their confidence with clients and in an industry that is still very much male-dominated.
I’m launching my business and career coaching business in April 2024 focusing on working with WoC Founders and professional women in any stage of their marketing careers excel so that they can build thriving businesses and careers.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- 4,000 weeks by Oliver Burkeman
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- Mindvalley with Vishen Lakhani
- Mind Your Business podcast with James Wedmore
- The Marie Forleo Podcast
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Authenticity
- Integrity
- Spirituality
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
Much as it sounds cliche, my daughters are my biggest inspiration. I always believe that much as we’re here to guide our children through life, we too, have so much to learn from them.
I often look at my children with so much awe; the endless curiosity, the ‘no-fear’ attitude, the willingness to try new things (well, maybe not so much when it comes to spicy food!), the ability to say that they’ll do something and then actually do it, that sponge of a brain that soaks up virtually every piece of information, and most importantly, the unconditional love that I receive from them daily.
Sadly, we lose so much of this connection to our personal power as we grow up and turn into ‘responsible adults’. One would think that the reverse happens but as we become older, we become none the wiser.
My children are a constant reminder of the great things that I’m capable of once I put away all of my made-up perception of self and keep my adult reptilian brain in check. They remind me that I too, was once a child and if I was once armed with all of these great tools, all I need to do is to climb back onto that bike and start peddling again. It may be a little wobbly at first, but I’ll soon be riding as far as my legs can carry me!
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
Nothing gives me more gratification than knowing that I’ve inspired and touched another person’s life! I believe we’re all here to learn from one another, and it’s our responsibility to use what we’ve learned from our personal experiences to help others.
I know that when I was struggling in the early days of my career, it was previous mentors who were there to be my role models, to show me what is possible and to spur me on.
I like to know that I’ve helped someone else fast track their learning, something that perhaps has taken me 10 years to learn shouldn’t take someone else the same number of years if I did my part to share the tips and tricks that I’ve learned and applied for my career success.
What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Asking powerful questions
- Confident
- Empathic
- Intuitive
- Respectful
Ready to be a part of Assisterhood as a Mentee?
We are now up and running in QLD, VIC & NSW – and we’re only just getting started! Let’s shoot for the stars – together!