Olivia Muir
Strategist & Creative Director, Independent Consultant
After leading creative teams in cultural arts, agency, government, and higher education, I started my own consultancy in 2021, working at the intersection of business, brand, marketing and customer experience. I work side by side with business owners, executives, and their teams to deliver strategic projects and brand transformations. Skills aside, I'm passionate about making a positive contribution to my space, my clients, and my community — and about being part of something bigger than me.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
Leaving corporate, the safety of a full-time job and great super to pursue something of my own has been incredibly rewarding, and possibly the biggest stretch in personal and professional development I’ve ever experienced.
The work that I’m doing feels meaningful to me. And I know it’s meaningful to the people and brands I work with – especially the people my clients get to impact.
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background and where you are headed in your career right now?
Right out of high school, I started working in real estate and soaked up as much as I could. Over a decade, I took on almost every role possible in real estate, completed a traineeship and obtained my real estate certificate. This was the foundation I didn’t know I needed. Customer service, administration, contracts, sales, management and lots of marketing and engagement. It was also where one boss (an unofficial mentor) had a significant impact on me, introducing me to mindset, goals, and personal development.
Uni came later for me. I studied Visual Communication Design at QCA in my mid-20s, then completed a Master of Business (Marketing) in my 30s.
I’ve led creative teams in cultural arts, agency, government, and higher education, run local and national campaigns, produced activations, events and programs, rebranded businesses, led customer research projects, and now, in my consulting, I help businesses evolve into their next chapter through strategic branding and customer research.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath, for exceptional customer experiences.
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, for pursuing creative ideas.
- Playing Big by Tara Mohr,f or that inner critic.
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- Offline – Alison Rice
- Diary of a CEO
- What Went Wrong
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Belonging
- Courage
- Creativity
- Kindness
- Authenticity
- Humour
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
I have lots of ‘who’s’. I’m inspired by people all the time, in different ways.
What inspires me the most is seeing someone be wholly themselves. Being the most authentic version of themselves and going after what they want. That is truly inspiring to me. It’s brave, courageous, and requires a lot of self-awareness – unlearning and untangling from learned behaviours and beliefs.
I’ve got quite a few people in my mind when I think of this.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I’ve had some amazing mentors throughout my career – official ones, unofficial ones, and even ones where I became a stealth mentee and just soaked up as much as I could from our interactions.
One mentor had such a profound impact on me that, after our few months together, it not only challenged my purpose (in the best way possible) but also shifted my career trajectory.
I believe mentorship is so important at every stage in a career, and I love that I can take on the role of mentor – it gives me ‘cup full’ feels.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Asks powerful questions
- Open-minded
- Willing to be vulnerable
- Knowledgeable
- Sees potential in others
- Passionate
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!