Brisbane Digital Spotlight is a blog series that aims to shine light on the exceptional talent within the city’s digital community. With each post, I uncover a devoted individual within my network who I’ve recognised to be deeply engaged in the digital industry. Whether it be a Digital Marketer, a Developer, a Co-founder, a Project Manager, or even a Recruiter – my goal is to highlight the work these remarkable individuals do; day in, day out.

In this instalment, I caught up with Founder and CEO of Interactive Minds, Louisa Dahl. I’d recently met with Louisa after watching her present at the final Interactive Minds event of the year on Digital Marketer Success. Between hosting countless events, writing a book, and being a mum of 3, Louisa is able to continually stay on the bleeding edge of emerging digital trends and constantly upskill herself as a digital marketer.

Tell me a little about your past work history. What lead you into the digital space, particularly in Brisbane?

I have been working in the digital marketing industry for the last 17 years. After I completed my marketing and international business degree, I started working with a Startup and haven’t looked back! Since then I’ve worked with local and state government, digital agencies and have founded three of my own businesses. My current focus is on Interactive Minds – running events and training for the digital marketing industry.

For those who have never attended an Interactive Minds event, or are looking to attend a future event, what kind of content can they expect to see?

We hold over 20 seminar events in a year as well as a full-day Digital Summit conference and we cover topics that Digital Marketers need to know about in that particular year. These can range from talking about data and AI through to content, mobile and user experience. We also cover strategic approaches and talk about what marketers need to be good at their job.

As a digital marketer yourself, what are some of your favourite topics you’ve seen covered throughout the Interactive Minds events?

Our most recent event was very close to my heart and was on “Digital Marketer Success” and we looked at the elements necessary to have a successful career and how digital marketers are planning and ensuring they do their jobs well.  I also like the topics that cover areas of change and fast development which in the past have involved things like social media and data uses.

You’re constantly hosting events that others love attending, but what’s been your favourite event that you’ve attended and why?

I actually don’t get to enough other events, probably because I was involved in hosting around 30 events in 2017!  I’d love to attend Social Media Marketing World in the US along with SXSW for inspiration!

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You’ve recently published a book ‘The Deliberate Digital Marketer’. What inspired you to write this, and what does the book entail?

After working in the digital industry for so long and constantly identifying high performers when I look for speakers as part of my role, I noticed that some marketers are taking certain steps to stand out and get ahead in their careers. These steps are really simple but are too often forgotten or deferred and yet when you do them intentionally, they can lead to exciting opportunities. So I wrote a book which is largely about the framework I have uncovered and details things I wish I knew earlier on in my career which would have helped me to get ahead.

Who in the digital space inspires you?

I’m inspired by lots of people who I meet every week in the industry! Laura Campbell (at Deloitte in Brisbane) is a super organised, inspiring digital leader. Andy Lark comes to mind as an Australian marketer who has really developed his profile, contributed thought leadership and risen through the ranks.  There are also many international contacts that I’ve made through Interactive Minds who inspire me through their roles and what they have shared (including Noah Kagan of Sumo.com, David Gram, previously at LEGO, Wes Finley from Facebook, Jeremiah Andrick from HTC and more).

You’ve had fantastic success hosting events, speaking as a panellist as others, and now you’ve even written a book. What’s your next major goal in sight?

I want to develop programs to help marketers to be successful in their roles. The events help them to stay up to date and connected and the book provides a framework for success. The other important elements I’m looking at is how we can provide training to further develop skills and how we can connect marketers to their peers for peer-to-peer learning and support.

What do you think the next generation of digital marketers will look like, and what’s one piece of advice you would give to them?

I think the digital marketing industry is increasingly competitive and diverse in terms of skills and experience. My advice to marketers is to not get distracted by shiny objects and to focus on what is delivering results that matter to the business. By all means continue to test and learn, but as a small element of the bigger picture. Marketers need to ensure they incorporate ongoing learning as part of their career and that they are taking actions to stand out from others in the industry.

My book, The Deliberate Digital Marketer further expands on this advice.

What are some of your favourite things to do around sunny Brisbane when not at work?

I have a young family so my non-work activities usually involve things like visiting Southbank or exploring the bike paths!

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About me: 

I’m a twenty-two year old Digital Marketing & Conversions Specialist based in Brisbane, Australia. With a passion for all things digital and tech, I aim to connect and learn from as many like-minded digital enthusiasts as possible. If you have a passion for emerging technologies and digital practices, I’d love to connect and hear your story.