20 Questions with Kaitlin Trew

What was the last book you read? 

The infinite game – Simon Sinek. I had the pleasure of hearing Simon speak at a webinar during covid and purchased his book. I’ve only just gotten around to reading it and it did not disappoint.

What do you enjoy about this industry? 

The people. Everyone is always so supportive, welcoming and happy to share their knowledge. After the last few years of tremendous growth in our industry, I feel as though relationship building has only gotten stronger. I have been lucky enough to meet some of the most incredible people so far. We truly are lucky to work in such a diverse and fast-moving industry.

How do you handle criticism? 

With reflection and action. Criticism can always be hard to hear, however some of my best project executions and ideas have come from criticism. I think its important to always sit in the feedback for a moment, then very quickly use that feedback to help you grow and create better outcomes. Nothing in ecommerce will ever be perfect, however working at improvements each and every day helps get you that step closer.

Is there any advice you’d give your 16-year-old self?

Keep working hard! There will always be good days and bad, but the days you keep pushing are the days that matter. Show up, work hard and good things will happen.

What takes up too much of your time?

Right now, running. I’m training for my first 100km ultramarathon, so that takes up most of my spare time. However, keeping a clean inbox follows a close second. Working across so many brands means a lot of CC’ing. I spend a lot of time siphoning through emails to see what is nice to know and what requires a response.

What did you want to be when you were five years old? 

A marine biologist. I’m sure I heard it on a TV show or my grade prep teacher at school talking about it. I never really did like the ocean though, so go figure?

What was the first live concert you attended? 

A taste of chaos, in 2005, A punk rock concert. Mum was more nervous about me attending than I was.

What is one of your guilty pleasures?

A charcuterie board and a glass of wine with friends. There really is nothing better.

What is one song that you would request a DJ to play at a party?

 It would have to be something from my punk rock era (I don’t think I ever really grew out of it). Anything by The Used or My Chemical Romance.

Do you have a favourite social media platform?

Whilst I hate to admit it, TikTok does get my current vote. It’s a perfect mix of fun, serious and business all in one. The algorithm is aways spot on and has taught me many cooking and space saving hacks. I still feel this is an untapped platform for marketers and I look forward to seeing what the next couple of years holds for paid advertising and influencers in this space.

If you could appear on any TV show as a special guest, what would it be?

Whilst I don’t consider myself a chef, my cooking skills aren’t too bad. I never missed an episode of Ready, Steady, Cook in the early 2000’s, I would have loved to be on set of that TV show.

What’s on the top of your bucket list? 

A safari trip! I think this would be one of the most incredible experiences.

What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

Europe, I was lucky enough to spend 6 weeks there on my honeymoon.

What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?

I have a pretty good ability to make a meal from not much. I love looking in the almost empty cupboard and fridge to mix and match together a bunch of ingredients and sit down to a delicious meal. Although, they aren’t always perfect.

Do you have any secret talents? 

I’m not sure I would call it a talent; however, my young niece had no idea I use to sing in a choir at school. After I watched the newest Aladdin movie with her, I busted out my best Disney princess vocals to a Whole New World and she was very impressed. And everyone knows a 7-year-old girl is hard to impress!

Do you have any pets?

I don’t have any pets, however we have a bunch of furry friends visit our office each week, that definitely helps.

Do you support AFL? – Who is your team? 

As a born and raised country girl who has lived in the city for almost 15 years, I really should have a team. However, I am ashamed to admit I don’t!

How do you typically unwind after a long day? 

At the moment running is helping me unwind, being able to get outside and not think about anything other than one foot in front of the other is a pretty great feeling.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Cher.

 What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

Right now, website re-platforming. We are re-platforming 14 websites in the next 18 months. Almost halfway through the project and it’s amazing to see all the hard work finally pay off. We spent months assessing the tech stack and what works best for our business. I would need more than 40 minutes to boast about how proud I am of our team and our agency partners on pulling together such an incredible project.

You can find Kaitlin at https://www.brandcollective.com.au/

The ecommerce landscape is changing. With a Power Retail Switched On membership, you get access to current e-commerce revenue and forecasting, traffic levels, average conversion rate, payment preferences and more!