By Caroline Hugall, chief strategy officer at Spark Foundry
In 2022, off the back of nearly two decades in global marketing roles client-side and agency side, I took a breather and went to work in the family metal foundry. I’d worked at some of the top agencies in London, started a family in the West Village of New York, worked at Australia’s largest insurer, and suddenly I was donning my steel cap boots and heading through the M4 to Smithfield every morning.
For context, my grandfather invested in a precision casting foundry in the late 1960s and by the 80s it was in need of revival. Following a strong cash injection and some new German equipment, Hycast Metals was taken on by my father, with a Masters in Applied Science and a passion for making stuff. Like so many Baby Boomers with small businesses today, my father needed clarity on a succession plan. By 2022, the foundry was the last of its kind left in NSW. So, with a passion for sovereign capability, I went to ‘hang out’ with Dad.
But it was more than that… For me, this tiny foundry in Western Sydney became an unlikely sanctuary from the corporate world. The fast-paced-quick-sale-always-be-closing-PowerPoint-deck-building world was replaced with more functional and practical needs like, ‘How much longer will the air compressor last?’ ‘Can we get solar panels on our roof?’ And, ‘How can we recycle the ceramic in the production process?’ I spent time on the shop floor, documented the processes and got my hands dirty.
I replaced marketing folk for tradesfolk – hands-on makers, and crafters. At the beginning of the financial year, I sat down with the 30-odd foundry staff one-to-one to discuss the business over the next year, only to be moved (almost to tears) with stories of my father and what he had provided for them and their families.
One had named his son John (after my dad) and another had been sober for 4 years, claiming my dad’s influence had saved his life. With an average staff tenure of 15+ years, I was overwhelmed with pride at the family my father had built around his business. What better way to demonstrate that, as leaders, how we make people feel is equally as important as our policies and benefits.
When I stepped foot into the foundry in early 2022, I was exhausted from many years of relentless work. Stepping away from the rat-race expanded my perspective in ways I couldn’t imagine. Engaging with the staff, of which 75% speak English as a second language, cultivated an empathy and cultural sensitivity in me. Since returning agency-side, this has given me a much richer understanding of the diverse people our clients need to connect with.
Working at the metal foundry also challenged my preconceived notions of being a business owner and gave me a broader perspective of their concerns and interests. As agency folk, we need to think about our client’s businesses as though we’re spending our own money and, as clients, we need to approach our businesses as though we are the owners. For this, there’s no better training ground than running a small business.
Embracing the unknown fosters personal growth because it pushes us outside of our comfort zone and challenges our conventional thinking patterns. Navigating new or unfamiliar situations builds resilience and adaptability – crucial for thriving in dynamic teams and environments. It instils confidence in the ability to overcome obstacles and uncertainty. The metal foundry taught me flexibility and fostered in me a willingness to embrace change, essential qualities for success in an ever-evolving (and at times scary) world. Decision-making and problem-solving look very different when you’re pouring stainless steel at 1,600 degrees every 45 minutes.
Since leaving the foundry, I have stepped back into a role within the media industry as Chief Strategy Officer of Spark Foundry (a foundry of a different kind!). As it turns out, I missed brands too much and the opportunity to influence behaviour change at scale in an agency that was prospering while nurturing and developing its people proved too enticing. Thankfully, my sister also felt compelled to run the family business more permanently. But I think of my experience often and try to apply my first-hand knowledge to brand challenges big and small, as well as the way I operate with our people.
While I’m not working at the metal foundry anymore, I find myself still relishing in experiences that get me out of the everyday. Recently, I have spent time in Singapore judging Spikes Asia, which reaffirmed the significance of diversity and local nuance in shaping global perspectives. It underscored the importance of humility and open-mindedness in appreciating the richness of different cultures and markets, just as the foundry staff had showed me.
When I first arrived at Smithfield to work in the family business, I thought I just needed a hiatus from the daily grind. What followed was a truly eye-opening experience that drove a clarity of purpose. It helped me to reassess my priorities, goals, and aspirations, leading to a deeper sense of fulfillment and an alignment with what I want to be doing every day.