LEE HARRIS NICOL

DESIGNER AND COPYWRITER

Lee believes in the powerful duet that design and nuanced messaging can play in societal and consumer behaviour. During his 22-year career in design, he has received multiple design awards for projects in corporate and consumer branding. Lecturing in graphic design, and a playful obsession with words led him to specialise in writing for brands. Through creative strategy, a dash of behavioural science, and the occasional joke he strives to help brands be the best beings they can be.

• Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership and currently studying for my PhD in creativity and innovation
• Author of 3 published books
• Trainer and facilitator of creative problem solving for innovation
• Innovation strategist
• Keynote speaker
• Clients: Microsoft, Absolut Vodka, Seven West Media, Telstra muru-D and a range of NGOs across Europe

I AM PAULINA LAROCCA CREATIVE CATALYST, FOUNDER OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION CONSULTING AGENCY.

My speciality is unleashing the creative powers within us all and harnessing it for innovation. I have a Master of Science in Creativity and Change from Buffalo State University, which I use to help transform organisations of every size to be more dynamic and innovative. I am the catalyst that can ignite creativity in your organisation to create innovation that improves the experience for your customers, consumers and employees. Whether you’re a creative agency, a corporate or an individual, you will benefit exponentially from enhancing your creativity. It is vital to fully realising the potential within us all.

I AM A UNIVERSITY DROPOUT WITH TWO POSTGRADUATE DEGREES, INCLUDING A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING – GO FIGURE – I’LL SAVE THE REST FOR WHEN WE CATCH UP OVER A COFFEE.

My incomplete undergraduate degree was at Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York City, because, sadly, while I love design, I suck at it. So, at the end of my third year, I dropped out and became a backpacker making money on the side doing things like teaching English in Japan. I wasn’t very good at that either, so it wasn’t that big of a risk to throw it all in and follow a boyfriend to his home town in Perth, Western Australia. Well, we didn’t last too long in Perth, but ended up managing to turn a fling into a marriage. We then moved to Sydney adding a beloved rescue kitty, Thomas, somewhere along the way.

Before establishing my own business, I spent 15 years doing innovation for global beverage companies like Diageo and Pernod Ricard. It’s the closest you can get to being paid to not to grow up, especially when you are working in a creative department, like innovation. I’ve had a hand in launching over 35 products, globally, with my favourite being Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel. It’s a wine aged in whisky barrels – a world first that has since been copied by some of the largest wine producers in the world.

IF WE’RE NOT A FIT, OR IF I CAN’T HELP YOU – I WON’T TAKE YOUR BUSINESS. LIFE IS WAY TOO SHORT.

I build long-term relationships with the people I work with (I don’t call them clients, they become true friends) and together we have created results I am extremely proud of. I don’t save lives, but I have rescued a lot of people from difficult situations and helped them do work they can be proud of, too. You really can’t ask for much more than that.