Dynamic Duos: Abel’s Nicole Jauncey and Simon Fowler
In this week's Dynamic Duos, creative agency Abel co-founder Nicole Jauncey laughs at fellow co-founder Simon Fowler's fashion choices, and how after 16 years of friendship, the two are more ambitious than ever.
Nicole Jauncey:
A questionable fashion choice of ripped flared jeans and jandals nearly side tracked the entire events to follow. As newbies in a creative advertising course at Media Design School in NZ, we first met.
16 years, six agencies (including our own), four kids (two each) and many cold beers later, we are still going strong, and Si is still rocking the controversial combo.
A few years back we decided to take the next step and build our own agency, driven by creativity and solving real business problems. Now with a team of seven, the ambition and goals are big… tbc what’s to come.
We enjoy what we do, the people we work with and the lives we have built – balance is the end goal, right?
Si and I have an honest, no bullshit, no offense taken and loyal relationship. He pushes the thinking to weird and wacky and I pull him back (just a little). We have some bizarre moments of ‘synergy’ that happen way too much but that’s because working together has become second nature. It’s unique, it’s hard to describe. but it’s for sure special.
And what’s really good is we are always on the same page about everything.
Simon Fowler:
It was summer of 2007, I’d just quit Bunnings, and smoking, and canceled plans to fruit pick my way around New Zealand; excitedly taking my place at the Media Design School in Auckland.
Fall Out Boy’s latest album had just debuted at No.1 on the US Billboard charts and I had a fresh pair of jandals – it was going to be a good year.
As the 20 chosen creative candidates sat down to introduce themselves, on the other side of the room I noticed what I likened at the time to a miniature Angelina Jolie, with the voice of Macy Gray. After finding out we’d grown up on the completely opposite sides of Auckland, I quickly knew there was no chance in hell we were ever going to become creative partners.
But Nicole had other plans.
Within the hour we were working on our first brief together. It was stressful, but somewhere in the calamity of two worlds colliding, a creative idea was born. And what’s more surprising was people actually liked it.
For the remaining nine months of AdSchool we agreed to disagree – a unique but effective creative approach which saw us presenting ideas that benefited from hours of heated discussion.
Rinse and repeat for 16 years and here we are. Two very passionate creatives and co-founders of Abel, who understand that the secret to success is in straight-up, no bullshit, honesty. Being able to speak the truth, as well as having the ability to hear it.
We’ve spent unfathomable amounts of time together learning some of life’s most valuable lessons – and I have to say, I’ll be lucky to have adopted even an iota of Nicole’s ambition. Every single day it’s energizing to be around someone who sets their sights higher than the day before. From life decisions, to creative briefs – Nic always sees an opportunity to go bigger and better.
There you go – almost 400 words about Nicole and I. And I wouldn’t change a single one of them whether Nic was standing over my shoulder or not.
Nicole on Simon:
Most memorable moment with Simon: Being a groomsman at Simon’s wedding. A true honour to stand by his side and I’ll take any opportunity to rock a suit.
Best word to describe Simon: Bro (loyal, dedicated, trusting, kind and clever)
Most annoying or endearing behaviour Simon has: Jandals and jeans.
Simon on Nicole:
Most memorable moment with Nicole: Definitely the time when we moved to Sydney and Nic was ‘pushed’ down the stairs at the Beresford on our first weekend. A broken nose, two black eyes, a forehead of stitches and the first two weeks of our new job bedbound. Classic.
Best word to describe Nicole: Unpredictable.
Most annoying or endearing behaviour Nicole has: Makes everything look easy.
If you and a colleague would like to submit your story to Dynamic Duos, please email lmcnamara@mumbrella.com.au.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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The yin and the yang strong with you guys. Imagine two Simons. 🤣. Two of the best!
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