Dynamic Duos: ‘I knew we were unstoppable’
This week in Dynamic Duos, we hear from Tide Communications' group account director, Mimi Gibson, and head of strategy, Stacey Pinchbeck.
In Dynamic Duos, Mumbrella each week asks two colleagues with a professional and personal affiliation to share with readers the importance of workplace relationships in an increasingly hybridised world of work.
Mimi Gibson:
We’ve only worked together for just over a year, but teaming up with Stacey Pinchbeck (or “Pinchy,” as she’s commonly known as) has felt like a partnership a decade in the making.
I’d heard her name whispered in industry circles long before we met, and when she landed at Tide as head of strategy, four months pregnant and ready to roll, it all made sense. From the outset, she was razor-sharp, refreshingly no-BS, and armed with the kind of strategic brain you can’t help but learn from.
We quickly found our rhythm. When Pinchy’s in overdrive, I’m the handbrake. When I’m running low, she’s the spark. She can dissect any brief, breathe life into a brand in seconds, and somehow make it look easy. Together, we’ve built something solid.
For Pinch, no role is ever too big or too small. She dives headfirst into the work because she genuinely finds joy in shared success. Since joining Tide, she’s elevated our brand and the way we approach every brief. We work side by side to crack marketing challenges, often going old school with butchers paper and pens, breaking things down to build them back up again.
Her strategic brain is unmatched, and her influence has fundamentally shaped how I tackle opportunities. She makes me sharper, more curious, and better at my job. I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with anyone else.
Stacey Pinchbeck:
When I joined Tide, I was already four months pregnant, waddling in with a belly and a big brief. It was a daunting time to start something new, but one of the first people I met was Mimi Gibson. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure she liked me. She’s the kind of person who keeps her cards close to her chest. But what was obvious from the outset was her brilliance.
At the time, I came in as head of strategy and Mimi was a group account director. But let’s be clear — Mimi is not just a GAD. She’s a jack of every trade and a master of them all. She manages staff with empathy and razor-sharp clarity, builds and protects client relationships like they’re long-lost friendships, and is one of the most strategic thinkers I’ve met … which is saying something, given that’s technically my job.
Mimi is also the queen of culture. She leads our Social Engagement Committee with flair, creativity and a sense of joy that is absolutely infectious. From themed barefoot bowls nights (cowboy hats mandatory) to quiz-mastering company trivia and curating wine and cheese nights that could rival a sommelier’s tasting room — she elevates everything she touches. But the moment I knew we’d be great partners was when she pulled me aside one day, asking how I approached strategy for a specific client. Not out of obligation — but out of genuine, ego-free curiosity. That’s the thing about Mimi: she is insatiably hungry to learn. She absorbs, questions, refines and elevates every idea, every brief, every process.
She’s also the reason I (someone who thrives BTS) ended up in front of the camera making Tiktoks. She just knows what’s coming next. Mimi has that elusive sixth sense of cultural currency; what’s hot, what’s next, what’s worth jumping on now.
But more than anything, Mimi is the person you want in your corner. She is fast, thoughtful, efficient, unflappable, and has an uncanny ability to take my chaotic thought bubbles and distill them into the kind of clarity that makes a campaign sing.
She’s not just my colleague — she’s my collaborator, co-conspirator and friend. The kind of person who makes work not just easier, but infinitely better.
Mimi on Stacey:
Most memorable moment with Stacey: Winning Tide’s biggest account together and being briefed on our first project just two days later with a ten-day turnaround. There’s nothing like jumping in the deep end — talk about being agile. It was chaotic, energising and totally cemented our working rhythm.
Best word to describe her: Quickfire. She’s always switched on and tuned in, but just as likely to pivot mid-thought with a curveball idea or comment that somehow still makes sense. You learn to keep up.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour she has: She gasps. A lot. Sometimes it’s shock, sometimes excitement, sometimes just a dramatic pause — but it always gets your heart racing. Equal parts hilarious and mildly alarming.
Stacey on Mimi:
Most memorable moment with Mimi: Our winning streak on pitches. That feeling of being in the pocket together, reading each other’s cues, finishing each other’s thoughts, and making magic. That’s when I knew we were unstoppable.
Best word to describe her: Formidable – She’s a force.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour she has: She’ll “just quickly” do something before you’ve finished the sentence and somehow, it’s perfect. Endearing and infuriating.
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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