Dynamic Duos: We Scout’s Lori Susko and Annabelle Jones
In this week's Dynamic Duos We Scout co-founders and directors Lori Susko and Annabelle Jones share a joyful and rewarding friendship that has endured interstate and international distances, with the pair finally starting up their own agency three years ago, 15 years on from when they first met.
In Dynamic Duos, Mumbrella each week asks two members of the same organisation with a professional and personal affiliation to share with readers the importance of workplace relationships in an increasingly hybridised world of work.
Lori Susko:
I still remember the first day I met Annabelle (or ‘Jonesy’ as I call her both personally and often professionally). It was about 15 years ago on her first day at an PR agency we both worked at. She walked about the corner of the office with and said “hiiiii” – we instantly became friends and I fast developed a professional respect for her as a colleague.
Jonesy has a totally infectious positivity. On paper the word “hiiiii” doesn’t seem to properly encapsulate the warmth she displays with a simple greeting – but she still does this same welcome every single day and you can’t help but smile when she enters the office. Her positivity is contagious.
I quickly realised what a talent she was – professionally she was creative, incredibly smart, always totally invested in the work and has a fierce work ethic. She has also made a total art of the concept of client service and her ability to get in the trenches with her work colleagues means she fosters an incredible amount of respect from her coworkers.
Personally, she has an outlook on life that is like sunshine, she sees the best in everyone and is always the life of the party. She brings an energy to all areas of her life, even the mundane. She is one of those people that you walk away from her feeling genuinely uplifted.
As is the case in agency land, we only worked together for a few years, and despite a period of time when she moved states, and even overseas, we would stay in contact and share updates on life and work. We would often toy with the idea of stepping out on our own and starting our own agency. After much discussion and planning, three years ago we took the leap and we scout was born.
Agency life isn’t for everyone, it can be incredibly demanding but equally rewarding, and I knew having someone with a similar outlook to me was everything. I think the key to making it work has been our shared work ethic combined with our ability to laugh at ourselves even in what can sometimes be stressful situations. After all, we launched an agency six months after the world shut down with the pandemic and somehow we managed to come out the other side thriving. I have heard many times before that friendships and business don’t work, but I call bullshit on that.
I genuinely felt lucky (and maybe a bit surprised) that Jonesy wanted to walk into business ownership with me… And maybe I still do.
Annabelle Jones:
My relationship with Lori kicked off when we were working together in a fast paced communications agency that had us working on clients like Westpac, the NRL and Maserati. We often had long hours together, but work never really felt like work when I was with Lori – it was often a rolling series of laughs. Professionally we got along really well, so it was only natural that this relationship grew outside of work life. Eventually, we both went our different ways – I moved to Melbourne and then France, and she went on to other agencies but while we were working separately, we had always spoken about one day starting up our own agency – an agency that had a client-first approach, a culture that ensured people wanted to come to work and could be heard and seen, and a team that delivered rewarding work for awesome clients. We wanted to create an agency that shattered the stigma of agency culture – a no burn out policy and a commitment to ensuring all employees and clients felt like they were growing, evolving and being rewarded along the way.
My relationship with Lori is one that is entirely unique. I think our friendship and aligned work ethic enables us to turn up professionally with a shared mission to be happier, healthier and impactful. They say to find a job that you love, but finding a job that you love coupled with a business partner that you totally respect and have fun along the way with – well that’s when the magic happens.
Lori on Annabelle:
Most memorable moment with Annabelle: Over the years we have shared many memorable moments, but I think the most defining memory is when we decided to take the plunge on starting an agency together. I remember standing on the pavement outside my then previous place of work. We were both perpetually frustrated that we were moving further and further away from doing the actually work – we kept saying there had to be a better way. We had toyed with the idea of stepping out on our own for years – but that day she said “ok, let’s do this” – a month later we had started we scout and I have never looked back.
I knew if there was one person I was going to walk into business with, it was her. She has a formidable work ethic, is creative, smart, so deeply invested in the work and is always measured.
Describe Annabelle in one word: Eternally optimistic
Annabelle’s most annoying habit or endearing behaviour: She sees the good in the work, the clients and even the mundane. I don’t think I have ever worked alongside someone who genuinely cares more about delivering great outcomes. She will share ideas at midnight, on her way home from the gym at 6am and when she is overseas on a family holiday. Her enthusiasm motivates everyone in the team and she is ridiculously smart.
Annabelle on Lori:
Most memorable moment with Lori: Where could I even start? My memories with Lori (both professionally and personally) stretch more than 15 years. If I had to cherry pick one particular memory, it would be my very first project with Lori as part of our newly formed we scout agency. It was for our client Bumble. Bumble were hosting a Bumble Bizz Summit in Sydney with thousands of people, and the team had brought out Jen Atkin to Australia for the conference. Jen is perhaps one of the world’s most influential hair stylists (think Kim Kardashian’s best friend). Lori’s words to me as we entered the conference were “back on the tools together”. As Lori entered the room, she introduced herself to the security team, greeted the media who had flown across the world for the event, made the client feel instantly at ease and even managed to swap emails with Jen by the end of the night. Lori is the fearless leader, people genuinely want to be around, no matter who you are. She has an innate way of ensuring everyone feels heard and seen, she is fiercely smart and she is more often than not the most likeable (and hard working) person in any room.
Describe Lori in one word: MVP, always.
Lori’s most annoying habit or endearing behaviour: Lori captivates a room like no other. She is open-minded, can make anyone smile (be it winning or challenging moments) and is often the driver of all things “chemistry check” when it comes to we scout. She is warm, entirely hilarious and the type of person you’d trust with your business, give your email to and perhaps even start an agency with.
If you and a colleague would like to submit your story to Dynamic duos, please email kwelch@mumbrella.com.au.
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