Ever heard of a founder who dropped out of college, only to create a multimillion dollar social media platform? Melbourne-based creative founder Trinity Ross may be the antithesis of Jobs or Zuckerberg but her vision for change is big – if not BIGGER – than the world’s most well-known tech founders. And she’s finishing her studies to do it.
Mavens connected with the talented 21-year-old to learn more about her new agency Superthink and how it can help brands and start-ups use their influence to spark change.
Tell us about your background. How did you get into the communications industry?
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved being creative and solving problems. In high school I won a few design competitions for Fanta and RACV, then was lucky enough to have my short film graduation project screened at ACMI and Melbourne Museum. After high school, I landed my first real design job as a part time graphic designer at Milkman Agency. Working in the industry for the first time was an eye opening experience and I’m thankful to Asher Esakoff and Ryan Walker for listening to and supporting all my wacky ideas and nurturing my professional growth.
I then wanted to experience a bigger agency, so I moved to the advertising agency Big Red. I worked with a fantastic senior creative team, including Maven’s very own Leah Morris and learnt about the art of crafting headlines and stories that capture attention in a constantly competitive and busy online space.
At Swinburne’s Open Day pitch competition, I pitched a parking app and won. This created a domino effect that helped me get a job at the parking startup, UbiPark. CEO Mosstyn Howell and marketing manager Simon Chin were great mentors to me, expanding my knowledge from design into understanding the business and operations side of a company.
Pairing my university studies with industry and startup experiences allowed me to gain a new perspective on how businesses large and small are successful.
What made you decide to launch Superthink?
The idea of creating my own business had been bubbling away in the back of my head for a few years. The catalyst for launching Superthink is the end of my university studies; I will graduate from Swinburne University in 6 weeks.
Melbourne’s lockdown also influenced this decision. Instead of thinking about all the things I can’t do, I’m thinking of what I can do, and using the locked-in conditions as a constructive way to get laser focused, set and smash goals for the business.
How is Superthink different from traditional agency models?
Superthink’s long term mission is to harness the power of creativity and design to innovate a better world.
We’re all about tackling problems with creative and effective solutions. An ideal client would be a new innovative startup that aims to solve world problems and make humanity and the planet better. This might look like a hydrogen energy or mRNA biotech startup. Superthink aims to not only make things look great and appeal to the right people, but also achieves specific business objectives.
You come from an entrepreneurial family; your mother has an award-winning gin label and your father co-founded a successful advertising agency. How have their ventures impacted your own business outlook?
I feel so fortunate to have been born into a family that practices and values creativity so highly. My parents have always told me to do what I love, take risks, and create my own path in life. Seeing both my parents put their words into practice and start their own ventures has definitely given me the courage to start one as well. My mum literally got up one day and said ‘you know what? I want to start a gin business’ and without any prior experience, she just went and did it all on her own. She’s definitely a woman I aspire to be like in a professional sense in the empathic and humanised way she collaborates with others in business, which is the attitude I strive to bring to Superthink.
There are always people out there who are going to say you are too young to build your own business or create real change. What do you say to them?
I love this question because it instantly reveals that person’s mindset. Suggesting someone is too young or too inexperienced in itself is really saying, ‘Hey there is a traditional path you need to follow and rules to go by before you’re allowed to reach this level’.
I believe if you’re trying to spark great change, then following everyone else’s path and going by the status quo is the complete opposite mindset of an entrepreneur.
Especially for creative people who are born to think and do things differently.
Do you know a founder with an idea who needs an injection of creativity? Or maybe you’d just like a chat? Reach out to trinity@superthink.com.au to create something super.