I am a Melbourne-based brand strategist, creative director and writer.

I was born in Hong Kong after my parents fled Vietnam and grew up in Melbourne as the eldest of four daughters. I spent much of my early life translating between languages, cultures and ways of seeing things.

It taught me to notice what can get lost when a person or an idea is simplified for somebody else. That instinct is still at the heart of my work.

My career has taken me through brand, advertising and content agencies in Sydney, London and Boston; I have worked with commercial brands, creative businesses, social enterprises and community organisations. My work has included brand strategy, marketing implementation, partnerships and plans for growth.

I ask a lot of questions. I listen for what people keep saying, what sits behind it and what may be obvious to them but difficult for anyone else to see. I help people hold onto what makes their work special, then turn what I find into something useful: a strategy, a story, a creative brief or a clear decision.

I also care deeply about how things feel. The right words, images, objects, spaces, colours and references can make an idea real. I do not think strategy and beauty are separate. A good idea should make sense and make people feel something.

Alongside my client work, I publish The Contrary Times, where I write about culture, work and life.