“Katrina could do well if only she listened more.”

“Katrina could do well if only she sat still.”

“Katrina could do well if only she applied herself.”

Well guess what every report card ever written!? At eTail Connect 2025, I did all three. I listened. I sat still. I applied myself. I felt right at home, graced by a room full of crazy clever humans all thriving on connection, learning, and exchanging current matters and opinions on all things ecommerce.

Did I feel out of my depth at times? Hell yes. But don’t we all? that’s what happens when you’re in the thick of it, navigated uncharted waters, business is moving at lightning speed, AI is crashing through with what will be the biggest tech adoption wave in history. What a time to be alive, what a time to be in e-commerce.

And honestly? I loved every second. I soaked up the shop talk and love me a good old fashioned conversation about retail and omni growth, jumped in where I could add value and my 2 cents, picked others brains pulling them into the convo, and left with my career cup overflowing.

Because this is how growth happens: leaning in, contributing, and letting the momentum pull you forward.

How I Showed Up

I got to:

• Listen to brilliant speakers share knowledge I didn’t even know I needed.

• Sit on a retail media panel (new territory for me, but one I’m thriving in)

• Host three roundtables on AI (a topic I’m still learning daily on it’s true capacity, but use on the daily indeed.

So What did I talk about?

Well, all this AI tech stuff is so powerful and boy am I strapped in embracing the ride and all the productivity and super powers I feel it's giving, but gosh do I just love a good old fashioned yarn, a deep strategic whiteboard workshop and time invested in conversation that uncovers solutions, yes I do! Let's keep that going guys. I feel the return of face to face and while automation and systems in business are getting stuff done faster it's human connection and brainstorms in action that's still turning the results over ten fold.

Hosting those roundtables? Big challenge. 20 faces looking at you, waiting for you to guide a conversation you’re not a “subject matter expert” in. And yet, it worked. Not because I had all the answers, but because the room was full of generosity and learned wisdom. People showed up curious, open, and willing to share lived experience. I held the space, asked the right questions, passed the mic when it needed to be passed. And we learnt from each other. What a crowd!

The Speakers & The Takeaways

Mal from Ecom Nation

Gawd I love you, you are the glue! Mal hit me right in the leadership nerve. Here’s the truth: I’m not an ecommerce “expert.” I don’t live in Shopify dashboards, I’m slow on data pulls, and I still trip over acronyms and worried the entire time through my panel I would say Spotify instead of Shopify. But what I do know is leadership. I know how to empower subject matter experts to shine and contribute to the overall business objective. Mal reminded me that you don’t need to be the deepest technical expert in the room to lead, you just need to create space, trust your people, and empower others around you. Such as powerful reminder and message.

Dean Salakas

What a journey. Dean, from the Retail Doctor Group, spoke with such honesty about community, growth, and resilience. Looking for the quantum gap to drive new opportunities. At one point in his journey, he focused on the 8% over the 92% negative and turned his entire family business around, what a pioneer in turning rock bottom into greatness. What hit me most was his focus on community. Building it, leaning on it, and letting it be the foundation for real growth in business. E-commerce isn’t just about dashboards and ROAS, it’s about people, and Dean embodies that beautifully. Inspiring stuff.

Judy Deuchar

They say that Beyonce is the whole package. So is Judy the Beyonce of business? Equal parts leadership, brand building, global perspective, and data depth. Sharp as hell, generous with her knowledge, and the kind of person who is equally kind that you can’t help but want to learn from and be around.

Ellie Yi & Dan Ferguson

Sharing a stage with these two? What an honour. Dan swooped in with perspective that only years of experience can bring, and Ellie, who’s basically a walking talking eComm dashboard come to life, and did you know we worked together once upon a time we go way back, having already turned a dollar together before, so being up there side by side, mics in hand, was a full-circle moment. Wholesome indeed.

Chris Haddad

Yeah, he’s my partner, but bias aside, the guy knows his stuff. He’s the one I call when I need the 360° view of e-commerce. Seeing him up there, in his element, sharp, logical, and crystal clear, reminded me why he’s not just my partner in life but also my go-to sounding board. The way he breaks down growth into tactical wins and clear, actionable takeaways is something I’ll never take for granted.

5 top Lessons

1. industry forecasts predict Retail media in Australia could hit upwards of 3 billion by 2026 (that's some crazy $$ guys)

2. Leadership doesn’t mean expertise only. It means empowerment & creating space for contributors.

3. Contribution is currency. The more you give, the more comes back.

4. Speaking it out loud makes it real. Thoughts… words… actions. My notebook is one thing, but saying it in a room of clever humans solidifies it and brings all the right messages home, get on stage and get out of your comfort zone. 

5. New waters is where growth lives. Panels, roundtables, AI convos and deep dive discussions to upskill and keep learning.

The Thanks

To Heather and the eTail Connect team, thank you for trusting me to step onto the stage for the first time. You created a space that was polished, safe, and buzzing with energy, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

To my new found friend Juan De La Pava, the ultimate cheerleader and co-host. You kept the energy flowing. You and Paco at Digital Immersion are a duo to watch and wealth of knowledge (plus good banta).

To my fellow panellists, thank you for your insights, humour, and wisdom. You made the stage feel less like a spotlight and more like a conversation among peers.

And to the organisers especially Heather Ang what a bloody brilliant event. Sharp, polished, buzzing. I left with my brain on fire (in the best way).

⸻

Signing Off

Do I feel out of my depth sometimes? Hell yes. Do I thrive anyway? Also hell yes.

So here’s to pushing boundaries, to saying yes before you’re ready, to contribution above all, and to the humans who make the ecommerce world what it is! Insert everyone there!

PS: if this counts as retail media, then guess what? Blog mentions are officially billable… LOL currency accepted in trade secrets and shared wisdom over Margaritas or late-night dumplings at supper inn. (Thank you Melbourne and thank you Etail connect!

See you at the next one :)