When a creative agency becomes a global brand from Canberra
🎬 Video link: “He Built One of Australia’s Top Creative Agencies… Now He’s …”
At CBRIN, we believe in sharing the authentic stories of founders who chose Canberra as their launch pad — and this podcast with Shooby delivers exactly that.
From local beginnings to global reach
In this compelling interview, ANU students who produce the great founder focused Move Fast Break Things podcast met with Shooby Kandel, a founder whose career began in his university dorm room and has grown into a creative-agency powerhouse working with the likes of Amazon Music and the Australian Government. “He Built One of Australia’s Top Creative Agencies… Now He’s …”
It’s a story about ambition, resilience, and the advantages of building from a city like Canberra — where you can test big ideas in a sophisticated market, but still enjoy the benefits of a closely-connected ecosystem.
Why this story matters?
- Local momentum, global ambition: Shooby’s path reinforces that you don’t have to leave Canberra to succeed globally.
- Creative + tech intersection: His work sits at the nexus of branding, digital innovation and product development — all high-growth zones for our region.
- Process over overnight success: You’ll recognise many of the familiar steps: starting with one client, solving a real problem, building a capable team, refining value-proposition, and scaling sustainably.
- Ecosystem relevance: For those in CBRIN’s network — founders, mentors, researchers, corporates — this podcast offers practical lessons and inspiration.
What to look out for
As you listen, you might reflect on questions like:
- What enabled the founder to move from boutique consultancy to a global agency?
- How did he leverage client relationships to scale?
- What role did his Canberra base play — in access, constraints, or opportunity?
- Which parts of his approach might apply to your own innovation journey?
Join the conversation
We encourage our community to listen, share learnings, and engage.
Here are some suggested actions:
- Post one insight from the video that surprised you.
- Share how your own Canberra-based venture is overcoming/leveraging the “scale or stay” dilemma.
- If you’re a mentor or researcher: how might you support creative-tech founders differently in light of this narrative?
We’re proud to spotlight stories like this because they help map out the possibilities — and the trade-offs — of building from Canberra. We hope you find value, provoke discussion, and perhaps even see your own venture’s next move mapped out in Shooby’s journey.
— The CBRIN Team
