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Process The Podcast

Arielle Thomas

Welcome to Process the podcast, where we welcome guests of all creative disciplines and bridge the gap between art and commerce as leaders in their lane. We dive into their unique process to actualize their ideas and get our hands dirty with - the work. Host Arielle Thomas hopes you love these creative conversations with some of the most celebrated names in the Australian fashion, media, and design landscape!

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  • 35 episodes
  • Avg 52 min
  • English

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  • Wednesday · 44 min

    Why the Founder of Mimco Will Never Put A-Esque on Sale

    “The only time I would get scared is if I didn’t really believe in something.” - Amanda Rettig Australian designer and founder Amanda Briskin-Rettig has spent 30 years building fashion brands. She founded Mimco in 1996, sold it in 2007, and 13 years ago started A-esque, a self-funded leather goods brand handmade in small batches in Melbourne. Its philosophy is simple: build slowly, create intentionally, and make things that last. In this episode, Amanda shares how to start a fashion brand and grow it sustainably. She covers product development and product architecture, small-batch manufacturing inspired by Toyota’s lean model, and how to avoid excess inventory, deadstock and discounting. She also talks about local manufacturing, building a direct-to-consumer business, brand storytelling, collaborations, and what she learned from building and selling a business. If you want to start a handbag or accessories brand, build a sustainable fashion business, or grow a brand without compromising your values, this one’s for you. It’s about half the length, but it keeps every key part of the story: her track record, A-esque’s philosophy, and the “never on sale” model. The search terms are worked into natural sentences rather than listed, so it still reads well to a human and not just to YouTube. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Founder Amanda Briskin-Rettig 01:16 — A Founder Who Never Fears Failure 04:14 — What Building and Selling a Brand Taught Her 09:12 — Product Architecture: Heroes, Fashion & Core 13:21 — Why She Started A-esque 20:03 — What Makes an A-esque Bag 25:28 — Small-Batch Production & Never Going on Sale 28:06 — The Braided Bag: Craft Meets the City 33:42 — The Right People & A-esque’s Value System 38:10 — Building an Archive of Desire 39:56 — Collaborations & Saying Yes to More 45:02 — Launching the Braided Bag & Going Direct 47:56 — The Future of A-esque & Advice for Founders Connect with our Guest: A-esque on Instagram: @aesqueofficial Shop A-esque: a-esque.com Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, retailers, artists, publications and exhibitions discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • November 3 · 18 min

    Your Next 100 Days Decide Your 2027

    “You don’t get in the room by waiting to be invited.” - Arielle Thomas Feeling lost in your career, stuck, or unsure what to do next? In this Process Petite, Arielle Thomas, motion director, social strategist and founder of Cinema Thom, shares what happened after the biggest contract of her career came to an end and she lost her confidence and her direction. She talks through how one episode with Merit Beauty’s founding CMO Aila Morin changed the course of the podcast. She also explains why she decided no one was going to hand her the next chapter, and how a simple idea about “your next 100 days” reshaped her mindset, motivation and plans for 2027. Recorded the night before a four-week, four-city recording trip across LA, New York, London and Paris… This episode is for anyone looking for career direction, motivation or guidance. That includes creatives, founders, freelancers, and anyone in their 30s still figuring out what they want. Arielle covers investing in yourself when there’s no client and no brief, why “don’t ask, don’t get” changed how she cold emails, and admitting when you need help. She also explains why building your own seat at the table beats waiting for permission, and how to figure out what you want by starting with what you don’t. If you need a push to stop waiting and start going after it, this one’s for you. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Why I’m Leaving for LA Tonight 00:41 — Losing My Biggest Client & Feeling Lost 01:24 — The Episode That Changed Everything 02:34 — No One Is Going to Hand It to You 04:25 — Your Next 100 Days Decide Your 2027 05:46 — Don’t Ask, Don’t Get 07:53 — The Joy of Cold Emailing 08:38 — Inside a Four-Week Recording Marathon 10:14 — Investing in Yourself: “I Am the Brief” 11:10 — Admitting You Need Help 11:42 — Build Your Own Seat at the Table 13:55 — Feeling Lost? Start With What You Don’t Want 14:48 — What’s Next for Process Episodes Mentioned: Aila Morin Estée Lalonde Jamie Green Coco Mocoe Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Got someone you’d love Arielle to interview on this trip? Comment down below or DM us on Instagram. Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday.See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, books, publications and public figures discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 27 · 1 hr 3 min

    Estée Lalonde on Building Mirror Water and finally asking for help

    “I love a trier. It doesn’t matter where it goes. If you are actually out there trying, that’s the special sauce right there.” - Estée Lalonde Estée Lalonde has spent 16 years as a content creator, building an audience of more than a million YouTube subscribers. When she launched her body care brand Mirror Water, she’d never had a corporate job and had never used a spreadsheet. Five years later, the brand is mostly self-funded and has grown entirely organically, with no paid media until recently. It’s stocked in Space NK, Liberty, Selfridges and Cult Beauty. In this episode, Estée gets honest about the difference between building an audience and building a business. She talks about why followers don’t automatically become customers, why she still doesn’t take a salary from her own brand, and what it really takes to launch a beauty brand on a fraction of the usual budget. For aspiring female entrepreneurs and creators who want to build a brand that stands on its own, this is a candid look at creator-led brands and retail. Estée shares the founder mistakes she’d undo (hello, expensive office), how landing her first stockist and one glowing press review changed everything, and why she’s always asking other founders for help. She also covers how she weighs raising investment against staying independent, how she splits her time between Mirror Water and her YouTube channel, and how she’s keeping the brand distinct on an increasingly crowded body care shelf. She also opens up about the year she finally asked for help, why “good enough” isn’t good enough anymore, and why networking in person still matters. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Estée Lalonde 02:26 — The Year She Finally Asked for Help 09:48 — Nobody’s Coming to Save You 12:59 — Why You Have to Be in the Room 18:45 — Why “Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough Anymore 23:16 — Founder Mistakes, Motherhood & Having It All 30:07 — Falling Back in Love With YouTube 33:07 — How Mirror Water Started 37:09 — A Brand That Never Tells You to Do More 41:03 — Raising Money vs Staying Self-Funded 44:42 — Running a Brand and a Channel at Once 47:45 — Why Followers Don’t Equal Customers 50:33 — What Moved the Needle: Stockists, Press & Founder Friends 53:55 — Standing Out on a Crowded Shelf 56:32 — Setting the Tone for What’s Next + Where to Find Estée Connect with our Guest: Estée Lalonde on Instagram: @esteelalonde Mirror Water on Instagram: @mirrorwater.earth Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, retailers, creators and publications (including Space NK, Liberty, Selfridges and Cult Beauty) discussed for educational commentary. Nothing in this episode is financial or investment advice. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 20 · 48 min

    How Saie Built a Diehard Beauty Community

    “The audience comes last, so that they can come first.” - Erin Starkweather How does a beauty brand that only launched in November 2019 end up selling one Glowy Super Gel every 10 seconds at Sephora? Erin Starkweather, Creative Director of Saie Beauty, has been there even before day one. She started out packing boxes in her apartment on Sunday nights, and today she shapes every visual touchpoint of the brand. Before Saie, Erin worked at Cap Beauty in New York and as a beauty consultant, until founder Laney Crowell brought her in. In this episode, she takes us inside the creative world of one of beauty’s most-loved brands: “easy, effortless and elevated” makeup for skin that looks like yours, only better. Erin breaks down how a beauty campaign comes together, from the product brief and mood board to the Super Suede Eyeshadow launch starring Helena Christensen, inspired by 90s Steven Meisel imagery. She explains why Saie shoots its baked powders in Italy, how she plans Sephora fixtures and visual merchandising a year in advance while staying nimble, and how often the team shoots to keep content fresh. She also shares how Saie built a diehard community through events, its Clean Beauty Crew, an arts and culture program, and its livestreamed Makeup Class, plus advice for small beauty brands growing a fandom on a low budget. Rounding it out: what it’s like to choose in-house over consulting, what she learned from Laney about not taking no for an answer, and what’s next as Saie launches in Sephora UK. If you work in beauty marketing, brand building or creative direction, or you just love Saie, this one’s for you. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Saie’s Creative Director 02:55 — How Saie’s Creative Process Works 08:18 — Why “The Audience Comes Last” 09:43 — Why Saie Shoots in Italy 11:13 — From Packing Boxes to Planning a Year Ahead 15:54 — Super Suede Eyeshadow & the One-Shade Look 18:47 — Behind the Helena Christensen Campaign 25:15 — Let’s Build a Beauty Campaign 28:55 — How Saie Built a Diehard Community 34:13 — What Moved the Needle: From Launch to Sephora 38:01 — In-House vs Consulting & Not Taking No 41:58 — Launching Saie in the UK 44:43 — Saie’s Makeup Class & Where to Shop Connect with our Guest: Erin Starkweather on Instagram: @erinstarkweather Saie on Instagram: @saiebeauty Shop Saie: saiehello.com Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, retailers, publications, campaigns, and photographic works (including Sephora and the work of Steven Meisel) discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 14 · 39 min

    Shared Stages: Does Engagement Make Money with Sally Obermeder

    “Likes are a beautiful vanity metric... but if your wallet’s not killing it, why are we doing it?” — Sally Obermeder This episode was a part of a juicy panel at the Social Summit Manly 2026. We can’t wait to take you behind the curtain with Sally Obermeder, founder of Ziish (formerly Swiish)! Can you actually get paid for likes on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook? Does 100k likes mean you’re making money? Sally Obermeder, former Channel 7 entertainment reporter turned co-founder of wellness brand Ziish (formerly Swiish), says the answer is no, not on their own. After a stage three cancer diagnosis the day before giving birth, Sally and her sister turned a green smoothie blog into one of Australia’s best-known wellness brands. It now has around 20 products, stocks in all 500 Priceline stores, and launched into Boots in the UK. Recorded live at Social Summit, this fireside chat with Arielle closes the gap between likes, engagement and real sales. Sally breaks down exactly how to monetize your social media following and turn engagement into revenue. She covers why the algorithm is “pot luck” and why your email list is the land you actually own. She also shares how she builds lead magnets that cost $0 (including the dopamine menu that landed her on Sunrise), how ManyChat comment automations grow your audience, and why “the best way to sell is to not sell.” Other topics include how to collab with bigger brands, how she tests content organically with trial reels before spending on Meta ads, what makes a video ad a “banger,” and how to run IRL events on a small budget. It finishes with live audience Q&A, where Sally gives on-the-spot marketing advice to a small business florist and a B2B consultant. If you’ve ever wondered how creators and small businesses really make money online, this one is for you. This episode features a big shout out to our friends at Many Chat! If you loved the sound of Many Chat in this episode, use our link to get your first month FREE with Many Chat Pro! CLICK HERE! - https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/60dpckpyh4zt-ogcg6e FREE DOWNLOAD Get the free Beyond the Likes checklist: 6 steps to turn social media attention into revenue INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Sally Obermeder 02:57 — Likes vs. Money & Owning Your Audience 07:45 — Lead Gen That Costs $0: The Dopamine Menu 10:30 — Reaching “Sally”: Wellness-Adjacent Content 13:19 — ManyChat, Collabs & Dating Up in Business 17:39 — Giveaways, Email & the Art of Not Selling 22:21 — Ads: Test Organically, Then Back Winners 26:04 — What Makes a Video a Banger 28:50 — IRL Events: Spend Where It Matters 33:19 — Live Q&A: Sales Advice for Small Businesses Connect with our Guest: Sally Obermeder on Instagram: @sallyobermeder Ziish on Instagram: @ziishofficial Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, platforms and retailers (including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook/Meta, ManyChat, Priceline and Boots) discussed for educational commentary. Nothing in this episode is financial advice. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 6 · 1 hr 1 min

    Jamie Green is strapped to a rocket ship, from mag covers to Oprah

    "It's all relationships... learn the camera, definitely. But then invest your time in relationships." — Jamie Green Jamie Green didn't pick up a camera until 2017. Before that, he was building a social enterprise sleepwear label in Melbourne. A move to Byron Bay, photos of his wife for Instagram, and one brand asking "can you do that for us?" turned into a whirlwind career. He has shot campaigns across Europe, a GQ cover with Cody Simpson, Oprah for People, and celebrity work for Netflix, all while being based in a small surf town in Byron Bay. In this episode, Jamie and Arielle get into the side of photography that has nothing to do with settings. They cover why building trust with talent matters more than a technically perfect shot, how he burnt out shooting five days a week through Covid and stepped back from his career, and the beach swim that led to shooting Oprah. He also explains how meeting Greg Williams changed his whole approach, and what "rolling the dice" on a Paris trip actually looks like. It's an honest look at building a global photography career on relationships, the long game, and the myth of overnight success. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 0:00 — Intro: Meet Jamie Green 01:10 — From a Sleepwear Label to Shooting for Spell 04:50 — The Covid Boom, Paris & the GQ Cover Call 08:09 — How Jamie Builds Trust with Celebrities 12:39 — Tethering, Burnout & Building the Byron Barn 17:30 — Hitting Pause, Then Shooting Oprah 21:27 — Greg Williams & Going Documentary-Style 24:44 — Rolling the Dice in Paris 29:12 — The Long Game: Seeds, Euros & Family Travel 35:26 — Fluid Style, Big Goals & Proving Doubters Wrong 41:39 — Artists, Brands & Reading the Room 45:07 — Shooting for the Archive with Sam 48:56 — NYC Time & the Overnight Success Myth 53:45 — The Netflix Airport Dash 56:54 — Where to Find Jamie, Film Plans & "Stills Only" Connect with our Guest: Jamie Green on Instagram: @jamie_.green Jamie's website: jamiegreen.com.au Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party publications, brands, celebrities and photographic works (including the work of other photographers) discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 29 · 56 min

    Styling for Prada, Cartier & Bvlgari: The Many Hats of a Celebrity Stylist with Jess Pecoraro

    Jess Pecoraro didn't know what a stylist was until she walked into the Cosmopolitan fashion cupboard. By 23, she had worked her way through some of Australia's biggest magazines. Then she walked away from her dream job with no clients, no title and no safety net, betting she could build something bigger on her own. Today she's one of Sydney's most in-demand celebrity stylists and fashion brand consultants. Her work spans Fashion Week runways, GQ Men of the Year, NGV x Cartier Gala, luxury trunk shows, brand consulting and private clients on retainer. In this episode, Jess breaks down the many hats a stylist wears beyond the clothes themselves. On a runway she's across the fittings, castings, hair and makeup briefs, music and lighting. Brands bring her in before a collection is even designed ("700 tops for one pair of pants"), and she tells her favourite clients to "just tell me the budget." She's honest about cash flow, the Covid-era business she launched and closed, learning to be on camera, and why she kept her second pregnancy quiet to protect her client base. It's a rare, candid look at building a service business in a small market, and what "effortless" style really takes behind the scenes. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: From Cosmo Intern to Stylist 04:11 — Quitting at 23 to Go Freelance0 9:04 — The Money Side Nobody Teaches 11:34 — A Covid Business & Camera Fear 16:16 — How Stylists Really Get Paid 19:10 — Why Brands Need a Stylist 23:13 — Big Projects & Private Clients 28:18 — Inside Fashion Week & GQ 39:09 — Motherhood Without Losing Clients 44:58 — The Effort Behind "Effortless" 48:49 — Can a Styling Business Scale? 54:08 — Fave Aussie Brands + Where to Find Jess Connect with our Guest: Jess Pecoraro on Instagram: @jess_pecoraro Jess on Substack: @bluejeansanddiamonds Brand & business enquiries: jess@jesspecoraro.com Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party fashion houses, publications, events and brands discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 22 · 37 min

    Founder and Expert-Led Video Content: The Complete Framework for 2026

    If you're a founder, business owner, or the person on the marketing team who keeps getting told "we need more founder videos" , this episode is the actual framework, not just the advice why & how to do it. In this Petit, Arielle breaks down exactly how she produces founder-led and expert-led video content for her own retainer clients, including real case studies from Sheila the Label and McMullen & Co. She covers two filming methods (the interview approach and the "chat-to-camera" method), why founder-led content is becoming the biggest competitive edge a small business has against AI-generated content and fast-fashion-style brand positioning, and closes with 15 specific content prompts you can use immediately free download linked below. In this episode, you'll learn: Why founder-led video content is becoming essential for SEO and AI-search visibility, not just social engagement Two proven filming methods for founder and expert-led videos — no crew or script required How one interview becomes 5+ pieces of content (hero video, B-roll, trial reels) 15 ready-to-use prompts for founders who don't know what to say on camera A real distribution and posting cadence you can actually stick to INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Why Founder Videos Matter Now 03:36 — The Market Shift: Why Brands Like Zara Are Repositioning 05:18 — The Emotional Reality of Showing Up on Camera 09:40 — Method One: The Interview Approach 09:51 — Case Study: Alice McMullen — One Sitting Becomes 5 Videos 14:44 — Case Study Two: Claire & Sheila the Label 18:38 — Method Two: Chat-to-Camera ("Yapping") 20:07 — The Real Secret: Answer, Don't Announce 22:37 — The 15 Prompts, Part 1: Curiosity, Opinions & What You See Differently 27:16 — The 15 Prompts, Part 2: Credentials, Principles & the Future You're Building 31:59 — Distribution: Post Everywhere, Test & Commit to One a Week 32:53 — Recap & Call to Action Get the Free Founder Video Prompt PDF here: https://bit.ly/4jfri4E Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas https://bit.ly/4v21hby Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast https://bit.ly/44pdcFf Cinema Thom: @cinema_thom https://bit.ly/4dPjtz4 DM us if you want this done for you on retainer Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday.See you at the next one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 22 · 1 hr 6 min

    Why Fashion Still Chases Film: Inside Brydie Mack's World

    Most photographers shooting fashion campaigns today work in digital, instant previews, instant safety net. Brydie Mack, known to her audience as Wolf Cub, doesn't. She shoots everything on film: three to four rolls per look, five different cameras on set as backup, and a vague idea of what she's actually got until the lab sends it back. In this episode, Brydie breaks down exactly what it takes to specialize in film in an industry that's mostly moved on from it, the real cost and risk of every shoot, why brands are chasing the medium-format, hand-printed look right now, the airport scanner mistake that can ruin a week of work, and her honest take on why AI is about to make "handmade" the new luxury. She also opens up about stepping back from photography as her next chapter, and gives us the first real look at Lens, the film photography course she's building to pass on everything she knows. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — About Brydie and the Wolf Club Origin 04:47 — On-set Politics 08:03 — The Cost & Risk of Film Photography 09:11 — Photography Heroes 13:52 — Anatomy of a shoot 15:49 — Camera Recommendations for beginners 18:56 — Film Stocks and Flying with Film 22:43 — Managing Shoot Days 24:33 — Dream Clients & US Visa Problems 29:08 — Life Outside Work 34:16 — Boundaries on travelling for work 35:58 — A Photographer’s Dream Model 39:21 — Pitching Jobs 40:20 — Photography Inspiration 44:59 — Shooting Nudes 52:53 — AI in Photo & Film Industry 59:34 — Szilvesztre Mako 1:00:29 — Film Lab Recommendations 1:03:36 — Advice for aspiring film photographers 1:04:15 — Connect with Brydie Join the Waitlist for Lens: Brydie's upcoming Film Photography Course Connect with our Guest: Brydie Mack (Wolf Cub) on Instagram @wolfcubwolfcub Website: brydiemack.com Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode references other photographers and their work for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 22 · 31 min

    Allow me to reintroduce myself: The story behind Process the Podcast

    "My parents owned a five star luxury hotel that they built when I was ten... it formed me in a way that I cannot even comprehend." — Arielle Thomas For over 140 episodes, Arielle's been the one asking the questions. This week, she turned the mic on herself. With so many new listeners joining after the Merit episode went viral, it felt like time to rewind the tape, who she actually is, how Process the Podcast came to exist, and where her seven-figure production company, Cinema Thom, stands today. From growing up behind the scenes of her parents' five-star hotel, to a teenage sales job at Scanlan Theodore, to acting school in New York, to directing a Kmart TikTok vertical that helped drive enormous value for shareholders. This is the full, unfiltered walk through everything that built the person behind Process. It's personal, it's honest, and it's the episode to send anyone who's ever asked, "wait, how did you get into this?" INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Process the Podcast and Arielle's Origin Story 01:45 — Growing Up in Hotels: The Lyall 03:42 — Learning the Value of a Dollar 05:20 — Moving to New York for Acting School 06:00 — Coming Home & Arielle's Acting Career 08:17 — Behind the Camera with Meat and Potatoes 10:54 — Working with Kmart 14:09 — The TikTok Era 17:45 — Global Expansion: Anko Philippines 19:43 — How Process the Podcast Came to Be 21:21 — Process Today 27:52 — Cinema Thom Today 28:30 — What's Next? Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast New here? We're now on YouTube with a companion panel alongside the video, worth a watch if you're a visual person! Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode references past projects (Meat and Potatoes, Deadline Gallipoli) discussed for personal/educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 22 · 55 min

    From Princess Diana to Kim Kardashian: How Joh Bailey Built Legacy and Relevance for 41 Years

    "You can't afford to be an arsehole if you're famous; people talk about it too much." - Joh Bailey Forty-one years ago, Joh Bailey opened a single Double Bay salon with one goal: to be number one. Today, that same "no bullshit" philosophy has taken him from doing Princess Diana's hair on royal visits to building his own haircare line from scratch; tested, adjusted, and re-tested until it was right. In this episode, Joh gets refreshingly honest about what it actually takes to survive four decades in an industry built on trends: the phone call from Buckingham Palace that changed everything, what working with clients like Kim Kardashian taught her about fame and behaviour, surviving the GFC when she and her business partner Marilyn had "no idea what to do" with the money coming in, and why she still tests every product on himself before it ever reaches a client. It's part masterclass, part memoir, and a genuinely funny, unfiltered look at what it takes to build something that lasts. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: 41 Years & the Marilyn Partnership 03:05 — The Non-Verbal Language of hair 06:45 — The accidental business partner 09:01 — Breaking the judgement intimidation in salons 11:08 — Anatomy of a world class blow-dry 15:41 — Doing Princess Diana's Hair 21:53 — 40 Years of Ups & Downs 26:47 — Celebrity Clients 28:25 — Building the Haircare Line 33:20 — The harsh reality on how to have good hair 35:02 —Business Advice for Hard Times 29:23 — Going Global? 40:02 — Giving Back & Handwritten Notes 42:25 — Can Damaged Hair Be Repaired? 46:05 — Work Ethic 47:32— What's Next? 54:01 — Connect with Joh Connect with our Guest: Joh Bailey on Instagram: @johbaileyofficial Joh Bailey Salons & Haircare: johbailey.com.au Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes discussion of third-party public figures and historical events for educational commentary. Any imagery referencing Princess Diana or other celebrities is press/archival material; all rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • #140
    September 1 · 31 min

    Allow me to reintroduce myself: The story behind Process the Podcast

    "My parents owned a five star luxury hotel that they built when I was ten... it formed me in a way that I cannot even comprehend." — Arielle Thomas For over 140 episodes, Arielle's been the one asking the questions. This week, she turned the mic on herself. With so many new listeners joining after the Merit episode went viral, it felt like time to rewind the tape, who she actually is, how Process the Podcast came to exist, and where her seven-figure production company, Cinema Thom, stands today. From growing up behind the scenes of her parents' five-star hotel, to a teenage sales job at Scanlan Theodore, to acting school in New York, to directing a Kmart TikTok vertical that helped drive enormous value for shareholders. This is the full, unfiltered walk through everything that built the person behind Process. It's personal, it's honest, and it's the episode to send anyone who's ever asked, "wait, how did you get into this?" INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Process the Podcast and Arielle's Origin Story 01:15 — Growing Up in Hotels: The Lyall 03:53 — Learning the Value of a Dollar 05:32 — Moving to New York for Acting School 06:12 — Coming Home & Arielle's Acting Career 08:05 — Behind the Camera With Meat and Potatoes 12:00 — Working with Kmart 16:13 — The TikTok Era 20:30 — Global Expansion: Anko Philippines 20:57 — How Process the Podcast Came to Be 24:00 — Process Today 30:15 — Cinema Thom Today 33:00 — What's Next? Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast New here? We're now on YouTube with a companion panel alongside the video, worth a watch if you're a visual person! Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode references past projects (Meat and Potatoes, Deadline Gallipoli) discussed for personal/educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com

  • #139
    August 26 · 1 hr 12 min

    The Story Behind Persona's Debut Issue, with Bella Freud

    "It's an object of obsession about one woman... you genuinely get an intimacy that you cannot find anywhere else." — Grace O'Neill & Paulina Paige Grace O'Neill and Paulina Paige have built magazines and campaigns for some of the biggest names in fashion media. But this time, they threw out every rule they knew and started from zero with no guardrails, no existing audience, no safety net. The result is Persona: a biannual, single-subject magazine that reads more like a coffee table book than a glossy, with its debut issue built entirely around Bella Freud. In this exclusive interview, Grace and Paulina walk through exactly how Persona came together, the cold email that convinced Bella Freud to say yes, the unpublished 90s photo archive they talked a photographer into handing over, getting the rights to a Lucian Freud portrait, and the real numbers behind launching a $75 magazine with zero followers. It's a rare, honest look at what it actually takes to build a print product from scratch in 2026 - the creative risk-taking, the budget conversations, and the trust it takes to hand a stylist "a little kernel of an idea" and let them run the thing. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Grace & Paulina The Lead-Up to Persona 05:27 — From Massive Infrastructure to Doing It All Themselves 07:41 — What They Knew Going In 14:26 — What If a Magazine Had No Rules? 16:47 — Deciding on Bella Freud 18:52 — The Cold Email That Got Bella Freud on Board 22:08 — The Moment They Knew It Was Really Happening 22:57 — Building the Book Around What They Had 31:35 — Is It Really an Australian Magazine? 34:16 — Talking Budgets: Landing Dior & Reframing Beauty With Mecca 42:14 — What It Actually Takes to Print 44:18 — Production vs. Printing 48:23 — The Launch Gamble 53:32 — How Much Room Does This Take Up in Your Life? 58:24 — Partnership 1:00:29 — Where the Creative Stimulus Comes From 1:04:00 — Second Issue? 1:08:32 — Where to Find Them 1:10:15 — Persona Launch Party Take a look at Persona: Persona Magazine: www.persona-magazine.com Instagram @thepersonamagazine Connect with our Guests: Grace O'Neill on Instagram: @grceoneill Paulina Ortega on Instagram: @paulinapaige Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party archival imagery and licensed material (including works connected to the Lucian Freud estate) discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com

  • #138
    August 11 · 53 min

    How to actually be funny as a brand. Inside Miss Double Bay's media career, poking fun at (nearly) everything.

    "The beauty of great satire is you blur the line of whether or not something is true or not true."- Claudia Bursill Before she was Miss Double Bay, Claudia Bursill was just a uni student with a Woolworths review that spiralled into a national news story. Today, that same anonymous meme account is her literal resume; it's how she landed a job at the Betoota Advocate, and now leads talent and business development at its sister agency, Leverage. In this episode, Claudia breaks down the real mechanics behind building a satire brand: why great comedy always "punches up," never down, how she decided to reveal her identity after years behind the account, the brand deals she's turned into some of her most-shared content, and why she thinks a running joke can build more trust than a perfectly polished post ever could. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Claudia Bursill A.K.A Miss Double Bay 01:30 — The 'Miss Double Bay' Persona & Origin Story 02:33 — Origin Story: The Woolworths Avocado Review 06:25 — The Identity Reveal 10:57 — Miss Double Bay (MDB) & Job Opportunities 13:01 — Why Authenticity Beats the Traditional Influencer Brief 14:59 — From Meme Account to Writer to Business Development 16:12 — The Future of the Creator Economy 17:23 — A Day in the Life at Leverage 20:16 — What Is Satire, Really? 20:54 — The Golden Rule: Always Punch Up 24:41 — Turning a Moment Into Content 30:12 — Climbing & Fighting the Cringe Mountain 33:41 — Riding a Trend the Right Way 40:32 — Your Relationship With Your Phone 46:12 — PNLs in Media 48:18 — Trivia Night! 52:17 — Closing & Where to Find Her TRIVIA NIGHT TICKETS! Get it here Connect with our Guest: Miss Double Bay on Instagram: @missdoublebay Claudia Bursill on Instagram: @claudiabursill The Betoota Advocate: @betootaadvocate Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas on Instagram, ⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ Us, on Instagram, ⁠@processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes third-party references (news coverage, satire case studies) used for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com

  • #137
    August 4 · 59 min

    How Merit Built a Cult Following Before It Had a Name with Aila Morin

    Aila Morin is the founding Chief Marketing Officer of Merit Beauty, one of the fastest-growing brands in the beauty industry. On this episode of Process, host Arielle Thomas sits down with Aila for a rare, in-depth conversation about brand building, marketing strategy, and product development, from Merit's earliest days as an anonymous Instagram account to its most recent Clean Volume mascara launch. Aila walks through how Merit built a loyal community before the brand even had a name, why the company skipped paid advertising entirely for its first four months, and how a single UX fix increased sales by more than 100%. She also gets candid about product failures, the emotional weight of building something people trust, and why Merit has no interest in using AI in its creative process. This conversation covers founder transparency, marketing strategy, brand building, product development, and the beauty industry from the inside, a masterclass for anyone building a brand, working in marketing, or curious how one of beauty's most consistent companies actually operates day to day. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro 00:38 — How Merit Came to Be 03:15 — Finding the White Space in Beauty 05:10 — Building a Brand That Doesn't Need the Product 07:17 — Learning to Sell from the Shop Floor 09:46 — The Secret Instagram Account That Became Merit 11:33 — Skipping Paid Ads for Community as a Focus Group 13:12 — Why Great Brands Aren't Built on Virality 16:59 — Reinventing the Foundation Stick 22:13 — Data Over Market Reports: Building Clean Volume 26:11 — The Kaizen Approach to Product Development 29:24 — Story First: How a Launch Actually Gets Built 34:15 — Why Merit Never Starts With the Grid 35:20 — Casting With a Story: Whitney Leavitt & Karen Pittman 38:10 — Self-Doubt Behind the Confidence 40:28 — Owning Polarizing Reviews 42:17 — What Hasn't Worked 44:30 — The Unglamorous Reality of Running Merit 46:22 — Building a Brand That Lasts 100 Years 49:00 — Clean Volume's "See to Believe" Sampling Strategy 50:37 — The Future of Social & Why No AI Creative 52:41 — Arielle's Personal Encounter With Merit 55:36 — Beauty: Shame vs. Belonging Connect with our Guest: • Aila Morin on Instagram: @ailamorin • Merit Beauty on Instagram: @merit • Website: meritbeauty.com Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! • Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠: • Us, on Instagram,⁠ @processthepodcast •Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes third-party audio used for educational commentary and reference. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 21 · 14 min

    Petit: Why Your Portfolio Isn't Getting You Hired Anymore

    Your showreel might be quietly costing you clients, and no one's telling you that. In this solo petite episode, host Arielle Thomas walks through the exact framework she's using to recalibrate Cinema Thom: why clients now hire for problem-solving over taste, the real difference between a showreel and a case study, and the asset-mapping system replacing both. Part life update, part masterclass in founder transparency; including the six months she went quiet online, why that was a mistake, and the Tyler the Creator clip that changed how she thinks about promoting her own work. In this episode, you'll learn: The real difference between a showreel and a case study and why clients now expect both How to build a campaign asset map (Arielle's own team framework) Why "Rome wasn't built in a day" should be a content strategy, not an excuse The system Arielle's team uses to keep posting consistently without her being the bottleneck INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro 00:43 — Why Clients Hire Me Now 02:54 — Showreel vs. Case Study, Defined 03:35 — Building the Asset Map 05:15 — Put Out Your Work (Tyler the Creator clip) 06:19 — Systems & Processes 08:15 — Behind-the-Scenes Beats the Hero Shot 09:15 — The Recalibration Roadmap 11:04 — Who Do I Want to Be? 12:12 — Closing & Community Enjoyed this Petit? Join our Community! Cinema Thom: @cinema_thom ( https://bit.ly/4fwwZI7 ) Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ (https://bit.ly/4v21hby) Us, on Instagram,⁠@processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl) Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/44pdcFf) Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes third-party audio used for educational commentary and reference. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please get in touch with hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 15 · 1 hr 6 min

    Playboy to Summer Fridays: Ali Mitton Reclaims the Female Gaze

    "If people want to work with you, they’re going to find you. So you've just got to create the work, be aligned with your own taste, and put it out there." — Ali Mitton From a darkroom in the Gold Coast to shooting global campaigns in Los Angeles, photographer Ali Mitton has built an undeniable, sun-drenched career capturing freedom, raw movement, and elevated beauty. But what happens when the high stakes of commercial advertising pull you away from your artistic centre? In this incredibly raw and transparent conversation, Ali opens up about building massive relationships with legacy brands like CoverGirl and Aerie, navigating the toxic comparison loops of Instagram, and how a devastating personal crisis, losing her dream home in the 2025 LA wildfires, sparked an existential creative reckoning. We dive deep into the differences between the Australian and American industry landscapes, the realities of high-stakes commercial sets, and why true artistry requires the courage to say "no". INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro 04:32 — Owning the Title Before You've Earned It 07:46 — Protecting Your Signature as Jobs Get Bigger 12:06 — The No-Retouching Era 16:16 — Getting Dropped 21:10 — How Dream Clients Actually Find You 24:35 — Shooting Playboy for the Female Gaze 28:29 — Legacy Clients, Celebrities & Managing Egos 34:35 — Being the Client for Once 36:55 — Losing the House in the LA Fires 43:45 — Learning to Say No 48:04 — The Impossible Shot List 57:51 — Beauty's Nostalgic Rewind 1:01:28 — Instagram Rewind: Behind the Shots Connect with our Guest: Ali Mitton on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4vLjmuR Website: www.alimitton.com https://bit.ly/3T12QJj Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ https://bit.ly/4v21hby Us, on Instagram,⁠@processthepodcast https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast https://bit.ly/44pdcFf Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! * This episode includes third-party images and video clips used for educational commentary and visual references. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 8 · 58 min

    Inside Everyone's Favourite Creative Substack, Art Direction with Zoë Yasemin

    "If everyone draws from the same pool of images, but they don't know why they're drawing from that, the work becomes the same." - Zoë Yasemin Welcome back to Process the Podcast. This week, Arielle sits down with Dutch-based creative director, researcher, and the brilliant mind behind the viral, globally ranked Substack: The Art Direction, Zoë Yasemin. While previous guests have masterfully explored the mechanics of still-life curation and multimedia stop-motion, Zoë’s strength is the depth of her reference pool. In this expansive dialogue, Zoë and Arielle dissect "aesthetic flattening" - the dangerous cultural cycle where creators pull from the exact same surface-level internet algorithms, leading to an inevitable sameness in modern brand output. From bidding on rare, vintage indie magazines on eBay to studying the historical representation of the female form, Zoe shares an elite masterclass on how to bridge the gap between a beautiful mood board and world-class execution. Inside the Episode: 00:00 — Intro 05:22 — Decades of Visual History 11:43 — What is True "Taste"? 17:10 — The 57K Substack Secret Blueprint 22:53 — Sourcing References Beyond Pinterest 28:22 — The Visual Curriculum Framework 33:10 — Finding Unexpected Creative Fuel 38:10 — Heritage Brand World-Building 43:49 — Inside a 3-Day Editorial Marathon 49:04 — Embracing Human Craft Over AI Connect with our Guest: Zoë Yasemin on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3TixD4k The Art Direction School on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4vgZgrZ Art Direction on Substack: https://bit.ly/4gsNWp3 Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ (https://bit.ly/4v21hby) Us, on Instagram,⁠@processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl) Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/44pdcFf) Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! * This episode includes third-party images and video clips used for educational commentary and visual reference. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 30 · 24 min

    Petit: Creatives Are The New Athletes

    "The reason why I want to instill you guys to care about this... is not because I want you to care about basketball. It's because I want you to care about the shape of the story. It's the unglamorous, the hours and hours and hours that go into unrewarded work." — Arielle Thomas Welcome back to another episode of Process the Podcast. We are sliding right back into the studio this week, and the way we are looking at our craft is getting a little bit sharper. In this unfiltered, solo Petit, Arielle steps directly up to the microphone to strip away the soft, algorithmic romanticism of the creative life. This episode drops a massive operational framework: creatives must think and work like high-performance athletes to truly get ahead. Pulling structural parallels from the historic 53-year championship wait of the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson’s relentless work ethic, and Kobe Bryant’s obsessive midnight training methods, Arielle breaks down how to navigate the modern wave of AI slop and self-optimisation burnout. This is a raw, grounded look at how to get excited about the unglamorous reps, master the actual volume of your craft, and build an unbreakable work ethic when absolutely nobody is watching. Inside the Episode: 00:00 Resetting the Outlook: The Creative Entrepreneurship Shift 02:04 The New York Knicks & The Half-Century Wait for Greatness 04:24 The Myth of the Short-Cut: Fighting AI Slop with Athlete Logic 07:51 The Unglamorous Reps & Staring Down Unrewarded Work 09:43 Borrowing the Engine: Inspiration vs. Disciplined Refusal 11:01 Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson, & The Strategy of Deconstruction 13:50 Mastery in Volume: The Truth of the 10,000-Hour Privilege 17:16 Audacious Thinking & The Quest to Build the Best Creative Podcast 18:50 The Toxic Optimisation Wave: Resisting Algorithmic Laziness 21:51 Romanticising the Boring: Stripping the Workspace Back to the Greats Enjoyed this Petit? Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ (https://bit.ly/4v21hby) Us, on Instagram,⁠@processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl) Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/44pdcFf) Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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