Josh’s 10 Years at Hotglue
Josh Poole, one of our Business Directors, has recently celebrated an incredible milestone: ten years at Hotglue! He was one of our inaugural team members following the inception of the agency in 2010.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working, partying and rocking with Josh over the past 10 years! He's just a gem of a human and embodies everything we want Hotglue to stand for. Josh, we thank you for being such an integral part of our lives and for making Hotglue the success it is today. Here's to many more years of collaboration and friendship! Love ya big guy. 🤜🤛 ”
Nick Smith, co-founder
We thought it would be nice to chat to Josh and reflect on his decade at the company. (Not many people can say that!)
When did you start and who was your first client?
I started May 13th, 2013! HSV and the Holden Racing Team were my first clients. These exciting brands were definitely a big draw card in taking the role - touring the country with Supercars and working on the most iconic team in the sport's history was a great opportunity, along with the associated road car performance brand, HSV. These are the best road cars ever made in Australia so the fan/owner passion is immense. Leveraging that has been a lot of fun and working with their amazing assets was epic - incredible vehicles, championship winning drivers.
On top of those great clients, I had a gut feeling that the founders and other team members were super down to earth, engaged, smart and trustworthy people... I was pretty sure I was onto a winner... and 10 years later I'm still a happy Hotglue-r!
Tell us about your progression through the agency and how it feels to now be a part of the leadership team.
I started as a social media manager and have enjoyed growing in my role and responsibilities as the agency has continued to build. My challenges have evolved over the journey which has ensured I've never felt bored, I’m continually learning and being stretched. The support has been there when I've needed it but I've revelled in owning my role and operating independently. I have always been trusted with that autonomy from the start.
Some memories from over the years: behind the scenes with the race team. *setting up a GoPro, not a selfie!
I can reflect on a lot of growth here at Hotglue, across 10 years. It's been nice to lean into my strengths but more importantly it's been a wonderful environment to improve my skill gaps and my ability to navigate tricky situations. This has happened organically and at a great pace.
Structural updates in the last few years have made a huge difference to our output and operations. Better access to the right senior resources has sent ripples through the quality of our work at all levels. Beyond the talent and smarts, the leadership team is a valuable group of quality people that I very much enjoy collaborating with on high level challenges.
What has changed most in social media since you started?
I started working in social media in 2010 before Instagram was launched! Those were simpler times. Facebook was the main platform, with some YouTube and Twitter on the side, all with a main news feed format only in one ratio (no Stories, Reels, Shorts, etc). The increased amount of platforms and varied publishing formats/ratios within has made working in social media more labour intensive but speaks to how relevant the industry is. I hope a mental health focus continues to be a strong overarching filter for the future of this awesome industry.
What’s one of your favourite things about working at Hotglue?
The vibe. It's as simple as that. I love the great atmosphere Hotglue has. It evolves as we grow but I believe good people attract good people, so our authentic core values remain true. We are real, open, honest, trustworthy. I want to work in a team and office that feels good. And that box is very much ticked at Hotglue.
Some memories from over the years: Twinning with Jo.
Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Hotglue and something you're most proud of?
That's tough to pick one from a decade of good times! Beyond the awesome parties we have had over the years, my favourite single memory is probably covering a Holden Racing Team win at Clipsal. The adrenaline built across the race leading into the post-race coverage, and seeing the team’s fans react with my content in real time was a thrill.
I'm most proud of the exceptional team I've helped to build — on a personal level they're all amazing individuals, and professionally, it's such a pleasure to help develop very talented people. And to pick one client example, our journey with Mountain Top — a few years ago they were B2B only. We kicked off a B2C lead generation test campaign for them in 2020. Now, we're managing their B2C digital eCom marketing across Europe, USA, New Zealand and Australia, underpinned by a wonderful partner relationship.