Katie Feder, Registered Psychotherapist and Mental Health Expert, and Mike Tsapazi, Managing Director at The Edison Agency, share career advice that changed everything in this conversation with Never Not Creative founder Andy Wright. Katie explores why bringing people along for the journey (rather than just delegating tasks) creates ownership and transforms culture, while also reflecting on a pivotal moment about authenticity over perfection. Essential insights for anyone leading creative teams or struggling with workplace dynamics. Sometimes the simplest advice creates the biggest impact.
When you're leading a team or project, it's tempting to work everything out yourself and then delegate tasks. But there's a much more powerful approach that transforms both results and relationships.
This question was answered by Katie Feder – Registered Psychotherapist and Mental Health Expert – who brings deep understanding of human psychology and workplace dynamics, and Mike Tsapazi – Managing Director at The Edison Agency – whose 25+ years of retail expertise with brands like Nike and Bunnings has shaped his human-centered leadership approach. The conversation was hosted by Andy Wright, Founder of Never Not Creative, who asked: "What's the best piece of career advice you have been given?"
Katie's career-defining advice was beautifully simple: "bring people along for the journey." Rather than making decisions in isolation and then asking others to execute them, involving your team in the process creates something magical.
"It develops teams and teamwork and has such a massive positive impact on culture," Katie explains. "It's empowering as well and critically people take ownership when they're involved in building something and from there that when they take ownership that's when the magic starts to happen."
When people feel genuinely involved in creating something, their entire relationship with the work changes. They stop being passive recipients of instructions and become active contributors with skin in the game.
As Katie puts it: "You'll never get the input or the output that you want" if you simply tell people what to do after you've already figured everything out. The collaborative approach unlocks both better ideas and stronger commitment.
Katie also shared a transformative moment from her studies when she was struggling to keep up with other students' perfectly polished responses. Her course leader helped her realise something profound: "This is not asking for you to rinse and repeat what you already know how to do. This is asking for you to come into your heart and operate from a different space."
The lesson? Sometimes our constraints force us away from our default patterns and towards more authentic ways of working. "I can be me, that I'm enough that I actually if I just show up authentically, stop trying to play a role or do a thing, that that makes space for a much more powerful way of moving through the world."
If you're navigating leadership challenges or feeling isolated in your creative work, Never Not Creative's Circles programme offers peer support in small groups of 8-10 creatives. These monthly sessions provide a safe, confidential space to share experiences and learn from others facing similar challenges. The programme focuses on mental health education, practical skills, and building lasting supportive relationships. Learn more about NNC Circles.
The best career advice often isn't about which job to take or which skills to develop. It's about how we work with other people. When you bring others along for the journey, you're not just getting better results – you're creating the kind of workplace culture where everyone can thrive.
With over 25 years in retail, Michael combines sharp commercial thinking with a people-first approach to leadership. He’s led transformation across brands like Nike, Bunnings, and Cotton On Group, and more recently, in the creative sector—overseeing operations, culture, and customer experience at an award-winning agency. Known for his curiosity and inclusive style, Michael empowers teams to drive meaningful change, balancing strategic growth with genuine care for the people behind the work.
Registered psychotherapist blending Jungian & Eastern approaches with modern science to support emotional wellbeing. Works holistically, tailoring therapy to each person, now based in Australia.
Founder of Never Not Creative, CEO of Streamtime & co-chair of Mentally Healthy, driven to make the creative industry fairer & more human. Believes great work should never cost wellbeing.
