Why Culture Matters More Than People Think

By Julia Comelli

When I first walked into the Social Star office in March 2025, I genuinely felt like I was going to throw up. Not because anything was wrong and not because anybody was intimidating, but because I was a 21-year-old uni student who had absolutely no idea what she was doing. At the time, I was studying my business degree at RMIT and needed to complete an internship to finish my course. Sounds simple enough, except I could not find one to save my life. I applied everywhere - every internship listing, every graduate program, every “entry-level” role that somehow required three years of experience. Nothing was sticking.

Eventually, my dad, who happened to be a client of Social Star - reached out to Andrew Ford, the CEO, and asked if he’d be willing to chat with me about an internship opportunity. Thankfully, Andrew said yes. Looking back now, that one conversation honestly changed everything for me.

Before the interview even happened, I treated it like I was preparing for the Olympics. I booked an appointment with the RMIT careers counsellor because I had genuinely never interviewed for a corporate role before. I asked them what I should wear, how I should introduce myself, how to answer questions properly - literally everything. I rehearsed answers in my bedroom like I was preparing for a TED Talk. I picked my outfit a week in advance. On the day of the interview, I arrived almost an hour early because I was terrified of being late, then spent the next 45 minutes pacing up and down the street pretending I was calm. I absolutely was not calm.

Day of my Interview... Careers counsellor told me to put a sticky note on my mirror that says "you got this!"

I remember walking into the office feeling like I was entering this huge world that everybody else already understood except me. Everyone seemed experienced and confident and professional, and I felt like this tiny little fish swimming into a giant ocean full of sharks. But then something unexpected happened. The interview that was supposed to last 45 minutes turned into almost two hours. We just kept talking - about marketing, creativity, business, life - and by the end of it, I felt slightly less terrified.

Andrew brought me on as an intern, and that’s where my journey at Social Star really started. In the beginning, I worked under my account manager, Tiana, who became my mentor throughout my time there. Honestly, I don’t think people realise how important it is to have someone like that when you’re brand new to the workforce. Especially when you’re young. Tiana became the person I could ask anything to without feeling stupid, and when I say anything, I genuinely mean anything.

Not just work questions either. I mean things like, “How do I use the espresso machine?” “What time do people usually arrive?” “Is this outfit too casual?” “How do I close the office door properly because I swear it’s broken?” And genuinely, for the first week, I couldn’t find the bathroom light switch, but I was too embarrassed to ask anyone where it was, so I literally just peed in the dark. For a week. Which honestly tells you everything you need to know about how intimidating starting your first office job can feel.

A photo from my first day at Social Star !

It’s funny looking back now, but at the time, those little things felt massive. When you’re new somewhere, especially in a professional environment, you don’t want to seem annoying or inexperienced. You don’t want to ask the “dumb” questions. But the reality is everybody has them, and having someone who makes you feel comfortable enough to ask those questions changes everything.

Over time, I slowly started becoming more comfortable in the office. I got more confident speaking to clients, more confident sharing ideas, and more confident just existing in the space without overthinking every tiny thing I did. Eventually, something shifted. I stopped trying so hard to act “corporate” and just started being myself.

I’m loud sometimes. I make silly jokes. I send random TikToks into the group chat during stressful weeks. I talk to everyone. I probably yap a little too much. But I realised something really important during my time at Social Star: that side of me actually mattered. Not because being “funny” is some groundbreaking business strategy, but because culture matters way more than people think it does.

Especially in environments like marketing agencies where everything moves fast all the time. People are juggling deadlines, client communication, content shoots, strategy, edits, meetings - sometimes all before lunch. It’s easy for workplaces to become environments where everyone is stressed, disconnected, and just trying to survive the week. But culture changes that. A good culture makes people feel comfortable contributing ideas. It makes interns less afraid to ask questions. It makes stressful weeks feel manageable because people feel supported instead of isolated.

I think that’s where I naturally found my place at Social Star. Everyone in marketing kind of has their “thing.” Some people are strategy people. Some people are design people. Some people are analytics people. I think my thing became culture, communication, and being approachable. Being the person that new team members feel safe coming to because I know exactly what it feels like to be the terrified intern sitting quietly in the corner pretending she understands what everyone’s talking about.

Me and the girls

Now, whenever new interns join the company, I immediately put myself back in their shoes. I ask them to come to lunch with me. I ask for their socials. I check in on them. I reassure them that nobody actually has everything figured out. Because I remember how much it mattered to me when somebody did that for me.

And now, over a year later, everything feels weirdly full circle. Tiana, who mentored me through my internship and first year, has recently left the company, and I’m now working independently as a marketing coordinator, managing my own clients and projects. I even have an intern under me now, which honestly still feels surreal to say out loud.

Sometimes I’ll be helping them with tasks or answering questions, and I suddenly remember being the nervous girl who was too scared to ask where the bathroom light switch was. Now I’m the person helping somebody else feel comfortable.

That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned during my time at Social Star: culture isn’t just some extra “nice-to-have” thing in workplaces. It shapes people. A good culture gives people confidence before they fully have it themselves. It gives people room to grow into who they are professionally. And sometimes, all it takes is one person making somebody feel welcome for them to completely flourish.

The Team <3

I know that because somebody once did it for me.

And now, I just try to pass that feeling on to the next person who walks through the door.