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!
Petit: Why Your Portfolio Isn't Getting You Hired Anymore
Episode 136
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 13:27
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
Playboy to Summer Fridays: Ali Mitton Reclaims the Female Gaze
Episode 135
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 01:06:13
"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?
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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.
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* 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
Inside Everyone's Favourite Creative Substack, Art Direction with Zoë Yasemin
Episode 134
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 • Duration 58:14
"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
Petit: Creatives Are The New Athletes
Episode 133
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 24:14
"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?
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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.
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Encore: Vogue Receptionist to Editor in Chief with Kirstie Clements
Episode 132
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 • Duration 01:05:06
"You had an idea every ten seconds for Vogue. You can have an idea every ten seconds for yourself." - Kirstie Clements
Welcome back to Process: Encore. In this archival series, we bring forward the timeless dialogues that laid the groundwork for Process.
This week, Arielle revisits a deeply layered, expansive conversation with best selling author, journalist, and legendary former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, Kirstie Clements.
Kirstie’s 27-year trajectory at the absolute pinnacle of fashion publishing is a masterclass in creative longevity. Starting on the reception desk at age 23, she scaled the masthead to lead the iconic title through nearly thirteen years of epochal cultural shifts, international coups like anchoring Karl Lagerfeld's guest editorship and massive corporate evolutions.
In this honest session, Kirstie unpacks what happens when you step out of a rigid corporate cocoon, how she completely shed the heavyweight skin of public expectation, and what it truly means to safeguard your innate creative power.
Inside this Episode:
00:00:00 - From Vogue Receptionist to Editor in Chief: A look at a legendary 27-year trajectory, proving why mastering the unglamorous nuts and bolts of an industry scales creative longevity.
00:06:29 - Building a Vision for Australian Vogue: Navigating the intricate tightrope between corporate commercial profitability and world-class aesthetic execution.
00:12:51 - Karl Lagerfeld Guest Edits Vogue Australia: An inside look into the complex, midnight operational choreography of securing one of fashion’s biggest editorial coups.
00:14:45 - Lessons from Fashion Legends: Unpacking the relentless stamina and surprisingly unpretentious nature required to keep a creative fountain thriving over a lifetime.
00:16:16 - The Pre-Social Media Era: Celebrating the legacy of keeping monumental interactions private, far away from the obligations of front-facing camera validation.
00:20:19 - Life After Vogue: The profound psychological execution of self-reinvention once you entirely decouple your identity from corporate structures.
00:35:50 - Creative Reinvention and Freedom: Moving past corporate politics to realize that your innate ability to generate ideas can never be institutionalized.
00:44:01 - Modern Pressures on Women: Deconstructing the hyper-monetized, algorithmic anxiety targeting women's aesthetics and biological timelines.
00:53:52 - Advice for Overwhelmed Creatives: Why modern multi-hyphenates must intentionally protect their artistic sensibilities from copy-and-paste digital algorithms.
01:02:44 - What Inspires Kirstie Now: Shifting entirely away from corporate consensus to find ultimate creative sovereignty in travel, freedom, and deep mentorship.
Connect with our Guest:
Kirstie Clements on Instagram: @kirstie_clements (http://bit.ly/4oNOVSS)
Website: www.kirstieclements.com.au
Substack: @kirstieclements (https://bit.ly/4eyPcEh)
Read Her Books:
Why Did I Buy That? (https://amzn.to/4eCKipX)
The Vogue Factor (https://amzn.to/4eyA9uk)
Impressive (https://bit.ly/4fVBIoy)
Enjoyed this Encore?
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!
Encore: Georges Antoni is a Slave to the Picture
Episode 131
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 • Duration 01:00:30
"I don't say to my assistants that you're working for me... you're working for the picture, so everything you do is about making the picture better. The picture is my boss." - Georges Antoni
Welcome back to Process: Encore. In this archive series, we spotlight the foundational conversations that continue to guide our creative landscape, unedited, uncut, and re-centred for our community today.
This week, we are throwing it back to a deeply insightful conversation with one of Australia’s most in-demand commercial fashion photographers, Georges Antoni.
Georges took a beautifully unconventional route into the industry, transitioning from corporate strategy at Coca-Cola and PricewaterhouseCoopers to shooting portfolio books out of his parents' crystal-cabinet front room. Today, he architects massive productions for leading brands while fiercely maintaining a family-first philosophy. In this episode, Georges and Arielle pull apart the critical intersection of artistic integrity, active diplomacy on set, and why Australian retail is falling behind on a global scale.
Inside the Episode:
The Potency of Art Buying: Why conservative corporate hierarchies give local retailers a major global disadvantage.
The "Picture as the Boss" Protocol: Stripping ego entirely out of production so the whole team serves the final image.
The 95% Active Diplomacy Matrix: How to manage high-volume commercial mechanics while making talent feel entirely unjudged.
The 1,900 Lighting Diagram Rule: Why Georges documents every single setup to avoid lazy, repetitive lighting styles.
The Unified Creative Umbrella: Constructing a symbiotic stills-and-motion framework to stop fractured social media content.
Selling the Sizzle Over the Brand: Shifting from flawless product form to building an identity consumers actually want to ascribe to.
Connect with our Guest:
Georges Antoni on Instagram: @georgesantoni
Website: www.georgesantoni.com
Enjoyed this Encore?
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 on the next one!
Encore: Jasmine Dowling: Balancing Art, Life, and the Creative Tightrope
Episode 130
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 • Duration 01:40:19
"The more I want the work to be the focus, the more I pull back sharing myself. I want the work to speak." — Jasmine Dowling
Welcome to Process: Encore!
In this archive series, we’re spotlighting the foundational conversations that continue to guide our creative community, completely untouched from the day they first aired!
This week, we are taking you back to a hotel room in Brisbane where Arielle sat down with one of Australia’s most distinct creative eyes: multimedia artist in still and motion creation, Jasmine Dowling.
Jasmine has spent over a decade navigating the fragile balance between commercial partnerships with global mainstays like Longchamp, Mecca, Chanel, and Hermès (just to name a few) and the highly intentional, low-fi personal practices that keep her creative spirit alive. In this unfiltered conversation, she opens up about the reality of executing work that is entirely yours.
In this episode:
The 40/30/30 Split: Balancing unpaid personal exploration, client work, and paid social partnerships.
The "Slave to the Eye" Paradox: The endurance required when your hands are working overtime to match the vision in your mind.
The Low-Fi Medium Strategy: Ditching the heavy gear to capture her Paris Hermès project via film, a compact Sony, and raw iPhone voice memos.
The Illusion of "Dream Clients": The unfiltered reality of navigating heavy corporate bureaucracy and creative revisions.
The Power of the Gifted Spark: How unexpected tactile packaging triggers immediate, experimental animation concepts.
The Boundaries of Curation: Treating your digital platform strictly as a workspace while fiercely protecting your private family life.
The Forever Fear of Work Disappearing: Overcoming the anxiety that everything will crumble the moment you set structural boundaries.
Connect with our Guest:
Jasmine Dowling on Instagram: @jasminedowling
Studio & Prints: jasminedowling.com
Enjoyed this Encore?
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Your host, Arielle Thomas on Instagram, @arielle.thomas
Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast
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See you on the next one!
Petit: How to Build an Active, Engaged Community from Scratch Ft. Brooke Moody
Episode 129
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 • Duration 45:51
The boardrooms are obsessed with a community, but most are just building an audience. This week in the Clubhouse, Arielle sits down with retail and AI strategist at Amazon Web Services, corporate influencer, and community builder, Brooke Moody. If you’ve been trying to unlock the framework of how to turn passive metrics into a hyper-engaged collective, consider this your ultimate guide.
Brooke has been the hidden engine behind massive community moments; from engineering events for Hot Smart Rich that packed out rooms across New York and LA to launching her own independent collective, Aussie Angels.
In this Petit, we’re sharing the reality of what it actually takes to build infrastructure for ambitious women, without the vanity metrics or the corporate fluff.
In This Episode:
The Butler vs. The Leader: Why sideline "management" will never replace an embedded strategist leading from the front.
The 50% Engagement Matrix: Why true community spaces pull a massive 50% engagement rate compared to traditional media's 5%.
The Low-Fi Longevity Secret: How stripping away the corporate frills and over-engineered events keeps your collective sustainable.
The First 20 Rule: Why you need to ditch the 650-person waitlist obsession and focus on the first 20 people in the room.
The "What are you working on?" Pivot: The exact entry question that skips the surface small talk to drive immediate collaborative depth.
Finding Your Platform: Figuring out what platform works for you and why you should never automate community chats.
Connect with our Guest:
Brooke Moody on Instagram: @brookekmoody
Aussie Angels on Instagram: @aussie__angels
Aussie Angels Whatsapp: @aussieangels
Substack @moodboard
Enjoyed this Petit?
Join our community!
Your host, Arielle Thomas on Instagram, @arielle.thomas
Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast
Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast
(75% of people show up to these rooms completely alone. So don't be shy to join in! The community is built for you)
Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday.
See you at the next one!
Shared Stages: Reverse Engineering Your Creative Career
Episode 128
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 • Duration 35:09
We’re taking you out of the Clubhouse and onto the Masterclass Stage. 🎙️
This week, we’re sharing a special live recording from The Social Summit 2026 in Melbourne, presented by Riser Collective. Arielle joined three powerhouse women on April 23rd to pull off a topic that every creative professional needs to master: Reverse Engineering Your Creative Career.
This session explores how to intentionally design your path, make strategic pivots, and the raw reality of building a career that actually works for you, rather than waiting for a seat at the table.
The Panellists:
(From Right to Left)
Anna Mackenzie: A startup advisor, portfolio career mentor, and a leading global voice on building financially lucrative and fulfilling creative portfolio careers.
Lizzie Mulherin: Brand strategist, journalist, and founder of The Solo Co, a community platform helping women build businesses without burning out.
And your very own, Arielle Thomas: Director, Content Strategist, and Founder of Cinema Thom and Process the Podcast.
Moderated by: Rosie Boccamazzo, Social Content Manager at Melbourne Social Co.
In This Bonus Content:
The "Intentional" Approach: Arielle breaks down how she uses spec work and strategic positioning to land dream clients like Mecca & Vogue
The Portfolio Career: Anna explains the beauty of experimentation and how to build a lucrative career from multiple creative income streams
Building Without Burning Out: Lizzie shares the smartest way to transition from your corporate life to a creative business
Personal Brand as an Anchor: How to build a personal brand that does the heavy lifting for you in opening doors
Special Thanks:
A huge thank you to Amy Dickinson and Riser Collective for bringing this summit to life and allowing us to share this conversation with the listeners of Process.
All Photography by Claudia Tivendale: Instagram @claudia.tivendale
Connect with our Guests on Screen:
Anna Mackenzie
Instagram: @annaclmack
Substack:@annamackstack
Website: annamackenzie.com.au
Lizzie Mulherin
Instagram:@lizziemulherin
The Solo Co IG: @joinsoloco
The Solo Co Website: www.joinsoloco.com
Arielle Thomas
Instagram: @arielle.thomas
Cinema Thom Website: cinemathom.com
Rosie Boccamazzo:
Instagram: @rosieboccamazzo
Melbourne Social Co Website: melbournesocialco.com.au
Connect with the Makers of The Social Summit:
Amy Dickinson on IG: @amzdicko
The Social Summit IG: @thesocialsummit
Risercollective on IG: @risercollective_
Claudia Tivendale IG: @claudia.tivendale
Enjoyed the live session? Join our community!
Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast
Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast
Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you on the next one!
From 600 Followers to Netflix: The Jemma Sbeg Podcast Story
Episode 127
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 • Duration 58:54
Jemma Sbeg is the voice behind the global #1 psychology podcast, The Psychology of Your 20s. From a management consultant with a private Instagram account with only 600 followers to signing a historic global deal as one of only 15 podcasters on Netflix, Jemma has redefined what creative at scale looks like in 2026.
In this episode, she joins Arielle in the Clubhouse to pull back the curtain on the "messy middle" of her meteoric rise. They dive deep into the raw reality of moving to London with zero local production support while being tasked to deliver 96 episodes a year .
The Netflix Call: The "pinch-me" moment Jemma’s agent delivered and the immediate, grounded reaction that followed.
Network vs. Sponsors: A breakdown of how Jemma actually gets paid, including "minimum guarantees" and the "magazine ad" analogy for filling audio real estate .
Scaling the Support: Transitioning from doing her own research and editing to hiring PhD researchers and production teams.
Creative Evolution: The decision to move away from the "20-something living room" aesthetic and evolve her brand as she enters a new chapter of womanhood .
The "Dilly Dally" Routine: Jemma’s non-negotiable Sydney ritual for mental health and staying connected to her roots.
Creativity in Crisis: How Jemma stays reactive to the world climate while protecting her audience's space .
Resources:
Book: Person in Progress by Jemma Sbeg
The Ultimate Guide to your 20s.
A roadmap to navigating the personal and professional transitions of your twenties, with practical insights and reassurance that you’re not alone, from the host of the top podcast The Psychology of Your 20s
Jemma Sbeg on Instagram @jemmasbeg
The Psychology of your 20s:
Streaming on Netflix The Psychology of Your 20s
Instagram @thatpsychologypodcast
Substack @thepsychologyofyour20s
Loving the show?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 on the next one!
Inside the Episode:
Connect with Jemma:
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