Juggling with Julia: Life, Lens and Projects at Brafton

You know those people who seem to have an uncanny ability to spin multiple plates, juggle flaming swords and balance on a tightrope, all at the same time? Well, if you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when such a person sits at the helm of Brafton’s project management department, meet Julia Hergart. 

Her typical day might include liaising with international teams, coordinating deliverables, planning for a multitude of projects and still finding time to take a coastal walk during her lunch break. 

But Julia doesn’t just juggle work tasks, she also indulges in hobbies that require the same delicate balance — like yoga and film photography. “I love the idea of just having one shot and the excitement of having it developed!” Julia shares. 

Well, crafting this piece about her feels just like that — I have one shot to captzure Julia’s essence (with the luxury of a few rounds of edits and peer revisions, of course).

So to truly get this right, let’s rewind a little to where it all started…

Julia’s Journey to Brafton

Picture this: you’re scrolling through LinkedIn, and a job posting catches your eye. As you read the description, a wave of excitement builds — it’s as if someone crafted a role just for you. This was Julia’s exact experience the day she discovered Brafton.

From overseeing projects at university to running a content creation agency alongside her studies, and later working in a marketing role at a fashion label, Julia’s path to Brafton was paved with varied experiences. Her business and economics degree, as well as her wide-ranging work history, provided her with an all-encompassing understanding of the broader business context, an invaluable asset in her role.

Julia recounts, “I found out about Brafton through a job posting on LinkedIn, and as I read through the job description I knew I had to apply. The role felt like a perfect fit for my interests and skills, and I was excited for the opportunity to work for a global company and leader within the industry.”

From the get-go, what attracted Julia to Brafton was the scope and diversity of the role. The chance to work with a wide range of businesses, across different industries and in different parts of the world, was thrilling. More so, she relished the prospect of working with various types of content and collaborating with the “amazingly talented production teams.”

She works closely with our clients in the APAC region, making sure the content we deliver not only meets their goals but aligns with their marketing strategies, too. A key element of her work also involves ensuring that the different teams are well-supported. “I have very close contact with all our production teams to make sure they have all the information and support they need to create amazing content.”

However, it’s not all about the content delivery for Julia. An essential part of her role lies in nurturing client relationships. She says, “Another important part of my role is to build relationships with clients, so they want to keep working with us!”

Julia in Action

Julia’s work experience at Brafton is a blend of autonomy, learning and flexibility. She found herself entrusted with considerable responsibility from day one — an empowering gesture she sees as a testament to Brafton’s faith in their employees. “I’ve found this very empowering and it has helped me to develop and learn quickly,” Julia shares.

She’s on a continuous learning journey at Brafton. Working amidst experts across various departments, Julia is constantly awed by the range of skills around her. “It’s really inspiring to be around people with such a wide range of skills!”

Julia’s most recent success story gives a glimpse into her approach. “Managing website redesigns can be very challenging, but when you have an amazing team of creatives and production staff, the results can be spectacular. We were able to create a website that the client absolutely loved,” she recounts.  “There’s nothing quite like delivering a project that the client is thrilled with. Being there from the very start until the end and witnessing how all the pieces come together — it’s incredibly rewarding.”

A Word of Advice

Working at Brafton, Julia thrives in its global atmosphere. “We have people on almost every continent! I love that I can work with people from all over the world, all with different backgrounds.” 

Her advice to anyone who’s interested in a project management career? Dive into real-life situations. “The more you manage different projects, the more you learn and the more comfortable you become with handling unexpected circumstances.” 

In her view, creative agencies are the ideal launchpad for budding project managers. Here, you can learn quickly, work with diverse projects and engage with various clients. But remember, it’s a role that comes with substantial responsibility. “Try it out first, maybe manage an event or volunteer to oversee a project at your workplace,” Julia suggests.

So keep juggling, keep balancing and may your journey continue to develop in the most beautiful ways. 

As for me, I can only marvel at how Julia makes it all work. And who knows, perhaps one day we’ll see her juggling flaming swords during a yoga pose, all while balancing on a tightrope strung between two cliffs on one of her coastal walks. Knowing Julia, I wouldn’t put it past her!