Hard on the Work. Kind on the People.
It started with a shoutout for grads. It’s time for another.
Dedicated to Simon Gill.
Creative, mentor, friend.
He was one of the few that truly supported ShoutOutToHelpOut.
Simon believed in doing the hard work, while being kind while doing it.
Simon sadly passed away in 2023. But his mantra lives on.
It didn’t start with a spreadsheet.
It started with a dumb lightbulb moment.
The kind where you go: “Oh! Of course.”
Of course I hadn’t heard from any graduates.
They were in lockdown.
Their final shows had been cancelled.
Their internships vanished overnight.
And they were sat in bedrooms or back at their parents’ homes, wondering if the thing they’d just spent years preparing for even existed anymore.
They were alone. Quiet. Forgotten.
So I did something.
Not big. Not clever. Just… something.
I called it ShoutOutToHelpOut.
Real people. Real work. Zero gatekeeping.
I built the site to help grads get seen—quickly, honestly, and without needing to build a “personal brand” or network like a pro.
Complete a simple Google form.
Name, image, portfolio, discipline, location, and a fun fact.
Their info fed directly into a live site.
That triggered shoutouts across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram—and my own channels too.
No algorithm. No clout. Just talent.
And I talked to them—hundreds of them.
30-minute Zoom chats.
Some structured. Some messy.
All human.
I also launched a podcast. Not to go viral.
But to teach myself how to write, record, edit, and publish something real.
To understand what it really takes to bring something into the world from scratch.
And to give the mic to people who don’t always get one.
Guests included [then] grads (now award-winning creatives) Lucy Donagh, Charlotte Alford, and creative duo Mary Buzbee & Lauren Meadows, alongside voices like Jo Wallace, Paul Mellor, Graham Wood, Murray Allan, Vikki Ross, and more.
They remembered what it felt like to start out.
They wanted to help.
And they did.
Vikki Ross - Copywriting Royalty episode:
The platform was simple. That was the point.
🎓 Grads selected up to 3 disciplines from a list of 27
📍 Chose their location + whether they were open to relocating
📸 Uploaded one image, a portfolio link and their Linkedin profile 🔗
🔁 Boom—auto-published to the site and socials
And in under a year, 40+ grads connected with mentors, landed placements, interviews, or even their first roles.
Some of them told me:
“I’d felt forgotten. This gave me a tiny spark of hope.”
“It was the first time I saw myself listed as a creative—like I belonged.”
“I got my first job because of one of your shoutouts.”
And then there were the messages months—or years—later:
April 15, 2025
A LinkedIn DM from Hannah Neil:
“That one action has led to a job I love—still—four years on. I’m so grateful.”
It was a portfolio share. A short message. One connection. That’s all it took.
And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
And sometimes, the messages aren’t from the grads themselves—but from the people rooting for them.
February 17, 2025
A message from James, Lola’s dad:
“Thank you for your support and belief in Lola… and for helping her take the first step in what I’m sure will be a rewarding career.
It’s so refreshing that you’d take your time to help an eager youngster starting out and really champion her cause… I hope I can buy you a beer one of these days.”
So… why bring this up now?
Because the need hasn’t gone away.
It’s gotten worse.
Redundancies. Ghosting.
Brilliant, experienced people being told they’re “too senior” or “not quite right.”
Let’s be honest—the creative industry has always had an ageism problem.
It used to be quiet.
Now the silence is deafening.
And the only thing louder is the sound of doors closing on brilliant people.
Agencies are downsizing.
Roles are shrinking.
AI’s chewing up timelines, specs, and confidence.
And while grads still need help breaking in, they’re not the only ones being left out.
There are:
🟣 Seniors who built teams—now rewriting CVs in silence
🟣 Midweights stuck in churn, overlooked for growth
🟣 Returners, carers, and parents facing closed doors
🟣 Freelancers refreshing inboxes, waiting on ghosted promises
And if independent creative companies really are rising again—remote, lean, mission-led—isn’t it time for a better way to find talent?
Something more human, less exhausting than LinkedIn.
Searchable. Generous. Kind.
Because we don’t need another network.
We need a signal.
A useful tool for finding work. Sharing talent. Feeling seen.
What if I brought it back?
No big reveal.
No product launch.
Just a space. For everyone.
Juniors looking to be seen.
Mids trying not to burn out.
Seniors with everything still to give.
Freelancers needing visibility.
And anyone trying to stay in the game—without playing games.
It wouldn’t take much.
Just some intention, curiosity, and care.
A bit of code. A few hours a week.
And some decent people willing to shout others out.
I’m not relaunching yet.
Just floating a flag in the ground.
Quietly. Out loud.
Want in?
If you’d like to be featured, mentor someone, or help build what comes next:
👉 Fill out this quick form
Or just reply and say hi. That works too.
I’m easy like Sunday mornings.
—Steve