ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode of The Huddle Leadership Podcast, host Kate Russell sits down with Milly Albers, Managing Director of MILCO, a branding and marketing agency in Adelaide. Milly’s remarkable journey takes us from San Francisco tech startups to purpose-driven branding in Adelaide, revealing powerful lessons about authentic leadership, building trust, and creating meaningful impact through business.
At just 24, Milly found herself leading a San Francisco startup, navigating the complexities of venture capital, team building, and rapid growth—all while learning one of life's most important lessons: when something doesn't align with your values, you have the power to change it. Her transformation of a college messaging app into Boomcast, a story-sharing platform connecting changemakers worldwide, demonstrates the courage required to lead authentically.
Now running a family business with her husband, Milly works primarily with healthcare, disability, and not-for-profit organisations—purpose-driven leaders who share her commitment to making meaningful change. Through her innovative approach to branding and team leadership, including implementing a four-day work week, Milly exemplifies how businesses can prioritise both people and purpose while delivering exceptional results.
Key Takeaways
Align your work with your values: When the original intention of a business doesn't sit with your core beliefs, it's okay to completely change direction to align with your values—and you shouldn't be afraid to make that change
"Don't hate, create": Rather than complaining about what's wrong, channel that energy into creating solutions and building what you wish existed in the world
Listen more than you speak: Great leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room—it's about being the one who truly listens, a skill that often develops from being the quiet observer
Build trust through authenticity: Trust comes from being real and transparent—showcasing real photos instead of stock imagery, communicating honestly about capabilities, and taking people on your journey rather than faking expertise you don't have
Three essential marketing rules: Look great and be intentional in everything you do; be real and useful in the content you share; and shout out—don't hide behind perfectionism or imposter syndrome
Trust your team completely: When you implement flexible working arrangements like a four-day work week without micromanagement or rigid KPIs, trust becomes the foundation that allows people to deliver quality work while pursuing personal goals
Purpose transcends profit: Every business contributes value to society, whether in the not-for-profit sector or providing essential services—when leaders recognise this inherent purpose, they create more engaged and fulfilled teams
Enable creativity and wellbeing: Giving team members dedicated time for personal creative projects and wellbeing, like Mondays for passion projects or wellness activities, builds loyalty and enhances the work they do during regular hours.
Featured Discussion
Milly's startup journey offers a masterclass in authentic leadership under pressure. At 22, she joined a founding team in the Netherlands, quickly rising through the ranks before being asked to lead a San Francisco-based startup at 24. With absolutely no knowledge of what a CEO role entailed, no understanding of funding, and no experience managing teams, she said yes purely because it sounded exciting.
The real transformation came when Milly confronted a fundamental misalignment: the company targeted "drunken college kids" with a group messaging app—a mission that didn't resonate with her values. Rather than continuing down this path, she and her graphic designer completely transformed the business into Boomcast, a story-sharing platform helping people overcome loneliness by moving beyond the superficial world of Instagram and Facebook to create authentic connections.
The pivot was remarkably successful. Organisations like Change.org and the Rockefeller Foundation partnered with them, and influential figures like Jay Shetty (before his mainstream fame) collaborated on the platform, creating a movement of changemakers eager to do meaningful work.
However, success brought unexpected challenges. As the platform grew, imposter syndrome set in, and Milly discovered one of our deepest fears: that something would become too successful for us to handle. This fear, rather than external obstacles, contributed to the venture's eventual decline.
Kate and Milly explore how this experience shaped Milly’s current approach to leadership at MILCO, where she's applied hard-won lessons about value alignment, authentic communication, and sustainable growth.
Innovation Spotlight: The Four-Day Work Week Philosophy
One of the most compelling aspects of this conversation is Milly’s implementation of a four-day work week at MILCO, demonstrating how small businesses can set their own rules from the start.
The team doesn't work on Mondays, designating them as creative and wellbeing days where employees can pursue anything they choose—one team member uses the time to learn about opening her dream ice cream shop and develop business skills, while another focuses on running, beach time, and building her illustration portfolio.
This isn't simply about reduced hours—it's about acknowledging the whole person. Milly openly recognises that employees won't stay with MILCO forever and that's okay, because the four-day arrangement demonstrates understanding that team members have lives and goals outside the business that deserve support.
The arrangement operates on flexibility rather than rigid rules. When tight deadlines require it, the team might work a bit later one evening or occasionally use their Monday to finish projects, but there's no debt-tracking or "you owe me" mentality. The only expectation is that clients receive quality work within agreed timelines—no KPIs, no micromanagement, just trust.
This approach mirrors Milly’s experience with a previous CEO who led without KPIs or nitpicky check-ins, creating an environment where Milly stayed for six to seven years purely because of the trust and respect she received.
Quotable Moments
"Don't hate, create. Anything that's bothering you or something you wish you could change—if you could create it and change it, what would it be?"
"I was always the shy type, super, super shy. But actually, I was just the kid who listened. And I think that is part of my leadership style."
"We're all very smart, intuitive human beings, and we can sniff any little fakeness or BS from a mile away, especially with AI getting bigger and bigger."
"One of our biggest fears is that if something becomes too big, we're not going to be able to handle it."
"Look great and be intentional, be real and useful, and shout out and be proud of what you do."
"If my staff just want to make money, they come to work to make money and then they go home again—that's an assumption about intention that fits with your narrative, but isn't necessarily true."
"When I realised that I just love creating this whole feeling of bringing a vision to life through visuals... to see that sparkle in someone's eyes when they're so wanting to change lives or improve things—to know that I contributed to that is awesome."
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