Darren’s and Alison’s roles evolved into two very different areas of the business. Darren became the upfront face of the business, strategically working with clients, while Alison’s personality naturally led her to a more behind-the-scenes role, working with staff and managing the office.
Before Chilli, Alison’s career spanned several client-facing, service-based roles. From working as a Law Clerk in the courts to a Chiropractic Assistant and later as a PA to a Fashion Designer, she gained experience across a broad range of industries.
From the moment the first team member was hired, Alison’s focus has been on office operations, team training, and mentoring in the often-overlooked art of client service.
Richard Branson once said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” This philosophy is one Alison has embraced wholeheartedly. While overseeing finances and running the office, she is also willing to step in wherever needed—whether that means making a coffee or collecting dishes.
A significant part of Alison’s role involves supporting team members in their career growth—not just for Chilli’s benefit but to help them build a foundation for their future personal and professional success.
For those who work with Chilli, they become part of Alison’s extended family. While that sometimes leads to heartbreak, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Reflecting on the evolution of the business over more than 30 years, Alison acknowledges the journey has been filled with ups and downs, laughter and heartbreak, celebrations and challenges. All of these experiences have shaped both the person she has become and the business as it stands today.
As Colin Powell once said: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
We have been working with Chilli for 3+ months now on some projects. In the beginning, they took the time to understand our project goals and have done their upmost to bring that into reality. Their team is always a pleasure to deal with and we have found them to be understanding and flexible within reason. I couldn’t recommended them more.
EMT Medical Services engaged Chili Media to improve our Google Ads account, after a detailed consultation Fran took charge of our account and the phone hasn’t stop ringing. On her advice, EMT is now in the process of updating our website and SEO. All the staff at Chilli are ultimate professionals who are invested in improving our business. Di & I can’t thank them enough. They also do great coffee!!! We highly recommend Chilli.
This is an amazing company with highly skilled, well trained and organised staff. They found a solution for my business that I did not think was possible for the value they offer. Why hire a marketing person with just one skill set when Chilli can provide a range of services and solutions within a reasonable budget? The competitive advantage they have with their own production company- Pepper Productions makes for seamless execution for content creation. Great company – could not recommend them highly enough.
The team is very helpful and patient with our website project for our allied health clinic. Maddie and the web development team are very easy to work with. They always follow up with us. I definitely recommend them.
Kings Beach Surf Club’s experience with Chilli has been fantastic. We initially reached out to Chilli for our brand rollout, and from there we have been working together on several other incredible projects. Right from the first moment we met with Darren, it’s been a great experience. Darren’s and the team’s ideas right in our first conversation set us up to succeed. At Chilli, they always make you feel comfortable, simply by their knowledge and experience. They are always happy for us to come into the office, sometimes on really short notice. They were fantastic and we were comfortable from the minute we stepped in the door.
Chilli are an essential part of the marketing team at Pacific Lutheran College! We have been working with Darren Blake and his team for well over 10 years now. We have worked closely with Chilli to develop strategic marketing plans and direction. A key part of their roll has been in enhancing the community profile of the College. Over the years we have engaged with Chilli for a wide range of services including graphic design, web development, digital and print advertising, strategic development and branding. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Chilli into the future.
Meeting face to face is always preferred as it can be helpful to call on our relevant team members if required.
However we are also happy to chat via Zoom.
