In almost every creative and entrepreneurial industry, the traditional mindset relies heavily on agents, managers, and gatekeepers to give you a break. Most people spend years waiting to be discovered or chosen. But the landscape has shifted, and relying on external forces to build your career is a trap. If you want a sustainable career, the responsibility sits entirely with you.

Gilli’s philosophy is simple: No one is coming to save you, so you have to bypass the gatekeepers and get it yourself.

In this sharp, no-nonsense keynote, Gilli unpacks how she transformed herself into a fully independent performing artist. She will share the practical skills, marketing knowledge, and most importantly, the self-reliant attitude required to build an audience from scratch. This session cuts through the fluff to focus on the reality of learning how to market, sell, and fill your own shows. It is a blueprint on how to earn a living doing what you love, despite being, by her own description, “very un-famous.”

This talk is for any artist, creator, or entrepreneur who wants to stop waiting for permission and start building. Gilli will prove that you do not need a massive corporate machine behind you to succeed internationally; the tools to do so are available to anyone willing to learn them. You will leave this event energised, with a completely rewritten perspective on self-marketing and the practical tools to take absolute ownership of your career.