‘The way you do anything is the way you do everything’: Aussie CEO reveals why he chucked out the 9-5 rule book
A Melbourne CEO has revealed his unconvential approach to running his business that is making him go viral right now
There’s an office in Melbourne where getting a tattoo and a performance by a drag queen isn’t an uncommon sight during a meeting, and the CEO claims his unconventional approach is just good for business.
Marcus Willis runs the Melbourne creative agency Kill Boring Dead, alongside his business partner Jackson Springer.
He believes that in order for creativity to thrive, you need to provide your staff with more than just a stale office environment.
Speaking to news.com.au, Mr Willis argued that most people have worked in grim offices with no vibe.
When he opened Kill Boring Dead in January 2025, he wanted to create the opposite.
“In some agencies the vibe is awful and it can be misogynistic and they will create this work horse environment and at the end of the year you’ll get a beer tab, or a pinball table or a $50 JBHIFI voucher which is the most depressing thing ever,” he said.
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Mr Willis has over 40 staff members, spread across the globe, and around 20 who regularly come into the Melbourne office.
When he opened the office in January, he wanted to work in a way that fostered creativity by making each day unique.
He really, really does mean unique; it isn’t uncommon for a drag queen to perform or for there to be an option to get a tattoo in a meeting.
“The way you do anything is the way you do everything,” he said.
“If my team is going to deliver world class creativity. I am going to give them world class perks.
“They know anything can happen at work and the ideas I get back to my clients are way more creative because of it.”
As for the upcoming work Christmas party? Mr Willis couldn’t say too much, because he likes to keep those private and exciting.
“Our Christmas party comes with a nondisclosure agreement,” he said.
“I want the Christmas party to stay within the team.”
The CEO’s unorthodox approach isn’t going unnoticed.
One employee, Rosie Brow, took to TikTok to share some of the “unhinged” things her workplace does to keep staff engaged. People were left in shock.
Ms Brow claimed there was a “budget” for cosmetics and that if she retained all her clients this year, she would receive money for it.
She also said they receive monthly wellness days and allowances, and a staff member recently spent their wellness budget on a PS5 because it helps them unwind.
People online were stunned.
“Damn mine doesn’t even pay me a living wage,” one wrote.
“The dream,” another praised.
“This is rad as hell; how did I know your boss was going to be younger than 40? This is a leader,” one commented.
“Work hard, play hard,” someone else said.
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What those perks are actually depends on the employee; Mr Willis does not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach that is often common in corporate life.
The 35-year-old understands that everyone has different goals, likes, interests, and priorities; some people want a weekend away with their partner, while others want cosmetics paid for on the company card.
He sits down with every employee and works out what motivates them, then gives them goals to achieve and if they hit those goals they get the reward they’ve chosen.
“I have one employee and their thing is they want a Jeep Gladiator, and I sat them down and said, ‘this is what you need to do, and I’ll buy you a Jeep,” he said.
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator retails for just over $80,000 but Mr Willis never regrets rewarding staff members, because he reckons it always pays off.
“The investments I make here pay for themselves because of the work and the ideas my team are bringing back to me,” he said.
Mr Willis said he sits down with every team member and asks them straight up what their career goals are, not just wanting a promotion, but long-term goals.
“I say to everyone what do you want to do in your career? What is your most messed-up dream? Do you want to win an award do you want to fly to Las Vegas?” He said.
It goes beyond just helping staff achieve their goals. Mr Willis wants every day in the office to feel interesting and stimulating.
“One of my employees loves magic. So whenever we do an event, I bring along a magician.”
“We once brought puppies into a meeting, we have a mobile masseuse and wellness days, and wellness budgets and a limo driver.”
The Melbourne boss explained that everyone on his team is playing their own little game of bingo, and once they hit enough goals they’ll also get random surprises.
“You might win a random dinner or a Jetski or a helicopter ride or something like that,” he said.
The Melbourne boss said he doesn’t have any days where you have to be in the office, and hours can be negotiable; he also doesn’t have a problem with people working from Bali.
All he wants is the work to be good.
Mr Willis argued that he wants to create an environment that shows staff a “side of life they didn’t consider previously” to help egg on their creativity.
He does not want staff to feel there is a limit to their ideas, and he thinks creating a working life, where anything can help happen fosters that.
He’d rather give a staff member an experience or buy an employee something they could never justify buying themselves.
He wants the gifts and opportunities he gives to staff to help benefit their work, to make them think bigger, because he is actively helping them live bigger lives.
The 35-year-old founder also believes in paying his staff good wages because he doesn’t want people to be on minimum wage, and hanging out for the perks.
“Everyone is (earning) above the industry standard,” he said.
Mr Willis said that when he is hiring, he looks far more at the person’s mindset than their resume. He wants to see if they’re ready to create.
“I’m looking for someone with a crazy creative appetite. The most unhinged ideas in the entire industry with a growth mindset,” he said.
“Someone who is ambitious and a little bit delusional.”
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Originally published as ‘The way you do anything is the way you do everything’: Aussie CEO reveals why he chucked out the 9-5 rule book
