From Port Melbourne to Brooklyn: How Born Social built a creative agency across two continents

What started as a one-woman social media business in Melbourne has grown into an international creative agency with offices in Port Melbourne and Brooklyn, New York.

When Janelle Warner launched Born Social in 2017, social media was only beginning to establish itself as a serious marketing channel for businesses.

At the time, many business owners knew they needed to be on Facebook and Instagram, but few had the time, skills or resources to manage their accounts properly.

"There was a real gap in the market," Janelle said.

"Businesses needed help creating content, whether that was graphics, photography or video, and they simply didn't have time to manage it all themselves."

Born Social started modestly.

Its first clients included a café, a winery and several shopping centres. The agency operated from a small office in Elwood, helping businesses navigate a rapidly changing social media landscape.

Over the following years, demand grew.

As social media evolved from an optional marketing tool into a core business channel, Born Social expanded its services beyond social media management into content creation, photography, videography, graphic design, paid advertising, influencer marketing, SEO and website development.

The business eventually outgrew its original home and moved into a larger headquarters in Port Melbourne, complete with its own production studio.

Today, Born Social employs 16 staff in Melbourne and works with more than 60 clients across Australia and overseas.

For Janelle, one of the biggest milestones came in 2022 when the agency opened a second office in Brooklyn, New York.

"Honestly, it felt like the right time because the work was leading us there," she said.

The move wasn't without challenges.

Learning the American tax system, establishing a business structure and building a team from the other side of the world created a steep learning curve.

But demand from clients continued to grow.

The Brooklyn office now services both US and international brands, while Melbourne remains the agency's headquarters.

"Melbourne is where it all started, and it's shaped everything about how we work," Janelle said.

"There's a creative energy here that's hard to explain until you're in it."

That Melbourne connection remains important to the business.

Janelle says the company's growth in the United States has also created opportunities locally, with additional Melbourne staff hired to support international clients and campaigns.

The agency now works with brands across hospitality, health and wellness, fashion, retail and consumer goods.

One client success story involved helping vitamin gummy brand Novomins establish its presence in Australia before eventually securing distribution through Chemist Warehouse.

Along the way, the agency has also witnessed major changes in digital marketing.

One surprise, according to Janelle, has been the rise of low-fi content.

"The biggest surprise has been watching lo-fi content outperform the big polished shoots so often," she said.

"We still love high-production content, but some of the simple iPhone-style content is what actually connects and drives results."

While the agency now operates across two continents, Janelle says the focus remains the same as when she started nearly a decade ago.

"The biggest lesson has been that it's a people business before it's a creative one," she said.

"Great content matters, but the relationships matter more."

As for what's next, Born Social has plans for further growth, but Melbourne remains firmly at the centre of those ambitions.

"Melbourne is HQ," Janelle said.

"It was and always will be the nerve centre of Born Social."