S3 - Episode 11 - John Burgess - Tracing Back Through The Stolen Generation & First Nation Media Wizz

About this episode

John Burgess discusses his experiences as a proud Gurindji man and the founder of a First Nations-owned marketing agency, reflecting on identity and the impact of the Stolen Generations.

In this episode of Deadly Discussions, today I sit with John Burgess, a proud Gurindji man and founder of Little Rocket, a 100% First Nations-owned and operated creative and marketing agency based in Brunswick, Naarm. With more than 15 years at the helm of Little Rocket, John reflects on building a purpose-led business, the traditional differences between marketing and PR, and why those distinctions matter when it comes to Indigenous storytelling. He unpacks the responsibility of being visible, advocating for truth, and why in his words, you have got to be in it to win it. John also shares a deeply personal story about his mother, a member of the Stolen Generations, and her search for answers about her ancestry. What began with questions led to a single photograph, which led back to her Country. A moment that brought a profound sense of home, connection, and healing after generations of separation. It is an honest and moving conversation about identity, truth-telling, business, and the reality that many people we cross paths with are only one step removed from one of Australia’s darkest chapters.

People in this episode

Host: Isaac Harrison

Guest: John Burgess

Topics covered

• Indigenous storytelling
• business
• marketing
• identity
• truth-telling
• ancestry

Keywords

• First Nations
• marketing
• PR
• identity
• ancestry
• truth
• business
• Indigenous

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Little Rocket

Places: Brunswick, Naarm