Day 3: Curiosity creates opportunities.
By the third day of Cannes Lions, I had settled into a rhythm. I knew where the stages were, I had learned to arrive early for popular sessions, and most importantly, I had stopped being intimidated by the incredible people around me.
One lesson had become clear: the best opportunities at Cannes rarely ended when the speakers walked off stage. Some of my most meaningful conversations happened afterward, simply because I was willing to introduce myself, ask questions, and stay curious. Looking back, Day 3 was the day that taught me the value of taking initiative.
Talk 1: Bianca Fernandez
I started my third day by attending a session featuring Bianca Fernandez, and it ended up being one of the most relatable talks of the day. Rather than focusing only on marketing strategies or advertising campaigns, Bianca shared her personal career journey and how she found success by remaining open to opportunities she never originally planned for.
One of the biggest themes throughout her talk was that very few people have their careers perfectly mapped out. Instead, success often comes from saying yes to new experiences, staying curious, and trusting that each opportunity will lead you closer to where you're meant to be.
What Stood Out to Me
As a college student still exploring exactly where I want my career to go within advertising, fashion, and beauty marketing, I found Bianca's story incredibly reassuring. Sometimes it feels like there's pressure to have your entire future figured out, but hearing her speak reminded me that careers are rarely linear.
Her journey showed that being adaptable and willing to take chances can often lead to opportunities you never expected. That message really resonated with me because my own path has already changed several times—from playing collegiate softball to transferring schools, studying abroad, interning in fashion marketing, and discovering a passion for content creation.
A Conversation That Meant a Lot
After the session, I introduced myself to Bianca and had the opportunity to speak with her one-on-one. She was incredibly kind, approachable, and generous with her advice. We talked about careers, content creation, and navigating the advertising industry as a young professional.
Just like many of the people I met throughout Cannes Lions, she made me realize that the people you admire are often much more approachable than you expect. Taking the initiative to introduce myself turned a great session into a meaningful conversation that I'll remember long after the festival.
My Biggest Takeaway
Bianca reminded me that I don't need to have every step of my future planned out right now. Instead, I need to continue saying yes to opportunities, staying curious, and trusting that every experience is helping shape the career I'm working toward. That perspective gave me a lot of confidence as I continue exploring my future in advertising and fashion marketing.
CELEBRITY ALERT
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CELEBRITY ALERT ✳︎
After Bianca's session, my friends and I spent some time walking around the festival and exploring different activations. As we were making our way through the grounds, we unexpectedly ran into Olandria from Love Island. Since we all watch the show, it was such a fun surprise to see her in person. She was incredibly friendly, and we had the chance to say hello and snap a quick photo before continuing on to our next session. It was one of those unexpected Cannes moments that made the experience even more memorable.
Talk 2: Female Quotient – Uniting Through the Game: Sports as a Cultural Connector
The next session I attended was "Uniting Through the Game: Sports as a Cultural Connector." The panel featured leaders from Walmart Connect, Google, Paramount Sports, Ipsos, and The Female Quotient, who discussed how sports have evolved beyond competition to become a powerful way for brands to build community and bring people together.
What Stood Out to Me
One of the biggest themes was that sports create something much bigger than wins and losses—they create loyalty, community, and belonging. The speakers explained that successful brands don't just sponsor sporting events; they become part of the culture surrounding them by showing up authentically and supporting the communities that make sports so meaningful.
As a former college softball player, this really resonated with me. I know firsthand how sports create lifelong friendships and a sense of belonging, which is why I found it so interesting to hear marketers discuss those same emotions from a branding perspective. It reminded me that the strongest marketing isn't always about promoting a product—it's about becoming part of moments and communities that people genuinely care about.
This session also reinforced something I'd been hearing throughout Cannes Lions: consumers connect with brands that make them feel like they belong. Whether it's through sports, fashion, or social media, the most successful brands create communities, not just customers.
Talk 3: The Next Brave Yes: Hoda Kotb on Reinvention
For my third talk of the day, I decided to stay at Female Quotient because I loved the atmosphere and the conversations happening there. It quickly became one of my favorite spaces at Cannes Lions. The sessions felt more personal and conversational, and every speaker shared honest stories about their careers rather than just talking about business.
The next session featured Hoda Kotb, who spoke about reinvention, embracing change, and having the courage to say "yes" to new opportunities, even when they're unexpected or intimidating.
What Inspired Me
One of the biggest themes throughout Hoda's conversation was that you don't have to have everything figured out to move forward. She talked about taking chances, trusting yourself, and recognizing that some of the best opportunities come from stepping outside of your comfort zone.
That message really resonated with me because, over the past year, I've experienced so much change myself. From transferring schools and studying abroad to pursuing an internship in fashion marketing and growing as a content creator, I've realized that very few career paths are perfectly planned. Hearing Hoda speak reminded me that growth often comes from saying "yes" before you feel completely ready.
Why I Loved This Session
What I appreciated most was how genuine and relatable Hoda was. Instead of making success seem effortless, she openly shared the challenges, uncertainty, and courage that came with reinventing herself throughout her career. It was refreshing to hear someone so accomplished speak honestly about embracing change.
By the time I left The Female Quotient, I realized that every session I attended there shared a similar message: the most successful careers aren't built by having all the answers—they're built by staying curious, taking risks, and being willing to embrace new opportunities. That lesson became one of the biggest themes of my entire Cannes Lions experience.
TikTok Talk 1: One-on-One Creator Account Deep Dive
One of the most valuable experiences I had at Cannes Lions was meeting one-on-one with a TikTok creator expert for nearly an hour. Instead of giving me general advice, she pulled up my actual TikTok account and completed a deep dive into my content, audience, analytics, and engagement. We discussed what was already performing well, what my followers respond to most, the best times for me to post, and how I can use trends and hashtags more strategically. She also explained how to attract the right audience instead of focusing only on gaining views.
My notes from the session included the importance of understanding why a video performs well, creating content that gives viewers a reason to follow, posting consistently, and paying attention to patterns within my analytics. I learned that strong engagement is not only about getting likes—it is also about building a community that regularly interacts with and returns to my content.
This was one of my favorite moments of the entire festival because the advice was completely personalized to me and my goals as a creator. I have grown my account on my own, so having an expert validate some of my strategies while showing me where I could improve was extremely helpful. I left the meeting feeling more confident and with a clearer plan for growing my audience and creating better engagement. I really enjoyed this experience because it felt less like a typical talk and more like a private strategy session that I would never normally have access to.
TikTok Talk 2: TikTok LIVE Shopping Experience
The second TikTok experience I attended focused on TikTok LIVE shopping. During this event, I got to see what happens behind the scenes of a successful TikTok LIVE and learn how creators and brands use the platform to promote products, connect with viewers, and drive real-time engagement. It was especially interesting to see how much strategy and preparation go into a live shopping event, even though the final livestream may appear very natural and spontaneous to viewers.
My notes from the session focused on the importance of keeping the audience involved throughout the livestream. Hosts can do this by responding to comments, asking questions, demonstrating products, creating urgency, and reminding viewers how they can make a purchase. I also learned that energy, pacing, product knowledge, and direct interaction are all important for keeping viewers interested. TikTok LIVE allows creators to receive immediate feedback and adjust their presentation based on what viewers are saying in the comments.
I really enjoyed this event because I had never seen the production side of TikTok LIVE shopping before. It showed me that livestreaming can be much more than casually speaking to followers—it can be a powerful tool for community building, marketing, and sales. As someone interested in social media, fashion, beauty, and the creator economy, I could see myself applying these strategies to my own platform or using them in future brand campaigns. Seeing everything happen in real time made the experience feel interactive and different from a traditional panel.