Co-founder of Rolling Stone and Variety in Australia — award-winning music journalist, presenter and MC
Poppy Reid is a multi-award-winning music and culture journalist, presenter and commentator. She co-founded Rolling Stone and Variety in Australia, both of which sold in 2024, and her work now spans podcasts and social platforms through her company Curious Media, where she has built a loyal audience for breaking news, analysis and deep conversations with artists. Her accolades include Music Journalist of the Year at the 2022 Australian Women in Music Awards, the Publishing award at the 2023 Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards, and Champion of Change at the B&T Women in Media Awards.
What distinguishes Poppy is that she has built media as well as made it. Years of interviewing some of the world's most recognisable names in music and entertainment taught her how to get people to open up — curiosity, preparation, listening and the subtle art of asking better questions. Helping build the company behind Rolling Stone AU/NZ and Variety Australia taught her what it takes to create a media brand people trust and remember, and her own exit gives her a candid perspective on ambition, reinvention and being a woman founder in entertainment media.
As an MC she brings a working journalist's instincts to the stage — reading the room, asking the question the audience actually wants answered, and keeping proceedings moving with warmth and pace without pulling focus. Her keynotes cover why trust has become the new currency, the future of music, media and celebrity, building a media brand, and her founder's exit story. For marketing and media conferences, entertainment industry events, panels, live Q&A and founder forums, Poppy Reid brings sharp insight and genuine conversation to the room.
Poppy Reid is a keynote speaker and MC based in New South Wales who speaks on business strategy, media & journalism and women in business. Book through Executive Speakers Australia.
As an MC, Poppy brings the instincts of a working journalist to the stage. She reads a room, asks the question the audience actually wants answered, and keeps proceedings moving with warmth and pace. Years interviewing some of the world's most recognisable names in music and entertainment translate directly into corporate hosting, in conversation segments, panels and live Q&A. Clients get a host who lifts the energy between segments, draws considered answers out of guests on stage, and sets the tone of the event without ever pulling focus from it.
In a world of shrinking attention spans, media distrust and constant content, trust has become the most valuable asset a person or brand can build. Poppy explores how trust is formed through individuals, not logos, and why the most powerful stories come from human connection, emotional intelligence and credibility earned over time.
Drawing on years of interviews with some of the world’s most recognisable artists, Poppy shares what it takes to create conversations that go beyond rehearsed answers. This keynote explores curiosity, safety, listening, preparation and the subtle art of asking better questions.
Poppy shares lessons from co-founding The Brag Media and helping build the company behind Rolling Stone AU/NZ and Variety Australia. This keynote covers audience trust, cultural relevance, brand credibility, risk, resilience and what it really takes to build a media business that people remember.
The way audiences discover artists, trust journalists and connect with culture has changed dramatically. Poppy unpacks the new entertainment landscape, from social media and fandom to authenticity, access, creator-led media and the blurred line between artist, brand and audience.
Poppy speaks candidly about building a media company, navigating leadership, backing your own instincts and what it means to be a woman founder in entertainment media. This keynote is part business story, part personal reflection and part practical lesson in ambition, reinvention and knowing when to make the next move.
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