Roxy Jacenko, one of Australia’s most recognised PR and talent management figures, has officially pulled the plug on her office life. The Ministry of Talent, her talent and digital agency, will go fully remote by the end of 2025, closing the doors of its Double Bay headquarters after more than two decades of operating in physical spaces.
The decision marks a sharp turn for Jacenko, who once dismissed working from home as “lazy” and insisted on office-based discipline. Yet she insists this pivot is not about contradiction—it’s about evolution.
From Office Loyalist to Remote Advocate
For much of her career, Jacenko symbolised the hustle of office culture. She ran Sweaty Betty PR from a Paddington HQ, famously being the first to arrive and the last to leave, designer bag in hand. In interviews and podcasts, she made her stance crystal clear: success required face-to-face presence.
On Jane Lu’s The Lazy CEO podcast in November 2024, she said bluntly: “The only way to work the team is with the team, and I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in this work from home.” By May 2025, she reinforced the sentiment, branding reliance on WFH “a lazy way” to run a business.
But now, she is dismantling the very bricks and mortar she once championed.
Why She Changed Her Mind
Speaking exclusively to news.com.au, Jacenko said the move reflects the unique needs of the business today. “After 21 years of bricks and mortar and the traditional model of offices, it is time to change it up,” she explained.
The Ministry of Talent, which manages influencers and talent across Australia and internationally, has long operated digitally. Unlike her former PR agency Sweaty Betty, which relied on showrooms and product dispatches, the Ministry of Talent was built around email, social platforms, and flexible schedules.
“We have, since inception 12 years ago, worked almost entirely via email and been successful in doing so,” Jacenko said. “Our hours are not traditional. That makes the work-from-home model the most efficient.”
A Team Built on Loyalty and Trust
One reason for the shift is the stability of her staff. With just seven employees, the agency is lean but tightly knit. Every member has worked with Jacenko for more than five years, and her bookkeeper has been with her for a decade.
That longevity, Jacenko says, eliminates the accountability concerns many employers have with remote work. “They have all been trained by me, they know what it takes,” she said. “Blood, sweat and tears, and if you want to succeed, you work harder than everyone else!”
The trust is mutual. When Jacenko moved to Singapore in 2022, her team adapted to operating without her daily physical presence. For three years, their main communication tool has been WhatsApp, keeping conversations open across time zones.
Financial Sense in a Changed Economy
Another factor behind the decision is cost. Maintaining office space in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is far from cheap. For Jacenko, the numbers didn’t add up anymore.
“Maintaining and renting an office space seemed senseless,” she admitted. “The funds can be better spent on other elements of the business in continued growth.”
This calculation mirrors a broader trend across industries. Commercial leasing in Sydney has faced increased vacancies since the pandemic, with Knight Frank data showing vacancy rates across premium and A-grade offices rising past 12% in 2024. Businesses of all sizes are rethinking overheads, weighing the cultural benefits of office life against hard financial realities.
Not a Hypocrite, But a Realist
Critics might call the move a backflip, but Jacenko rejects the label of hypocrisy. She maintains that some industries, like PR and real estate, still demand physical presence. “You are running a showroom, product send-outs at a bare minimum,” she said. “To do that, Australia-wide, you can’t do so efficiently with an arm’s length approach.”
But she argues that talent management is different. The workflow is digital by design, spanning local and international clients. The change, she insists, is not about convenience for her, but about sustainability for the business.
Pushing Back Against the Right to Disconnect
Despite embracing remote work, Jacenko hasn’t softened her views on work-life balance. She remains critical of Australia’s “Right to Disconnect” laws, introduced in 2024, which allow employees to ignore unreasonable out-of-hours contact.
“Does that mean as a real estate agent you can choose to ignore potential buyer calls with an offer unless it’s 9-5?” she asked. “Or, if you are in talent management and a talent is due to go live on content at 6pm and doesn’t, I won’t answer my client’s message chasing it. Unrealistic.”
Her concern is that blanket rules fail to account for industry nuances. In fields like PR and talent management, where crises or opportunities arise at all hours, rigid boundaries risk undermining client service.
Remote Work, Australian Context
Jacenko’s pivot reflects broader shifts in Australia’s professional landscape. Since the pandemic, hybrid work has become mainstream. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 37% of employed Australians regularly worked from home in 2024, up from just 8% in 2019. Sectors like finance, IT, and marketing lead the charge.
But the transition has not been without friction. Productivity Commission research highlights concerns about collaboration, culture, and fairness—especially when younger employees miss out on mentoring opportunities. Leaders like Jacenko, who balance efficiency with occasional in-person gatherings, may point toward a middle path.
The New Office: No Walls, Just Connections
For the Ministry of Talent, the closure of Double Bay HQ doesn’t mean the end of physical meetups. Jacenko insists her team will still gather face-to-face when needed. The difference is that meetings will be deliberate rather than routine.
This model echoes strategies adopted by global companies like Atlassian, which declared itself a “Team Anywhere” firm in 2022. By reducing office real estate, Atlassian saved on costs while reinvesting in collaboration hubs and flexible retreats.
Jacenko seems to be applying a similar philosophy: keep the culture alive, but free up resources for growth.
Lessons for Other Entrepreneurs
Jacenko’s move offers takeaways for business owners wrestling with remote work decisions:
- Match the model to the industry. PR may need physical showrooms; digital talent management does not.
- Build trust before flexibility. A loyal, long-serving team provides a foundation for accountability.
- Balance costs with strategy. Office leases can drain resources better invested in innovation.
- Stay flexible. Remote work doesn’t have to mean isolation—planned meetups maintain cohesion.
- Consider legal context. Australia’s Right to Disconnect laws highlight the tension between flexibility and responsiveness.
The Big Picture
Roxy Jacenko’s decision to go fully remote is not just a business update—it’s a cultural signal. For years, she embodied the relentless office grind. Now, she is embracing a future without fixed desks or daily commutes.
It reflects a broader truth: work is no longer defined by location, but by output and trust. For leaders willing to evolve, remote-first models can deliver both financial and operational resilience.
For Jacenko, the shift is less about personal convenience and more about aligning her business with the times. “When I make a decision, I see it through and it’s always considered and in the best interests of all,” she said. “I think of myself last, always have and always will.”
With that, the Ministry of Talent joins the growing list of companies closing the doors on the traditional office—and opening up to a more flexible, digital future.
