Digital Designer | Over Achiever | Take-Out Junkie | Red Wine Enthusiast
I was once nothing but a front line employee, the queen of customer service. I worked long hours for minimum wage in all kinds of businesses, big and small. I tried on many hats at a full service hair and nail salon, a tanning salon, as a cashier, a fitting room clerk, and a delivery driver – although, I must admit, professional driver was not my best look. From a customer service representative in charge of returns and exchanges at Canadian Tire, to a server in a busy restaurant and bar; not to mention a reception position that turned into a management, personal assistant, and everything-in-between-position, with no additional compensation.
Every performance review was the same, “We don’t know what we would do without you, but our policy is a $0.05 cent raise each year.” I learnt quickly that I preferred working with small businesses as apposed to corporate organizations with strict blanket policies. I already knew I was the type of employee to put everything into my work, so I decided I would rather my hard work go towards building someone’s dream, rather than adding a little extra padding to the pocket of some CEO who didn’t even know my name.
The problem with working for a small business is that sometimes there isn’t enough work to go around, and employee hours is often the first expense cut. I was working upwards of three part-time jobs at a time to supplement my income, while in a full-time program at Camosun. Scheduling my shifts was almost a fourth job on its own. But I enjoyed working along side these entrepreneurs and wanted to find a way to continue doing so, without being doomed to customer service positions for the rest of my life. Slowly but surely, I converted my part-time positions into freelance consulting jobs, and quickly started adding more clients to my list through referrals.
Over the years, I dealt with almost every type of customer you can think of and more importantly, I learnt how they think. I learnt how out of touch some marketing executives are in big firms, and how overwhelmed small business owners can be. This hands-on frontline experience coupled with my formal education in marketing gives me a unique perspective on advertising and customer relationship management.
Nowadays, I’m using my knowledge and experience to help small business owners understand their customer’s needs and show them how to deliver on those needs. I’ve been obsessed with design since I was seven years old, creating images on Microsoft Paint for my Piczo site or Nexopia page. So having access to powerful tools like Canva Pro, Wordpress, and Weebly provides me with an opportunity to help so many small business owners accomplish their dreams and I feel so grateful for that. You can usually find me tucked away in a quiet corner of the library or a coffeeshop working away on this and that. When I'm not working, I'm happiest on a quiet beach or at home with a glass of red wine and a good book in hand.
Every performance review was the same, “We don’t know what we would do without you, but our policy is a $0.05 cent raise each year.” I learnt quickly that I preferred working with small businesses as apposed to corporate organizations with strict blanket policies. I already knew I was the type of employee to put everything into my work, so I decided I would rather my hard work go towards building someone’s dream, rather than adding a little extra padding to the pocket of some CEO who didn’t even know my name.
The problem with working for a small business is that sometimes there isn’t enough work to go around, and employee hours is often the first expense cut. I was working upwards of three part-time jobs at a time to supplement my income, while in a full-time program at Camosun. Scheduling my shifts was almost a fourth job on its own. But I enjoyed working along side these entrepreneurs and wanted to find a way to continue doing so, without being doomed to customer service positions for the rest of my life. Slowly but surely, I converted my part-time positions into freelance consulting jobs, and quickly started adding more clients to my list through referrals.
Over the years, I dealt with almost every type of customer you can think of and more importantly, I learnt how they think. I learnt how out of touch some marketing executives are in big firms, and how overwhelmed small business owners can be. This hands-on frontline experience coupled with my formal education in marketing gives me a unique perspective on advertising and customer relationship management.
Nowadays, I’m using my knowledge and experience to help small business owners understand their customer’s needs and show them how to deliver on those needs. I’ve been obsessed with design since I was seven years old, creating images on Microsoft Paint for my Piczo site or Nexopia page. So having access to powerful tools like Canva Pro, Wordpress, and Weebly provides me with an opportunity to help so many small business owners accomplish their dreams and I feel so grateful for that. You can usually find me tucked away in a quiet corner of the library or a coffeeshop working away on this and that. When I'm not working, I'm happiest on a quiet beach or at home with a glass of red wine and a good book in hand.
Education
Camosun College
Diploma - General Management Diploma - Marketing Communications Camosun College Bachelor's of Business Administration - Marketing Major |
Awards
Camosun College
"Dean's List" Honour Roll Winter 2017 Semester Fall 2017 Semester Winter 2018 Semester Fall 2018 Semester |
