RECOGNITION
As a child , what did you want to be when you grew up ? Since I was very little , I always knew I wanted to own a business . I remember my year three teacher asking me , and I said straight away : “ A business owner ”. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted this business to do but knew I wanted to be the person running it .
What happened after you left school ? I secured a job in retail and worked my way up to management . I then moved to Darwin at 19 and landed a job in admin at The Law Society – the regulatory body for legal practitioners . I was young , hungry and ready to put the hard yards in . I quickly became PA to the CEO , then an EA . I have always been a very organised person and I thrive on making processes quicker and easier , so being an EA suited my demeanour .
How did you develop personally and professionally at this time ? I didn ’ t attend university straight out of school – it took me a few years to realise that I was , in fact , capable enough to undertake a degree . While working full-time I began a degree in management and marketing – and took on the role of President of the Australian Institute of Office Professionals . This is where my passion for events and bringing people together really started . Each year we would host a large breakfast to recognise the efforts of office professionals , including EAs and PAs .
“ I believe being an EA is a traineeship to directorship . I wouldn ’ t have made the jump to owning my own business without being an EA .”
What came next career-wise ? After four years at The Law Society , I was ready for a new challenge and the position of EA to the managing director of a large multi-faceted development , construction and hospitality company in Darwin came up . Three years into the role , I progressed to the role of executive services manager . The jump from assistant to manager combined with the support of my boss was just the push I needed to start my side business , Belong Events . My boss has been an incredible business mentor and really helped gain the confidence to become an entrepreneur . In December 2020 , I launched Belong Group which provides a wholistic media and presenter service to businesses in Darwin . I still work as an EA and manage my businesses at the same time .
Juggling the three roles , how do you find the work / life balance ? One thing I thought I would be better at is delegation . Running two businesses while working full-time was beginning to take a serious tole on my health and in 2020 and I became very unwell . As an EA you are conditioned to take on everything for others . You need to think of things before they happen and be ready for when they do . But what happens when you become your own boss ? That mentality can ’ t continue . That was the biggest learning curve for me and earlier this year I hired my first assistant who is incredible . Rebecca has provided me with support I didn ’ t know I needed and I now have a work / life balance again .
To what extent has your EA role influenced how you run your company ? I believe being an EA is a traineeship to directorship . I wouldn ’ t have made the jump to owning my own business without being an EA . An EA is one of the few positions in a company that gets a bird ’ s eye view of running a business . In addition , you ’ re privy to the confidential pieces of information that even senior management don ’ t get a look in to . Throughout the years I ’ ve seen many EAs doubt their abilities particularly when trying to make a move to management .
What ’ s the best thing about being your own boss ? Being able to choose the direction I take my business in .
What ’ s next for Belong ? Belong has always run its own events but now I ’ m being asked to start running others . There is a need for good event managers in Darwin so next year we will be starting to take on event management as a part of our offerings . Eventually I hope to expand Belong interstate , particularly with some of our key events like the Belong Ball and Belong in Business Conference .
What advice would you have for other EAs with an entrepreneurial flair ? One thing that really helped me gain the confidence to start my own business was creating a brand and solid foundation of contacts for myself in Darwin . Be known for you – not as someone ’ s EA . Start going to those networking events . Start making connections with people . Take people for coffee or lunch and see how you can help them either in your role as an EA or if you ’ re starting out a business . You ’ ll be surprised at how many people will be there to support you when you finally do make the leap . S
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Winter Issue 2022 | Executive PA 23