AT WORK, REST AND PLAY AT WORK...

How did you get into this industry?

I was working at the hotel that Steve Haines (our now retired Sales Director) had stayed at for many, many years. We were chatting over the bar when I mentioned I was working a temp job during the days so I could break out of shift work now my children were older, and as it so happened an admin role had recently opened up at Stuga. Then the rest is history!

Please give a brief resume of your career to date.

In my late teens I worked in a corner shop, I then took a job at the hotel which I ended up staying at for 11 years! I started off waitressing & then after a couple of years moved on to the reception desk. I took extended leave to have my children between 2014-2016, a couple of years after I returned customer facing, it has given me a great foundation to work well under pressure.

Have you a career path mapped out or is it more about opportunism?

I would say more about opportunism. As long as I am growing in my career & my hard work is paying off, whether that’s an increase in salary, or a change of role or responsibility, then I’m happy.

Looking ahead, where would you like to be in a) 5 years’ time and b) 10 years’ time?

I’m unsure to be honest. I didn’t foresee my career taking this direction but I’m really enjoying the journey. It’s great to have someone see your potential before you have! With Stürtz acquiring Stuga early last year, it has opened up a variety of opportunity for me. Stuga hadn’t overly invested in the marketing side of the business prior to the acquisition but I believe with this new direction, we can expand our customer base & grow into a dedicated team, hopefully with me at the forefront!

This series in Glass News highlights the hopes and aspirations of women in the windows, doors, glass, roofs and hardware industry and will hopefully inspire more to make this their career.

AT REST...

Away from work, what is your focus?

Family time! Me & my husband have 2 young children, aged 7 & 9 so family days are very important, they’re only young once! A lay in on the weekend & a cup of coffee in peace is the perfect way to wind down…unless a night out with the girls is on the calendar!

AT PLAY...

Do you achieve the work/life balance you would like to?

Mostly yes! Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no to more holiday days, but otherwise I think it’s important to not carry the stresses of work into your home life, after all you work to live not live to work.

If money and leisure time were no object, what would you really like to do for yourself or your family?

Like many I’m sure, I would love to have the time & money for us to travel the world. To have the opportunity to see all kinds of wildlife in their natural habitat, to learn as we experience life!

I think I would still like to work, whether it be owning property or some sort of company I could mostly just oversee, something I could dip into here & there, to keep the ambition & the brain ticking, but more of 80/20 balance – leisure taking priority of course.

Just a stress free life really, no money pressures or mum guilt when having to balance work & school holidays would be the dream!