Open Comments, hosted by The Open Group
Welcome to Open Comments hosted by The Open Group*, where we’ll discuss things openly with our guests from a variety of backgrounds and from different walks of life. Through this podcast, we hope to give you an inside look into a variety of topics with an equal mix of humor and candor.
In this series so far, we have touched on the following topics: Healthcare, HR, Diversity + Access to Technology, Cybersecurity, and lots more. We hope you enjoy our show and look forward to bringing more topics into the fold. Let’s get started!
*The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards and open source initiatives by fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and mutual respect among our diverse group of 900+ memberships. Our Membership includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries.
Disclaimer: The Open Comments Podcast (hosted by The Open Group) is presented purely for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests are their own and are not intended to harm or offend any group, organization, company, individual, anyone, or anything.
Host: Ash (Marketing Specialist, The Open Group)
Open Comments, hosted by The Open Group
Open Comments - Episode 30: Career Journeys, Skill Growth, and Lifelong Learning with Ash, Oliver, and Irene
Ever wondered how diverse marketing roles can be within dynamic organizations? Join us as we explore this vibrant landscape with our hosts, Ash, Oliver, and Irene.
From the excitement of event planning to the challenge of marketing across sectors like healthcare and electricity, our guests share their unique journeys and insights. Hear Oliver's story of transitioning from business management in sports to embracing the ever-changing role of a marketing manager. Together, we uncover the secret sauce to thriving in a supportive environment that values teamwork and adaptability at The Open Group.
We get personal about creating dedicated workspaces and managing time effectively to maintain a healthy balance. Our conversation also dives into the power of lifelong learning and skill development, as Ash shares his passion for writing and Irene discusses her love for marketing strategy.
Tune in to discover how aligning personal growth with professional passion can create memorable experiences and advance your skills in the ever-evolving field of marketing.
Copyright © The Open Group 2023-2025. All rights reserved.
Welcome back to Open Comments. I'm Ash.
Speaker 2:I'm Oliver, and we're thrilled to have you with us today.
Speaker 3:And I'm Irene. My journey was I started working while I was in school, but it wasn't nearly what I was doing at first, but I kind of went into the events and marketing and events realm and from there, you know, I think there's always been a lot of parallels from when I was in school to what I was doing, to get to where I am now. Because I love I love doing things and I love planning and so just putting together an event or just, you know, yeah, an event or just something that's going on, I really enjoy doing those things and being very detail oriented and trying to figure out, you know, all of the little nuances, to kind of play Tetris and make them all fit together so that way your event can be successful in the most efficient way possible. And you know it's really gratifying that after every single time you know it's something new, something different, but it's still along the same lines that I'm doing. What about you all?
Speaker 1:The open group was actually my first full I would say full, non-temporal and when I started in the temporalsals it kind of just gave me a better idea of what I wanted to do but also different areas of marketing. So the sectors I worked in one of them was to do with electricity, another one was healthcare, with the NHS. Because there were varying sectors, it kind of helped me just think about not only what sector I'd like to go in later, but also kind of compare them, of how they work differently Like, for example, healthcare is very different to electricity and also the types of marketing that they'd also be looking for. So when I was working in healthcare for a short while, it was more to do with, like you know, newsletters, like I'm doing now, and also interviews, which I'm also doing now as well, which I really enjoy, and then with the housing and electricity, that was more to create like promotional videos and to also do a lot of like ad hoc and admin-y types of you know responsibilities as well.
Speaker 1:So I think what I like the most about marketing, I'd probably say, is the variety. Like, although it sounds cliche, every day is different and, as much as I you know, it's nice to have things that you're like consistency, and like the responses that you have. It's also nice to have in different things that are kind of you know, sewn into your role as well. So I think it's just nice like not only trying and learning different things, but also, you know, working on a multitude of things as well, which I think I really enjoy as well. And, similar to you, irene, I like the detail-orientated things as well and planning. Who doesn't love a plan, am I right? So I like that as well.
Speaker 2:Over to you, oliver. It's funny you say I've actually learned to like a plan since being in this role. I've never. I've always been not a coaster lack of a better word but a very just take it as it comes kind of person, which has never been a good point for me. To be honest, even going back to school and uni and things, that's never the way you want to be um, but I I mean I studied, uh, business management at university where, specifically for the sport industry, uh, with very, very heavy modules on marketing.
Speaker 2:So that's where I realized that I realised that I liked marketing as something to get into. And then, looking around as a recent graduate for marketing roles, it was a bit overwhelming as to the amount of choices there are and different specialties to go into and things like that. And what I thought I really liked was sport events was, you know, relevant to my degree. It's something I enjoy, turns out, I'm not a big events fan, irene, sorry, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it. So I ended up in this marketing route. Initially, social media was my first um.
Speaker 2:Initially, social media was my first um gig at the open group um and then that that kind of steamrolled into other areas. Um ended up joining the open group full-time as a media and marketing specialist, mostly focusing on social media.
Speaker 2:Then became very social media heavy helping out with the other areas of our department. Still to a media and marketing specialist and social media manager. And now, now I've been here long enough, I understand all the areas that we all work in. Um, because we're such a dynamic team, uh, we all have to roll our sleeves up, don't we? So? Um, right now I'm a marketing manager, but gosh, irene, you asked for help in events. I'll give it to you and ash, if you want, okay, any of your stuff helping out with, then we all help each other, don't we? So? It's that's what I enjoy is as to reflect what you've both said.
Speaker 1:You know, no, two days are the same and variety is the spice of life I think that helps as well, just because, like, obviously, like it's nice to not only like the we all support each other as well but the way that I think everyone just like rolls up their sleeves, and I think it's nice that I think, in that sense, you understand more of how someone works, but also what they do as well, and I think that's definitely like a strong point, not only of the role, but you know, just being the company in general, that we literally do a little bit of everything, which is great.
Speaker 2:I think it's. I mean, we're an interesting organization, the open group, but I know a lot of people that are within the marketing in other companies and it's a little bit more structured. Yeah, staff, they have fewer areas that they work on, you know, if you have product lines and things like that, and it's just, it's interesting how many areas the open group covers and we've got such a relatively small team. Um, we think, in terms of the total staff that we have, we do take up a good chunk of it, but we're still a small team in comparison to other organizations. Um, so we, we have to roll our sleeves up, don't we? But the fact that we're all willing to, and everyone's trying to help each other, yeah, we're all learning. We're all still learning new areas. I mean not just us three as as they're the newbies to the company, as it were, but I mean everyone's still learning different areas and that will never change. I don't think there's never too much that we can't do for each other.
Speaker 1:I think that promotes sorry, I think that promotes like lifelong learning as well, right, just because we all do a little bit of everything, that it's like continuous learning in our roles as well yeah, even without um official training, you just you learn on the spot or you teach yourself.
Speaker 2:You know something goes wrong and you know, irene, you with the event websites and all that kind of stuff, you kind of have to teach yourself these new tools that we're using and get familiar with it, and then all of a sudden you're the resident expert and everyone comes for it. So it's, it's an interesting one really yeah, definitely interesting.
Speaker 3:But one thing I can really appreciate, especially with our team and within our colleagues, is that, even though we're in different time zones and we don't see each other in the office, you know, every single day um, we are still willing to help out and support each other wherever is needed and pick up where something was left off, and that's something that you know. It's really nice, nice to have being in a remote organization as we are.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Did you find for me? Previously, I've not experienced anything other than working in a global organization, but I see people that I know that work for strictly UK based companies. They've got their nine to five and nothing else and they don't talk to anyone abroad or anything like that. Did anyone have any? Were you working at other places before that were just locally based, or was it a weird transition going global? Did you not have any problems at all?
Speaker 3:Well for me. I came from. My previous job before joining the Open Group was at a school district, so I was a marketing and events assistant per se, so I was in charge of all of the marketing aspects that were coming out, all of the events that were planned at the school, and it was a new campus. So I was dealing with a lot of outside folks that were coming in to try to rent our spaces, but then also having to deal with teachers and students at three different campuses. But we were all on the same. Well, not three different campuses. There were three different schools all on the same campus and they all wanted a piece of the campus.
Speaker 3:But, um, it was very siloed thinking and I want it my way, I want it this way, I'm not going to follow your rules, I'm not going to follow your processes. Um, I'm here, why can't I have it? And it's a lot of okay, well, you need to understand. I'm trying to help you understand so that when you can support me, so that way we can get you the spaces that you need. But it wasn't always like that, so that's just a little bit different. And so, switching over to being in a remote environment, and it was just really surprising to me that how we were all really adaptable and able to support each other right away with certain things and aspects.
Speaker 2:That was an interesting conversation I've had for the last four or five years or so People with COVID and everything, people switching to remote work, people with COVID and everything, people switching to remote work Whereas, asha I mean, you were with us before COVID We've always been remote, we've always been. You know, you can't work from home or wherever you're based or wherever, as long as you get the job done. So I've always been used to it. But people I speak to are going oh gosh, I can't work from home, how can I be trusted or how can I get the job done without working from home? But it's just something that I've been used to the entire time before Covid. So it kind of felt like we were the weird ones, but yeah, it was just. It was an interesting transition for a lot of other people, I suppose.
Speaker 1:So I remember when I started with the open group, I had three weeks in the office and then COVID hit, so then I was working from home ever since.
Speaker 1:So that was, yeah, it was interesting.
Speaker 1:But I think, as you say, I agree with you all in terms of I think it not only takes time getting used to it, but I think it's like understanding how you work as well, because obviously it can affect things in terms of what type of you know work, you are, your personality as well.
Speaker 1:But I think it's like the environment in which you work in does play obviously a big factor, even if it's work from home. So obviously, like you know, making your environment as comfortable as possible but also ready for you know work whenever you can, and then that can help you differentiate between right. So so you're still working from home, but you know your office space, you create it in your own way and then, once your work day is finished, you can switch off in your own way as well. So I think it's like having that kind of balance. I think that's really important, although I think it definitely is harder working from home, but you know it's not impossible to create, it just takes some time. What you know what works for you and um kind of um the um, yeah, the environment that works for you.
Speaker 2:So basically, what does work for you? How do you kind of, how do you differentiate almost the office from home?
Speaker 1:so for me, I think, having putting in like sufficient breaks where I can for a lunch time so we work from home, you know you're going to be in the whole time I like to just go for a walk and that just helps me, like recalibrate and just breathe out a little more as well, and then obviously going back to work after or back home after to continue working. I think, just putting in those little breaks and just kind of re-energising yourself throughout the day, because if it's just obviously you by yourself, it can get a bit isolating. But I think just making time for yourself and just getting out in nature as cliché as that is, that just I know it's not for everyone, but that really helps me. Just, you know, clearing my head with a walk, what about you?
Speaker 2:For me, the main thing that I have to have is my office needs to be in a room that I don't use, in my house, for example. So I used to work in my living room and then I'd finish the day and I'd be in my living room, which was also my office. And I didn't like having that, yeah, because it felt like I could never really escape from the desk, or, you know, my living room was my office, even when I'm not working, you know, on a weekend or whatever. So for me, moving, just simply moving my desk into a different room lucky enough now to have a room that's just my office. So at the end of the day, the door closes and that's it, day's done, disassociated, and I can enjoy my living room without having my laptop and my notifications staring at me all evening.
Speaker 1:And you, Irene.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I'll raise my hand up and say maybe I'm not the best right now with time management or just managing work from home. I'm a little bit of a workaholic alcoholic. So my mantra has always been you know um, work hard. I mean I shouldn't say this but work hard, play hard.
Speaker 3:So in a sense that I would during the week, I just really am working. I don't really have a separate space um as my office, so it's kind of always right there in my face. I'll shut down my computer and I'll go out for walks when I can, but really during the week, um, I really find myself, you know, just kind of tuned in or um checking Slack messages just to make sure that if there's any questions or anything that's um has like arised um within the past couple of hours that needs to be addressed. I just want to make sure that I'm on it, especially because things in my realm are live and happening and so if there's an issue that's happening, I want to be able to address it right away.
Speaker 2:The time zones as well, I imagine.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly that, but really on the weekends. That's when I take my opportunity to sign off and really enjoy my, my own time, to relax, you know, rejuvenate and then get ready for the next week all over again. Um, and then especially, you know, taking advantage of the time or you know, our vacation days and taking the time off to to really enjoy those days. And, and I do need to get better with my during the week releases. But maybe I'll start going on more walks in the mornings to start my day. But then, you know, with the time zones it could be a little bit difficult because sometimes I have to sign on early in the morning. So I just really have to find that sweet spot. I haven't found it yet so I'm gonna go back to uh.
Speaker 2:So this isn't for the recording, by the way, um, but to be honest with you, sorry, just pausing, I'm not really sure what this recording is, but I'm just going with it, yeah, I was gonna say sorry I did start recording, but I guess this makes more sense as just as a.
Speaker 1:If we still want to keep, we can just do it next week, just because I think it's nice to just put all these ideas out. And I'm recording it for the purposes of like. We can always use it for like, bits that we like and stuff like that maybe. But we can just use this as kind of a playground session of sorts, you know that's what I thought was happening, so I wasn't trying to be too serious in it.
Speaker 2:That's okay, still keep it kind of free-flowing ish. But I liked that whole area there of the the how we work from home and all that stuff. If it can be squeezed in somewhere, fine. If it can't, so far, um. But I did want to touch. I mean, if we're recording next week, I'm not too fussed, but the lifelong learning stuff is something that we talk about in most of our podcasts previously. So I think, yeah, we should include that for us three. I don't know, I actually tried to hint at it earlier, but how do you want to go about bringing that into the loop of the podcast or the official one? Do you have any ideas?
Speaker 1:anyone. Maybe we could start off our skill sets. That could be quite a good starting point. So, for example, you know I really enjoy writing. I feel like that's one of my strengths and in that sense, I feel like I'm always developing my writing, whether it's for, like you know, web copy or even like blogs, mainly in newsletters and stuff like that and just going from there in terms of, maybe, areas that we look, areas that we enjoy, and then going from how we continue to hone in on those skills.
Speaker 2:For example, maybe yeah, you okay with that iran yeah, I'm over here thinking what are my skills? I'm just kidding, I have so many of them and I don't even thinking what are my skills.
Speaker 3:I'm just kidding. I have so many of them and I don't even know what they are anymore I know it helps because he's passionate about that so it's probably easier for you to think of them.
Speaker 2:For me, I'm like gosh, what do I like? Actually, here you go. For me, I like the. The part of marketing that I enjoy and it's for all areas really is the, the strategy and planning of it all. Um, for me, it's something I've learned to develop over five plus nearly six years I've been doing it.
Speaker 2:Doing it is having that, the mindset of okay, why are we doing this? What, what good is it going to bring? How is it going to do it? And, you know, is it, is it actually going to work? Rather than just, yeah, we can do that for the sake of doing it. It's trying to. I've been trying to train my brain almost to to think of things slightly differently to how I normally would, um, and just look at the bigger picture. And and that's what I enjoy most about marketing is, you know, coming up with a plan almost, but making sure it aligns with what we're doing in the organisation and how it will benefit the main business objectives. And that's what I've been trying to train myself, or keep my mind open to new things, or doing the same things, but slightly differently. So I'd say that's probably the learning that I'm trying to teach myself and it's.
Speaker 1:It's quite difficult trying to change your mindset on things did you say also like overseeing, you know the plan from start to finish and kind of learning points, but also, um, you know key learning points.
Speaker 2:I guess that you learn along the way that you're also interested in as well oh yeah, yeah, that's an important one and you know, no two plans, projects are ever the same, maybe similar, but they're never the same. Um, so you can kind of, before going into a new one, if you, if you kind of read the brief or whatever you're given, you may know if it will or won't work based on your e-findings from the time you did it before. Yeah, but the I mean, there's always a chance to find out something and if something doesn't initially work, you know, being able to recognize that it's not working and and change it up for more effective stats and measurements, whatever you're trying to achieve is quite satisfying, I think.
Speaker 1:Would you say there's a certain way as well that you approach plans.
Speaker 2:I mean, normally I would say yes and provide a very detailed template, but I don't actually have one. I'd like to think that I have one, but a lot of the stuff we do is just so different. A lot of a large template of this is how it should be structured. Might not necessarily work, depending on the project that you're doing, but you start with the basics and then build everything else in. It's your usual journey and you just got to make sure that the most important part is the ending. Really, yeah, like I said, measuring your key success factors or mistakes that were made and trying not to do them again next time. I think you're never going to have a perfect project. In my opinion. Yeah, if you're a perfectionist or or whatever, whatever you are, you know, I think that you're never going to be completely perfect every time also as well.
Speaker 1:You can plan for as much as you can, but there may be like a few surprises along the way, and that's okay. That's like you'd almost have to like deal with them there and then right right, as opposed to pre-empt them.
Speaker 2:Yeah you can factor them into your plan, but sometimes it's something you've never experienced before and you've just got to overcome it, and that's what. Having a good team around you, as well as a steady head help things like that. Nice head help. Things like that. Nice gosh, I was in your hot seat there. All right then. Creative writing gosh, I'm gonna loop you in somehow. I'm going to loop you in somehow, and then I think I can get you to start on it, unless I've got a doozy of a question to ask him let's see for now I'll go with the basics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, ash, hang on. For now I'll go with the basics. Ash, what do you enjoy most about your area of marketing? Ash?
Speaker 1:Good question. What I enjoy the most? Probably the interviews that I do as part of the blog series. So, whether that be with subject matter experts or forum directors, I really enjoy learning about not only people's stories but also their career trajectories and the advice they were given you know along the way, but also what they're learning now as well. I think I find not only people's stories really interesting, but just learning about people in general. I'm very inquisitive about where people have come from, but also you know um situations and their own journeys and how each you know journey is unique to each person. But also just seeing kind of um you know how, not only how they started in their role, but kind of factors that played into where they are now. So for me, yeah, not only learning about people's stories, but just people's journeys in general. I just like learning about people, basically do you do you write in?
Speaker 2:do you try and keep your writing within their voice or do you because I have a unique way that I write and I try not to bring myself too much into my writing, but do you try and bring them into their pieces when you're doing these interviews?
Speaker 1:so how I normally conduct things when I'm doing the interview is is whether it's like what's mostly like, recorded, you know, via Webex, and I try to start off with a few prompts and questions, kind of to gauge their communication style, and then when I'm putting that interview together and, like you know, proofing it and writing it out, then I kind of carry over that style across, just so it's like it's in their style. So I think it helps kind of having almost like a pre-interview, like in an audio format, for me to listen, you know how they speak and there's certain nuances that they have in their speech and stuff that helps me, and then I can kind of um, you know, get not only their message across but also their like communication writing style across through my writing as well.
Speaker 2:How did you know that you enjoyed writing? Oh?
Speaker 1:oh, so I used I'm gonna say back in the day when God's got that out um, but I used to actually write poems on the side for quite some time and I just really enjoyed. I just really enjoyed poems. I think creative writing is what I enjoyed the most and at school I wasn't, you know, I wasn't the strongest writer, but I think I just honed in on my skill set over time and kind of learned about what it is that I wanted to write about, but also what I was interested in. So, like you know areas whether that be like I don't know um books I would read and the themes within those books or even the genres of books that I'd read as well and kind of go from there.
Speaker 1:And I think writing is so it's honestly quite fascinating in the sense of like you can really like offer you an escape, almost right. Like you can write about almost anything. You can write like a fictional story, non-fictional story, a short story, even poems, for that matter, and it can kind of take you on its own journey and I like how um you can really. I find writing to it helps me express myself through words. So I think that helps me and I like to talk, as you probably know already. So words help me express my personality.
Speaker 3:I'd probably say Ash, how do you? How do you um, I guess, see your work. Well, let me rephrase this hold on, hold on, and so, from when you first started with the open group, how have you seen your writing evolve to where it is now?
Speaker 1:Interesting. So when I started with the open group, my role was as a certification services agent, so that role didn't involve any writing. However, writing is always something that you know, it's always been one of my passions. So I think with that time that I didn't, that I wasn't as much. It kind of gave me. I had more of a yearning for it afterwards. And then when I started in the marketing role, you know, I started with the interviews, doing the blogs and also the newsletters. I feel like it kind of invigorated my energy, almost having not written for a while. Um, so sorry, did I answer that question?
Speaker 3:yeah, so now do you still do creative writings to help you um with your you know your professional writings and blogs that you do so a few months ago I actually did a full creative writing course.
Speaker 1:I don't do as much on the side as I'd like to.
Speaker 1:I think it's one of those things where you know when you have like.
Speaker 1:As much as I love writing because I do it more in my day-to-day for my job I haven't found that kind of balance where I do it outside of work yet, but it is something that I'm interested in you know picking up again at some point. But I think for me, after doing that you know creative writing course, it was nice to understand not only more the types of writing but also the role that writing can play in just not only your like day-to-day life, but in general. You know like it could be as simple as putting together an email and how you know how you work, how you put together that email, but also what you're trying to say through that email. Similar to you know if you have a blog that you're writing, what's that call to action within that as well. So yeah, kind of starting with what you're trying to say and how you know you might vocalize that through any medium, whether it be a blog or email or even just a message, yeah, as well I really get what you're saying about the.
Speaker 2:Uh, you do it for your job, so you do it less in your personal time with the writing like I have the same way for reading. Just read so much and you have to proofread everything, reread and double check.
Speaker 3:So I just found myself reading less in my spare time and maybe I'm the one that's um the different person here, but, uh, I actually do find myself planning events outside of work. Um, of course they're not of the same caliber as I do here, but I do. Do you know the personal events that we have going on for close friends? I really enjoy doing all of that. My brother is actually coaching a little league team for baseball, so I even went as far as making a website for parents to to see pictures and the schedule and whatnot.
Speaker 3:And so I think it's always been, you know, my round things that I've been interested in doing.
Speaker 3:I've always loved putting together an event, a party, literally anything, a family gathering.
Speaker 3:That's always been me with my hand up spearheading, and I just really enjoy it. And I feel like even when I do step out and I'm outside of work, I can really see similarities within different types of events, because they all pretty much follow the same format, even though they could be pertaining to different things. And so I'm always having my professional cap on of being an events coordinator and kind of seeing how they're doing things. And so I'm always, you know, having my professional cap on of being an events coordinator and kind of seeing how they're doing things, kind of trying to look in between the lines from the front of show to kind of see what the back house is doing, to see if there's anything that I can pull from and maybe possibly use towards our future events. So that way we also continue to evolve. So I think that's kind of been my way of teaching myself of what the new industry trends are or what's happening in event spaces, just by always trying to learn and always being on the lookout of what's happening around me.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry. No, you go, that's fine.
Speaker 2:I just thought it was an important thing, not just for events but marketing. In fact, any area of business really is monitoring. Maybe not well monitoring your competition, but also monitoring everything and how everyone else does things. As you say, searching for the trends. The best way to do that is to see what everyone else is doing and and if you can bring it into your own organization or friend's birthday party or your nephew's little league or whatever you know, I think it's um, it is probably the best way do you think as well.
Speaker 1:It's like also I remember you were mentioning about how you can do, how you do outside of work as well, in the sense of like because you're so passionate about it as well. It doesn't almost feel like um, correct me if I'm wrong but like so much as work because you're so passionate about it. So it's like you know you're not only learning from it, but it's like it's part of your, I guess a little bit of your downtime. Right because you, because it's your passion as well, so it kind of you have that balance between them, I guess.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I guess we can say it is one of my passions is I really do enjoy it and I like to really immerse myself in the full experience to try to make it as best as I can. And so, yeah, I would say that I, when I'm at work, it doesn't really feel like I'm working on the things that I am, because it's what I like doing and I don't find it Well, it could be, you know, time consuming, but what is it when work is tedious? But it's nice just knowing that I enjoy what I'm doing. So that way it doesn't really feel like a job, so that way I can be happy throughout the week and not as stressed as I probably would be if I didn't like my job, I do feel like with your role as well.
Speaker 1:So, for example, you know, when you face, like any roadblocks, you know, within certain, maybe certain tasks, how do you approach those roadblocks and also, are there a certain, like you know, routine that you go through, or is it something more that you may look at it like right, I need to go to this resource first, or let me check this um, yeah, and so because I'm I'm fairly new still to the open group, um, I I do have a template that's kind of built out of what your skeleton needs are um for an event that you're planning, so that way you can start checking those off.
Speaker 3:Of course they're, they tailor and they change depending on what type of event they are. Um gosh, I'm brain farting. Okay, what was the second part of the question? Ash, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I said how do you approach like roadblocks? So do you have like a certain I guess, wait, sorry, do you have like a certain mantra? That's it that you, that you go by, I feel like basing like yeah, a roadblock, and how do you overcome it?
Speaker 3:kind of thing, um, really for me, when I hit a roadblock, um, I I really have to take the time to step away from it. Um, because I I can get a little frustrated. Just you know, sometimes when technology can be technology and a lot of things that I do are on software base or just like online, and so it's just, you know, having to take a step away from it, you know, go do something else and then come back and revisit it with a clearer mind and headspace, so that way you can try you know different aspects or try a new idea that I probably wouldn't have thought before when I was already getting frustrated. So I really also depend on my colleagues, john and Joanne from our events team here to help and support me, which they always are willing to lend a helping hand, and then, of course, just whatever's out there available Google can also be your best friend, cool.
Speaker 2:There's a funny anecdote for you all Georgia is in pretty much the exact same job description as I. Georgia is in pretty much the exact same job description as I and her and I. I know her company well, she knows my company well, so she's usually my first port of call if I want something. Checked Unofficially, of course, but also when we clock off for the day and say if we're just sat watching TV or wherever we're going or whatever we're doing, we're both judging everyone else's marketing and what they're doing. Or we look at adverts on the TV and go, that was rubbish, what's that about? Or oh, that was really good. So I guess I can never really escape it either. Actually.
Speaker 3:We all just have to accept it's part of us now.
Speaker 1:Thank you to our listeners at the Open Comments community who have been tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay safe and happy listening.
