What is your role at Brunsdon Financial?
I’m an Adviser Support Administrator.
How did you come to your role?
I have always worked in Financial Services apart from a few years working in the Aerospace industry. After my youngest son started school, I went back to work part-time at a small firm of Financial Advisers but there wasn’t enough work and the company wasn’t really for me.
I popped around to see my friend Deb who introduced me to her new partner, Brian. We got talking and Brian mentioned they needed an Audio Typist at the Brunsdon Group where he was Managing Partner. That was over 20 years ago and Deb still jokes about never receiving her introduction fee!
I then progressed from just doing audio typing to more administration work and gradually increased my hours to full-time as my children grew older.
What do you like most about your role?
There is a lot of variety and always plenty of work so never time to be bored. I must also mention the people as they all make Brunsdon Financial such a lovely place to work. The girls I work with in the hub are just fabulous!
If you could wave a magic wand to achieve anything you wanted at work, what would it be?
It would be great if everything I produced magically filed itself away in the correct place and was referenced so it could be easily found again. I think it would also be great if Monday could be a reduced working day!
What advice would you give someone starting out in business now?
Work hard, be conscientious and if you stop enjoying what you do, move on.
What’s the best piece of business-related advice you were ever given?
Be honest and if you make a mistake, own up to it. We all make them.
If you could, what would you tell your 21-year old self?
To be more ambitious and to not shy away from more studying and exams. When I left school, I had just had enough of studying but sometimes I regret not following my love for figures and training to be an Accountant.
It’s not all bad though, I may not have ended up at Brunsdon Financial if I’d taken that route and I do still get to work with numbers in Financial Services.
Who are your business heroes?
I’m not sure I have any business heroes but the person I most admire is the Queen. I think she’s an incredible woman and to have devoted 70 years as our monarch is amazing.
Outside of work, what do you like to do?
I love going on walks (usually via a pub). I enjoy running with my music in the cold and cycling when it’s warm. I love dancing with the girls when there’s a Motown and Soul function on locally and catching up with friends for lunch or supper.
How would you like to be remembered, a) by your friends and family and b) by your Brunsdon Financial clients?
A) I hope my friends and family remember me as someone they could rely on, that I was caring and always up for a social function. Most of my friends would probably also say you couldn’t keep me off the dance floor!
B) I hope clients would say that I was friendly, helpful and efficient.
And finally, for our bonus Easter-related question, what do you like most about Easter and the long weekend?
I think Easter is better than Christmas. We still get two days bank holidays, the weather tends to be better (hopefully) and there’s no hassle with buying gifts. It’s the first bank holiday since the New Year when places start to open up and a time to get the family together but again without the pressures of Christmas. Chocolate in the form of an egg is better too. I don’t know why, it just is.
