Released Team Member Profile: Lou

Meet Lou: leader, lover of invoicing, and “assertive organiser”

POD leader and systems + processes specialist Lou is one of those people everyone wants in their office: friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to answer any questions or throw ideas around.

Having been part of the team for several years now, she is a fount of knowledge for all things Released. In addition to her POD leader and VA duties, she is tasked with helping to onboard new staff and managing time tracking in Harvest to ensure we capture costs and hours accurately.

Here’s what she had to share!

What might a typical day look like for you?

I try very hard to make my day work from 9:30-2 pm so I can do the school runs. Then I start up again most evenings and work from about 8pm-9:30 pm. I don't have a set routine each day, but most of my time is dedicated to inbox management and invoicing, phone calls, and team support.

What’s your strength/specialty when it comes to Released’s operations? 

I think my strength is my desire to be driven by the hauora/overall wellbeing of the people I work with, all the way from Released's top dawg Kellie Beaumont to the client team members that we deal with. My superpowers are probably my enjoyment of invoicing and a natural ability to "assertively organise" people.

I believe that every person in the team is under my care and it is important that they have my support so that they can do their job the best that they can, right up to and including my boss. I want my fellow agency members and clients to know that they can come to me with a problem and that I will find a solution, and I believe that people recognise that in me.

One of Lou’s team members had this to say about her:

“Lou has been communicative, honest and helpful from my very first day. She’s always been available to help and has been a wealth of knowledge, as a rookie VA, I have appreciated all that she has done for me.”

How does your work help Released clients to make their business better?

I like to think that I support the day to day running of their businesses so that the big picture stuff can be their focus.

Here’s a story of one of my favourite clients (I know, we shouldn’t have favourites). We took an instant liking to each other. He was a one-man band; I could see where he was going and what he wanted to do and in return, he could trust me to look after the day-to-day admin while he got stuck into the “real” work. We worked together for a year, strengthening processes and streamlining his invoicing. Then he was purchased by an international company. It came as a bit of a shock to me, but not as much as the fact that he had “sold” me as well. I was so much part of the package and he thought I was important to the success of his business. That alone was a privilege; I believed I was there to work through the handover and once everything was in place they would move to an in-house admin person. 

I was proven wrong, as I have successfully transferred from being a VA to being an integral team member for this multinational company, giving me the opportunity to grow my POD so that we may support them in any way they may need.

What are a few items you couldn’t do without for a typical workday?

My coffee machine, a beautifully crafted pen, my water bottle, and my phone!

*A snapshot to show SOME of the pens Lou has collected. *

What’s your top tip for a tradesperson starting their own business?

Short and sweet: Listen to other people. It doesn't matter if they are talking through their hat, it may just be that something they say will resonate with you... even if it is to confirm you never want to do what they are suggesting!

What’s your favourite part of working at Released?

The people! Kellie has hand picked an amazing team who are great value both behind the screen and in person. But she has also taken the time to encourage the right kind of clients to find us, and then has aligned the client with the right team. It makes everyone’s lives easier!

This, in addition to Released's values of Grow, Gather, and Give, means that the Released team are a group of likeminded people. I am very proud to be part of this up-and-coming group of strong individuals who work incredibly well with each other. We all have such strengths and are willing to lift each other up.

Keep an eye on the blog for more team member profiles, and feel free to book a quick chat with Kellie if you’d like to find out more about how the team can help your business.