Meet Natalie, whose background in hospitality led her to 2-Work at Tileyard North, where her passion for customer experience intertwines with the vibrant creative industries, fostering a dynamic community within the flex space arena.

Can you share with us your background, and how you were introduced to the creative industries?

My background is hospitality and I have always been very passionate about providing a great customer experience. When 2-Work and Tileyard North met, we found that our values aligned and from there 2-Work Tileyard North started. This is how I was introduced to the creative industries and find it fascinating to learn more about this industry through the great community at Tileyard North.

Flex space is such a dynamic field. What inspired you to pursue a career in it, and could you highlight some memorable moments or achievements along your journey?

I have always worked in customer service, whether it was a part time job in my local supermarket while at school or as a bartender during my university studies. I learnt a lot about what makes customer service special for clients and decided I wanted to pursue a career where I could use these skills but in a corporate environment. When I joined 2-Work, it was the perfect blend for me. I am building strong relationships with our clients and strive to provide an excellent customer journey as well as pushing myself with new challenges and always learning new things. One of the best parts of my job is that I am growing with this company, and I feel like a valued member of the team. When I started, there were only 4 team members, and this has now doubled to 8. It’s a very exciting time to be a part of this company and directly have an input into the success of this. 

As a female regional manager, have you encountered any specific challenges or barriers in your career? How have you navigated through them?

In my current role, I haven’t experienced any barriers. I am lucky to have two female directors who are strong leaders and mentors within this industry. In a previous management role, where I was the only female manager, I did experience some barriers. I felt that being the only female in the management team I was given tasks to do because I was a woman. The tasks generally more organisational work or HR/employee related issues and this was justified with ‘you’d be better at these tasks as you’re a girl’. I didn’t think much of it at the time but in hindsight now it was because the males didn’t want to deal with these types of jobs. For me though, these tasks helped me gain experience and understanding when dealing with different employee issues and made me a more well-rounded manager.

Reflecting on your experiences, what advice would you give to your 16-year-old self regarding being a woman in the industry? What are some things to expect, both the difficulties and the excitements?

I would give my 16-year-old self the advice to just try new things and believe in yourself. Up until recent years, I have been unsure of what career I wanted to pursue, and this caused some doubt as I was comparing myself to friends and where they were at in their career. I have always looked for progression and opportunities to learn as much as I can in each position I have held. So, when I was given the opportunity to join 2-Work and learnt about the business plans it was something I knew I needed to be a part of. 16-year-old Natalie just needs to trust the process and learn as much as she can along the way!

Looking ahead, what projects can we anticipate from you in the next few months or year? Any exciting ventures on the horizon?

There are lots of exciting ventures on the horizon. Firstly, seeing the community grow at 2-Work Tileyard North is super exciting and seeing our two locations flourish this year has been a real joy to be a part of. Over the next year we hope to add to our portfolio… watch this space!