A competitive spirit is an advantage in life as well as business, and our East Midlands branch manager Laura certainly has that.
As well as running a busy team, which works hard every day to arrange and deliver a range of storage and accommodation solutions across the East Midlands, she is also one of the most capped members of Great Britain’s Women’s American Football team.
So, what does a typical day in the life look like for our very own sporting legend?
8AM
My first job of the day is to say good morning to everyone and make sure the team are all ok. I tend to be the first one in, and this way I can catch everyone when they arrive and say hello as they pass my office, which is a great way to check in with everyone.
My next job is to monitor how we are sitting in terms of asset management and pending order reports, making sure we are on course.
10AM
My days are varied, which is one of the reasons I love my job so much. On a general day I’ll check in to see if we’re hitting the timeframes around collections and processing. Are we rotating our stock and not having units sitting around for a period of time? Are we capturing all repairs? I like to make sure we catch any problems with units early, that way we can guarantee every one of our customers receives the best possible product. Then I’ll keep an eye on profit and loss – where are we in the month against margin and target, what can we do to improve?
12PM-2PM
After lunch I like to check in with the team again – people are our most important asset and I like to make sure staff are happy and motivated. We’re all one team, from yard to office, and all chip in together – so this regular engagement means everyone knows I’m here if they need me.
One of my favourite tasks is reviewing the driver’s performance charts with them as they are so competitive and always looking to be number one – I can certainly identify with that!
2PM-5PM
In the afternoon, I like to help out with whatever needs doing, whether it’s helping in the office, training, support, stock taking or supply ordering. I’m happy to get stuck in with whatever’s needed – the variety keeps me on my toes and ensures every day brings a different challenge.
Working in operations means you constantly need to juggle, spin plates and bounce a ball off your foot. Being busy and finding a solution is why many people are attracted to hire as a career; while trying to implement proactive measures in the business, you are always going to have to react to the next hire, the next delivery, the next problem.
I would say with my experience we always find a way as a team, or at the very least give an alternative solution.
5PM- 10PM
In my spare time, I play as Defensive End for Birmingham Lions an American football team. Additionally, I coach the Defensive Line at University of Nottingham, and I like to practise as often as possible. It’s a great way to relax and keep fit, and the competitive element really helps me in my role at Mobile Mini too. I am a competitive person and being around people who want to achieve, want to improve and clearly want to help grow the business is such a bonus to my working day.
10PM
I try to be in bed early to get a good night’s sleep , and I always sleep like a log, looking forward to the next day. For me, the best thing about working for Mobile Mini is being around the people I work with. We have a great team in the East Midlands and we all really push each other to achieve and hit targets. Aside from being a motivated bunch, we also have a lot of fun at work and someone is always making someone else laugh. We work hard and play hard and support each other – and that’s what makes it such a great place to work.
