I’ve been with GummyBear since its inception, and I’m proud to see how our wee company has grown to where it is today. I enjoy challenging perceptions, and with GummyBear being a disruptor in our industry I feel right at home.
I enjoy our fast-paced working environment, I have a terrible sense of humour (should’ve been a dad) and cutting loose in my time off by barrelling down hills on my mountain bike.
Can I say here “the coffee machine”??
I think my favourite platform we use here at GummyBear is Webflow as it is so user-friendly for our clients. We had a client a while back who was very pessimistic in their abilities to manage any of their online assets. We designed and developed them an amazing custom website on Webflow. Because the CMS is so intuitive, our originally sceptical client is now confidently updating content, adding case studies, and feeling in control of their digital asset
I read a lot of industry newsletters and blogs, especially if I’m researching something for a project.
I also talk to other people in the industry we work with – both in Aotearoa and overseas – about challenges we’ve faced and ways we’ve found to resolve them. I love hearing other people’s perspectives on issues, I learn something new every day!
.avif)
Our clients and their needs are diverse and unique, so our approach should be also. Our clients tell us our process is very collaborative, and I enjoy the energy this brings to our projects. We have a great balance in the team between the creatives and the analytical brains – we love well-designed work, and it has to be backed up with evidence that it’s doing what it was designed to do. On a company culture level, we’d a bunch of oddballs with terrible humour – I love it. I’m always being schooled by one of the team – either about ‘young people’ slang or some cool tool they’re using on a project. We have a strong learning environment here, and the team really support each other in this.
My role is fast-paced, and I’m often rejigging my to-do list several times throughout the day.
As Project Coordinator I need to have a firm grasp on where all projects and ongoing work is at, identify and resolve any bottlenecks, answer any questions from both our Clients and the team. I’ll also jump in and work on any tasks that need doing – account and integrations set-up, system testing etc.
My role is fast-paced, and I’m often rejigging my to-do list several times throughout the day.
As Project Coordinator I need to have a firm grasp on where all projects and ongoing work is at, identify and resolve any bottlenecks, answer any questions from both our Clients and the team. I’ll also jump in and work on any tasks that need doing – account and integrations set-up, system testing etc.
Understanding of changing technologies, and their worth / usefulness.
A big challenge I see for both industry providers and for our clients is the fast-paced nature of changing technology in the digital space. For example the algorithms employed by Google and Meta – that our clients rely on to have their content seen – change on a regular basis and our strategies and process need to be fluid enough to accommodate this.
Education and communication – both within the industry and to our clients - as well as the honesty to not oversell or undersell around the latest trends, is something I’d like to see discussed more in our industry.
I’d like clients seeking digital solutions for their business to have a greater awareness of the research that goes into identifying the best solution for their situation and understand when they are benefiting from that and not a one-size-fits-all compromise.
Understanding of changing technologies, and their worth / usefulness.
A big challenge I see for both industry providers and for our clients is the fast-paced nature of changing technology in the digital space. For example the algorithms employed by Google and Meta – that our clients rely on to have their content seen – change on a regular basis and our strategies and process need to be fluid enough to accommodate this.
Education and communication – both within the industry and to our clients - as well as the honesty to not oversell or undersell around the latest trends, is something I’d like to see discussed more in our industry.
I’d like clients seeking digital solutions for their business to have a greater awareness of the research that goes into identifying the best solution for their situation and understand when they are benefiting from that and not a one-size-fits-all compromise.
Two stand-out things here, that are quite selfish really.
GummyBear has a really diverse range of clients, and with each project I get an insight into the organisations and companies we work with (in a way I don’t think many other outsiders get to) – which I find so interesting, and is constantly expanding my knowledge and ways I think about the world. What a privilege!
The second thing is working with my team. Cue the soppy statement here, but seeing them grow and work together makes me a bit clucky (don’t tell them I said that haha)
Two stand-out things here, that are quite selfish really.
GummyBear has a really diverse range of clients, and with each project I get an insight into the organisations and companies we work with (in a way I don’t think many other outsiders get to) – which I find so interesting, and is constantly expanding my knowledge and ways I think about the world. What a privilege!
The second thing is working with my team. Cue the soppy statement here, but seeing them grow and work together makes me a bit clucky (don’t tell them I said that haha)
It’s hard to single out a project or highlight – projects for me are like children and I get quite attached to all of them.
The team get really involved too, and because our process is very collaborative we get to know our clients quite well.
We had a wireframe meeting with a client in the social sector recently where the client got quite emotional and said
“Wow, you’ve really listened to us!”
It was a special moment for the team, and to know that we had really nailed the information for such an important community portal was pretty awesome.
Although I do have a piece of paper from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (in both Public Policy and International Relations) my pathway into my position at GummyBear really comes from my history in the event production industry. As a lighting technician I fell in love with finding order in chaos with tight pack-in times for shows with many things happening simultaneously in the one space.
I advanced into production management roles, managing procurement for stadium shows in Dunedin, working closely with promotors, managing crews of more than 100 people, making sure budgets were met and paperwork submitted. There’s not much wiggle-room on a live show and I soon realised my strengths lay in organising moving targets in a pressure-cooker environment.
When I met Jeremy, he presented a chance to bring my skills into a similar environment that wasn’t as hard on my body and presented an opportunity to grow professionally to the next level.
I spent many years of my life on 8 wheels playing roller derby – but these days you’ll find me on 2 wheels either mountain biking the trails around Dunedin, or exploring the gravel roads around Central Otago. If I’m not outside, you’ll probably find me curled up with a good book (probably something political) or writing. When it gets warmer, you may find me taking a short break in the north island crewing on an outdoor dance party or two.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
