Latest / Drip Talk by Boshart / The Courage to Begin (S2.6)
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: All right, Risa, thanks for joining us today on Drip Talk.
- 0:03SPEAKER_00: Hey, how are you?
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: I'm doing good.
- 0:06SPEAKER_00: You're looking forward to it?
- 0:08SPEAKER_00: Yes.
- 0:09SPEAKER_00: That's good.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: You'll be great.
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: So uh why don't we start by you telling us a little bit about yourself and your career path?
- 0:15SPEAKER_01: All right.
- 0:16SPEAKER_01: So I have been at Beaucharts for almost, well, over 11 years now.
- 0:20SPEAKER_01: And um I started, I will never forget in my interview, there was a somebody asked me, what's something you do better than anybody else?
- 0:30SPEAKER_01: Okay.
- 0:31SPEAKER_01: And I was so confused.
- 0:32SPEAKER_01: I had like a blank, like I just like looked blank and I was like, I have no idea.
- 0:38SPEAKER_01: I ended up saying baking.
- 0:40SPEAKER_01: And I do that well.
- 0:42SPEAKER_01: I feel like that like is still legit.
- 0:44SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 0:45SPEAKER_01: So I agree with that.
- 0:46SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, it's kind of a funny question.
- 0:50SPEAKER_01: But when I look at it now, I'm like, I love baking, knitting, outdoors, hiking, all of the old lady things that are not really old lady anymore.
- 0:59SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, so that was kind of that's just like a little bit about me.
- 1:05SPEAKER_01: And then as far as career, um, so yeah, I started 11 years ago.
- 1:10SPEAKER_01: I had um at Fleming, I went to Fleming College.
- 1:13SPEAKER_01: Okay.
- 1:14SPEAKER_01: And took tourism and travel for two years.
- 1:16SPEAKER_01: And I wasn't sure what I wanted to do.
- 1:18SPEAKER_01: So I took another year of marketing.
- 1:20SPEAKER_01: And then after that, I applied for a job here as the marketing database administrator.
- 1:26SPEAKER_01: So I started off taking our PDF catalog and digitizing it.
- 1:31SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 1:31unknown: Yeah.
- 1:32SPEAKER_00: And then you were a couple years in marketing, correct?
- 1:35SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was a few years in marketing.
- 1:37SPEAKER_00: And then now you're in the position that you are, which is manager of business systems.
- 1:41SPEAKER_01: Business systems manager, yes.
- 1:43SPEAKER_00: Yes.
- 1:43SPEAKER_00: So I guess a little bit of context into what we're going to talk about today is about uh your switch from marketing to your current role and what triggered that.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: So there was a major project that came up, and so that was an opportunity that you ultimately decided to take.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: And so we're going to talk about a little bit of that journey, that growth, how you were when you were in marketing, maybe how you've grown since then into a leadership position, into a manager.
- 2:11SPEAKER_00: So let's just start with before that opportunity, how would you have described yourself professionally?
- 2:18SPEAKER_01: Before that opportunity, I was very much give me a task.
- 2:23SPEAKER_01: And I got kept my head down, did my task, and then would ask for an like just kind of go to somebody else to figure out what it was I needed to do.
- 2:34SPEAKER_01: And you feel like that's definitely changed, or is that something you still you still are?
- 2:38SPEAKER_01: No, it's definitely changed.
- 2:40SPEAKER_01: And I take a lot more ownership and kind of what needs to be done and recognizing it versus waiting for somebody to kind of come and say, all right, here's your list of 20 things that need to be done.
- 2:50SPEAKER_00: And do you feel like there was an immediate switch from that?
- 2:53SPEAKER_00: No.
- 2:54SPEAKER_00: Or do you feel like that was a definitely a gradual transition?
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: Nice.
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 2:58SPEAKER_00: So then what kind of challenges would you say excite you?
- 3:02SPEAKER_00: Because this would have been probably viewed as a challenge to take on this opportunity.
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: So what about that maybe excited you?
- 3:10SPEAKER_01: I think when when it came up, um it was very much like it felt like a fork in the road and a transition, picking either marketing or IT.
- 3:22SPEAKER_01: Um, and that was really hard like to a challenge to face figuring out which direction I wanted to go.
- 3:30SPEAKER_01: Um, and at the time, there were things that I think I didn't recognize what excited me about it.
- 3:37SPEAKER_01: Um, one of the things that really excites me is finding problem, like solving problems, not finding finding problems too, but solving problems and diving into how does this program work?
- 3:50SPEAKER_01: How does it, how do you get where you need to go?
- 3:54SPEAKER_01: And how do you set things up?
- 3:56SPEAKER_01: So how do you set up a new system?
- 4:00SPEAKER_00: And do you feel like there was anything in your role in marketing that you were able to take with you into that challenge that you were feeling confident?
- 4:07SPEAKER_00: Oh, I can do this because I have a little bit of this over here.
- 4:10SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely.
- 4:11SPEAKER_01: So one of the things that I did when I was in marketing was build our PIM software and take all of the catalog information that I had gathered and put it into a system to generate a new catalog.
- 4:25SPEAKER_01: And that was one of the things that I loved about that position was understanding the software, getting it set up, and seeing the end result of here's your cat, what your catalog looks like.
- 4:37SPEAKER_01: And if you change one thing over here, it just flows through.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: So it's a very similar thing.
- 4:42SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 4:42SPEAKER_00: Two very different things.
- 4:44SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 4:44SPEAKER_00: But the process was very similar.
- 4:46SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 4:47SPEAKER_00: So how would you say that this experience then has changed your confidence?
- 4:52SPEAKER_00: Do you want to take take on other challenges?
- 4:54SPEAKER_00: Do you see them as more less challenge and more excitement?
- 4:59SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
- 5:00SPEAKER_01: I think diving into things um and understanding how they work is so up my alley.
- 5:08SPEAKER_01: And through this process, really realizing that something that was there already, but I wasn't tapping into to the full degree that I could, um has just opened like it just this opportunity really opened that up for me to see that yeah, this is something that I really love doing and that I can do well.
- 5:31SPEAKER_00: For sure.
- 5:32SPEAKER_00: So then maybe what is something that you've learned about yourself that has surprised you through this entire process?
- 5:39SPEAKER_01: Um, I think it's kind of that same thing, diving in and understanding how to solve something that has absolutely surprised me.
- 5:48SPEAKER_01: Um, having other people recognize it and feeling like, oh, that's not me.
- 5:54SPEAKER_01: I that's not me.
- 5:55SPEAKER_01: Um, but then over time and through different experiences over the course of the project, really realizing that, oh, they're right, I can do this.
- 6:07SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 6:08SPEAKER_00: And so when you were first approached about this, did you have like a specific fear that uh you had that now you're like I don't have that anymore?
- 6:20SPEAKER_01: Yeah, actually when I was approached with this decision of basically picking it really felt like picking between marketing and IT.
- 6:30SPEAKER_01: Um I felt like I was gonna let people down for the decision that I was making.
- 6:37SPEAKER_01: And I think that really spoke to how concerned I was about other people's opinions.
- 6:44SPEAKER_01: And like my heart knew that that was the direction I wanted to go, was kind of into this unknown project.
- 6:51SPEAKER_01: But with it being unknown and feeling like I was letting people down, um, that really made it difficult.
- 6:58SPEAKER_01: And looking back now, like I wouldn't change it.
- 7:01SPEAKER_00: That's good.
- 7:02SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 7:03SPEAKER_00: So when you were in that project, I know you took on kind of a leadership role.
- 7:06SPEAKER_00: So you were in a leadership role in marketing, and then you took on this leadership role, and now you are manager of business systems.
- 7:12SPEAKER_00: So have you always seen yourself as a leader?
- 7:16SPEAKER_01: I feel like even at the beginning of the project and where I was in marketing, it was leadership, but not like it was kind of the max of what I wanted.
- 7:27SPEAKER_01: And I think that was it was the max of what I thought I was capable of.
- 7:32SPEAKER_01: Um, and then transitioning into a project.
- 7:34SPEAKER_01: When we started, I wasn't in a leadership role on the project that kind of came part way through.
- 7:41SPEAKER_01: Um and I think leadership has always been kind of in the back of my mind that like one day you'll lead people and one day you'll be a leader.
- 7:50SPEAKER_01: And I was like, nope, scary, don't want that.
- 7:52SPEAKER_01: I'm good.
- 7:54SPEAKER_01: Um but over like over time and with a gradual kind of gradual steps, it has like I've really seen that, yeah, it's definitely something that I'm not surprised I'm doing.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: Like you almost saw a need for a leader and it almost became a natural progression into that.
- 8:14SPEAKER_00: Would you say that?
- 8:15SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was a very much a gradual thing.
- 8:18SPEAKER_01: And I would almost say, as opposed to me seeing a need for it, other people noticed my skills for it.
- 8:26SPEAKER_00: So one big thing about this project was it was a project that it was a whole new thing.
- 8:31SPEAKER_00: It was a whole new system.
- 8:32SPEAKER_00: It was bringing it to Bouchard for the very first time.
- 8:35SPEAKER_00: So it was something that didn't exist.
- 8:36SPEAKER_00: What was it like stepping into that path?
- 8:39SPEAKER_00: Was something that you had no idea.
- 8:42SPEAKER_00: There was very little, maybe there's a little bit of direction, but it was very new for everyone involved.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: How was it like being a part of that?
- 8:50SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think my there were a few people in my situation where we stepped out of our day-to-day role into this project.
- 9:00SPEAKER_01: And when we stepped out of our current roles, we didn't know what the end would look like.
- 9:06SPEAKER_01: We knew, okay, we're gonna have a job after this, but what that looks like, we had no idea.
- 9:11SPEAKER_01: So um stepping into that unknown um was very challenging and just kind of like, we don't know.
- 9:19SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 9:20SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: And speaking of that, like not knowing the end result, now the end result was this brand new department, yes, business system.
- 9:28SPEAKER_00: So it is an extension of IT, I guess, in a way, but it is because of this project, correct?
- 9:33SPEAKER_00: Is that yeah, I like to call us IT adjacent.
- 9:36SPEAKER_00: IT adjacent, yes, that's perfect.
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: So then how is it like leading a department that quote unquote didn't exist once upon a time and now is a thing?
- 9:46SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've been thinking about that a lot.
- 9:48SPEAKER_01: It's kind of how did we like all of a sudden we're this new department?
- 9:52SPEAKER_01: And it was not an all of a sudden we're this new department.
- 9:57SPEAKER_01: It was very much a gradual transition and like seeing the need for um experts in the system to understand it and um seeing how we went from our old system that was very customizable.
- 10:16SPEAKER_01: IT knew in and out they could make changes on the fly.
- 10:21SPEAKER_01: Whereas with a new system that's in the cloud, uh, you have updates, you have there's a longer process to making changes to it.
- 10:30SPEAKER_01: And I think too, taking it away from IT and making it kind of we're here for the business and making sure that the businesses needs are met through the system was something that we we didn't really have as a company.
- 10:46SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 10:47SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 10:48SPEAKER_00: And it is a lot of it touched every department, right?
- 10:51SPEAKER_00: And so it's really difficult to make sure you were covering each basis.
- 10:56SPEAKER_00: So then I guess the other question I have about that is how did you maybe get your team to believe in something that didn't exist or that was still being built?
- 11:04SPEAKER_00: And it's still built to this day, right?
- 11:08SPEAKER_00: There's still um updates and upgrades and all sorts of stuff like that.
- 11:11SPEAKER_00: So how do you get a team to believe in that?
- 11:14SPEAKER_01: I think again, it was kind of a gradual thing.
- 11:17SPEAKER_01: So they saw kind of the leadership that I had through the project.
- 11:22SPEAKER_01: And after the project, it was kind of really working with them to get their feedback on how we were moving forward.
- 11:31SPEAKER_01: It wasn't just I'm coming up with the direction, here we go, this is how we're gonna do it.
- 11:36SPEAKER_01: There were some times where I would bounce ideas off them and kind of say, This is what I'm thinking.
- 11:41SPEAKER_01: What do you guys think?
- 11:42SPEAKER_01: But going back to them and being like, here's kind of the direction that we're going, here's how we want to set things up and asking for their sorry, and asking for their feedback on that.
- 11:54SPEAKER_01: Um because I think it was really important to get their buy-in because they're also experts in areas where I'm not as familiar.
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 12:04SPEAKER_00: And it's new.
- 12:05SPEAKER_00: It's new, yeah.
- 12:06SPEAKER_00: So it is one of those things where you want different opinions and there's no right or wrong, right?
- 12:11SPEAKER_00: I was just about to say that.
- 12:12SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's no right or wrong answer.
- 12:14SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 12:15SPEAKER_01: Um, it's how do we how do we be the best that we can be as a department?
- 12:19SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 12:20SPEAKER_00: So then how has leading maybe other people changed the way you lead yourself?
- 12:25SPEAKER_00: So now that you have a team, how do you maybe view leadership differently with how you've led yourself maybe in the past?
- 12:33SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think having a team really bringing things to them to um get the feedback from them has really helped me being to recognize it's like I need to ask for feedback of other things in other areas, different management things, um, to reach out to other managers and just get their feedback on things.
- 12:54SPEAKER_00: So then if you go back to day one, the first day that you decided to take on this new adventure, start this project, what would you like to say to yourself about maybe those butterflies or how you're feeling on day one now that you know what you know?
- 13:09SPEAKER_01: I would definitely say you've got this.
- 13:12SPEAKER_01: I think that's the one thing that I would say is you've got this.
- 13:16SPEAKER_01: Um, if I went back and said, hey, you're gonna be managing a department when this is done, I don't think that would have helped.
- 13:22SPEAKER_01: I think that would have scared me even more and not that would have been very counterproductive.
- 13:27SPEAKER_00: But I almost like you needed that experience in order to get confident.
- 13:33SPEAKER_00: Yes.
- 13:33SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
- 13:34SPEAKER_00: Like you couldn't have just gone from where you were into this role.
- 13:38SPEAKER_00: You needed that whole couple years of growth or whatever it was.
- 13:41SPEAKER_00: That whole process.
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 13:43SPEAKER_00: So then do you feel like it has definitely changed what you feel like you are capable of or what your department is capable of?
- 13:50SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
- 13:51SPEAKER_01: Like if you had said to me day like day one, you're gonna be leading a department and this is what your depart your department's gonna be responsible for, um I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have believed it.
- 14:06SPEAKER_01: And I think through, I don't know if this is going off topic, but going through that process, one of the lines that we kind of came up with was, or I can't even remember if we came up with it or we got it from somewhere, but it was um go live isn't go perfect, it's get going.
- 14:24SPEAKER_01: And that was a big thing um for us is okay, we don't need it to be perfect.
- 14:30SPEAKER_01: We need it to be perfect in certain areas, but there's things that we needed to kind of let go of in order to get going.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 14:39SPEAKER_00: Because it's different, but change is good.
- 14:41SPEAKER_00: And I think that is important to not only teach the other people that you're trying to show this new program to, but also internally.
- 14:47SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 14:47SPEAKER_00: Right?
- 14:48SPEAKER_00: The team that is coming up with it that it's supposed to be change is good, right?
- 14:51SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
- 14:52SPEAKER_00: So you've been here, you said 11 years.
- 14:55SPEAKER_00: So has there been somebody who has influenced your leadership style?
- 14:59SPEAKER_00: Was there somebody you looked up to or something that kind of shaped your leadership style?
- 15:05SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think we've had people here in the past that have definitely shaped my leadership style.
- 15:12SPEAKER_01: Um, just people that have believed in me and seen things in me that I didn't see in myself at the time.
- 15:20SPEAKER_01: So just kind of having that belief has really helped me also believe in my team and want the best for them as well.
- 15:30SPEAKER_01: Um, having people who've seen the best in me when I didn't see it.
- 15:34SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 15:35SPEAKER_00: Pushed you to become kind of a leader that maybe they were doing it without you really realizing it.
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
- 15:41SPEAKER_01: Oh, oh, I get it.
- 15:42SPEAKER_00: I get it for sure.
- 15:45SPEAKER_00: So then what is one lesson you'll carry with you for the rest of your career that maybe you've learned throughout this process?
- 15:52SPEAKER_01: You can do hard things.
- 15:54SPEAKER_01: I think is definitely one.
- 15:56SPEAKER_01: Um you can do hard things.
- 16:00SPEAKER_01: It may look scary, but um, you can do it.
- 16:04SPEAKER_01: And I think just in this conversation, breaking things down and not trying to eat the whole elephant, eat the elephant one bite at a time.
- 16:13SPEAKER_01: Um yeah.
- 16:14SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
- 16:15SPEAKER_00: And then maybe what would one thing be that you're still learning?
- 16:19SPEAKER_00: Timelines.
- 16:21SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 16:21SPEAKER_01: Timelines.
- 16:23SPEAKER_01: If you figure that one out, let me know.
- 16:24SPEAKER_01: But um, when you have a a project, you like I would love to go up to the executive and say, hey, this project's gonna be done this day, guaranteed.
- 16:34SPEAKER_01: This is exactly how we're gonna do it.
- 16:36SPEAKER_01: Um, but I've definitely learned that that is not realistic and um not likely, but gathering the information to make those better, to make better judgment calls on when things will be done, um, and just providing that up that update.
- 16:54SPEAKER_01: But if you figure out how to come up with good timelines, let me know.
- 16:58SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
- 16:58SPEAKER_01: We'll do that.
- 16:59SPEAKER_00: So then I guess as we wrap up here, is there anything you want to end with?
- 17:04SPEAKER_00: Is there any advice you would give somebody that maybe is in a similar spot, they're in a certain position and they've been offered to take on a project and maybe they're a little scared.
- 17:13SPEAKER_00: What would be something you would give them for advice?
- 17:16SPEAKER_01: Um, I would say think about what you enjoy doing and does this fit with that?
- 17:23SPEAKER_01: And even if you're scared, just do it.
- 17:26SPEAKER_01: Because um, stepping into that unknown, even when you know it's when you know it's the right thing to do and what you want to do, even if it's scary, do it anyway.
- 17:36SPEAKER_00: Okay, you've heard here first.
- 17:38SPEAKER_00: Do it anyway.
- 17:40SPEAKER_00: All right, so I have a couple rapid fire questions.
- 17:43SPEAKER_00: If I get presented with those, please.
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
- 17:48SPEAKER_00: Okay, so these are meant to be very quick answers.
- 17:51SPEAKER_00: Oh no.
- 17:51SPEAKER_00: First thing that pops into your head.
- 17:53SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 17:53SPEAKER_00: They're not too difficult, maybe a little difficult.
- 17:57SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 17:58SPEAKER_00: Coffee or tea?
- 18:00SPEAKER_00: Oh, coffee.
- 18:01SPEAKER_00: Summer or winter?
- 18:02SPEAKER_00: Winter.
- 18:03SPEAKER_00: I know the answer to the next one.
- 18:04SPEAKER_00: Sunrise or sunset.
- 18:06SPEAKER_00: Oh, you're gonna make me pick between the two?
- 18:09SPEAKER_00: I was gonna say both.
- 18:10SPEAKER_00: I was yeah, both.
- 18:11SPEAKER_00: I was like, I can't pick between those two.
- 18:14SPEAKER_00: Work from home or in an office.
- 18:17SPEAKER_00: Balanced.
- 18:19SPEAKER_00: Is that the answer?
- 18:20SPEAKER_00: Balanced?
- 18:20SPEAKER_00: More likely work from work from office.
- 18:22SPEAKER_00: In office.
- 18:24SPEAKER_00: Um, email or phone call?
- 18:26SPEAKER_00: Uh phone call.
- 18:28SPEAKER_00: Favorite day of the week.
- 18:30SPEAKER_00: Oh.
- 18:32SPEAKER_00: Probably Friday.
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's the obvious one.
- 18:35SPEAKER_00: Morning meetings or afternoon?
- 18:37SPEAKER_00: Morning.
- 18:38SPEAKER_00: Music or podcasts?
- 18:40SPEAKER_00: Oh, music.
- 18:41SPEAKER_00: 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late.
- 18:44SPEAKER_01: I would love to say early, but I feel like sometimes it's definitely I just show up.
- 18:48SPEAKER_00: It's more late.
- 18:49SPEAKER_01: It's more late, but I would love to say early.
- 18:51SPEAKER_00: You're striving for early.
- 18:53SPEAKER_00: I'm striving for early.
- 18:54SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 18:54SPEAKER_00: One food you could eat every day.
- 18:57SPEAKER_00: Ooh.
- 18:59SPEAKER_00: Pasta.
- 19:00SPEAKER_00: Pasta.
- 19:01SPEAKER_00: Pasta.
- 19:02SPEAKER_00: Good one.
- 19:02SPEAKER_01: It's been a while.
- 19:03SPEAKER_01: Maybe I'll have pasta for supper.
- 19:04SPEAKER_00: What's one thing you always have on your desk?
- 19:07SPEAKER_00: My world's best boss mug.
- 19:09SPEAKER_00: Good answer.
- 19:10SPEAKER_00: Pen and paper or a typed note?
- 19:13SPEAKER_00: Uh pen and paper.
- 19:14SPEAKER_00: I type.
- 19:15SPEAKER_01: I feel like it should be typed, but I'm a pen and paper.
- 19:18SPEAKER_00: I'm a pen and paper too.
- 19:19SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 19:20SPEAKER_00: What fictional character would you want as a coworker?
- 19:23SPEAKER_00: Oh gosh.
- 19:24SPEAKER_00: Are you gonna say Dwight?
- 19:27SPEAKER_00: Michael Scott.
- 19:29SPEAKER_00: Michael Scott.
- 19:30SPEAKER_01: Always hot or always cold.
- 19:33SPEAKER_01: Always.
- 19:34SPEAKER_01: I like I would rather be cold because you can just wipe blankets.
- 19:40SPEAKER_00: And then favorite office object.
- 19:43SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
- 19:44SPEAKER_00: Probably my laptop.
- 19:45SPEAKER_00: Let's go, and you can't do your work without your laptop.
- 19:48SPEAKER_00: All right, thank you, Risa.
- 19:49SPEAKER_00: I appreciate you joining us today.
- 19:51SPEAKER_01: No problem.