Don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but on TV programmes and in movies, whenever someone leaves their job they seem to do so with only one box. A brown or white file box, often with a lid and sometimes with a plant. Seems a bit dubious to me because I seem to have a lot of stuff around and under my desk, not to mention the collection of orange pens and post-it notes.
However, today we packed up our desks in the likely event that due to Xero’s continuing growth spurt new people will need to sit at our desks while we’re gone. After recycling my non-essentials I was very surprised that I have stuffed my 3 years at Xero into ONE box! Includes my collection of orange things, cup, framed pictures, the Xero User Guide when it existed in book form, a ream of orange paper and more!
It now waits in the storeroom with my special orange chair for my return.
So that’s our desks spring-cleaned, and the apartment – have scrubbed pantry, shower (with a toothbrush even!), fridge, balcony pots; emptied, scrutinized and repacked cupboards under stairs, basins and hot water cupboard and we’re now down to eating strange meals to use up bits of random food from freezer, fridge and pantry. And to top off the weekend The Mister went next door to see our neighbour who we don’t see for months (so she probably wouldn’t’ve noticed we were gone) to tell her about a stranger coming and going from our apartment only to be greeted by a stranger staying there while she was away – looking rather rumpled and disturbed in a bathrobe so he’s quite embarrassed. Dammit. The first time I’ve ever got him to go over to the neighbours and that. Now he’ll never go again. Sigh.
Went over to Martinborough for our Christmas party yesterday – we went on the train and toured 2 wineries and an olive grove before ending up at Murdoch James for more tasting and dinner. It was a pretty cool afternoon – can’t remember laste time I went on train locally and the trip to Featherston went by pretty quickly.
It was really windy in Martinborough but it was cool hanging around chatting with everyone. At Palliser ,
And wandering through the olive grove at Olivo.
Train got us back into town by 10pm so all in all a good afternoon and a nice break from the city.
So I survived my first ever presentation at NZX to the Australian Investor Relations Association conference on 12 November. The presentation was ‘Xero & Social Media’. I was totally petrified and worried that what I had to share wasn’t rocket science or anything particularly educational for a group of CEOs, CFOs, CIOs and comms/marketing people but it seemed to go down well. In the end it was a small case study (only had to survive at the podium for 10 mins!) on how we use a blog and Twitter at Xero to communicate with our customers.
I featured on the NZX blog pretty much straight away! And eventually got a recording of the presentation to go with a write-up on Xero’s blog.
More coverage from the NZ Internet Industry Awards that we appeared as as Xero’s celebrity couple is on the Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation website. The photo of us as the glam couple, but also a video of The Mister’s acceptance speech for Xero’s award. Isn’t he great? (click image to play)
Just received some official photos from the NZ Internet Industry awards we went to 10 days ago. Not often you see professional photos of yourself at the beginning of the night before all the random blurry iPhone photos with shiny faces, flat hair and red eyes. And a nice one of us both in the mix. The other 10 were of The Mister with various famous people and trophies.
Feel very grown up and important as I have 35 CVs to review for the writing job I have advertised at the moment. I have a system to be very transparent and fair in my review and on this rainy afternoon I’m skimming them all in a huge lot to make my no, maybe and yes piles for further review and interview.
I’ve been involved in hiring before but havne’t been the point person and haven’t had such interest. And I must say it makes me want to review my own CV – I realise it’s quite wordy, which it has to be when demonstrating that you can write, but in my review so far my biggest objective is to try to get a feel for the person and their experience through the written word. Too brief and you can’t see it, too long and you can’t skim it. It’s tricky business. I know that for ultimate judgement I’ll need to meet these people but first up they have one chance to make their impression on paper. And I have to say the introductory statement by recruitment agencies does NOT help. I want to hear from the applicant, not their representative. And that introduction doesn’t constitute the cover letter I specified in the job ad, that’s a perfect way to show me their written self so omit that and it’s almost a no straight away.
Hopefully I’m not being too naiive or harsh, I guess I’ll know when I get to the end when I see how many maybes and yesses I’ve got!
My 5th move in the office happened yesterday as neighbouring teams are getting bigger and little old Help Centre was the easiest to move as a unit somewhere else. Back down the other end of the office to where my second spot was in the marketing area. Such a different scene down here. Although as someone remarked, the room kind of ‘glows’ orange since I arrived … yessSSS!
The Mister and I represented Xero at the NZ Internet Industry Awards last night at Parliament, in the Banquet Hall. It was a very glamorous evening and amazingly, we won again. Very humbling especially as there were only 3 awards – Best Business Application (our award), Best Education Product or Service and a Societal Impact Award.
The Mister had to line up on stage with the 3 other nominees in our category and wait for “And the winner is …. envelope please …” then give an acceptance speech. And he gave a really great speech – someone at our table said he was “sincere yet direct”. I was so proud.
It was pretty cool being at Parliament, and I felt quite movie starrish posing on the Parliament steps!
And a close up of my frock and wrap for Mothers 🙂
And Dad, the jewels I wore were Nanna L’s gold bangle with ruby in it and the little oblong gold brooch – but I can’t remember if I got them at my 21st or when Nanna died.
Just found out today that Xero is in line for another prestigious NZ-based award so The Mister and I have been asked to put on our posh tux and frock and represent. So we’re off to the NZ Internet Industry Awards to be held at a black tie dinner at Parliament this Thursday.
However I’ve got frock nerves – I’ve gotten away with wearing my same black dress to a few awards now but have only ever been caught and published on Xero film at the last awards – the Webbys in New York. So if we win, and I am photographed again, apparently the fabloids will be out to criticise me for wearing the same frock. Yikes! I was consoling myself thinking that our shareholders might appreciate that I am not paid enough of their hard-earned investment to go out and buy a new frock every time I am called upon to attend a black tie event for Xero. Which turns out to have been quite a few over the last 3 years.
However, am laughing in the face of societal pressure, again, and will be wearing the same frock. But this time, being that it’s winter, I’ll finally get to wear this gorgeous wrap of orange felt, velvet ribbon and beads, handmade by my sister for me last year.
Which I will try to be wearing if I am photographed!
