ORA Unplugged

By Shelley Hammond, Founder and Managing Director, One Roof Agency

 

Little did anyone understand how the years of 2020 to 2022 would so dramatically change the traditional work model. And, actually, I am grateful for the shift (with the obvious exception of all the tragedy the Covid-19 pandemic brought upon the world).

While it wasn’t always the intention, One Roof Agency is now a completely remote workforce. We have no shared spaces, no regular in person meetings, I’ve since relocated to the sunny Gold Coast and, in fact, none of us live in the same city. We’re six consultants who are a team located across three states, and while not everyone’s ideal arrangement, we are thriving.

Credit where it’s due however, we wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for great tech which enables our productivity and enhances our collaboration, but having the right people is also another thing.

A great mate of mine, and also an agency business owner, once gave me some sage advice in the early days when I was finding my feet, saying, “Shell, just remember, no one gives a shit about your business but you”. And at the time, I couldn’t have agreed more. At times I felt isolated, out of my depth and wondering where this was all going and how the bloody hell I was going to get there.

But with time and experience comes perspective and power, and call me gullible, but I genuinely believe that the team in place today, do indeed, give a shit about this business.

I don’t often like to refer to the business as mine, because I truly feel it’s our people and their contributions every day that culminate to our overall success. Success isn’t just about the P&L. I am supported, encouraged and while we’re not under the same roof every day, we did come together last week for our annual Sydney rendezvous which reaffirmed just how important time in person is for our culture.

Last year, we spent three days together working on the business. We updated our values, our offering, identified our ideal client, and solidified our plan for the year ahead which was hugely motivating for us all. This year, we designed a program to focus on us. The agency’s most important component. We made our own development and self-care a priority, to uncover what would help us bring the best versions of ourselves to our clients, each other, and our families every day.

We broke bread around the lunch (and dinner) table, shared wine, told stories, laughed (a lot) and had time to ourselves and time to think. Away from kids, partners, commitments, and interferences. We took time out from working on the business to work on ourselves, and to remember what is important to us, what our drivers are, what balance looks like and what actions we can take to be at our peak.

We learned from a deeply intuitive wellness coach, Sarah Nash at The Me Spot, where we shared our vulnerabilities and learned tips to better engage as high performing individuals and as a team.

We were fortunate to attend the Barack Obama speaking tour, where he talked about leadership in the most impactful way I imagine, I’ll likely ever see. He commanded the room and spoke with such authenticity and accomplishment, showing the sell-out room why he earns a standing ovation from audiences on the other side of the world.

We met with a renowned perfumier Ainslie Walker, where we created our own unique scents. We learned about balance and boldness and nostalgia, which fragrances work for us and why, what they remind us of and how to think creatively using our olfactory system. We all agreed taking time out to learn something new together felt fulfilling, fun, and helped us learn more about one another.

As a business owner I need to, and want to, take leadership seriously and my style is fairly intuitive, with an aim to lead authentically and effectively through positivity. As the marketing great Simon Sinek put it, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” Word.

Under our roof, expectations are clear, respect is mutual, and support is our default.

As we break for a few days this long weekend, I will be taking the time to reflect and be grateful for all we’ve achieved, what’s ahead and what’s to come.

And I know, that with support and vision and a commitment to fostering a killer culture, anything is possible. As long as we all give a shit.