Bonnie is our Business Support Manager. She’s a critical cog in our wheel that keeps us organised, up-to-date and safe in the field – and we’re so happy she’s part of our team. In this blog, Bonnie shares her perspective on why E2M is the ultimate place to work and what a day looks like in her world.
How it started
I saw the role at E2M, had an interview, met the team and it was an instant fit. The experience was so different to anything I’d experienced in previous jobs, where I didn’t feel seen or valued. Here, I feel like I’m working with my friends every day and I look forward to every day.
My friends say I have the perfect job at the best company, and I have to agree. The leadership team are accessible and I’m never afraid of raising issues or chatting through opportunities to make a difference. Their focus is always on how they can help to resolve a situation to make the outcome better for everyone.
Leadership and culture
All of the leaders here are different. Our CEO, Scott is great for a chat, Cameron is brilliant at all things technology, Hannah helps to develop and invest in my skills and Brad is to the point and technically amazing. With all of their talents, still, if you walked into the office, you’d never know who the leaders are – it’s a very inclusive and flat structure.
There is definitely a culture at E2M which is based on absolute respect for each other and a sense of camaraderie through teamwork. We all have each other’s back all of the time. And that’s one of our values – Flock – so we all return safely to the nest.
A typical day (and the criticality of biscuits)
It’s different every single day. Today, for example, we’ve got a load of new field gear, so I’ll organise and test it, get some structure to our inventory, make sure the cars are safe and serviced, book training for the team, add some estimates into our CRM, or buy easter eggs.
Biscuit supplies are also very important in this office, as the team have a particular love of chocolate covered Scotch Fingers and Caramel Crowns. We also have the plain biscuit haters – so keeping everyone happy is important!
Keeping everyone safe and happy
When I applied to E2M, I had no idea what an ecologist was. Fortunately, that’s not the skills they needed me to have! Now I can happily tell people what we do. I tell them I’m a travel agent, receptionist and assistant in one person. People who have come from other places, had to book their own travel, training, surveys and so on. They’re so happy to have someone to support them, and I love making sure they’re where they need to be in a safe and happy environment.
Favourite part of the job
I love booking the surveys. Booking flights and accommodation is a challenge I enjoy, especially for big groups. They might have to fly into one place, catch a charter to another within a certain timeframe or meet someone in a particular remote location. And of course, any of that could change at any time, so making sure I’m available to support when they need me is important too.
Training
We do a lot of training here at E2M. So making sure people’s certifications are up-to-date is important so that we can mobilise for clients quickly and easily.
We do 4WD driver training, Standard 11 (which enables our people to work on mine sites), white cards, cultural awareness, land access, first aid, vaccinations for animal handling and specific inductions for specific clients to ensure compliance with their needs.
The team know I’m on top of it, and they never have to ask if they’re due, because I’ve already organised it.
Life with a Galah
I live with my pet Galah, Calvin. I named him that because of Back to the Future. He’s a bit noisy for my unit but no one seems to mind. He is also super clumsy and loves to sing and dance. He enjoys sunflower seeds, and randomly eats cooked spaghetti if he gets the chance. He can talk too, so he’ll say ‘goodbye baby’ when I leave in the morning.
Love of metal and music concerts
I love watching horror movies and playing online games to catch up with my friends. It’s a good way to reach my social quota without having to leave the house. With the embarrassingly large amount hours I’ve racked up playing Call of Duty, I should be better at it. I love shopping (a bit too much sometimes) and seeing live music. Just this morning, I bought my tickets for Parkway Drive – one of Australia’s most successful metalcore bands. They’re doing a 20th anniversary tour in September at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. I saw them for the first time in 2008 and they have been my favourite band to see live ever since. I’m also a big Taylor Swift fan and recently travelled to Sydney for The Era’s Tour which is a big genre shift from Parkway Drive. I also managed to get Taylor Swift as E2M’s top artist of the year on Spotify, much to Scott’s disgust.
What’s next?
We’re big on career planning at E2M, and as we grow, I’m looking forward to being part of it. We have talked about the opportunity to move into Project Management at some point because of my organising skills and I really enjoy the logistics of planning.