Linh Pham is the Senior Manager – Investments and Business Development at multi-disciplinary property advisory group EG Funds.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I work with the Business Development team at EG and our responsibilities are across product development, new business, capital raising and investor relations. I find that it is a little bit more of a balance between the creative/blue sky thinking side of me and my more analytical side.
I was too creative for an accountant which was my graduate role post university but then was too analytical to be in fashion design, which was what I studied in between being an accountant and EG.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Wake up at 7am (probably a little later than most of these bios), walk into the office via the regular coffee shop and at my desk by 8:30am.
The day starts usually with a meeting with one of our business units/working groups (Business Development, Private Debt, Capital Transactions) or a ‘stand up’ with our smaller team. These discussions set out action items for each of our business units/working groups for the week.
I usually then spend the next hour clearing emails and all 5-minute tasks before any meetings and larger blocks of time allocated to do work that requires absolute focus. I usually finish work at 6:30 in time for some exercise or a catch up with friends. If there is anything urgent, I may work a little later from home.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Despite having a client facing role, what our industry has learned in the past year is that you don’t have to have face-to-face meetings for every interaction.
Our team works with both Australian and offshore investors and we have found that this has worked well for existing relationships. Where I see a challenge is the speed in being able to build the same level of rapport and trust with new investors that we have not met before.
Perhaps in the future this will allow for extended stints in each country where our clients and potential clients are based whilst also being able to participate in our day-to-day Australian operations!
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Work-life balance is when you feel that both your personal and professional worlds are growing and neither of those worlds are limited by time.
Achieving that goal means we need to be better at saying ‘no’ so that when the ‘what could go wrongs’ and things you can’t control come up, we haven’t piled on so much that work starts to overstep.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I’m generally not someone that enjoys a strict routine but habits that control my stress and energy levels when I need it include, long swims, yoga and playing a guided meditation before bed.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I studied social sciences so anything geeky works. Planet Money is always good for when I don’t have the attention span for anything longer than 20 minutes (also perfect for the walk into the office) and 99% Invisible is a great explainer into the design of our world.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
My ClassPass app and KeepCup.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Can I say Beyonce?
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