Megan Barnett is the Marketing Manager at Perkbox, a global benefits and rewards platform that helps companies care for, connect with and celebrate their employees.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
Absolutely! I actually studied a Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney and majored in Nutrition. I always thought that a career in Nutrition would be the route that I followed, however after uni I moved to Europe and found myself in a community marketing role at lululemon.
At lululemon, my role involved helping to launch the lululemon brand into the Irish market and then after this (+ partially because I was craving a big city experience) I took a sharp left turn and moved to London to work for a software company.
My key responsibilities there included leading campaign management and co-marketing activities for key strategic partnerships with global organisations such as Google Cloud and AWS.
I enhanced visibility, communications and branding activities for these partners and developed integrated marketing plans to support go-to-market strategy. Currently, I am the Marketing Manager for Australia at Perkbox.
Here, I am responsible for demand generation in the Australian market and I work closely with both my regional sales team and a centralised UK Marketing team to build and execute marketing campaigns that support our global sales strategy to help employees live better, in life and at work.
2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Because my role covers multiple areas (from the website, to PR, performance and customer marketing) my days tend to vary a lot. But this suits my personality perfectly! I also work very closely with a centralised UK marketing team so flexibility in my day is key to keeping me energised and focused for any late night calls.
Generally speaking, I am an obnoxiously early riser and my day usually starts around 5:30 / 6am. If I don’t go to a gym class, I’ll head straight out for a big coastal walk and an even bigger coffee. Then I will head to the office and catch up on any Slacks/emails that have come through overnight. I’ll add any to-dos to my task list and prioritise accordingly.
Most recently, we’re focused on getting involved with some in-person events (remember those?!), so a lot of my time has been spent on that.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Our focus at Perkbox is on the experience of the employee, and how we can empower employees to strike a balance between work and home in a manner that suits them.
Generally speaking we are a small team who really appreciate the energy of the office, so we try to be in the office at least three days a week. I try to organise my days so that any meetings are done in person, and tasks that require more deep focus are scheduled for the days I spend at home.
Working closely with the UK can also mean late calls – so if this is the case, I might leave the office early to make sure I take some time out to get some fresh air or spend some time with friends before getting back into it!
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
Work-life balance is invaluable and having flexibility around my schedule is incredibly empowering.
It allows me to ensure I am taking care of myself from a mental and physical perspective, and consequently showing up as the best and most productive version of myself at work.
I am really lucky to be working at a company that understands work-life balance differs by individual and that providing choice and flexibility is vital to ensuring that employees feel valued.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
The past 12 months (or few years) have been challenging for everyone.. However, I also think they forced me to pick up some habits that I perhaps wouldn’t have been so quick to otherwise.
I now take time out each day for a short meditation or breathing exercise. This has really helped me to change my mindset if I feel unfocused, tune into my body cues if I am feeling stressed, and switch off and let the day go before bed.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I personally have been loving the podcast Feel Better, Live More with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. The podcast is a series of interviews with leading health experts and personalities who offer easy life-hacks and you gain some incredible insights on how you can transform the way you eat, move and sleep.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I cannot live without my Apple watch! I find that it really keeps me accountable and the reminders to take a breath are great. Additionally, I know it’s not an app, but I love the “Do not disturb” function on the iPhone for keeping me focused.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
I would love to read an interview with either one of the Atlassian co-founders (Scott Farquhar or Mike Cannon-Brookes). I think it would be really interesting to hear how they managed to both start and build a successful business model that has set a standard for company culture and community engagement.
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