Emily Gara Injecting Fun into Everyday

Always a ray of sunshine, you’ll find it difficult to forget an interaction with Emily Gara; upbeat, beaming, and positive, she oozes “let’s go!” Not just the first time you meet her, but every time.

Some are predisposed to have a more positive mindset, some have to work at training that ‘merry’ muscle. We’ve always been advocates of having fun in the workplace; enjoying the everyday, and injecting moments of enjoyment wherever you can. If you’re having fun at work it’s hard to be anything but positive - No one goes down a slide without a smile on their face, do they?!

It’s clear to see that Emily enjoys what she does, and her team would agree that wherever she is, the more fun there is to be had. We managed to grab some time with her to talk all things ‘fun at work’, something she, of course, was excited to get involved with.

Emily! You and your team appear to have a great bond, how do you think you’re facilitating that?

First and foremost, when anybody joins my team, I play 21 Questions with them as the topic because I want to know everything there is to know about them. The more I find out, the more I’ll know how they tick, how they learn best and how to have fun with them.

I’m not afraid to be my true self either, because they’ll feel more comfortable engaging in the fun that I’m having and be themselves too. If I’m putting on a persona, I can’t expect them to be their true selves.

We know team nights are a blast, but how are you implementing enjoyment elsewhere?

Every week I set a competition, for instance, this week, whoever is best dressed, over the whole week, will get a £50 gift card. It allows for that friendly banter to come into play and sparks a little fun to keep up with each other.

I also think that because I’ve gotten to know my team well we’re genuinely all friends, so we catch up, we care about one another, we even know what we’re all having for dinner! We take the mickey out of each other but it’s always from a place of love.

Our team goals are always a source of fun too; we’re going to Thorpe Park when it opens in April because we hit our 60 customer acquisitions in a week goal.

What about when you’re working solo?

Working on my own was something I used to struggle with actually because I was so used to working with others. It’s all about adapting and finding positive interactions with customers instead.

“Some are predisposed to have a more positive mindset, some have to work at training that ‘merry’ muscle. We’ve always been advocates of having fun in the workplace; enjoying the everyday, and injecting moments of enjoyment wherever you can. If you’re having fun at work it’s hard to be anything but positive”

My brain is never empty, there’s always music playing! What I find works for me is putting my phone onto ‘Do Not Disturb’ and away in my bag so I can completely focus on the moment. I even wear a watch so I can check the time that way instead of on my phone. There are no notifications and no distractions which is perfect for event marketing because it may only be a few minutes replying to WhatsApp messages, but it means multiple missed opportunities with customers.

You have tougher days too, we're sure, how do you find it best to tackle them?

I trust in the systems to know that if I am having a challenging day, every day is different and there will be a mixed bag over the course of a week. I minimise the lows and think about how I can improve the day.

It always helps to speak to someone you know and trust too. I usually call Fidel Nanton for a quick conversation, not necessarily about work, but I find at the end of the call my mindset will be back to where it was in the morning. I’ll say “Look, I’m ready to go back and smash my goals” and he’ll say “I know you will, I believe you”. It’s all about mindset.

Do you have any top tips for injecting fun while you’re learning?

I never take myself too seriously, in all honesty, if I did, I’d be a bit too boring. I always say to my new team members, “Look, the aim of your first two weeks is, yes absolutely, to learn sales skills, but all I expect from you is to simply copy me. The goal is to have a load of fun and build your confidence”.

What we do isn’t rocket science, all we do essentially is find positive people to have conversations with. Nine out of ten people will learn more from what they see than what they’re told, so by setting a good example, having fun with them while I’m working, they’ll naturally copy.

Have fun, you’re allowed to. In the business that we’re in, the opportunity is life-changing if you want it to be, why would you not want to have fun along the way?

So the next time you’re feeling less than spritely, remember this: Be more Emily.

'“I trust in the systems to know that if I am having a challenging day, every day is different and there will be a mixed bag over the course of a week. I minimise the lows and think about how I can improve the day. ”