Step-by-step Showerwall

FROM NAILS TO SALES

Georgia Soden

AO employee swaps beauty treatments for business clients

From beauty apprentice during her GCSE year to sales executive at AO Business, Georgia Soden, from Adlington, has had quite the journey at online electricals retailer AO.com.

Georgia, now 21, started an apprenticeship in beauty therapy at AO’s onsite spa when she was only 15. Thanks to her ambition and the support of her colleagues, she now works for the retailer’s B2B division as a Client Executive – hitting a huge £250k worth of sales, her best ever month, in October.

In June 2016, Georgia interviewed for the apprenticeship while she was still at school and clearly impressed at the retailer, completing her Level 2 and 3 NVQ in beauty therapy to become fully qualified while working on site four days a week.

In between massages and nails, she spoke to everyone across the business about their role and really got to know the different departments. Keen to get her foot in the door, Georgia secured a role as an Admin Assistant on the AO Business team which was newly established in 2019. At the start of the pandemic, she started her first sales role as a Business Executive making outbound calls.

Now promoted to a Client Executive, she now manages her own clients including property managers and kitchen retailers,  “I’m really proud of my progression at AO - my determination has really paid off over the last five years! For anyone else looking to really grow in their company, I’d advise them to be confident and keep asking questions. I have had so many wonderful mentors over the last few years who made the transition to sales so enjoyable.”

“At AO, we really value employees who want to develop and grow, and Georgia’s potential was evident from the beginning. She’s a fantastic example of tenacity and willingness to learn paying off. At only 21, she’s a huge asset to the AO Business team, and I can’t wait to see where her sales career takes her.”

regularly hitting six figure personal targets every month.

Georgia said: “I’m really proud of my progression at AO - my determination has really paid off over the last five years! For anyone else looking to really grow in their company, I’d advise them to be confident and keep asking questions. I have had so many wonderful mentors over the last few years who made the transition to sales so enjoyable.”

Anthony Sant, MD of AO Business, said: “At AO, we really value employees who want to develop and grow, and Georgia’s potential was evident from the beginning. She’s a fantastic example of tenacity and willingness to learn paying off. At only 21, she’s a huge asset to the AO Business team, and I can’t wait to see where her sales career takes her.”

With next day delivery and installation, renowned customer service and over 20 years’ experience of selling electricals to the public, AO Business offers a unique proposition for business clients – take a look at current vacancies at:

www.ao-jobs.com

Georgia Soden

CREATE A STYLISH SHOWER IN A FEW SIMPLE STEPS

Quick and easy to fit, wall panelling can create a stylish look in shower enclosures without the time and hassle of tiling. Steph Harris, product manager at Showerwall, takes us through how to fit its Acrylic wall panelling system in a shower enclosure.

If you’re looking to create bathroom feature walls whilst offering your customer a lowmaintenance, cost-effective alternative to tiles, Showerwall offers a large choice of stylish designs, which can create a visually striking finish. Watertight and hard-wearing, wall panelling can create a seamless look with no grouting required. It’s simple to fit, making it perfect for use in a shower enclosure. Showerwall’s Acrylic and Custom collections offer a library of stylish and bespoke designs, manufactured using a 4mm acrylic sheet that is rear printed to create a polished, glass-like finish.

The panels don’t require the use of trims and can simply be joined with Showerwall’s acrylic panel sealant, which is available in 14 colours providing exact matches to its Acrylic wall panels.

Showerwall’s Acrylic wall panelling can be installed in a shower enclosure following these steps: 

STEP 1 - GETTING STARTED

Showerwall’s Acrylic panels are available in either 900mm or 1220mm x 2440mm and its Custom panels are available in either 896mm or 1200mm x 2400mm. Both are adhered to the wall with Showerwall’s Translucent Silicone Sealant. Before you begin, ensure you are familiar with the pattern configuration of your wall panels, indicated by the coloured dots.

The tools you will need include: 1200mm spirit level, a tape measure, suction cups, power drill, set square, clamps, a sealant gun and a jigsaw or circular saw. Ear protection is also recommended.

STEP 2

The wall panels can be fixed to an existing wall or directly over tiles, providing the surface is flat and plumb. It is essential that the walls are completely dry, clean and free from dust. If the walls are not flat, then treated battens must be used to install the panels.

STEP 3 - INSTALLING THE PANELS

Once panel one is ready to install, apply vertical beads of Showerwall Translucent Silicone Sealant to the wall 100mm apart. Next, fix the panel to the wall making sure you’re allowing a 3mm expansion gap at the internal corner. Use a straight edge to press the panel against the wall at regular intervals.

For the second panel, apply the sealant as before and then fix it to the wall. Remember to maintain the same 3mm expansion gap to the face of panel one, before pressing the panel with a straight edge to fix securely to the wall.

STEP 4

STEP 2 - PREPARING THE FIRST PANEL

Before you begin, measure the width, height and location of the water supply. Then measure and cut panel one accordingly. You can do this with either a jigsaw or circular saw. Refer to the installation instructions for the correct blades.

Next, mark your water supply cut-out, making sure you cut larger than required to allow for expansion. Any internal square cuts will need to have the corners drilled out prior to cutting, as sharp 90 degree corners will crack the Acrylic.

STEP 4 - APPLYING THE SEALANT

The next step is to apply sealant down the internal corner and butter flush it to make sure there are no gaps within the seal, before finally applying the sealant to cross the shower tray and profile.