Our fabulous team on International women’s day

Who runs the world? Girls! Or at least they do at Hug at Home! Our fabulous workforce is made up of a whopping 96 fantastic females and 96 marvellous men, making our parent company, Phoenox Textiles, a gender equal company! How great is that?

As Margaret Thatcher puts it, "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." Smart lady! Because our business relies upon the power of lots of strong women, it’s only right we take one day out of the year to shout about just how amazing these ladies are! So on March 8th, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women, past and present, while looking towards making the world a more inclusive place for future generations. Sorry fellas, you’ll have to wait until November for International Men’s Day!

International Women’s Day even has its roots in textile manufacturing! The very first recording of International Women’s Day can be traced back to February 1908, when thousands of garment workers went on strike and marched through New York city to protest against their working conditions. These strikes carried on for over a year, so to mark the anniversary, National Women’s Day was born!

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias, which aims to banish harmful stereotypes and discrimination faced by women everyday, in the hopes of creating gender equality both inside the workplace and out in the big wide world.

This week’s blog is a little different to my usual natter - anyone who knows me well knows I can talk for England! Well, this time I thought it’d be nice to give someone else the spotlight, as well as introduce you to some of our lovely ladies who keep the cogs turning here at Phoenox…

…oh go on then, I’ll go first!

Lizzie, Creative Director

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

I’ve got the best job! I work with all of our departments, from sales to dispatch, to making sure everyone is happy and everything is working as it should. I’m always gathering inspiration and design ideas for exciting, new collections and products, as well as making sure our websites and marketing are as good as can be!

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

The Queen, she is so inspirational! Always has integrity, works incredibly hard and moves with the times. She doesn’t always want praise and just gets on with the job with such a strong, no nonsense attitude.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Life’s but a breath – enjoy the journey!

 

Susan/Little Sue, Supervisor for rug imports

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

I organise the unloading of any containers that arrive, monitor day to day dispatch and keep track of all the stock. But the most important part of my job is keeping my team's morale up and always having a smile on my face!

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

My Grandma – Norma. She suffered from a lot of illness in her life so I visited her every day before or after school. Even as a woman with illness, she still looked after everyone and kept up a job to support her family.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Always be truthful, never hurt anyone and always go for what you want!

 

Carol, Customer Service Advisor

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

My day consists of answering calls and queries, speaking to all of our lovely customers to help in any way I can and running off orders to make sure everything is dispatched. I also spend time organising samples and making appointments to show customers our rug collections in our showroom.

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

My friends Wendy and Sarah, they encourage me everyday!

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Work to achieve your goals and always be positive.

 

Leanne, Accounts Administrator

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

My working day starts off by processing orders for key accounts to get them to the factory and ready for dispatch as soon as possible. I then manage the accounts by allocating stock and updating their account to ensure everything is up to date. I’m lucky enough to work with such supportive and understanding colleagues which makes my working day a happy day!

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

Paula Radcliffe inspired me to get into running which I started 3 years ago and I managed to complete the London Marathon in October 2021 which was a wonderful achievement.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t worry so much, you can’t please everyone no matter how hard you try.

 

Caitlin, Packer

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

One word - busy! Myself and the team spend our time picking and packing the orders placed by our lovely customers, and making sure they’re ready to be shipped.

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

Fran Kirby, she’s an inspiration to women in sport and a brilliant role model to young girls interested in football.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Be more confident!

 

Wendy, Operations Manager

 

What does your day to day at work look like?

Very varied, there’s never a dull moment! At the moment, I am helping plan the space for our brand new distribution centre along with ensuring all orders are dispatched on time and in full. I also manage all aspects of our health and safety strategy, facilities management and recruiting the right people for our business.

Name a woman who has inspired you and why.

Wow, let's see, there are so many great women to admire! I have to go back to high school - My PE teacher Miss Holmes was an amazing woman who was far from ordinary and inspired me. She took us on some great trips; rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing… and more! I wanted to be a PE teacher because she empowered us all to be adventurous, fun loving and strong. Then, of course there’s all the amazing Ladies in our Phoenox family! We all have different strengths that work together.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

This question makes me smile, as I’ve made every mistake in the book as a young girl! I’d say: take care of yourself first and foremost, cherish your loved ones more and do not take anyone for granted. If you find a passion and work hard at it, you will succeed.

 

I’d love to interview all 96 of our lovely ladies, but this blog would never end, so I’ll stop here for now!

At Phoenox, we’ve created an inclusive culture where women can thrive. From young school leavers all the way to menopausal mums like me, we continue to encourage our amazing workforce to be the best they can be.

Happy International Women’s Day from all of us here at Hug at Home!

Busy Lizzie x