In March 2022, Miconex welcomed Louisa Baines to the team as an Account Manager, working with our clients across North America. A trained ski instructor and resort manager who has travelled extensively, we caught up with Louisa to talk skiing, providing outstanding service and believing in your product:
“I was born in Essex but had a restlessness to get out and explore the world. I started skiing when I was 12 and would be at the local dry slope every weekend, and my parents would drive us to the Alps every half term. Once I had finished college I decided to work a winter season as a chalet host; cooking, cleaning, and looking after guests.
“It was my first time away from home and like most 19-year-olds, I wasn’t used to taking care of others so it was a real eye-opener and I grew up quickly, getting my first taste of what it means to provide 5-star service. I loved the whole experience and wanted to go back but it was important to me to gain further experience, so I spent 3 years working in London in property investment until the 2008 market crash.
“I decided to return to the mountains and the more time I spent in the resort, the more I realised that it was a place where I felt at home. Each year I moved up the ranks, working in logistics, then resort management, all of which funded my training to be a ski instructor. Mornings would be spent at work, then it would be afternoons off to ski, then back to work in the evenings. It sounds glamorous on the outside but the reality was less so, sharing rooms with lots of other people in a place where the cost of living was extremely high, and you needed to work hard to fund your passion. It definitely taught me resilience.
“Whilst I was training to be a ski instructor, I learnt that one of my main skills is working with people. Teaching came naturally to me but the on-snow training was hard and standards were high, so it was rewarding to finally gain my qualifications. Through teaching, I had the opportunity to boost someone’s confidence and skills. I also had the privilege of working with adults and children with disabilities, interacting with all kinds of different people, and the opportunity to live and work in resorts in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Scotland.
“Back in the UK, I took a role at The Factory Skatepark in Dundee, providing a much-needed space for the area. It was a great opportunity and a great way to utilise my acquired skills and experience. The Skatepark was funded by Sports Scotland and the National Lottery fund but ultimately was forced to close due to not enough people using the facility. It was a real loss to the community and it left me thinking, ‘what do I do now?’
“Not knowing how to transfer my experience I joined an agency and gained a role as an Account Manager for a commercial water business, which I found to be a great match for my skills. I progressed quickly and went on to coordinate a team of account managers dedicated to high-spending clients. This is where all those skills learnt in resort management kicked in, like how to understand the needs of others, how to work under pressure, and how to provide outstanding service.
“I then moved on to become part of a quality assurance team, monitoring agent/customer interactions and building employee training to enhance business knowledge aiming to boost customer retention. I missed the customer interaction though, and like many people who worked full time through the pandemic, it was intense. When things calmed down, it was time for a new challenge. I took the summer off, and enjoyed the normal day-to-day activities that I’d been missing out on, like going on adventures with my dog, seeing my family, and being out of the house for a change! I finally realised it was time to get back to doing something I felt was more meaningful.
“When I met with Miconex, I connected with the concept and the idea of keeping money in your local economy and bringing new money in too. I’ve seen first-hand the downsides of not shopping local, and the impact when a business has to close, but I’ve also seen that the pandemic has brought people and communities closer and highlighted their need to shop local. Miconex has a product that communities can truly benefit from, giving back to the businesses that need it most. When you’re working on the front line as an Account Manager, belief in your product is so powerful.
“My role at Miconex will involve working with clients in North America, which I’m very excited about. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a meeting already, and it is such a great team. My goal at this stage is to absorb as much knowledge as I can, in order to become the best asset I can be to the business.”