From day one, it has always been a priority for Amanda Stuurstraat (she/her), our Operations Manager, to empower her colleagues to thrive in their respective roles.
Known for her approachability, Amanda enjoys an opportunity to catch up individually with members of the team.
I believe that the best way for our people to thrive is to empower them to communicate. That is why I engage with my team, one-on-one to really get to know them at a deep level.
Transition from cafes to client services
Amanda’s journey with BrewHub began eight years ago, when she ran a corporate cafe in Jandakot for a BrewHub client, coordinating the beverage offerings (tea and coffee) with grab-and-go foods and catering. Amanda’s gift for forming genuine interpersonal connections with team mates and clients was apparent in the way thatshe managed the dynamic team of seven.
Her tenacity and dedication to providing quality service led her to assist BrewHub with a second corporate cafe in Perth’s CBD. Amanda was pivotal in the set-up, recruiting and training for this new venture.
This was an exciting time at BrewHub (in 2016), I was really thrown into the deep end and was instrumental in launching another one of our cafes in the busy city centre of Perth. I learnt a lot, and was made to think on my feet.
As BrewHub began its own transition towards working inside client’s workspaces, instead of standalone cafes, Amanda was offered a new role and she became one of our Client Services Managers. Amanda wore this hat for three eventful years, where she familiarised herself with the intricacies of the company’s operations and the ‘BrewHub Experience’, working closely with the valets and managing coffee machines across WA.
Pulling all the right levers to ensure a smooth operation at BrewHub
When offered the opportunity to step into the shoes of an Operations Manager, Amanda didn’t think twice. Her responsibilities grew, and she found herself covering the end-to-end operations at BrewHub. Her extensive hands-on experience and innate understanding of BrewHub’s operations made her an obvious choice for this position.
By the time I stepped into the role of Operations Manager, I knew how BrewHub operated, inside-out. It was a natural career progression for me to take on this new challenge. Taking on this new role meant that every week was going to be dynamic and different.
If you need Amanda, it might be a mission to find where she is at any given moment. That’s because no two days are alike for Amanda. One could find her in the city with the Client Services team, on-site with clients for coffee tastings or coffee machine training. Other days, she might be in the WA warehouse, assisting the distribution team.
However, one thing’s for sure, when you do eventually find Amanda, you can be sure she’s had her favourite extra hot skinny dirty Chai – her drink of choice.
Empowering every team member with the right approach so they can thrive
If you ask Amanda’s fellow BrewHubbers to describe her, they will all unanimously tell you that she is positive, approachable, full of energy and incredibly patient.
Leading a large team is no small task, but she does it effortlessly. Amanda prides herself on understanding each member of her team, their learning styles, and how to best support their growth. Her love for people, and seeing them reach their full potential, is one of the primary reasons she gets up on a Monday morning.
I take the time to ask every individual within my team all the right questions. I want to know their goals, aspirations and roadblocks. I regularly ask my team about their key motivators, the current challenges they are facing, and most importantly, what support I can provide.
So, it comes as no surprise that Amanda’s favourite BrewHub value is inclusiveness. Amanda loves the diverse backgrounds of her team, and she works hard to cultivate a culture where everyone is valued, accepted and comfortable. She has an uncanny ability to empower people to believe in themselves.
I make it my mission to empower them to be the best version of themselves. It is important to me to help others to believe in themselves, and to step out of their comfort zones.
Cultivating a culture where everyone believes they can do anything
It is the people, culture and ability to motivate her team that fuels Amanda’s sense of purpose. She loves seeing her team members evolve, growing from their initial roles into positions they’d never imagined for themselves.
Every day presents a new opportunity for my team to grow. Seeing people achieve things they never thought was possible, and helping them reach their potential – that’s what keeps me going.
If you were to quiz Amanda on what her secret power is, she will likely give you a modest response and tell you she doesn’t have one. However, her superpower can be best felt once she leaves the room.
She has a lingering sense of warmth, where you feel motivated to try your best, and to chip away at your goals, even if it is just one step at a time.
I’ve seen people move from the mail room to managing warehouses, from valets to client services. Their growth and development are my greatest reward.
Blending together a love for humans, and a passion for coffee
What we do at BrewHub is much more than coffee. It is about the experience, and I am passionate about sharing my extensive knowledge of coffee with our clients. I educate them about the flavours of coffee, how it should look and taste.
One thing is clear – Amanda embodies the spirit of BrewHub. Her passion for coffee, her dedication to her team, and her commitment to inclusivity define her as a leader. As she delves deeper into the operations of our company, she continues to tackle challenges head-on, proving that she’s indeed a crucial asset to the BrewHub family.
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