Hi all,
Welcome to our ongoing Q&A feature, where we introduce a member of the Artfinder team to our community. This time, we speak with Sara, our Senior Support and Operations Advisor.
Q: Could you start by introducing yourself to our community?
Hi all, my name is Sara. I live in North London and have done so my whole life (Arsenal for those who wonder) however my family is Italian, and I'm 97% according to DNA testing sites. I'm a pet mum to a grumpy 13 year old cat and have been in support roles for the past nine years.
Q: How long have you worked with Artfinder and what is your role in the company?
I have worked at Artfinder for two and a bit years, and my role is senior support and operations advisor.
Q: What have been your highlights of working with Artfinder so far?
I would firstly say the growth, being given the opportunity and encouragement to work on things that I would have never thought of or imagined; it's really opened my eyes to areas I'm passionate about, but didn't know of previously.
Secondly, I have really enjoyed virtually meeting and speaking with our artists. I have learnt a lot about art and I now have a huge gallery wall that showcases some brilliant pieces that I purchased from the artists on Artfinder - they really make me smile and keep me motivated.
Q: Do you come from a creative background? Do you engage in creative activities yourself?
Yes it comes from my eldest brother who is 11 years older than me. I have always seen him as a role model and a father figure, he was very much artistic growing up and did his degree in graphic design. As a young girl I wanted to do what he did, and I then followed suit during my time at school. Maybe I was trying to imitate him, but I would also like to think he gave me the encouragement to be creative.
Nowadays I am less creative, but I do like to crochet from time to time. I have created a blanket and a very random octopus plushie. Since I have young nieces, I also like to get creative with them.
Q: What does our B Corp status mean to you?
For me, it's the aspect of carefully considering our decisions and how they affect our artists, customers and environment, with the final decisions not coming from a financial standpoint. Being a B Corp means that we have open discussions and constantly revise our policies, to ensure that we are in line with our B Corp status.
Having worked in a Support background for some time, it has been frustrating to work for companies who do not always consider their users or their environmental impact when actioning change. When you respond to people directly it becomes personal and you want to help as best you can, so knowing that anything I flag will be listened to, and that the decision will not purely come down to money, is refreshing.
Q: What do you like doing in your spare time?
I like reading, going to Starbucks, watching youtube videos and spending time with my family and my cat Leo. I would likely be described as a homebody, but I do enjoy a regular trip to TK Maxx (Tj Maxx for our US artists), and meeting up with friends. I also love football. I am a big Arsenal fan and enjoy watching them when they are winning.
Q: The past three years have been challenging for everyone. How do you look after your mental health when going through difficult times?
Working from home has been great but it certainly can be very lonely, my cat Leo has become my honorary colleague during the day and although he likely has no idea, he keeps my spirits up. I also look after my mental health by regularly talking to my brother, my mum and my friends; a problem shared is a problem halved.
Q: If you could take only three items with you to a desert island, what would they be?
My first thought would be my cat, but perhaps that's not a great idea lol. I would take a crate of coke zero, does that count as one? If not, the biggest bottle of Coke Zero possible. A book by Lisa Jewell (she's my favourite author right now), and maybe some sort of tool to help survive. I have no knowledge of how I would use it, but I'd give it a good go.
Q: Finally, do you have any message for our community?
Thank you all for being part of the community, thank you for your patience and understanding when contacting us at Support. We really do our best to help in anyway possible and we really do care. Lastly, keep doing what you're doing, I can't wait to see what is to come!
