What makes a ‘good manager’?
A good Manager tends to be super organised, and an expert at managing people and their workflows. Is Grace that person? Yes!
But there’s a lot more to her than that. Although she embodies all of the usual ‘good’ Managerial qualities, she’s also a down-to-earth, kombucha-loving, hair-do changing adventurer with an empathetic flair and a creative brain. We’re pretty sure her responses to our Q&A encapsulate that!
Q: So, what’s your role at Fuel? What does that mean?
A: General Manager. I generally do a bit of everything from project management, media planning, client relationship development, business planning, team management, event planning, hiring, coffee making and boss wrangling.
Okay, but let’s break things down further… What does Grace’s day actually look like?
A: Cranking through proposals, meeting clients, briefing the creative team, talking smack with colleagues, monitoring campaigns, gulping coffee, business planning, reviewing creative work, managing projects and eating… always eating.
That ‘talking smack’ Grace mentioned? We’d say this is a pretty good summary:
Q: Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses, or one horse-sized duck? Why?
A: Duck-sized horses dressed in kimonos, eating waffle-cone ice-creams and singing Jail house Rock. Sounds like a legit start to a really good yarn.
And we can definitely vouch for the eating—from seaweed sheets to weird spicy chips from the local Asian store, Grace’s taste in food is just as diverse as her role at Fuel. When we asked her to describe herself in three words, she aptly replied with ‘food is life’. And again, when asked if there’s any causes she’s particularly passionate about, you can surely guess what she said…
A: Eating. That’s a cause, right?
So yes, Grace loves food (although we have to say, this is a bit of a theme throughout the Fuel team). Another thing Graces loves is adventure, which she not only proves through a refreshing approach to travel but also in how she perceives her hair—ever-changing, with an ‘it’ll grow back’ attitude (fun fact, she shaved her head once, but that’s a story for another day).
Q: What country do you most want to visit, and why?
A: There are too many places I want to travel to, it’s too hard to choose one! I travel to push myself into situations and places that make me feel a bit uncomfortable—I like to challenge myself. I also love different cuisine, art, architecture and being immersed in different cultures. So… top three places would have to be Japan, Sri Lanka and Iran.
Q: If you could time travel, where and when would you go? Why?
A: Hmmm, you’re testing my ability to make a decision when the options are so vast! Maybe the early 1900’s… I’d love to meet Surrealism and Cubism artists like Freda Kahlo, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dali.
It’s this sense of adventure that Grace also loves to bring out in our clients…
Q: Describe your ideal client
A: Open minded, trusting in our expertise and experience, brave and willing to do things differently.
But adventure comes in many different shapes and forms, and for Grace that’s also found closer to home, with the people that are most important:
Q: When are you happiest?
A: Swimming and playing at the beach with my son.
Written by Grace Hakaria and Ashleigh Stephens
