Rebecca is the friendly face at our Island by Reportex office in Victoria. With a passion for culture Rebecca studied at Queen’s University with a focus on the intersectionality between art, history and gender studies. After graduating, Rebecca provided registrar support to Sheridan College before setting for the skies as a flight attendant with Air Canada. In 2020 Rebecca, a native of Ontario, heard the west coast calling, packed up her car and drove across the country to move to Victoria.

In her spare time Rebecca can often be found wandering Victoria with a camera in hand, forest-foraging for flora or working on her latest creative project. She especially enjoys a good cup of coffee (or craft beer!) when she is not wrangling her precocious nephew along the trails of Vancouver Island.

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We enjoyed finding out a bit more about Rebecca:

Having lived in and travelled to various destinations around the world, what are your top three reasons for choosing Victoria as home?

1. Better work-life balance. Toronto will always hold a special place in my heart, but the emphasis on exhaustive corporate climbing and a live-to-work mentality was something I never wanted to identify with. I think Vancouver Island fosters the perfect amount of work, play and emphasis on healthy living in a more accessible way.
2. Proximity to the true outdoors and the temperate climate. In Toronto the best decent swimming and trails are about a two-hour drive away, and you are sure to be gridlocked in traffic for even longer. This summer I spent more time in the water and on the trails than ever before, and I could get out to nature within 15 minutes. I love that here I can go surfing in December and that the ocean is outside my apartment!
3. Family. Growing up in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), my family slowly started making their way west. When my nephew was born, I knew I wanted to be a consistent person in his life and spend time making memories for those milestones. My family laughs because when we go for hikes with the little guy, he has a posse of five adults with him — you’d think he was royal and we are his sentry. He brings everyone together.

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At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

It is so difficult to choose just one favourite! At the moment I believe I most resonate with team. I have relied heavily on the advice and guidance of my team in learning my new role. I appreciate that our jobs interconnect and that we are all working towards a common goal, even from afar. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and when you have every lovely soul offering to help, I do not see any weak links here.

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You have a background and appetite for art and art history. At Reportex we value working with local artists by showcasing their work at our offices. Why is curating art for a space such as an office important?

Reportex’s commitment to showcasing local art in our offices really solidified my excitement for joining the team. I think supporting local artists like Shari Pratt and Brian Simons (at our Victoria office) sets us apart and helps foster that personalized boutique style. It provides a talking point for waiting clients and warms our space. It exposes the talent by aligning our identity as a Canadian business and makes art accessible to all those who enter. Most importantly, it provides exposure to local artists to help both financially and by reaffirming the need for their craft in our communities.

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When you worked for Air Canada, you were part of their special safety team. Why is having a safety plan in place for the workplace important?

• It provides our employees with assurance that their safety and well-being are important, and it’s vital to setting them up for success.
• It allows us to be proactive in setting action plans and to have a dedicated committee and standards to act as a resource so our protocols are cohesive across all offices.  
• It helps us to be proactive in identifying possible issues early on and to establish standard operating procedures to leave us with a better preparedness in how to support our employees when issues arise.

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Prior to joining Reportex you spent a lot of time in the air and around the world flying with Air Canada. What destination did you unexpectedly enjoy the most and why?

There is a magnetic pull about Portugal. There is something different about how the light illuminates the hilly city of Lisbon, coast of Cascais and vineyards of Porto. It was probably my most requested place to lay over in. The history, day trips, friendly people and seafood always left me wanting to go back for more! When you travel so much for work, you learn to leave little parts of you behind in those cities; that way they become an extension of your home.

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This year the holidays are looking quite a bit different for everyone. Having spent a fair amount of time away from friends and family during your previous career, what are your top three tips for staying connected from a distance?

1. Don’t treat the holidays like any other day. It is important — this year more than ever — to celebrate the changing of the season. Traditions like going for walks to see your neighbourhood lights, watching Christmas movies, dressing a tree or lighting a menorah are still just as important as ever to signify the passing of time.
2. Schedule phone calls with loved ones. Set up virtual games. Have a holiday meal or gingerbread contest with your family over Zoom. Get your family giggling on the holiday calls. Laughter has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety!
3. Practice gratitude, disconnect from technology and give back to your local community. Take yourself out for a movie or take a friend out for a meal. One of the biggest cures for loneliness is helping others, so see if your local food bank needs an extra hand or holiday hamper delivery person. Good energy and thankfulness are contagious, and making a difference helps the soul.

With a special interest in long-term complex matters, including realtime trials and discoveries, Nicole has a broad range of expertise in court reporting. She has experience in all areas of litigation, including construction/engineering, products liability, medical malpractice, personal injury, real estate, technology, environmental and mining.

Outside of work Nicole has a passion for exploring the world, experimenting in her kitchen and chasing powder days in Whistler.

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We recently caught up with Nicole and asked her a few questions:

How did you learn about court reporting, and what made you interested in it as a career choice?

I was working in a dental office, and a patient was a court reporting teacher at Langara College. He was telling me about the program and the type of person that would be a good fit, and it sounded just like me. Six months later I was in the program and was immediately hooked. I was always fascinated by the legal system, and being self-employed was a big draw for me.

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What three things do you enjoy most about being a court reporter? Is there anything you don’t enjoy?

I love the variety of topics I learn about, the fact that I feel like my brain is always being challenged and the flexibility of the job. There isn’t much I don’t like, except for maybe a fast-talking mumbler!

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At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

Definitely mentorship. As a young reporter, I was so lucky to have great relationships with a couple of mentors. It can be very overwhelming starting off as a newbie, and having their support was a key to my success. If you have passionate mentors, the energy is infectious. And now I enjoy paying it forward and helping new reporters navigate their new career. I get excited talking to new reporters about court reporting. Plus I just love a good semicolon conversation. I mean, who doesn’t?

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We hear you like to travel. What has been your top destination to date? And what five items are always in your carry-on?

Picking my favourite destination is impossible, but I will say Europe is my favourite area. I’ve been to France and Italy multiple times, so that says something.

Five items in my carry-on: a good book, swimsuit, one change of clothes (you never know where your luggage will end up), a blanket scarf and my cosmetic bag.  

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A day at the beach or a day in the mountains: which would you choose?

Both! One of the joys of living in Vancouver. And when I travel, I usually make sure my trip involves both mountain/inland adventures and a block of relaxation time around a beach and a pool.

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We have been talking a bit about wellness on the blog and through our Slack channels. Do you have a favourite way to recharge?

Fitness classes are my recharge. When I have a tough day of work, nothing energizes me like a workout. It’s definitely harder to stay motivated during the pandemic doing classes on Zoom, but once I push myself to get it done, I feel so much better. I’m all about the mind-body connection.  

Working out of our All-Star by Reportex office is Scheduler Krystal Wong.

From coordinating US depositions to ensuring reporters have everything they need to succeed at their work, Krystal handles the more advanced work in our dedicated scheduling program to ensure consistent client satisfaction.

Happy court reporters are high-performing court reporters, and Krystal makes sure that All-Star by Reportex is a great place to work.

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How did you come to be a scheduler at All-Star by Reportex? 

I started off at All-Star as an office assistant, which taught me the fundamentals of the business. As I became more involved in the day-to-day operations of the office, I accepted a role in management. In early 2020 the company’s operations expanded significantly, and I began specializing in scheduling and coordinating our bookings across our locations in the greater Vancouver Area and Victoria.

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Scheduling sounds like a bit of an art. What are your top three tips for staying organized?

Staying organized is an essential component for success. Here are my top three tips:

1. Prioritize: set out a list of things that need to be done each morning and check back throughout the day to ensure the most important tasks are completed.
2. Keep detailed notes: I find taking notes to be very helpful in keeping track of what needs to be accomplished and when.
3. Schedule reminders: have reminders set up on your phone or Outlook for time-sensitive assignments.

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At Reportex our core values of team, mentorship, equality, community and industry are central to what we do. Which of these values resonates most strongly with you and why?

“Team” resonates most strongly with me because teamwork is fundamental for smooth operation of the company. Forming strong bonds of trust as we support each other allows for seamless collaboration and effective communication to achieve maximum efficiency.

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What are your top three phone apps?

These are my top three phone applications:

1. Notepad: take a lot of notes to keep track of everything in my life.

• Instant messenger applications: I find instant messaging applications to be an easy way to keep in touch with family and friends. Using Slack (another instant messaging application) for work is a great way for communicating with co-workers.

• Camera: I use the camera to take photos and screenshots to capture and document any references I may find useful.

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Do you have a favourite holiday tradition or recipe that you would like to share?

I have such fond memories of my grandmother’s egg tarts. She would always make them for special holidays or occasions and share them with everyone. Sadly, I don’t have a copy of my grandmother’s particular recipe, but here is a recipe that has amazing reviews.