Connect Series: Meet our Wiki Reboot Team Members!

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Gaynell, Jamie, Jenni and Miki

At Reportex, one of our most prized resources is our ‘Wiki‘. It’s exactly as it sounds… a master repository for anything and everything our team needs to succeed. The Wiki is akin to a Reportex manifesto containing detailed information to support each department and staff member in their role and is edited on a regular basis. Updates can be an enormous undertaking and we’ve recently recruited a team to tackle some of the more intricate details of our latest sweep of updates – The Wiki Reboot Team.

For the past several weeks, our Reportex Legal Wiki has been undergoing a review by our Wiki Reboot Team members – Gaynell, Jamie, Jenni and Miki.

We recently caught up with these team members to ask them a few questions as part of our ‘Connect Series.’ Here is what they had to say:

Gaynell Noel

What do you like most about what you do?
What I like most about proofreading is the variety of topics that I get to read. I have learned a lot about so many things that I would never have been exposed to before.

What is your favourite read?
Because my job is reading, I hardly read for pleasure anymore. I read news articles online if the headline grabs my attention.

Top grammar tip:
Watch out for homophones! There are many words that sound alike but are spelled differently. “Its”/“it’s”, “there”/“their”/“they’re” and “your”/“you’re” are common ones that are frequently used incorrectly. Just remember a contraction is made up of two words. If you break them up, it helps to figure out the correct word to use. “It’s” becomes “it is,” and “they’re” becomes “they are.”

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
To compensate for not reading as much as I used to, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I love putting one of these on when I’m in the kitchen, walking or driving. Some of my favourite podcasts are This American Life, Radiolab, The Moth and Crime Junkie. And I use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks from the library. Check them out when you get a chance.

Jamie Kurzdorfer

What do you like most about what you do?
Doing research and learning new things.

What is your favourite read?
My favourite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I can read it every year, and it never gets old.

Top grammar tip:
Use a semicolon or a period to separate two complete sentences. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
Reading and teaching my puppy tricks.

Jenni Reed

What do you like most about what you do?
As I work exclusively with spoken (not carefully thought out and arranged) words which cannot be corrected, it gives me such pleasure to face what seems to be a tangle of words, and by using the art of punctuation turn it into something that makes perfectly good sense and flows nicely.

What is your favourite read?
I’m currently rereading an old favourite of mine: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco — monks, murder, herbals, libraries, labyrinths, oh my!

Top grammar tip:
Speak in complete sentences!!!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy getting out graph paper and plant catalogues and losing myself planning/imagining the flower and landscape garden that I don’t yet have…or going for a hike with my hubby or playing games (card games or Carcassonne) or trying new recipes! And a bit of yoga makes a great break in the middle of a workday.


Miki Patel

What do you like most about what you do?
What I like most about proofreading is that it can be applied to any industry. Where there are words, there’s a need for proofreaders to ensure that the quality of what is written is met. I also like the fact that proofreading is a skill that can’t be completely automated, so there will always be a need for proofreaders no matter how far we get into automation. Working from home on my bed is also a perk. I can work anytime, anywhere.  

What is your favourite read?
It’s been a while since I’ve read for leisure, so I’m going to have to go back to my teenage years. My favourite book would be Night World. I really did enjoy reading fiction back then. I’m sure I would still enjoy it if I had the time to sit down and read.  

Top grammar tip:
Memorize homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings, meanings or origins) and learn how/when to use them. There’s no way around this, and it drives us proofreaders crazy when we see people using words like “effect” and “affect” incorrectly.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy learning new skills. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner. I didn’t want to just stop at learning how to proofread court transcripts. I’m currently enrolled in Internet Scoping School so that I can also potentially scope in the future. I want to learn transcribing, bookkeeping and graphic design in the near future. I always like to say that no skill is a wasted skill. All these skills that I build might all come in handy one day in my professional life. 

 

 

Connect Series: Meet our Office Managers!

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Avang Aboubakr (Headquarters, Vancouver), Alicia Tobias (All-Star by Reportex) and Kelsey Fletcher (Island Reporters, Victoria).

With our offices slated to safely open on Monday, July 6, we couldn’t think of a better time to introduce you to our office managers at Reportex – Avang, Alicia and Kelsey.

We recently asked them each a few questions. Here is what they had to say:

First up, is Avang Aboubakr, our office manager at Reportex Headquarters, Vancouver. Avang joined the team right in the middle of our office closure and has hit the ground running.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I am overjoyed to be reuniting with my colleagues, as well as adhering to our safety protocols.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

The opportunity to spend more time with family and having their support as I embarked on a new position with the Reportex team.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I have focused on centering myself through meditation, and finding my inner ‘handyman’ with home renovations. I’ve also discovered some at-home fitness routines… and red wine has been a huge part of my diet.

Fun fact: When not in the office, Avang enjoys meditation, wine and Korean dramas.

Next, is Alicia Tobias, our office manager at All-Star by Reportex located in New Westminster. Alicia has been a member of the All-Star team since January 2012.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I am most looking forward to reconnecting face to face with my co-workers and clients. Prior to our offices shutting down I had been on mat leave for a year so it has been an extra long time since I have seen everyone’s smiling faces.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

Something positive that has come from having the office temporarily closed is being able to catch up on a large backlog of work emails.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I found that at the beginning of the pandemic I was spending too much time cooped up in the house. This was adding to my anxiety and stress surrounding everything going on in the world.  So now I try to spend as much time outdoors as I possibly can, whether it be going for a walk, or sitting outside and enjoying a cup of coffee.  I realized that it is the simple things like getting fresh air or reconnecting with nature that help ease my mind and give me a sense of calm.

Fun Fact: When not in the office, Alicia enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching Netflix, reading, travelling and exploring local trails and parks.

Last but not least, is Kelsey Fletcher, our office manager at Island Reporters located in Victoria. Kelsey opened Island Reporters three and a half years ago, with a partner Colleen Murray. Kelsey doubles as an Office Manager and Realtime Court Reporter. Kelsey has been instrumental in the Cowichan trial in Victoria.

What are you most looking forward to about the safely re-opening?

I’m looking forward to having the office stop looking like a ghost town! It will be great to start hosting in-person discoveries again because it’s hard to feel connected to our clients from afar like this.

What has been the silver lining in having the offices temporarily closed?

For me personally, I have been involved in a lengthy and intense land claim trial, and once COVID hit and things shut down, the courthouse closed and I found myself on an extended holiday. After the initial stress wore off, I realized that I had been given an amazing gift of plenty of time off at the perfect time of year. I live on a farm with a big garden, and it was spring, so I threw myself into gardening, breeding chickens, incubating/hatching eggs, baking, and I tackled some projects that had been on the back burner for a long time. It was amazing to have eight weeks off.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I’m introverted and used to spending time on my own, so the social isolation wasn’t really something I found terribly difficult. And I don’t tend to get overly stressed or anxious about stuff in general, so the pandemic didn’t really have a big impact on my life, other than in a positive way with the bonus time off. I would say I fared well through this strange COVID time, but I’m aware that many people weren’t so lucky. I found myself feeling grateful more often and appreciating everything I have. 

Fun Fact: When not in the office, Kelsey enjoys sailing.

Connect Series: Meet Megan Ejack our Marketing & Communications Director!

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Meet our Marketing & Communications Director, Megan Ejack. Megan joined the team in March 2019, and has since been an amazing asset to the Reportex team. Megan is known for her strong leadership and interpersonal skills and endless creativity.

A highly experienced visionary with a background in dance, communications and strategic planning, Megan previously worked at TLABC for 12 years as their Development Director.

When not at the office, Megan enjoys football, travel, sunshine and wine and is currently working towards her certification at the acclaimed International Sommelier’s Guild (ISG).

We recently interviewed Megan on our theme of ‘connection’ and to see how she was making out during these challenging times. Here is what she had to say:

How have you found meaningful ways to connect with your work during these challenging times?

I feel incredibly grateful to be able to keep working, albeit a little differently, but it has also been very intense to lead a team, with my colleagues, through this crisis. I’ve found that the key is balance. People are looking to you for answers and assurance, and there is a huge push to adapt quickly and keep the business running, so you have to try and remain calm and focused even when things are in chaos around you. There have been days when putting on a brave face has taken everything I have. But knowing that what we’re doing really does matter and is helping the whole industry keep running feels amazingly gratifying.

I have found some solace in my role as Mktg & Comms Director, because it’s my job (even in normal times) to find ways to connect with our team, our clients and our industry. But these days, I get to be a little more creative! In many ways, I have found inspiration in new platforms to use, in connecting through our social media and our marketing efforts, as well as checking in with our team as much as possible.  

It helps to have the greatest team beside you, for the good days and the hard ones… and wine, wine helps too.

Have you found a way to connect with your community during these challenging times?

Despite being isolated on my own, I’ve been really grateful for what I affectionately have been calling my morning and evening freedom walks in my neighbourhood. I live in Kitsilano and I like to walk down to the beach. As I pass my neighbours who are doing the same, it has been nice to slow down and take the time to say hello or good morning more than usual… and the faces are becoming familiar, it really feels like a community now.

Although it has always been part of my life, I feel that I’ve also been really focused on shopping and supporting local. There are so many new options for delivery and services coming out of this, it’s easier than ever to support my neighbourhood restaurants and businesses. I imagine that there will be a huge focus on continuing to support, shop and travel locally and prioritize supporting our Canadian economy.

Also – the Facebook group “What do you see from your window” has been a shining light joining people from across the world – all of us existing in this same pandemic! Really cool.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

It has been more important than ever to really listen to my body and soul as we navigate our health, the media, business, family, fear, anxiety and the whole range of emotions every day. I carve out the time to meditate each morning and afternoon and to move my body, even if it’s just a short walk or some yoga.

I’ve also been fueling my mind with productive and positive things to combat the fear and uncertainty. I’ve been focusing on developing my leadership skills through the ‘Masterclass’ app and I’ve also been reading a lot – my recent favourite is ‘Untamed’ by Glennon Doyle.

Speaking about connection generally, is there something specific that inspires you about this idea?

Everything about connection inspires me.
Understanding how we are all interconnected and how we connect to our own selves in this world is truly all there is.

Megan’s recent favourite read.

Wellness Wednesday

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By Christy Pratt

Wellness Wednesday with Christy Pratt
Reportex President, Owner and Realtime Reporter Christy Pratt talks about leadership, self-reflection and ‘the new normal‘.

Three months ago when Reportex closed its offices and moved all but one of our team members offsite, we had no idea how long any of this would last or what the world would look like when we came out the other side. This pandemic has tested my leadership chops like no other event.  With over 90 staff and contractors relying on me to get it right, I didn’t have the luxury of losing my footing or wallowing in self-doubt.  I spent the entirety of March 20/21/22 having private Zoom meetings with each of my staff and reporters (roughly 50 people), putting a game plan in place so we could weather this storm of unknown duration together, as a team, while ensuring that everyone’s needs would be met.  It was a scary, uncertain time for everyone, and the courage, understanding, flexibility and resiliency of my team buoyed me in profound ways. 

Despite the many challenges brought about by COVID-19, this has been a time of tremendous reflection and growth for many of us. We all find ourselves re-entering a world that isn’t quite as we remember it.  In speaking with our team members across Reportex, All-Star by Reportex and Island Reporters, I have learned that the idea of a return to “normal” is different for everyone. While many feel ready to leave the confines of home, others are feeling trepidatious. My team’s safety and wellbeing was front of mind for me when we entered this pandemic, as it will continue to be over the coming months.

When we first started isolating at home back in March, I like everyone found myself adapting to a somewhat new way of working. As a court reporter I’m very used to working on transcripts from anywhere in the world, but as a business owner I was very accustomed to conducting meetings in person. Technology is an incredible gift, and I rely heavily on it in both my personal and professional life, but it didn’t take me long to realize that ‘Zoom fatigue’ is real. I’ve never stared at my own image as much as I have these past few months, and a couple weeks ago I clocked 20 hours on Zoom in two days.  At the end of that week I was out of words, and for those of you who know me, that is a very rare phenomenon.

On days when I wasn’t Zooming for days, I took some time to really examine the pace I’ve been maintaining these past few years. I’d been doing back-to-back realtime trials of huge complexity for the better part of ten years straight, and when I wasn’t in court, I was doing my other day job of running Reportex, including overseeing three expansions, hiring 20 new team members and acquiring two other reporting firms, all in the past 18 months.

The forced slow-down afforded to me by the pandemic gave me the space I needed to breathe and reflect, and it didn’t take me long to realize that what I thought was a healthy norm for me pre-COVID was, in many ways, anything but.  I’ve always been extremely driven and my mind has always moved at Mach 8, but these past few months have allowed me to realize that if I dial back my enthusiasm to, say, Mach 6, I’m even more effective and productive than I was before. 

Once this realization smacked me in the face, I decided to set some intentions for myself in an effort to create a new normal that wasn’t so exhausting and that allowed me space in my day to breathe, observe and be present.  Now more than ever I want to achieve that illusive concept of “balance” I’ve been hearing so much about all these years.  I still want – need, really – the thrill of the rush, but I also need the symmetry.  And most of all I want to master the art of self-care, which is what will ultimately create the space I need to blend harmony with hustle.   

My intentions are by no means novel (I’m sure they appear in some form or other in the memoires of highly effective humans that I’ve been meaning to read), but I designed them in a way that I knew would resonate with me.  At 46, it’s unlikely I’m going to completely overhaul my life, so I needed to be crafty.  Here are a few of my favs: 

  • Mindful Mornings.  No more hitting the ground running the second I wake up.  I’m slowing things down, meditating, enjoying my coffee and preparing for my day. The emails and messages can wait.
  • Soulful Nights. No more crashing into bed after working 14-hour days week after week.  I could easily work till midnight every night if I wanted to (and I did for years), but I no longer want to. Instead I’m wrapping up work by 7:00 and I’m spending my evenings cooking, reading and reflecting on my day with gratitude (and a slightly smoky single malt). 
  • Stop, breathe, trust.  This is easily the most rewarding shift I’ve made as a leader, and it’s definitely been the most difficult to execute. Stopping myself from diving right in, taking a beat to take a breath and trusting that I’ve been clear in my instructions and expectations, eliminating the need for repetition and reminders. This is where the real magic happens in creating calm days and where I’ve really been able to carve out space for myself. 

I’m delighted that we are introducing ‘Wellness Wednesday’ into our weekly blog content, as I think this topic is extremely important. I know I’m not alone in this period of self-reflection, and as we move forward it is my hope that we will all continue the healthy habits we’ve created for ourselves during this strange time. We went into this crisis together, and we will come through it together, hopefully a bit happier and lot more harmonious. 

Connect Series: Meet Erin Monahan our Business Development Director!

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Meet our Business Development Director, Erin Monahan. Erin joined the team in August 2019, and has since been an awesome asset to the Reportex team. Erin is known for her positive attitude and strong work ethic.

A highly experienced planner with a background in meetings and events, Erin has a varied background and worked as an education director (8 years at TLABC), actress, waitress and assistant cruise director, prior to joining the Reportex team.

When not at the office, Erin enjoys reading, hiking, knitting, travelling and all things that involve wine.

We recently interviewed Erin on our theme of ‘connection’ and to see how she was making out during these challenging times. Here is what she had to say:

How have you found meaningful ways to connect with your work during these challenging times?

This I have to say for me has been the most challenging. While the world is generally embracing Zoom as a way to connect with friends and family that we can’t see in person, I have found I am experiencing “Zoom fatigue”. Work relies quite a bit for me to be on Zoom meetings (which I know is common for everyone working from home) but I find at the end of the day and on weekends I lack the energy or desire to sit in front of my computer. I really do prefer the face to face interactions, and while we are incredibly lucky to be experiencing this in a time where we do have access to technology, it is still just not the same for me.

Have you found a way to connect with your community during these challenging times?

Not as much as I would like to, for the reasons above. However, I have made a commitment to support local business for all my needs. I had to replace my Blundstone boots recently (I walk quite a bit, and good walking shoes are an essential for me) and I made sure to find a local business that I could purchase them from rather than ordering online.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I have started to really recognize what I need in order to feel balanced. During the first few weeks of social isolation, I essentially just hid from the world. I worked (from home, obviously) in my “yoga pants” and was intentionally inactive. I was not sleeping well, had quite a bit of anxiety building up, felt listless and uneasy. It came to a breaking point when I had to take a mental health day and made a point not to look at any screen (especially social) media. I very quickly realized that I need exercise, and a routine, to stay sane. I do not allow myself to “work in my pj’s”. Every morning I shower, blow dry my hair, and put on “real clothes” for the workday. I only allow myself to wear yoga pants on the weekend, as that is the reward for a week of hard work. I also started running, which is an activity I have always avoided in the past because I had convinced myself that I did not like it. I found that not only I do like it (quite a bit!) but it is essential for my mental health to get out there and get my heart rate up. I have also found that when I feel the anxiety start to build, a good run or bike ride tends to shake out the anxiety and get me back on track.  

Speaking about connection generally, is there something specific that inspires you about this idea?

I find this time very interesting. We are discovering that for many of us, working from home is not only possible, but for some people preferred. Most of the services Reportex offers have traditionally been in person, but we had to adapt and start to offer them virtually, which was easier than one might have thought. I wonder, once the pandemic is over, how much of this “virtual world” will come with us. While I believe that access to justice and healthcare as well as other essential services can certainly be advanced by virtual technology, will we be as connected if we no longer make an effort to be face to face?

The best thing I have discovered with my running, is quiet mornings with gorgeous views.

Behind the Screens: Meet your IT Team at Reportex

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Offices Reopening:

Reportex, All-Star by Reportex and Island Reporters are preparing to reopen our offices on July 6th. There is much work to be done to ensure that all PPE and safety protocols are in place. We are right in the thick of phase 2 here in British Columbia, and our leadership and IT teams are watching, planning and adjusting our approach to ensure we meet – even exceed – best practices.

Remote Services:

Please note, our IT Team is always here to ensure your safety and security during all virtual and live discoveries, trials, hearings and other proceedings

Behind the Screens: Meet our IT Team

When our offices first closed on March 23rd, Reportex’s leadership and IT team immediately shifted focus to remote proceedings. We’ve conducted dozens of webinars and private tutorials on conducting remote discoveries and mediations and we’ve researched and tested numerous videoconferencing platforms. Over the past few weeks on the Reportex blog we’ve been discussing various tips and tricks and providing security updates to help keep our clients – and their witnesses and documents – safe and secure while working remotely using Zoom, Webex and MS Teams.

We’ve all gained far more experience and confidence using these tools than we ever imagined we would need this year. With the heavy lifting mostly behind us now, we’d like to turn our attention to the faces behind the screens and introduce you to our virtual technicians.

The past few months have been challenging for all of us, both personally, and professionally. This has been particularly true for our IT Team. Within two days they had our entire office staff working from home and then they were immediately launched – catapulted, really – into training, facilitating and troubleshooting remote proceedings. Add to that the constant stream of questions and requests from hundreds of clients and the ever-changing security updates and requirements across the various platforms and you’ve got a serious hair-straight-back (or beard-straight-back, as our systems director Brandan Berry would say) situation for our technicians, day after day.

In order to keep ahead of these rapid changes, our IT Team has been sprinting a marathon. They’ve been starting early, working late and foregoing precious weekends, tirelessly ensuring that Reportex continues to be the industry leader that our clients and team can trust to keep them working securely and efficiently.  

Both as a team and as individuals, they’ve hit it out of the ballpark – we aren’t going to be shy about it! We are so incredibly proud and appreciative of our extraordinary IT Team at Reportex and want to give them the special shout-out and recognition that they deserve!

And so, without further ado, please meet our amazingly talented, charming and generally awesome Reportex IT Team:

Brandan Berry, our amazing Systems & E-Trial Director

Brandan Berry, Systems & E-Trial Director

Currently watching or reading: Space Force (Netflix)
Pineapple on pizza? (yes or no): no… never… should be illegal
Favourite hot sauce: Home made Sweet/Smokey/Spicy Mayo (Real Maple Syrup, Liquid Smoke, Sriracha, Real Mayonnaise)
Top 3 phone apps: Imgur, RIF is Fun, Putting the phone on Silent (setting, not app)
Top tech tip: Just because there is an update for your software doesn’t mean it is a good idea to update. Always confirm what changes they applied as it might affect your work flow or break something unintentionally. Only time you should update is if it fixes a bug, adds a worth while feature to the application that you want to use, or for security patches.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Jake Jaffe, Trial Coordinator & E-Trial Tech

Jake joined Reportex in 2020. Prior to joining Reportex, Jake was a practising attorney in New York City, where he focused on personal injury and insurance coverage litigation. Outside of his 6-year stint in New York, Jake has lived in Vancouver since birth. In his spare time, Jake enjoys performing music, running, and crosswords.

Currently watching or reading: Insecure, Ozark, Top Chef
Pineapple on pizza? (yes or no): YES! (but only as part of a Hawaiian)
Favourite hot sauce: Heartbeat Blueberry Habanero
Top 3 phone apps: Slack, Twitter, Spotify
Top tech tip: When in doubt, Google almost always has the answer you’re looking for. 

Kiran Deol, Appeals Coordinator & E-Trial Tech

New to the team! Be sure to read Kiran’s blog post on Zoom Tips & Tricks here.

Currently watching or reading: Binge watching Modern Family (Netflix)
Pineapple on pizza? (yes or no): Yes!
Favourite hot sauce: Valentina Red hot sauce
Top 3 phone apps: Instagram, Pinterest, Slack
Top tech tip: Make sure your internet connection is good enough to support Zoom. Recommended speed is 25 mbps and download speed is 5 mbps. This can be tested at www.speedtest.net

We would also like to take this time to welcome Max K, our Digital Content Director, back to work, and welcome Stuart Blackie, our new in-house IT Support Tech, to the Reportex team.

Max K, Digital Content Director

Currently watching or reading (and platform): Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness
Pineapple on pizza? (yes or no): Pineapple on pizza is a Canadian classic and as an immigrant to this country it’s one of my favourite bits of Canadiana. I tweak Sam Panopoulos’s original 1962 recipe by ordering it with pineapple and sausage. The acidity of the pineapple does a great job of cutting the fattiness of the sausage.
Favourite hot sauce or condiment: Recently I’ve been enjoying El Yucateco Black Label habanero sauce. The peppers are charred, which gives it a really smoky flavour.
Top 3 phone apps: Google Drive, Adobe Scan, Mini Motorways
Top tech tip: My top tech tip is to use the built-in Windows keyboard shortcuts to speed up how you work. The Windows key and the arrow keys snap your current window to one side (filling up exactly half the screen), maximize it, or hide it. Windows+E will open a new Explorer window, while Shift+Windows+S will let you snap a screenshot that can be pasted or marked up and saved. Check out the full list for some other handy features!

Stuart Blackie, IT Support Tech

New to the team!

Currently watching or reading (and platform): The Sopranos (DVD)
Pineapple on pizza? (yes or no): Yes, always
Favourite hot sauce or condiment: Chipotle Tabasco
Top 3 phone apps: Reverb, Podcasts, Instagram
Top tech tip: Like most things in life, Google can help you out of confusing situations.

Connect Series: Meet Leanne Kowalyk our Operations Director & Realtime Court Reporter!

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Meet our Operations Director/Realtime Court Reporter, Leanne Kowalyk. Leanne joined the team in 2014 and has since been an irreplaceable asset to the Reportex team.

A highly skilled and experienced realtime court reporter with a background in mentoring newly graduated court reporting “grasshoppers,” Leanne (in addition to her work in Canada) has extensive experience working on a variety of international arbitrations, high court and American depositions throughout Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

When not at the office, Leanne enjoys competitive dragonboat paddling, non-competitive curling, doing multi-day hikes and hanging out with Milo, her four-month brown mutt.

We recently interviewed Leanne on our theme of ‘connection’ and to see how she was making out during these challenging times. Here is what she had to say:

How have you found meaningful ways to connect with your work during these challenging times?

Taking time during my work days to step away and regroup mentally has strengthened my clarity and focus and processing abilities. I feel this has allowed me to better apply myself in my role and assuage the burnout I was feeling pre COVID-19.

Have you found a way to connect with your community during these challenging times?

I have been connecting with family and friends over Zoom during this time, and we have been getting our weekly (ish 😉) take-out to support our local businesses (and breweries!)  I have found people are much more social when I am out walking with my puppy, which has helped me feel more connected to my community.  We have even had people asking us to walk by their house/establishment regularly so they can watch little Milo grow!

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

I have attempted to work regular meditation and yoga into my schedule, which doesn’t always happen, but when it does I find it makes a big difference in my day.  I have also been embracing the quiet and solitary time that I don’t normally have in my life to reflect, refresh, enjoy a cup of tea and just breathe.

Also while spending so much time on Zoom and thus experiencing the dreaded Zoom fatigue, I am trying to spend more time “unplugged” when I am at home, either reading, playing crib with my hubby, being more creative in the kitchen, etc.

Speaking about connection generally, is there something specific that inspires you about this idea?

While taking advantage of the time to connect with myself, I do feel a weight slowly lifting.  I enjoy my work and life more when I feel rested and balanced and more able to apply myself to the task at hand.  I feel inspired to keep that going post COVID.

I am acutely aware of how I am choosing to spend my time while everyone is staying home, who I am connecting with and why I am choosing those specific individuals.  It gives me a chance to reassess my own value system and priorities, both in relation to my work and my personal life.

We thank Leanne for her time!

Check back in next Friday when we will be featuring Business Development Director Erin Monahan.

Meet Milo!

Connect Series: Meet Nicole Riglietti our Receptionist/Client Services Ambassador!

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When you walk in the door or call the Reportex office, often the first smiling face or cheerful voice you will hear is that of our Receptionist/Client Services Ambassador, Nicole Riglietti. Nicole joined the team in November and has since been a tremendous asset to the Reportex team. Nicole is known for her cheery disposition and good vibes, even on the gloomiest Vancouver days.

Highly talented and creative with a background in directing, writing and acting, Nicole has starred in a commercial she wrote and directed for the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, a national commercial for Lay’s potato chips and Romeo e Giulietta, a bilingual (English & Italian) play that she directed, edited and produced. A review of her production can be read here.

When not at the office, Nicole enjoys being in nature, spending time with her dogs and exploring her creativity through writing comedic skits, short stories/films and theatrical plays.

We recently interviewed Nicole on our theme of ‘connection’ and to see how she was making out during these challenging times. Here is what she had to say:

How have you found meaningful ways to connect with your work during these challenging times?

During these unprecedented – sometimes distressing – times, which often feel like that old spaghetti western ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, I have been doing my best to find ways to connect professionally. I have been one of the fortunate few who have been able to continue working, but working remotely is new to me and has a very different feel than being in the office. I am a social being and crave connection in my everyday life.

With the sudden move to working remotely, I found myself missing my co-workers and our clients and the day-to-day interactions, the friendly smiles, the sweet moments of ‘Welcome to work’ and ‘Welcome to Reportex’.

To combat these feelings of loss, I decided to reach out to some of our clients and to Reportex team members via email. It was a great feeling to re-connect, share and check in. There are so many unique clients and team mebers, and I often feel grateful to be part of such a wonderful, diverse team and community! We all need each other and we are all here to help each other.

My family in Italy has said from the beginning of this pandemic ‘Vinceremo’, which translates to ‘We Will Win’. And all of us together, we will.

Have you found a way to connect with your community during these challenging times?

Where there is deep sorrow, there is pure joy.

Like two sides of a coin – the yin and the yang – sorrow and joy are intrinsically connected. Humans around the world have united together to cheer on our healthcare workers at 7:00 p.m. during the shift change, encouraging, supporting and showing our immense gratitude for their sacrifice so that we may carry on, safe and healthy. I have joined this inspirational trend of banging my pots and pans, with loving kindness in my heart.

In fact, it has become a type of game. In my quiet neighbourhood in South Vancouver, what began with children creating all the noise led to me wanting to support the kids. They were trying so desperately to get the adults to join in around the block, so I answered their call and realized how much joy it brought me. In an instant I felt connected, strong and not alone. Each evening the banging became louder and louder as one by one more households joined in. The game became who could cheer the loudest.

I did not realize how a simple act could unite us all.

I also have had some of the best video chats with my dear friends who live in New York, Chicago and Toronto and with my family in Italy. We chat weekly, sharing many belly laughs.

How have you connected with yourself during these challenging times?

During this time I have tried to find balance and connection through meditating, dancing, singing and writing. I find myself loving the serene moments, especially when meditating outside, listening to the birds singing around me. I have been connecting with my inner child, dancing and singing and putting on performances in front of the mirror or even for my dogs. It’s a release of effervescent energy which naturally flows through me. I find solace in writing, especially during these troubled times. One of my favourite songs has a couple of stanzas which perfectly sums up how I’m feeling with the new normal amongst us.

Nicole and her dogs.

We thank Nicole for her time!

Check back in next Friday when we will be featuring Operations Director & Realtime Reporter Leanne Kowalyk.

Let’s Connect: A warm welcome to the Reportex Community (Blog Launch)

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By Megan Ejack, Marketing & Communications Director

Life begins and ends with connection.

To connect means to share something – an experience, a moment, a wifi password, a smile…

Whether we are living during a pandemic or not, connection is everything – it is a basic human need. Without it, we can become lost.

At Reportex we are always looking for new ways to connect with our clients, with our community and with our team. From the moment you call us to book a boardroom or a proceeding, to the smiling faces who greet you when you walk through our doors, we pride ourselves on the personal connections we make every day. When you are in our office, Chef Nye and the office services team aim to provide a seamless experience from beginning to end, full of special touches, and although we aren’t there right now to physically provide you with the thoughtful extras we are known for, our entire team is still working hard behind the scenes. 

As we have taken a step back from in-office life these past weeks, our tech team has stepped up to help us stay on the leading edge of our e-services so our clients can remain connected to their work. 

The legal community as a whole has really moved into a time of vast innovation, and as we look towards the future of our industry we will continue to provide workshops and training to help navigate these new platforms and tools.

In fact, these training workshops and platforms like Zoom, WebEx and Teams have allowed for a new kind of connection!  In a strange way, it has been nice to be able to see all of your faces out of your work attire, in your homes and kitchens, with children or pets lounging in the background.  Professional has become personal.

At Reportex our leadership is striving to keep our team connected through regular check-ins, social media and platforms like Zoom and Slack that allow us to move forward with our work.  We continue to host meetings, offer teambuilding workshops and even enjoy a few virtual happy hours together. We recently conducted all of our performance reviews online, which was a totally new and highly successful experience.

We have always had team members located all over North America – from the West Coast, through the Kootenays and Midwest to the East Coast – but we are suddenly tapping into all these fun ways to get to know each other a little better. This is especially important for our newest colleagues, having recently joined forces with Island Reporters and our new division, All-Star by Reportex!

We are all finding new ways to connect.

As our social media community continues to grow through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn we have launched this blog as another means of sharing information and creating even more connection. Over the coming weeks we will be introducing you to various members of the Reportex team as they share their thoughts on connection, keeping you current with our regular ‘Security & Remote Services’ update and providing fresh, informative and entertaining content.

First up on the blog (next week) will be the face you see when you walk through the door, Nicole Riglietti, our Receptionist/Client Services ambassador!

We hope you continue to stay well during these challenging times. Please remember we are here to help, and we are only a quick call, click or email away.

Stay safe and connected. We are #inthistogether.