Connect Series: Meet Scheduler Krystal Wong!

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mindset Series Week 2: Name Your Feeling #WellnessWednesday

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“We should lock the door and scream that curse word we know. It’s a good one!” – Anger, Inside Out

Intro:
Last week on the blog we discussed the importance of acknowledging/naming the circumstance (perceived problem/change). This week we will discuss the importance of acknowledging/naming how we think and feel about the circumstance (perceived problem/change).

Step 2: Feeling – Acknowledge/name how you think and feel about the circumstance (perceived problem/change)
You may not be able to change the thing that is stressing you, in which case your only option is to change your perspective if you want less stress. First, however, you will need to know what your current perspective/feeling is on the issue.

For example:
You can’t change that there is a reorganization happening, but you can change your perspective.

Ask yourself:

  • What is my perspective on this thing?
  • What do I think and feel about it?
  • How is it showing up in my life?
  • How am I talking about it with others?
  • What is my attitude about it?

Pro tip:
Sometimes it is hard to know exactly how we feel. This movie from 2015 does a great job at showcasing all the emotions that live in all of us to varying degrees. It does so in a fun and approachable manner. See the trailer for Inside Out here.

Connect Series: Meet Reporter Chris Linneman!

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Chris has experience in reporting examinations for discovery, cross-examinations, hearings and arbitrations and has transcribed many chambers applications and days of trial proceedings. Chris has a particular interest in family law. When not working, Chris enjoys craft beer, board games, his two cats and most recently his new son, Emmett!

We recently caught up with Chris and asked him a few questions:

What do you like most about being a reporter?

The flexibility. It’s great when jobs end early and you have the rest of the day free! Well, most often I am working on transcripts, but having a five-month-old son, it’s a pleasant surprise when I finish work at 11:00 a.m. and get to spend time with him I wasn’t counting on. It’s also nice to be able to book days off and vacation to suit my lifestyle.

Did you find this career, or did it find you?

I found court reporting, oddly enough, by responding to an ad I saw on the SkyTrain! I had little to no knowledge about the career other than as a former online poker player I thought I would be good at thinking quickly and working in realtime. A few phone calls later (including a very motivational one to Christy) and I was signing up for the program.

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?

I think I would pick mentorship. It always makes me happy to see new court reporters joining the field as to me it indicates our industry is alive and well. I know how much I appreciated learning from more experienced reporters when I was fresh out of school, and I think it is our responsibility as more senior reporters to offer guidance and encouragement to the newbies. I remember the jitters I had when I was a baby reporter, which was nerve-wracking but also exciting. Even the simplest slip-and-fall case has an air of importance about it in the formality of the legal setting, and I think feeling not only comfortable but at home in this setting is one of the most important hurdles for new reporters to overcome.

Holiday movies: yes or no? (If yes, do you have a favourite? If no, what’s your favourite movie of all time?)

No. My favourite movie has to be Rounders, which is cliché for a former poker player, but the performances of Edward Norton and John Malkovich are top-notch. In truth John Malkovich is always a delight, and I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything I didn’t love. For more John Malkovich I recommend Space Force and Being John Malkovich.

What three items are on your post-COVID bucket list?

First is to take my son to a pool or baby class — something to get him socializing with more people! He was born in the middle of the pandemic and so sadly spends almost all his time with his two parents.

Next is to visit with my mom, who lives in Toronto, who I haven’t seen since before the pandemic and who hasn’t met little Emmett.

Finally as a big fan of board games I have been forced to get my fix from online board-gaming since March, which doesn’t quite have the same appeal. Socializing online just doesn’t cut it for me, so I’m looking forward to the day when we can hang out normally again.

Mindset Series Week 1: Name Your Challenge #WellnessWednesday

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By Mary Crayston

“Change can be tough, but I’ve never heard anybody say it wasn’t worth it.” – Carol Dweck

Intro:
Change can feel hard. It can be a problem for some of us. Sure, some people thrive and get energized. For many of us it can be worrisome and tiring. We can get overwhelmed and destabilized. Our work is not to try and make those feelings go away. We have to acknowledge and understand what we are going through and how we are currently reacting to it. From there we can figure out how to optimally orient ourselves to the problem. This approach is a growth mindset approach.

Starting today (and for the next three weeks), I will be covering the four steps on how to navigate change with a growth mindset.

Step 1: Naming – Acknowledge/name the circumstance (perceived problem/change)
You literally can’t take action on an issue/problematic circumstance if you don’t recognize you are in one. Too often we don’t take a beat to realize where our stressful feelings are coming from.

Once you recognize you are in one, however, you can then decide what to do about it.

For example:
Let’s say your company is going through a reorganization and you’re stressed. If you don’t recognize that going through a reorganization is stressing you, you’ll stay stressed.

Ask yourself:

  • What is happening (circumstance)?
  • What is the thing that is causing my stress/anxiety/worry?

Sometimes acknowledging an issue is enough to put an action plan in place, or at the very least it can allow us to be more mindful about our associated thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Pro tip:
Wondering what exactly a growth mindset is? Here are a few resources:

Connect Series: Meet Legal Editor Shawnna Auramenko!

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An indispensable part of the Reportex team is our group of legal editors and the vital work they do. Legal editors have the important responsibility of transferring audio recordings from legal proceedings and non-court matters into written documents. As our legal editors work from home, many of their faces may be a little less familiar to some of us. But their accuracy, focus and dedication to their work make our legal editors an essential part of producing the high-quality transcripts and documents we are known for, and we’d like to shine the spotlight on one of them this week.  

Shawnna is a legal secretary of 19 years turned legal editor. When not at work, Shawnna loves spending time with her family (including her furry daughter, Elsie — a dog), shopping at thrift stores, painting furniture and generally puttering around the house with her endless to-do list.

We recently caught up with Shawnna and asked her a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you learn about legal editing as a career choice?

I was a legal secretary for about 19 years before I joined Reportex, and I always enjoyed doing the transcription part of the job (which, by the way, is nothing like this job). Funnily enough, my husband worked temporarily as a receptionist for Reportex way back in 2000, so when I decided to work from home, it was Reportex I contacted.

What are your top three tips for those just starting/adjusting to working from home?

I’m a homebody anyway, so it was easy for me. I guess I would just say to make sure you have a space where you can close the door and buckle down. If you can see what’s going on around your house, it can be easy to get distracted. Make sure you stay in touch daily with either people from work or friends and family so that you stay social and don’t become a hermit. And just because you work at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still take care of yourself. I’ve never been one to roll out of bed and into my work chair, but that could become a habit for some. You’re still involved in a professional job, so try to keep a routine, if at all possible. 

What do you like best about working with Reportex?

I love being able to work from home. Plus sometimes it’s a voyeur’s dream job. (Not always, though.)

You recently recommended the book The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life by Piero Ferrucci on Slack. What was the most interesting or unexpected thing you learned from reading this book?

Honestly, I read this book so long ago, but it’s on my reread list. I recommended the book because of these very strange and divided times. I remember it as a very easy read and very uplifting. When you see how little it takes to make a person’s day, it’s a wonder it’s not easier for us to do. The wonder of a small wave when someone lets you into their lane in traffic, for example. Just priceless and so easy!

I remember when I was working in a big law firm downtown, the building manager left a $5 gift card on everybody’s desk to use anywhere in their food court. You would have thought people won the lottery! Everyone was so happy. It’s always stuck with me.

We hear you like to paint furniture. Do you have any projects that you can share with us?

I love painting furniture, but I also love painting, period! I’ve attached a few photos of a dresser I showed at a Port Moody artsy-fartsy event about 10 years ago when I was contemplating whether I could do it full-time. It’s still one of my favourite pieces. I’ve actually done several dressers (because I’ve found so many free ones at the side of the road!). But I’ve also painted nearly every surface in our house as well, and in some instances not just once. I’ve painted our kitchen cabinets, ugly bathroom vanities, every last wall, stair risers, bannisters, doors … Paint is just so versatile, and results are so gratifying! 

You’re at a party and offered a cup of eggnog. What do you do?

a. Immediately excuse yourself from the situation. (Can’t stand the stuff!)
b. Accept it excitedly. (Love the stuff! Where’s the bowl?)
c. Smile and drink it. (Neither love nor hate it.)

Most definitely B. Probably ask for the recipe too! Note: The eggnog they serve at The Listel Hotel in Vancouver is the best on earth. 

A before and after look at Shawnna’s work!

Wellness Wednesday: Finding Your Sweet Spot – Leadership, Growth and Development

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By Megan Ejack, Director of Marketing & Communications

It’s no secret that this year has been a time of great perspective and growth. There have been many challenges to face, both personally and professionally, for all of us.

Even before the pandemic hit, our team was entrenched in a massive phase of growth and development. We had just begun to make advancements in our leading-edge legal tech services with the introduction of our e-trials, e-arbitrations and other virtual service platforms, followed by the exciting launches of All-Star by Reportex and now Island by Reportex. In integrating these new partnerships and services our team has nearly tripled in just over a year. It’s been a little wild. There have been hurdles, no doubt (not the least of which has been COVID-19), but as we navigate all the twists and turns of this journey, there is one integral piece of the puzzle: mindset. 

Mindset is everything. It helps hold our focus on days that may feel out of control, and it helps us to try and stick to the big picture of what we are hoping to achieve, even in the face of overwhelm. Learning to cultivate a growth mindset is what has been helping us stay true to the developing Reportex vision.

But with a growth mindset comes accountability. Accountability to our team to provide the structures and support to sustain that growth; a responsibility to our clients to continue to produce a high standard of work and strive for both excellence and accessibility; and a commitment to our industry to continue to work together, create sustainable work and seek out and recruit talented professionals in all sectors of our business. No easy feat.

As we work together to evolve, it is critical to continue to build our team infrastructure to keep up with the day-to-day challenges, and as the pandemic progresses, the necessity of balancing the emotional impact becomes a major priority. Leadership teams all over the world are navigating new waters in engagement, empathy and understanding. We are all responding to these circumstances in a myriad of ways, and ensuring there is a very personal, human element combined with the professional focus of our business has proven to be crucial. We all need support in different ways. For us, part of this vital support system comes in the form of a powerful, dynamic, magical human — our leadership coach, Mary Crayston

Mary is an executive well-being coach and mindset expert who has been working with our leadership team to develop and implement a big-picture strategy. Through Mary’s guidance we’re committed to this long-term vision through finding balance, setting goals, encouraging accountability and creating team values.

Growth is not an overnight endeavour — I assure you we’re striving to earn our leadership every day — but we’re getting there! Our team is becoming strong and focused, and we’ve invited Mary to partner with us to provide support and continue to foster a culture of development.

Over the next little while Mary will be sharing some of her insight and coaching hacks for Wellness Wednesdays. We hope that her tips and tricks will also help you and your teams to cultivate a growth mindset and that these gems of expertise will contribute to a stronger, healthier industry.

Connect Series: Meet Realtime Court Reporter and CART Provider Lana Allen!

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Lana has over 20 years’ experience in both criminal and civil cases and an extensive knowledge base of aboriginal, medical, marine, environmental, construction and engineering-related terminology. She has international experience in reporting proceedings, including court, discoveries, arbitrations, hearings, inquests and depositions involving expert testimony, technical and job-specific legalese and interpreted matters.

Lana is very active and passionate about life, particularly travelling the world and long-distance running in mountains here and abroad.

We recently asked Lana a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you learn about and become interested in court reporting as a career choice?

It was a fluke, really. A counsellor told me about it in college (to try it), and it worked out. I liked the flexibility and the idea of working for myself the most, so that was a big factor for me to try it and really the most important part of my job to this day.

What is the career highlight you’re most proud of?

I absolutely prefer doing realtime and got my certificate as soon as it was an option. It has allowed me to travel a lot of places to work as a reporter, for which I am grateful as travelling is my number one passion. Working overseas at The Hague at the ICTY war crimes tribunal was a highlight for sure. I also really enjoy CART’ing (Communication Access Realtime Translation) as well, which I do more and more of these days.

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?

I suppose all of them are equally important to me.

What are your top three favourite things do when you have a day off?

Run, bike or just be outside and not sitting down in front of a laptop!

Ideally how would you spend your birthday?

Definitely not working 😉 and probably either on a mountaintop somewhere or away somewhere warm.

Zoom’s Latest Release: New Features & Enhancements

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Zoom recently announced its latest release aimed at improving meeting, chat and phone features.

To access the below features you will need to download the latest version of Zoom Client for Meetings. More information on the items below can be found in Zoom’s release notes.

New Updates to Zoom Client

New and Enhanced Features

General Features

  • Sync subfolders in cloud contacts: When syncing contacts from Office 365, subfolders will now be synced in addition to the main contacts folder.

Meeting/Webinar Features

  • Support for live-streaming to YouTube on mobile: Hosts using Android or iOS can live-stream their meetings and webinars through the YouTube mobile app.
  • Virtual background support for additional CPUs: For Windows users, virtual backgrounds are now supported for i3 5th generation and above, i5/i7/i9 3rd generation and above, all including Y-series. These CPUs will support virtual backgrounds at 15fps and 360p.
  • Scheduling with custom Join Before Host time limit: Users can select a Join Before Host option when scheduling meetings to allow participants to join 5, 10 or 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Meeting Features

  • End-to-end (E2E) encryption: E2E encryption for meetings is now available in technical preview. Account owners and administrators can enable E2E encryption for meetings, providing additional protection when needed. Enabling E2E encryption for meetings requires all meeting participants to join from the Zoom desktop client, mobile app or Zoom Rooms. Users will not be able to join by telephone, SIP/H.323 devices, on-premise configurations or Lync/Skype clients as these end points cannot be encrypted end to end. Zoom web client and third party clients leveraging the Zoom SDK are also not supported at launch. Enabling this setting also disables the following features: Join Before Host, cloud recording, streaming, live transcription, breakout rooms, polling and meeting reactions. This setting is enabled in the Zoom web portal at the account, group and user level and can be locked at the account or group level.
  • Additional share options with Proximity Share for Zoom Rooms: For Windows, macOS and Linux users, Proximity Share now supports sharing specific apps, sharing computer audio and optimizing for full-screen video.
  • Change ringtone for meeting invites and phone calls.
  • Improved experience for saving annotations on mobile (Android and iOS users).
  • Improved pre-assigned breakout room behaviour.

Chat Features

  • Search in Channel option added to the Channel Info panel for mobile (Android and iOS users).
  • Search starred messages (Windows, macOS and Linux users).

Phone Features

  • Bootstrap mode for nomadic emergency services: If bootstrap mode is enabled by an account owner or administrator, phone users can report their current locations as company locations and/or report underlying network data for existing company locations. User-reported location and network data must be approved by administrators before it becomes actively part of defined company locations. These operations will send email notifications to administrators (at most one email per day).
  • Call notifications for busy call queue members: If enabled, call queue members can receive call queue calls when they are busy on a call.
  • Opt out of specific call queues: Users who are members of multiple call queues can opt out of specific call queues to disable call notifications from those call queues.

Connect Series: Meet Zach Bragg, Our Virtual Proceedings Coordinator!

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One of the newest members of the Reportex family is Zach Bragg. Zach serves as our virtual proceedings coordinator and works out of our Island by Reportex office.

Zach grew up in Oakville, Ontario, and graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in English language and literature. In 2010 he made a move west to Banff, Alberta, where he began working at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. In six years Zach worked within the hotel in a variety of different capacities and studied at the University of Calgary. It was 2016 when Zach transferred to the Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria and fell in love with everything that Victoria and the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Zach is an avid hockey player and fan. He also loves reading, golfing and hiking. On most days, though, you can find Zach spending time with his family.

We recently asked Zach a few questions. Here’s what he had to say:

You are relatively new to the Reportex family. How are you finding things so far? Is there something you like best?

From the very first day I started I have really been impressed by how positive things are at Reportex. There is great culture and energy here, and that has really allowed me to have the confidence to hit the ground running. I have only been here for about one month, but it feels much longer than that (in a good way!). I find the work very interesting, and I look forward to learning new things and developing new skills every day, but my favourite thing is definitely the people. Despite the fact that I haven’t met most people in person, I have felt very welcomed and comfortable with everyone. A big thank you to everyone for the warm welcome!

What are your top three favourite things to do in Victoria?

  1. Taking beach walks alongside the ocean with my wife and two-year-old son, Bruce. I grew up in Ontario, so the ability to live near and walk alongside the ocean is just the best.
  2. Reading a Stephen King book in any of the awesome cafes and bakeries in Victoria.
  3. Not Victoria-specific, but I love playing in my hockey league every week.

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?

Jacques Plante, the legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, once said this in an interview:

“How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”

I like to think that Jacques never would have won six Stanley Cups and changed the game of hockey forever without the support and trust of his team. The one core value that resonates most strongly with me is team. I think that the idea of fostering a positive team dynamic is essential to the foundation of a thriving business. I think that the word “team” can also be used as an umbrella term for communication, support and accountability. I grew up playing a variety of competitive sports, and I know how essential a healthy and positive team dynamic can be to personal and collective success. Functioning as a team and collaborating and connecting is especially important in such an uncertain and physically distant time.

You are offered a plate of sushi or a plate of tacos. Which do you take?

I love this question. Definitely tacos. I love tacos. Lots of sour cream.

What is the single best day on the calendar?

My son’s birthday. He turns three in February. The excitement he has to blow out birthday candles on the cake is just unbelievable — so much so that we have to have practice birthday parties throughout the year just so he can practice blowing the candles out. So there is obviously a lot of anticipation for the actual day. He is slightly interested in the presents, but it really is all about the candles!

Connect Series: Meet Court Reporter Anne Schluter!

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With extensive experience working as a court reporter in both the United States and Canada, Anne is a great fit for all types of proceedings, but she’s a secret weapon when it comes to the US depositions routinely carried out at Reportex’s offices. Not only will clients receive a transcript in the perfect format for US requirements, but they can also enjoy same-day service of rough draft transcripts.

We recently asked Anne a few questions, and here’s what she had to say:

What originally got you interested in court reporting as a career?

I was attending Ferris State University in Michigan in the executive assistant program. At that time I didn’t even know what a court reporter was. My roommate was in the court reporting program and used to come back from class all the time and relay all the great things she was learning about career opportunities in the field. Her future sounded much more interesting and lucrative than mine, so I made the switch.

What do you like most about it?

I love the flexibility it gave me with my children when they were young. I was able to walk my kids to school nearly every day, and because I also worked some half days, they were often able to have friends over for play dates after school. And being self-employed, I was able to take time out to participate in various school events and field trips with them. Now that they’re older, I like having the flexibility to hit the gym on a weekday morning and get my workout done early on the days I’m not in discovery.

What is the best career advice you have ever been given?

At one of the first firms I ever worked for, the firm owner insisted that I should read novels as a way of refining my court reporting skills. I was very resistant since reading for pleasure did not sound like a very fun way to spend my downtime, but she literally handed me a novel and made me do it. Not sure how refined I am, but I was hooked. That was a very long time ago, and I still love to read whenever I have the chance.

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?

Even though we are all self-employed individuals, at All-Star by Reportex our office feels very much like a team, or as we often refer to it, our work family. We’re constantly looking to one another for help on technical issues, grammar questions, formatting queries. Also recipe-sharing. And I’ve received some really good parenting advice over our boardroom lunches.

What single piece of advice would you give new reporters?

One piece of advice I would give to a new reporter is to make up a one-stroke brief for your local hospitals. They come up constantly, and it will save you a lot of time over the years. It sounds kind of stupid, but that’s all I could think of right now.

What does your ideal day off look like?

Well, an ideal day off would be on a beach with a margarita in my hand. But if I’m not on vacation, I like to go to the gym in the morning and get it out of the way, have lunch with friends and then take my dog Louie for a walk.

Would you rather cook or order in?

I hate cooking; plus I’m not the best at it. Definitely order in — with wine of course!