HR Engage Podcast with Tameka Bramwell

Started in HR...

From a family transport background, so I started to, when the kids were really little, I started to help out in the family transport business, you know, basically receptionist and over a period of time that grew into a general manager role.

So my biggest issue when I was general manager was that I had imposter syndrome.

I felt that nobody was paying attention to me because I I was, apart from being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed 25-year-old, that dream had an impact in the transport industry.

But also I felt that it was because they felt I was general manager because I was my father's daughter.

So I decided to go off to uni and get my business degree, majoring in management and HR.

Little did I know at that point in time that I was actually kind of future-proofing myself for... for what my real life would look like.

And, yeah, my whole baptism of fire in terms of business management and leadership in the transport industry really set me up for being able to really help businesses in their people management.

Obviously, the transport industry, a very challenging industry, but also put on top of that, family owned business, which you were part of that family.

The challenges must have been very difficult.

Can you just talk us through some of those things that you had to go through, you know, in those challenges? It was

the most challenging period of my life, yes.

And it was in furniture transport, so an incredibly cutthroat industry, low margins, high expenses.

When we started in the transport industry, fuel was like 40 cents a litre.

And when we got out, fuel was $1.20 a litre.

So, you know, the bill with Shell every month was $120,000 and that's 15 years ago, 16, 17 years ago.

So those pressures were really high.

and managing 65 people across three states for a 25 to 30-year-old at the time, that was really challenging as well.

I felt that people didn't really pay attention to me and that's where I learnt to swear, Jonathan.

Right, right, right.

Remember, this is a PG podcast.

Yes,

yes.

I'm very

conscious of that.

Started in HR...

From a family transport background, so I started to, when the kids were really little, I started to help out in the family transport business, you know, basically receptionist and over a period of time that grew into a general manager role.

So my biggest issue when I was general manager was that I had imposter syndrome.

I felt that nobody was paying attention to me because I I was, apart from being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed 25-year-old, that dream had an impact in the transport industry.

But also I felt that it was because they felt I was general manager because I was my father's daughter.

So I decided to go off to uni and get my business degree, majoring in management and HR.

Little did I know at that point in time that I was actually kind of future-proofing myself for... for what my real life would look like.

And, yeah, my whole baptism of fire in terms of business management and leadership in the transport industry really set me up for being able to really help businesses in their people management.

Obviously, the transport industry, a very challenging industry, but also put on top of that, family owned business, which you were part of that family.

The challenges must have been very difficult.

Can you just talk us through some of those things that you had to go through, you know, in those challenges? It was

the most challenging period of my life, yes.

And it was in furniture transport, so an incredibly cutthroat industry, low margins, high expenses.

When we started in the transport industry, fuel was like 40 cents a litre.

And when we got out, fuel was $1.20 a litre.

So, you know, the bill with Shell every month was $120,000 and that's 15 years ago, 16, 17 years ago.

So those pressures were really high.

and managing 65 people across three states for a 25 to 30-year-old at the time, that was really challenging as well.

I felt that people didn't really pay attention to me and that's where I learnt to swear, Jonathan.

Right, right, right.

Remember, this is a PG podcast.

Yes,

yes.

I'm very

conscious of that.