Up next in the meet the team series we have the wonderful Julie Garlick!
Julie has been part of the RX team for over 2 years, and before that worked alongside several of the team at Noel Leeming and Warehouse Stationery. Julie is an experienced Senior Marketing Specialist and CMO. She knows how to develop exceptional brands and deliver a stunning customer experience.
With an extensive background in FMCG, services, entertainment and retail, Julie oversaw the transformation in the way SkyCity positioned itself into an entertainment, dining, and accommodation leader. Julie also helped reshape The Warehouse into a stronger market position in the highly competitive retail sector and most recently led the relaunch of Metlifecare delivering increases in core engagement score and performance right across the board. At RX, Julie leads the fractional marketing team assisting Manawanui a social enterprise that helps disabled people to live their lives with more control – and does an excellent job.
Julie is clever, witty and an absolute delight to be around. We’ve asked her a few questions to get to know her better.
What inspires you?
People beating the odds and smashing the expectations of others. It could be a person living with a disability achieving amazing things (check out Manawanui's amazing Fund for Good winners). Or a clever young scientist solving a health or technology problem by looking at it differently. Or an older person defying expectations of their generation and competing in a 'young person's sport'. Creative people probably inspire me the most - be it musicians or artists that evoke an emotion, authors or scriptwriters that bring a story to vivid life or even a street busker clearly passionate about their art.
What does a typical day at RX look like for you?
I am lucky enough to be surrounded by an amazing team who act as the fractional (outsourced) marketing team for Manawanui - a Social enterprise going through massive growth. So there is no such thing as a "typical day". Any given day could see me working with the team and our incredible client on making a difference in disabled people's lives. This could be something as simple as a blog about the amazing achievements of a customer, or a social media post about something important to the disability community. We work on a lot of initiatives to assist the rapid growth of Manawanui, so a day might also involve strategising a complex business problem or developing a new service launch, or improving the performance of our media spend.
Favourite store/customer experience?
New Zealand retail could learn a lot from overseas - especially Japan where the store staff are sooooo attentive and displays are amazing!
But in New Zealand I love Farmers Markets - the ability to talk to the actual producers, gaze at (and taste) the variety of products, soak in the buzz of the different stalls and buskers. I spent some time living near Fulham and Camden Lock markets in London and have fond memories of the stall holders yelling out their offers. I frequently visit Matakana Market - and am always amazed at the love and care the stall holders put into the manufacture and presentation of their goods.
I think this is why I also like shopping at Farro - I end up gazing at brands and products I've not heard of before. They are not quite Wholefoods or other US markets - but they beat the drudge that is our usual supermarket shopping. I'm also watching the Four Square re-positioning with interest.
Best book or movie?
What a cruel question - that's like choosing a favourite child! Favourite Author at present is an Australian journalist called Trent Dalton who wrote some amazing novels, including Boy Swallows Universe (also a Netflix series) and Lola in the Mirror. Great character development as well as harrowing but uplifting storylines all told from the view of young people. And Brisbane features strongly as one of the 'characters' so it's nice to recognise places I have visited in that city.
Beach/bush?
Can I say Both? I love all forms of nature. I find bush walks very cathartic, with the sound of water, wind and birds, and I have walked some amazing bush walks here and overseas. But I also love the water - paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming. In fact I'm happy anywhere in nature - up a mountain skiing, in a field of sunflowers feeling very Van Gogh or even in a cityscape such as cycling through the Domain!
Julie is a wonderful team member and I know our clients really appreciate her extensive experience and ability to cut through the noise to simplify even the most complex of challenges.
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