1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: Should your workplace be responsible for funding your staff Christmas party? 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: I got a DM the other day and it said this, 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: we'd love to know your opinion as a retail business 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: owner on Christmas party and staff event budgets. My current 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: employer doesn't provide any contribution towards end of year or 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: Christmas party celebrations for staff, nor any incentive. But on 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: social media, the pr budgets seem insane and content creators 8 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: posts show oysters, branded lemons, cocktails, lobsters, but staff have 9 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: to pay and organize a celebration themselves. And I replied, 10 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: that's so interestingly that with me, I'll make a podcast 11 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: episode for you, And then I asked who it was 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: and she told me, but I'm not going to say 13 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: who it is, obviously, but a big retailer. Now, this 14 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: is a tricky because obviously everything that I talk about 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: here on Big Business I speak from my perspective and 16 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: my experience, and it's very easy for me to say 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: things like yes, one hundred percent, like it's the least 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: that your workplace could do is to pay for your 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: staff party or your staff dinner or whatever. But I'm 20 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: speaking from my own experience, which is I one hundred 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: percent own my business. I one hundred percent fund my business, 22 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: and I started my business from nothing out of my 23 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: own back pocket. Therefore, it's been completely up to me 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: every single decision that we've made. I've never, you know, 25 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: had someone buy in and take over a lot of 26 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: the ownership of Fate. Whereas when you're thinking of these 27 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: and talking about these massive retailers, they're owned by someone else, 28 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: or you know, they might have a big board of 29 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: directors and they're a lot more financially and just overall structured. 30 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: I would say, so whilst it's easy for me to 31 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: sit here and go, yeah, one hundred percent, they should 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: pay for your staff dinner, it's hard when it's a 33 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: massive corporation because it's not that simple. Whereas, for example, 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: with AJ and I owning Fate, well, me one hundred percent, 35 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: but you know, AJ and I running Fate, we could 36 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: be like, do you want to do a dinner in 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks, and we'll go yep, all right, 38 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: and then we'll just say, hey, does everyone want to 39 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: do a dinner? And there's no like, you know, we 40 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: don't have to go to a board of directors or 41 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: a board of investors or whatever it may be, to say, Hey, 42 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: so we're going to do this dinner. It's going to 43 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: cost about two and a half thousand dollars. Does this 44 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: fit within our budget? Because AJ and I are just 45 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: the owners of the company and we call the shots 46 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: and it's all on us at the end of the day, 47 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: Whereas when you're working for a massive company, it's not 48 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: as personal as that. It's just a big corporate game, 49 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: and it's not as easy as just throwing a Christmas 50 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: party and going yeah, sure, we'll pay for it, because 51 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: it's got to go through you know, so many different 52 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: levels of people and layers, and there would need to 53 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: be approvals and going back to head office. So I 54 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: think that's one of the biggest differences between like a 55 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: startup retailer like Fate and a giant company that's probably 56 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: owned by a parent company. It's just not as easy 57 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: to do things. And I need to do an episode 58 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: about this. But being like a self owned business or 59 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: a startup business, whilst it has a lot of a 60 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: lot of pitfalls, like you obviously don't have the money 61 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: that the huge corporations have, you don't have investors or 62 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: anything like that, it comes with so many more advantages, 63 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: I would say, and this scenario right here is exactly 64 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: one of them, just being in complete control and being 65 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: able to do things like have a staff dinner or 66 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: fund a Christmas party. So to answer your question, what 67 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: are my thoughts on it? I think from my experience, 68 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: the least that workplaces can do is to put on 69 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: a Christmas party or a Christmas dinner, or a Christmas activity, 70 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: or a Christmas barbecue or lunch or whatever it may be. 71 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: But that's very easy for me to say, given the 72 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: fact that I own one hundred percent of my business 73 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: and have been in control of every decision in the 74 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: eight years that we've been running it. And let me 75 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about FATE. I'll tell you 76 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: a bit about how we do our Christmas parties at 77 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: FATE and what we did at the beginning. And I 78 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: also want to touch on the secondary comment about this 79 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: person not getting their Christmas party from their workplace, but 80 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: then seeing influences and stuff being treated, because that's a 81 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: whole interesting topic as well. So from the very beginning 82 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: of Fate, as everyone knows, it started out extremely small, 83 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: and from day dot, Christmas parties and staff events have 84 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: always been a part of our business. And again that's 85 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: one of the advantages of starting a business yourself and 86 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: funding the whole thing yourself is you can shape the 87 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: business however you want it to be. So it's been 88 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: in our I don't want to say in our DNA, 89 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: but it's been in our business since day one that 90 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: we do a Christmas party every year. Now, the way 91 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: that we have done our Christmas parties has evolved over 92 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: the years. Obviously, when I started Fate, we didn't have 93 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: a physical store. I just had my few staff working 94 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: in the whole online side of the business, so that 95 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: was easy for us to organize a Christmas party. Then 96 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: we opened our first store in Newcastle in twenty nineteen, 97 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: and again our store was within our head office because 98 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: our head office was upstairs, so our Christmas party got 99 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: a little bit bigger. It was our small retail team 100 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: and our small office and warehouse team and we would 101 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: do just one Christmas party for all of us. And 102 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: back when we had just our one Newcastle Fate store, 103 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: our Christmas parties were actually way bigger than they are today. 104 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 1: So back when it was just the one store and 105 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: all of us working in the office and the warehouse, 106 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: we would close the store for two days, and I 107 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: think twice we did this. We went down to Sydney. 108 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: We would put everyone up in a hotel for like 109 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: the one night, and then we would do like a 110 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: boat party and then yeah, I think we did that twice. 111 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, we did that twice and it was great. 112 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: And those Christmas parties cost us over ten grand and 113 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: we had maybe ten people go to them, maybe less, 114 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: And to fill out the boat that we'd hired, you know, 115 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: I'd bring my friends and family and stuff so that 116 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: we could make up the numbers. But because our business 117 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: was quite small and we had the one store, and 118 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: we weren't operating at a huge scale like we are now, 119 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: we could not afford to like obviously we could afford to, 120 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: but we could justify closing our store for the two 121 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: days over the weekend and take our team away for 122 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: the weekend. Now, obviously, as our business grew and we 123 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: began opening more and more retail stores, I then was 124 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: faced with what do we do for our Christmas party now, 125 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: because you know, we opened Westfield stores, so I couldn't 126 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: go and shut our Westfield stores for two days. Again, 127 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: one of the perks of having boutique stores you can 128 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: just shut if you want, whereas if you've got a 129 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: Westfield store, you cannot just shut on a random day. 130 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: You've got to open basically every single day of the year. 131 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: But when we opened our second and third store, which 132 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: were both Westfield stores, that's when we thought, okay, we're 133 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: going to have to change the way that we do 134 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: our Christmas parties. Because our company is growing, there is 135 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: more people in the company, and obviously we've got stores 136 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: and teams working in different cities and even different states 137 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: to us. So what we did then was we started 138 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: to give our retail stores their own Christmas party. And 139 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: by party, it's generally like a Christmas dinner. I think 140 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: like two years ago they went and did a little 141 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: activity as well, or like we've done paint and SIPs 142 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: and stuff. But when fate got to that certain size 143 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: where we had multiple stores and now we've got five, 144 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: we now do six Christmas events. We have our head 145 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: office and warehouse one which is still kind of the 146 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: same as always, although it's not as extravagant as a 147 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: boat party in Sydney, and then we have five separate 148 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: events for all of our stores. Now we choose to 149 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: pay for them every single time. So every year it 150 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: fits within our budget to host six Christmas parties. Again, 151 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,679 Speaker 1: I know this is pretty unique for a retailer because 152 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people that have worked in 153 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,679 Speaker 1: retail or do work in retail, and they might host 154 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: a dinner but everyone has to pay, or maybe there's 155 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: some sort of party but you have to buy a 156 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: ticket or whatever. But for us at Fate, we have 157 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: always funded our Christmas parties slash dinners. And that's just 158 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: the way that it's always been. And again, and it 159 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: comes back to us being a company where I'm in 160 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: charge of calling the shots with these kinds of things, 161 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:46,479 Speaker 1: and I don't have that board of directors or investors 162 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: where they'll go to me. No, spending ten grand across 163 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: all these Christmas parties is a waste of money, because 164 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: I can almost guarantee you that for the companies that 165 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: are so massive and they don't do Christmas dinners, or 166 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,719 Speaker 1: if they do, you've got to pay for it yourself. 167 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: It's just because whoever is at the top and whoever 168 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: is in charge of funding the company and investing in it, 169 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: they might not see a Christmas dinner as a worthwhile expense. 170 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: And also you've got to take into consideration that these 171 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: companies could be huge with hundreds of stores around the countries. 172 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: So if you're looking at putting on hundreds of Christmas dinners, 173 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: you're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. So I 174 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: guess I can see it from their perspective if you're 175 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: working for a huge company that doesn't do anything like that. 176 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: But from my perspective and in my experience, I think 177 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: it's one of the least things that we can do 178 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: as business owners is to put on a dinner or 179 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: a party or an event or whatever it may be, 180 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: to celebrate the year with our teams, because at the 181 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: end of the day, especially for our retail teams, they 182 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: are the ones that are you know, forward facing our customers. 183 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: Every single day they are delivering the fate experience in 184 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: store and selling our clothes and helping people find their 185 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: perfect fit. So, you know, I feel like for us 186 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 1: and just for me, shouting everyone end of year dinner 187 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: to say thanks is one of the least things that 188 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: we can do in terms of budget. We don't have 189 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: a budget for our Christmas dinners. I think depending on 190 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: the size of the team and where they go and 191 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: if it's like a set menu or if they're all ordering. 192 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: I think this year they all sat around the one 193 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: thousand dollar mark, just depending like some of our retail 194 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: teams are bigger and some are smaller if it's a 195 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: more quiet store. But yeah, if it's let's say one 196 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: thousand dollars and we're doing five of them for our 197 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: five stores, there's five thousand dollars on our retail dinners. 198 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: And then we have our HQ and warehouse Christmas party 199 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: as well, and we'll always do something. Last year we 200 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: just like hired out this little kind of restaurant thing 201 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: and we just had a magician and food and a 202 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: photo wall. And this year we're just going up to 203 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: the Hunter Valley, which we did two years ago, and 204 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: we go to a couple of wineries and then have 205 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: a lunch. So that's what we're doing this year for 206 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: our head office and warehouse team. Now I would love 207 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: to be able to do a company wide Christmas party. 208 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: I would absolutely love that, but it just gets to 209 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: that point where the business is too big and we've 210 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: got people working in Melbourne, we've got people working in Brisbane, 211 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: we've got people working in Sydney, and we have stores 212 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: that are open seven days a week and two of 213 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: them are in shopping centers, so logistically it just doesn't 214 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: work for us to do that. I would absolutely love to, 215 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: who knows, maybe one day fly every single person here 216 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: and somehow shut the stores and do a big old party. 217 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: But for now it works, and I have hope that 218 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: it's enough that we put on a Christmas dinner for everyone, 219 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: and we will always have one or two or three 220 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: people from head office travel around to our end of 221 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: year dinners for all of the stores, just so there's 222 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: that connection and someone from head office to be there 223 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: to sell lebrate the amazing year with our retail teams. 224 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: So to answer your question simply, what are my thoughts 225 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: on workplaces shouting you all your Christmas dinner? I think 226 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: it's the least that business owners can do. But it's 227 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: not as easy as that because businesses are very complicated, 228 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: especially when they're huge companies owned by other companies or investors. 229 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: Like all this stuff that I'm saying, I'm not even 230 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: experienced in it, but that's what I can imagine is 231 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: they're so big, there's so many people, and there's so 232 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: many moving parts and people in charge and loopholes that 233 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: they'd have to go through. So that's my guess as 234 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: to why those huge companies maybe don't shout everyone at 235 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: a Christmas party. I think they one hundred percent should. 236 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: But it's easier said than done, I would say in 237 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: their defense, but to put it simply, yeah, I think 238 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: it should be the least that workplaces can offer for 239 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: their teams to say, hey, thanks for all of your 240 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: efforts this year. It's been a a big one and 241 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: everyone has smashed it. And onto the second part of 242 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: the message. On social media, the pr budgets seem insane, 243 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: and content creators posts show oysters, branded lemons, cocktails and lobsters, 244 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: but staff have to pay an organizer celebration themselves. I 245 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: feel like I feel like I want to do a 246 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: whole other episode on this, but this is definitely a 247 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: tricky one. I could imagine that that would be frustrating, 248 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: and hey, I can even say perhaps I have not 249 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: myself experienced that, but maybe people feel that way within 250 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: Fate as well. When we do our customer trips or 251 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: when we send out products to micro influencers and content 252 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: creators that we work with. You know, when we're doing 253 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 1: our not that we've ever done like an influencer trip 254 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: or an influencer event. I'm sure we absolutely will in 255 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: the future, but even when we're organizing something such as 256 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: our Fate eight, where in case you didn't know, we 257 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: took eight customers for our eighth birthday on an all 258 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: expenses paid trip and we treated them like influencers. I 259 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: do have those thoughts cross my mind as a business owner. 260 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: You know, will this make anyone outside of our marketing 261 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: team feel a certain way? You know? And who knows. 262 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: I can't speak for on behalf of everyone, but those 263 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: thoughts have definitely crossed my mind. And it's one of 264 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: those tricky things where I can understand that staff would 265 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: be like, oh, you know, why do those people get 266 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: all of that? And I don't, but I work so 267 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: hard here and it's like, it's really difficult to say, 268 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: but they're when you actually put it down to what 269 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: it is, they're two completely separate things. A business putting 270 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: on an event to launch a new product or a 271 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: collection or whatever, and if their marketing budget just so 272 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: happens to have the room to host a PR event, 273 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: and then they're doing all the PR stuff and decking 274 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: out an event and having influencers come there. Even though 275 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: it can feel like why don't we get that? If 276 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: we're the staff, that is just like it's a different 277 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: part of the business, and unfortunately, it's just the way 278 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: that it is where businesses do have to spend money 279 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: on things which will in turn hopefully generate them revenue 280 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: through working with influencers or brand awareness by hosting an 281 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: event and influencers of posting stuff and tagging the brand 282 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: and making more people aware of the brand. But I 283 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: can one hundred percent understand how that would make staff 284 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: feel looking at that and being like, well, why don't 285 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: we get anything like that, especially in your scenario where 286 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: you know you can't even get a Christmas dinner. It 287 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: could definitely make you feel a certain type of way. 288 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: But unfortunately, you know everything that brands do with marketing, 289 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: from working with influencers, hosting influencer events, if you like fate, 290 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: hosting a customer event, It's all part of the marketing 291 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: side of the business. And I completely can understand how 292 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: people would feel a certain type of way about it. 293 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: But as they said in a Almighty that's the way 294 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: the cookie crumbles, unfortunately, and I hope that doesn't come 295 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: across as harsh, but I totally get what you mean. 296 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: And not that we've ever done an influencer well, I 297 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: think we've done one influencer lunch when we launched a collection. 298 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: We have just a really intimate lunch. But even you know, 299 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: in the future, if we are to ever do anything 300 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: at Fate where it's an influencer thing, you know, that 301 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: thought will definitely cross my mind of if you know, 302 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: my team working in the warehouse on the day that 303 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: we do the event, or the team working in one 304 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: of our retail stores will see us just doing that, 305 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: And I understand it can all look fun and amazing 306 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: and beautiful, and well, I look at all the money 307 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: that's gone into this and feel a certain type of 308 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: way about it. But it's business at the end of 309 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: the day, and unfortunately, you know, that's the way it goes, 310 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: and businesses will spend money on things like that, and 311 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: it's all for a return on investment. But I do 312 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: believe that businesses should invest in their staff, even when 313 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: it comes to things like events and lunches and dinners 314 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: and activities or whatever. It may be. A lot of 315 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: business owners or big companies will probably say that it's 316 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: not worth the investment, but I definitely think it is 317 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: because at the end of the day, the people that 318 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: are working for your company are the ones running it, 319 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: and without staff, a business would be simply nothing. So 320 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: whilst putting on a Christmas dinner for a team working 321 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: in Westfield will ring them all if that's a place, 322 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 1: Whilst it may not have a direct return on investment, 323 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: you know, like an influencer event would, I think the 324 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: return on investment lies within the happiness of the staff, 325 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: feeling like they're being acknowledged for all the hard work 326 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: that they do. So thanks so much for sending in 327 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: this DM. She just asked me in the DMS like 328 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't intended for a pod episode, but I replied 329 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: and I was like, this is a great episode, so yeah, 330 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: to put it in a nutshell, I definitely think that 331 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 1: workplaces should put on Christmas parties, but some companies are 332 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: just so big that I can understand why they don't. 333 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: But I mean there's always chance, a chance to turn 334 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: it around. That's all for today's bonus episode, and I'll 335 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: be back with the main next week.