Meet the Team - Mavia

We're already on our seventh Meet the Team blog! In this interview, we'll be introducing you to the person that makes our European proceedings tick.

Meet Mavia, our amazing European Logistics Coordinator.

Hi Mavia! Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what your role is here at PalletOnline?

Sure. I’m Mavia, European Logistics Coordinator for PalletOnline. I’ve been here for almost 1 year now. I came from a Pottery background so it’s been a bit of an adjustment working with so many different products and shipping scenarios.

My role is similar to the customer care team's, however, my focus is on the international bookings and all the paperwork and questions that are associated with them.

European Logistics Coordinator… what’s that?

Coordinating logistics into Europe (haha). In short, my role is all about facilitating the smooth movement of our customers’ goods from the booking stage and pallet prep, all the way through to delivery.

That includes sourcing partners to move our goods at agreeable rates and quality of service, ensuring all customers have the correct paperwork to clear customs, and developing inroads into new European markets. Brexit has been a major obstacle for European logistics and it’s my job to help the business over that hurdle. 

Before we get on to the quick-fire questions, what is the best thing about working for PalletOnline?

I like the fact that everyone here has the opportunity to make a change within the company. Very often, when you work for bigger companies, your voice can be lost in the noise, but here at PalletOnline, a good idea is a good idea. It doesn’t matter if the idea came from someone in an entry-level role or if it came from the head of the team, your voice will always be heard.

Not a truer word spoken!

Ready for some quick-fire questions? Let's go!

What is your favourite type of music?

I will listen to any genre of music depending on my mood. As long as it’s got an awesome bass line, a good beat and good vocals, I’ll listen.

But if I had to choose one, it’d be Zouk. I can listen to it all the time, and it reminds me of home. Zouk is the one.

If you could be fluent in any other language, which would it be?

French. Even though I studied at A Level and did an advanced course for business, it’s very textbook. It's not very conversational and I’m ashamed to say that if I don’t have any context, I can hardly understand the French when they speak it.

I’d love to be able to speak conversationally and understand what’s being said around me. Then it would mean all my studies weren’t in vain.

French, German and Spanish. The high-school trilogy!

What’s your favourite time of the year?

Summer, easily. I love the extra light in the day, the warmth and being able to be outside without the weight of a jacket.

Even better, the children are off school so I can spend more time with my nieces - we love to go on walks together.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is a hard one. I would have to say steamed fish with ground provisions (boiled unprocessed food that grows either on trees like green bananas or in the ground like Dasheen, Yam, potatoes), with a fresh salad.

Steamed fish because, while there’s only 1 type of chicken we can eat, there are so many varieties of fish to choose from, so I won’t be sick of it. Ground provisions and salad, because it’s natural, fresh and good for you. Also, It’s a favourite meal of mine.

Speaking of fish, why is fishing such good business?

The net profits.

What is your favourite hobby?

At the moment, going on walks with my family is my favourite hobby. Last summer we went hunting for waterfalls and managed to see 3, the best one was Three Shires Head.

It was an experience, especially as Caribbean people. That’s all I will say about that. This year we’re walking the Peaks and our next walk is to Thor’s Cave.

What is at the top of your bucket list?

This is a good one because I LOVE to travel. The top of my bucket list right now is Uganda/Tanzania for Kilimanjaro. In Uganda, I’ll hike Kilimanjaro and see the gorillas and In Tanzania, I’ll do the safari.

Wow, talk about an adventure!

What is your biggest fear?

Being forgotten when I die - like in that movie, Coco. I know I won’t know anything after I die, but I just think it’d be awful to never be remembered by anyone after I die. It would almost be like never having lived. 

What’s your favourite quote?

While there’s life there’s hope. I honestly believe that anything can happen in life, you just have to keep going.

Sometimes we look at our present circumstances and think, "it’ll never get better", but that’s just fear talking and you die when you give up. Your present circumstance does not determine your future, and I’m living proof of that! Keep going.

Amazing advice!

Do you learn by watching or learn by doing?

I definitely learn best by doing. If you show me something and ask if I have any questions, I won’t have any because it makes sense in theory.

But once I’ve made an attempt at doing what you’ve shown me, all the questions come out and it’s almost as if the light has shone on the dark places and I can see it all clearly.

What achievement are you most proud of?

Coming out of my shell. I used to be extremely shy and afraid of everything and everyone, but I’m not anymore and can do or say what I need to when I need to.

Although I’m still very quiet now, that’s just a personality thing. I’ve missed out on so many things in the past because of being shy but gained so much as I’ve slowly become less so.

That's the end of our interview with Mavia, but we've got many more interviews to come! Tune in next time when we'll introduce our second marketing apprentice, Jess.

Don't worry, our special Meet the Team discount is still here! As a gift for reaching the end, we're giving you 5% off your next booking with us.