This Valentine’s Month we’re crushing on great business partnerships. Today we spotlight Office Executives.
Office Executives is a specialised outsourced office support service company offering a vast range of solutions for small to medium enterprises and Non-Profit Organisations in the South African marketplace.
Meet Keri & Molleen of Office Executives…
1.How did you meet?
Keri: I had met Molleen’s son and husband a couple of months before we officially met. They had been telling both of us about the other and how well we would get along and given the struggles that both of us were going through that we would be the perfect partners and complement each other’s strength and support each other in the ways that we both needed.
Molleen: I first met Keri in person at Pappachinos, Pineslopes with my husband’s son Michael.
2.Why do you think you work well together?
Keri: We are very different in some ways and complement each other but our core values and work ethic are the same. It is amazing to have found someone without a doubt makes me a better business woman and a person as a whole.
Molleen: Keri and I are both very professional, ethical, loyal, dedicated and experienced individuals, with a similar focus to the service/financial/compliance sector. While our personalities and career paths are quite different, we have similar integrity, goals and values. I believe that our combined talents will prove to be a very powerful combination that will be successful, sustainable and grow irrespective of the economic environment we may be exposed to from time to time. Keri’s empathy, depth of knowledge and commitment to the meaningful causes of non-profit organisations is very admirable and in line with my principles.
3.What would you say is Keri’s/Molleen’s best quality?
Keri: Molleen is the most unshakable calm person that I know and has the most amazing ability to make even the most insurmountable tasks seem possible.
Molleen: Courage.
4.What do people not know about Keri/Molleen?
Keri: Moll is the most humble person that I’ve ever known. She has an incredible wealth of experience yet is so patient with even the most mundane tasks. She throws herself into everything with the most enviable energy.
Molleen: Her vulnerability.
5.Do you see yourself working together in the next 5 years?
Keri: I would not have it any other way. We have planned for the next 5 years and no matter what opportunities come our way and what direction the business goes in I will always be there to support her and vice versa.
Molleen: This is most likely and is definitely the plan. Of course we may take different career paths but we will work through these challenges as and when they present themselves.
6.What are you busy with this month of love?
Keri: My focus for the next 2 years is definitely the business and I have very little time for romance however I am a sucker for love and one day hope to find a Perfect Partner (in life now that I found one in business). February is leading up to a lot of time work wise as it is financial year-end for most of our clients, so we are giving all the love and support we have to our clients and their growth.
Molleen: Personally, I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but this may be attributable to my time of life more than anything else. I am extremely busy all round, but then I am most months of the year. I will admit that I love romance, the colour red, roses of any description, meaningful cards, chocolates and just simply get a huge amount of pleasure soaking up the beauty of loving, giving and being loved and appreciated in general. Harmony and balance are very important to me as an individual.
7.What advice would you give to people looking for a business partner?
Keri: Try a courting phase first. Every one of us have tried to date different people and there is always the initial stage of excitement and enthusiasm. Once that passes your partnership needs to be with someone who you respect and can weather more than just the honeymoon phase with. It is relatively easy to end a relationship if you have made a poor love choice however it is incredibly difficult to end a business partnership without both partners and the business suffering. That being said, once you find the perfect partner you and your business will thrive. There is nothing better than knowing that you have someone supporting you and sharing the challenging times with.
Molleen: Chose your partner carefully and ensure you are likeminded with similar goals and commitment. I would not rush into this as it can be difficult to move on and cut ties should a poor decision be made in haste.
Connect with Office Executives
Facebook: Office Executives
Website: www.officeexecutives.co.za
