We recently sat down with Kylie, Resident Engagement Manager across Eat Work Art's London and Plymouth studios, who told us about her career progression within the organisation.

Tell us about where you were prior to Eat Work Art

I had only recently moved to London from Melbourne, Australia (where I had been working extensively in the hospitality sector managing F&B operations) before finding my place at Hackney Downs Studios. Before I joined the Eat Work Art Team, I was working as Manager for our HDS anchor F&B resident Brunswick East Bakehouse, and that's how and where I came to know about Eat Work Art. I quickly became acquainted with the Community Manager and Community Assistant at the time, and I was really drawn to and impressed by their presence within the resident community and their abilities to foster and manage relationships. I heard that they were hiring for the Front of House position, and I thought “what an opportunity!” I was hired for the role and here we are now. 

Since the start of my employment at EWA there have been a number of opportunities presented to me where I have been able to progress and develop within the company which I'm extremely grateful for. I transitioned fairly quickly into a Community Manager role from FOH, at which point the company decided to sponsor me so I could remain and work for them instead of moving back to Australia (first ever for EWA). From there I stepped into a role which encompasses overseeing all of our resident retention and engagement across our entire EWA portfolio in London and Plymouth.

How does your current role take shape?

I work within the Commercial Department and oversee resident relationships and manage retention across all of our sites. 

I’m solely responsible for leading conversations with residents around the continuation of their lease once their contract comes to an end. It can be tough if there’s been any issues during their residency, but it's really nice to have the opportunity to be across their lifecycle and be able to help resolve any issues. There’s a huge problem-solving aspect to what I do, as residents look to upscale or change spaces to suit their evolving needs as a brand, and a lot of face-to-face connection as a primary point-of-contact. As much as it's not always easy to facilitate these conversations, it's great to help capture data so that we can develop and improve our services as well as reflect on what has been positive and achieved.

What’s your biggest accomplishment of your time at Eat Work Art?

My biggest accomplishment would have to be working throughout the pandemic with my team at the time in a front facing customer service role. It was a very challenging time both personally and professionally.

What words come to mind when you think of Eat Work Art?

Colourful and eclectic - this is what comes to mind when I think of our EWA team and our EWA residents!