Carrey van Eck (31) is the new public relations officer at Hirsch’s Carnival. The Bredell resident loves to travel and describes herself as a people’s person.
• For how long have you worked at Hirsch’s? Have you always worked in public relations? Elaborate.
My first job at 16 was as a brand ambassador for one of the suppliers for Hirsch’s.
That is where my journey started and 15 years later I am now the PRO at their Carnival Mall branch.
I worked as a marketing assistant for five years until I decided to leave last year to spend a year abroad travelling.
I have qualifications in communication science from Unisa, digital marketing from UCT and a diploma in social media management.
I am a people’s person and love the industry I am in.
I look forward to meeting our new Hirsch’s clients and hosting them at our various networking and special events we run in-store.
• Describe a typical day at the office? What does your job entail?
We have an amazing coffee machine, so each day starts off with some delicious, hot coffee.
I do a floor walk each morning to ensure that our store looks neat and tidy and that our displays are beautiful.
We have a great team which meets each morning to get us motivated for the day and reflect on the previous day.
The rest of my day revolves around organising events, attending events or offering to be part of an event.
We also do a lot of upliftment within the community at local schools and charities.
We host a variety of networking events within the store for business owners, a ladies’ networking event, as well as networking for property development companies.
Our latest initiative, ‘Coffee and Muffin Mornings’, also keeps me busy.
• What do you like most about your job?
Getting to work with Margaret Hirsch.
She has a wealth of knowledge and is an award-winning businesswoman and iconic public figure.
Also the charity work.
It’s important to give back to the community and to offer help wherever we can.
It’s both rewarding and humbling.
• Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
I love to travel, read travel blogs and see photos of different destinations around the world that I would like to travel to.
Anything to do with travelling intrigues me.
I love nature and the outdoors, exploring new places and hiking up mountains.
• What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To stay humble and that when you go through tough times, only your real friends will stick by you.
I had to come back to South Africa because I was involved in a scooter accident in Thailand.
My partner and only a handful of friends had my back and supported me.
Those people are the ones I hold near and dear to my heart.
• If you had the power to solve one and only one problem in the world, what would it be and why?
I wish people would be kinder to each other.
We are all fighting our own battles and trying to live our best life, but often we get caught up in the rat race, we become stressed, impatient and we treat people badly.
A smile or a compliment costs nothing and it can make someone’s day.
We don’t know what it took for that person to get out of bed that morning, or what type of life they lead.
Kindness should be a priority on everyone’s list.
Life is much better when we are happy.
• If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be and why?
This one is hard as I am not a very materialistic person.
My Iphone, because it keeps me in the loop with everything.
It’s a key item for any public relations officer.
Smartphones are the best.
My crystals. I love collecting beautiful crystals and am fascinated by them.
My partner. He and I have been through so much in such a short space of time.
It’s only made our bond stronger, but he has been my support through a very challenging year.
He’s my best friend and soulmate.
• What are you most afraid of and why?
I’m afraid of not taking chances and risks, and becoming complacent in life.
I fear not having courage to do the things in my life that I want to and one day regretting the chances I never took.
• If you could witness any event of the past, present or future, what would it be and why?
The first-ever Woodstock.
It looked amazing and was exactly what the world needed in a time of crisis and war.
Despite there being hundreds of thousands of people, not one fight happened.
It was a beautiful celebration of peace, love and some incredible music.
• What is your favourite thing about Brakpan?
Very down-to-earth people.
I have met some amazing ladies at our networking events.
It’s so inspiring to see women come together and to step into their roles of mothers, as well as business owners.
Women are a force to be reckoned with, and together, we can move mountains.
Brakpan is full of inspirational women.
Also read:Â WATCH: Brakpan Primary learners cram onto bed for World Sleep Day competition
Hirsch’s Celebrates Arbor Week with Felicitas School
Hirsch’s celebrates opening of new store
Follow us:
