Meet the Team: Victoria Wilson, Director of Operations

| By The Taproom

Meet the Team: Victoria Wilson, Director of Operations

When it comes to partnering with an agency, it always helps to know who you’re working with. Whether it’s over email or a project management platform, all too often the people you work with are just avatars and display names on a screen. In working with us at The Taproom, we want you to know the people behind the Shopify stores we create. Throughout the next few months, we’ll be sitting down with different members of our team, chatting with them about their roles and what makes them tick.

Today, we’re kicking things off by getting to know Victoria Wilson - our Director of Operations.

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Victoria is Atlanta born and raised, and was one of the very first full-time employees Kelly hired back in the agency’s early days. In the beginning she was hired as our Project Manager, which entailed her overseeing and creating processes around the flow of projects from lead call to launch. In other words, she was the first point of contact for any clients onboarding with us for a new and exciting project for their business. She has since recently been promoted to Director of Operations, leading her own team of people and taking a bigger picture view of The Taproom to find new areas for growth.

Congratulations on your promotion! How has it changed your role, or your perspective on your area of the business?

Thank you! This new position on top of now having both an account manager and assistant project manager to support me means that I am now able to step back and take on more of a big picture look at our overall operations. While it's still early, I believe my perspective on my area of business can now be more growth oriented versus the more short-term day to day work that is crucial to keeping things running smoothly. I am so thankful for the dynamic individuals we’ve added to the operations team. 

What are the challenges you face in your role?

The biggest challenge is definitely working to strike the right balance between ensuring there's enough work but not too much work. We are constantly receiving new leads for potential work but we also have a fixed amount of resources in terms of available hours across our team. It’s imperative to make sure we’re not taking on more work than we can realistically maintain, while also bringing on and trying to predict when a lead may sign a contract for us to schedule their work accordingly. 

What do you enjoy most?

I love seeing our team step into their own with these projects and deliver quality work that our clients love and appreciate. We’ve grown so much since I first joined almost 3 years ago so it’s been a treat seeing our team members grow along with us. 

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Victoria’s role in The Taproom is unique in that she’s always people oriented. From dealing with client expectations, to coordinating developers and strategists for a project, she has gained a massive amount of insight on how to drive a project forward.

What do you feel is the most important factor in a successful team?

Communication. It’s important that people aren’t working in silos and consistent communication maintains the flow of information. Whether it be ideas, questions, or solutions, communication encourages growth for everyone involved and makes it so much easier to overcome obstacles.

What are the three most important elements in a productive client-agency relationship?

  1. Communication
  2. Respect
  3. Mutual dedication to the end goal

Even prior to Covid-19, The Taproom worked primarily remotely, even with clients. How do you manage to coordinate all the different people involved in a project to make it come together?

Lots of spreadsheets and (again) communication. My process for doing things is ever evolving as our team grows and we take on different types of projects but I’ve found that no matter how much we grow, proper record keeping and strong communication help with ensuring our processes are growing in the right direction as well. 

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    However, we aren’t all about work at The Taproom. We could just ask our team questions about their job and why they’re great at it, but Victoria isn’t just our Director of Operations. When she isn't driving our clients' projects to success, she's getting stuck into projects of her own.

    What do you like doing in your spare time?

    I love cooking, baking and cocktail making. Each one is an artform in its own right and I love being able to explore and try my hand at new things. They all also force me to slow down and be present with what I’m doing.

    I also love DIY home projects and just home decor in general. I’m a relatively new homeowner so I love scouring the internet for inspiration on transforming my space and then finding ways to do it for less. Any projects that involve woodworking are my favourite!

    What’s your morning routine like?

    I’ve reached that point in life where I now wake up without an alarm clock at the same time, everyday. When I first wake up I do the usual things then take about 45 minutes to read my Bible to set my mind for the day. I then listen to a few quick update podcast like Robinhood Snacks while getting dressed. After that I stroll downstairs to whip up a cup of coffee or a matcha latte with a quick breakfast. 

    And then how do you like to relax in the evenings/on weekends?

    I kick off some of my evenings with a workout, usually a Peloton cycling bootcamp to get in cardio and strength training #efficiency. Keeping that commitment to myself forces me to end my work day. 

    After working out I usually pour a glass of wine or make a cocktail while making dinner. There is always music playing. Then I settle down to eat and watch a few episodes on Netflix or Hulu before heading up to bed. I try to read a bit before bed but admittedly my phone wins that fight some nights.

    Where would you most like to travel one day?

    I’m itching to fulfill my dream of a tour of South America. I had one lined up for 2020 but COVID had other plans. I’m looking forward to making this happen once it’s safer to travel again!



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