Rachel Crosbie
Operations and Strategy
Rachel Crosbie is an autodidact, artist, empath, problem solver, and entrepreneur at heart. She currently runs Operations and Strategy at Fundmetric. Rachel's core philosophy came out of experience in the service sector, where she developed a keen sense for what makes a successful business. In her spare time she is a yogi and art enthusiast.
In her own words:
My journey into my Operations and Strategy role at Fundmetric can be described as a happy accident, but never would have grown legs had I not been open to the opportunity. So often in life we get caught up in our day to day, that we miss what is right under our noses. My passion for problem solving made for a natural fit at Fundmetric, there is no company that has a shortage of problems! My talent for coming up with creative solutions can be traced back to my background in fine arts, where I was able to see the benefits of taking unconventional approaches. Collaborative decision making where employees’ opinions are valued and heard, is a cornerstone of my work, and fundamental for building efficient and sustainable organizations..
-
What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
What I am most proud of professionally is the way I am able to bring together a team and foster a culture where people are respected and pushed to grow into the best versions of themselves. People have individual needs that should be met in order to unlock their talent and potential. Pushing employees to be better versions of themselves and not better employees, and encouraging them to lead purpose driven lives is the recipe for success at Fundmetric. We need adaptable, empathetic leaders in order to do that hard and often thankless work.
What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
Atlantic Canada has a huge competitive advantage in that it can be a hub that connects local companies with the rest of the world. The talent that is trained here and the geographical location of Atlantic Canada relative to the rest of the world can be combined to create one of the best business environments for global companies. You can take a highly trained, highly talented individual, like a PhD in Data Science and put them in Europe in not only four hours, but for a relatively low cost. That same PhD in San Francisco has a tremendously high cost of living, and geographically speaking, we could not put them in even New York in 4 hours, let alone Europe. We are a hop, skip and a jump away from most major economic centers. I would like to see Atlantic Canada recognize this and implement a plan of action on how to assume our rightful place in the global order.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
I believe that I am still going through my greatest stage of growth. Growth never ends when you have something important to do, but it is hard of course because growth only comes through pain. If I had to pick a specific point of growth for me in the last year, I would say that I came to the realization that in order to lessen my suffering, I had to accept responsibility for negative things that had happened to me in my life that were not my fault. Only then would I be able to get to a place in my life where I will be able to do something about that suffering at scale, not only for myself but for others too.
What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a beautiful book for anyone at any stage of life. Beautiful ink drawings and illustration as well.
What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?
I have learned that you need to take things one step at a time and not overwhelm yourself, just keep making progress and pick away day by day, however slowly that may happen. I am a fast paced thinker and can be impatient at times, but impatience is just not helpful in actually accomplishing anything. I work on balancing my innate sense of urgency every day.
Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?
My boss Mark Hobbs inspires me every day. He is someone who faced and still faces enormous adversity every waking moment. His relentless pursuit of his dreams is an example to anyone who feels as though they are being separated from their purpose by circumstances that are out of their control. He is a very real example of what you can accomplish when you really believe in yourself, and refuse to accept what society or anyone else tells you is possible. His sheer determination and ability to evolve and adapt through all of his challenges is something I have never seen before, and I am sure that I will never meet anyone even remotely like him again. He constantly sees the opportunities in the worst circumstances. I have never experienced such unwavering support from anyone, having the opportunity to be mentored by Mark has changed my life forever.
What would you have done differently?
What I would have done differently in the last year is that I would have made more of an effort to connect to more people. I am an introvert by nature and so naturally I have to constantly push myself out of my comfort zone so I can get myself out there and learning from other people and experiences.
What are the principles you live by?
- Constant personal development
- Being vulnerable and always open to learning
- Character is more important than reputation
- Integrity first
- Doing the right thing does not mean people will like you
- Be a better listener than talker
- Do not follow the crowd, keep your eye on your goals and do not fall to the influence of popularity, it is usually short lived.
How have you recovered from fractured professional relationships? What uncomfortable truths have you learned about yourself in those experiences?
I have recovered from fractured professional relationships, and the biggest take away for me has always been that the “professional” part of “professional relationships” can often hinder the process of recovery. The truth is that we are all human, and most of the time solving interpersonal workplace problems is not a professional process, it is an uncomfortable, human process. One uncomfortable truth I have learned about myself in those experiences is that I am so resolute in my convictions, that I can find it hard to compromise. So, I make a concerted effort to meet people where they are at, and reflect on what I can do better.