Meet the Team: Fran
At Quiip we have over 24 community managers based around Australia, and the globe. We love having the opportunity to dive into their insights and stories, and we look forward to introducing everyone across 2023. In this edition we meet Community Manager, Fran.
When did you join Quiip, and what led you to Quiip?
I joined Quiip in October 2022. I’ve known about Quiip for a number of years as people in my professional networks were involved like Venessa and Amber. I ran into Pritika at Swarm Conference in August. I had left my last job and was networking with people at the conference to see if anyone was hiring. A few weeks later, Lauren came knocking after hearing about my status from Pritika!
Turns out Bhushan who is also an ex-coworker of mine is also at Quiip so it’s a small world where many roads would have led me to Quiip eventually.
What were some of your prior roles?
I’ve been a Community Manager in every role I’ve held since I first started my career in 2014. Some of the companies I worked at include ProductReview.com.au, Digivizer/goto.game, Canteen Australia and GGWP Academy. I most recently wrapped up a role as a Digital Communications Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity Australia and will soon be starting a full-time role as the Community Manager at the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC).
What are some of your favourite places on the internet?
I’ve refined my algorithms very well across all of the social platforms I’m on. I like to call this part of the internet “The Wholesome Area”. It looks like transparent, real conversations on subreddits about race, TikToks that share joyful moments in life and the uplifting parts of YouTube comments.
My other favourite places are the micro communities I’ve built over the years across group DMs and Discord servers where highly curated groups of friends come together for shared interests. Most of them were kicked off by me (of course the CM in the group started it).
What are the current client projects you work on?
I’m currently working on Movember. Any clients that focus on health, especially mental health is very important to me because of my lived experience. I’ve gone through my own mental health challenges and sadly, on more than one occasion, I’ve talked young male friends out of suicide. I want more men to see caring for their health as a strength.
What project/client stands out and why do you enjoy it?
Hard to answer this question since I’ve only been on one client but on my experience with Movember, I enjoy it because despite all the trolls, homophobia and so on, there are so many opportunities to educate and inform people about the difference they can make by supporting Movember.
Are there any brand communities or social media that you really love?
I’ve always been super jealous of the Wendy’s team (for obvious reasons). Right now, my favourite brand community to be inspired by and recharge with is Sickick’s fan community.
What does flexible work enable you to get up to outside of work?
We just got a puppy! Flexible work has been great because we can focus on making sure his training and support is schmick in his critical 10-16 week age range.
I was doing a No Code email course when I was in between work as well but this has been on a partial hiatus. I can quickly and easily build some basic apps, websites, automations and databases without needing code 👍🏼
I also do amateur motorsport on some weekends throughout the year. At my last track day I beat my personal best multiple times after having a breakthrough in my driving technique. Motorsport has been integral in the development of my self-confidence as a person and as a woman. I went from having panic attacks when first learning how to drive to winning motorsport trophies in the Ladies category.
What is something quirky or interesting about you?
I’m mixed-handed. While I primarily write or use a mouse with my right hand, I use both hands unequally across different tasks. The most obvious one I use as an example is I open jars and bottles with my left hand, not my right. When I do certain sports like martial arts or acrobatics, I’m not left or right dominant either.
What do you think the future of social media and/or community management holds?
It’s hard not to feel pessimistic about the future of social media considering who is currently in control of platforms like Twitter and Meta. I don’t think it’s as front of mind for the general public but I know through the academic research being done that the technology we’re building is being directly influenced by the people building it (in this case, white, heterosexual men). We see this come to fruition with how AI is trained and how seemingly innocent apps like beauty filter apps downplay people of varying skin tones. If we addressed the lack of diversity and representation in how tools or platforms are created, I would feel more relieved.
On a lighter note, I think the need for community and community management has never been stronger 2 years since the pandemic started. I strongly believe in the power of discourse, the sharing of minds and how easily we can learn from one another (if we were just open-minded).
Do you have a question for Fran or the Quiip team? Get in touch with questions: info@quiip.com.au If you’re interested in joining Quiip please check out our jobs page. Check out the rest of the Meet the Team series on our blog.