At PepTalkHer, we’re on a mission to empower YOU to know your worth and to understand your value in the workplace. And what better way to start than by asking our favourite women in business?
We took the time to chat with Tanya Abbey of Black Wolf Group, a firm specialized in the delivery of recruitment, labour hire and business improvement. Tanya is also the founder of Place Me, an Australia-based career placement operation.
Meggie: Hey Tanya, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today! Let’s get right into it! To start us off, how would you describe yourself in one sentence?
Tanya: Hi Meggie, I would describe myself as a professional who cares deeply about empowering individuals in their careers and helping companies grow.
Meggie: Love to hear it! Speaking of careers, how did you get to where you are today?
Tanya: Through the support of my husband, family and close circle of friends. Having a clear vision, being authentic and doing what we say we’re going to do. Through late nights, many sacrifices, hard work persistence and only seeing one path to success.
“ Having a clear vision, being authentic and doing what we say we’re going to do”
Meggie: Sounds like a recipe for success! Next question - What is a super memorable and impactful moment from your career journey?
Tanya: Every day is amazing and different. A standout for me is when we ran an internal training centre for our staff to measure performance and assess skills gaps. During the day, I had two external mentors/friends, our operations manager and the other executive director perform role play scenarios. It was fun, but as a collective, the team definitely felt out of their comfort zones. As a result, we found that team members, from all levels, had a clearer understanding around peoples roles and strengths and closer bonds were formed. For me, it was a moment I won't forget because I felt incredibly proud of the success we have achieved as a group to date in front of my respected mentors and friends.
Meggie: Wow, that seems like it was a really neat experience! For our next question, what advice would you give to anyone looking to build their own brand?
Tanya: Having an amazing PR person, and being true and authentic and having passion for what you do. If you lack conviction and passion, people see straight through it.
“If you lack conviction and passion, people see straight through it”
Meggie: Awesome! Last question - How do you prepare for negotiation conversations? We'd love to hear all your hacks & top tips or awesome advice you've received!
Tanya: It's important in negotiations to be prepared. You need to have a plan which is ideally accompanied by hard-evidence to support your desired outcome. Preparation for negotiations can be improved by keeping a journal of ‘key’ facts, any personal or professional wins or case studies. And remember, no doesn’t always mean no, don't give up. Learn from negotiation failures to re-strategise your position for round two, three or four!
“Learn from negotiation failures to re-strategise”
Meggie: Thanks again, Tanya, for chatting with us today. We appreciate your time!
For more content from Tanya, you can check her out on Instagram @tanya.abbey or on her website.