When change comes, feeling supported can help manage it
For Carlene Pyke, it’s been a year of change, stepping into new roles within her InXpress franchise. But having felt the support of the InXpress network, she’s excited about what the future holds.
For Carlene Pyke, a young woman in her 30s, running her own shipping and logistics business is exciting, challenging, but highly rewarding. Especially since she became sole owner of InXpress Swansea, when her business partner moved on earlier this year. “We’ve gone through many changes, as an office. With Covid, we actually ended-up being busier than normal, when customers moved into eCommerce. And at the same time, I was in the process of arranging the buyout of my partner’s half of the business. So, we’ve undergone major staff changes as well. It’s truly been a crazy, busy year!”
Far from feeling overwhelmed, Carlene felt uplifted by the all-encompassing support of her InXpress family. “I’ve definitely been pushed out of my comfort zone,” she says, “as I’ve stepped into other roles within the business, and thrived! Having the support of InXpress Head Office, and other franchisees, made it achievable. Even with things like, not knowing how to arrange additional funding – Ben Kirby, at Head Office, guided me through my options. There are also franchisees in the network with whom I have a close connection, and they’ve been there for me, throughout.”
Carlene is excited for the future, having a sense of pride in retaining customers through the turbulence of this year, and is ready to grow. So when InXpress held their first-ever woman’s conference in September, it couldn’t have come at a better time. “For me, as a franchise owner, it was a positive step to be able to focus on what we needed for the future of our businesses. I found Olympic champion, Anna Hemmingway’s session the most relatable for where I am at the moment, and can’t wait to implement her practical advice, as I increase sales and watch grow my business.”
