At the start of the month, Health & Protection brought readers news of mother and daughter Naomi and Heather Greatorex coming together to launch Heath Mortgage Solutions.
Yesterday Health & Protection published the first in a mini-series on other mother-daughter duos operating in the sector, speaking to Joanna and Bella Streames, who are the owner and managing director of Mortgage and Insure Services respectively.
Continuing the special mini-series, Health & Protection spoke to LifeSearch chief customer and people officer Paula Bertram-Lax (pictured left) and her daughter Izzy Bell (pictured right) who is contact strategy leader at the advice firm.
The pair told us how Paula is harder on her daughter than anyone else, the importance of setting boundaries and the benefits of sharing the same values and work ethic – as well as a free lift to work.
Challenges of working together
Elaborating on the challenges of working together at LifeSearch, Paula is adamant that Izzy’s success has had nothing to to do with her.
Izzy has been promoted from telephone interviewer to telephone interviewer leader to contact strategy analyst and then to contact strategy leader over eight years at the firm.
“As Izzy’s mother, I get frustrated if anyone suggests her success is down to me,” Paula says.
“She earned every role through her own merit, going through full interview processes and shining through. I shut down any ‘I know she’s your daughter but…’ comments. In office hours, she’s a Searcher first and my daughter second.”
For Izzy, leaving work at work is a challenge.
“We can bore our husbands senseless talking about our telephony system over a pint,” she quips.
Strong female role models
When it comes to what has enabled this mother-daughter duo to thrive, Paula points to their working environment.
“It’s an inclusive, progressive environment with strong female role models which is inspiring for anyone starting their career,” Paula says.
“When Izzy joined, she was at Leeds University, but she stayed because she saw the huge career potential here,” she continues.
“I had my own opinions on whether that was the right move, but you can’t ignore the range of opportunities in the protection industry today.”
Tougher on Izzy
Of course sharing the workplace with your mum also means working with someone who knows you better than anyone.
“I’m tougher on her,” Paula admits.
“The filter drops when I know she can do better. For example, if her camera’s off in a Teams call, I’ll probably be messaging her to ‘fix up’ before anyone else notices.”
Though Izzy adds: “I’m more comfortable raising issues with Mum than other senior leaders. It’s daunting sometimes, but I’m lucky to have a direct line when I need advice.”
And there are added bonuses to working with your mum.
“I get free lifts to the office – and total honesty,” Izzy says.
“We can challenge each other’s thinking in a safe way, and that usually leads to better ideas.”
Paula agrees, adding: “We share the same values and work ethic, so decisions are faster and communication is open.
“Our different perspectives give us a stronger, more rounded approach.”
Learning lessons about each other
But their experience has definitely taught the pair lessons about each other.
“As an 18-year-old uni student, the evening tele-interviewing (TI) role fit perfectly around her studies,” Paula says.
“She’s gone from there to leading the TI team and now heading contact strategy.
“I learnt early on if Izzy wants something to happen, it will, with or without me.”
Izzy notes her mother’s directness has been something to work with.
“At first, our paths didn’t cross much, but as I progressed, I definitely felt the lack of tolerance,” Izzy says.
“I know she values honesty above everything else, so any bluntness comes from wanting me to be better.
“She’s always shown me what a strong work ethic looks like, so while I don’t expect we’ll work together forever, she’s not a bad role model to have.”
Setting boundaries
And finally, when asked about advice she would give other protection advisers about working with family, Paula is clear.
“Set boundaries and stick to them,” she says. “But that’s easier said than done.
“Respect each other’s roles in the business, and know when to agree to disagree,” Paula concludes.
