MEET MARY ALFRED
Hy Mary, Good Morning. Please can you tell me more about yourself?
ANS: Nothing much, my name is Mary Alfred Fakorede. I am a cool girl. And I am the last child of three children. I don’t like cooking. And I am not a foodie. For relaxation, I watch movies and also gist with my family.
How does it feel being the last child? Do you have all these babyish last-born attitudes?
ANS: No, No not at all. (hmmm, so you are the mature last-child type right?) I am just the last child but at the same time, I still watch out for everyone.
So, let’s drive back to the food aspect. You mentioned that you don't like to cook and you are not a foodie. Tell us more about this.
ANS: I cook because it's necessary, not because I am a foodie. We have some foodie that will wake up to cook by 1am because they are hungry, but I am not like that.
Hmm, so you just eat because you need to eat right?
ANS: Yeah, because it’s necessary.
So, do you have a favourite food?
ANS: Yes, rice and junks (laughs, junks? Well, that’s serious)
Let’s pause on the food talk for now. Let’s come to the work side. We are still going to go back to you as an individual.
So Mary, what do you do for Digital Abundance? What is your role?
ANS: At the moment, I work as a QA manager, which is Quality Assurance Manager. Quality assurance works in line with quality control, which includes checking out every detail that goes out of the company to ensure that it aligns with the company’s objectives and set policies and also to make sure it is correct and as well accurate.
How has the experience been so far? Having to look at the tiniest of details
ANS: It's been great. As an individual, it is something I enjoy doing before on a normal day. But now, I know that I need to do extra. I need to really open my eyes and go through the document more than once. And this has also helped me personally.
For how long have you been working with Digital Abundance?
ANS: Over a year. (nice)
In terms of relating with other colleagues, how has the experience been?
ANS: When I just joined the company, I was an on-sight staff and not a remote staff. It was later this year I became a remote staff because I got married and relocated (woww! I didn’t even know that you were taken, laughs.)
Working as an on-sight staff, I was a cool person. There was this office room I used at the office at Lekki, when I was still an on-sight staff, most times I always like to stay alone in that space. Before more people joined the company, I was the only one using that office, even though it was an office meant for four people. As the staff started growing in number, I won’t say the relationship has been 100% perfect. But at least, it’s being a little bit above average. And considering the fact that in December, we had a Bootcamp, where all the staff came together to have some fun.
Then when I was in Crytohub, I relate very well with my team members because our tasks are intertwined and you can’t work very effectively in isolation. Same as also when I moved to the Product team.
Now putting the on-sight and the remote experience side by side, which one do you prefer?
ANS: I think I will pick the remote oo(laughs)
Why the remote experience?
ANS: Well, I like my space. I prefer to interact on the phone than face to face. There are some things I can say to you on the phone but I won't be able to say them when I see you. Asides from this, I can jump on my bed and come to my laptop immediately(laughs), unlike before when I had to go to the office where we had specific times to resume and close.
Both experiences have been great together because when I was an on-sight staff, where I was staying wasn’t so far from the office. But I think I will just pick my remote, remote over on-sight. (laughs…okay)
As a remote worker, how have you been able to manage your time and ensure that you deliver your tasks on time?
ANS: I think for me basically, I have been able to manage my time well. On my table, I have sticky notes everywhere for all the things I have to do. And even aside from being a remote worker, I have one to two programs I am running. So I have sticky notes for work schedules and personal schedules. I write down the things I have to do. Writing works for me. I also have a wall clock on my table. I fix my eyes on time as I work. (wow, this is actually being deliberate, you are helping yourself. I caught something from that. Thank you. You know having a wall clock is different from checking your phone screen for time, this is really amazing.)
Going back to your role in the company, you said you work as a QA person. I would like to know what you studied in school, and does it tally with what you are currently doing?
ANS: (Laughs), Actually, that one ehn…I studied Zoology (this is what they call something offshoot). But the thing is that I love to explore, and I don't like staying in a specific place for too long. So after zoology and NYSC, I went into agriculture on a large scale, fish farming to be precise. Then along the line, I started training myself to become a data analyst, then DABA came in. I was employed as a research analyst. After some time, they needed a volunteer in the Product team to become a QA Manager. I volunteered, while I was still in Cyrptohub. Along the line I realised that I am feeling the product department, I enjoy what I do and I also love teamwork, so I requested a change in the department. My request was granted and this is how I became a product team member fully.
So do you still work in Cryptohub?
ANS: No, I only work with them as a product team member and not as a team member.
While in school, have you ever thought of not doing anything with the zoology that you were studying?
ANS: Not really actually, because at some point, I was really interested in agriculture and I explored. And there are a lot of other things you can also do with zoology. Some people that studied zoology ended up working in the lab, while some in chemical producing companies. Like I said earlier, I was into fish farming on a very large scale. The main reason why I left farming is because of the limitations. I am aware that I can't carry farming skills around compared to tech skills where you can work from anywhere.
Coming back to you as an individual, what do you think people do not know about you?
ANS: Hmm, aside from being calm, I don’t like trouble. And I feel everyone deserves to be respected.
Hmm, I don't think you have answered my question, what I am trying to ask you is your little secret. What isn’t open to the general public and you really love to do?
ANS: (laughs) Ahh, I don’t think I have anything o, I am me as I am.
When you have a task to deliver with other team members and the other side is not responsive. How do you manage the situation?
ANS: This is a daily struggle for me(laughs, that is why I asked you). So most times what I do is that, If I chat you up via your dm and there is no response, I will post it on the general group chat, so that everyone will see it, and if there is still no response I will chat up Moski(product head) to report to him. When we have our meetings and the person is present, I will bring it up again. I just don’t give up (chuckles)I have realised that it is what I signed up for(laughs). We can’t all be the same.
Has there ever been any time that it has gotten to you and you were like “I don’t think I want to continue with this again.”
ANS: Hmm, I think the only thing that helps me is that I rant about it at home to my husband, and the moment I rant about it. I will come to the settlement that we will continue with it following day.
How do you relieve yourself from work stress?
ANS: Asides from ranting to my husband, I also call my mom or an immediate family to gist about it. And this has been really therapeutic for me.
Do you do anything else aside from talking about it to your loved ones? Do you watch movies?
ANS: Movies? Well, I think I sleep well enough but movies are sleeping drugs for me. And I am also not a music person.
What are your other hobbies?
ANS: Surfing the internet, sleeping.
As a team, product team, what do you think we haven't been doing well and we need to improve on?
ANS: We’ve been doing good but every good can be better.
What about Digital Abundance?
ANS: For digital abundance as a whole, I love the way they do, the management body has been really trying and I commend their efforts.
Pinky promise, this is the last question. You mentioned that you don't like cooking, so as a married woman, how do you balance the cooking aspect?
ANS: (laughs) I cook because we need to eat, I need to eat.
Wow!!! This is an exclusive gist.
Thank you so much for granting me your time Mary.
