Sarah Blackmore: Orchestrating aha moments in the symphony of operations

In the intricate ballet of operations, where visions pirouette into reality, Sarah Blackmore, Riipen’s VP of Operations, unveils a narrative that defies convention. Join us on a journey where uncertainty blooms into opportunity with a combination of self-discovery and learning with the curve.

It's an early Monday morning, and Sarah is with the Toronto team to discuss goals and metrics for Q1. Her opening statement is “Tell me what needs to improve and how we should do it,” as she turns the day-long session into an open dialogue of overflowing ideas, questions, and friendly banter. It is clear what matters to her - the people that make an organization.

Unlike a scripted journey, her tale is a mosaic of self-discovery—a decade of unraveling strengths, identifying dislikes, and finding joy in managing dynamics, solving problems, and birthing visions.

The Aha moment

The biggest challenge was breaking free from the allure of big-4 corporate life with global recognition, realizing it made her unhappy. Sarah went down the professional path that most dream of achieving by joining one of the big-4 global accounting companies, then shifted focus from the conventional and moved to tech start-ups. "In my corporate days, I was 'difficult to manage.' I challenged the status quo, expressing my frustration at not being in the decision-making room. Despite initial resistance, I later found myself in a tech setting, realizing I not only had a seat at the table but the power to influence for the greater good. This journey began about 10 years ago when I recognized my frustration with work without understanding its origin. It took time, but I uncovered the source and made a choice: if I wanted change, I had to be the change."

Bits beyond the bio

• Sarah’s culinary aspirations led to a reality cooking show audition, halted at the tantalizing first round.
• She achieved speed reading mastery, devouring 700+ words per minute.

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Acceptance became the key to pursuing a path aligned with personal happiness, a lesson repeated and reinforced over the years and amidst the allure of big corporations, Sarah realized that global recognition did not equate to her own personal fulfillment. This revelation became the key to unlocking a journey towards authenticity, an anthem to her pursuit of genuine happiness.

Sarah emphasizes a leadership style that combines holding space for individuals and aligning decisions with business objectives. “Holding space for individuals to understand how they contribute, grow, and be productive while aligning with business needs, is the recipe for leadership success." Striking this balance has become the recipe for her leadership success.

Investing in women and leadership style

Addressing the International Women's Day theme, "Invest in women, accelerate progress," Sarah shares her unintentional but impressive track record of predominantly hiring women. She attributes this to recognizing qualities like empathy crucial for driving results.

"Women are innately positioned, almost like a superpower, that they can appreciate things in a subconscious way. It's not even conscious that they need to rally a team and bring people with them - It comes to them naturally, which makes them natural leaders."

Breaking biases and confronting stereotypes

According to Sarah, no time travel is needed to address the current persistence of gender biases. For her, it's about holding space and inviting diverse voices to the forefront, acknowledging the responsibility of representation, and making room for change.

Dismissing the myth of work-life balance, Sarah believes it to be a symphony where life and work serenade in harmony. For her, the conductor is prioritization, orchestrating a composition where what matters most naturally aligns with what truly matters.

In a candid overture, she acknowledges the relentless dance with gender stereotypes. Armed with a 'prove them wrong' anthem, she urges us to challenge biases, call out inequities, and mindfully navigate the intricate dance where success is often measured through different lenses.

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