Embracing the chance to be a business leader

Young Metro employee takes home Intrapreneur Leader in a Business at 2023 reframed awards

So often, business award schemes celebrate business owners but in the reimagined 2023 Women in Business and Regional Development and Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Awards, there was a category to celebrate those who lead while working for someone.

Eirene Couzens, part of the Metro Bakery & Café management team, took out the Intrapreneur Leader in a Business, rewarded for her want to develop as a leader and her passion for the business and her role in ensuring it continues to evolve.

“I am really passionate about working here,” Eirene said. “It has helped me learn so much about how to work in a team, how to work independently and how to manage my own area.”

Eirene (pictured above centre with board members Brittany Shelton; Toni Vorenas; Candice Fennell & Kelsie Prowse) joined the Metro team in February last year. She has a background in the service industry and hospitality more specifically, loves working with people and knew owner Toni Vorenas from her childhood.

“When we first sat down and talked about my role, Toni was already talking about how my role could grow within the business,” Eirene said.

“She has allowed me to grow and have that understanding of what it means to be an intrapreneur and I have learnt so many skills.”

It was as a 14 year old that Eirene started her working life and it was in hospitality at Caffe Belgiorno and aside from a brief foray into finance, she has pretty much stayed true to her passion.

“I like people, I like meeting people,” she said. “The service industry is something I am comfortable in and been in now for such a long time. I’ve worked in cafes, worked at Royal Copenhagen and had some time at a patisserie in Adelaide.”

For Eirene, the ability to express your individuality was a key factor in joining the Metro team. “Everybody is welcome here,”

she said. “You can be yourself, you can express yourself and that is an idea that is really important to me. We are like a family.”

She was also enticed by Toni’s
promise of that personal and professional development and the chance to work her way into leadership.

“Toni has given me the chance to prove I can do it,” Eirene said. “I am a creative person and hospitality, while there is a big focus on service and keeping customers comfortable and happy, you do get to do things in a fun way and always engaging with people.”

Already boasting front of house experience, Eirene has been able to hone her bar tending skills at Metro, adding to her hospitality skillset, as well as the other skills that are developed when you take on a management role.

“I’ve developed my understanding of flavours, I’ve learnt to think on my feet even better, learnt so much about wine and then I have also learnt about costings, staffing and all those sort of organisational things.

“ I have been involved in doing functions and I have loved learning about the big picture type of stuff and doing a lot of those things side by side with Toni.

“There is something different every day but you also have the familiar when your regular customers come in.” What she has enjoyed learning is finding the balance of being flexible but setting standards, of showing empathy but also being prepared to take charge.

“I am always trying to understand other people’s needs but also knowing when to put my foot down,” Eirene said.

“I want to earn respect, I want to support and help my staff and it has been a challenge to walk that line of friend, colleague and boss but I think I am getting there.”

The development she is enjoying at Metro is also helping with her other life as a Reiki practitioner and while that is still in its embryonic stage, it is a part of her life she is committed to developing as well.

She has been qualified since February this year as a level two practitioner and is working towards her Level 3 qualifications which would see her a Reiki Master.

Finding time is one of her biggest challenges but she is looking to further her studies in the holistic health and wellness space.

“Metro has been such a safe space for me and Toni has been such a great mentor and I will be able to take the skills I am learning here into my own business and Toni encourages that and supports what I am trying to achieve,” Eirene said.