Meet the Lockabox team | Kate Feest

Sales and Marketing Manager
Joined the business in 2019

Kate is the Sales and Marketing Manager here at Lockabox and has been with the team since 2019. We’ve asked Kate some questions about her job and personality so you can get to know her better!

What does a typical day look like for you? 

7am I wake up, get in the shower and play some Adele to ease me into the day. I drive into work and sometimes treat myself to a bacon sandwich from Duke Street Deli. My day usually consists of sales and marketing analysis, making sure the team are set out for the week ahead and their actionables are ready. I put together briefs for new brand assets and hold brainstorming sessions with the marketing team for the new quarter. At lunch, I usually go boxing at Marvel Fitness (Boxing Gym in Kingsbridge) which I love, then back to the office (sweating) for a jacket potato for lunch. The team usually gets together and discuss ongoing projects in the afternoon or carry on with breaking down tasks for the week. Once I am back at home I will usually do an online yoga practice to help relax me into the evening before heading off to bed! 

What are the best and worst parts of your job? 

I think the best part of the job is being part of a really exciting opportunity and being able to apply my expertise in terms of brand and design to my role. I love working with my team, they are very ambitious, intelligent and they push for a more dynamic way of working together. 

Competing with Amazon… (jokingly) what I mean by that is the Lockabox product and its entry to the market has been so successful on Amazon, therefore, it has made it difficult to create a brand and grow outside of this massive platform. That being said there is so much to learn from this marketplace that is a really great teacher in itself.

Where do you hope to see Lockabox in 3 years? 

I hope in three years we will have launched several new products to the Lockabox portfolio. I believe we’ve uncovered a huge opportunity with the first product so I am eager to provide our customers with more variation to be able to store differently in the home. I hope that in three years Lockabox will be recognised as a household staple in the UK as well as make significant progress in the US market. 

What’s the biggest lesson you have learnt since starting the business?

I think the biggest lesson I have learned since working at Lockabox is to not doubt your gut instinct. I have made the mistake of giving someone else the benefit of the doubt or believed they held the keys to the answer when actually we should have had more confidence in our own ability to make the right decisions.

What is your proudest achievement at Lockabox? 

I have two that come to mind. Number 1 is the refresh of the Brand that has recently taken place this year, check out www.lockabox.com to get the full experience. Number 2, heading up the recruitment in the business in the last year and a half, we are fortunate to employ some of the best talents in the south-west (well that’s what I think…) 

Top tip for someone wanting to secure a role at Lockabox? What makes you want to hire someone?

What I look for in a potential candidate is someone that is down to earth, approachable, happy and bubbly. Someone that has maybe not been given an opportunity to shine yet due to the antiquated view on employment. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors so you truly need to read between the lines especially when looking at CVs but mostly it comes down to the interview and if they bond with the team, then we’re usually on to a winner. 

How has the business changed in the last 3 years?

Oh, the business has changed so much! It has been a rollercoaster since I have been in the business and especially with Covid-19, which has meant more change than usual. 

When I first joined it was myself, Peter and Lou at Lockabox and we did everything between the three of us. Then in 2020 Eden joined the team which really helped set out a framework around why people purchase our product, this was a huge step in the right direction for the business. We then employed Rory in 2021 to support Lou in operations then Alex came along to help with customer service and then Tess joined to support accounts and E-commerce just 4 months ago. I have fond memories of staying up till 11 pm at night working on financial projections with Peter, thank god I am not doing that now!

Do you have any quotes you live by?

I think just believe in yourself, try not to focus on what everyone else is doing around you and compare yourself.  We all have our own talents and special characteristics that we all bring to the table and we shouldn’t forget that we are all unique. 

Now a bit about yourself…

What do you enjoy doing most outside of work?

I enjoy practising yoga, I trained as a yoga teacher in 2018 in India and I absolutely love it when I have a moment for myself. 

What’s your star sign? Which attribute is most true to you?

Leo, they want to be the centre of attention…LOL, I think Leo’s are deemed to be creative, outgoing and confident individuals who are also quite defensive and emotional if they are challenged which I think does resonate with me. 

Try and guess the two truths and a lie about Kate

1. I nearly became a professional dancer 
2. I got far into the audition process for love island 
3. I have the hardest punch in Kingsbridge 

Now you’ve learnt all about Kate, head to www.lockabox.com/blog/the-latest-at-lockabox/ to get to know those who work alongside her and the rest of the team. Let us know what you think is the lie!