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Clare Zunker first graced our office back in 2014, when she joined the Ulton team as an Office Junior. These days, you’ll find her on the other side of the hallway, taking care of Morgans clients and keeping manager, Karl Brosnan, on the straight and narrow.
Working as a Receptionist and Dealer’s Assistant, Clare describes her role as a bit of a hybrid between administrator, personal assistant, client support and dealer support.
“In this role, a ‘typical day’ just doesn’t exist. It’s so broad and varied and there’s always things landing that you just couldn’t possibly plan for,” says Clare.
Clare shifted across to Morgans two years ago, after spending about a decade in the Ulton office, graduating from Office Junior, to Support Assistant, to CSA with the Super team.
Geographically, the move was tiny. So tiny it didn’t even require an update to her work address. But on a personal level, it meant something bigger.
Clare describes it like the baby bird leaving the nest for the first time.
“I felt like I was in a safe little bubble at Ulton, so leaving that behind and coming here to start up in a role that was very new to me and where I would be dealing with things in a much more direct, front-facing way than I had been previously…it was really scary for me,” says Clare.
“I was like: holy dooley, I’m on the front line now!” she laughs.
A self-professed shy girl, Clare makes no secret of the fact that confidence has never come easy to her. In this way, her leap into this new role, albeit with the comfort of familiar faces, was as much about professional growth as it was personal.
“In a way, I felt like I had no choice but to step into my confidence, because there were things that were, plain and simple, mine to deal with. So that’s what I had to do,” Clare says.
“There’s been a lot of mistakes and a lot of learning curves, but that’s all part of it, I suppose. And usually, whatever outcome you’re scared of is not as bad as you think it will be. When you’re kind and friendly to people, they will understand and forgive the little things. Kindness goes a long way,” she says.
Clare adds that having a boss like Karl, who she and the team know they can turn to in sticky situations, has helped her feel more comfortable being uncomfortable.
“We’re very lucky to have a boss that is so approachable and we can come to. I’ve learnt a lot from his approach, which is to always be honest, get on the front foot and grab the issue, rather than trying to run from it,” Clare says.
Being thrust into new situations with no choice but to step up to the plate has been somewhat of a thematic throughline of the last few years.
Not long ago, Clare began building her very own home on her very own land. The land itself, portioned off from her parents’ cane farming property.
“The process of building a house was pretty daunting for me. I was a little 24 year old making all these decisions on my own. It came with a lot of challenges and while parts of it were fun, I can’t say that I loved the whole process,” she says.
But just as Clare’s seen the payoff of stepping up and seeing things through at work, she’s seen it at home too.
“I just love my little home so much. I’ve been in here for a few years now and the novelty still hasn’t worn off,” she says.
A winding driveway, timber floors, sheer curtains that soften the sunlight and a whole lot of texture, it’s a house that feels like a home. And not just any home, it’s her home.
“Before this land was mine, I used to point out the piece of ground to my sister and say what a perfect spot it would be to build a house. And now there’s a house here. And that house is mine. It’s very special,” says Clare.
It’s special she’s been soaking up from the moment she got the keys.
“To me, a good Saturday is spent at home, getting all my cleaning and washing done and mowing my lawn. Mowing alone takes me about four hours because it’s huge,” she says.
Chores to some but a treat to Clare, she finds a lot of pleasure in tending to her special corner of the world.
“I just love keeping my house clean and making it feel homely. Even when I was little and running amok on the farm with my siblings, my sister would be in the dam, in the mud and I’d be like no thanks…that’s yucky.”
At home and at work, Clare’s become a deft hand at making everything just a little bit better: the spaces she moves through, the experience of her clients, and the lives of her colleagues, all of whom she says share a young-heartedness that makes workdays genuinely enjoyable.
While Clare says she may never outgrow the occasional niggle of trepidation that comes from being involved in work that is serious by nature, just how far she’s come in the last 12 or so years is not lost on her.
Reflecting on her progression from a meek 17-year-old with ‘admin girly’ goals, to being an established professional and an essential part of her team; a homeowner and a person rich in friends, family and life, Clare looks back on the last 12 years with pride.
“I’ve learnt that I can do a lot more than I think I can,” she says.
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"Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac.
"Probably that I go to Church every Sunday and have been consistently for the last two years or so. I’m definitely not the party girl I used to be."
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