Home About us Services Events Case studies News Contact Women at Reflex…Rayna Horne, Operations Assistant We’re very proud of our team at Reflex. You may already be familiar with some of our friendly and hard-working colleagues, but we wanted to take the opportunity for you to get to know them a little better. This series of interviews celebrate the women who work at Reflex. Not only their valued and varied roles within the company, but also their passions and interests outside the office. Stay tuned to find out who has a passion for the theatre, who keeps ponies, and who’s mad for athletics! How long have you worked at Reflex? I have been with reflex since 17/01/1995, so that’s over 25 years, now! You must enjoy your role to have been with Reflex for so long. As Operations Assistant, what does your role involve? I have had many roles over the years, but in my current role I process customer orders, order equipment, liaise with our suppliers, resolve product issues, and order consumables and tools to name a few things. What do you enjoy most about your role? Building relationships with suppliers. I believe a real relationship with our suppliers provides the best outcome for the business, and it ensures honesty and integrity between the businesses. How did you end up working in AV? I started back in 1995 on an administration apprenticeship. I never intended to stay in the industry but one thing led to another. After completing my apprenticeship I moved into the sales department, then the hire department, warehouse management was next, then project support and finally the operations team. I enjoy working in operations the most due to the wide variety of tasks, and I love a good issue to deal with! What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Most of my free time is spent with my youngest child, since I want to make the most of her while she’s still young. The rest of my time is taken up by my ever growing pack of dogs! We currently have Shadow, a 10-month old English Bulldog, Noah, a 10-year old rescue Staffie, and Hazel, a 3-year old Staffie cross Rottweiler. Hazel has just had a litter of 8 puppies. They’re so adorable! My camera rolls are just full of photos. A French Bulldog will also be joining the family around October time. I also did visits for the rescue centre where I got my first dog from, so I could approve people who wanted to re-home a rescue dog. Up until COVID-19 I was a governor for the re-integration service, which gives children who have been permanently removed from school a brighter future by helping them through their GCSEs and into college. The aim now is to work with schools to keep children in the mainstream, when possible. As you can see, my life is full of dogs and kids! We also spend a lot of time in Weymouth, where we are fortunate enough to own a holiday home. I was learning how to paddleboard (very badly), but due to problems with my knees I’ve had to stop that. I now stay on the beach with a book while my husband and daughter go paddleboarding. At least I ‘ll have time to catch up with some reading. Wow, that’s a lot! How did you get so involved with dogs and kids? I have always had a passion for helping kids in need. Over the years I have had many live with my family for various reasons, as I want every child to have a fighting chance at a good life. As for dogs, they have always been a family passion. Now that all but one of my children are adults I have more time to dedicate to them and focus on breeding. I would also like to start a small dog sanctuary at some point, especially for old dogs and dogs who have never known what it’s like to curl up on a sofa. That’s a future plan for when I retire, since it would take up a lot of time. My poor husband! That’s very inspiring. Who inspires you? Liz Murray. She’s a very inspiring woman who went from being homeless at 16 to graduating from Harvard University. She teaches people that they shouldn’t use hardships as excuses, and they can do anything they set their mind to. I was given her book* for my birthday, but I’ve only had chance to read a few extracts so far. I suppose I’ll have time to finish this now that I can’t paddleboard! She’s an amazing lady and shows what you can achieve. My other inspirations are my children. They keep me grounded and remind me what’s important in life. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? In the words of Dory: “just keep swimming”! I also really like the saying “you should never judge a book by its cover”. “Just keep swimming!” Links *Liz Murray (2011) Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard. London https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Night-Liz-Murray/dp/0099556294 Update: An additional French Bulldog called Coca (AKA Princess Coca) has recently joined the Horne household. She is small but feisty, and may soon be joining Instagram! Subscribe to newsletter/events SUBSCRIBE ©MMXX Reflex AV