View Article
Spiel the Beans
From leading international shipping strategist to founder of human empowerment company Tribunity, Tammy Hamawi has lead one hell of a life! Sarah Murray learns life skills from this multi-talented Gold Coast local.
Tell us about what your job in international shipping involved? I started in a role we call “container control”, which meant I had to track every container that the company owned all around the world. I learned fast and loved working hard, I’ve always had a lot of energy and enthusiasm and that opened many doors for me. Within three months, I got my first promotion… then another… and I found myself in the documentation department. I started to think of the job more as a career and developed a passion for customer service and started our first CS department. From there I transitioned from employee to owner. At 22 I was the national sales manager, moving to line management at 24. My business journey is extremely colourful and fun. I even launched a cargo airline!
What did you learn being a woman in a man’s world? I love my brotherhood. I feel utterly honoured that I have their respect and acceptance. When you are the only woman to sit in board rooms with highly successful owners, entrepreneurs, CEO’s and senior management without having to feel “female” means that you transcend your gender and exist as equals. Through the process of getting to that stage, it allowed me to learn from my brotherhood how to think, analyse and react using both my masculine and feminine abilities. That was one of the most valuable lessons I took away.
Tell us about your organization Tribunity? As an organisation our team loves building strong profitable and successful businesses that employ focused people and provides them with an educational, innovative and fun environment for them to grow, flourish and feed their families through. Tribunity is where you come to fall in love with who you are if you are prepared to do the work it takes to start from the core and manifest outwardly.
What has been the most important lesson you learnt from your career in the shipping industry? Building win/win relationships on all levels. My word is my bond. When someone shakes my hand or gets my commitment, there is no need for a contract.
Highlight of your career? Forging a successful joint venture with a competing shipping line after years of fierce competition. It saved the future of our business at the time and helped create a strong alliance.
Can women have it all? You can have whatever you want as long as you are willing to do what it takes to have it and you understand the costs and/or benefits.
TAMMY’S TOP TIPS FOR LIVING A MORE FULFILLED LIFE:
- Make yourself into your most important ongoing project and do it with a fun spirit.
- Remain inquisitive, curious and open to life and learning.
- Feel life and don’t try and judge why, just try and figure out the lesson.
- Accept the things you can’t change and change the things you can’t accept.
- Serve for the greater good and not only for yourself.
