Dynamic Duos: How a ‘crap’ game of cricket sparked a winning partnership
In this week's Dynamic Duos, Unltd's CEO, Chris Freel, and commercial director, Tiffany Damm, share how an unlikely game of cricket brought them together.
Tiffany Damm:
I met Chris in Feb 2019. I was working for InMobi at the time and my boss had signed me up to play in the UnLtd Big Clash. I’d never heard of UnLtd and hated cricket so went along reluctantly. Before we took to the pitch, Chris gave a heartfelt speech about UnLtd and we heard from a couple of UnLtd’s charity partners. They spoke about the work they do, the kids they help and what the money raised that day would mean for them.
There were three things I knew when I left the pitch that day. Firstly, I’m crap at cricket. Secondly that this was an extraordinary organisation. Finally, I needed to get to know this Chris Freel character better.
Fuelled by a great day on the pitch (and maybe a couple of sherbets) I may have been a little overzealous during the auction raising my hand and heckling people to up their bid to raise as much as possible for UnLtd. After a long career in sales, winning is in my DNA!
After the formalities Chris and I got talking and I volunteered my time to support UnLtd in any way I could. Little did I know that within six months I’d be working at UnLtd full time.
Four years later I’m still at UnLtd and Chris and I are very much in contact. Most days I call him at least once if not two to three times. After 20 years in media, I’m used to working alongside a team and having constant chats about our work. I’m sure Chris would prefer less calls but I’m the only Melbourne team member and old habits are hard to break.
I think our relationship is built on a similar set of interests and values. We both love being around people. We are passionate about the media industry. We value honesty. But most importantly, family is at our core. We want to give back and leave the world a better place not only for our children but for all Aussie kids.
Chris Freel:
I first met Tiff only five years ago, but it seems like a lifetime. I don’t know how I existed without her in my life prior to that! That first meeting was at the UnLtd Big Clash cricket event in Melbourne. Tiff was louder than life, literally! She was bellowing throughout the raffle and auction, and I was thinking who is this person? She was so loud, and that’s saying something coming from me. It was grating on me, but she had an aura that despite her noise, drew you in. She’s like a Rose’s caramel chocolate, underneath that tough exterior is a delicious, soft centre. It can take her a while to open the box and let you in but when she does it’s the start of a special friendship. She also had an incredible generosity and bought about half of the auction items that evening!
I just knew that I had to get to know this person better. It didn’t take long, and after that first meeting I knew that she would be the ultimate person to partner with to drive UnLtd’s mission across the industry. Tiff is the unofficial mayoress of Melbourne, she knows everybody, and she radiates an energy that draws people in. I just had to find a way to get her to come and join me on the UnLtd mission!
It wasn’t that difficult because she has a huge heart and bias for action. Her own experiences living in St Kilda had exposed her to the vast difference between those who have support/love/wealth, and those who don’t and she wanted to do more to help. Tiff is not a fan of procrastination, and her productivity is incredible. Her ability to get through a to do list is second to none. For those who know her, she is fairly direct, well very direct, but always fair and you always know exactly where you stand with Tiff. That clarity is so important, and I really appreciate her honesty, openness and ability to pull me up, give me feedback, and tell me how I can be better, even if it is on a daily basis!
Tiff lives by solid values and was well raised at home, school and in her media career. The small things make a big difference and Tiff is one of a rare breed that still send physical thank you notes, giving a rare moment of joy to people’s mailbox visits. Her customer service is exceptional. Thank you goes a long way! She isn’t really a hugger, but we have learnt to accept our differences there. She has big feet but tells me that it’s me that has small feet, and she has a booming laugh that lights up the entire room. She has and continues to make a huge positive impact in our industry and also for all of the young people at risk that our charities serve. I love working alongside her.
Tiffany on Chris:
Most memorable moment with Chris: For me it would have to be when Chris met me at the airport after the long Melbourne lock down in 2020. An offsite had been planned with the team for months and with Melbourne in the grips of that 100+-day lockdown I had little hope of joining. Two days before, the border opened, and I finally flew out of the state. Chris met me at the airport, and I burst into tears. I’m not usually one to break down so I’m not sure who was more shocked Chris or me.
Best word to describe Chris: Eternally optimistic. Two words I know but optimistic isn’t enough to describe Chris’ ‘cup always full’ view of life.
Most annoying or endearing behaviour Chris has: Chris is like a human calculator which is equally annoying and endearing. He can work through multiplication and division faster than I can punch in the numbers on my phone and even worse he never forgets a number.
Chris on Tiffany:
Most memorable moment with Tiffany: Every moment is memorable with Tiff, she doesn’t waste a minute.
Best word to describe Tiffany: Brilliant.
Most annoying or endearing behaviour Tiffany has: Talking straight is most endearing behaviour, no annoying habits…
If you and a colleague would like to submit your story to Dynamic Duos, please email Lauren at lmcnamara@mumbrella.com.au.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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I’ve never met Tiff, but she sounds like a one in a million.
Bravo Tiff and Chris.
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