There needs to be a guidebook for our Chief Operations Officer at Solutions 8. And Leandra Grenier-Green is probably the only one who can write the how-to guide on managing a company where team members are spread out across the world.
Her role includes practically everything and with a deft touch, the company runs like a well-oiled machine. What’s more, Leandra has an incredible ability to make her team feel valuable and appreciated. It has been said she’s like a duck on a pond: on the surface as calm as can be, but underwater, her legs are paddling furiously to keep everything afloat.
She manages the entirety of operations for the agency and does whatever she can to ensure that everything runs smoothly across all departments. And if in doubt, Leandra just makes it up as she goes along and hopes the decisions she makes are the right ones.
She certainly has all the right qualities of a leader. First and foremost, our COO genuinely cares about the people around her. Whether it’s the Solutions 8 team or our clients, she extends kindness and consideration that goes beyond what one would expect. It’s heartfelt.
“The best part of my job is the people. I absolutely love that my colleagues are all over the world and while for the most part, we haven’t met in real life, it feels like I have gotten to know them really well.”
A Level Of Drive That Cannot Be Matched!
Leandra started as a Client Manager, then moved up to Client Manager Team Lead, and from there to Director of Operations before becoming our one and only COO. It comes as no surprise that Leandra is an incredibly determined person (read: addictive/obsessive personality—her words, not ours!). At one point in her CM career, Leandra juggled 31 clients for Solutions 8. Kasim certainly knew what he was doing when he hired her!
“In 2020, I received a cold LinkedIn message from some guy named Kasim Aslam who was the CEO of some agency called Solutions 8. I’m based in Canada so my first reaction was to ignore this message from a random person based in Arizona but there was just something that stood out about this message. It seemed far too genuine compared to all other cold LinkedIn messages in my inbox.”
After an exchange of back-and-forth messages, Leandra found that she liked this guy more and more. Eventually, she knew she had to be a part of what he was building and before you know it, we were lucky enough to have her on board.
An All Or Nothing Type Of Gal
What we love most about our COO is her ability to go ALL in when she’s got something in mind. There’s no half-assing anything! If Leandra starts a book series, she’ll have the entire series done and dusted by the end of the month, obsessively reading until it’s done. If we are talking about a triathlon, she will go from zero to half ironman in a couple of months. That’s just the way she’s made.
Her parents may have something to do with it, too. Encouraging kids to do stuff outside their comfort zone usually makes for adults with a healthy attitude to life’s little challenges.
When Leandra was six years old, her parents sent her and her brother to an outdoor recreation summer camp. As is sometimes the case, she didn’t want to go and fought against it with her usual determination. But by the end of the week, she had had so much fun that she refused to go home with them when it was over.
“I got to do water sports, high ropes courses, wall climbing, camping, etc. and it was amazing! I went back every single year until I became a camp counselor and worked there leading children’s groups for several years. This particular camp will always be home for me.”
And what was her favorite thing to eat there? Grilled cheese was always a winner.
Impossible Sports Challenges!
Summer camp must have made a lasting impression on Leandra with all those outdoor activities. In her adult life, she is equally active, only this time, it’s not for the faint-hearted.
In March of 2023, our Action Woman decided she would take part in a triathlon. Swimming and running were not daunting disciplines to Leandra who felt confident she could tackle these. The third part, however, cycling, was going to be a true test of strength since she had never been on a road bike before.
She dedicated her time to preparing for her first half Ironman distance triathlon (2km swim, 90km bike, 21km run), and by October 2023, Leandra had completed her first one.
“I am so proud of having challenged myself for months to reach my goal and am now fully hooked on triathlons,” she says.
She adds her summer is scheduled out with multiple races to keep her active.
“Maybe one day [I] will do a full Ironman.”
Time For Relaxation
There’s a collective sigh of relief when we learn Leandra understands the importance of relaxing. Working from the comfort of home in sweatpants with her dogs nearby lets us know she’s human like the rest of us. In addition, she loves gardening, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
Oh, and playing with dogs. Her furry babies include an 11-year-old boxer named Zarra and a three-year-old mixed pup named Betty. Leandra and her partner Dave also foster dogs in the Edmonton area through a rescue organization, which means they usually have a third dog adding to the chaos around their home.
“As DINKS (double income, no kids), we are the annoying millennials that call their dogs their children,” this proud dog mom says.
The Perks Of Working From Home
Working from home has its perks. Whenever Leandra is feeling unmotivated from work, she’ll go do the dishes, put on some laundry, or do some housework. It’s a win-win situation since she has accomplished something on the home front and it allows her to return to work with a clear mind. Finding time in the day for a quick walk or run always helps her feel better, too.
Any free time is also spent reading. We know Leandra is an avid reader, and she’s recently gotten into the Sarah J. Maas series. She devoured the five ACOTAR books in less than three weeks, which is a sure sign she is a passionate reader. Her favorite character is Celaena from the Throne of Glass series because she is a badass assassin who kicks butt and saves her world.
Sound like someone we know?
Older And Wiser
Now older and wiser, are there any words of advice Leandra could share with her younger self?
To start with she would say, “Don’t care what other people think!”
“When I look back, I spent so much time caring what people thought of me and what I was doing which ended up being limiting. Now that I’m older (and much wiser), I don’t care anymore. I have been liberated from the thoughts of others and I enjoy a much freer life.”
Leandra currently lives in Alberta, Canada where people complain of the cold and snowy weather for about six months of the year. She sometimes dreams of living somewhere warm all year round. Many of her coworkers at Solutions 8 live in these hot countries and they spend six months complaining about the heat. Finding the best place to live is not that easy. It’s a good thing Leandra has a clear idea of the perfect place to live.
“I’d love to live somewhere that I can wear sandals all year round and has great access to clean swimmable water, long safe roads for biking, and nature-filled trails for long runs.”
Triathlons will no doubt play a big part in Leandra’s future!
Jani Kahukiwa
