Q&A with Debbie Probert, director of Integrated Office Solutions

Our founder and director, Debbie, reveals her personal interests, secrets and passions as we probe her on everything from embarrassing moments and happy places, to guilty pleasures and preferred superpowers. Plus, you’ll find our interview interspersed with questions about Debbie’s professional life, from development goals to proudest moments, and lots in between.

Discover all-things Debbie right here…

What’s the furthest away from home you’ve ever been and/or the best holiday you’ve ever had?

I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled a lot throughout the years, with the Caribbean featuring heavily. I got married in Saint Lucia 28 years ago, so it has a very special place in my heart. My best friend and fellow Integrated Office Solutions director, Sue Taylor, came to Saint Lucia with her husband to share our big day and act as our witnesses. The whole event was just the four of us and had a totally chilled vibe which was absolutely perfect. The Caribbean is my go-to choice of holiday destination.

I now live in Spain. Whilst going about my life doing normal things such as grocery shopping, cleaning my house, tidying my garden, hanging my washing out and filling my car with petrol is nothing out of the ordinary, when I head on a night out it still feels like being a tourist. I’m extremely lucky to maintain the holiday feeling in my day to day.

Another place I’ve loved is Maui with the town of Lahaina’s Front Street full of bars playing live music, giving it a fabulous, laid-back atmosphere, as well as boutiques, quirky shops, art galleries and restaurants to feed your fashion and cultural impulses. Sadly, Lahaina was almost destroyed by fire in 2023, fuelled by the traditional wooden-fronted buildings, and is currently undergoing restoration. The town’s banyan tree, the oldest in the island, has become the symbol of its regrowth and rebirth as its leaves are coming back after the tree was initially considered dead.

Other locations ticked off my bucket list are Sri Lanka and Mauritius whose abundant beauty, friendly people, rich history, hot climate and biodiverse animals are wonderful.

What are your passions/hobbies outside of the workplace and what’s the ideal way to spend your weekend?

I actually don’t always take weekends off. I work full time and it can drift into the weekend if there are big projects on the go. I truly love what I do, though, so weekend working isn’t necessarily an issue. When I’m free, eating out is a popular pastime. I’m a fish-eating vegetarian and Spanish cuisine never fails to impress my taste buds, especially with the waves lapping just a few steps away.

What did you learn in childhood that’s stood the test of time?

There are three learnings from my childhood that have stayed with me as an adult, these being: 1) If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. Live up to your promises and don’t let people down. 2) My mum’s motto was to get up, dress up and show up. Whether you feel like it or not, face the day and get on with the things that need to be done. 3) Laughter is the best medicine. My dad was an optimist, and liked a laugh and a joke, although he could be deadly serious when called for. I think I’ve carried on both their legacies.

What’s your favourite film and why?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn in the starring role of Holly Golightly is the best film I’ve ever seen. It’s got style (Audrey herself, Givenchy frocks and Tiffany gems) and a story with a happy ending. It’s a gentle, romantic comedy about a young woman escaping her past and looking for a glamorous new life in New York, although it was controversial when it came out because of Holly’s subtle call girl profession, and the fact that Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role.

Other films with spectacular narratives and iconic one-liners are Dirty Dancing and It’s a Wonderful Life. Even if I’m half asleep, Dirty Dancing will wake me up. The character Zuzu Bailey’s quote in It’s a Wonderful Life, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings” is a poignant and emotive moment. Even people who’ve never seen the film are familiar with this line from the script.

You’re stranded on a desert island. What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without?

I’m an avid reader so books would be my essential accessories on a desert island. A few books which I’ve adored and would read again in a heartbeat include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Small Island by Andrea Levy, Brick Lane by Monica Ali and The Jagged Path by Charlotte Osho, all for different reasons, representation of racial inequality amongst them.

As the mum of several dogs, I’d need at least one of my precious pooches to keep me company while stranded. And Spotify so my music playlists can enrich my solitary life – only my downloaded songs and albums, of course, as a desert island is unlikely to have an internet connection.

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Like many other people, I find singing my own praises slightly awkward. Trying to put my discomfort to one side for a moment, I’d probably say I’m kind, passionate, loyal, supportive and I enjoy a laugh. Beyond these five words, I’d also describe myself as being stubborn which is why I’m breaking the five-word limit, serious when I need to be and good at keeping confidences. I’d like to think my close friends would use these same descriptions about me too.

What professional skills would you like to develop next?

In the software industry, if you think there’s nothing else to learn, you’re in the wrong job. The IT sector is similar to walking on quicksand because the landscape is forever shifting and changing. From my own perspective, I’d like to learn more about artificial intelligence – technology that’s currently taking the legal arena by storm in all manner of ways.

As an adopted Spaniard, I want to learn better Spanish. When I first moved here, I was taught key phrases for tourist-level language – where’s this hotel, how do I get to the train station and that sort of thing. However, this basic grasp of Spanish doesn’t equip you for the fifth day in your new house when someone arrives with a JCB to break down the boundary to your land and put a new track in.

Mostly, I’ve been self-taught as it’s difficult to fit Spanish lessons into my working day. I live at the top of a (smallish) mountain so it takes a little while to drive anywhere – including to Spanish courses. With my limited language knowledge, I have a tendency to make mistakes but find that laughing, smiling, and saying please and thank you goes a long way. Even when I begin a conversation by speaking in Spanish, the person I’m talking to often answers in English. For now, I can get by but I’m keen to improve when time permits.

Strangely and conversely, when reading menus in restaurants, they have to be written in Spanish. They mean more to me now than menus written in English.

What does your ideal workday look like? What does your least-favourite workday look like?

My ideal workday involves solving problems. That’s what my role is at Integrated Office Solutions – supporting law firms with their technology challenges. My least-favourite workday is when the internet stops or I scratch my head struggling to find the right solution to clients’ software puzzles. As an example, Microsoft is currently defaulting to Aptos font and not everyone is a fan of this sans-serif typeface, however, working out how to change it across the Microsoft suite has been far from easy but has to be overcome if businesses have house styles to adhere to.

What’s one thing you enjoy about your home or neighbourhood?

For me, the location of my home in Spain is breathtakingly beautiful. On one side there’s mountains, on the other side there’s the Mediterranean Sea, and in between there are citrus and avocado plantations. I can see several ‘pueblos blancos’ from my hilltop perch. While the reputation of Costa Del Sol’s high-rise apartments and ‘kiss me quick’ souvenirs abound, it’s far from the truth when you go inland from the tourist beaches. Here, you’ll discover white villages, Moorish designs, wildflowers, buzzards, eagles, ladies chatting and knitting outside their front doors of an evening, children wandering freely and safely, and fiestas. The Spanish certainly know how to party. I’m blessed to live here.

What’s your favourite charitable or non-profit organisation and why?

Two charities which spring to mind are Suspended Coffees and Gift of a Wedding.

At Suspended Coffees, you donate cash which buys coffee or other items for people in need. It’s about more than just coffee though, it’s about kindness and making connections with people in your community who may be going through a difficult time. It can be for the homeless person you pass every day on the street, a stressed student in the middle of exams or a single mother of four children who can't afford coffee in this month’s grocery shopping. It may even be for a well-dressed businessman whose outward appearance suggests the opposite of being in need, but he could be in his third month of job hunting and running out of money. If someone asks, they're in need, no explanation required.

At Gift of a Wedding, whose founder used to be a successful wedding planner, weddings are gifted to couples facing life-limiting illnesses. The couples choose their perfect wedding and everything’s donated to make it happen, from dresses, suits, entertainers, venues, cakes, whatever is needed. And, it’s arranged at short notice as time is not a luxury in these distressing circumstances. This charity brings pure happiness and promotes living life in the moment.

As a company, we also support Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, which provides advice, support and legal services to millions of people struggling with bad housing and on the brink of becoming homeless.

What would be your ideal superpower?

If I could have any superpower, it’d be kindness. As explained above, simple acts of kindness literally change the world. And, kindness is free to give. If everyone could show kindness to the people on the left and right of them, the world would be a happier place for all its inhabitants.

What's something you've always wanted to do but never have?

In Spain, there are some terrific ziplines down mountains. But, they look terrifying. While I’d love to do ziplining, it might necessitate consuming copious quantities of wine beforehand. Either that or do it for charity. I couldn’t change my mind if a charity is set to lose out.

Are you a dog person, cat person or neither?

As the owner of six dogs, I’d have to say I’m a dog person. They’re rescue dogs who’ve come from various sources – rehomed from rescue centres, handed to us by neighbours and strangers, or turned up at the gate of their own accord. They’re certainly not pedigree pups. I have a long-legged Beagle, a couple of Terrier mixes, a small Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross and two other Podenco-type breeds.

What animal represents you and why?

The deer is said to represent grace, gentleness and sensitivity. It’s thought that people with a deer as their spirit animal are often highly intuitive, strongly connected to their emotions, gentle and kind, use their intuition to navigate life, adapt quickly to changing circumstances, and are flexible and open-minded. The deer is also associated with renewal and new beginnings, reminding us to be open to new opportunities and growth. I’d like to think these are qualities I possess. Or, at least, I try to.

Are there specific times of day when you're more productive?

I’m definitely not an early morning person. From mid-morning onwards right through to late at night is my most productive period. I usually finish work at 7pm-ish.

Do you like working on multiple projects at once or focusing on one thing at a time?

My workload depends on live projects and day of the week. It’s nigh-on impossible to focus on one task at a time. Multi-tasking is where it’s at in my line of work as someone with a lengthy and loyal client base undertaking varied software-related projects simultaneously.

What’s something about yourself that you're proud of, be it professional or personal?

My friend and joint business owner, Sue, is someone I’ve known for 30+ years. We first met when God was a boy and we worked together for a previous employer. We’ve kept in touch and remained best friends ever since. Soon after meeting, we left to become self-employed consultants supplying training and implementation services to law firms. With our thriving freelance portfolio, we decided to formalise things by setting up a business. The result of our entrepreneurial initiative, Integrated Office Solutions, has been a roaring success.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved but, more importantly, I’m proud of our close friendship. Sue and I share the same brain, same thoughts and same opinions. We’ve even been known to buy the same clothes on occasion whilst shopping separately. To do what we’ve done as friends is a major triumph.

Incidentally, the third director is Nigel Partridge. He saw the ‘product’ – Sue and I – and played a major part in boxing up our offering and bringing Integrated Office Solutions to fruition.

What’s your one guilty pleasure?

Wine is one of my pleasures but I’m not guilty about it. My usual tipple is a Spanish rosé or red wine. Also, books. To lie in the sun with a book and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine!) is a treat I’ll never tire of.

Where’s your ‘happy place’?

Snorkelling in the Virgin Islands was an amazing, peaceful experience – Saint John particularly. I take myself to this place and feeling mentally when facing unpleasant situations such as sitting in the dentist’s chair. The Soggy Dollar bar on Jost Van Dyke is a pretty happy place too.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in their career, what would it be?

I’d advise never to be afraid to ask questions. Some people think they should know the answers and, therefore, they’re too afraid to ask questions for fear of embarrassing themselves. My mindset is the antithesis of this: asking is learning. I believe you need an inquiring mind and risk-taking attitude which begins with asking questions to cement understanding.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

Where would I start? There are simply too many moments to mention but it’s part of life’s rich tapestry. And, being embarrassing, it’s perhaps best I avoid answering this question.

If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

This comes back to kindness. If I could be anyone, it’d be someone who’s got the ability to eradicate world poverty. In this day and age, no one should be starving, everyone should have access to clean water and children shouldn’t be dying from preventable common childhood diseases. We must surely be able to end extreme poverty by tackling it together on a global scale.