Journey of a thousand miles…
It’s been one month since I have joined the Ducorp Group as a part-timer. My role here is to help in framing the company’s brand positioning and helping the team in the storytelling aspect of the operation.
After working for more than 20 years in the advertising and communication field, I was looking for something new. It’s like when you are at a party and you hear the DJ playing the same songs, you feel like the fun is gone and you need to move. When I was convened to an interview with James, the director, I found it interesting that he seemed to have a different vision and allowed myself to be tempted in joining the team. I remember telling him that I don’t want to be paid just in terms of a salary, I want the work that we do to give me faith in my work and in life.
One month down the line, I feel like it has been a journey of discovery in a company that indeed embraces a new philosophy. I remember in my first meeting with the team, I tried to set up a road-map how we are to proceed but soon enough, it was cast aside because the company’s philosophy could not be fitted into it. In fact, the company’s approach does not suit into any known format. I then came up with the idea of developing elaborate key principles in support of the positioning for those who want to undertake the journey of personal transformation as they get to know about Ducorp.
After several discussions with James, the company’s director, we were able to single out ‘truth’ as a key belief and principle at the core of everything that Ducorp undertakes. This finding is both revolutionary and refreshing because it sets the group apart from everything I have known till now. Ducorp is not about synthetic contents and manipulation tactics; it’s about being true to yourself and interacting in ways that express this truth.
It requires from me real insights to fit the vision and the different pieces into a simple and clear framework and I feel like I am solving a Rubik Cube. The challenge has also been to find new tools to make the ideas come alive, thinking out stories and inner branding tools.
I like that the work I am doing on the branding leads me into re-looking the core beliefs in my own life and align my own values with those of the company. In fact, it’s one of the unique aspects of the company’s operation, trying to live your own truth. This is the first time I see a company that has an academy that focuses on training and grooming its team members to be true to themselves rather than to fit into a mold. The philosophy is really about being successful based on who you are, instead of relying on a marketing strategy alone.
I once read that fun, learning and performance are the 3 essentials elements that make your workplace enjoyable. It’s still early in the journey but already I find the interactions with my colleagues to be quite nice, I am doing work that I like and I am learning new stuffs in my field and about myself. So, all is well.
