03 Apr Sad Goodbyes Lead To Great Advice
It’s not often you find a company that just gets you.
There’s goosebumps in the beginning, and you always find ways to impress each other. There’s small amounts of compromise, and hardly any fighting. Conversations flow, and there’s no complaints when you haven’t shaved (um, not that that’s ever happened). You get excited every time you see it, and it gives you enough space to enjoy “me time”.
It’s not often you find a company that also stands for something.
One that places its people ahead of its profits, and makes long hours feel short. A company whose leaders are “one of us,” and whose openness to change and experimentation come with wider arms than that of a Wandering Albatross’ wingspan.
This was the case with my most recent employer – Cerebra.
I originally ventured into the slick, second-floor “play room” that is their office, in June 2013, not knowing then that I would meet some of the world’s kindest, smartest and most interesting people I think I’ll ever have the pleasure of calling my friends. In between the weekly learn-something-new Friday presentation-breakfasts (affectionately known by #TeamCerebra as BBGs – an acronym for “be Brief, be Bright, be Gone”), and the quarterly Recognition Awards (where Cerebrans would vote to recognise peers’ marvels), we created some of the most forward-thinking and experimental work for the vast group of A-grade clients. For 21 months, I was blessed to both learn and debate with the South African social business industry’s smartest thought leaders, and also mentor and lead some of the South African creative industry’s freshest up-and-comers.
With an environment such as this, you can imagine how difficult it was to leave.
And here I am, one month into our sabbatical, and I find myself looking at the “book of wisdom” my work-family back home compiled for me, to keep me strong during this journey.
As mentioned already, these people are smart! Below you can see some of my favourite bits of inspirational advice I received, which I’ve designed into snackable graphics (because, rich media).
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