By: Catalina Jiménez - Director & Founder, Sentidos Comunicaciones
Article published in Forbes
We often hear entrepreneurs refer to their companies as “their other daughter or their other son” and that is somehow how they really feel and I couldn't agree more.
August is the month in which my company turns 18 and this has made me think about what it means to come of age... what is this about? When I see my daughter, who is only 7 years old, and how she is growing, the desire that time wouldn't pass so quickly and to enjoy each stage is an unavoidable thought; however, when we talk about entrepreneurship, this feeling is viewed differently.
We often hear entrepreneurs refer to their companies as “their other daughter or their other son” and that is somehow how they really feel and I couldn't agree more.
Today, in this space I am going to allow myself to write a letter to my Public Relations agency, through which brands, people, successes and also some failures have passed; Now that she is turning 18 years old, I look at her with pride and as her leader I can recognize in our path, the journey of others, with ups and downs, but above all with commitment and a lot of perseverance.
Dear eldest daughter, we have grown up together and what an adventure this path has been, having been your mother at the age of 23, only brought me satisfaction and of course, also millions of lessons... some of them somehow painful. We once forgot to save for taxes, remember? We planned very little for the future and spent like two impulsive teenagers; but as we got older, we realized that living with open wings is wonderful, but it is also important to plan and save for the "difficult" moments. I went to work abroad and came back more prepared to be able to guide you, and I am very proud of that, as well as of the human group that we have built, and where we learned that everything is better if done as a team. Sometimes we treat those who would be members of the family forever as passing guests, this taught us to take more care of relationships with each person we met along the way. We wanted to run fast in some moments and we fell, we have learned that a business requires perseverance, adaptability and to use a fashionable term, a lot of resilience. The media has also traveled their own path during this time, for the year 2004, the online versions were a novelty and a luxury that few could afford; smartphones had not been invented. So reaching this point is also a positive assessment of the transformation that the sector has undergone and knowing that today brands and their messages have the opportunity to connect with their audiences in multiple ways and through different channels. As never before, the value of the content and ability to tell the stories had been so important.
The best is yet to come
Your 18 years represent an enormous achievement and also great challenges. We wanted to do many things alone and for a while it was fine, but the passage of time showed us that teamwork was more rewarding, and successful. Today, we have friends, colleagues and close people around us. Some arrived for a short time; But also, others stayed and transformed us. Together, we have learned: resilience, empathy, to be professionals, to reinvent ourselves, about communications and even more about public relations. We went from being a temporary home, to being a permanent home, to being a guide and caring for those who reached out to us. How have you grown? We are no longer alone, now we are part of something bigger and I, although always present, also take the opportunity to look at you from another place, from the one that allows you to interact freely. Dear daughter: happy 18 years… you are a beautiful agency!! But I also warn you that we are going for much more, with our colleagues, allies, wonderful brands and clients... all as a great team. Thank you for demanding so much from us, for helping us to be better professionals and public relations professionals every day. This is an industry that is continuously evolving and that demands every day the ability to interpret the needs of our spokespersons and know how to help them in their purpose of connecting with people. in an honest, attractive and efficient way.
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