“I thought we were the family!” said Mihkel, when one of our colleagues decided to take a day off because of a family errand.
That was the moment I realised that ‘yes, the Brand Manual collective is our second family’. We are all so different from each other, but there is something that connects us all. In Japan there is a concept called ‘Shoshin’, which refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceptions when studying a subject – even at an advanced level – just as a beginner would. At BM everyone possesses exactly that mindset; they approach work with a certain curiosity, which is rare in today’s world.
As I wrote on my first day, I felt part of the team immediately. It was in a way surprising to me, because there was a time in my life when I thought that it is somehow cooler, more fun and less hassle, to work by myself. But at Brand Manual this concept was flipped on it’s head. I’ve realised that when I come find the right people, work can be more enjoyable, diverse and positively challenging. A lack of hierarchy, friendly atmosphere and interesting set of tasks made me want to come to work every single day.
At Brand Manual we make fun of each other, we laugh together, we eat all of our lunches together, but most of all – we work well together. We do plenty of individual work, but everything is challenged, discussed at meetings and agreed throughout processes. Which means things run relatively smoothly. We believe in what we are creating and that’s how we can deliver exceptional outcome to our clients. Recently Sonya joined Brand Manual as a graphic design intern and I told her that above all, here it matters who you are as a person and being able to share your authentic self are the most important things.
Then your skills and your attitude towards team work should come into consideration. When all three of these things fall into the right place you can find yourself a full member of the BM family. As they say, ‘once you’re in, you’re in!’ Then you go to sauna together, have after-work celebratory drinks together, bake cakes for collective breakfasts in your own free time, have crazy brainstorming sessions and fun ice cream tastings, all together!
When I first arrived, I was an open book. An open mind ready to be filled. As Einstein once told: “I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.” Today I am about to finish my internship and I am surprised how quickly it went and how much work I participated in. I wasn’t searching for much when I started, but now at the end of my time at BM I can say I found a lot: friends, attitudes and visions that I can apply to my own life. Great Estonian writer Viivi Luik once wrote: “When it’s dark, become the lamp.” In my opinion, that’s exactly what Brand Manual is about.
Thank you all for letting me join the Brand Manual family this summer!
The experience was more than I could have ever expected! Eveli
