There was a time when the idea of coffee was confined to a neighborhood diner or a small cafe, where variety only came from adding cream and sugar. Today, we have blended, sweetened, and whipped- there’s a number of varying coffee beverages that people enjoy throughout the day.
With all these options, it may be hard to find the perfect cup. When we asked Ivana Lučić, Innovation Strategist at The Upside, about how she takes her morning coffee, she had her perfect cup down to a science.
“I'm a big morning coffee person. In fact, I'm completely unable to start my day without it. I have an amazing milk frother. So I froth the Oatly Barista Blend with milk, and then I have a beautiful, foamy cappuccino.”
Thorough and thoughtful, Ivana knows exactly what she wants out of her cup of morning coffee. As she began her job hunt, she applied that same decisiveness to finding not just any role, but the perfect role for her.
I realized I’d really valued work that has a positive impact on the planet and people, and I wanted to continue along that line. So I couldn't just go into innovation to make more money. I wanted to actually create positive impact as well.
- Ivana Lučić, Innovation Strategist at The Upside
We introduced Ivana to The Upside: a company that partners with businesses to help them flourish and grow in a way that’s socially and environmentally positive. Like Ivana’s frothy cappuccino, The Upside was a match made for her.
Where Passion Meets Impact
Ivana was drawn to The Upside because of their commitment to helping businesses thrive in a way that is socially conscious. She has begun to support the company standard in her role as an Innovation Strategist with projects that have her excited, learning, and fueling impact.
“I've been working on a huge marketing campaign that we've done with Google for the past few years, which is the ‘Year in Search,’” Ivana shares. “We have helped the brand studio write briefs for the creative, so that means coming up with the theme for this year's film and informing the briefs for social media, events, keepsakes, and things of that nature.”
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“That's been the biggest project that I've worked on so far, and it matched my background in advertising and campaigns,” Ivana beams.
Ivana was thrown right into the work, and with her skill sets already being used, she feels more confident than ever that The Upside is a perfect fit for her. She is helping businesses discover innovative ways to positively impact the world with a company that also understands team value.
Internally I think the Upside has a really great value system for how they treat their employees. Next month we're actually shutting down for a reset week.
- Ivana Lučić, Innovation Strategist at The Upside
A team that rests together works best together, and another key observation that Ivana has made at the Upside is the wide range of talent she gets to build with every day. “They understood the bridge from advertising and marketing to innovation, and I think they were really excited about the different skill sets that people could bring to innovation, which is really valuable.”
Letting Passion Take the Lead
Like many job hunts, Ivana’s journey to finding her perfect role at the Upside came with twists and turns. She chose to share her unique story with us, and it’s one that could teach us all a little bit about the importance of making decisions not only with your head, but with your heart.
“I was in Mexico looking for jobs at the time, and my old managing director called me for a freelance project that I really cared about personally. It was for the Women's Abortion Act and there was a campaign around abortions in the US that they wanted me on for a short, six-week project. This was in the middle or toward the end of my interview process. So I immediately flagged it to my two recruiters and said, ‘hey, this is actually a really important project for me.’
Another recruiter I worked with was like, ‘we really shouldn't be doing that. I don't think that's a good idea. We didn't pitch you as someone who'd start in six weeks and you should be showing full interest.’ They had a whole slew of reasons that were not really related to me. It was more about the company.
Bamboo Crowd was different. Their first response was, ‘that's amazing news, good for you. We'll definitely make it work, and can speak to the interviewing companies on your behalf.’ They were really optimistic and super supportive of my decision.”
Drew Welton, Co-CEO & Founder of Bamboo Crowd
Life inevitably comes with these unexpected twists and turns. We should all feel like we have the space to chase our passions without sacrificing other opportunities. Ivana’s story reminds us that leaving room for the unexpected is often exactly what job hunters need to feel happy and fulfilled.
Bamboo Crowd has a really great way of just getting people- like really caring about the people they help find careers for- because it's not just about getting someone placed at a company. It's about finding the right company for that person. Their whole approach to that situation was like night and day compared to others.
- Ivana Lučić, Innovation Strategist at The Upside
Want to learn more about opportunities with The Upside or talk about all things Strategy, Better Growth, and Innovation? Be sure to connect with Drew Welton for more info. And- why not find your perfect match? Discover how the Bamboo Crowd team can work alongside you to find the position you’re looking for - sign up here.
