Working Brave

What does it mean to work brave? This past week, our food, beverage and nutrition division came together for two days in Chicago to learn about each other, explore the amazing work we do and answer that very question. In fact, we kicked off the whole meeting with a discussion on “working brave.” An overall theme started to appear as each of my colleagues gave their personal answer: to us, working brave meant living our new Padilla Beliefs.

The dictionary – or as my generation calls it, Google – defines brave as “having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty: having or showing courage.” As our widespread team came together from across the country, each person demonstrated bravery. Most of us didn’t know half of the room when we arrived. And, we each had to speak on a microphone. Even seasoned PR and communications people can feel the nerves with a mic in their hand!

We spent two full days immersed in getting to know each other better and building an even stronger team. That included the usual retreat-type activities like brainstorming sessions and learning more about each other’s work and ideas we’ve brought to life on our teams … and some less common activities, like hearing from an outside expert –Eve Turow Paul – on how the Millennials are influencing food trends and playing improv games. It gave us a chance to step away from our usual routine, and it brought out what each person was passionate about, what they are experts in and what motivates them. We walked away refreshed and energized about the vast network of agency experts we can call upon and partner with – especially food, beverage and nutrition.

I’ve only been at Padilla for two annual meetings thus far, but I can safely say that I look forward to many more. I gathered so much new information (possibly more than my brain can hold) and gained 60 new friends, all ready help me deliver the best work possible. Though, honestly … I wouldn’t mind handing off the microphone to someone else in the future.

This article was originally published in Food Thoughts

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