Our clients and friends from Nestle, Unilever, Uralsib bank and Minskoblproduct have already answered this question. So we decide to turn it over to Depot’s team: today’s interview
is with commercial director of the agency Ksenia Parkhomenko. Ksenia shared her ideas about what actually makes those people
happy, whose daily job is to give happiness away.
I came to the agency... when I was a little girl looked blank and had no experience in branding. On the other hand I had two higher educations and a clear message in my mind that nothing is impossible. And now, for almost five years I’ve been keeping this statement about myself and actively apply to my work.
In action i’m... I’am a real monster. Well, what else can I do, when it is a condition for an efficient work-flow. The strictness to yourself and others, hyper-responsibility and commitment to extremely high performance every second combined with a children's sincerity and spontaneity. Still a mystery how this mixture works but it really does.
The ultimate feature of Depot... is the fact that everything is possible here. For example, coming timidly to an interview for an account executive position one day, whereas driving your favorite Mini Cooper across the office yard four years later, which you were given as the best Manager of the Agency. Depot can any phenomenon magically turn into a miracle — no matter whether it is about... the projects, staff or something else.
Self-realization is... something that moves me. I’m extremely happy that i’m learning and developing here every day. Perhaps the desire for the daily development - it is a peculiarity of Depot’ team nature. Today I have to do my job better than yesterday, and tomorrow - better than today.
My favorite phrase is…
"Find a solution!" – that’s what my boss used to say. I got this reply to almost all of my questions
and requests. Just imagine: “Dear Sir, I urgently need your advice to solve this problem!” –
I plead and get a reply –
"Just go and find your solution!"
Then I considered it funny and ridiculous, but later on I had caught the sense and now
this phrase determines my approach to self-management.
What I hate the most… are formalists. It is when someone is going through the motions, when important tasks are handled formally, without complete involvement and passion. I am sure there is no room for this kind of characters in our team. We don’t need employees who have to be pushed. However, I don’t mean any formal procedures under this notion. Conversely, I love order and precision. But, parallel to figure skating, after a “compulsory program”, we have a “freestyle program” where you have to outdo all possible and impossible expectations.
I am confident that human opportunities have no limit. If you want anything – just get up and take it. But always remember you have no claim for anything. When someone’s wish is sincere, he’s got all chances to succeed. Any of us may become another second Madonna or a president. It’s just a matter of desire and the hardest work.
In people I appreciate…
talent, passion for business, desire to make progress and take responsibility for your action and words.
As for experience – it eventually comes with practice. I don’t really care how experienced my partner is.
Once he’s got the above listed qualities, our partnership will succeed.
Our Depot branding agency super-team is formed in accordance with this principle. And I am
especially proud of our “acquisitions” within the past two years: Sasha Voronkov, Zhenya Struk,
Nikita Ivanov, Raushan Sultanov, Tanya Mikolaevskaya, Lena Kirillova, Natasha Bloshenkova,
Anya Smirnova – it feels like they just started, while we have already managed to do a lot.
And we anticipate even greater challenges.
The recipe of successful project is…
attention to details and individual approach to anything from the easiest phrase in a customer’s letter to
the problem of project team formation. In comparison to other agencies’ practice, we would never
let executives for a project be chosen on a spontaneous basis. A customer’s goal is always our key point.
Ok, there is one more secret. It’s an intangible link that appears between a customer and the agency at
the very first meeting. Some call it magic. And we strive to preserve this magic within a project
execution and even after its finish.
Happiness in business is… continuous drive, when time is not noticed, while rushing for your goals. Feels like it was yesterday when I was managing my only client doing my best to make it perfect. And nowadays I am in charge of the team of managers and the whole studio. My private goals comply with the goals of the agency. That is successful projects and happy clients. Greater amount of successful projects and happy clients.
