MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Gushcloud Philippines, a global technology-driven digital and media company, focused on influencer marketing, entertainment, and commerce might have found the right formula that works for the company – its people. With influencer marketing — Gushcloud’s cornerstone service — becoming a more strategic play for marketers year on year, GCPH has been doubling down on scaling the agency business and exploring new bounds by working with bigger accounts and talents, both domestically and internationally. The start-up’s continuous growth paved the way to zoom in efforts on beefing up the management team through strategic internal movements and new hires.
Made up of a dynamic, inquisitive, resilient group of leaders packed with experience and fueled with the common vision of creating great work that sparks connections, this team weaved their way through the unpredictable waves of 2021 and with agility, took necessary risks to allow them to grow and push their own boundaries.
Gushcloud’s leadership team shares how their past learnings and current motivations are helping the team attain their mission of building a sustainable digital talent, entertainment, and marketing industry. Furthermore, here are their thoughts as they continue to navigate these unprecedented times and as they welcome the year 2022.
With over a decade of experience in the marketing industry and having been exposed to both agency and brand sides, Jamie brings in a cohesive vision in putting a team together. According to the Gushcloud Philippines Country Director, “There is no actual formula when putting together a team. In my case, I put priority in diversity because it’s the different skill sets, experiences, talents, and know-hows that make a team colorful and successful. The second thing I value is purpose, because it’s the people with the right attitude and common values who can work together towards a common goal.”
With those two guiding principles, GCPH’s leadership was formed – leaders from different industries, backgrounds, expertise, and personalities but unified by 4 values: Integrity, Bravery, Accountability, and Compassion. These core values serve as pillars of the foundation that grounds the team as they continuously dominate and humbly grow for the year 2022.
Jamie’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Trust. Learning to trust the process and your team. This opens up humility and even allows you to deeply connect with your team, especially in these unprecedented times. This, therefore, leads to everyone reaching the goal together as one collective with an even stronger bond.
Formerly a consultant for one of Gushcloud’s owned channels, MomCenter, Em is now the Head of Studios. Having stayed with Gushcloud Philippines the longest among the rest of the leadership team, Em was able to witness the shift in the organization and how it has shaped its culture. When asked about that one move that greatly contributed to where GCPH is today, “It’s getting the right people in the right positions, recognizing the key performers, and having a reward system that would keep them motivated. At the same time, it is providing the right support for the members of the team who might need it. In our last town hall meeting, our CEO, Althea Lim instilled this mentality ‘Nobody gets left behind. We are only strong if all our markets are strong.’ This setup has advantages and disadvantages but it has built a culture that allows its members to improve, become better, and evolve together. It is in GCPH where I was able to experience the encouraging and fun environment you can expect from a family, with the accountability and push expected from any business environment.”
Em’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Recognizing gratitude and the value of taking it one step at a time. Starting each day with gratitude and keeping your eye on your priorities can help keep the edge off.
Started out as the Head of Finance and now taking on the role of the Head of Operations and Finance, Grace humbly admits that this new opportunity is an appreciated challenge, “ If there is one thing that I am grateful for in Gushcloud, it’s that they take risks on talents. I have been in the Accounting and Finance field since the start of my career. Assuming this new position as Head of Operations was intimidating at first, but my co-leaders helped me realize that I have been involved and exposed to the nitty-gritty of this position in one way or another. The company’s trust and continuous support fuel me to take on this new opportunity. I am confident that with these people by my side, we will be able to improve our processes, and work effectively and efficiently to achieve our collective goals.”
Grace’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Be open to all opportunities and never limit yourself with something that you have been doing for a long time.
As the newest addition to GCPH’s Leadership Team, Felice was able to capture what makes working in Gushcloud different, “When I joined Gushcloud, my mind was set on introducing new processes and suggesting new solutions based on my experience and expertise. However, after being part of this team for a couple of months, I realized that I had to unlearn many things and figure out my role in this tight-knit group. This organization has its own set of standards and rules to live by. I realize now that changes, innovations, and new solutions are born not through a singular mind but through the collective. It is refreshing to realize that this is a community that thrives in collaboration; we work towards goals together, as one big team. I appreciate that while we are a young company in a very fast-paced industry, we strive to establish an environment that is conducive to succeed in reaching goals, to encourage our members to explore new things, and to excite and keep them hungry to innovate and create.”
Felice’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Growth is messy, complicated, and painful. It does not always pertain to following that singular, upward path. Growth can come in the form of pausing and saying “no”. It can mean throwing yourself to the great unknown, threading your way through, and creating a new path. Growth is finding that comfort in the uncomfortable. Growth is learning to unlearn the unnecessary and discovering peace underneath the turmoil.
Returning to Gushcloud as their new Art Director, Cheska has her eyes set on making her Creatives team inspired and indestructible, “Coming back, I bring with me the promise to make our team stronger than ever. I have this mindset, it’s not just about producing great quality work – which is already a given, instead, it’s about pushing my team and raising the bar higher each time with the vision that they can be art directors themselves. I can confidently say that here in Gushcloud, our creativity is not boxed and nothing is repetitive. Each day is a challenge to get better, to take things further, and to defy limits. To use our creative work as a solution to communicate or even bring joy to others.”
Cheska’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Self-check and self-care. Always know when to step back and recharge. Resting doesn’t mean you are lazy, but it is a way of self-care and a step that allows you to give your best in everything.
Gushcloud Philippines Head of Sales, Kev, has seen firsthand the changes in the influencer marketing industry, all wearing the hat of a business owner, a consumer, and of course, as a sales representative. According to him, “No doubt, these uncertain times forced us to innovate the way we present our proposals. That’s why I encourage my team to live by Gushcloud Philippines’ mantra: ‘Refine to Innovate and Resonate.’” As we are enabled by the digital world, through video calls and emails, the challenge would always be the same, forming authentic connections. This is why influencer marketing plays such a big role in people’s lives today, because ‘People connect with people’. With this in mind, it is our duty to spark that connection – from brand to influencer, influencer to follower, and brand to follower.”
Kev’s Biggest Learning this 2021: No choice but to do it! Something appropriate for everyday life. We are constantly facing obstacles, no matter how big or small they are, we have no choice but to find a way and push ourselves forward.
And last but definitely not the least, the woman who helped form Gushcloud Philippines’ Leadership Team, HR and Admin, Jean, shares her perspective on keeping employee engagement and efficiency, “We all had to adjust, from working in an office setting to a work-from-home setup. But one thing that I had to keep in mind, aside from finding the right talents, was to find ways to keep this growing team engaged while being apart through different incentive programs – these can just be small things like awarding the ‘Employee of the Week’, simple contests and random questions every team huddle that allows us to get to know our teammates better despite the virtual setup. I am beyond grateful that our Country Director fully supports these initiatives. After all, we are in the business of entertainment, and influence and sparking joy must start within our organization.”
Jean’s Biggest Learning this 2021: Find something to look forward to every day. This will help you get through trying times. Simple things matter – it can be a loved one, a cup of coffee, or a pair of shoes.
2021 was a year of rebuilding for the Gushcloud Philippines’ team, and they are hopeful that 2022 will be a year of growth. With an experienced team, they are looking to hit strides and feats that they have never accomplished before, and ultimately, have a hand in creating tomorrow’s positive influence. Follow Gushcloud’s journey on Facebook and Instagram.
