20 lessons learned in 20 years of business
As EVS Translations UK approaches the celebration of its 20th anniversary in February, its founder and CEO, Edward Vick, has been joining us on the blog each week to speak about the business and life lessons learned from the UK chapter of his international business. This week, we focus on the UK team itself. Lucy Kikuchi takes some time out to talk about her experiences.
Back in 2014, I sent a speculative application to EVS Translations. At the time, I had been at home for three years raising my children, who were still babies. Before them, I’d been working in the marketing department of a Japanese manufacturer in Tokyo. Coming back to the UK, I can tell you this: if you send out a CV with “Japanese translation” in it, you won’t get an awful lot of responses.
On the day of my interview, and feeling a bit lost, the Managing Director happened to be visiting the UK office and held the interview with me.
After about half an hour of conversation he asked “Do you want to come to the Bulgaria office? I’m doing some training there and you could join in with that to get you started”.
I went home and told my family “mummy’s going to Bulgaria for three days”.
Things have never changed since that starting point. In the best possible way.
As with any business, the path does not always run smooth. Maybe it’s my age, and also because I have a husband and kids, but this seems to me a fairly standard theme in life. You just roll up your sleeves and ask “right, so what can I do to help?” This is because you know that, in the long-run, the satisfaction of making something work will outweigh the thrills of riding any current wave of success in the next company.
Maybe I’m just very sentimental in that way. Or maybe it’s because when you have that determination or commitment to make a success of something, people respond with appreciation which manifests itself in opportunities. Then you get your thrills.
When I’ve rolled up my sleeves and asked “what can I do?” there has always been someone to respond with: “can you do [XYZ]?” When you say: “I’ve got this idea and I really want to try it”, people respond with “Go on then. Do it if you think it will work.” Even if I’m not sure I can, people are willing you on. Then you discover that you can do it.
Lesson learned: EVS Translations is a growing international company and therefore very dynamic. There is creativity, opportunity and always scope for trying something new. And there are days that suck. And days when you wonder why you bother. But you take those on the chin and never let them cloud, what is, a very sunny horizon.
