Category: How They Do It

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

To inspire people to create from a place of purpose and co-evolution. To contribute to creating a better society based on collaboration and cooperation instead of unlimited growth and competition. If people are aligned with their purpose and work from inner values, we solve most planetary problems.

WHY BE A PEACH?

Because it’s incredible to work with so many amazing people and projects trying to change the world and set new boundaries – for equality, indigenous community, circular economy, solving poverty and uplifting communities. 

And then, there is also how we see life and work together – it’s a playground for creativity, to do good and change the world. It requires a lot of self-development and experimentation! For us, Be A Peach is a practice to build the society we want to live.

THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT LEARNINGS YOU GOT FROM BE A PEACH SO FAR.

CREATIVITY and QUALITY require you to nurture yourself and work from a place of peace – without stress or fear of failure.;

When working with other people being vulnerable, honest and admit failure is the most powerful thing you can do;

People are inherently good and optimistic and full of hope. Be a Peach, and the projects we work with make me believe in many miracles.

Value everything and everyone equality – there is always something you can learn with another person, and everything you found around, even waste, always has an opportunity hidden on it. 

HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED WHILE WORKING REMOTELY?

When possible – change the environment to get new stimulus, dance or listen to music out loud or go for a walk while working. Work with people and read stuff with very different points of view of yours so you can open your mind: read and observe various issues, topics,  events happening while you walk, etc. – innovation occurs when we put together very different subjects and see how everything is so interlinked. 

Also: wonder, wonder a lot as Socrates would day “ Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”.

THE BIGGEST HACK TO COMMUNICATE & BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ONLINE

Be aware of projections;

Stop to mindfully read and analyze what others write to you without being in a rush and let your stress be faster than your reasoning;

Have a weekly session to go through the previous week  – see what  went bad but especially what went well;

Trust & say thank you – acknowledge others effort and growth and your own.

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Meet the team & their hacks to create

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

Human connection. I’ve witnessed a massive change in the way humans perceive each other that came hand and hand with the fast evolution of technology. I believe we now live in a world that lacks a sense of community. We grow in so many ways, but we lose empathy and understanding with the other and by proxy with us. My drive for change is in human connection, inspiring people to care, connect, and mostly to understand each other.

WHY BE A PEACH?

BE A PEACH inspires me, which was essential to my WHY.  BE A PEACH it’s a movement that I want to be part of, it’s my contribution to a better world and a more human world, and it’s a place of growth where we learn together in a community with each other and with our clients while we’re having FUN! If I’m spending all my day doing something, I need to have fun, to feel inspired and to grow – And BE A PEACH is all of that.

THE 3 MOST VALUABLE LEARNINGS YOU GOT FROM BE A PEACH SO FAR.

1.HOW TO DEAL WITH FAILURE – this was relevant for my growth as a designer and designer! When you are a designer, you will hear a LOT of no’s because you are connecting your visual with all the ideas of everyone involved. So rarely you get it on your first try, and with Be a Peach, I’ve learnt how to be resilient and have a solution-driven mind. 

2. TO BE GRATEFUL – this is ongoing learning for me. I grew up believing that success was a duty, not a thing to be grateful for. And one day, we start doing meetings to share our ups and downs and something we are thankful for. Of course, they do it amazingly, I still need all weekend to get to 3 gratitudes, but I know that I’m grateful to grow with such beautiful human beings every morning. 

3. ADMIT WHAT I DON’T KNOW –  If you get to a point in your life that you feel there are no more things to learn and you know it all, you’re mistaken. In design, visual expression and communication are constant mutation and innovation of tools. So I’ve learned not to be ashamed of not knowing. When something at BE A PEACH comes up that I don’t have a clue how to do, my answer is – “I don’t know but let me search to find out”. Until now, I had a lot of those moments that I needed to learn more to get the results we’re aiming for even when the deadline is short, and I’m happy to know I will keep on having those moments and sharing that with my team.

HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED WHILE WORKING REMOTELY?

A LOT OF MUSIC, if I don’t find the right music, can’t focus. A LOT OF cultures, see a lot of movies, a lot of art. And in case that doesn’t work, I stop for a second and ask myself, “why are you doing this?” “why the world needs this brand or product?” and that’s enough to inspire me because someone took the effort and commitment to create a brand or a product that has a great goal, and I want to help them communicate that and be part of the change that they bring. 

THE BIGGEST HACK TO COMMUNICATE & BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ONLINE

IF YOU’RE NOT SURE – ASK! The best communication online or in-person is open and honest communication. Online you have the disadvantage of not seeing the small details on facial expression or body language when communicating. Because of that, a lot of things are misunderstood or lost. So ask a lot – ask how the person is feeling, ask how their day is going, if you feel attacked by something they say, ask what do they meant with it, ask honest questions to have frank answers and take time to read those answers and to understand the other. Communication is not one-sided, so share a lot also, say if they’ve hurt your feelings, explain what you’re saying and appreciate honesty. 

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

Where to start? Question capitalism massively and end patriarchy. I would love to replace the greed for power, money and endless growth with much more empathy, social justice and wise questions.

WHY BE A PEACH?

Imagine you move to a new country, go to an event about sustainability in the first month of living in this place and listen to three incredibly determined young creatives about how they work and what their values are. And then, after listening, you realise that you not only want to get to know them but also really need to work with them. 

Well, that is basically how my journey with Be a Peach started. 

I am the latest addition to the Peach family – and could not be happier about it. Be a Peach is incorporating thinking work in progressive dimensions: BAP is functioning as a catalysator of meaningful ideas while constantly focusing on ethical values to give voice to the planet and social-centric projects and brands. Therefore, my choice to become a peach clearly has to do with the fact that I don’t know many other (maybe none?) creative agencies that are not selling their souls but maintain and grow their mission daily. On top of that, the company structure of Be a Peach is far from usual: While the term “flat hierarchies” is used in every second description of job announcements, at BAP, it truly is fundamental. The openness for all kinds of creative ideas, far away from pre-setting boxes, celebrating differences and respecting the individual to grow together put the term “work” on a whole new level for me. 

WHAT ARE THE 3 MOST VALUABLE LEARNINGS YOU GOT FROM BE A PEACH SO FAR?

1.TRANSPARENCY IS KEY – all the way through;

2. GROWTH THROUGH EXPERIENCE – yes, you can be comfortable outside of your comfort zone;

3. VALUES OVER EVERYTHING – never settle for less.

HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED WHILE WORKING REMOTELY?

ROUTINE – While routine and inspiration don’t belong in the same box at first thought, for me, they are interlinked. Working remotely basically means you can’t blame anything else than yourself for your (lack of) productivity. Establishing a routine in my daily life helps to embed a “working frame” into my home and encourages me to stay focused. 

ACTIVE BREAKS – The perks of working at home definitely include that you are in charge of your time management. For me, that also means that if I feel like this one incredible creative idea refuses to come to me, I decide not to spend another hour thinking about it, but maybe have a short active break instead, put my thoughts into something else, and find the creative access again.

MUSIC – I honestly can’t work without music. It inspires me, carries me through the day, and is an endless motivation source.

THE BIGGEST HACK TO COMMUNICATE & BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

ONLINE STRAIGHT FORWARDNESS – Especially online, clear and detailed communication is key. If you are not sure if you understand everything correctly, ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question! If you feel misunderstood, explain again. If you are uncertain, ask for feedback. 

In my opinion, most of the communication problems can be prevented if you speak openly and trust that your opponent is open to an exchange. I do not mean to over-communicate every single step, but instead of leaving something unspoken which might cause a bad feeling or tensions later on, just directly communicate it. Another benefit of it: It saves a lot of time for everyone! 

In general, but especially in tensions, I am personally a big fan of non-violent communication to avoid speaking in hurtful or ineffective ways. The concept of non-violent communication is based on observation instead of evaluation. The trick of it is to articulate this observation without any judgement. In practice, that means to make an observation and share with your opponent how that makes you feel instead of giving your opinion and evaluation right away. Next, you can articulate your own needs to solve the situation.