5 Minutes With Danica Chong

#TeamMindshare believes in Empathy, Energy and Impact. As we adjust to working differently, we're continuing to empower people to challenge the status quo and drive Good Growth for our clients and the industry. Growth isn’t just a flash in the pan, but it’s enduring, diversified, and more sustainable over time. We’re proud to be unmistakably #TeamMindshare, and make it the place where we do the best work of our career, grow and have fun.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. This month, we're proud to highlight members of #TeamMindshare's AAPI community. Hear from Danica on what her biggest learning is and how she stays inspired, and more.

Biggest learning from your career?

Treat your team like Family. I always joke around that I have my work kids who no matter where I go, I can proudly say were my mentees, and I am proud of them. In my 10+ years in the industry I always took note of the teams who are warm and encouraging to their peers.

I still remember my mom telling me growing up that you want to surround yourself with people who have big hearts and are willing to understand and learn from you, because a skill is always something they can learn and pick up with proper guidance. If you think about it, you spend majority of your time with your team members, and honestly, it will truly suck if all you can talk about is the weather!

One word to describe the last year?

Learning. I don’t think we will ever stop learning but the last year was a big year for that, our new normal kicked in, a hybrid model for working was introduced, the great resignation happened/happening, and the list goes on and on. Learning is not just about picking up a new skill or tool to use for our day-to-day life/work, but also includes understanding more about yourself and each other.

I think if there is only one take away we should have for that last year, it would be having a better understanding and compassion for each other and how everyone is different in their own way and that’s ok.

What is the best advice you can give for hybrid working?

Communication. Having clear and constant communication with your team not only improves team dynamics but also improves productivity. With remote learning happening across different teams, it more important than ever to prioritize knowledge sharing to help educate junior team members and learn new ways of working from your peers.

Having a great balance between being in the office to maybe even just to put faces to names vs. video calls can have a positive impact on your team morale and help cultivate a stronger relationship with your team and peers. I think some people often do forget the good times pre-covid in an office setting where grabbing a drink post a rough week/day brings the team closer and finding the person who always has the scoop on free lunch/snacks, but now that we are all remote, its about finding that new connection to help build that relationship.

How have you stayed inspired?

Have a little me time for yourself, it can be sitting on your couch all day to do absolutely nothing but binge watch Ozark or 90-day fiancé - no judgement! But carve that time out for yourself to enjoy the simple pleasures in life that you used to do before things “got too busy”. I always say don’t be afraid to unplug your brain from thinking, in my case, watching my weekly dose of reality TV because its just good not have to think too much.

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