Georgina's Plus 1 Day

Georgina Thornton-Clark, from #TeamMindshare’s LA office, took a Plus 1 Day while on her trip to Quito, Ecuador. Read her experience, meeting her colleagues from an office 3500 miles away, and what Mindshare’s Plus 1 Day is about! 

Travel has always been one of my biggest passions! I am forever grateful to be raised by parents that valued travel, and they surely passed down that love to me and my sisters. I’ve been fortunate to visit as many countries as years I’ve lived – 26! And every place that I’ve traveled to has taught me something different, whether that be about their history or culture or (most importantly) the food. 

Needless to say, when I learned about Mindshare’s Plus 1 Day, I had to jump at the chance. Plus 1 Day is a global initiative – when you’re on vacation in a place where there’s a Mindshare office, you get a day back if you visit. Encouraging Teamwork – one of our core values – it truly showcases the power of our global network. 

I’ve been working at Mindshare USA, in our LA office for almost two years now, and since then I’ve had the pleasure of visiting our offices in London, Paris and Quito! 

My most recent trip was to the wonderful country of Ecuador. I spent 4 days in the capital city of Quito, followed by another 5 days cruising around the Galapagos Islands – which sits about 600 miles off the coast. 

I was so excited to take a break from sight-seeing for a day, and to be put in touch with my colleagues in the Quito office! My experience was nothing short of fabulous, and I cannot speak more highly of the warm welcome I received. And let’s not forget to mention the fantastic view of the city from my desk! 

I spent much of the day working (and chatting!) with Camila, a planning director. It was fascinating to learn about its major clients, how they plan and develop campaigns, as well as the differences between our day-to-days. The office is centrally located, so we were able to walk to lunch, which served as another great opportunity to see the city from the POV of a local. (On that walk I learned an important lesson: pedestrians don’t appear to have right of way when crossing the streets there, regardless of the universally recognized little green man!) 

One of the best parts of my trip was being able to experience Quito from a local, who grew up there. Camila and I talked about going to university, how the school system works, which is quite different to what I know! But one thing we realized is that we both have a shared passion for media, and ultimately, what drew us to Mindshare. It’s incredible to think that our offices are 3500 miles apart, and we’re brought together through this amazing initiative that encourages us to explore the world and meet different people. 

We have over 100 offices around the world. You can literally take your pick anywhere, and there’s a high chance there’ll be an office to visit! I promise no-one is paying me to say this, but Plus 1 is one of my favorite initiatives here. It’s truly unique! (And talking of money… did I mention that hotel and expenses are on Mindshare?)