Many of us can clearly remember our first days at a new job. There are undying feelings of anticipation, excitement, optimism, and a healthily dose of nervousness. As I booted up computer to start my first day at PhotoUp a year ago, I felt like this job was going to be different. Next to my computer on my first day of work last year was a note from my wife. It read, “Today is the first day you start to impact lives and the day that you start to change the world one photo at a time.” While we were growing and fostering a talented team, we were still a start-up with lofty goals. If we really wanted to meet these goals, we would need to create something innovative that would create value for our clients and tangible impact for our team.
Nearly three years earlier, I was working for an international non-profit working with scholarship students in developing nations. My travels frequently took me to the Philippines where I was confronted with the stark reality of the economic situation for many young people. While there were many talented individuals, the available positions for upward mobility were very limited. So much so, that many of these young and talented leaders were leaving the country to work substandard positions in other countries.
Not only were these young individuals leaving their families, they were leaving their communities without the next generation of young leaders. What could be done about this? I pondered this question for months and concluded that starting an impact sourcing company might be part of the answer. This led me to graduate school to learn more about starting social enterprises which in turn led me to my involvement with PhotoUp where the team was ready and eager to begin to create a beautiful business.
Looking back now, it’s evident that we’ve accomplished a lot together over the past year. From launching PhotoUp Version 2 (PUV2) and editing tens of thousands of photos to implementing our PhotoUp Social Impact Programs! Furthermore, our team continues to get stronger and stronger as we add talented and dedicated individuals to the company. We continue to grow and focus on what is important – creating value for our clients and fostering opportunity for our employees.
I have a lot to be thankful on my one year anniversary with PhotoUp and I am just as excited to come into work today as I was on my first day. I continue to carry the note from my wife as it reminds me that my team and I are on a worthy quest to create a beautiful business along with our talented editors, our incredible leadership team and our dedicated clients across the globe. It has been a good year and we are excited what to see what is in store for our young company over the coming year!
Thanks!
Chris Palmer
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