WBW 24: Remember, it's Not Easy for Anybody, so Just Smile :)

Ideals Creatives is an organization dedicated to providing communications solutions for non-profit advocacies. Charming and sounds really inspiring doesn't it? With the purpose in mind, we'd think that the heavens would open up, arms wide open, ready to clear the path to any worries and pains. However, this is Earth, and things usually don't work out as planned. Thus, put your seatbelts on and watch as WBW's very first Speaker-Group discusses their troubled experiences - being robbed amidst their seed capital being delayed - and how they managed to stay put, learn the lessons they needed, and yet still have some fun.

Who is Ideals Creatives?

Three years ago, a group of 5 University of the Philippines graduates, passionate, young and creative individuals - Marielle Nadal, Rhea Alarcon, Berns de Leon, Dang Sering, Dan Matutina - had an idea to provide top-notch communications services to non-profits simply because good advocacies needed to be told to more people as effective and as efficient as any multi-national product. Thus, even without prior business knowledge, they headed out to join a grant competition by Youth Social Enterprise Initiative, an international organization supporting young social entrepreneurs. A few months later, having heard they got the grant, they quickly decided to quit their jobs, lease an office and form Ideals Creatives.

Unfortunately, things didn't go out as planned. They didn't get the grant immediately, their office was robbed, and they were low in morale. Years later, with numerous non-profit and for-profit organizations served, we all wonder how they survived.

When asked what's their greatest challenge?

When asked what's their greatest success?

Show Notes:

What was the idea for forming Ideals Creatives?

• From college, a number of them back in college liked doing editorials and advocacies
• Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an organization that would cater to the creative communication needs of NGOs?
• It was decided that the they would pursue the idea somewhere down the road

Grabbing the Opportunity

• 3 years ago, an opportunity came along. They were called by Youth Social Enterprise Initiative, an organization that encouraged young people to start businesses with social impact
• They joined a competition and got a financial grant
• Soon after, all of them quit their jobs Ideals Creatives

Were they addressing a need?

• More than seeing a negative side of the existing advocacies, they were attracted to the different causes and how to communicate these
• With their common background in fine art and visual communications, they saw opportunities of how they could apply their learnings to improve the effectivity of advocacies

"An ideal is one thing, living up to it is quite another"

• The group encountered several difficulties during the course of the startup
• They were up against heavy competition in trying to get the grant, including people who just completed their MBA in various universities in the US
• The group undertook many risks and steps outside of their comfort zone
• Quitting their jobs
• Explaining to parents and family and prove to them that they would make it
• Against the norm
• Shift from profit to non-profit
• Living off their savings without income and incurring significant expenses already including rent
• Birth pains were also encountered as well during the start of the organization
• It was a new idea so it was hard to classify during registration with BIR and SEC. The group decided to stay as a non-profit and non-stock organization
• Paid for numerous penalties to BIR and SEC during startup
• Some of their personal computers were even stolen
• Around this time, the group had to ask difficult questions as well, including whether they would continue Ideals Creatives or not if they got the grant
• They decided to pursue it since they already had some existing regular clients
• Expanding is now the current focus of the group

Working with Non-Profit Organizations

• Most of the time, since the work an agency would do for an NGO would be pro bono, NGOs would be at the mercy of the agency
• And this is where the idea of creating an organization focused on simply helping NGOs find better ways of communicating their causes
• It is easier to work with NGOs since the process is more democratic and they regularly ask or consult peers and others for their opinionsThe group makes recommendations on how to communicate their causes best. If there are differing views on how to communicate the causes between the client and Ideals Creatives, the group would be forced to compromise with the demands of the client

Lessons Learned

Getting out of comfort zone

• People had a set of skills to give to the team
• But different clients have different requirements
• You can be fearful of new things but sometimes you have to just jump right in and do it

Recognize different workings styles of different people

• morning VS night people
• Giving space to team members

Understanding the people whom your client serves

• Gives more meaning to the work that the group does

It is worth the work when pursuing your passion

• there is “profit” in passion
• the money will help sustain your passion

Learn to rest, love, learn and play

Ownership and responsibility for the organization

• There is no boss or someone else who will take responsibility for your actions

Everytime you communicate something, design it with purpose

• Keep in mind the desired effect you want on people

"The Board" message: