mourning and forming with my new consulting gig

My name tag at Clarisonic

A few weeks ago, I began my 6 week project with the Digital Marketing team at Clarisonic.  Clarisonic is this crazy facial cleaning brush (can be used for body too) that uses that sonic technology (like in the Sonicare toothbrush).  People really do swear by them - they even have a bunch of lab coats scientifically proving that their product works.  Their current offices are over in Factoria, WA - close to T-Mobile (also a client I've done project work for).  The Digital Marketing team reports into the VP of Marketing, Chris - who I've just been quite impressed with.  We work along side with Retail, eTail, IT, Product Development, etc...  I'm currently really enjoying this project because it's so different from the clients I normally work with.  Clients I normally work with: Microsoft, Google, TMobile, Cisco, ... and more Microsoft...  Clarisonic is the first project experience with a larger client where most of the people I am working with are... WOMEN! -- (Insert opera singing here) -- They talk about branding, messaging, colors and prints, comfort, usability, .... the shopping experience.  It's fascinating how different the work environment is between even the IT department of Clarisonic versus an IT department of a software/telecom company.  It's awesome.  That is where I am at now - for the rest of the month of September, happily soaking in the marketing fun with this awesome company and client.

It wasn't like that a few weeks ago.  Having been working on projects as a consultant for nearly a decade now, you'd think that I'm completely used to cyclical process of starting and closing a project - but I'm not.  It's different each time, with each project, with each new team/client.  A few weeks ago, I was mourning the separation I was feeling from having had to close down another digital marketing project with Microsoft.  I was still mourning as I entered the forming stage starting my new consulting gig with Clarisonic.  All I could see were the differences from what I had grown used to.  At Clarisonic, most people bring their lunches to work.  They have cubicles and they actually have meetings to talk about things that are going on.  There's three different kinds of nice smelling lotions to choose from in the restroom.  They have fruit and granola bars waiting for you when you go into work in the morning.  They think about feelings, branding, messaging.  There is Clarisonic product everywhere - and I mean everywhere.  All the employees at Clarisonic LOVE, let me stress the word LOVE their Clarisonic products.  It was SO different from any environment I have ever been in.  It's exactly these differences that have moved me so.  :)

One week in from starting the gig, I was in LOVE.  IN LOVE.  Yes, Clarisonic, I have fallen for you.  I really love the working environment they got going on there: women, marketing, branding, retail, digital, and the passion for what they do.  It really shows.

xo,
Arry