Every evening Sabine has a conference call with her four immediate colleagues, a team she’s been part of for some years.
“We discuss work, although we can also complain a bit. I sometimes need to let off steam! It’s great that we support one another. We have become so comfortable as a team that we no longer have any secrets from each other: one’s weakness is the other’s strength.”
As Client Service Director, Sabine has final responsibility for several permanent Mediabrands’ clients. The advantage is that she knows these customers inside out. “There is an openness to discuss things, which makes the job very agreeable. Internally, too, I’m not afraid to speak my mind. It’s the first time I have experienced such an open culture in a company.”
“I think people like working with me because I dare to take decisions. I have the patience to remain calm and find solutions. What’s more, I will always stand up for my colleagues. If I can move deadlines to give an expert more time, I won’t hesitate.” Sabine finds it easy to point out mistakes. “That’s part of open communication. Mistakes are human, it’s important to learn from them rather than gloss over them.”
Stupid counting error
For Sabine, career highlights will always be linked to moments when she faced a challenge and had no idea what to do. “That’s when it is important to keep on asking questions until the moment comes when you can think out of the box. I once had an energy supplier as a client, a sector with which I have little affinity. But when I got to know the company’s employees, I immediately felt a click. After all, it is people who make a brand. Together we worked on some appealing projects that even got us into schools.”
Sabine finds it less enjoyable when customers push her to the limit. “Some organizations are too demanding. They expect you to be there for them immediately and to answer their emails within the hour. Discussion is out of the question, everything has to be done here and now and if you don’t comply, it will be blatantly pointed out to you. That lack of flexibility, not allowing each other any leeway, really annoys me. I function best when there is mutual trust.”
But, every disadvantage has its advantage: working with such clients has taught Sabine to set her own boundaries. “Working day and night is something I will never do again. Sometimes you just have to say ‘no’. I have learned that you can also gain respect by standing your ground: this is the line, don’t cross it.”
There is only one blunder that will always haunt her. At the beginning of her career, Sabine drew up a media plan for a magazine. She had included one advertisement too many, which she could no longer cancel. Price: just under seven thousand euros. “A stupid counting error. After much negotiation, the ad was not charged, but it did appear. It has taught me to always double-check.”
”superpower — has become vigilant to signs of mental exhaustion
Burgundy
The fact that Mediabrands puts people first is something Sabine has experienced personally. When she was mentally exhausted a few years ago, the company forced her to take sick leave. “They literally told me: stop working and rest. The human resources manager called my doctor with my consent so that I could stay home longer. I had a serious illness and when my mother died not long after, I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper.”
Sabine is proud to have successfully turned the page. “For a long time I wondered whether I should look for another job and work at a slower pace. But look: I’m back and have been able to carry on with my work.” Since then, she has become more alert to signs of mental exhaustion. “I force myself to close my laptop more often and take time for myself.”
Enjoy life: it’s easy to say, but Sabine now knows what it means. “Laughing a lot and having a drink together is so important! I really enjoy good wine. When I’m alone, I don’t drink, but my father is a connoisseur and my brother is a sommelier. When we get together, it’s the ideal opportunity to open a bottle. I don’t have a favorite brand, although I know by now that a Burgundy makes me very happy.”
Magic rain
In her spare time, Sabine chairs a municipal consultative body for childcare. “We provide advice on extracurricular activities for children under the age of fourteen. I live in a rural community where there is not much to do. When my children were young, it wasn’t easy to find childcare for them. Their grandparents lived far away and the supply of after-school care was not great. With a group of people, we changed this by centralizing childcare in one place in the municipality, which made more activities possible. Now, my children are old enough to look after themselves, but I’m still a member of the consultative committee. It is gratifying to be able to contribute to a social cause.”
Music plays a significant role in Sabine’s life too. The day she was introduced to Prince, everything changed. “To my parents’ great dismay: my room was full of posters, I tore out all the articles I could find about him from magazines. I don’t like all his albums, but I was there when he performed in Belgium. His performance at Werchter in 2010 was magical: he performed ‘Purple Rain’ in the pouring rain.”
“When I was heavily pregnant, I went to a Prince concert in London. Getting there was quite a challenge, but I was more than ready for it.” Unfortunately, his purple highness was on stage for barely three quarters of an hour that evening. Despite cursing for a while, Sabine’s love did not wane, on the contrary, “One day I’ll get a tattoo of his love-symbol.”
”“One day, I will get a tattoo of Prince’s love-symbol.”