“I like to encourage my colleagues to shine”

Emi works at our office in Shanghai and is responsible for 4flow’s marketing in China. In this interview she talks about international collaboration, meeting her colleagues in person for the first time after almost two years, and her dream of living on her own farm one day.

How would you describe working at 4flow?
Everyone is very sincere and open, which always makes me feel comfortable. This not only applies for the marketing team but also for the entire company. Especially when working in such an international role as I do, this connection is very important.

Can you tell us a bit more about your experience working in an international team?
Although there is a physical distance between us, it feels very close. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had no chance to meet my colleagues in person for almost two years, so they felt more like internet friends who I also work with. But it was so great when we finally met in Berlin in the summer of 2023 for a workshop, and we had such a good chemistry with each other. I always enjoy opportunities like this since I like to experience different cultures. As an international marketer my role is also about connecting different cultures because I need to adapt the marketing messaging in Europe to make it appealing to our Chinese audience. This can also be challenging sometimes.

What were your biggest challenges so far in international marketing?
Before I joined 4flow, I worked as a marketing manager for the Greater China and Asia Pacific region. It’s not easy for one person to cater to all these different areas of Asia. There were so many different stakeholders I needed to align with. But I discovered that in the end, it’s about focusing on the similarities instead of the differences. For example, at 4flow we use completely different channels to reach our audiences in different regions, but the methodology behind it is the same. Also, I learned that it is not only about external communication but also about strong internal collaboration when working in an international environment.

How do you achieve such a strong collaboration with your colleagues?
We need to remember that we are all people with different strengths. I trust my colleagues and do my best to make collaboration as easy as possible. Instead of building up barriers, it is important to be open and transparent. I like to encourage my colleagues to shine and praise their achievements. We can learn from everyone, no matter their position. That’s why I think it is also important to value different opinions and to find common ground – especially when working with so many different cultures. I personally really enjoy this kind of atmosphere and I think it can be really rewarding.

What is the most rewarding part about your job to you?
I love that I can work on projects I’m passionate about. I’m very enthusiastic about marketing and sales, and I like to collaborate with different people. So I guess I can say I never left the honeymoon phase with my job. People always talk about work-life balance. To me it is all about making my job as enjoyable as possible. I can value both the time I spend at work as well as my free time.

And how do you like to spend your free time?
I like to travel to cities with museums and book shops, but I also love nature. As a child I wanted to become a farmer with cows, horses, sheep and chickens. It is still a dream of mine, and maybe someday it will come true. I love the idea of waking up in the morning and experiencing all the sounds of nature – birds singing, heavy rain, and the cows mooing. I believe that animals speak with their hearts, eyes and minds, we just need to listen to them.