GO TEAM ALICIA SOUZA STUDIO!
Cute, charming, insanely sweet, and incredibly warm… Nope, we aren’t describing puppies! It is the wonderful and awwww-mazing team at the Alicia Souza Studio.
Team Alicia Souza Studio, is less than a year old but it has grown to a bunch of 15 lovely women and one oh-so-gentle man! The team expanding at a monumental rate was an unexpected surprise, let alone becoming an (almost) all-women team.
In October 2016, it began with just Alicia Souza and her business partner, Saurabh Sharma, at the helm of things. Soon, more people got on board and incidentally they all happened to be women!
At this point, the members of the team aren’t restricted to one job role or function. Romya, The Vendor Woman (nobody does vendor sourcing better than her!) says, “While each of us have a core function, we all do a bit of everything.” The studio is growing rampantly and there’s a whole lot of experimenting and learning involved. “For each of us, the company is our baby and we nurture it with care, commitment and lots & lots of love!”
Alicia Souza – the brand, is all about happiness, li’l quirks and a ton of fun. And the team is a manifestation of everything the brand represents. A typical day in office, you would see the team running around like headless chickens to fulfil orders or jumping in joy because a new product sample came in. Ooorrrr grinning widely at the laptop screen because a customer sent a super sweet mail (oh we get that a lot and that’s why our customers are easily THE BEST!!)
The team working hard, could easily be mistaken for chilling because there’s always loud music, some hot chai and chips. The happiness quotient at work is pretty damn high. And we owe most of it, to Alicia! She’s like the best boss EVER! (ok, Saurabh is toooo!) Because they ensure each of us are doing what we love and we have the space and freedom to express ourselves. Alicia is always super excited while Saurabh is always super composed. And they uphold a beautiful, balanced atmosphere that ensures the team is always super happy to get stuff done!!
It’s absolute nuts when people assume, a bunch of women together would be catty and hostile. Nothing could be hilariously far from the truth! “When I joined as an intern, I didn’t expect to feel so welcomed. Day 1 and they were asking me about everything right from my favourite food to my love life. The welcoming felt so natural and effortless,” says Nandhitha, the Marketing Ninja. “In due time I realised, this is a ritual they follow for any newbie. The team and the workplace just so easily, wins your heart!”
We all have a LOT in common, beginning with the love for chips!! We always have candies, chocolates and chips stocked in office. And that gets us through even the most stressful days too. Oh, that and each other! 😉 When the going gets tough, there’s nothing like what the girls do for each other, “Cute notes on the desk, a big cheer-up message on the white board or taking each other out for some food, post-work; the team is my adorable support system!” says Rupal, the UFO (ultra-efficient finance officer).
Although we enjoy being an all-women team, we are sure if more boys joined, it’d be just as awesome. In fact, it would add to the fun!
Alicia quips, “I don’t mean to brag but the studio is run by a bunch of the most loving, happy, smart, enthusiastic young women I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They are the sort of girls who dance during the workdays, sing when stressed, have love notes at their desks, chips at the office (always a plus!), a cookie fund for Charlie and make any newbie feel at home. I LOVE THEM!”
We create and sell happy stuff, always striving to put a biiiig smile on our customers’ face. And that, is possible because we as a team, are a ridiculously happy family!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wonder Women World.