Life At Glance: with Sudeep

 “Can you tell us about your role at Glance and how your journey with the company began?”   
I joined Glance in early 2021 – one of those ‘pandemic joiners’! Work was wholly remote at the time, with occasional visits to the office in Bangalore for brainstorming, pitch sessions, and things like these.

I was initially a ‘copy’ hire, as there were no copy resources at the time. I came on board as Manager – Creative Copywriting, but that was just the beginning. 
 

“What were your first impressions of Glance, and how have you seen yourself grow since joining?” 

My first impression of Glance was rooted in disbelief – the culture of trust I found myself in was unparalleled, at least for me. No micromanagement, no having someone constantly looking over my shoulder. These things matter a lot in helping one gain confidence in one’s work. 
 

"Can you share a personal story that highlights how Glance's programs or initiatives have aided your professional development?"   
The trust went beyond just a lack of incessant supervision; my manager at the time nominated me for in-house leadership development programs conducted by InMobi and Glance’s Learning and Development team.  
 

“How have you grown professionally since joining the company, and how has the company supported your career development?”    
Glance’s contribution to my career development has been significant. I learned a lot, my confidence grew further, and I found myself able to contribute at deeper levels than I had previously thought possible. Knowing the company chose to invest in my growth has also bolstered my faith in myself and spurred me on to up-skill even further. 
 

“Can you describe a situation where you felt supported by the company or team that reaffirmed your decision to stay long-term?”    
Remember I said I joined during the pandemic? All my family members fell ill not three weeks after I’d joined, and while I didn’t have any choice but to seek leave for some weeks, I felt guilty about it. The guilt would have likely continued, had I not been counselled by the team I was working with at the time – they reassured me and made me feel like a part of the team despite being unable to contribute during the time I’d joined. This is just one of the situations that have occurred, reaffirming my decision to stay long-term. 
 

“How does Glance's culture resonate with your personal values?”

Freedom with responsibility is something that aligns very strongly with my personal system of values – trust is something earned, and with it comes the privilege of being free to operate independently within reason.

“Can you describe a time when you felt recognized for your contributions, and how did that recognition reflect the company's culture and values?” 

My first year with Glance, I received the ‘Rising Star’ Emmy award, and the year after that, my contributions were acknowledged with the ‘007 Bond’ Emmy, not to mention many team-level Emmy awards. I also felt very seen when I was promoted to the role of Senior Manager – it is not something I take lightly, and while it made me happy, it also reaffirmed my sense of duty and responsibility towards ensuring I remained worthy of my new role. All this has helped me strive constantly for more than just ‘good’ – as Naveen once said to our team, if you’re satisfied with just ‘good’, you’ll never get to ‘great’.

"What projects have you been involved in at Glance, and what impact did they have on the company and its customers?" 

This year, the Culture team has started ‘clubs’, and I’m now the Captain of the Literary & Cine Club at Glance – this allows me to leverage my leadership skills towards something that I’m equally passionate about, in addition to my work. I’m very grateful for this! 
 

“What are your aspirations for the future, and how do you see your career evolving at Glance?” 

Going forward, I want to keep thinking big and take more ownership – I’m eager to expand my areas of responsibility, and I’m working towards being trusted for this. I’m super grateful to the leadership team, my managers now and before, and of course, to my awesome team who help feed my energy and passion to do amazing things in marketing!