How Digital Times started
We began our presence in the market about 3 years ago when, still working as employees, Thais Blasquez and I identified a market need, particularly among small entrepreneurs, to establish a digital presence.
With some hesitation, but confident that we could implement strategies based on our over 10 years of experience in the field, we formed partnerships and secured our first clients!
Between our employee roles, courses, leisure, and sleep (of course, we needed sleep, but due to the hustle, we didn't always get the essential 8 hours), we cared for our clients as if they were our own children. This greatly aided our professional and technical growth (as we had transitioned into more managerial roles and lost daily platform interaction), but most importantly, our personal growth.
Thais played an essential role in our journey, assisting from the start in shaping Digital Times, celebrating our small victories, dispelling our fears of growth, and providing me with the strength and confidence to continue on this path.
However, there came a point where choices had to be made. We were at a juncture where we didn't have enough clients to leave our employee positions and also couldn't take on more contracts due to time constraints.
As a result, our paths momentarily diverged professionally, but our personal bond remained strong. I still hope that we can have your presence at DT soon.
The turning point
Alone, fearing the future, I continued moving forward and planning. The allure of being an employee had faded, even though I was leading a wonderful team at my previous company. I wanted to leave, start my own business, and take my team with me, but it wasn't yet feasible.
It took 6 months of planning before I could finally resign (and it was painful... wanting something doesn't mean sacrificing other aspects of our lives won't hurt... but it was necessary). On the same day I bid farewell to the Afya group, my heart swelled with emotion because now, officially, I was a full-time employee at DT!
I confess I felt a lot of fear about the future. After all, starting a business in the midst of a global pandemic wouldn't be an easy task.
But with courage and confidence, I pressed on, gradually acquiring more clients who, thanks to quality work, came through recommendations rather than prospecting.
In addition to growing our client base, we achieved remarkable results. My background as a client and in agencies enabled me to understand needs and the strategies to implement.
As the months passed, I couldn't handle it "alone" anymore and needed qualified individuals to assist with challenges.
Toward growth
Around September 2021, I received a recommendation for someone extremely responsible, intelligent, and, most importantly, aligned with my values! I was hesitant about "growing," particularly in terms of the team, because to me, profit isn't the priority; it's about doing what we love while upholding character and life purposes. Bringing Heloisa Rocha onboard was the right choice!
Heloisa joined the team and proved so capable that she received her first promotion in January, moving from Marketing Assistant to Analyst!
This was just the first of many hires that DT made and will make on its journey!
Gradually, projects came in, and we needed specific "hands" with distinct expertise. We realized that focusing solely on media wasn't enough given our overall expertise, leading us to expand our scope to offer more 360-degree strategies to clients.
To maintain service excellence, we began working with other part-time teams for certain projects.
This is how we began and continue to prioritize the performance and efficiency of our work.
And believe it or not, we're just getting started. We're only on day 1!
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