I am proud to be part of this company today

It's a moment of pride for me today when the company announced a stellar performance in the FY2011 annual results. During the analysts' briefing this morning, I hung on to every word from the Regional CFO's address. Now, I am not "numerical". I still add and subtract with my fingers, and did not realize there was a difference between a scientific calculator and a regular one. Yet, I mentally processed every number reported and closed my eyes in satisfaction when the Regional CEO mentioned that one of the contributions to the sterling performance was attributed to the launch of a specific product last year with a strong marketing plan.

My team and I had a part to play with that plan, and it gave me a lot of satisfaction to know that the long days, late nights, some exasperated moments, the laughter and tears throughout that period from strategy to implementation was all well worth it.

In the last 2 years, I have had many rough moments in the company when I sometimes questioned if I was just an insufferable "Ditzoid", destined to peddle "fluff" around technically sophisticated products and label the effort as "Marketing Communications". I sometimes felt like the unimportant and best forgotten "step-sister" of the sales process, best to be wheeled out only to add some color, copy and pretty images to the advertising and the brochureware.

However, as I was managing the press to announce these results today, it filled me with immense pride to be in this company as part of a team that had contributed to the great results. Gradually, my ridiculous self-doubts dissipated.

After a sleepless night and a grueling 13-hour day dedicated to the results announcement, I came home from work to a couple of bright-eyed and cheery people waiting to finally spend some quality time with me. I resolved to take David and Joel out for ice-cream to celebrate a successful 2011, knowing that they too had to put up with my mental absenteeism and often cranky disposition in the last couple of weeks as we prepared to announce these results.

Postscript: Apart from the fabulous A-Team, I dedicate this blog entry to 3 friends, RN, AM and PH who have made this success possible. It was humbling to be in the trenches with you guys.