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AnyMind Group

April 25, 2024

The global mindset and appeal of AnyMind Group - our Taiwan and South Korea leaders share more

In mid-April, Wing Lee, our general manager for Taiwan, and Ted Kim, our country manager for South Korea, visited our Tokyo office. Since this was a great opportunity to learn from some of our leaders, we held a special session titled: “Global Mindset and AnyMind’s Business Appeal” as part of our new graduate training program. Shodai Fujita, head of influencer marketing in Japan, facilitated the sharing session, as our speakers shared about their career paths, working styles in a global company, and how they developed their early careers.

Wing Lee
General Manager, Taiwan

Ted Kim
Country Manager, Korea

Please tell us about your careers

Wing: I attended evening classes at university and worked at a marketing company during the day!
I enrolled in evening classes at university and worked in sales at a marketing company during the day. So, I started working when I was 19. There were times when I was too tired from work to be fully conscious during evening classes! After graduating, I switched to Dotmore Media, which focuses on influencer marketing. I joined AnyMind as the General Manager in Taiwan in 2021, and in the three years since then, sales have been on the rise. I believe I have been able to contribute significantly to the increase in sales by leveraging my previous experiences.

Ted: I joined Samsung as an engineer
I graduated with a degree in engineering and joined Samsung as an engineer right after graduation. Since I was assigned to a new business department, both the company and my superiors required more expertise in this new business area. Despite being a new graduate, I had decision-making authority and took responsibility for growing myself. Furthermore, even though I was an engineer, I gained various experiences in business strategy and sales. After that, I switched to HP, obtained an MBA in Canada, and built my career at companies such as Microsoft, Google, X, Teads, and ADA. Since we established our Korea office, we were able to significantly increase sales within the first few months.

In your first year as a new graduate, what mindset did you bring to your work?

Wing: I approached my work with passion, belief, and staying true to myself!

In my first major marketing project with a leading cosmetics company, it was a small project with a limited budget. However, I believed it was important to tackle every task earnestly and positively. As a result, we received appreciation from the client, built a strong relationship of trust, and eventually entrusted with most of the projects that the company implemented in Taiwan. Even now, I continue to absorb new knowledge and strive daily to provide the best solutions to clients.

Ted: I tackled my work with a sense of responsibility, and intend to contribute until retirement!
I joined the company with the intention of contributing until retirement, given it was a major corporation. I vividly remember undergoing rigorous training at the training center as if it were yesterday. As I mentioned earlier, I was assigned to the new business department, so I was required to think and act independently, free from existing frameworks. Through this experience, I felt the excitement of proactively creating a business from scratch.

What was the reason for joining AnyMind?

Wing：
I joined my previous company, which was a local Taiwanese company, as a new graduate, so joining AnyMind was my first exposure to a global environment. Upon joining, I immediately faced the challenge of the English language. At first, I could only speak English hesitantly, but by attending numerous meetings, I gradually became accustomed to it. Moreover, the culture of listening attentively even to my imperfect English was very supportive. Now, I have overcome the barrier of English and gained experience in a global company. In the future, I hope to nurture talents who can thrive globally and provide wonderful experiences to the members of the Taiwan office, just as I have experienced.

Ted：
I feel that AnyMind has already achieved a certain level of success in the Asian market. I believe the background of this success lies in the unique platforms that have been developed. Unlike the traditional SaaS model, AnyMind adopts the BPaaS (Business-Process-as-a-Service) model, which I find appealing. In this model, human operations complement what may be lacking in SaaS. With my past experiences and AnyMind’s solutions, I thought I might be able to explore new business opportunities in the Korean market, which led me to join AnyMind.

What are the future prospects for each market?

Wing：
Over the past two years, the Taiwan office has experienced rapid growth. The main factors driving this growth are support for influencer marketing and assistance in monetizing publishers. Currently, we are also launching initiatives in the e-commerce and D2C (direct-to-consumer) sectors. In the future, the Taiwan office will continue to accelerate by expanding existing businesses and embarking on new ventures.

Ted：
The Korean office is currently expanding into the cross-border influencer marketing arena. We visited Japan this time to facilitate the entry of Korean brands into the Japanese market, and we have realized the high demand for this. While supporting the overseas expansion of Korean brands, we are also actively engaged in domestic projects in Korea. The Korean market is as large as the Japanese market. We will continue to meet the needs of both domestic and international demand and provide optimal solutions.

Q&A with Japan Office Members

Q: How did you overcome fatigue and hardship in the past?
Wing：
Our CFO, Keizo Okawa, once said: “You don’t get tired if you’re really passionate about something.” I love working at AnyMind, so I don’t feel tired or stressed out!

Ted：
Managing stress is essential for achieving success at work. As responsibilities increase, stress management becomes increasingly important. I believe it’s crucial to consult with your superiors and gradually build up resilience.

Q: If you could give advice to your past self, what advice would you give?
Wing：
I would ask myself: “Did I do my best?”
Once you enter the working world, you’ll interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Unlike during your student days, you’ll encounter various opinions and criticisms from different people, which can often be challenging to deal with. I believe that if you always strive to do your best, you won’t be swayed by external opinions.

Ted：
I joined a domestic company in Korea as a new graduate. When I was younger, I had no opportunity to gain global experience. Sometimes, I wonder how different things would be now if I had gained more global experience from a younger age.

Q: How can I showcase my value among people who are more skilled than myself?
Wing：
It’s crucial for team members to involve their superiors. As the General Manager in Taiwan, I often receive various questions, many of which revolve around mindset rather than technical aspects of the job. By building close communication and transparent relationships with team members, we can work with a shared understanding.

Ted：
I don’t believe that superiors are always superior. You should have skills that your superiors don’t possess. I think one way to contribute to the work is to utilize those skills.

Q: In a situation where there are too many things to worry about and a lot of information to handle, how do you control it?

Wing：
I acknowledge that I’m not perfect myself. Therefore, I control it by seeking help from others when needed.

Ted：
I have served as a country manager, including for other companies, for about 8 years, and I particularly struggled with task management. As a result, I deepened my knowledge by reading about 20 books on related topics. Consequently, I became able to manage tasks effectively. Even now, I continue to improve my skills by reading books or learning from audiobooks while on the move.

Message to New Graduates
Wing：
AnyMind is a company filled with young and talented members, boasting a great culture and passion. Joining AnyMind is a fantastic choice for all of you. Regardless of the department or position you are assigned to, always give your 100% and put in your best effort. By doing so, you can build trust with clients and colleagues and achieve great results!

Ted：
Yesterday, we had a meeting with a Korean company, and our CEO, Kosuke Sogo, also joined the meeting from Japan. The representatives praised us, saying, “AnyMind has an interesting approach that’s not typical of Japanese companies!” At AnyMind led by such a CEO, cherish opportunities for global activities from a young age, always perceive things with a global perspective, and apply it to your daily tasks.