James Syngai captures in writing, what he spoke to a group of Chillibreeze graphic design trainees in 2023.
My actions, and yours, have left an imprint on Chillibreeze. Here’s a look at our history and expectations.
Today is the US holiday of Thanksgiving, which brings back my first memory of Thanksgiving in 2006. That year, we held an event where we invited all the staff’s parents to thank them for their support. I still believe that without family support, working in this company over the long run would be hard.
I started with the company in November 2005. My first pay check was Rs. 2,500 (with inflation that’s about Rs. 8,800 in 2025). Back then, there was no vision, mission, or values (at least not in writing). It was just a job. My father always wanted to see his five kids employed before he retired, so I’m glad I made that happen, being the youngest. I’ve never been attracted to government jobs, so right from the start, my focus and energy have been fully with the company. I was neither pressured nor tempted to look for other jobs.
My first recollection of Ralph talking about his vision for the company was in 2006. Even now, I still see some slides from that PowerPoint deck posted in Teams. I remember because I worked to make the slides look better. It was just something I read; I never put much thought into it.
How My Job Became More Purposeful
My view of work started to change when we began hiring more people to work solely in PowerPoint. Remember, back then, we were doing all sorts of design related things—just about anything customers were willing to pay for. When we brought in two new people to do PowerPoint formatting with me, I realized that what I do matters. My job became more purposeful. It wasn’t the company’s purpose but rather my own purpose of creating jobs for others. That truly drove me to be even more committed to the company and my work. I became relentless in how I served customers. Nothing was too hard or impossible. Whatever challenges we faced—internet failures, bandhs, people quitting, people saying nasty things about the company, poor work culture, new kinds of projects, skills we didn’t have to serve customers—we always found a way to overcome and continue serving customers. We couldn’t afford not to serve customers.
Chillibreeze uses many phrases that reflect how we got to where we are today. One that has always stuck with me is "Sink or Swim." It means we face situations where failure impacts not just you, but the whole company. We had to swim, no matter what it took. Not just swim, but, using another common phrase from Ralph, “swimming upstream.” This means doing things that no one else is willing or capable of doing. Like going against the norm or status quo.
Saying “I cannot do this,” “I don’t know,” “this is too much,” or “this is too hard” was never an option. I always asked myself: If not me, then who? I still ask myself this question even today. Personally, I do whatever it takes to stay healthy. Imagine my context back then: if you’re the one person responsible for doing PowerPoint in the company, can you really afford to call in sick or take leave?
Whatever was required of me, I always took it as both a challenge and an opportunity. There was a time when I did sales. I closed the deal, worked on the project, sent the invoice, and reminded customers to pay if they were late. Many of us were multitasking, so we also had to learn how to troubleshoot the little things that went wrong with our computers.
Looking back now, our skills were probably average at best, but there was something about us that made those early customers come back again and again. Let me dive into the behaviours that continue to be alive in Chillibreeze.
We were authentic; our actions matched what we said. We were fast and reliable. We set and met deadlines. We were available when they needed us, which meant coming in early, working late, and working on weekends or holidays. This has been so embedded in the way we work that now it’s not a big deal anymore; it’s what is expected. We were organized; we didn’t mess up by sending wrong files or missing an email. We were disciplined. We were loyal to them. We learned their likes and dislikes, so they didn’t have to repeat themselves. We asked questions rather than guessing. We made it easy for them to do business with Chillibreeze. We never left them hanging. We didn’t make excuses. We paid attention to details. We were quick to say sorry when we messed up and didn’t repeat the same mistakes. We were fair and honest, billing by time. We kept information safe.
Our Strong Customer Relationships Are Built On:
We are authentic; our actions match what we say.
We are fast and reliable.
We set and meet deadlines.
We are available when customers need us, which means coming in early, working late, and working on weekends or holidays.
This is so embedded in the way we work that now it’s not a big deal anymore; it’s what is expected.
We are organized; we don’t mess up by sending wrong files or missing an email.
We are disciplined.
We learn our customers likes and dislikes so they don’t have to repeat themselves.
We ask questions rather than guessing.
We make it easy for them to do business with Chillibreeze.
We never leave them hanging.
We don’t make excuses.
We pay attention to details.
We are quick to say sorry when we mess up and don’t repeat the same mistakes.
We are fair and honest, billing by time and ensuring they get value for that time.
We keep information safe and confidential.
We must continually uphold the Chillibreeze culture that has fostered loyalty and built strong customer relationships.
The Birth of Our Three Core Promises
Our three core promises were not pulled out of thin air. We did that consistently since 2006. In 2014, we put those actions that our customers loved about us into words that are on our website today.
Was it because we had such good customers that we excelled in giving that extra mile service, or was it the other way around? I would say both. There’s a story of our first customer, The Arnold Group, requesting PowerPoint formatting. They partnered with us and helped us buy Microsoft Office licenses for the team.
To all my newer colleagues in Chillibreeze, you will all face your own set of challenges. I believe that your response to those challenges must hold true to what has built this company—grit, determination, reliability, and what I just shared earlier.
Customer expectations are different today. But how you respond to these expectations, or the attitude of your responses, must not move away from the core of Chillibreeze: authentic, do what you say, relentless service attitude, service with sincere care.
I believe that we don’t have the right to serve. Rather, it’s a privilege that we get to serve. If we think of it as a privilege, we will do what it takes, we will do what is right so that we can continue to serve.
Being a part of something that has helped build the foundations of this company will always be one of the things I’m most proud of in my life. Over the years, others have built on that foundation. What part will you play in building this company to last for 100 years? I leave you with that thought. We’re not perfect, but we have a proven track record.
