BetterU, Better Us
How Havas Helia fuels creativity and innovation outside of our daily 9-to-5’s.
We love data; we love creative. But, what fuels our strong sense of innovation?
BetterU funds, that’s what.
The BetterU program gives every full-time Havas employee the opportunity and funds to expand their skill sets. Want to learn more about woodworking? You got it. Ready to get Adobe certified? BetterU has your back. Take a look at some of the fun ways we used our BetterU funds to learn and thrive in 2019:
Adobe Campaign and Adobe Analytics Certifications — Andrey & Jien
Some of our Helia rockstars down in Richmond are on the road to their #certification in Adobe Campaign and Adobe Analytics. Our Richmond office is data-driven to the core, and the work they do is revolutionary already. Getting certified is just the cherry on top, and they’ve learned a lot from the process!
Creative Courses — Danielle, Michael, and Eric
Up here in Baltimore, people have taken the opportunity to grow as innovative creatives and strong leaders with courses ranging from wreath making to French cooking.
Senior Copywriter, Danielle Koch, took a wreath making class at Local Color Flowers. Danielle says, “As a writer, I work with words all day. Taking some time to think about colors, placement, and balance was such a nice change of pace, creatively. And it was super relaxing and refreshing to unwind with flowers.”
And the creativity keeps going.
Michael Kinstlinger, our Email Marketing Manager, used his BetterU funds to take a 3-class series on French cooking at the Baltimore Chef Shop — learning to cook a variety of meals, ranging from duck a l’orange to a proper crepe. He used his creative instincts to be a true breadwinner in the cooking class and here at Havas, and his food wasn’t too bad either we hear.
Similar to the other creative classes we’ve taken with our BetterU funds, our Senior Production Designer, Eric Frank, used his funds for a 2-day woodworking course at Station North Tool Library. He built a coffee table entirely out of reclaimed building materials — let’s give a round of applause for that impressive work! Eric felt happy with the final product and connects this experience from the class to his daily design work. He says that, due to a fresh take on the creative and manual process, he has greatly developed upon his already impressive attention to detail and creative mental process.
Creative Leadership Course — Kathe & Sarah
While different teams across the board used their BetterU funds for creative enrichment courses or certifications, our leadership decided to take a unique route. Kathe Flynn, our Design Director, and Sarah Nelson-Balonis, our Senior Interactive Art Director, blended their teams’ BetterU experiences to lead the creative minds of Havas to concept bolder ideas.
The 5-week course covered different styles of leadership, from leading with a strong point of view to leading alongside your teams. It also instilled a strong sense in staying present and reinforcing team values as creative leaders.
We’ve learned a lot here at Havas this past year, and look forward to the vast educational opportunities that 2020 will offer. Our BetterU funds really do make for a Better Us.
