Year 5 at rhum: A Journey of Growth and Gratitude

Written by Ralph Lauren Dizon

Yes, you read it right, I've been part of this wonderful family for a year FIVE years now!

It has been a while since I wrote my "1 year at rhum", well, 4 years to be exact (Yes, I'm somewhat of a mathematician 🤓) so I decided to do another recap of these five amazing years at rhum.

I'm already hearing some of you whispering:

“Ralph, why aren't you job hopping, you're leaving some money on the table.”

“Staying more than two years at the same company will hurt your career in the long run.”

Well, I'm aware that there's always a better, nicer opportunity out there but for now, I’m happy. I'm working on some great projects, I'm doing impactful work, I have a stable & flexible job, I enjoy what I do and to my eyes, what we have at rhum is special (C’mon look at all these beautiful pictures!). And right now, that’s all that matters.

As I reflect on the past five years at rhum, I feel a mix of emotions: pride, joy, gratitude, thankfulness, and excitement.

I joined rhum as a fresh graduate student (read “young padawan” here) who was lost in life. Honestly, I had no idea how much I would grow and evolve in this role, and how much rhum would support me along this amazing journey. 

Quick refresher: read my year 1 recap 😉

But Ralph, what did you do after your 1st year at rhum? 

After my year as a sourcer, I slowly transitioned as a talent acquisition specialist and started handling the client side more and more. But after a while, I felt a little disconnect between myself and the work that I was providing, I was good at what I was doing but the research aspect was not as present as I would've liked. And that is when I started talking to Pierre-Luc and seeing if there'd be an opportunity to focus more on sourcing and he replied to me: "At rhum, you build your own adventure" so we decided to make a plan around that year and that is how I became more of a Technical Sourcer and we started to build this department ! To this day, I’m still sourcing and I'VE BEEN LOVING IT! 

Fun fact

When I need a sourcing boost, I wake up at 5:00 AM, put on a hoodie, my headphones, and my glasses, and then scan the internet, creating a simple but effective boolean (Yes, you don't need a long boolean to find gems sometimes), do some xrays, create CSE’s etc... I always feel like a detective trying to find someone missing during those sourcing sessions 🕵️

What else, tell us more!

Where can I start? Well, I was also lucky to take care of our interns at rhum. I've always felt blessed to be working in a company that is open-minded, and willing to give a chance, and that is why I feel like I have to give back to students by being a mentor for the next generation. But when I look at our "ex-interns" aka our talent specialist/Talent sourcer (Major shoutout to Gloria & Marie-Jeanne), all I feel is pride and that, is GOLD to me (Very cheesy, I know)

On top of that, roughly a year ago, I became more involved in the operations at rhum. Dana and I have been working more and more together and I found this collaboration inspiring and refreshing! 

Our main motto is: Operations is all about enabling our people and making sure they are happy" - Simple as that.

At first, the operations felt like a huge mountain but we tackled it, one project at a time and with kindness throughout the whole process. The journey just started but I'm super excited to build all this!

And finally, I started giving some small trainings and workshops last year. It was scary, felt like an imposter but I still managed to give a great experience with the support of Pierre-Luc and for me, seeing those Aha moments in the participants eyes is always priceless!

After 5 years at rhum, what are your most valuable learnings? 

That is a great question, I have grown not only as a sourcer/recruiter but also as a person. I have developed new skills, gained new perspectives, and overcome a lot of challenges. So here's my 3 valuable learnings:

Always be curious

I do believe that maintaining a curious mindset is crucial for personal and professional growth. And that means questioning everything around you, striving to understand how things work, and what leads to certain outcomes. Find that junior in you! Having this mindset is important especially when you're sourcing, as it allows you to explore new avenues and prevents you from feeling stuck. I really feel that curiosity fuels creativity and innovation! And it will definitely keep you engaged and excited about your work. 

Lead with kindness

When we hear the word kindness, it is often associated with how we treat others, but it is more than that. It is also to be kind to ourselves. We often put immense pressure on ourselves to meet certain standards or achieve something specific. However, it's crucial to remember that it's okay to make mistakes,  learn from them and move on & improve.

For me, leading with kindness means creating a positive and supportive environment for yourself and others. It's also about acknowledging your achievements, no matter how small, and treating yourself with the same compassion and understanding you extend to others. So, bring out the Champagne! 😉

Be patient

In today's society, we often want things to happen instantly. (From our Amazon orders, mobile Starbucks orders, etc..) We want everything right now.

However, I do believe patience is a virtue that can lead to better outcomes. And that's exactly what happened, one year of follow-ups with Pierre-Luc led to 5 years working for rhum and never regretting the move. It's important to understand that good things take time. Patience allows you to reduce stress, and make more thoughtful decisions, it may lead to better results in the long run and it will definitely make the “end goal” sweeter. 

As my fellow Ralph (Ralph Waldo Emerson) would say, life's a journey, not a destination! So let's embrace patience!

Anything you'd like to add? 

I simply want to say that I am grateful for this adventure at rhum, and for the trust and recognition I have received from the rhum team, the collaborators and our clients. Thank you for the amazing memories, challenges and laughs!

I am beyond proud of my growth (personal & professional),  what we have achieved over these five years, and I am excited for what's ahead. I look forward to continuing this beautiful story at rhum, and to contributing to rhum’s future.

Thank you all and I mean it from the bottom of my heart ♥️

That was my little story with rhum.

So now: CHAMPAGNE! 🍾

With love,
Ralph Lauren Dizon

*Padawan out*
*Master Jedi out*