Authenticity
When my now-husband saw my wedding invite list, he took issue with it.
“Why are half of them ShopBackers? ShopBack is your life now because you’re working there, but it won’t be your forever. These people could be more than colleagues now, but they might fade later.”
I insisted on keeping all of them.
Fast forward from 2018 to now, and I can say that the majority of my closest friends are still ShopBackers.
Before we graduated from ShopBack, we all agreed that we would never have such an experience at another company. My ShopBack era (2015–2019) introduced me to a world of amazing people.
I had the chance to work directly with Henry when I joined. All the new single ICs reported to Henry. We called ourselves the #OpsPride. It was a kaleidoscope of people from different backgrounds, and the camaraderie was palpable.
Henry made a significant difference to us. Serving directly under him, even for less than two years, was an incredible experience.
Many of my #HabitsNotGoals originated from my ShopBack days. I was never the smartest one in the room, and I was always learning new things from everyone else.
It was a turning point for me.
It made me realise that I was missing out on creativity and that there are many ways to do things. It made me think outside the box and learnt how to maximise limited resources.
It also gave me lifetime friends. People I couldn’t believe would want me as a friend. How did I deserve them? I don’t know. It’s luck that I crossed paths with them during my ShopBack era.
I’ve been gone for more than four years, but the news still shook me. I read Henry’s note in his voice, and I knew he meant every single word.
The amazing part? It’s not just PR.
It’s Henry. He’s human; he’s real.
For those of us who worked with him, we know this is Henry. Not anyone else. If you copied and pasted this note elsewhere, it wouldn’t have worked.
This note worked because those of us who worked with him, we know this is Henry. We feel his pain. We even teared up with him because we knew he would never do this if there was any other way.
