SUNNY DAYS has conducted interviews with a wide range of members. This time, we spoke with two individuals who joined in April 2012—one mid-career and one as a new graduate—and who will mark their 10-year anniversary this April.

At SUNNY SIDE UP, we honor members at their 10-, 15-, and 20-year milestones through the 32 Benefits “Thank You for Being with Us” program.Although they share the same start date, these two joined from different positions—one mid-career and one as a new graduate. We asked them to speak candidly and passionately about their “10 years at SUNNY SIDE UP”!

Read past articles in the series “Why I Joined SUNNY SIDE UP” here!
▼ 9th-Year Member Interview | Why I Joined SUNNY SIDE UP Vol.2
▼ “Mastering One Thing” Isn’t Enough! The Career Path Found by an Ambitious Member | Why I Joined SUNNY SIDE UP Vol.3

[Member Profiles]

Public Relations Division / Bureau 1 / Department 2, Department Manager: Takeshi Terui
Public Relations Division / Bureau 2 / Department 3 / Group 2, Leader: Ryutaro Hayashida

■ Career background to date and why you joined SUNNY SIDE UP

Terui: When I was in college, I knew I tended to get bored easily, so I was interested in the advertising industry, where I could be involved with a variety of industries and interact with many clients. While job hunting with the goal of supporting advertising and promotion behind the scenes, I learned about PR agencies. I joined another PR agency as a new graduate, but after working there for about eight years, I joined SUNNY SIDE UP.

Hayashida: Rather than wanting to work in the PR industry, I joined because I wanted to work at SUNNY SIDE UP. Ever since elementary school, I had admired soccer player Hidetoshi Nakata and often looked at his website and similar pages. When he retired after the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, I visited his website and saw a fried-egg mark. Clicking it was what led me to discover SUNNY SIDE UP.

I was a high school student at the time, and I remember thinking that if I joined this company, I might be able to do something with Nakata. Later, in college, I chose a program where I could study international relations, inspired by Nakata traveling around the world, and during job hunting I applied only to SUNNY SIDE UP. I did not pay that much attention to the fact that SUNNY SIDE UP was a PR agency, but since I belonged to a free-paper club, looking back, I realize I had been involved in PR since my university days.

■ Your impression of SUNNY SIDE UP after joining

Terui: Before joining SUNNY SIDE UP, I had a glamorous image of it and thought everyone was having a lively time together, but once I joined, I was surprised to find that far more people were working seriously than I had imagined. The executives also keep bringing in new business, and the younger members are highly motivated, so I felt it was a company with a very high overall standard. Their media relations capabilities are also strong, and even young members who had just joined were extremely confident in front of clients—so much so that I felt like saying, “Please teach me.”

Hayashida: When I joined, I was simply desperate to keep up with my seniors. I moved to Tokyo from Fukuoka for work, so I was determined to give it my all for at least three years. SUNNY SIDE UP has a young average age, and on top of that, everyone’s mindset is youthful and full of energy.

■ Memorable experiences at SUNNY SIDE UP

Terui: What stands out most is the opening of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, which I handled soon after joining. At my previous job, I had never been involved in launching a commercial facility, and even though I had just joined, it was an intense, battlefield-like level of busyness. Because the passion was so high, even though I was involved for only about two weeks, I nearly cried at the moment it opened. I am also happy that we are still connected even now, 10 years after the opening. It is a truly memorable project.

Hayashida: About six months after joining, there was an exhibition event featuring Michael Jackson’s original costumes. The concept was to display costumes actually worn by Michael Jackson at Tokyo Skytree, and they were recruiting staff internally. My OJT mentor told me it would be tough for a newcomer who had just joined, but I volunteered and was selected to take charge.

Because it was an event with no advertising, if I did not take action, no one would know about it. I pitched it to as many media outlets as I could, and the phone kept ringing nonstop. In the end, we got coverage across all kinds of information programs, and on the first day of the exhibition, there was a huge line, with more than 30,000 visitors. It was a case that let me truly experience the thrill of moving people to action.

■ What has changed and what has not over the past 10 years

Terui: At my previous job, I often handled projects that I could complete on my own, but after joining SUNNY SIDE UP, I began working on more projects as part of a team. In recent years, I have been given roles such as leader and department manager, so I have become more conscious of the significance of working as a team.

Recently, I have also come to trust other members and delegate more. However, I have always loved being on the front lines, and that has not changed, so even in a management position I still have many opportunities to make new proposals. Even now, I make a point of staying actively involved in a wide range of projects.

Hayashida: Speaking about SUNNY SIDE UP as a company, it has truly grown, hasn’t it? Now it is standard for 10 to 20 new graduates to join each year, but when I joined, there were only three of us, and the year above me did not hire any new graduates at all due to the impact of the Lehman shock. The overall headcount has also increased by more than 100 compared to 10 years ago, so I feel it has changed dramatically.

On a personal level, I used to think about things from my own perspective, but I have become able to act while considering other people’s time and money. On the other hand, my habit of frequently checking the news to stay sensitive to social changes and information has never changed.

■ Why you have been able to continue working for 10 years

Hayashida: I believe the biggest reasons are that you can be involved in a truly wide variety of projects and that there are no limits on the scope of work. It is a great fit for people like me who want to try many different things.

Terui: Even within the same PR industry, approaches differ by company, and as times change, methods continue to expand, so I have been able to keep challenging myself. For example, 10 years ago, smartphones were not as widespread as they are now, and communication via social media was limited. When I joined 10 years ago, I was issued a yellow flip phone in the corporate color—it brings back memories (laughs).

■ How to build your career

Terui: I was not particularly ambitious about promotion, but my department manager at the time approached me, and that is how I ended up taking on a leader role. The company’s policy also shifted to small-scale management, and especially recently, it is not uncommon for younger members to be appointed as leaders. Sometimes members about 10 years younger than me become department managers, so it is a company with a system that allows you to build a career regardless of tenure.

Hayashida: Internal titles are important, but I often tell junior colleagues that they should think about their market value. If you increase your value in the market, you can become someone who is valued both inside and outside the company. That can lead to higher pay, and if you want, it also becomes easier to take on a title. Many people go independent after SUNNY SIDE UP, but even then, the connections you have built matter. Because SUNNY SIDE UP offers many opportunities to interact with people outside the company, I believe it is essential to keep increasing your value.

■ Future goals

Terui: It has been 10 years since I joined, but there are still many things I know about yet cannot do, so I would like to deepen my learning. Specifically, if I can build more knowledge around social media and digital and become able to provide direction, I believe it will broaden the scope of my work. Creating time to learn is my immediate challenge.

Hayashida: As adults, many people stop learning, but in the PR industry, you have to keep studying and continuously stay up to date with what is happening in the world.

Terui: Even after more than 10 years in the same industry, what you do and what is expected of you keeps changing rapidly. As Hayashida said, I study every day with the mindset that I need to keep increasing my market value.

Hayashida: Starting next year, I hope to continue working as a member of SUNNY SIDE UP with my base in my hometown of Fukuoka, and the company approved it right away. Given my current situation, if I can commit to results, there is an environment where I can work fully remotely, and that was what prompted me to want to take on more work in Kyushu. I had planned to work hard for three years, but the work was so enjoyable that 10 years passed in the blink of an eye. When I told my manager that I wanted to take the next step, they kindly encouraged me.

There are challenges, such as the excitement of developing Kyushu, where the concept of PR is not yet as strong, and managing members remotely. However, I want to do my best to help realize an environment where all SUNNY SIDE UP members can do the work they love, in the place they love.

This time, we brought you an interview with members marking their 10-year anniversary.

Even now that they are leaders and department managers, their commitment to continuous learning, their hopes for the growth of junior colleagues, and their willingness to keep taking on challenges for the members they work with left a strong impression.

If this article has sparked your interest, we look forward to receiving your entry.Shall we create the future of SUNNY SIDE UP together?