Decoding the Work Philosophy of Emi Tanimura, Leader of Good Company, Through Seven Rules: “Life Exists Within Work”

In this article, we interview Emi Tanimura, President and Representative Director of Good Co., Inc., which was established within our group last fall. While raising two children, she also manages her responsibilities as president. With a nod to a certain television program, we decode her unique “work philosophy” through “seven rules.”

About Good Co., Inc.

An operating company engaged in the development of social issue resolution platforms. The company changed its name from SUNNY SIDE UP Career Inc. and began full-scale business operations in September 2021, adding to its existing recruitment services.

—Could you tell us about your background?

Tanimura) I joined SUNNY SIDE UP Inc. in 2009. After working in specialist management and new business development departments, where I was involved in launching new brand promotion businesses, I joined the President’s Office in 2016. Drawing on my experience in new business development, corporate communications, and branding, I assumed the position of President and Representative Director of Good Co., Inc. last year.

One of the projects I am currently involved in is called “W society.” This project was conceived from the concern that “women actually know far too little about their own bodies.” As a project that designs each woman’s “Well-Living” from both physical and mental health perspectives as well as social perspectives, our team continues to work hard every day.

Rule 1: Create Time for Yourself Every Morning

—You seem very busy with project management and other daily tasks. Could you tell us about your daily schedule?
Tanimura) I wake up every morning at 6:00 AM. My day begins with making breakfast for my eldest and youngest daughters. After waking up, my daily routine includes training while watching YouTube. After seeing them off and finishing 30 minutes of training, the time I spend having tea and bread is an important “alone time” for me. That serves as my mental switch.

Rule 2: Compress Lunch Time as Much as Possible!

Tanimura) I basically work from 10:00 AM to around 6:00 PM. Since time is precious, I respond to emails and messages even during train commutes.I believe not spending time on lunch is a time-saver! Getting hungry is inefficient (laughs). At the office, I basically compress lunch time as much as possible. We have a central kitchen in the office, so I often eat there.

Rule 3: Don’t Forget to Diet Your Time

I love delicious food, of course, but to create time, I try not to spend too much time on meals normally. Sometimes I even eat dinner standing up. Of course, I do have business meals, but recently I try to make them lunch meetings whenever possible. In a sense, it’s a “time diet.” I think one of the good things about this company is that each person can devise their own way of working and balancing their life.

Rule 4: Grateful for an Understanding Team Even When Working While Caring for Children

Tanimura) I usually get home around 7:00 PM. I make super-quick pasta, oyakodon, gyudon, salad… three dishes in total. After feeding my youngest daughter dinner, I pick up my eldest daughter from cram school.Despite these hectic days, I sometimes have online meetings with the team while taking care of the children. I am truly grateful to have a team that understands my situation.I’m finally free around 10:00 PM. From there, if I have the capacity, I organize remaining tasks while drinking wine or spend time on myself. I close my eyes around 11:30 PM. Sometimes I fall asleep while watching Netflix (laughs).

Rule 5: Don’t Take Homework Home

Tanimura) Precisely because I’m busy every day, I’m conscious of “handling things on the spot” both at work and in my private life. Resolve what can be resolved on the spot. It’s important not to take homework home. If you take too much homework home, you become anxious and sometimes can’t handle it all.

Rule 6: Don’t Create Boundaries Between On and Off

Tanimura) If I separate on and off time, the time spent on childcare means less time for work, which becomes stressful. The reason I can handle things without stress is because I’ve stopped “separating on and off time.” I work during family time. Not creating boundaries might be the key to balancing everything.

Rule 7: “Life Exists Within Work”

Tanimura) I’m being quite candid about my daily life, but I wonder if this will make a good article (laughs).
However, what I always want to convey to team members is that “life exists within work.”

As human beings, once we’re born, we want to be useful to someone. Without work, I myself would be lazy (laughs). “Having to do something” might suit my nature. To repeat myself, what I’ve valued is “deliberately not switching between on and off” and “not drawing boundaries.” You can experience moments of excitement or thrill in your private life as well. However, creating something with a team or designing and scaling something up is something you can only experience through work. Raising children might be somewhat similar.

Looking back on my career, there have been many moments at each stage where I felt the value of “being useful.”I love my work and want to continue it forever. Such feelings have accumulated like “geological layers,” supporting my working life.

I would like to recommend “public-private integration” to team members and to those reading this article. Work and private life don’t exist in separate places; they are intertwined with each other. Work experience can benefit your private life, and vice versa. Rather than dividing them into separate “boxes,” realize them within a large “sieve.” That way, I believe each person can achieve the “happiness” they envision.

The Future Vision of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP

—Finally, what kind of corporate entity do you want to make SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP?
Tanimura) I want to “perfectly fulfill the role given to me” and aim beyond that as well. While always pursuing the “company’s future” as I envision it, I want to spread ideas—a kind of “positive virus”—that make people around me think, “There are such ways of working and growing too!”

Each person having unique skills is what defines SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP. And creating self-driven, first-person content that influences society is the real pleasure of PR and social good.

Our job is to read the “winds” of society, translate them into strategies, and change the world. I hope to share this “positive virus” with those we work with.

Editor’s Note with Some Personal Feelings

When asked about her role model, Tanimura named Tsuginosuke Kawai, a samurai of the Echigo Nagaoka Domain in the late Edo period.Tsuginosuke Kawai was a samurai who, during the Boshin War, advocated “neutrality” by siding with neither the new government forces nor the old shogunate forces, and devoted himself to developing Nagaoka by enriching the lives of the people (he is also known as the protagonist of Ryotaro Shiba’s historical novel “Tōge”).Naming Tsuginosuke Kawai, who avoided conflict while maintaining his own will and guided society in the right direction, as her role model was a truly characteristic answer from Tanimura.Finally, as someone who studied under Tanimura and worked on projects together for many years, I can say that her straightforwardness (and the stubbornness that comes with it) and strength of conviction are unparalleled within SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP. As a disciple who has been infected by the “positive virus,” I want to continue carrying on those feelings. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Thank you very much.