Purpose + Culture at Translation

My visit to Translation met all expectations I had going into and more. Anybody who knows me knows my deep-rooted love for sports, especially basketball. That lifelong passion is the reason I wanted to go to Translation more than any other agency, as they have done a lot of work with the NBA brand and community.

What took me by surprise was not the incredible work they have done, but the reason they do it. Translation CMO, Chauncer Barnes, gave all of us in attendance a poetic speech on the deep-rooted purpose in everything they do. He exposed, for lack of a better term, the motives and intentions of many participants in the industry, explaining that at Translation, if they aren’t pushing culture and creating new, deeper meaning, then it is not worth doing at all. Some create Ads simply for the money and numbers that come from them, but they have much bigger aspirations. 

An important message he shared that stuck with me about personal growth was being mindful of who you are comparing yourself to, essentially saying that if you compare yourself to anybody that is rich or successful, but don’t assess the reasons and tactics by which they reached that success, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Work hard with purpose and meaning and the rest will take care of itself. 

Thank you, Translation.

Jordan Cordiner | 5.15.19