Discover the four winners of Republik's very first totems

Republik's latest, and first-ever, gala hosted by greatest-of-all-time duo Martin, our culture manager, and Manny, our in-house photographer, was a bang. On December 20th, for the first time in the company's history, Republik rewarded four members of its team, four of which are embodying the agency's different social standards. Here's a play by play of this eventful night.

Last October, we left our office located on St-Alexandre street towards an unknown destination. Vincent and Martin took advantage of our Offsite, inspired by our very own social standards, to create moments that will never be forgotten. On Friday night, we gathered the whole team in the living room so our president could proudly present future projects. In between his speech, which was sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, he surprised us with one of the new Republik's totem specially made for us by Machine.

Why totems?

For Vincent, these totems play a massive role within our team culture.

"Our social standards are important to us. If we showcase them on our different social media platforms, we also need to present them in our office. But most of all, they also act as a reward for our employees and help strengthen our team spirit."

We praise the agency's employees for their excellent work on the daily, next to the coffee machine or in between two clients. With the totems, we make sure we recognize their good moves with something a bit more collaborative than a smile or a tap on the back — all the more critical since the team votes for the four people they want to reward.

The principle is simple. Each totem is a physical representation of our social standards. At all times, the agency's employees can submit another's colleague name that embodied one of these social standards in a particular situation. Every quarter, a committee meets up to take a look at the different applications, and unveil the finalists in each category. Members of the team then have a few days to vote for the personality of their choice that, according to them, deserves the social standard totem the most. Later, during a weekly meeting, the four winners are announced. The fun part is, throughout the next quarter, the desk of the winner is decorated with its attributed totem.

On the 20th of December, when the whole team reunited in the office bistro for the Christmas gala, we attributed the first four totems. Here are the winners.

Tyran Trieu, graphic designer/motion designer, winner of the totem "Think Bold"

As a graphic designer, Tyran is often working on projects that require a significant amount of time, which needs him to isolate himself in a room far from his colleagues. That is what happened last autumn when he had to spend hours, even weeks, in a spot by himself to develop a visual identity for one of our clients. Even if most people had no idea what he was working on, the ones that knew did not hesitate to drop his name for this social standard totem.

When he stood up, quite surprised, but still happy, to claim his prize on December 20th, the gala hosts read a few sentences to welcome him in front of the crowd:

"He had a strong idea and decided to push it to its limit like everything was possible. In that case, it was."

For you, Tyran, what does it mean to think bold?

"It is easy to say that it simply means to think outside the box, but for me, think bold, is not only having the idea but also having the courage to say it. It is often a risk, a gamble. But it doesn't mean you can't take the time to calculate that risk."

Justine Laurier, social media manager, winner of the totem, "stay curious"

Not a day goes by without Justine, our community manager, taking the time to share a piece of news, an article, or a trend report to her colleagues. In team meetings, when we have a particular question, it is not unusual for Justine to dig and find the answer we are looking for (then proceeds send it to the individuals who wanted to know more). This anecdote is even more accurate when we talk about social media, beer, weekends in nature, or kitchen supplies. When we need her for her expertise, she always gives more- even if we asked her not to.

For you, Justine, what does it mean to stay curious?

"It means to continue even if we do not know the right answer and never to underestimate a subject that may seem a little less interesting. It is to be humble since to remain curious, you have to admit you do not know everything about certain subjects. The truth is, there is always a new thing to learn and another point of view to discover."

Manny Fortin, creator, photographer, and winner of the totem "Be committed"

On paper, Manny is a creative and a photographer. Two fields in which he excels. But beyond these two titles which we appreciate him for, he likes to call himself the handyman of the office, since the man is as good as setting the bistro when we welcome a particular event than making sure each employee has everything they want and need- and we mean everything. Just like that time when he completely reworked the employee onboarding process. What we were able to read on his nomination:

"Seeing a person excel and grow through a federative project for Republik while providing a clear objective on deliverables and being able to accomplish all of it AND delivering the good is truly inspiring for the whole team."

For you, Manny, what does it mean to be committed?

"It is to have the best interest of everyone around me at heart, even sometimes before my own. It is to think as a "we" instead of "I". Because everything we achieve as a team, as an agency, and as a human wouldn't be as powerful as if we were to do it by ourselves."

Marie-Hélène Leclerc, account manager, winner of the totem "Speak real"

Each and everyone that crossed paths with Marie-Helene can tell without a doubt that she says what she means and means what she says, even regarding the hardest subjects. Inside or outside the office, she does not hesitate to address difficult questions, while also being able to congratulate the people surrounding her when it is time to do so. Between two spinning classes, during a client's call or a cozy one on one, she makes sure to stay real and approaches each meeting with the same outlook and with the desire to address good things at the right time.

For you, Marie-Helene, what does it mean to speak real?

"I think you cannot be shy and have to share your opinions. When we do share something, it opens a discussion, one that everyone is invited to join. It allows us to learn from each other and grow by asking questions. For me, it doesn't mean speaking louder than everyone. It just means to talk when you feel the need to and when the time is right."

To learn more about our social standards, click here.