Intercultural Inspiration: Why I started Rolen Communications

"You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea."

-Picasso

The internal process of creating my own business began in the Fall of 2011, not knowing what shape it would take, all I knew was what skills I possessed that I could leverage towards a successful business. Having been surrounded by a multitude of different cultures over the course of my life I have grown to adapt my methods of maintaining and creating professional and personal relationships, beyond simply gaining a secondary understanding of the language used, to the point that I completely modify my speech patterns, body language and style of dress to allow me to navigate the cultural currents instinctively. 

Why then couldn't an enterprise of my own creation be dedicated towards teaching others how to do the same? 

What I had previously believed that discouraged me from putting as much dedication into applying my experiences towards a new business was that I believed many of the adaptations I had undergone could be taught as standardized international business etiquette for any company that desires it, internally.  But the more I recounted what I could bring to the table, the more resolutely I believed my experiences would be better suited towards being utilized within a personalized and multidisciplinary context that would combine my education in the humanities and social sciences with my internationalized background. So while it began as a vague notion of wanting to apply my experiences towards helping others, the concept of Rolen Communications is now grounded into three ideals that my business will build upon: internationalization, personalization and transparency; ideals which will course through each of the services I will provide to any organization which desires them.

We Made It Through The First Round of LIOF Yeah!

The first selection round of voting for the participants of LIOF Yeah took place yesterday. Of the 109 entrants, 66 were culled and I am very proud to report that of the 43 remaining Rolen Communications is precariously, but happily, sitting at number 35!

Thank you to all of my supporters that made this happen and I hope that by the 21st of October we can move up to the top 12 to and have an even better chance of winning.

A few posts back I mentioned how you can vote for my company, but here is the link again:

http://www.liofyeah.nl/candidate/details/3764/

Once you vote you'll receive a confirmation e-mail that you have to open and click on the link in order to validate your vote.

My responsibility is to earn your vote, so keep an eye on this page where I will continue to clarify the vision I have for how this company can ensure a ideal environment for multicultural communication for as many parties as are willing in Maastricht.

What is Intercultural Communication?

The concept of 'intercultural communication' is nebulous for most. While outlining how it can be put into practice is a multifaceted process there are fewer ways better suited to introduce you to the general idea than this charmingly animated video.

What can we bring to the table for your organization?

While understanding the philosophy of Rolen Communications is essential for manifesting belief in our potential, how does this company aim to go about achieving said philosophical goals? 

Intercultural Strategy Briefs

Outline various approaches my clients might take in order to become more international diversity within the client organization. Or how my clients can achieve marketing goals in international markets where cultural sensibilities can impose significant barriers to being competitive in a globalized arena.

Text writing

Formulating texts that will take different cultures into account based on in depth communications research into the chosen culture.

Workshops

The workshops will focus on increasing the skill sets of my client in some specific areas including but not limited to public speaking and cultural adaptability.

Vote for Rolen Communications for LIOF Yeah!

We're in the running for this year's LIOF Yeah competition! If we manage to get to the top 12 by Sunday October 21st then we'll progress to the semi-finals. 

How do we get there you may ask? Click here and click 'Stem' to vote for Rolen Communications! Thank you in advance, and spread the word among all of your friends!

What is Rolen Communications?

Rolen Communications is dedicated to facilitating the intercultural communications potential of both commercial and non-commercial businesses in Maastricht. The services offered include: the preparation of strategic marketing briefs, text writing for communications materials such as press releases, internal or external newsletters and workshops.  Each service is designed to extend the cultural awareness of my clients towards both their coworkers and the organization’s ability to communicate externally with other cultural demographics or national markets.  My international education in media production, international relations, political science and journalism will further deepen the intercultural advice provided to my clients.

Maastricht in particular is positioned as a cornerstone towards extra territorial trade and development but some of the companies that exist within it don't have the available resources and training to attract international employees, or partners. This company encourages the expatriate community to consider Maastricht a viable alternative for their business when compared to other geographically proximate cities such as Brussels, Cologne or Aachen. 

Both my professional and academic experiences have given me an intimate understanding of the differences existent in the communicative dynamics between nationals and expatriates as well as the different methods that are required to effectively communicate with them.

Rolen Communications will make the methods, products and workplace conduct of all of my partners more streamlined, productive and understandable to all, regardless of the cultural barriers which may have previously stood in the way.