153,687 Steps to Kilimanjaro

153,687 Steps to Kilimanjaro

utworzone przez | | PASSIONS

The highest peak in Africa, Kilimanjaro, was never the pinnacle of my dreams. If it wasn’t for Asia, Ola, Aldona, and Mateusz, whom I met during my trip to Kazbek and Elbrus, I probably would never have gone there. And if I had, it would certainly not have been anytime soon. What convinced me? A vision of spending New Year’s Eve on the way to the top of Kilimanjaro. But let’s start from the beginning 😊

The trip to Kilimanjaro is my second mountain expedition with the same expedition agency, Adventure24. Compared to Kazbek and Elbrus, it was a real holiday, and at the same time for people who would like to try their hand in the high mountains, a perfect opportunity to start.

We leave Poland on December 26th and fly six hours to Doha (Qatar); from there, six hours to Nairobi (Kenya), and about five hours by bus to Moshi (Tanzania), where we spend the night. We finally make it on the afternoon of December 27th. The next morning, we repack and prepare for a trip to Kilimanjaro National Park.

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View from a hotel window in Moshi

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There are several ways to reach the summit. We pick the Machame Route (so-called the Whiskey Route), which consists of 40 kilometers of trekking. On the first day, we do 11 kilometers. It’s beautiful! Sometimes a little rainy, but the landscape and good mood of the participants make the road pass quickly.

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Machame Camp – 2,835 Meters Above Sea Level

The tents are waiting for us on the spot. And this is the first difference between an expedition of mine to Georgia. There, regardless of the weather, we had to look for a place to set up tents and make sure they were stable. Here, everything is ready, and in the tents, there are extra mattresses. Even more surprising for me are the bowls with warm water to wash my hands! I didn’t expect that at all. And they say it’s dirty in Africa.

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We take a moment to set things up while the porters cook us dinner. In Georgia, we also bought such a service (otherwise, only freeze-dried food would have been waiting for us); here they are included for everyone in the price of the trip. There is fruit! Watermelons, pineapples—I don’t pay that much attention to this at home.

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Messa, where we have meals

The next surprise is the water. We can have as much hot water as we need, both for dinner and for the thermos. On Kazbek and Elbrus, we had to heat it ourselves.

The equipment is also different. Previously, I needed crampons, an ice ax, a helmet, and solid shoes; I was walking on a rope. Here, high trekking shoes are enough.

Morning

At 6:30, a porter with cups of ginger tea knocks on the tent, serving it to you when you’re still in the sleeping bag! At 7:00, we get hot water to wash, and at 7:30, breakfast. Between 6:30 and 7:30 we were supposed to pack so that the porters could disassemble our tents and prepare for the next camp. Then we have breakfast, and we’re going up. Breakfast is also delicious, except maybe their porridge, which could not be eaten without honey. We had pancakes, eggs, and sausages.

As it turns out, the mornings and evenings throughout the trekking will look the same.

Next Day’s Destination – Shira Cave Camp, 3,750 Meters Above Sea Level

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Here’s another convenience… this little green tent is our toilet!

The second day of trekking and vegetation is slightly different, and shorter. It’s a nice walk. We get used to the fact that the right side of the road needs to be clear because the porters are always going around with things. And it’s better to keep a certain distance from the other trekkers because some people stumble or drop things. Some distance is better for safety.

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po Kilimanjaro

We reach the height where, on the previous expedition, I had already taken Duramid, a drug that supposedly helps fight altitude sickness. This time, after consultations, I decide that we will see how my body can tolerate altitude.

So far, so good. I had a bit of a headache, but after the pill, the pain went away and did not return throughout the whole trip.

Barranco Camp – 3,900 Meters Above Sea Level

Let’s continue. On this day, our goal is the Lava Tower Camp at 4,600 meters, where we spend an hour, and then we reach the Barranco Camp. The altitude acclimatization on the Lava Tower is supposed to help us reach the summit more efficiently.

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Lava Tower ahead

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Getting out of Barranco was the hardest part of the whole expedition. There was a rocky entrance and porters who squeezed in everywhere, amazing us with their skills of maintaining balance even with the entire clobber on their heads. It is a harbinger of traffic jams and lots of waiting until they finally pass before we are able to move on. After about eight hours, we reach the Barafu Camp in the afternoon, from which we will leave at midnight, in a few hours, to reach the summit.

Barafu Camp – 4,673 Meters Above Sea Level

It’s about 6 p.m. when we get there. We’re waiting for dinner and packing up for a night hike. At 7 p.m. we have dinner until approximately 8:00, and we only have about three hours of sleep before we have to meet the whole group at 11:30 p.m. for one last time to prepare to reach the summit.

Midnight, New Year’s Eve

Singing and cheering all around. We wish each other well, and five minutes later we go up to continue to conquer Kilimanjaro. I look at our route and I see the highway of the headlamps. Crowds!

We’re accompanied by the songs of the porters while leaving the camp; they are both touching and motivating. We continue walking. The sky is beautifully starry, but you have to keep an eye on what’s under your feet, so I don’t get to enjoy the view. The wind is starting to blow. I’m putting on one, two, three layers of clothes. The route is not very difficult, but it is windy and cold.

Night. I have a feeling it will never end. We drink tea at stops, and my hands are shaking so much that I have to focus on not spilling it all over myself. Never, ever have I been as cold as that night. I have on seven layers of clothes (on Elbrus at -25 degrees, I had six!). I never wanted the sunrise that badly.

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During the walk to the summit, we do not talk, we do not joke as we always do. We focus on the road and primarily on breathing and its alignment. The higher we get, the more we have to be careful.

Pole pole

The whole expedition we are greeting the porters. They ask “Jambo, jambo?” (something like “How’s it going?”), and we answer, “Mambo poa” (supposedly meaning “all good” or “very good”). You can also often hear, “Pole, pole”, which means “slowly.” They say that not because the difficulty of the route is a challenge here, but for acclimatization. You have to go slower so that your body can adapt to the altitude and less oxygen.

Uhuru Peak – 5,895 Meters Above Sea Level

The sun comes up at six in the morning, and I have tears in my eyes. The wind and the night made me feel like it would never end. I walked and walked, and I couldn’t see the end. The sun gave me hope.

After that, it only gets better.

We reach Stella Point at 5,756 meters, but this is not yet the official highest peak. It’s about an hour till the top. At 8:30 we reach Uhuru Peak. A few official commemorative photos later, and… it’s time to start New Year’s Eve!

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Oh, yes! I finally go to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the top.

Together with Ania, Aldona, Asia, Ola, and Mateusz, we start to undress. To the astonishment of many spectators, we have New Year’s dresses on underneath! Mateusz pulls out his shirt, vest, bow tie, and a little champagne. Yes! New Year’s Eve on top of the mountain wouldn’t count without it.

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The breeze kept blowing, so our celebration is over after five minutes, but it was still worth it. The faces of others are priceless, and we have nice memories.

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Views at the top

Quickly Down

By 12:00, we are back at our launch camp. Tired and happy, I am finally warmer. After dinner and a short nap, we pack our things and go down to the camp.

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The next day, we’re down. Oh, dear God! How cold beer tastes under these circumstances! I’m not a beer person, but that’s when it tastes best!

In the evening, we have an official dinner with a roasted goat in the background (a unique dish for Tanzanians), and then we are preparing for a safari.

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Was It Worth It?

It was a wonderful trip, although I must admit it was too quick for me. Kazbek definitely suited me better when we could spend more time in those mountains, wake up among them, sit around during the day, and look at them. Trekking is a fun way out, but not my favorite.

153,687 steps on the way to Kilimanjaro are more specifically steps recorded by Jarek, one of the participants of our expedition. Over 80,000 steps up, and the rest down.

This trip showed me that I prefer to spend time in the mountains more peacefully, to be with them, look at them, and even freeze (not necessarily from the wind). In any case, I highly recommend it, and I am already thinking about further trips.

 

Discussion Panels – How to Use Their Potential

Discussion Panels – How to Use Their Potential

utworzone przez | | COMMUNICATION

I often hear during a conference that the discussion panels are boring and do not contribute anything. It’s time you can go for coffee, talk to your friends at the booth, or return unanswered calls. I don’t think it has to be like this. Below you will find some ideas on how discussion panels can become the most interesting part of the conference.

I have had the opportunity to participate in many conferences. Some of them were boring, but there were also some great conversations that strongly influenced me. I often ran the discussion panels myself or took part in them, and I started to wonder what to do to make them better. How could I ensure that both the participants and the panelists themselves benefit from the event? Below are some observations and conclusions that will certainly be useful to all who will one day organize such panels.
1.Define Discussion Panel Goal

I know it sounds cliché, but have you ever asked yourself what the purpose of the panel is?

I think the listener should get the impression that he is listening to the conversation of friends in a cafe. Friends who share their opinions and their experiences. Sometimes they add some details, but above all, they draw conclusions from the group. They say what was done well, where they were wrong, how they rate what they’ve seen recently, etc.

In my opinion, the main aim of the panel is to present the opinions of others who we often consider to be experts in their field. Of course, it is good if you can learn something from someone who interestingly told you how they did something. However, the most important thing is to present your point of view on the specific thing, problem, or situation being discussed.

How do you do it?

Prepare your discussion panel well:

a) Meet the panelists

Of course, if you do not personally know your panelists it is worth getting to know them before the day your panel will meet. Making a phone call to get to know a little more about that person will help bridge the gaps that keep us from being able to talk to them like we would our friends or family. That bridge will also help when it comes to dealing with older ones on the panel who may require more sensitivity on our part, due to their ages or positions.

b) Prepare yourself for the subject you will be discussing

It seems trivial, but sometimes you get an offer to run an event that is not entirely within the realm of your speciality or it has little to do with it. Try to imagine what types of questions your guests may have for your panelists.

c) Prepare issues

They should take into account the objectives of the panel and share them with the other participants. Ask them what they think about your objectives and maybe they have their own ideas on such topics as personal branding, presentations of project effects, or promotional services. Each participant (e.g. the organizer, panelists, audience) has their own goals and you, as the moderator, should strive to take each one into consideration.

d) Find out who your guests will be

A very interesting thing happened during one discussion. It was based on the use of artificial intelligence on the internet.

One of the participants stood up during the question session and admitted that she had expected a much more advanced conversation. She expected to hear conclusions that went beyond the usual repetitive thinking. Everyone was stunned, but after a while, they began to applaud.

For me, this whole situation was a complete surprise and, at the same time, it clearly showed that guests are looking for more information than the norm. Since the conference has a certain format and is addressed to a specific group of recipients, we should understand their needs. Therefore, the debate mustn’t be too complicated for beginners nor too boring for the advanced in our audience.

Panele dyskusyjne – jak wykorzystać ich potencjał

2. Conduct the discussion panel appropriately

You, as moderator, set the tone for the discussion. I really enjoyed one debate when the moderator began the discussion with an introduction of the issue that would be raised.  Then  he invited people to take their places. Each one had the task of talking about themselves and why it would be worth listening to them carefully throughout the debate.

Another interesting solution is to have two moderators. The differing opinions, and even taking a place on both sides of the stage, can give the conversation more dynamics. I don’t like to ask the same question to each participant. By preparing specific questions for each panelist you get to hear what they think individually. Then the discussion gets even better when the panelists talk to each other and add their suggestions and comments. As the moderator, you can stimulate this discussion by asking additional questions to those on the panel.

An example may go like this:

Moderator: Katie, tell me what you think about the use of artificial intelligence in medicine.

Kathrine: I really like this topic… (examples of applications)

Moderator: Tom, what do you think about what Katie said? Do you agree? Any remarks?

Thomas: Yes, but I have a few more of my own… (examples)

When preparing for the discussion panel, we often determine the number of issues that are worth discussing. I remember during one panel, the conversation about women in the IT industry expanded so much in one area that it took 80% of the time. When I talked to the host, I asked her if that was the goal. In response, she showed me the notes she had prepared. That was only one of the ten issues she wanted to address. She said that since the participants were so involved in the discussion, it meant that the topic was important to them and worth developing. That was a great approach! It turned out that after the discussion ended, we all stayed and continued our discussion.

3.Questions from the audience

Often, when talking to various organizers, the question is should we allow or not allow the audience to ask questions, and if so, when? Personally, I don’t think there’s just one answer. I advise against rigidly dividing the time allocated for our discussion into two parts. That would require our panelists to go first and then we would include our audience in the discussion. This could become tricky when our listeners have no questions and the panel is left to come up with something to say just because there is time left to use and no more questions. I think it’s best to allow questions to be asked during the conversation. Therefore, an important job of the moderator is not only to keep an eye on the panelists but also to keep one on the audience to quickly spot a raised hand.

4.Dress code

I think this is much easier for men. Proper slacks, or a pair of jeans, with a shirt and jacket and they are all set. It’s harder for women. I feel that the demands on women are greater, but that is just my impression. I love dresses myself. It’s a simple and quick way to look good and not think about whether everything fits together. I do not wear too short dresses for official events, and yet I have seen in some photos that the dress rolled up and I showed too much thigh. It wasn’t my intent and I was embarrassed about it so now I’m going to choose even longer dresses.

What’s important is the shoes. I’m not talking about them being clean, because that is obvious. They should be well taken care of. In women, flat heels look bad, unless they match the outfit. I encourage you to wear heels, even if they are only to be worn on the panel itself. In my opinion, a woman looks much better in them.

https://anitakijanka.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Panele-dyskusyjne-–-jak-wykorzystać-ich-potencjał

5.Body language

You sit on the stage, however, your listeners have your feet at their eye level. It always amuses me when I am listening to a speaker and see what they do with their legs. Sometimes they cross their legs or bend them in very strange ways, but they don’t realize how they look to the audience. I understand that they are focused on what others are saying, that they are nervous, or that they will be the next speaker. In addition, the debate is often in a foreign language, so we are wondering how to present a given issue so that it is understandable. However, from an audience’s view, your body language may portray something entirely different than the professional person that you really are.

 

Kazbek and Elbrus – memories from the mountain expedition

Kazbek and Elbrus – memories from the mountain expedition

utworzone przez | | PASSIONS

Kazbek and Elbrus – Memories from My First Mountain Expedition

The target for this year was Mont Blanc. I was planning a trip with the Polish Alpine Union. A few days before I was supposed to book a place, my friend wrote on Facebook that she was looking for people willing to trek on Kazbek and Elbrus. That is how my plans changed.

It was going to be my first mountain climbing trip of this kind. I thought about being in a tent and eating freeze-dried food. I wondered what it would be like. How would I logistically pack up all the equipment and then actually carry it with me? Of course, I hadn’t even thought about bathing, but the vision of wet wipes as the only way to personal hygiene didn’t convince me not to go either. In practice, it turned out that it wasn’t so terrible. And although I washed myself only three times in 16 days, I learned that at that altitude our body behaves completely differently.

All I had for this trip

Already packed here

Apparently, „newbies” in this environment can be recognized after they ask about physiological needs. What it looks like when we all walk tied by ropes, you’re wearing a harness, it’s cold, and all around you is a glacier and there’s no bush to hide you. Now I know it’s the least of your problems. And, in fact, nothing unites groups as effectively as human needs.

It was also my first trip in eight years. Also my first, for more than 6 days, where I did not have access to the Internet, and my phone was set to flight mode so that I could only take pictures with it. No texting, no social media, just me, the mountains, and our group. I already know it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Without stimuli, I could enjoy this wonderful experience, views, and people around me. I can’t remember the last time that I came back so rested, relaxed, and happy. Happy because I suddenly realized I had everything! Everything I need to be happy. Happy that I am surrounded by special people and everything is on time.

Georgia, Kazbek – The First Approach

I would compare Kazbek to a woman with PMS—variable, demanding, and difficult to predict.

When we arrived, it was raining fiercely! We stayed in a hotel in Kazbegi to go to our first camp „by the river” the next day. I prayed to wake up in the morning with the sun—and it happened! Morning, beautiful views, great route, conversations with new people talking about the mountains, our experience, our strength, the funny and more dangerous failures in the mountains.

After the first night in tents and a quick breakfast, we went to Meteo, which is at an altitude of 3650 m. Some of us started taking Diuramid—a drug that is supposed to prevent altitude sickness. In the morning, when you see yourself in a small handheld mirror swollen like a potato, it is a sign that you did not drink enough water the day before (at heights, drinking a lot of water is necessary, and Diuramid intensifies it). On the way to Meteo, we cross the glacier, where we follow our leader Jadzia, one after another, like little ducklings. And with 23 people we must have looked like a caterpillar.

On the way to Meteo

Around noon we reached Meteo, where we pitched our tents. A space from which the Caucasus and Georgian landscape were beautifully visible. In total, we spent 4 nights there getting acclimated, waiting for the weather, talking, and laughing almost all the time. When it rained and the wind blew hard at night, the tent was held by the stones so that it wouldn’t fly away. I covered myself with my sleeping bag and pretended not to hear it—it usually helped. I went straight to sleep.

Meteo Camp

With Asia, my tent mate

The date of the expedition also made me so happy because it was my birthday. I like to spend this day differently every year. This year was really special.

The day before, I was negotiating with one of the Georgian guides to bring us wine and bowls to Meteo for my birthday. He didn’t speak English, but he did speak Russian, so I had a chance to practice what I learned in high school and college. I have always believed that every piece of knowledge will be useful to us, and as you can see now, it turned out to be extremely useful 😉 The next day, on horseback, a total of three liters of delicious red Georgian wine was delivered to me (maybe it was the altitude, but we really enjoyed it) and a liter of chacha. The delivery wouldn’t arrive until approximately 12:00 am, so while we waited, Asia (my tent mate) and I started celebrating. Eventually, there were 8 of us in our two-person tent.

There was a lot of singing going on in our tent and everyone in the field knew it was my birthday. We had to end the party on the 16th because that night we planned to leave for our climb.

Preparations started with them speculating if the weather would be nice, what we should pack, and how to quickly gather and climb the mountain at night. The conditions did not look good at all.

For the Peak!

1:00 am: Meeting to discuss what we’re doing. Even with the wind and the rain, the group pushed us to go and try. Finally, Karol (the second leader), Jadzia, and the Georgian guides decided we should wait until 3:00 am and then try. All the bad weather conditions had to go away before we could make an attempt.

3:00 am: We’re all looking forward to it. Finally, we get started. It’s dark, but we have our headlamps.  We are full of mixed emotions: stress, adrenaline, and above all, curiosity.

The weather was good, but the group was large. Quite often we needed to take breaks and make stops. After we tie on our ropes, every step takes even longer. Meanwhile, there was a sunrise and it was cold.

And I… well… I was starting to not feel so good. In general, I started to have intestinal problems, which was not comfortable at all. Finally, just before we started the climb to the glacier, Karol asked if anyone wanted to go back and I told him that I do. I wasn’t in the best shape, so I decided not to take any chances. Kasia also decided not to go on and Karol returned with us to Meteo.

I don’t know which felt worse: that I felt bad or that I was quitting. Half an hour later, Karol called on the cell phone. Jadzia, who kept walking up the mountain, said that due to the deterioration in the weather everyone was going back. On the one hand, I felt sorry for them,  but on the other hand, I felt a little relieved. Kasia and I would not be the only ones who weren’t able to go.

After the unsuccessful peak climb, the team felt terrible. We packed our things and went back to Kazbegi. A sense of sorrow, anger, and failure was strong. In the evening we all went out to dinner and someone suggested that we could go to Elbrus quickly and return to Kazbek. It seemed unreal at the time, but life can be surprising!

Elbrus

We got up in the morning, got on the buses, and went to Russia. Along the way, we saw beautiful views of the mountains, cows on bridges, and had conversations about the climbs. In fact, you don’t talk about anything else on such trips… 😉

Unfortunately, we were going with four fewer people. For various reasons, the others had decided to forgo the rest of the trip. Right away we learned that the ascent would take place sooner than we’d thought. We arrived on Saturday and the ascent was initially planned from Monday to Tuesday. Now the crew decided that since the weather had changed we would be leaving on Sunday. I felt that all the negative emotions that had been hanging in the air suddenly fell to the ground and shattered. Everyone’s mood changed for the better.

The next morning, we rode the cable car up the mountain to 3850 meters above sea level. Shortly afterward, we had to acclimate at a new height of 4800 m at Pastukhov Rocks and then returned down the mountain.

During lunch, we were told that we had the option of entering Pastukhov Rocks with a snow truck at night in order to avoid the cold and increase the chances of ascent. After my unsuccessful climb to Kazbek, I wanted to minimize the risk of not climbing another mountain, so I immediately agreed. The group was divided into those who decided to leave right away and those who would enter with a snow truck. Our second group had approximately 2 hours extra to ascend and we could stay a little longer in the shelters.

Ascent

Elbrus is a different type of mountain than Kazbek. I can now say that it is boring. You just walk uphill in the snow. At first, it’s a hard walk, but an interesting sight when you look at other groups walking in the dark with their headlamps. But it’s very cold. When we climbed, it was around -24 degrees with winds at 40 kph.

Break. We bask in the sun – I wore six layers of clothes

I was wearing six layers of cloths that I took on and off depending on whether we were in the sun or the shade. The entire peak ascent lasted approximately 6 and a half hours. There were times when I wondered what I was actually doing. What’s the point of all this, this exhaustion, is it normal? While climbing the mountain, there is really no time to do much thinking. Most of the time, going uphill, I just counted 1,2,3, or thought to myself: left foot, right foot. That made the time fly by for me. I’d rather look at the feet of the person in front of me than see how far it is to the top. You can see things in the snow on the way up, but I prefer not to write about it.

When I walk uphill, I don’t like to talk. I prefer to focus on where I am and how I should place my feet as I observe the environment.

Peak

I think I will always remember Piotr’s words: „Ok! We can’t go any higher in Europe!” The feeling is great and the views are beautiful.

We succeeded and the weather was exceptionally good for us. Now that I think about it, Elbrus wasn’t such a difficult mountain for me. The descent was hard for me though. I didn’t sleep the night before so I was tired. I had enough. Fortunately, I took every opportunity to slide down on my buttocks. At a certain point, the route is so cool that you can sit and slide down—it is a pity that we didn’t have any sleds. My pants have their own story!

The whole way down I had one goal: a hot shower in the hotel! We were all super happy and excited to get down the mountain in the cable car so we could take a bath as soon as possible. I imagined these warm streams of water on my frozen body. But life would take us by surprise once again. There was a malfunction in the entire village so there would be no hot water for the next three days! But we were surprised once again. Asia got a kettle from the hotel and several people boiled water in jetboils. And that’s how we washed in the sink instead of the shower.

In the evening, the topic of Kazbek was brought up.

We decided to split into two groups: those who want to try again and those who will return to Kazbegi and then on to Tbilisi, where they will explore the area.

I decided I was not going to let the opportunity pass by to try climbing Kazbek again. In total, there were 9 of us who decided to hire a guide and horses that will carry our things for us.

Kazbek for the Second Time

We’re back! This time the ascent to Meteo was a piece of cake. For the first time, I experienced the energy and efficiency of acclimating!

We had one day to rest and the next day at 1:00 we would leave. We began again with the same terrain and emotions. I was „protected” by an anti-diarrheal drug. It was a mistake to open an email the day before and read something quite upsetting, but fortunately, I could count on support from other members of the expedition.

With Ola on top of Kazbek

Kazbek is a very interesting mountain and we took an interesting route. On the way from Meteo, we saw a moraine, rocks falling, and a glacier with fissures. There was much more diversity, but it was also dangerous. Here we had to use ropes, because “Kazbek does not like singles”, as we read in the advertisements in Meteo.

We reached the top without even realizing it. The fog was so thick that, unfortunately, we could only Google the views from the top. Still, the satisfaction level was at the max! It was our second try, but this time we made it!

And I found partners for my next trip. Because, as it turns out, we’re passionate about climbing and we have an appetite for more climbing adventures.

KAZBEK I ELBRUS – WSPOMNIENIA Z MOJEJ PIERWSZEJ WYPRAWY GÓRSKIEJ

Our wonderful team

What Do I Like about This Kind of Expedition?

People! No one talks about their work because we are all in diverse fields of work. The only thing that matters is the common goal—to reach the top and have an exciting time doing it. We all support each other, help each other and share what we have.

I was on my first commercial expedition and probably not my last. It is convenient to only have to think about going, eating, and sleeping, almost like a Tamagotchi.

This expedition literally showed me what you often hear. It is not the summit or the goal itself that is important, but the path that leads you there. I like to remember the time spent with others rather than just getting to the top of the mountain. We were on Kazbek for a short time. With all the wind and fog, we wanted to get off of it as soon as possible. Elbrus, it was beautiful and the weather was sunny. Goals were achieved, but the fact that we did it with such a cool group of people only increases the satisfaction. If I had a stone in my shoe for the whole trip, climbing to the top would not give me so much satisfaction.

Thank you for the photos: Ola, Mateusz, Robert. I also used a few from the Facebook profile „Adventure24”.

Communication for the Success of Innovation Development

Communication for the Success of Innovation Development

utworzone przez | | BUSINESS, COMMUNICATION

Innovations, startups, IT industry—these are such powerful words. The search for the first Polish unicorn continues!

However, creating a well-functioning IT company is a real challenge and we often hear statistics that 9 out of 10 companies are failing. Focusing on technology, consecutive lines of code, and software effectiveness are essential. Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg, because the solution must be properly communicated to sell it.

Advanced algorithms, artificial intelligence, and IT technology allow for increasing the possibilities of automating our work, predicting purchasing behavior, and supporting sales departments. All this is so extremely interesting, but it also raises many doubts among people who do not understand the functions of each one. What, then, should be done to ensure that the work of developers, testers, and graphic designers working on solutions is not in vain? How do you increase your success in the fastest-growing market in the world?

Technology is the future

The drive towards information technology is not surprising. There’s an increasing number of investors, business angels supporting young people (although not always), who are eager for  them to be successful. In addition, government programs are supposed to help Poland become another Silicon Valley, so that we can have another Skype, even Facebook. Everything is accompanied by successive rankings of the richest in the country and in the world, where the representatives of the IT environment are increasingly represented.

What unites everyone, without exception, is effective presentation and communication. Of course, these are apart from continuous product development. Without understanding how the technology works and how it can help us solve our problems, it will be really difficult to convince anyone to buy it.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Geoffrey Moore’s book, “Crossing the Chasm. Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers”, it is time to catch up. The author presents the development phases of each product in an interesting way. For this purpose, he uses the theory of the diffusion of innovation by Everett Rogers. This theory assumes the division of people based on their reactions to new technologies. Among them, we will find innovators, early adopters, late majority, and laggers.

Moore convinces us that the biggest challenge in the development of any innovative product is to move between different groups of people. At the same time, he theorized only such a process guarantees success on a global scale. In his book, we will find a description of how to reach each group and how to communicate technology so that it is understandable.

Komunikacja sukcesem rozwoju innowacji

How do we get started?

First of all, start your adventure with communication by answering the question: who do I direct this product to? Whose needs does it address and to what extent? It seems to be a trivial question. But if you meet a journalist and discuss what you do, I won’t be surprised if he says, „So, what are you so incredibly innovative in that I should write about it?”

And here we have another challenge. That is, how to talk about technology in an understandable way. How is a person with a strict mind supposed to present to a humanist the activities of web harvesting or Fog Computing? The simplest answer—in context. Think of all sorts of situations where your product is useful. Prepare yourself and gather such examples. Try to make your examples as interesting as possible and at the same time more widely applicable. This is especially important if you want to reach business or lifestyle media. Although this is the first plan of action, unfortunately, it is sometimes the most difficult.

Ideally, you would already have a case study, one showing your method of design and implementation.

 

 

Every Customer Is Your Showcase

Every Customer Is Your Showcase

utworzone przez | | BUSINESS

Whether you realize it or not, it’s who you work for and how you work that matters. Every customer is your showcase!

Depending on the role you play in your company, you can have more or less influence on the selection of customers.

Sometimes you have no choice but to work for the company. As an employee that is what your employer expects you to do. In this situation, you have only one option—to gather up all your creative energy and get to work. The final results, further customer recommendations, or involvement in subsequent projects will be based on how well you execute that energy.

The features that I value most in my work are effectiveness, compliance with implementation, and successful cooperation. These are the values that guide our company and I constantly emphasize them to team members. The environment is small and word-of-mouth marketing makes words spread faster than we think. Below are some more reasons why it is worth treating the companies we work with as our best business card.

  • The cheapest form of advertising

In Come Creations Group, recommendations are practically 99 percent of the acquired customers. Existing business partners are often asked by others who support them in the field of Public Relations and so they come to us. On the one hand, it is the greatest form of appreciation, but at the same time a huge responsibility. Now that we’ve been recommended, there’s no room for laziness or resting on our laurels here.

Looking for more jobs? Let your achievements speak for you.

Try to explain the bigger picture. Ask for references and let others you want to work with know about your business.

Or maybe you could ask current customers to recommend you or your company when they hear that someone needs help in your specialty? I always ask for recommendations and no one has ever resented me for it. It has been quite the opposite.

  • A source of pride and satisfaction

Awareness that others have heard of our work builds company pride. Knowing that others recognize our efforts to produce high-quality products every day, gives us additional motivation to act. It’s always nice when someone comes up to you and says they’ve heard of X’s client, but they didn’t know it was the result of our work.

  • Recruitment support

Successes act as a magnet, attracting others, not just customers. Often, the result of our work is subsequent applications of people interested in working on our team. When recruiting employees, candidates often mention that they have visited our social media, know our case study, and know the clients we work with. They tell us that their goal is to work and grow with us. In a situation where there are few qualified employees on the market, this is a real reward for us. And of course, this is another chance for further expansion.

Quality is paramount and in a world where competition is high, only high-end professionalism will do. Being effective is not just about being confident of the company’s fate, but it also ensures that you get to choose the companies you work with and at what rate.

What more could you ask for!

And here are some of our case studies.