Office space in tune with your strategy
How Pitch Perfect found an office space perfectly in tune with their strategy.
You’re about to step out and give a career-defining presentation.
All the people you’ve ever wanted to impress are in the audience.
You’ve slaved over this, given it your all. You know what needs saying; you’ve honed how to say it. You’ve neglected your family, left friends’ birthday parties early, missed all the telly everyone’s talking about. You’ve thought about what to say and how to say it in taxis, on planes, in the gym, out running...
Now the moment has finally arrived. And where are you? You’re in the bathroom, a very pale shade of green, wondering how you got here and who on earth you think you’re kidding.
Deon and Emma, co-founders of Pitch Perfect, have seen this scenario more times than they’ve had cappuccinos.
‘So often, clients think they have to be a certain way in business,’ says Deon. ‘They don’t know who they actually are themselves.’
Having thoroughly explored his own identity as everything from geography teacher to lifeguard, running shoe salesperson to City executive, Deon met Emma while studying acting. The light bulb moment happened when they realized the self-knowledge and consequent self-reliance required to be a credible actor can be applied to all roles in life.
‘It’s not about acting per se,’ says Deon, with all the infectious enthusiasm of someone who has found their true vocation, ‘it’s about knowing where you are in your own story. When you understand yourself, you can choose which of your emotions or states of mind to bring to bear on a situation. You engage your own personal values and your business self becomes authentic.’
While there are serious and transformative consequences for Pitch Perfect clients, Deon and Emma’s approach is playful. This is reflected in their Waterloo office space with its Alice in Wonderland theme, perfectly in tune with Pitch Perfect’s strategy of examining what is authentic and what is deception.
‘We love it here. Office Space in Town are fabulous, their staff embody that combination of fun and professionalism that sits so well with our culture. We get on, like and respect each other, share values.’
Life isn’t always pitch perfect, though, as Deon and Emma know very well. But – as they help their clients to understand - it’s how you react and what values you draw on that matters.
‘We’ve come through tough times. We took on more staff, and it didn’t work out.’
It is important to Deon and his commitment to authenticity that past difficulties are spoken about. So he goes on to explain that something similar happened seven or eight years previously, when Pitch Perfect worked out of serviced office space in Wandsworth. On that occasion the owners responded by escorting the team from the premises.
Office Space in Town couldn’t have responded more differently.
‘They went on a mission to find us the right space,’ says Deon, ‘and found us a smaller, temporary office at St Paul’s which was just right.’
Pitch Perfect is now back in Waterloo on the third floor with their eyes on one of those fifth floor balconied spaces…
‘Office Space in Town operate like a great group of people who happen to run a business,’ says Deon, ‘and that attitude comes from the top down. They know who they are and it shows.’
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good dealon where you want to get to.
As the world of business reiterates over and over, any fool can be successful. But being happily successful? That would seem to involve the bravery and strength to bring your authentic self to the party too. And gather round you those who do the same.