Welcome back to “The Voices Behind the Words: Member Spotlight” – our interview series shining a light on the diverse stories and experiences of our members.
Our next interview is with Marta Castello, Innovation Manager at Creative Words.
1. Please can you share three interesting facts about your company?
1) At Creative Words, we bridge the gap between academia and professional careers with CW ELAB, our free e-learning platform. Our team and active community collaborate to help translators and students enhance their skills in translation and localization, continuously updating content with the latest advancements
2) We take time management to a whole new level. What began as an internal focus on optimization has evolved into a fundamental aspect of our operations, ensuring we’re always at peak efficiency, maximizing productivity and minimizing waste at every level.
3) Who could forget our four-legged colleague, Mimmi, who brightens our days and boosts everyone’s mood whenever he’s around!
2. What aspect of your company do you believe sets it apart from others in the industry?
Innovation at 360 (am I biased? maybe!). When we talk about innovation, we’re not just talking about technology. For about three years now, we’ve been implementing a 4-day work week to help us all achieve a better work-life balance. For years, all CWers have been integrating technology into our daily lives to increase productivity and streamline processes.
We’re always looking for ways to improve, and we put a lot of effort into making real changes. What really sets us apart is our commitment to finding practical solutions, not just discussing ideas.
3. What is something about your role that people might be surprised to learn?
See failure as not just good, but great. When I first started as an innovation manager, it was hard and frustrating to see us invest time and resources in research that turned out to be dead ends. Over time, I realized how important it was to find those dead ends, adjust the shots, and eventually get it right.
4. If your job had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Honestly, I never thought about it before, but the first song that came to mind is “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Don’t ask me why, though, I don’t know the answer!
5. If you could choose anyone as your mentor, who would it be and why?
Is it cheesy to say that I think I found the best ones already? All kidding aside, I would choose two mentors: Oliver Sacks and Virginia Woolf. They have both taught me a lot through their stories and the narratives of their lives. I want to learn how to articulate complex issues with the clarity of Sacks and embrace Woolf’s innovative thinking that challenges readers to think outside the box.
6. If you could change one thing about the language industry today, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the language industry today, it would be to foster a greater sense of collaboration and innovation among all stakeholders.
The challenges we’ve faced so far have highlighted the need for cooperation and partnership in developing new solutions. The localization industry is already quite cohesive, but imagine the possibilities if we all committed to addressing our biggest concerns together.
And I wouldn’t limit it to the big players out there, universities need to be involved, research centers, all stakeholders can make a difference.
We are in the midst of a revolutionary change, and we are being given our chance- isn’t that exciting?
Company name: Creative Words
Company website: https://creative-words.com/en/
Name: Marta Castello
Job title: Innovation Manager
