Hakuhodo hired another Dogra.

45 years ago, Hakuhodo welcomed Jonn into the world with a handmade card for Del Dogra. 45 years later, Jonn completes the circle.

When Christine said “hey, we need to put out a press release for Jonn,” she didn’t say I couldn’t write it. So, here I am writing part of my own press release, because if you’re going to read it on LinkedIn and feel compelled to give it the obligatory congratulatory “like,” then at least it should be worth the read and be remotely entertaining.

For those who don’t know me and my history, my father Del Dogra was once a copywriter at Hakuhodo. When my mother heard I was joining, she reminded me of that funny handmade card they created. One of the name suggestions was Tu-Na Singh because I am half Foochow and half Punjabi.

I actually asked HR on of my first day at Hakuhodo if they had employment records that go that far back, she said she’d check. But why mention all of this to begin with? This is just another press release about some try-hard big shot creative getting a new job, right? Sorta.

You see, sei-katsu-sha isn’t just Hakuhodo’s company philosophy or mantra. It’s a way of thinking about the human condition. While data-driven insights dominate the landscape, Hakuhodo has decided to listen to us talk about our hopes, dreams, and ambitions. There’s heart in this philosophy and that’s why I am here.

They managed to find a big dreamer and give him a role to help others dream big. I say ‘others’ because we aren’t just talking about our clients. I’m talking about the team at Hakuhodo. Sei-katsu-sha means nothing if we don’t practice it inside-and-out.

This is my short story about being a human joining a company with a legacy of learning what it means to be a fully-rounded individual.

In an age where things are becoming more artificial, I am happy Hakuhodo has chosen me to keep things real.