Project Acceptance and Service Quality Assessment

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

For the past several weeks I have been working with the commercial team at Pixel to develop a framework and template intended to evaluate their client acceptance process.

After completing a working draft, Pixel began using the template to assess (for testing purposes) several RFP’s (Requests for Proposals) that came in the previous week. Based on these tests and some input from Endeavor, we decided that there was still some work that needed to be done in order to finalize the template and framework.

Also, today, I also started focusing on the end of the sales process and how Pixel could  generate client feedback and deepen client relationships. Whether start-ups or blue chips, choosing the right clients and using client feedback effectively can help a growing company continue to improve the quality of its products and services, as well as strengthen its client relationships. My goal is to have some of these processes operational before my time is up in Sao Paulo. I am convinced that the sooner these processes are in place, the more likely they will continue to be utilized long after I am gone.

Week Three Sightseeing: Old Sao Paulo

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Touring Old Sao Paulo with our tour guide, Adriana

After an amazing night at the Escola de Samba, today’s site seeing agenda was pretty simple – go visit old Sao Paulo, also known as Centro. To get to our destination, we traveled on the metro for the first time since we arrived in Brazil. The area we are currently staying and most of the locales that we visit don’t look all that different from buildings I see in Atlanta or NYC but for the first time in the past three weeks, the architecture, not the language or people, was the key indicator that I was in a different country.  I have to say; some of the sights in old Sao Paulo were pretty sobering. I couldn’t get myself to take pictures of the dozens of homeless people we encountered throughout our adventure. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that although this looks like a ghost town on a Sunday, I have heard on Monday through Saturday it is a bustling center of commerce. Enjoy!

Marco Zero – Considered the official center of Sao Paulo

Patio do Colegio – This marks the site where the city was founded. It is a Jesuit church and school started by Jesuit missionaries in 1554. Inscription: Here the cross of Christ was born in this city dedicated to the apostle Paul by Jesuit priest Manuel da Nobrega and Jose de Achieta among other – January 25, 1554 A.D.

Catedral da se – Sao Paulo Cathedral

Banespa – The “Empire State Building” of Sao Paulo

Brazilian Stock Exchange

Mercado municipal – Never ending tasting of exotic fruits and veggies- which became my downfall...

Lunch!

The Market was a never ending free tasting of assorted fruits.

They were all so good that I had to buy some. The vendor was amazing, and looking back, probably a little too good at his job.  After sampling the fruit, I was determined to have some for myself.  Little did I know that it would cost $30! for only 4 pieces of fruit. I was taken by surprise but had already expressed so much interest.... so I paid.  Did I just get hustled? 

Carnival 2013 - Presentation of Fantasias (Tom Maior Escola de Samba)

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Carnival 2013

Tonight we attended the “Presentation of Fantasias” at the Tom Maior samba school, one of many samba schools that perform during the annual Carnival parade in Brazil every year. These schools train all year long to perform for those two wonderful days that the entire world knows. Tom Maior’s theme this year is “Your Passport to Pleasure.”

My boss, Creso Chaves (CEO and Commercial Direct at Pixel) was once a volunteer at Tom Maior and his brother, Yves Chaves, currently serves as the Director of Harmony. We were lucky to be invited to “Presentation of Fantasias.” This was the first time the 2013 Carnival costumes were shown to the members of the community. I may have lost count but I believe that there were approximately 30 costumes showcased  – 30 distinct costumes for each of the approximately 80 to 100 parade segments called  “alas.” Tom Maior has approximately 3,000 participants. Some larger schools in Rio de Janiero have 5,000 – 6,000.

Summary of the night went like this:

Live original samba by the bateria

 Musical performance by the puxadores

Lead singer singing the theme song of the samba school

Presentation of fantasias

Dance! Dance! Dance!

Yup- that's me trying to Samba.  Will doing a search of "how to Samba" help?

Still trying.  Maybe biting my lip will help?

This is a major event for the samba school and the community. They put on quite a production: stage, live music, live band, samba, VIP tables, cat walk, strobe lights, confetti, local Brazilian celebrities, etc.

I found several things to be unique about this particular night. First, coincidentally, CNN aired an episode of Inside Africa exploring the African influences on the samba carnival, which I watched a couple of hours before heading to “Presentation of Fantasias.” Second was the feeling of nostalgia I had at certain points during the early part of the night watching everyone dance so passionately to samba. It made me miss home, not Atlanta or Texas, but Nigeria. To a lesser extent I was reminded of the traditional block parties we have in village during Christmas, New Years, Burial, Weddings or New Yam festivals.  

Samba really is the expression of the Brazilian culture; their cultural identity. I used to think maybe it was futebol, but now see why as a kid we called the Brazilian style of futebol, samba, or why the national team is sometimes referred to as the “samba boys.” Now I can’t wait to visit Rio de Janiero.

A big hearty thank you to Creso and family for such a great night.

Tathyane (Creso's sister), Ravi, Uma, Elayne (Creso's wife), Me and Creso

Baianas – The ‘mothers’ of the samba school

Porta-bandeira and meste-sala – Female flagholder and male cortsy that display and salute the flag of the samba school

Party Time!  Me, Uma, and Ravi