The desire to contribute to others is my driving force, and my origin lies in soccer

"For someone’s sake"

The words I wrote on the board expressing the will of Zeals, the "WILL BOARD." This is a phrase I have cherished since my student days when I was seriously devoted to soccer with the goal of becoming a professional player. Once, I became the top scorer on my team, but what I felt at that time was not the joy of achieving self-realization, but rather gratitude for those around me and happiness when I saw the seniors who were pleased with my achievements. From there, both in my private life and career, the desire to contribute to others has been my driving force.

− Please tell me about your career so far
I joined a web advertising agency dealing with affiliate advertisements as a new graduate and worked as a new sales representative. At that time, I wanted to work in a job that involved more specialized knowledge and fields, and that’s when I encountered Zeals and decided to change my job.

As a second new graduate, I knocked on the doors of Zeals in search of growth opportunities

− Why did you join Zeals?

Actually, at my previous advertising agency, I was selling Zeals’ chat commerce on behalf of them. I was in charge of solutions from competitor companies, but I was keeping an eye on the trends of Zeals’ chat commerce. It was achieving overwhelming results compared to other media and was an entity I was paying attention to (laughs). During my job search, I found a job listing from Zeals, and when I heard about it, I was able to experience that there was an environment to deepen my knowledge about the product's strengths and digital marketing. Above all, through the interviews, I felt that the interviewers, including CEO Shimizu, were sincerely engaging with me, and I intuitively thought, "I want to work with these people!" so I decided to join Zeals.

− It seems you valued skill sharpening and opportunities for early contributions. Has your impression of Zeals changed after joining?

“An environment where you can give 100%”

I am confident that my choice at that time was not wrong. Since joining, I have had various experiences, and even when I wasn’t able to produce results as I expected, my superiors did not cut off challenges immediately by looking at short-term results, but provided appropriate advice and constructive feedback, running alongside me until the end. I feel that it is an environment where I can continue to learn, and if I raise my hand, I will be given missions that I can commit to 100% until the end.
Especially, since I joined in a position like a second new graduate, I am getting along well with all the new graduates, but there are also members who are launching overseas businesses in their third year as new graduates and members who are focusing on organization building as team managers. When I see each person able to challenge themselves, I feel that Zeals truly respects the will of its employees and supports their growth.

Maximizing LTV, I aim to be an account planner who expands the value delivered by chat commerce

− What kind of experiences have you had since joining Zeals?

At Zeals, account planners are divided into new and existing, and immediately after joining, I was responsible for new accounts. I developed my ability to acquire new leads and propose solutions tailored to clients' challenges. Since June 2022, I have mainly worked as an existing account planner for clients in the financial industry. Unlike new accounts, my role is to be in charge of account planning after the introduction of chat commerce, serving as a liaison between internal members and clients.

− Are there things you are conscious of as an existing account planner?

“Communicating the overall strength of chat commerce”

I believe my primary mission is to build relationships with clients and expand the areas where chat commerce can contribute. It is often recognized merely as a solution that contributes to initial purchases, but the upcoming theme is "maximizing LTV." I want to make proposals unique to Zeals by maximizing the power of communication design.

“Aligning the entire team”

In order to proceed with projects smoothly and quickly, it is necessary to align the positions of three parties: clients, partners (agencies), and internal members (communication designers). Each perspective and interpretation of events may differ, but I make an effort to share assumptions and directions carefully through close communication.
Currently, as a leader, I am also sharing knowledge to enable similar engagement from other existing account planner members.

Facing day-to-day tasks “with grit” is the shortcut to achieving our vision

− Do you have any goals for the future?

“To the next standard in the financial industry”

I believe that the financial industry I am confronting is a sector where it is comparatively difficult to enter, but interest in DX has been rising in recent years, and we are indeed entering a transformative phase. I want to create success stories together with financial institutions that have already adopted Zeals’ chat commerce. Furthermore, I aim to evolve it into a solution that becomes the “next standard” for the financial industry.

− Finally, could you tell us how you, Chuyan, plan to “launch the world from Japan”?

Firstly, I want to become an account planner representing Zeals myself. I will strive to cultivate the next generation of leaders so that Zeals can become a globally renowned startup representing Japan.
The goal of “launching the world from Japan” is indeed grand, but I think it is essential for the members working within the company to faithfully adhere to the vision and face day-to-day tasks with grit.

In recent years, the chat commerce market has seen escalating competition with rivals, but I want to maintain a high perspective, continuously question where our direction lies and what our current position is, and grow the company that is Zeals significantly.