We’ve been through a lot the past two years, so it’s easy to forget to be grateful for everything – and everyone – we have. But I recently received some fan mail that stopped me in my tracks. This letter was from a member of the INGCO team who wanted to recognize my hard work and the importance of what we’re doing to remove language barriers that stand between people and the information they need.
This employee just happens to be my son, Oscar. Oscar has seen me at every stage of this journey, from the early days when I was learning as I went and barely scraping by to today, more than 15 years later, running a thriving business. I am so grateful to know he understands the power of what we’re doing, and he sees the sacrifices I have made, both during COVID-19 and in building this business while raising him as a single mom.
Oscar’s thoughtful (and, let’s be honest, tear-inducing!) note has really stuck with me and has me feeling particularly grateful, both to be his mom and for everything our team has achieved this year. With Thanksgiving a few days away, I wanted to stop and share a little positivity from our INGCO family.
On the business side, we’ve grown our revenue and invested in our people to connect more customers with our services. I’m proud that we attained ASTM International and ISO 17100 certifications for our translation and interpreting services, further bolstering the strength of our offering, and providing our clients with independent verification that we’re meeting or exceeding industry standards. I’m also proud of all INGCO has done to support school districts and families with virtual translation services. I truly cannot think of anything more important than supporting kids and their parents when it comes to education. In the midst of it all, we launched a newly designed website that better aligns with our mission.
But we could never have done all that without the incredible people who keep INGCO going every day. Our team is amazing, and I am beyond thankful for their hard work and passion for our mission. This year…
- We hired our first employee in France. Martin is a project manager for corporate interpreting projects, supporting clients across Europe, so the U.S.-based team doesn’t have to take the red-eye shifts!
- Ra’Janae had a baby boy, Rey’Vion, our first INGCO baby! He’s adorable and loves to surprise us on Zoom calls.
- Andy’s baby girl, Eva, turned one and our first employee with a British accent.
- Hannah bought a house! She’s using her incredible carpentry skills to fix it up.
- Ariel also bought a house – a tiny house on wheels! – and she’s going to travel across the United States.
- Flor visited her family in Argentina for four months and got to meet her nephew for the first time.
- Natalia graduated with a degree in translation from la Universidad Católica de Salta and is now a Certified Public English-Spanish Translator.
- Ellie is a DREAMer, and after more than 30 years, finally got her case approved!
It has been a big year for the team, and I’m honored to have witnessed such life-changing milestones.
Personally, I am grateful that I took the time this year (not quite sure how!) to go on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica – something I’ve always wanted to do. This year, my mom and son will be with me for Thanksgiving, and we’ll gather with neighbors to celebrate together.
As you take time to reflect on all you are grateful for this year, we wish you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. We hope you are able to relax and enjoy this time with the ones you love most. Also — click here to learn about our team!