The encounter with Ishigaki Island is the beginning of everything.
I want to help everyone on the island
Leaded to Euglena
Immediately after entering university, Nagase visited Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, in search of an encounter with a coral reef. The people of Ishigaki Island always warmly welcomed Nagase, a poor student who was fascinated by the beauty of the sea and visited many times, and eventually he began to eat and sleep for free like a family. Nagase, who was fascinated not only by the nature of Ishigaki Island but also by people, vowed to his heart that he would like to live with Ojii and Obaa while helping to enrich Ishigaki Island. ..
At that time, Nagase was about 20 years old and didn't know much about the world, but he inspired the entrepreneurial spirit and tried one after another measures that could be useful for regional revitalization of Ishigaki Island, such as crowdfunding. However……
"It didn't work at all. Rather, I was disappointed and sad because I was encouraged by the old men on the island. At that time, there seems to be a company in Tokyo that cultivates a large number of creatures called" Euglena "in Ishigaki. I heard that was my first encounter with Euglena. "
At that time, Euglena was only a few years old, and it was less well known than it is now, but it was the first time for Nagase, who was not familiar with biotechnology. When I looked into the company, it seemed that I was developing a project called "Mifaiyu Project" related to regional development in the Yaeyama region, including Ishigaki Island.
"Although it wasn't as big as it is now, a new venture company is trying to promote the area on its beloved Ishigaki Island. It made me excited. At that time, I was driven by my passion. I went to Euglena to negotiate to support the revitalization of the island. As a result, it didn't bear fruit, but when a young man who didn't know where the bones of the horse suddenly visited, I met and listened enthusiastically. I felt that it was different from other companies. "
A few years later, Nagase, who went on to graduate school, was about to find a job. Nagase still wants to do something that will lead to the prosperity of Ishigaki Island, and Euglena has emerged as a place of employment.
Euglena 's hiring period had ended when I hurriedly expressed my desire to join the company because I was carefree. However, while talking about the history of Ishigaki, I took a special exam. I was allowed to accept it, and after that it was fine and I decided to join the company. "
Nagase, who joined the company in 2013, was assigned to the department that sells products in the healthcare business, and demonstrated his own vitality and achieved great results.
From "Ishigaki love" to "Euglena love",
And to the joy of creating a business.
A lot of energy came out while I was absorbed in it
"To tell the truth, at first I wanted to be assigned to the department that runs the cafe" ISHIGAKI euglena GARDEN "that Euglena set up on Ishigaki Island."
It was because I wanted to be directly involved in the regional development of Ishigaki Island. However, as a result of improving his grades in sales training for new employees and being evaluated, he was appointed to the sales position. It was the result of working hard on the work in front of me, saying, "I am confident that I was second to none in the amount of energy I wanted to succeed in my work."
"I woke up. In addition to the love of Ishigaki, the love of Euglena and the joy of creating a business."
At the time of 2013, Euglena was listed and rapidly increased its growth speed, and the degree of public attention was steadily increasing. You might think that the product sold even if you kept silent, but it didn't seem that easy.
"No matter how good Euglena is known to be, it's not uncommon to convince buyers of large retail stores such as supermarkets to get space for sales floors. The beverage market is a big competitor. There are many, and there are differences in the amount of people and money that can be spent between major companies and venture companies. We had to operate each house carefully with a small number of people. "
Obviously it's a difficult story, but Nagase speaks with a lively expression.
"In the end, it's a fever. How seriously we are to convey the appeal of our products. I realized that retail buyers are watching it. If you're passionate, you won't lose. As I learned to convey the charm, I realized how good Euglena is for the human body. Even if I didn't overdo it, I said, "This must be drunk by many people." I'm getting excited. Then, little by little, the number of customers who occupy the sales floor increased, and I was able to know the joy of creating a business from scratch. "
At first, Nagase's heat source, that is, motivation, was that "if Euglena is activated, it will contribute to Ishigaki Island." However, it is said that it is difficult to continue selling only by topicality, and thanks to the highly competitive health drink market, we were able to realize the true value of Euglena and open up new markets, so they are also Nagase's. It became a heat source.
In the fall of the sixth year after joining the company, Nagase was appointed as the director of the Osaka sales office and is working on a mission to further strengthen the market in western Japan, which is performing well.
"What we do is the same as before. We just go around the retail stores, face the buyers there, think about what is good for consumers, and make suggestions. In a new market, when Euglena is introduced on TV, it sells like a fly for a while, but the momentum will surely diminish only by topicality. At that time, our power and the power of products will be It will be tried. It's not just about talking hotly, it's about processing appropriate information into various forms, devising ways to disseminate it, and delivering it to consumers in each region for their support. "
Furthermore, Nagase wants to make a loud voice now that he has learned about the rigors of business in this job.
"You might imagine a stylish and cool look to open up a market from scratch or start a business, but that's not the case. It's tough to do business, but that's why there's so much to learn. For me, I want people who want to start a business to join Euglena Euglena has solid originality and product power. With the backing of that, we challenge to create real business and new markets. I don't think it's a good chance to be able to do it. "
Finally, I asked Nagase's own vision for the future, but after all this hot man was not shaken until the very end.
"I'm going to Ishigaki Island! I want to achieve more results and give back to Ojii and Obaa."
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