Episode Details

On this very special episode Gratitude Through Hard Times, Host Chris Schembra and his guest, Drahomíra Mandikova, celebrate meaningful connection and its power to generate profitable solutions not just for shareholders but the world at large. Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Asahi Europe & International, “Drahus” (as she is known to friends) shares with us the unique North Star principles that drive one of the world’s largest alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer companies, with 19 breweries exporting to 90 markets globally. You will be intrigued to learn about the meaning, power and intentionality behind Asahi’s emphasis on four simple words: “Let’s have a beer.” It’s about bringing awareness and building community – person to person – as the foundation to individual wellness and a sustainable “human-environmental ecosystem.” For Drahus, the first step is the critical one: Pause. Reflect on the talent, passion and ultimate purpose you bring, as well as the legacy you wish to leave. Her values-driven vision has shaped Prague-based Asahi’s workplace culture and brought clarity to the company’s mission statement. “We have all these goals,” says Drahus, “but to really bring them to life and enjoy the good feeling, we need to be in the present, work together and create connections to step-by-step bring about those long-term dreams.” We are on the road together, folks, and it starts with gratitude!

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KEY TOPICS:

• If you could thank someone who helped you through some of your darkest hours, who would that be and what were you going through? A mentor with an especially keen way of helping Drahus unhitch from unnecessary catastrophizing and impatience.
• A Moment of Reflection: About the importance of taking a pause to come into the present, then step into the past through reflection.
• 2030 Legacy of Good: How Drahus and Asahi’s company culture have coalesced around a mission based on a multidimensional balance of past, present and future.
• A Mentor’s Advice: About Inner Child work and how it can reintegrate intuition and help return us to the essence of who we are and wish to be.
• Empathy is Everything: Why Drahus believes that the companies that actually care about the human-environmental ecosystem in which they function will bring profitable solutions to very real pain points. A win-win-win!
• Embracing Failure: False starts and falling short are part of a holistic learning process.
• Brand Purpose: About the Asahi brand’s commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and community for its tens of millions of consumers.
• Remarkable Marketing: How Asahi has mounted campaigns that bring people together, helping them feel connected and seen on a personal, human level.
• The Problem of Loneliness: About the creative ways Asahi’s multi-national team is trying to build bridges – old to young, left to right, across lifestyles and geographies.
• Asahi’s Legacy Mission Includes Being Bold:
  • Speak directly and compassionately to tough issues, like mental health.
  • Moving 20% of the corporate portfolio into nonalcoholic beverages.
  • Beer as a vehicle for making meaningful connections.
• Drahus’s Personal Purpose: Making business and environmental growth sustainable.
• What She’s Up To:
  • Coordinating breweries across Europe to build sustainability into their production.
  • Creating a strategy to