Finding balance: how Joceline manages her passions with work (copy 5)

With impeccable writing skills, Joceline Boutros has joined Alpega Group to become part of our Alpega TMS business. In our Group, she is responsible for “turning concepts and ideas into words that go to our target audience”, in the form of writing, editing, and creating content for our Blog, Press releases, webinars, and social media, among others.

Joceline was born and raised in Belgium, but at 18, she moved to Beirut, Lebanon, where she has her origins. Her ability to tell stories and her curiosity to know more about her origins took her on this adventure, in order to comprehend its culture.

She shares why joining Alpega was a rewarding challenge and how she is carving her career path in a way that allows her to pursue her passions and dedicate time to family.

Inspired by her family

I have always had a passion for words and the literary world. I started writing at a young age and self-published my first novel “Permis de vie” at the age of 20 in Beirut, Lebanon. I am of Lebanese origins but had lived the first half of my life so far in Belgium. At the age of 18, I decided to move to Lebanon and get to know this country I had heard so much about but couldn’t comprehend its culture. It is with that in mind that I started gathering stories that allowed me to understand better and I turned them into a second book that was published in 2011, titled “Aux Coeurs de Beyrouth”. Fast forward to 2019, after the birth of my second son I decided to dive into the world of motherhood with a twist and started working on a third book called “Secrets of a sarcastic mother” that is not out yet but that talks about the joy and pain of the journey to motherhood in a very sarcastic way. My youngest son has Williams-Beuren Syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder which first came to us as a disaster but ended up turning into a calling. I am an advocate for Williams Syndrome in Belgium as well as Lebanon, co-founder of the Williams Syndrome Association in the Middle East and currently writing a book on this condition that affects the health and development of their carriers but also gives them a gift for music and love. In “Walking with William”, I portray the disorder as an adventurous, full of love-for-life man, who sees beauty and love in everyone and everything. The romantic story rotates about his complicated life and health, and their impact on his relationships.

I find my inspiration in everything around me, every story, every emotion, every mile stone and everyone. I believe that we are all surrounded by stories worth telling and voices worth being heard.

Being challenged by Alpega Group

I joined Alpega in May 2022. At first, I thought that working at Alpega was going to be a challenge in itself as this industry was something very new and unfamiliar to me. I was quick to realize that the onboarding process is so thorough and interesting that you dive in head first and learn a lot from your very first week. However, the work at Alpega varies a lot in intensity, in topics and matters, and that became the real challenge. You are so involved in everything that happens that you want to push yourself and your limits to come up with something different, better. Every new project or campaign becomes your baby, your personal goal to aim higher and reach more. Objectives are always raised and it boosts your motivation because you know that not only they are counting on you but you are also seen, heard and acknowledged. 

Finding work-life balance

Alpega really allows me to pursue my passion for writing and to be present in the social causes I advocate for. Everyone at Alpega is really understanding and compassionate, they ask and take an interest, show support and give advice when needed. Your time is yours and as long as your tasks are done they don’t mind you doing what you need to do on the side. They trust you will do your work, and with that trust, you only want to give more and be responsible. The flexibility at work allows me to feel comfortable juggling my personal and my work life. You can adapt your hours and take the needed time in-between to go on about your obligations. For instance, they know that my special-needs son needs medical attention often and they always encourage me to be there for him and not worry. What I appreciate the most about Alpega is that health and family come first, it is in fact the first thing that Todd told us on our first day, and that is absolutely priceless.

Challenge yourself to be part of the solution!

I am proud to be part of the Alpega Group, part of these incredible teams of very different people who work hard every day to achieve company goals. Whether the colleagues or management, everyone is kind and supportive, determined and enthusiastic; they make you feel like you belong from day 1 and are always ready to help you grow alongside the rest of the team. It is a real group effort, there is no selfishness, no judgement, just pure grit and encouragement which in result pushes your motivation and makes you want to give more. Moreover, Alpega is a company with a conscience, they work ethically and towards greater purposes, such as sustainability, both internally and with their partners and clients.

Working at Alpega has been so far a very rewarding experience. So what I could tell any candidate applying to join the company is that at Alpega you can make sure that you will not only find happiness in terms of comfort and flexibility but also and mostly a feeling of belonging and achievement. You can expect to work hard but be supported and acknowledged for your hard work. You will be surrounded by multicultural colleagues who make every day more interesting by their differences and experiences. You can expect fun times as well as Alpega always has a nice event in store for you; from cultural breakfast to team building activities or even parties, we are like really big family, all over the world and that doesn’t know any barriers