By Teejai Joson

Team VCS celebrates 20 years with all smiles!

I first heard about VCS in 2005 when I was chatting with Amrei, my college buddy, over the now defunct Yahoo Messenger. As I was an entry-level bank employee then, I thought it was unusual for someone in their 20s to start a business. Start-ups were not a thing yet in the early 2000s, and the usual route for graduates back then was to look for companies to work for. I did not really know what it took to start a business, but I knew Amrei was brilliant even then. Nevertheless, it must have taken a lot of guts to take the road less traveled. I was quietly impressed.

Fast forward to 2012 and I found myself being part of VCS as a Managing Partner handling Finance, HR and Admin. It was not something I planned, but Amrei convinced me that VCS could use my help. While I was in no way knowledgeable about this role, Amrei made me believe that my corporate experience was enough and that it would be instrumental in elevating VCS to a new level of professionalism, transitioning it away from its artistic, bohemian roots. With a bit of hesitation, I started the path of learning by doing.

Managing Partners Amrei Dizon and TJ Joson from 2014 and 2024

It was definitely not a walk in the park. I knew nothing about managing a business, and I had no experience in managing people. There were times when I wondered if I deserved my position, but Amrei held my hand, helping me discover the leader that I needed and wanted to be. Together, we tread the road carefully, learning with every mistake and every heartbreak. I can still remember how we silently cried together when the challenges were too much to bear. There is a rainbow after the rain, they say. And I guess that’s true. Each day, we woke up with new hope. We pushed ourselves, even when we felt like quitting. We had a team that was counting on us to lead the way. We cannot fail them. Many years later, I realized that to survive, we just had to lead with our hearts.

Leading with our hearts enabled us to slowly build our confidence in our company. We learned that to make VCS thrive, we need to hire a good team. It took us a few years to realize that more than searching for shiny resumes, we should be looking for people with values that are aligned with ours. ‘Character trumps skills’ then became my new mantra as the Head of HR. Slowly, I was becoming quite proud of myself for spotting talents that were diamonds in the making. It is truly rewarding to see them flourish and it makes us happy to see them coming out of their shells.

Being partners in life and business, Amrei and I live and breathe VCS. It’s almost as if VCS is our baby, and seeing it grow through the years brings us immense pride. Like a kid learning to ride a bike, we saw VCS stumble quite a few times but it always got back up quickly with determination to continue the journey. Like teenagers in the stage of self-discovery, we’ve seen VCS discover its core in the way it deals with its clients, its partners and its people. Like an adult fully equipped to face the road ahead, we see VCS take its steps in quiet confidence.

We are honored to be where we are now, and grateful to all the people who helped us get here. To everyone who continues to believe in us, we take the next steps with you in our hearts.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane through VCS’ anniversary videos over the years.

On its 13th year, VCS reflected back on its roots—how it began, the projects that have contributed to its growth, the changes and challenges it has faced, and the people who have been part of its journey.

At VCS, we believed that a team was only as strong as the relationships among its members. On our 14th anniversary, we celebrated our bond with an exciting outing and team building event in Tanauan, Batangas.

In our 14th year, we explored the questions: What is growth? What does it take to grow, and to sustain that growth? Throughout this year, we continued to learn and relearn the importance of grit, perseverance, and FUN when it comes to growing in the creative industry.

2020 brought about changes all around the world. It was a challenging year, but here at #TeamVCS we know that challenges can be overcome with innovation and creativity. #TeamVCS took this as an opportunity to grow so though things have certainly changed, we learned to improvise and keep flowing!

Hitting 18 years in the industry isn’t easy! For our 18th year, we heard messages from the people who have been part of VCS journey—our former VCS team members, clients, and partners. We wouldn't be where we are now without you!

For our 19th anniversary themed "ROAD TO TWENTY," #TeamVCS gathered at Casa Anahao to immerse ourselves in a series of activities that reinforced our unity and resilience.