It’s All in the Name
Written by our founder, on the origins of the name Libero
Libero (LEE'-beh-ro) translates to “free” in Italian, but it’s also sports vernacular describing the position of an indoor volleyball team’s “back-row defensive specialist.” And while I actually played front-row as the second tallest on my high school’s JV team (brag) I have always identified with the philosophy this position embodies.
I chose the name Libero and built our brand identity around it quite intentionally. I chose to head into international non-profit work out of graduate school quite intentionally as well. I knew I didn’t know enough, but I put weight on the one thing I did know, and it compelled me forward:
In order to learn how best to work, I needed to learn how best to work with others; especially those with vastly different knowledge bases, experiences, and identities compared to my own.
I am an independent person by nature, but there is nothing quite like working with a team. Volunteering was something I did on a regulars basis growing up, and have striven to keep active in adulthood. From working the hospital gift shop to flying out on three days notice to fill in on an international service trip, I love to jump in and do whatever needs doing.
We are social creatures for a reason, and if you go digging through philosophy of science papers (…I’ll be honest about it) one of our most marked advantages is the human empathetic response and our ability to openly collaborate. We are the dominant species not because we can dominate, but because of our ability to work together. This is what allows us to accomplish far beyond what any one person could ever hope to achieve on their own.
Countries I’ve worked in so far: Thailand, Cambodia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala…
I had a goal in mind as I pushed from one country and opportunity to the next: learn how to assimilate into any team, any where, working on any thing. I love to learn, but I love to learn from people just as much. This lead to a simple philosophy as I moved from one place to the next:
If there is a gap I’ll fill it. If there is a gap I don’t know how to fill, I will either learn the required new skillset (score!), or find someone who already has it. If I find someone who already has it, ask to work on the problem with them so I can learn to solve similar problems in the future.
I’ve always lived with this mindset, and brought it into every position I’ve been in; so I built a business on it! I’m happy to say it’s been more fun than flunk on this crazy ride (knock on wood).
