Moving on Up

Upward mobility was in everyone’s mouth in the America of the 1970s and 80s. It referred to the notion that young people who were born into poor families should be given the opportunity to move up the social and financial ladder for the sake of their own fulfillment and also for the greater good of their country. In the years leading up to this change in social sentiment, many societies had placed an unhealthy emphasis on ethnic heritage, family relations, etc., rather than considering the ability and willingness of an individual to perform.

The concept of upward mobility suggested that each of us had to first earn the right to hold the position we aspired to. It included the promise that no one would be excluded from such opportunities simply based on the color of their skin or family origins. The discussions that arose from this change in perception were similar to those relating to gender equality in modern times. Of course, upward mobility mostly referred to social and financial well-being rather than moving up in the geographic sense. However, when we started looking for a more affordable premises for crossXculture’s new offices, we also found that moving up north was key in Germany.

With real-estate prices in the greater Rhine-Main area having come under increasing pressure from new interest from foreign investors, the benefits of Frankfurt’s central location in Europe, and a tendency of folks of all generations flocking to the cities, the job of finding crossXculture a permanent home with sufficient room for our growing office demands and our young family looked like an impossible feet. Investments in Rhine-Main proved to be too costly and risky for us to agree to, as any semi-affordable property usually entailed some dire disadvantages in infrastructure in terms of telecommunications, doing the daily shopping, sending our kids to school.

When faced with an impossible situation, the concept of moving on up often requires us to embrace what is still possible, yes, to “think outside the box”. We took a step back from our original approach of drawing wider and wider circles around Frankfurt and instead circled areas throughout the country in which the criteria that are important for our business to flourish and our family to grow are met. We finally found our new home and premises in the small town of Marne, Schleswig-Holstein, that still offers the infrastructure needed for us to take root at an affordable price.

Moving on up has many dimensions. For us, it means moving north in the literal sense. And although we will not be moving to Marne until the end of July this year, positive effects of the decision can already be felt at crossXculture. The first benefit is spiritual, in the sense that new energy and excitement can be felt across our projects. We have become even clearer in our communication with our clients and trainers knowing that our cost-conscious approach will also be reflected in continuously affordable lessons for them. Our Fair-Share participation scheme, by which trainers earn 2/3 of our income, can also be maintained, which once again confirms our promise “crossXculture. Good news for you.”

Good trainers mean good training. Let us innovate, communicate, and not forget to celebrate the many possibilities that are available to us in this world today. In crossXculture language classes, our trainers provide access to a positive and communicative outlook to company staff on a daily basis. And we are pleased to say that we will be able to provide all the necessary support and spirit that will in turn inspire and invigorate your staff and operations.

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Good news for you.