Typically, our blog is home to best practices and thought leadership pieces related to reading and literacy. However, this time, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for our incredible team and share the valuable insights we've gained on cultivating a culture that fosters positivity and productivity. When we started this company, Jordan (my wife) and Tyler (a friend I first met while we grew separate companies as part of the AlphaLab tech incubator in Pittsburgh) were all set on building a strong and authentic company culture.
And, while there’s more work to do and we’re always evolving, I believe we have something special here at Zoobean.
At Zoobean (although clients and the industry refer to us as Beanstack), our culture places employees and the “team” at the center. The people and the relationships within Zoobean make all the difference. Our culture aims to provide an environment that engages and inspires each other. Core values like love, inclusion, and awesomeness are not always easy, but they are absolutely necessary for the work we do every day. Our company's history may span industries and product lines, but our culture has remained of the utmost importance through time and change.
Today, I am immensely proud of where we stand and firmly believe we have the best team to take us to our next phase. Moreover, we have established systems to nurture and sustain our team culture. Over the past four years, we have partnered with Outside Angle to develop a deliberate approach to maintaining and enhancing our culture through systems and routines that hold us accountable while allowing growth and evolution. Here are three systems we’ve developed so far:
- Team retreats allow us to pause and reflect in six-month increments, plus chart our course for the next half-year.
- Spring and Fall Breaks are held in person once or twice annually with the main goal of team-building, connection, and unstructured fun.
- Pods give cross-functional groups of employees space to engage and collaborate with team members they likely wouldn’t otherwise.
Outside Angle has been instrumental in finding the perfect balance between strategy and vision and nurturing a thriving company culture. We are incredibly grateful for their invaluable contribution. Recently, their team published a piece highlighting how we prioritize and nurture culture at Zoobean. I’m thrilled to share our unwavering commitment to people. I also recognize that none of this would be possible without the exceptional individuals on our team, past and present. I believe that when you recognize people, you will be rewarded. So, this is one small way I can thank our team members who are instrumental in this journey. I am genuinely, incredibly grateful.
Zoobean Team at the Fall Retreat 2023
While our culture may face challenges in the future, I know we are equipped with the values, people, and systems to overcome any obstacle.
Here’s to the road ahead. And here’s to creating a love of reading everywhere we go. Thank you, team.
Until next time, keep reading.
Felix