For the first time in three years, Lynton employees were able to gather in person for our yearly company retreat. Our team descended upon Little Arrow Outdoor Resort Aug. 22-26, 2022, and met each other with hugs, cheers, and lots of laughs.
Lynton has grown exponentially since our last virtual retreat in 2021, so we had a lot of catching up to do and new faces to meet. We spent four days in the Smoky Mountains doing team-building activities, lounging by the pool, soaking in the hot tub, and taking adventures to places like Dollywood, Company Distillery, Tuckaleechee, Anakeesta, and more.
One big takeaway we all had? We’re all a lot taller than our Zoom windows would have us believe.
The purpose of our yearly retreats is to celebrate the work we’ve accomplished and reflect on how we can use our skills to work more efficiently for the benefit of our clients.
Our team-building exercises taught many of us how to be better listeners, take direction without questioning motive, recognize everyone has an idea worth trying, and remember sometimes you just have to loosen your grip on control. As a fully remote company, it’s hard to glean these aspects of work and life through a Slack message or Zoom meeting.
At our retreat company meeting, CEO Daniel Lynton emphasized sustainable, realistic growth, especially when it comes to our SyncSmart product. At the same time, it’s also important to remember that our product and agency marketing teams weave together and work hand-in-hand in pursuit of client success.
During our excursions, we got to know each other better. Being from different parts of the nation, we shared our favorite places to hang out, foods to eat, sights to see, and even thoughts on how our departments could work better together.
At the end of the day, we’re all human, and it was nice to be in the presence of these talented, dedicated, hardworking people.
Here’s what some of our Lyntonians took from the retreat:
“I think this particular retreat helped energize our team. We hadn't had an in-person one in years, so it was exciting to be able to see familiar faces and meet new coworkers. The team-building exercises were particularly eye-opening and showed us all how we work together and what skills we can bring back to our daily roles. Also, Dollywood is too legit to quit.” - Corie Stark, senior copywriter
All of us returned to our computers on Monday, energized to work and interact with our coworkers in new ways. Sitting at a desk all day and talking to people in a virtual environment can be lonely, but we returned with new friends and shared experiences. We learned what makes each other tick, left our work burdens at the campfire, and cultivated a cooperative, inclusive environment that will be evident in everything we produce. Until next year, Lyntonians!“This was my first work retreat and while I was VERY nervous I found myself, for the first time in my life, not feeling anxious about engaging with coworkers. I've done team-building activities, social get-togethers, and conferences with colleagues before, but it was so buttoned up that I had a hard time being myself in those situations. During the Lynton retreat, I felt like my professional and personal sides were able to come together seamlessly. I didn't feel like I was being judged or having to prove myself, or "be on," which really helped me to relax and just be in the moment.” - Hannah Shark, HubSpot success program manager
“I learned to be confident even when I'm not the most experienced or established in the room. I’m new to this industry — I had been seen as an expert in my previous field for the past five years. Starting over is hard, but this helped a lot. I learned that my team just truly cares about each other's well-being. Genuinely getting to know each others' backgrounds and talking about each others' futures is a hard thing to make happen in a remote work environment.” - Mitch Dumke, associate onboarding consultant
“I love that we all now have experiences and memories to discuss outside of client work.” - Meg Putman, sales executive
“I really appreciated all the ‘‘in-between’ organic conversations that happened at dinner, at the pool, and other places that are a little more difficult to have in a remote environment — whether they’re work-related or personal.” - Roman Kniahynyckyj, senior onboarding consultant
“We wrote our burdens on a notecard and threw them into the campfire. Some people wrote work-related burdens and others wrote personal things. We had the option to share with the group, and I spoke about fear of the unknown. While I understand it will always be a factor, I don’t feel it as a burden with this company. We actually embody our core values and it was on display every day at the retreat.” - Cassi MacUmber, customer success specialist
Our Cups Have Been Filled