In December, the entire Ervin & Smith crew came together for our all-hands gathering to celebrate, learn and collaborate on an even deeper level. And in true E&S fashion, we had some fun, too.
Day 1:
Everyone has their own way of kickstarting their mornings. For our team, that’s starting the day with a full stomach. Our team enjoyed an open tab at one of our local coffee hot spots, Roast and tasty pastries from the talented Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop. With drinks and goodies in hand, we met together to recap 2022 and announce our vision for the new year. (Hint: we have some exciting news to share in 2023!)
In the afternoon we regrouped to continue our learning in the DEI space. With the help of ICAN, we took a deep dive into the world of unconscious bias, how it can appear in our everyday lives and ways to address it head on.
After a fulfilling day spent reconnecting, learning and growing, we wrapped with our first-ever super-secret gift exchange! Each person was given a stipend of $250 and had two weeks to purchase a gift for their person. The catch? You couldn’t ask them for hints! Being the social and determined group we are, our team had a blast secretly learning more about each other from those who know them best. We revealed our gifts to each other during our weekly Wednesday happy hour. Laughs were shared and everyone left arms heavy with perfectly picked gifts.
Day 2:
We pride ourselves in offering unique perks that enhance each other’s personal and professional development. So, what better way to start our second day of all hands than sharing a hearty breakfast together and an all-agency coaching session with Nicole Paul Consulting!
Nicole is no stranger in our office as each Ervin & Smith employee is able to meet with her for monthly individual coaching sessions. With her guidance and expertise, our team worked through thoughtful exercises to get to know our new core values and prepare us for making an even bigger impact for our clients next year.
The morning was followed up with team lunches and energizing collaboration as our team powered through a productive afternoon.
As the Nebraska sun began to set at 5pm, we made our way to Sur La Table for a private cooking class.
The talented culinary team walked us through how to make the perfect roasted rosemary and truffle potatoes, refreshing arugula salad, mouthwatering seared steak (hungry yet?) and a sweet vanilla bean gelato for dessert. We ended the night with a surprise shopping spree, followed by a few more drinks and lots of laughs.
We left our agency all hands feeling refreshed, energized and ready to take on 2023. As 2022 comes to an end, the team at Ervin & Smith wishes you a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!