The week of January 20-23, our team came together in Omaha for our winter all-hands meeting. Some flew in from Wisconsin and California, some drove across town, but we all arrived with the same goal: to align, reconnect and leave the week moving faster and smarter for our clients.
But this all-hands had something our previous versions did not: a theme. In celebration of the upcoming Year of the Horse from the Chinese Zodiac, we leaned in to a little giddy-up mentality, complete with horseshoe-themed team t-shirts to help us kick off 2026 fast, focused and ready to charge ahead.
Day 1.
We started the week the best way we know how: together. When you spend most of the year operating as a hybrid team, fully face-to-face meetings do something important: they help turn in-person energy — the kind that’s so hard to replicate on a screen — into the default again.
The day began with a team breakfast before moving straight into a leadership training session led by our President & Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Prewitt, centered on psychological safety. The session combined guided insights with small group activities that made approaching the topic more practical. We talked about what psychological safety looks like inside a high-performing agency and walked away with a good reminder that high standards and trust are not competing ideas – they’re partners.
Day 2.
Our second day gave us lots of moments to celebrate and reflect. First, it was Leanne’s 10-year E&S anniversary. Ten years of leadership, care and dedication to building a place where people can do excellent work as their true selves. It was a milestone that was important to the whole team, because it reflected the kind of culture we’re trying to protect as we grow: ambitious, human and real.
Second, we got a killer Q4 creative work recap from Associate Creative Director Hannah Husman. It’s one thing to push through a busy quarter. It’s another to stop, look back and actually take stock of what the team made together.
Hannah’s recap helped us remember how much coordination and effort goes into making great creative. It takes the full system working the way it’s supposed to: creatives making smart, eye-catching work, strategists sharpening the thinking, leadership pushing the standard and offering perspective, account service keeping everything moving on time and on budget, and the media team getting it all perfectly packaged and ready to traffic. It was an excellent reminder of what it looks like to be a team in rhythm.
After hours, we kept the momentum going with an end-of-year holiday party at Saffron in Aksarben, complete with an awards ceremony we proudly dubbed the E&Sies. The categories were both specific and hilarious: like “All-Time Last-Minute Design Hero” and “2025 Unicorn of the Year.” It was the kind of recognition that only lands when you truly know each other’s quirks and contributions.
From there, we headed to Arcade 33 for a private arcade night. The entire building was ours, which meant full access to everything from pinball to Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Asteroids and more.
Day 3.
Day three gave us a chance to step outside our normal pace and reconnect with the part of the job that drew most of us here in the first place: finding inspiration in the world around us.
The creative team participated in an inspiration share-out where everyone brought examples of great creative work. We swapped everything from a campaign for marshmallows to a visual walkthrough on how to make better end cards in video, plus standout examples of Apple TV’s marketing.
That night, we headed out to a bowling party for a little friendly competition and the kind of informal time together that pays off later when the work gets demanding.
Day 4.
Friday is typically a work-from-home day for us, but the whole team still showed up in-office to finish strong, despite subzero temps and school cancellations.
It was a small moment that felt very Year of the Horse. Not because anyone needed to prove a point, but because we’re committed to the work and the people doing it. And we wanted to bid farewell to our out-of-town teammates with the kind of sendoff that reminds you what you’re part of.
Looking ahead.
It was a great all-hands week and a much-needed opportunity to reconnect as a team and remind each other that even though we’re all in on the equine theme, the Year of the Horse isn’t about moving fast for the sake of moving fast. It’s about aligning our people, processes and standards so we can do better work together.
So giddy up. We’re ready.