#NoogaStrong
Thanks to my mom’s willingness to hang out with our crew for a couple days, for the last few years Buds and I have been able to go away and focus on our All-Juice Company Off-site. Planning these off-sites is one of my major job requirements. I love doing it, but last year I was planning for 10 employees, plus a couple partners who attended, this year I was planning for 19 Juicers, plus 3 partners.
We truly work with the most amazing folks. It was 3 1/2 days of laughing, planning, goal-making, pushing, inspiring, some arguing, and more laughing.
We were in Chattanooga, which is an easy location for all three offices of people to reach. We had fantastic meals, great discussions, and with so many new folks, it was excellent to be in one place to talk face-to-face, as well as work side-by-side.
A few select pictures:
We always have a team contest of some sort, and this year it was “Chopped.” The four teams had 50 minutes to create a “One Pot Meal.” Chef Adam said of the 10 times he has run this event, the food our company created was the best they had ever judged. (And the front desk staff said he does NOT say that to all the competitors, because we asked.)
Those of you who have talked to us about our work know that we love the people we work with. At Juice we hire for brilliance, but also for culture. At every meal I sat with different folks, and every meal developed into fantastic stories and tears of laughter. Getting to know more about all these people is simply splendid.
Another event was a tour of a Bourbon/Whisky factory. All bourbon is whisky, but not all whisky is bourbon, is one fact I learned. Also that the liquor isn’t distilled in TN, but up in Indiana because…laws.
Yet another hilarious time was had.
One team sampled the product first, one team took the tour first. We were all ready to have some food when dinner time rolled around.
And on a somber note, the final day of our off-site was the three-month anniversary of the shootings in Chattanooga. There was a parade and a concert, which we weren’t in town to see, but I did take this picture of a motorcycle that would be in the parade in honor of the fallen soldiers. Samuel L. Jackson, who is from Chattanooga, was there to emcee the service, and three of our co-workers got their picture taken with him, and I shook his hand. (Good handshake, firm, not clammy.)
Though a fantastic time was had, the parade was a reminder to me that there is still work to do, both in my job, but more importantly, in our world
