As a long-time Bagger, one of the most gratifying parts of seeing our company evolve is how our events and company celebrations can grow bigger and better every year, while keeping the original spirit of their creation alive.
Two time-honored events that we hold sacred are our annual Mother’s Meeting and bi-annual Kickassedness Day celebrations which focus on transparency and team building.
When Brown Bag was first starting, Doug was looking to schedule a weekly status meeting and asked for everyone to come to the mothership. A few minutes later, an invite was sent with the title “Mother’s Meeting”, and the name stuck.
The size of the organization no longer allows for that meeting to occur weekly but we still gather at the beginning of each new year to hear with great anticipation Doug’s fiery speech, review in detail how the company performed in the previous year, and discuss the vision, goals, and opportunities for the upcoming year. Staying true to our company values, this is a time for every employee to understand how he or she can individually contribute to the overall success of the company.
Kickassedness is about employee celebration and recognition (with a fair amount of ass kicking). The day begins with recognition of anniversaries with thunderous applause and handsome gifts. Prior to the meeting, all employees are asked to nominate peers who embody each of our company values, as well as select one overall Kickassedness winner who has gone above and beyond.
Kickassedness displays what kind of magic can be made when the world’s most competitive people work together and compete at the same time. Winners and losers aside, Kickassedness Day is for the employees and teams to enjoy and celebrate each other.
As the company turns 15 this year, it’s amazing to experience first-hand how you don’t have to sacrifice celebration for size, and that a company’s culture can grow, expand, and evolve with intentional attention and care.
