Hola from Cabo! The Taylor & Pond social media team recently took a break from…
It’s always sunny in Palm Springs! Recently, the Taylor & Pond Creative Team got out of the office and into a new, inspiring environment at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs for three days of creativity and strategizing. Keep reading for a recap of the team’s daily sessions and team building activities, plus tips for planning your own successful creative retreat!
Getting Settled In
What better way to kick off a team retreat than dinner, games and karaoke? Once the creative team arrived in Palm Springs and got settled, we headed out to a dinner full of gourmet comfort food. During our meal, we played question and answer games with our tables to get to know our teammates better and understand more of each member’s personal and professional background. After dinner, we wrapped up the night belting out karaoke!
Day One
We started day one of the retreat with a gorgeous buffet breakfast and coffee by the pool before we dove into our first session. During this session, Taylor & Pond CEO Cindy Pond filled the team in on the five-year vision and plan for the company. This allowed the creative team to get a better idea of what the teams are collectively working towards accomplishing in the future. After a brief lunch break and some extra time to take a quick dip in the pool, the team broke into smaller groups to discuss various aspects of company structure.
After we wrapped up sessions for the day, it was time for a pizza party by the fireplace!
Day Two
Day two of our retreat was another day filled with brainstorming and creativity. For the first half of the day, we headed outside for a hike, where we were challenged to take photos of client products in a contrasting environment. This was a great way to get our juices flowing and stretch the boundaries of our creativity. This session was so successful (we got so many amazing shots) and served as a friendly reminder that with a little bit of creativity, you can create beauty out of anything! After a lunch of tacos and the classic chips and guac, the team broke out into groups based on departments (designers, photographers, videographers and copywriters) to brainstorm what they envision to be the career ladder someone in their position would take. This was a great way for each individual to reflect on their own career and where they see themselves going in the future!
Day Three
After three days of creativity and team building, it was time for the creatives to head back to San Diego. Before we departed Palm Springs, we had one last team breakfast where we went around and said one new thing that we learned about our colleagues. This was a fun and uplifting way to reminisce on all of the fun had on the retreat!
Feeling inspired to bring your creative team on a retreat? Here are a few pointers.
- Find the right balance between business, creativity and fun!
A retreat is the place where your team comes together in a relaxed environment to brainstorm, connect and get down to business. You want your retreat to be a productive investment in your company that focuses on team building and success.
- Plan activities that bring value to the team.
Activities like a hike help challenge the team’s creativity in a job they do every day, help to grow skill sets and lets team members realize fully what they are really able to do!
- Remember to always be flexible.
At our retreat, there were a few times that the team had to be flexible and adapt to the new game plan. Being flexible like this can lead to exciting learning opportunities and more team development!
Looking for more tips on how to plan a successful work retreat? Check out our Cabo Social Retreat article here!
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by Becca Mulhill
Becca is a copywriter, copy editor, and content manager at Taylor & Pond. Originally from Montana, she has a passion for the outdoors as well as good books, grammar, coffee, and the Oxford comma. In her spare time, Becca enjoys doing crosswords, taking spin classes, watching sports, and spending time with good friends.