Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!
No turning back as my heart started to race; the boxcar was almost to the top of the peak – then silence. Silence followed by screams (a mixture of joy and slight fear) as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Northern California, “Gold Striker,” raced around the track at over 50 MPH!
The annual Egnyte company picnic was under way! As I raced around California’s Great America like a 10-year-old boy hopped up on sugar and hot dogs, I couldn’t help but laugh as I was reminded of what it was like prior to taking on a career and having to “grow up.” It’s nice to be able to slow down and enjoy the little things in a world that seem to be going at warp speed all around us.
Throughout the day, friendly banter between departments carried on to the Bocce Ball court. It was Marketing versus Sales, and sadly I must admit, Marketing was defeated…for now. We’re a fiercely competitive bunch doing all that we can to get in our Fitbit steps for our Summer Fitness Challenge (16k+ average steps per day, but who’s counting?).
I’ve been at Egnyte for over a year now, and beyond the growth opportunities I’ve gained from working on the Marketing team, one of the best parts of the job is the people. It’s great to work for a company that takes the time to make sure employees live a balanced life and also understand the importance of developing close-knit teams. Our Summer FitBit Challenge is more than just crushing it with steps but remembering we need to make our own health a priority and set personal goals we can achieve with the encouragement of our teammates.
Whether it’s a company picnic, taking a break to play ping-pong in the cafeteria, eating breakfast together on Bagel Friday, participating in our (competitive) sports teams, or enjoying a fun game of Kan Jam on a Friday afternoon, Egnyte reminds us there is more to life than just drumming away on a laptop. Honestly, I think that’s what keeps us all motivated and excited to see each other and work together every day.
This year’s picnic was another great event, which got us out of our desks and into a fun-filled, active, and much-needed environment. Kudos to our HR team for planning such an awesome day. I’m happy to be on a team with such amazing co-workers who all came out to celebrate our company’s hard work and recent success. Until next year! In the meantime, I’ll be getting in my steps and training hard for the next Bocce Ball face-off.