Work is meant to be fulfilling.
To make that a reality at TwoTone, we’ve tried a lot of things over the years, some better than others. Through it all we’ve created some really cool routines that make time spent in the TwoTone office feel less like work and more like purpose. Here’s what we do that I love the most:
TwoTone Tuesdays
Culture encompasses so many things, but if you wanted to see what TwoTone is all about in 1 hour or less – you would want to come to TwoTone Tuesday. Triple-T (I just made that name up 😂) is our weekly meeting modeled after the book Traction. We start our meeting by discussing client and employee headlines and then move into other tactical and personal discussions.
My favorite part of the meeting is when we all share our professional and personal work-week highs.
Whether your sister is pregnant, or your niece is having a birthday party, we celebrate the positives in the past week together. We laugh, and smile, and lift each other up. Constantly. And on top of sharing our work week highs, we set goals for the week. We run through our Powersheet goals and check in with each other to hold ourselves accountable. There is nothing better than working with a team who really knows you and understands where you are, not only in your work life, but in your personal life.
We try not to veer off topic during our meetings, but sometimes Rick has to answer the door for Cheryl who is looking for the accountant down the hall, or maybe Amber falls out of her chair from laughing so hard. But most of the time, our productivity in weekly meetings is a 9/10 (did I mention we rate every meeting? 😌).
Friday Feedback
Our week ends with a team building exercise we call Friday Feedback. A different person writes two questions each Friday and we all answer them before the meeting on Tuesday. Our questions are usually a mix of silly and serious. For example, last Friday one of our questions was “If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or into the future? Give a specific time period and why you chose it”. This was such a bonding experience, and it was such a great opportunity to see how other creative people think about fun things like this.
On a more serious note, we answered “How do you recognize when you’re stressed?” This simple question taught us so much about each other and how our actions affect each other at work. When I get stressed out, I tend to become unmotivated and overwhelmed, and I love that I can share that with the team so they can encourage me when they see me slipping. Friday Feedback helps us create a stronger relationship as a team and helps us grow stronger together!
Weekly Report
Along with Friday Feedback, we fill out a weekly report. This is a great way for Jenny to check in with everyone to see how they are doing in their work and personal lives. We share our highs and lows for the week (personal and/or professional), but this time privately, instead of with the entire team. This allows us to be more vulnerable and address any concerns. We also rate our morale, stress level, and workload which helps us stay connected with Jenny and keep our week on track.
Team Bonding
It’s always fun to spend time with your team outside of the office. We try to plan team outings as much as often as possible in the midst of our crazy schedules! We’ve done so many fun things together outside of work. My personal favorite was the escape room we completed on our trip to Denver. It was so encouraging to see how well we worked together and figured out how to escape as a team. We ended up getting out 15 minutes before time was up, and there is no way this would have happened if we didn’t already know and understand each other like we do!
Along with all of the fun things we have done outside of work, we still have some fun AT work, too!
Transparency
At TwoTone, we care. We care to make time throughout the week to get to know each other better every day. Do you know your co-worker’s uncle’s job profession? How about their sister’s dog’s name? 😂We celebrate wins together, we cry together, we have each other’s backs. We’re better together, period!
One of the best things about working at TwoTone is the trust and respect we have for each other. No matter what is going on in your life, we are there for each other. I can’t tell you how many different emotions I have felt in my 2.5 years of working here, and Jenny and the team have always been there for me. I consider my coworkers to be my second family, and I am so happy to be part of such a healthy, positive, and loving team.
Abby’s ability to design quickly and creatively makes her the person to call when you need something done yesterday. She learns quickly, and her mind thrives when it is occupied with lots of ideas. She loves working on branding projects where she can let her creativity loose. Abby graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in graphic design. Following graduation, Abby went to school at Drake University and graduated with a master of arts in brand communication.
Abby is originally from Okoboji and loves to spend her weekends in the summer at the lake with family. Abby also loves to cook (she even created her own cookbook), and especially loves trying new recipes. In her free time, you can find Abby biking around Des Moines with friends, or watching the Food Network while enjoying a glass of wine.
