Mike Schertenlieb
We’re weird… And we’re proud of it.
This isn’t quite your stereotypical Silicon Valley office of beanbags and standing desks, but we’re somewhere in the ballpark. While we don’t have arcade games or our own espresso machine, we wholeheartedly embrace comfort and quirkiness in our workspace. We also value hard work, intelligence, and self-sufficiency.
The combination of “get down to business” and “have a little fun” is a tough balance to strike, but right in the center, there’s a golden zone that allows us to keep up with client demands without pulling our hair out… And enjoy each other’s company without being so distracted we forget about our jobs.
It isn’t always easy to maintain, but for us, it’s totally worth it. We want people to be excited to work here. We want to make sure that, no matter how daunting or frustrating the project, we have each other to lean on. We don’t want to just be coworkers – we want to be friends.
Mike and Simon, photo courtesy of Wildflower Studios
To achieve that kind of environment, we have a handful of non-policies in place:
• Be Yourself: When we talk to clients (or our clients’ customers), we maintain professionalism at every turn, but when we talk to each other, it’s not that serious. We’re free to speak our minds, offer up ideas, and be our individual selves. A few curse words might fly around, some weird anecdotes come up, and all of it brings us closer together.
• Dress Code is… Lax: We don’t work in our PJs, but we’re not requiring suits and ties either. In our office, we want to be comfortable, so we just dress how we normally do. It’s authentic, it’s comfortable, and doesn’t put undue pressure on our team to go buy fancy clothes or go through a whole ordeal to get ready each morning. Yes, Mikey is barefoot right now.
• Listen to Tunes: Most of us wear headphones all day long – and we’re all encouraged to listen to music, podcasts, whatever over the course of the workday. The arts are important to us, and connecting with music is a great way to stay motivated.
A bit of our eclectic wall art. Photo courtesy of Wildflower Studios
Really, it comes down to not policing the little things.We don’t monitor computer activity or nitpick what people have on their desks. There’s definitely a map of Skyrim on the wall… And a rock ‘n roll cat calendar… And a 90s Michael Jordan poster.
We actively embrace the things that make each of us unique. Some of us are musicians, some of us are theater nerds, some of us run D&D campaigns, some of us make staggeringly delicious baked goods… And all of that is encouraged around here. We wear our geekdom on our sleeves, and actively get to know each other because, well, that’s how you build a functional team.
When we know each other as people, not just coworkers, it’s easier to have a sense of who excels where. We can learn each other’s professional skills, of course, but when we are open enough to connect as human beings, we learn who is the best fit for a new client, who might have insight on a tough problem, who might be particularly excited about a new task…
And it functions to build trust and camaraderie, something every company should strive for.
Check out this majestic dude. Photo courtesy of Wildflower Studios
This is just a little glance at what makes LongerDays an interesting place to work. There’s plenty else to be excited about (Pizza Friday, for example, or the LongestDay party, or when we make the LongerBand), but it’s mostly about making people feel comfortable and helping them connect with one another.
We’ve got a pretty good thing going here: bare feet, puppo visits, skateboards, action figures, and all…
We strive to have a great time, do great work, and build great relationships. How do you think we’re doing?
Want to learn more?
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