The Grateful 8: It Takes a Flock
Individually, we are one drop.
Together, we are an ocean.
– Ryunosuke Satoro
Let’s agree on something before we get started. We’re at the point where we can just zoom past all the gory details of 2020—the pandemic, the isolation, the uncertainty, the unrest, the loss. Except that we just used zoom as a verb. 2020, you albatross, you!
Anyway, it was a hard year for everyone. And certainly harder for some than others. At Treebird, we were fortunate to not have lost any loved ones from our extended families, though we knew people who were infected and who, thankfully, recovered.
So now it’s April 2021—a strange time to turn 8. A time where the outward celebration of a milestone feels out of place. But reflecting on this past year—and we’ve had nothing if not time to reflect—we’re also proud of how we handled the crushing uncertainty and existential dread that confronted us all. And let’s be clear—that’s the collective “we” of Treebird.
Because it was also a strange year to have a baby. If you’re reading this blog, you most likely already know a whole lot about Jaci and Patrick’s delightful daughter June. Arriving on July 1st—aka the height of the pandemic—June’s entry into the world required a lot of preparation from Jaci in the months leading up the birth as well as a lot of work the months immediately following. So a whole lot of Treebird’s success this year—this crazy, mixed up, topsy turvy year—fell squarely on the shoulders of our wonderful staff. The everyday doers, makers, planners, and executors who form the very fiber of Treebird.
We made it a priority to hold on to our entire staff throughout the year. There were no layoffs or furloughs or pay cuts, and we’re proud of that. We made sure to keep delivering high quality work, to keep our clients happy, and, against all odds, business grew as a result. We even hired a new staff member just this past month.
So it’s a testament to the dedication of each and every bird that we’re in the position we are today. It was an exceptionally difficult year to grow creatively and professionally, and yet they did. It was an exceptionally difficult year to keep churning out remarkable work in forced isolation, and yet they did. It was an exceptionally difficult year to smile and joke and yes, even be vulnerable on yet another Zoom call, and yet they did.
But enough of this “they” business. Here are the birds who made it happen, who made watermelon lemonade out of the sour and dour offerings of 2020, and who led us into year 8 stronger than ever. (listed in order of seniority).
Lauren Legener, senior designer
Lauren didn’t just survive the working from home quarantine, she found a way to thrive (perhaps the lack of her commute had something to do with this 😊). She was instrumental in launching some of the most complex and well-executed websites we’ve ever created and also did a stellar job rolling out and presenting new branding campaigns for many clients. She remains our tech wiz from afar and, in notable humanitarian news, rescued a kitten from inside the wall of her house who is now named, of course, Walter.
Jessica Moss, project manager
Our far-flung, fully remote team needed management and, yes, a bit of strategic herding. And Jessica stepped up to keep the machine running seamlessly by providing structure and guidance in ways that were both effective and appreciated. She also communicated daily with clients, keeping everyone informed that projects were moving right along and fielding impromptu questions as a matter of course. All this while homeschooling two kids for the majority of the year and getting a new puppy along the way.
Theodora Myers, senior social media and content strategist
If that title looks shiny and new, it’s because it is. Theodora earned her weight in social media and content gold this past year, vaulting Treebird’s burgeoning social media practice into a highly effective and sought-after service. As our dedicated social media expert, Theodora has grown the department from the ground up and handled numerous crisis situations over the past year with poise and aplomb. In addition to her promotion, she also took the lead in hiring our newest bird, Heather, to help meet our ever-expanding social needs.
Forrest Newton, designer
Forrest brings much-needed levity to every meeting he joins, and his positive attitude and demeanor are contagious in energizing the whole team during these trying times. Forrest has continued to impress colleagues and clients alike with his illustration and animation skills, and this year he’s proven especially adept at bringing concepts to life in fresh new ways. A consummate learner, Forrest has dedicated himself to professional growth across the board with one minor exception—no new animals.
Katie Griffin, designer
Katie expanded her entire repertoire of design skills over the course of the year, turning her quarantine time into a hyperloop-level talent accelerator. She honed her already considerable prowess at creating motion graphics into a signature Treebird deliverable that almost all clients now clamor for. And far from being just a maven of motion, Katie also created full branding programs from the ground up that exceeded client expectations. Keeping with the animal love theme, she also adopted a cat.
Heather Hayden, social media coordinator
We just hired Heather mere weeks ago, but the early returns are highly encouraging. She’s displayed an amazing attitude and incredible patience as our only team member to be trained entirely on Zoom. We’re looking forward to her and Theodora working closely together to spin social magic for all our clients.
If we were to use the Time Stone to run through millions of possible scenarios as to how this past year could have played out at Treebird, we’d be hard-pressed to land on a better outcome than the one we just experienced. Sure, it didn’t all go perfectly. Of course there were struggles and funks and bad days and creeping dread and when will this ever end? We’re only human, after all.
But there were also triumphs and moments of clarity and exhilaration and periods of growth and evolution and the feeling of accomplishment that only comes from the hard slog of perseverance and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve achieved something not by taking the easy way out but by putting in the work. There’s the realization that comes, sometimes quickly but more often slowly, that the way we construct meaning during a time like this is a matter of personal, intentional choice.
And there’s the comfort and mutual support of knowing we’re all in this together, drops creating an ocean, birds forming a flock. It didn’t take a global pandemic for us to unite like never before at a time when we were physically apart. But the fact that we united as we did during a time of strife and hardship says all you need to know about the makeup and moxie of this team.
Thanks to each and every bird for making it to 8 and for making it through the past year with nothing short of magnanimity. And thanks to all of our clients for sticking with us, trusting our process and work, and, yes, being on all those damn Zoom calls together.
Another year in the books, then. We’ll post pics when we’re all back in the office.