REFLECTIONS ON OUR FIRST-EVER COMPANY RETREAT

It’s an understatement to say that the world as we know it – especially as it pertains to the workplace – has changed during the past year and a half. The pandemic has not only asked each of us to adapt to a new way of working, but it’s also forced us to reflect upon the way we do things in an office (or a virtual) setting. At Ergatta, we’ve been able to take a step back to figure out what works for us and our employees. Through trial and error, many conversations, and maintaining our commitment to transparency between our leaders and our employees, we’ve created a culture that we’re incredibly proud of.

Our first annual Ergatta Company Offsite validated what we already knew: what makes us successful is our team. From the beginning, we have made a commitment to invest in our employees. That includes everything from providing our team members with the space and resources they need in order to get their work done, to ensuring our company leaders are offering mentorship and guidance when it comes to discussions about career development. We’ve built an amazing team, and we will continue to foster the type of culture that not only celebrates hard work, but also promotes balance and enjoying life outside of work.

This past week, we had the pleasure of spending several days in beautiful Rhode Island. As a group, we got to hear from some of our company leaders about what the future looks like for Ergatta.

“I appreciated how passionate and engaged our team was when our CEO presented our long-term company strategy and vision, which further validated my choice to work here and be part of a high-growth team.”
– Saaj Parikh, Growth Marketing Manager

For the first time in person, we had the chance to work in small group breakout sessions. Within our groups, we brainstormed new ideas for our platform and new ways in which we can enhance our product. There were three major themes that emerged from our discussions, each of which revamped our team’s excitement about what’s ahead for Ergatta.

The first theme is focus: as an organization, one of our mantras is to always “come back to the why.” This mindset helps us stay the course and remain focused on what our product principles are. While we encourage innovation and believe in testing new concepts, we operate with a central focus that pulls each department back to center if we ever feel ourselves getting off track. Focusing on what we excel at and what we are best at – gamified content – is a huge contributor to our success. 

“The offsite was an exciting and emotional milestone for the company – getting the whole team together in person for the first time really brought to life how exceptional the people are, and how excited I am for what we’re building together.” – Alessandra Gotbaum, COO and Co-Founder

The second theme from the offsite was “collaboration.” During our stay in Rhode Island, we had the unique opportunity to pay a visit to the factory that manufactures all of our rowers – the WaterRower headquarters, based in Warren. Spending time with the WaterRower team and seeing firsthand the level of care and detail that goes into making each rower was incredible. We left the facility tour filled with gratitude for our dedicated partner, whose collaborative spirit aligns perfectly with our own.

“Meeting the entire team at the offsite was such an amazing experience – I’m sad it was only for a couple of days! Walking through the production facility and seeing how every rower is made was so eye-opening; I would’ve never guessed it took that many pieces to complete it! It’s exciting to be a part of the team that will take our platform to the next level.” – Jeremy Jaico, Senior Technical Support Associate

In the past six months, our team has gone from less than 15 people to over 35 people. The offsite was the first time we got to see everyone’s strengths come together in real time, under the same roof. The discussions were vibrant, inspiring, and left us all feeling like we learned something new from our coworkers. 

Which leads us to our third theme; during the trip, we had the chance to witness all of our team members bring to life one of our company’s guiding principles: “be the change.” 

As a group, we watched our teammates engage in productive discussions and challenge one another during our all-hands-on-deck meetings. Over the course of the offsite, we covered everything from Ergatta’s three-year growth plan, to new content ideas, to big marketing initiatives, to aggressive hiring goals and more. Every member of our team – regardless of title or seniority – brought his or her ideas to the table, which was nothing short of inspiring.

Together, we are creating something truly groundbreaking — and that can’t be done in a vacuum. Our team’s synergy is what allows us to create, innovate, and bring our mission to life. As cliché as it may sound, the Ergatta team truly is greater than the sum of its parts, and we could not be more excited about what’s on the horizon. 

*Speaking of our team: we are hiring across all departments! If this type of collaborative, mission-driven, and outcomes-oriented environment sounds exciting to you, head on over to our careers page and check out our open jobs!