It’s a very bittersweet day for me. After 4 amazing years I’m leaving a job that I loved and learned so much at. The great news is I’m leaving because I am now going to be 100% dedicated to working on The Prepary (more on that next week!) which is something I’ve been looking forward to for a few years. I can’t wait to share all of the exciting things in store.

But for now, I’ve been reflecting on the last few years, which were spent with some amazing people. I think I’ve always known this deep down but the last week has really reinforced it: when it comes to work, your team is everything. 

The people you work with affect how you feel when you wake up in the morning to go to the office, how hard you take it when you make a mistake, how good you feel when you accomplish something huge, and your overall happiness at a place where you spend 75% of your waking hours.

Top row L to R: That time we accidentally wore matching outfits, the homemade recording studio, bring your (very adorable) baby to work day

Bottom row L to R: Celebrating birthdays with neighborhood faves, team offsites, that time I was convinced to run 13 miles

When I think about what a great team looks like, mine really checked every box:

They…

• Challenge each other – Having a good amount of debate on a team is healthy. I really loved how people on mine were never afraid to speak their minds and say it like it is, but at the same time were really respectful of others perspectives and didn’t get defensive.
• Support each other – Having people who support your talents and your desire to grow is so huge. Even the most independent of people benefit from others propping them up and believing in them.
• Celebrate success – From a bottle of champagne after finishing up a big project to super fun team dinners, great teams know how important it is to celebrate their accomplishments before diving into the next big thing.
• Understand mistakes, misses,  and when you’re just having an “off day” – No one is perfect and we all have our “meh” days. I really appreciated that those days were not only tolerated, but truly understood. Everyone has their moments!
• Take interest (and respect) the other aspects of your life outside of work – For most people, work is just one piece of a very large puzzle. The best teams can see that, and learn so much about each other outside of the day to day.

The next time you’re interviewing or contemplating a career move, think about the people you met with. Are they going to be a great team? Are they going to contribute to your happiness and personal growth?

I’m not saying the people should be the only thing you consider but it should be a big factor. At the end of the day, you could be working on the most interesting thing in the world, but if you don’t have the right people around you the job could still fall short of your expectations.

Thank you to my amazing team for all you’ve done for me over the past few years – and for being exactly who you are. (Tear!)