September: Welcome to the ’Ber” Months!
September officially kicked off the “’Ber” months, and if you ask me, we packed a lot into the first “ber month”! From working from home during a storm that promised more than delivered, to traveling with a very special cardinal companion, surviving a week-long office air conditioning, volunteering in the community, and celebrating a major team accomplishment September kept us busy.
A Stormy Week… That Wasn’t So Stormy
September started with a little weather drama. We were preparing for the storm and, as a team, worked from home to stay safe and keep things moving.
And then… the storm arrived.
Or at least, it kind of arrived.
Despite all our preparations and a full work-from-home day, the rain never really showed up the way we expected. It was one of those moments where you spent more time preparing for the storm than experiencing it! I got a cool picture of all of us on our virtual Thursday huddle Teams call.
Labor Day Weekend Adventures: Gerald Goes to North Carolina
Labor Day weekend gave me the perfect excuse to get out of town and head to North Carolina. Of course, no good trip is complete without a travel companion, so I brought along one of my favorite little sidekicks: Gerald the cardinal plushie.
Gerald quickly became the unofficial star of the trip.
Naturally, I had to stage a few pictures with him along the way. Because if you travel somewhere and don't take pictures of your plushie experiencing the sights with you, did you really go?
Gerald had a great time exploring, posing, and representing the cardinal spirit wherever we went. Let's just say he may have a future career in travel photography.
When the Office Loses Cool Air, Take the Scorecard to Black Walnut
Back at the office, we had another unexpected adventure: a week-long A/C outage.
A week.
Without cool air.
So, naturally, we had to get creative with where we could work. Enter Black Walnut, where our team lead scorecard discussion took place. Nothing says “team meeting” quite like relocating from the office to a restaurant because the lights still aren't back on!
Despite the circumstances, we kept things moving and found a way to make it work. That's one thing I appreciate about our team we don't let an unexpected obstacle stop us. We adapt, figure it out, and keep going.
A Little Fun at Purse Bingo
Of course, September wasn't all work and weather adventures. There was still plenty of time for fun!
I had the opportunity to enjoy Purse Bingo with Christina, and it was exactly the kind of fun we needed. A little friendly competition, a lot of laughs, and the possibility of going home with a new purse? Count me in!
It's always nice to step away from the day-to-day and just enjoy time together outside of our usual work environment.
Tausha: Making an Impact Through The Phoenix Journey
Another September highlight was getting to see Tausha continue her commitment to The Phoenix Journey. The Phoenix Journey provides support to empower people with autoimmune diseases to build sustainable lifestyles that improve their wellbeing and transform their lives.
Tausha served as the MC for the event, bringing her energy, personality, and heart to the afternoon. Her dedication to the organization and its mission is something worth celebrating. Watching team members pour their time and talent into causes they care about is one of the things that make our workplace community so special.
Southern Nights & Giving Back
September also gave Rebecca, Cindy, and me the opportunity to volunteer at Project Beacon Southern Nights Gala. Project Beacon is committed to building a community of belonging where adults with autism and other neurodiversity’s can play, learn, work, and live.
It was a wonderful evening to come together, support the organization, and give our time to something bigger than ourselves. Volunteering at events like this is always a great reminder that the work we do can extend beyond our everyday responsibilities.
We may spend our days focused on numbers, deadlines, and deliverables, but it's just as important to make room for community, service, and connection.
And finally… We Have Something BIG to Celebrate!
As we close out September, I want to take a moment to celebrate something that deserves a big spotlight:
WE DID IT!
Not only did we hit our financial delivery goal we surpassed it!
That accomplishment belongs to the entire team. Behind that number are countless hours of hard work, problem-solving, collaboration, persistence, and dedication. Every person played a part in getting us across that finish line.
So, to everyone who contributed: THANK YOU!
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for putting in the work.
Thank you for supporting one another.
And thank you for continuing to push forward, even when the unexpected happens—whether that's a storm that never really storms, a week without A/C or just the everyday challenges that come with keeping everything moving.
September may have started the “’Ber” months with a little uncertainty, but it ended with a great reason to celebrate.
Here's to the adventures, the teamwork, the community, the laughs, and most importantly, to surpassing our goal together!
Cheers to September and bring on October!