The past couple years have been interesting, to say the least.
Ever since TUNE went fully remote in 2020, as a company we’ve been more focused, more productive, and more successful than ever. But as individuals, we all agree there are times where we’ve missed coming into the office, seeing our coworkers, and hanging out in shared spaces. Our solution? TUNE Retreat 2022!
Hosted in beautiful Port Ludlow, Washington, TUNE’s 2022 company retreat brought together more than 40 individuals from all over the world. The October weather could not have been better, despite the looming forest fires and Seattle’s reputation as a gloomy getaway. Over three days, we collaborated, we commiserated, and most importantly, we met and got to know our colleagues in person.
Below, we’ve collected some thoughts and images from retreat-goers to remember our time together and remind us of what makes TUNE, TUNE: its people. Enjoy!
What the Retreat Meant to You
“I have always valued in-person connections and interactions. Those experiences are critical to a company culture like TUNE’s which is built on empathy, mutual respect, cooperation, and problem solving. When TUNE transitioned to a remote workforce, I knew it would be difficult to maintain those cultural anchors and that those interactions which happened organically within our offices would require more intention and effort. The result of that intention and effort was our first TUNE Retreat, which I believe 100% of the attendees would agree was a success. The event meant so much to me. I was able to spend invaluable time with folks who have been committed to TUNE for over a decade, finally meet teammates in person that I have worked with for the past three years and have helped shape TUNE, along with those who have recently chosen TUNE as their new home over other employment options. This event reinforced what I believe is one of TUNE’s biggest competitive advantages, which is our people.”
—Cameron Stewart, General Manager
“I joined TUNE three months before the pandemic began. While I was able to connect with the local European team, I’ve never seen most of my overseas colleagues. What an amazing feeling it was to finally be able to meet everyone, give people a hug and just have a chat about anything.
The retreat was a great combination of work and fun. While we got a chance to see the future TUNE platform and have team-based masterminds, we also enjoyed kayaking, biking, playing golf and multiple happy hours. A tour of the local cidery was definitely a highlight of the trip.
My first time in the evergreen state of Washington was wonderful and I am looking forward to many more retreats like that.”
—Iana Starostovich, Head of Customer Success, EMEA
“I knew I needed this retreat, but I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I got there. I’ve been at TUNE for two years and this was my first time meeting everyone in person. There simply isn’t a replacement for in-person, human interaction. We all have an innate desire to be known by others, and it’s so easy to feel isolated when you’re staring at a screen all day. I think everyone who went on the retreat feels more known than before. You can’t put a price on that.”
—Josiah Goff, Director of Product
“The retreat coincided with my one-year anniversary with TUNE and working remotely made it challenging to bond with some colleagues over technology-based interactions. Admittedly, I sometimes feel invisible to people outside of my immediate team and collaborating departments, so seeing everyone in person, hearing their voices, and sharing physical space made me feel like I was really part of the team. I also enjoyed the resort and planned activities. I desperately needed a break from the madness of New York City, and because I love being surrounded by nature, the location was perfect. I’m naturally introverted, but I challenged myself to be visible and present as much as possible. It was one of the best team retreats I’ve attended over the course of my career, and I’m looking forward to doing it all again next year in Mexico.”
—Tie Davidson, Partnerships Manager
“The TUNE 2022 retreat in Seattle, Washington was amazing. I was attracted to TUNE by their company culture, ability to work with clients one-on-one and their robust platform tools. I was hired after the company went fully remote so meeting everyone in person, socializing, doing team building events and masterminding cross-departmentally was the icing that topped the cake. The venue was beautiful, food was amazing and great memories were made. I came back to work feeling much more unified with our amazing TUNE teams and pumped up for 2023!”
—Amy Walsh, Customer Support Staff
“The retreat really reiterated to me how much this company values its people and its culture. Those two things are what drew me to TUNE in the first place, and they were the first things I missed after I went remote. Seeing the effort that so many individuals put in to make this event as fantastic as possible for their colleagues was reenergizing and uplifting in a way I didn’t expect. Sounds cheesy, but I had a blast hanging out with my coworkers for three days straight. When can we start planning the next one?”
—Becky Doles, Senior Content Marketing Manager
“I joined TUNE during the pandemic and met two people … that’s it. Future social gatherings expanded that circle to include local Seattle people but it made it tough to get a good picture of what TUNE was really like. Then came the retreat that changed all that! Meeting my colleagues in person was great. I made new friends and got a sense of what makes TUNE tick. The VisionType meeting reassured me that TUNE is looking to the future and I liked what I heard!”
—Steve Graham, Customer Success Manager
“Unlike a standard company retreat that is heavily focused on content, with a little team building mixed in, the reverse was the case at TUNE Retreat 2022. I think that this approach greatly enhanced the participation and engagement in the content piece, when the time came for that.”
—John Dorais, VP of Customer Success
“The retreat week could not have been more perfect or timely. We’ve all endured so much change in the past few years, both personally and professionally. For me personally, this included becoming a first-time mom to my son Mercer. As the event neared, I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend unless he was able to attend with us. Instead of being treated as a nuisance, he was welcomed by the entire team. Many TUNE employees went out of their way to spend time with him and he ended up becoming the mascot of the week. That he would be embraced so openly is a testament to our culture and the bonds we’ve formed. I feel so lucky to be able to work with such a great group of people!”
—Nessa Voigt, VP of Marketing
Building Relationships While Working Remotely
“Working remotely, it’s easy to forget how we can be supported and supportive. During this trip, I made some unexpected but great personal connections with people I don’t interact with a regular basis. Sometimes, all we need is a listening ear and motivation, especially for our dreams and goals outside of work.”
—Tie Davidson, Partnerships Manager
(L-R) KC and Bernard ham it up for the camera during the cidery tour.
“For a certified introvert who loves working remotely and never wants to darken the doors of an office again in my lifetime, it was great spending time with the team and confirming my suspicions that TUNE legit has put together some incredibly high-quality people. I’ve never been more convinced of what we can achieve. So many great conversations started, and I love seeing how they’re progressing. That said, I’m ready to not be around people for a bit.”
—KC Jones, Senior Product Designer
“The TUNE retreat was amazing! I typically see the Sales and Partnerships teams at conferences throughout the year, and it was great to finally meet the rest of the team in such a beautiful location. I almost did not realize that there were certain people who I haven’t actually met in real life, which is testament to our tight-knit group!”
—Dan Buontempone, Business Development Specialist
“One takeaway is that there is no substitute for the time spent in between presentations, team meetings and one-on-ones. Relationships are built in the margins of what we do every day and we were able to set aside time to allow those relationships to form and prosper. We started the retreat off with a review of what we have accomplished this year, acknowledged our shortcomings, and look forward into our biggest opportunities to improve our company, product and service for our clients for the remainder of 2022 and into the future.”
—Cameron Stewart, General Manager
“My favorite moments came during those late nights around the bonfire and in the game room because I got to experience different sides of my teammates that would never come through in a Zoom call. Friendships were forged over s’mores and board games.”
—Josiah Goff, Director of Product
Thoughts on the Future of TUNE
“The VisionType presentation was extremely helpful to translate what we talk about on a regular basis into something more tangible to see how we might go about creating a product to address our customers’ challenges. It will also help us prioritize our roadmap and understand the sequence we should be developing in to get the right problems solved.”
—Cameron Stewart, General Manager
“I knew that our team has been feverishly working on some amazing advancements to TUNE for the near future, but I was absolutely floored by our forward-looking VisionType presentation. TUNE will soon become the beacon in the industry for brands, agencies, networks, and publishers to substantially grow all of their performance marketing initiatives.”
—Dan Buontempone, Business Development Specialist
“I’m excited about the VisionType and the future of TUNE. My only questions there are: When can we expect to see some of the new changes happen? Can we celebrate them in Mexico at the 2023 retreat? I’m calling for Puerto Vallarta.”
—Tie Davidson, Partnerships Manager
Looking Ahead to 2023
Before leaving, we all agreed that planning for 2023’s retreat should start immediately. In the meantime, we have lots to be thankful for, plus plenty of exciting plans and product updates to keep us occupied. These memories don’t hurt, either.
If life at TUNE sounds like something you’re interested in, take a look at our Careers page to learn how to join the team.
Author
Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she led a variety of marketing and communications projects at San Francisco startups. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After living nearly a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned to her home of Charleston, SC, where you can find her enjoying the sun and salt water with her family.
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