TUNE Week: A Summer Break for Adults

For the second year in a row, TUNE gave the entire company a summer break. Based off of the success from last year’s “TUNE Week,” employees were able to fully disconnect and step away from the office.

With the excitement building around our annual mobile conference, Postback, as well as our annual Geeks on the Beach retreat, this was a chance for employees to focus on their passions, check something off their bucket list, explore the outdoors, volunteer or have a staycation. There were even 60 TUNErs along with their family and friends who made the trek to Valdez, Alaska to spend Fourth Fest with Lucas and Lee, co-founders of TUNE who organized a getaway for TUNErs to experience Alaskan adventures and build new friendships with coworkers.

There’s no better way to see how TUNE week was spent, other than from hearing from TUNErs themselves!
    
“This year’s summer break started off with bang for me, down at my childhood home for the 4th of July. Our family did the burgers, brew and boom thing on the 4th, and then we all trekked up to beautiful Orcas Island to join about 18 of my aunts, uncles and cousins for an extended family reunion.  We camped out on my aunt and uncles property, and enjoyed a number of activities with our 4-year-old daughter, Chloe and 2-year-old son, Calvin: Sightseeing, deep thinking and meditation, camping (yes… we broke down and brought the iPads), golfing and of course… campfires!

All of that packed into a summer break allowed me, and my fellow co-workers, to take a step back from our regular routines and enjoy the things that are most important to us.  The Monday we all got back, we were refreshed and ready to tackle everything in front of us in the second half of 2018!” – Cameron Stewart, COO (SEA)

“I spent my vacation with my wife, and we learned how to surf waves! The TUNE week off was a strange thing for me last year. The ENTIRE company taking time off? Who will work? But after last year I realized how brilliant this idea is and how it sparkles creativity in everyone at the company at the same time. Taking time off when everyone is off, really takes the guilt factor away… I enjoyed it so much this year. I had 5 straight days of quality time with my wife and kids and felt like I was able to take a deep breath before summer.” – Ofir Brill, Managing Director – Tel Aviv Operations (TLV)

“I had a nice staycation and took the chance to venture just outside of Seattle during the holiday. We went to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, where I rode a camel (for the first time!), fed some parakeets, and also fed some goats. We went furniture hunting and were able to find a nice bench and a sofa table to finally complete our living room layout 1.5 years after we moved in.  – Charmaine Kwong, Product Manager (SEA)

“Summer break for adults? How awesome is that! I recently started at TUNE, and what attracted me to the company beyond the awesome product, tech and people was the culture that I got to experience as part of my interview process. So it was no surprise when I heard that July 4th was a long weekend at TUNE and a summer break for adults! Love it! My family and I joined Lucas and Lee in Valdez Alaska. We had the opportunity to experience Glacier lake, ice caves, zip up and down the lake on seadoos, enjoy off-road biking on fat tires, go on a fishing expedition and see a pod of orcas in the wild, all while witnessing the natural beauty of Alaska. – Bhavana Mathur, VP of Product (SEA)

“I was in the Austrian Alps, doing some yoga, hiking, rock climbing and relaxing. I went climbing for the first time on a real rock, which was amazing and it definitely motivated me to take the sport a bit more seriously.”  – Fatima Aliyeva, Client Success Manager (Berlin)

“So, I’m a huge music fan and an avid concert goer. On the Tuesday night before the 4th of July, my fiancé and I went to a pretty private show of one of our favorite NorthWest artists, Sera Cahoone. The show was on Vashon Island randomly, so we headed over that evening with our dog to watch the show and stay for the night. Once the show concluded, Sera Cahoone and her crew ended up sticking around, hanging out and talking with us the entire night around a bonfire! This whole night basically made my year! Huge fan of her and I’ll never forget it! – Christine Johnson, User Experience Designer (SEA)

“The quarter final of the World Cup during TUNE week came as a blessing since I had the the whole day to build up excitement for the game with my London French friends. – JV Vincent, Sales Director, EMEA (London)

“Debbie and I took a trip up to Canada! We drove up to Yoho National Park (just west of Banff) and backpacked a circuit through the Iceline trail. It was such a beautiful trip and I’m feeling SO refreshed from so many days on the trail.”  – Jillian Greenaway, Software Support Engineer (SEA)

“Blake and I adventured north to Alaska to spend some time with my family. My parents, sister and her boyfriend, and Blake and I chartered a fishing boat for 3 days in the Prince William Sound to spend some good old-fashioned quality time. We kayaked around Surprise glacier, went shrimping, caught some halibut and rockfish, and relaxed in the sun. All in all, it was a super special time to have with family and we were very grateful to have a few extra days to make something like this happen.”  – Nessa Voigt, Global Director of Inside Sales (SEA)

We are all feeling refreshed and ready to take on Q3 as we head into the second half of the year. We’re grateful for our employees and teams around the globe for the energy they bring to the office each and every day. Learn more about life at TUNE and how you can join the team.