Why Are You Thankful for TeamSnap?

Around this time of year, it’s natural to reflect – on the past year, on your choices, on those who surround you, on your work. What started as a casual conversation on Slack (our chat tool) among employees reflecting on their decision to join the TeamSnap team turned into almost every employee offering a reason they’re thankful TeamSnap exists. Reasons range from the product making life easier for coaches and parents, to the company making life easier through generous benefits, to our appreciation for our customers for enabling our existence.

Read on, and tell us in the comments why you are thankful for TeamSnap. And if you like the sound of things around here, think about joining us!

Geoff Lanotte: When TeamSnap first announced the “unlimited vacation” policy, I was still relatively new and a little skeptical. A few months later, my father was not well and I needed to fly across the country to spend a few days with him. I approached my boss and talked about how I would work whenever I could but I needed to go. The response was, “Family comes first. We will be here when you take care of things.” I then told my product manager roughly the same thing, and I received the same response. This is only the foremost of the reasons I am thankful for TeamSnap.

Drew Meacham: I’m thankful for our customers. Our company culture is a reflection of our product, and our product is a reflection of our customers. The old-timers wisely encourage every TeamSnapper to spend time talking with our users on a regular basis. We soon learn customers value things like teamwork, mentorship, family and, not least of all, a sense of humor. And it turns out, when you apply those same values to a startup culture you create an enormous degree of trust. This trust is a key ingredient in fostering creativity. Suddenly, great ideas start popping up from every corner of the company. As a result, everyone here shares a great sense pride and ownership in the service we offer. And that makes working for TeamSnap a whole lot of fun!

Michelle Muranaka: I’m thankful for my job at TeamSnap! I cannot express in words how great the company culture is here. It’s insane how much more productive I am when I can work during my peak hours, not hours imposed by my superiors. The people here are hilarious and awesome. I am much happier with my whole life since I started working at TeamSnap.

Andrew Berkowitz: I’m thankful that TeamSnap is a company built around people who trust each other. Championship teams are built around trust, accountability and hard work, and that’s how we’re building our own team. I’m also thankful that the biggest hassle on my morning commute is the occasional overturned cat in the hallway.

Beth Hazen: I count my blessings every day for the ability to work for such an incredible company with such great people AND be able to do it from my home.  Working from home is not easy by any means, and it is not for everyone, but it has sure changed my life!  I am also thankful for TeamSnap making my husband so happy as a coach. TeamSnap makes life as a coach (and a coach’s wife) so much easier!

Tyler Knappe: I am thankful that I work for such a great company! Everyone at TeamSnap is wonderful and so friendly and willing to help in any way. The company culture really fosters this kind of attitude, and it shines through at every turn! Not only is the culture great, but so is TeamSnap’s approach to a true remote approach to work, which iallows for much greater freedom with my schedule and work location and just makes life great!

Abe Bergan: I am thankful that I work in an environment that challenges me every day and where the consciousness of my peers to strive beyond a “good enough” standard is palpable daily. Working amongst a group of people who are all contributing to a product that bears meaningful impact on the lives of athletes and their families, both young and old, fosters an amazing personal investment in my work for the company. The ability to work remotely from all corners of the earth creates a work-life balance that is second to none. Lastly, the benefit of having my furry quadripedal daughter, Keeva, come to the office daily is great!

Jasna Benčić: I’m thankful that I feel at home when working at TeamSnap. I wouldn’t call TeamSnap employees/managers my coworkers but my second family because we are like one big family. If you work for TeamSnap one day, you’ll get what I’m talking about. TeamSnap gives everybody a chance to grow, to learn and to help others, and in return, you get a personal and professional growth.

Bria Jones: I’m thankful that for the first time in my son’s life, I am here to send him off to school and welcome him home. TeamSnap has given me the opportunity to feel like all the years I spent going to school full time and working two jobs as a single parent to make sure I could take care of him have paid off. The feeling of opportunity and excitement I feel working for this company is something I haven’t been able to experience as strongly anywhere else. I am so happy I don’t have to drive back and forth, sitting in traffic for hours every day anymore. I am super thankful for my awesome teammates; they are the best. I feel every day that I couldn’t ask for better coworkers. Every day, I am grateful to have found my way to this amazing company. I keep thinking I have reached the limit of how much I can love everything and everyone at Teamsnap without bursting, and every day my limit is broken!

Randy Girard: In no particular order:

• TeamSnap allows me to finally use those sweatpants and robe that have been sitting in my closet, and for that, I thank you.
• I really like that I can eat lunch with my family everyday, because I am already home.
• The team of people that work here feel like an extended family and are aWEsome.
• I’ve never worked somewhere before, where everyone is so passionate about what they do, and that is a great vibe to be around.
• There are more people here who love “The Rock” than I could have ever imagined.

Mark Cornick: I’ve been grateful for many things in my time at TeamSnap, but one of the best things is real support for TeamSnap employees’ career growth. After working as a rank-and-file engineer for so many years, I decided the time had come to work past my prior hesitance and shift toward management. Everyone at TeamSnap has been very helpful and supportive in this change, and has demonstrated the type of management skills I hope to achieve. I’ve had great mentors here, and been able to be a mentor myself. That’s what you get when you recognize and respect the expertise of everyone in the organization, and encourage people to grow and share what they know. I’m also grateful for the time-off policy, which treats adults appropriately and has allowed me to travel more, be around for my family, and generally not work myself to death. Cheers!

Jenn Southan: I am grateful to TeamSnap for giving me the opportunity to not only return to the workplace after many years away but to also grow within the organization at a rate that would likely not be seen anywhere else. I began work here in August 2011, just four hours per week, and now, three years later, I am working full-time as the Director of Customer Experience. Tell me how many companies are willing to truly take their employees as they are and for what they are worth, regardless of how long they’ve been with the company!  Oh, and they also let me hire unlimited Jennifers.

Lisa Elliott: I’m thankful for a company that’s truly fun to work for. No matter what kind of a day we have, there’s always something that makes me chuckle. And I’m thankful to have such a great team of people to work with – especially my manager who hired me even though my name isn’t Jennifer. 🙂

Sweetums (Tim Soderstrom): Geez so many things. Openness is one. Not just in TeamSnap as a company sharing information with all of us, but also in that folks are open to trying new things when the old things don’t work quite as well or forging a path to something out of our comfort zone.

Being team-oriented. TeamSnap has all the best things about being a corporation without any of the downsides it would seem. My last job was the owners versus everyone else. I didn’t share any feeling of ownership other than being a cog in a machine.

Trusting. Everyone has trust and expectation that folks will get done what needs to get done and it ends there. It’s results oriented rather than being structure oriented – in that we have no PTO because that concept doesn’t make any sense.

Most importantly I’m thankful TeamSnap hired me, as it’s the best job I have ever had.

Nick Wolf: I’m thankful for working for such a great company in TeamSnap. While the company stands for plenty of great things, it is the people that make it the best place in the world to work. Having everyone from developers to executive management bought into the collective success of the company is a very viral thing. Walking into the office (or logging in) you can feel the drive to help make our customers’ lives easier. Being a part of this competitive team structure and seeing the good that comes out of the collaboration is one of the more rewarding things I’ve experienced in my life.

Bridget Sweeney: I had turned down a couple other opportunities prior to this one because, while their websites marketed a certain culture, upon interviewing I got the feeling that they didn’t live what they preached — TeamSnap absolutely does.  The levels of trust and respect here are unparalleled in my previous experience and everyone has a genuine stake in what we are trying to accomplish. Being part of a team like that makes for an incredibly fun, hardworking and rewarding work experience. I had also moved clear across the country shortly before taking this job and, being new to this state, have to say I am very thankful for the friends I have made here and the happy hours, yoga breaks, hikes, and general good times we have together!

Lauren Shaw: I’m thankful TeamSnap seriously values a work/life balance. No one cares if I’m working in the batcave in Virginia or if I’m in the Boulder office, and my labradoodles appreciate the flexibility. The opportunities for personal and professional growth are incredible, and it’s amazing that I can leave work nearly everyday with my face hurting from smiling/laughing. I couldn’t imagine working with a better, funnier, smarter group of people!

Terri Schmier:  I haven’t actually started working at TeamSnap yet (start date is Dec. 8 – woo hoo!), but I am already incredibly thankful for TeamSnap as a product since it helps keep me sane trying to juggle two daughters’ hectic sports and activities schedules.  I am also thankful that the wardrobe for my new job will only require investing in some new fuzzy, footy pajamas.  Can’t wait to meet everyone and be a part of this amazing team!

Hunter Pryor: The people who make up TeamSnap are incredibly compassionate, in addition to having the necessary talent to keep the company and our product running. It’s because the hiring process is focused on finding people with compassion as well as talent that the TeamSnap culture is one where you will find endless support and kindness. I joined TeamSnap because I had made a few large decisions about what kind of life I want to live and where I want to live it, and TeamSnap and its remote work policy allowed me to actually achieve those goals. Moving across the country to a city you’ve never been to isn’t a problem when your office address is “home” and taking a week off for the road trip to do so wasn’t an issue when your official vacation policy is “unlimited.” Beyond just new and exciting goals, the support remains even during tough times. I’m thankful to be at a place that really recognizes how important work/life balance is and that it is so much more than just “8 on, 8 off.”

Jason Rahaim: I am thankful to be working for a company devoid of jerks and bullies. Where everyone can express themselves as who they are and not have to worry about people putting them down or talking behind their backs. Everyone involved is on a journey to learn and to get better at what they do every day. We embrace what we can learn from each other instead of being threatened by what we do not know yet. TeamSnap is a company full of passionate people who are all working to make the best possible product for our users and not just punching a clock and taking up space.

Jenny Hadden: I’m thankful for the people I work with at TeamSnap who are smart and humble: that’s a great combination for our line of work. I’m also grateful for a flexible work schedule so I can more readily meet with girls I mentor for morning coffee or lunch every Thursday. Additionally, I’m thankful I get to eat puppy chow (Nebraska’s name for muddy buddies) from my “dining room desk” when I work from home.

Frank Watervoort: TeamSnap is a company like no other. Its family oriented atmosphere, commitment to remote teams and focus on our customers is unparalleled, and it makes for a lot to be thankful for. I’m very thankful for the fact that while we’ve grown at an astonishing rate, we’ve been able to keep our culture in great shape. I’m very thankful for each and every team member. It’s just an honor and a privilege to work side by side with some of the sharpest minds in the industry that also happen to be great human beings. I’m thankful for a lot this year. It’s hard to stand still and look over your shoulder sometimes, but it gets easier with age I guess. I wish all a fantastic holiday season and an even better 2015.

Mark Evans: Where to start? Right off the bat you’re given a lot of trust – that you will get your stuff done in a timely manner, trust that you’ll treat others with respect and in turn you’ll be treated with respect. That alone is enough to make most people feel like an integral part of the team. Couple that feeling with the camaraderie shared between all, and you’ve got a place that I’ve been happy to wake up and work for, every single day. For the first time, I enjoy getting up for work, I enjoy talking to my workmates, and I enjoy the work that I do. Thank you TeamSnap for making me part of the family.

Annmarie Ziegler: Working for TeamSnap means I get to do what I love without it feeling like a job. I am thankful that TeamSnap treats all their employees as real-life people and not as “resources.” I am thankful that TeamSnap doesn’t settle for mediocrity, but helps their employees reach their maximum potential. I am thankful that TeamSnap doesn’t have set hours; I can work at 9 a.m. or 1 a.m. or whenever inspiration strikes. I am thankful that I don’t have to venture out during a snowstorm to get to an office, that I can work from my home with a cup of hot cocoa and my dog lazing at my feet. I am thankful that I can go watch my daughter play a soccer game in the middle of the afternoon without it negatively impacting me. Most of all, I am thankful I get to work with so many amazingly talented and smart people. Thank you TeamSnap!

Lauren Wilson: To start, the fact that TeamSnap asks the employees what they are thankful for is a genuine sign that TeamSnap is a company that cares. I am surrounded by dedicated, smart people that continue to challenge me and are some of the nicest and most helpful coworkers anyone could ask for. TeamSnap truly believes in work-life balance and actually backs up that belief with policies that allow you to find that balance. I am thankful that I get to come into an office where the atmosphere is fun and has a kitchen equipped with two kegs. Thank you, TeamSnap! Keep on keeping on. 🙂

Matt Hopson: Before I started at TeamSnap, I tried several times to “scare off” my interviewers with phrases like, “My family comes absolutely first,” and “I’m not interested in a regular old job,” and “I’m renovating a fifth wheel to travel around the country in.” And yet they kept calling me back. I believe this is greatly more a testament to TeamSnap’s values as a company than my abilities as a potential employee. I’ve come to learn there are so many things to be thankful for at TeamSnap. I’m reminded of these things daily by not only my coworkers, but by my family. One thing stands out most to me, however, and that’s TeamSnap’s recognition of how important time is. You may even say it’s the cornerstone the company is built on.

Time is the most significant thing we have to offer one another, and remains priority No. 1 for TeamSnap and its employees. This is evident, not only in the generous time-related benefits offered to those who work at TeamSnap, but by the efforts of individuals within the company whose contributions save millions of people precious seconds, minutes, and even hours every week. It is truly an honor to be a part of that and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.

Jennie Neusch: I am not even sure where to begin as there is so much to be thankful for. TeamSnap truly is more like a family than a company. Every person is trusted, respected and, most importantly, genuinely cared about. You start each day knowing that you are valued as a member of the TeamSnap team and as an individual with a life outside of work. I am thankful that I can take my boys to their singing lessons and soccer practices and be there for all of the activities that I would miss if I had a job without flexible hours and all from my home! With an impending snowstorm, I am super grateful for that I don’t have to commute! I am thankful that I am reminded and encouraged to make sure that I am finding the time to spend away from work. In this day and age, how often do you hear people say that they LOVE their job, their company and their co-workers? I very happily say it all the time!

Bethany Garner: I am so very thankful to wake up every day and not dread going to work (and by “going to work,” I mean “walking downstairs to fire up the computer while getting coffee started”). Not only do I not dread it, I actually look forward to it! I’m not sure I can adequately express how wonderful this group of people is to work with. Never before have I found myself surrounded by such trustworthy, safe, and HILARIOUS people. There is so much to love about TeamSnap with the flexible schedule, unlimited vacation, and ability to work from home (or anywhere!), but it’s the people and instant sense of family that make such a fantastic place to be.

Stephanie Myers: One of the many things I’m grateful for is TeamSnap’s leadership. I’ve never worked with or for people more encouraging of personal and professional development, quicker to compliment a job well done or provide encouragement on a tough project, or more enabling of employees to take leadership themselves or offer new ideas or solutions. It makes me feel like a valued team member and makes me invested in my job. Also, I like working with cats in my lap.