Croissants & Company Culture

Episode 11

72 seconds

At WorkSuite's recent offsite, a hands-on cultural experience at a local croissant museum in Poznań helped team members bond, embrace differences, and connect beyond work—reminding them of the power of shared traditions and new settings.

With Neha Bhaia

March 18, 2025

Retreat location: Poznan, Poland

Teamwork In Action

With Betsy TuckerThe Brand GuildApr 1st, 2025Retreat location: Charlottesville, Virginia

Betsy Tucker, VP of People and Culture at The Brand Guild, shares a cornerstone activity from their annual company retreat at Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, Virginia. With up to 55 employees attending, Betsy has helped lead seven offsites, each one featuring a unique team-building challenge called "Build a Brand." This retreat tradition blends creativity and collaboration: small groups are handed three random words and tasked with building an entire brand around them, complete with a visual identity, logo, and go-to-market strategy. It’s more than just a fun competition—it’s a powerful way to spark innovation, amplify cross-functional collaboration, and deepen engagement across the team. If you're looking for offsite activities that inspire creativity, or seeking ideas for hosting company retreats that blend strategy with culture-building, this episode offers a proven model that scales.

Episode 13

Building Bikes, Building Teams

With Karishma BaruaFairmarkitMar 28th, 2025Retreat location: Cancun, Mexico

When remote-first companies gather in person, every moment counts. In this episode, Karishma Barua, VP of People at Fairmarkit, shares how a company-wide retreat in Cancun, Mexico created meaningful connection through a hands-on team-building activity with real impact. Using HBDI thinking style assessments, Karishma’s team was grouped for a high-energy bike building challenge, but the true magic came when local children arrived on-site to receive the bikes. The surprise reveal brought emotional resonance to the retreat, reinforcing Fairmarkit’s culture of empathy, teamwork, and global community. For people leaders planning large-scale offsites, this episode offers ideas for purpose-driven retreat activities, international venues, and creative ways to bring teams together across time zones.

Episode 12

From Merger to Momentum

With Andrew McLeodCertnMar 25th, 2025Retreat location: Bondi Beach, Australia

What does it take to bring two executive teams together after a major acquisition? In this episode, CERTN CEO Andrew McLeod shares how a thoughtfully designed offsite in Bondi Beach, Australia, helped unify leadership, align on vision, and build lasting team culture. From strategic planning sessions to bridge climbs over Sydney Harbour and sunset barbecues on the beach, this retreat went beyond agenda-setting—it laid the foundation for long-term collaboration and post-merger momentum. If you're planning a leadership retreat, managing a post-acquisition team integration, or seeking retreat venue inspiration in Australia, this conversation offers a playbook for combining business strategy with authentic team connection.