Work is meant to be fulfilling.
As a design director at TwoTone, I’ve seen all the different things that we’ve tried over the years to make that a reality—with some things working better than others. Through it all, we’ve created some really cool routines that make time spent in the TwoTone office feel less like work and more like purpose. Here’s what we do that I love the most:
1. Monday Meetings
Culture encompasses so many things. But if you wanted to see what TwoTone is all about in one hour or less, you’d want to attend our weekly Monday meeting modeled after the book Traction.
My favorite part is at the beginning of the meeting when we all share our professional and personal good news.
Whether your sister is pregnant, your niece is having a birthday party, or you’re proud of how a client responded to a project, we celebrate the positives together. We laugh, smile, and lift each other up. Constantly. There is nothing better than working with a team who really knows you and understands where you are in both your work life and your personal life.
After good news, we discuss client and employee headlines and then move into other strategic discussions. We try not to veer off topic during our meetings, but sometimes Rick has to answer the door for Cheryl who is looking for the accountant down the hall, or someone falls out of their chair from laughing so hard. But most of the time, our productivity in weekly meetings is a 9/10 (did I mention we rate every meeting? ).
2. Team Lunches
Our team lunches are a highlight each month at TwoTone. These lunches are our opportunity to celebrate everyone who has a birthday, work anniversary, or other special life event during that month—plus, they get to pick where we order lunch from! Team lunch is also a great way to shake up our usual day-to-day tasks and get to know each other a little better.
3. 15Five Weekly Report
Every week, we fill out our 15Five report, which Jenny uses to check in with everyone to see how they are doing in their work and personal lives. We share our professional highs and lows for the week, but this time, privately instead of with the entire team. This allows us to be more personal and transparent and address any concerns or issues we’d rather discuss one-on-one. We also rate our workload, which helps us stay connected with Jenny and keep our week on track, and take time to give shoutouts to other team members who have done remarkable work during the week.
4. Team bonding
It’s always fun to spend time with your team outside of the office. We plan team outings as often as possible in the midst of our diverse schedules! We’ve done so many fun things together outside of work, from monthly team happy hours to our annual murder mystery party (we go ALL OUT when it comes to the costume themes at TwoTone).
My personal favorite was the escape room we completed on our trip to Denver. It was so encouraging to see how well we worked together and figured out how to escape as a team. We ended up getting out 15 minutes before time was up, and there is no way this would have happened if we didn’t already know and understand each other like we do!
Along with all of the fun things we have done outside of work, we still have some fun AT work, too!
5. Transparency
At TwoTone, we care. We make time throughout the week to get to know each other better every day. Do you know your co-worker’s uncle’s job profession? How about their sister’s dog’s name? We celebrate wins together, we cry together, we have each other’s backs. We’re better together, period!
One of the best things about working at TwoTone is the trust and respect we have for each other. No matter what is going on in your life, we are here for each other. I can't tell you how many different emotions I have felt since I started working here in 2018, and Jenny and the team have always been there for me. I consider my coworkers to be my second family, and I am so happy to be part of such a healthy, positive, and loving team.
Abby’s ability to design quickly and creatively makes her the person to call when you need something done yesterday. She learns quickly, and her mind thrives when it is occupied with lots of ideas. She loves working on branding projects where she can let her creativity loose. Abby graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in graphic design. Following graduation, Abby went to school at Drake University and graduated with a master of arts in brand communication.
Abby is originally from Okoboji and loves to spend her weekends in the summer at the lake with family. Abby also loves to cook (she even created her own cookbook), and especially loves trying new recipes. In her free time, you can find Abby biking around Des Moines with friends, or watching the Food Network while enjoying a glass of wine.
