#8: Behind the Scenes of Our Annual Team Retreat

We are spread out all over the United States, so every position is virtual. So I live in North Carolina. We also have Kentucky and Colorado and Utah and South Carolina and Virginia represented. And so it's really important for us to meet in person at least once a year because that way we can really do work together, we can really come alongside of each other. But also I can love on my team members. I'm Bob. Bonnie. Christine. And this is where all things creativity, design, business and marketing unite. I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains, running a multi seven figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today. I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up. I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom you want, and is wildly profitable. Welcome to the Professional Creative Podcast. I am so excited to introduce to you my team today. Having a team is not something that I ever saw myself doing or having. You know, I was a solopreneur for a good 10 years and in just the last few years we've grown the team to eight of us now that's including me. And it is been one of the most fun and inspirational and fulfilling parts of my entire business. And so today I wanted to give you a little bit of a behind the scenes of our annual team retreat. We are spread out all over the United States so every position is virtual. So I live in North Carolina. We also have Kentucky and Colorado and Utah and South Carolina and Virginia represented. And so it's really important for us to meet in person at least once a year because that way we can really do work together, we can really come alongside of each other. But also I can love on my team members. So we do a little trip every year and it's mixed business with fun. So I get to pamper my team members. We also get to do some really brainy nerdy sessions as well. And so in just a few minutes going to invite them on and they're going to tell you each of them a little bit more about our most recent annual team retreat. So this happened in September and we went to Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona we stayed at the Scott Resort, which is one of my favorite resorts in America, in the world. And we just had so much fun. So I made little team bags for everyone. I had people's favorites snacks and treats. And what I did was schedule a couple of days of just fun and then a couple of days of business. So on the first day, we really just had it all very low key. We spent the day at the pool, and one by one, members of the team got to go get a massage. We had drinks and snacks by the pool. And of course, every day was filled with so much incredible food, because that's everything, right? So we stayed up late and we played games in the room that I had. And I had kind of a suite set up that in one side of the room is where we actually did our meeting. So the next day we had a long table that sat all eight of us. And we were really able to vision storm everything that we wanted to talk about the business, what we were excited about, maybe some things that we wanted to change. But I also got to reveal a team handbook for the first time, and I'll be sharing about that more with you in an upcoming episode. But it was just such a special moment for all of us. We're all female to get together and just go deep with each other. Some of these team members I've known for a couple of years and get to see them regularly. Some of them I was meeting for the very first time. Another thing that I did that I think is so fun is I brought in a photographer, so we were able to get all new bio shots, headshots, and a big team picture together. I'll make sure to include that in the show notes for this episode so that you can actually see the faces of everyone that you're about to hear. But this week was, you know, really monumental for us because we just leave on such a high. We feel so connected, so brought together for a common purpose, but we also just genuinely enjoy each other. We like each other, we love each other, we giggle together. And that when you get to bring that home to work at the end of the day, that is just a really special gift. So without further ado, please enjoy meeting my team. Team Bonnie Christine.

Hi, I am Lisa Jacobs. I'm the integrator at Team Bonnie, and I joined the company in 2021. Here at Bonnie Christine, I keep business operations as smooth and efficient as possible, and I make sure the team is rowing in the same direction at all times. I pride myself on providing crystal clear solutions and systems that drive our company initiatives forward. My favorite part about being on the team is being surrounded by inspirational, passionate and creative people every single day and Bonnie cultivates a community for us like no other. Our time together during the retreat was rejuvenating and unifying. I had the most fun on day one which offered a gentle schedule, self care, surprises and plenty of breaks for introverting, which is always a precious gift to me. A highlight of the retreat and one of the best laughs I've had on the trip was when almost everyone on the team wanted to taste some soup at a restaurant we were visiting, but nobody wanted a whole bowl. We got three bowls for seven tasters and quickly ran out of spoons and supplies and everything you'd need. I looked up to find Bonnie pinky raised, drinking out of the bowl itself and perfectly happy to do so. I took pictures and we all shared a laugh. If nothing else, it goes to show how resourceful we are. We'll always find a solution and get the results we're after.

I'm ifia. I live in Colorado and have been a stay at home mom for the last 19 years. As a mom of four, I am great at organizing and keeping track of all the details. I am the virtual assistant for Bonnie and manage many of the everyday administrative tasks behind the scenes. I am the one who makes sure everyone gets paid on time. I send gifts, I handle shipping and generally anything and everything to keep our remote team running smoothly. I love being part of the process that empowers artists to create beauty in the world. One of my favorite things about working for Bonnie is her ability to build and assemble this amazing group of women that I get to work with every week. She has created a generous, honest, kind culture where we are all here for each other. We cheer each other on in our personal lives as well as being team members. Before the retreat, Bonnie gave us a list of questions to think through as we traveled. These questions were about dreams and goals and our team did not hold back. It was amazing we were able to dream without pressure and the conversations flowed from our beautiful meeting room to the poolside sunshine.

I'm Rebecca. I'm lead designer at Team Bonnie. I get to use my curiosity and my love for clean design to help create the beautiful course materials that help students dig into becoming the creative business owners of their dreams. I really love working on a remote team. We have weekly zoom meetings where we ask a get to know you question to start off. These questions can vary from the last movie we watched, our favorite authors, what we love to do in our free time or even how we celebrate our birthdays. It was truly incredible to not only meet some of these women for the first time, but dig even deeper into our friendships. The energy of our retreat was so calm and peaceful. We met in a small, beautiful room, the overlooked part of the resort with a captivating desert just in view. Conversations with these incredible women just got better and better. There were so many common themes around our own creative ventures and the pathways that led each of us to Team Bonnie. I found our similarities endearing and our differences such great strengths to the dynamics of our team.

I'm Nikita. I'm the program manager and big picture thinker here at Team Bonnie. I thrive at the intersection of connection and collaboration, which is why I have such a big heart for our community. You'll find me behind the scenes, usually with a cup of tea in hand, and I'm here to make your experience the best it can be alongside Bonnie and the team. What I love most about this team is the instant connection we found together in our shared vision and mission. And it was my first time meeting the rest of the team in person and it was so wonderful to connect off screen with such a sweet and fun group of women. What surprised me the most was how quickly we got along and the ease of conversation from heart storming strategic sessions, poolside chats about life, art and family. We laughed so much and one of my favorite memories besides Bonnie gifting us each a massage after lunch poolside was all the laughter. The heart of this team is about as genuine as you. They are all working in their area of expertise and bring so much to the collective table. Bonnie has created such a beautiful and genuine culture of creative women being for one another as we support each other and serve our fellow creatives.

This episode is sponsored by me and my Start simple and Surface Design guide. Truthfully, I will never forget the moment that I learned what Surface Pattern design is and that it's an incredible career opportun. I mean doodle for a living. Yes please. Surface Pattern Design is the work of creating artwork in the form of a repeating pattern for products that require it. Like fabric, wallpaper, gift wrap, tape and any product that you can think of. After working professionally for over 13 years and teaching thousands of others how to create their career, I've made the ultimate guide to Surface Pattern Design and I'm giving it to you for free. This guide is 44 pages long and it will take you from start to finish on how to jump start your career in surface design and get started. You'll learn how to set proper goals, build a solid foundation, find inspiration, work in collections, pitch your work, and create a career while doing something that you love. So don't delay. Go over to bonniecristine.comguide to download your free copy of Start simple and Surface Pattern design. Again, that's BonnieChristine.com guide B O N N I E C H r I s t-I n e.com guide and I will see you there.

I'm Kylie and you might have been introduced to me first as an expert for Immersion 2022. But more recently, if you've sent an email to Team Bonnie, more than likely you've spoken to me. I am head of Customer Support for Bonnie Christine, but I'm also an artist and an online educator. As a fellow creative, I find so much joy in connecting with members of this vibrant community and I genuinely love problem solving and creating a welcoming environment for each unique member. My favorite thing about Team Bonnie is that everyone is encouraged to pursue their own creative dreams while also being a collaborative team member. And that is something that is really unique to our team and also makes us that much better at serving the creative community as a whole. Getting to meet everyone in Arizona was a dream. Bonnie creates such an open environment for us to connect and a genuine desire for us to really know one another. And so even though lots of us were meeting each other for the first time, it truly felt like we had all been friends for years and years. And probably my most favorite memory from the retreat this year was this game we played on night one after dinner. We were split into two different teams, which gave us a nice little taste of some healthy competition. And the different rounds of the games just got crazier and crazier, which culminated in watching Bonnie act out the Grand Canyon in charades silently while under a huge black tablecloth. We were literally on the floor laughing and we were still talking about it over oat milk lattes the next morning.

I'm Ashley. I am the newest member of Team Bonnie. I currently live in Virginia and I'm a lifelong artist, crafter and memory keeper. I'm passionate about helping others and I delight in my new role as Customer Success champion for Team Bonnie. My favorite part about being on the team is the support and encouragement we all share. I have to admit, I was nervous to travel across the country from Virginia to Arizona, but I was super excited to meet everyone in person for the first time. Upon arrival, Bonnie gifted us with a basket full of our favorite things, which were so generous and thoughtful I was met with lots of hugs from each of the women on the team and their excitement to be together instantly made me feel welcome. The surprises didn't even end there. Bonnie booked a massage for each one of us and proceeded to share all the team perks that absolutely blew us away. Bonnie went above and beyond to create the most amazing experience as we laughed together and learned from one another. It's truly a dream to be a part of a team like this one. As an artist, it's amazing to be encouraged to continue creating while also serving in a supportive role. It makes me so excited for the future and I am grateful for the friendships I formed with these women as I get to work with them on a weekly basis.

I'm Erin. I'm an artist, illustrator and fellow surface pattern designer. My role on Team Bonnie is Content Producer. My job each week is to tell a story and connect all of the beautiful dots through our weekly digital touchpoints. With a background in architecture and graphic design, along with over 17 years as a solopreneur, I cannot even begin to explain the gift that it is to be a part of this incredible team. They are creative and genuine, thoughtful and an absolute joy to work with each week. One of my favorite memories from our time in Arizona was actually our first evening. We came back from our shared meeting space after an incredible dinner and sat on the floor in pajamas. We did the most absolute girly thing ever and proceeded to paint our nails and tell stories. The door to our balcony was open as we were gifted with the biggest desert thunderstorm I have ever experienced. I am convinced that this was the absolute best way to start our retreat as desert storms are extremely rare, it became evident that the women who sat cross legged next to me were equally as special. Our continued time together over the next few days was nothing shy of amazing. From menu tasting and goal setting, latte sipping and pool floating. Also, I never knew that fruit and granola tasted even better with tiny micro green flowers on top. I will never be the same.

Aren't they just so enjoyable? These are the women who I get to spend on all day, every day with. We're in and out of each other's slack channel. We're on Zoom all of the time and we're really working together with you at the forefront of everything that we do. I'm so glad that you got to meet everyone today again. If you want to see their faces, head on over to the Show Notes and we'll see you next time on another episode of the Professional Creative Podcast. Bye for now.