Happy (Work) Anniversary To Me

Wow! Eight years ago today I started at this little company called "Digital Evolution Group". On this anniversary, I started thinking about all the ways I have grown in this company and as a person as well as all the ways the company has grown and the individuals in it within the last 8 years. And you get to read all about it! :)

ME

• At HOME...
• I've celebrated seven wedding anniversaries and seven birthdays here.
• I've watched my sons go from little one-year-old twin baby boys to amazingly mature, funny, sweet and intelligent 3rd graders
• I've watched my little round-faced 2nd grade step-daughter grow up into a fantastically smart, beautiful, funny, social, and respectful teenager.
• I've had crazy ups and downs in my marriage but we're happier together and getting our groove back.
• I've put on and lost weight and unfortunately put it back on. But with the help of coworkers I'm losing again and getting in-shape with a new attitude.
• My mother and older brother both got married.
• One of my three best friends had brain surgery and went through an incredible journey of job loss, money loss, marriage strengthening and she is just coming into her own as an amazing health coach.
• One of my three best friends went through an amazing process to lose a startling amount of weight and is currently pregnant with her FOURTH child.
• One of my three best friends went through a hearth-breaking divorce that is still affecting her family.
• I lost my faith and my church but I'm slowly coming back
   
• At DEG...
• I've held five different titles, currently the Special Projects Manager. I think this one fits me best and it probably won't change anytime soon (except maybe in name cuz my boss is like that).
• I've sat at six different desks and finally procured one of the best seats available with a big desk and a wall of windows.
• My salary has definitely increased every year at a good rate but I'm still hourly (by choice).
• I currently have eight active annual clients that I help on a year-round basis. Six are events, two are national organizations. All are non-profits.
• I get to help with content migration, testing and training on a myriad of other clients, getting to help launch great websites.
• I sit on the steering committee for four events and work very closely with the others in planning beyond the website. I wouldn't have these opportunity without this position!
• In 2004 I developed an internal system for resource allocation that is still in use to this day. It was only meant to work for about 3 managers and 6 resources but we've made it work.
• In 2008 I developed an internal system, EVAN,  for our digital direct (email) team that is still in use. In 2009 I developed his twin brother, ERIC, for a smaller division of digital direct. Both of these are still in use today.

THE COMPANY

• On my first day, there were five officers, an engineer, a creative, a network services guy, and my job-share partner. A total of 10 of us. As of our staff meeting on Tuesday, there are now almost 70 of us! I started here to have more of the "family" / entrepreneurial feel. Even at 70 people, we still have entrepreneurs within us all.
• We've gone from focusing on smaller, marketing websites with a crazy blast email system to a true consultancy with:
• marketing sites - those will never go away, the clients and sites just got BIGGER
• client strategists to help coordinate multiple projects under a single large client
• a social media division with two great guys directing our clients through the myriad of tools (why yes, there IS an APP for that...)
• a thriving retail division that has created a new wedding registry site as well
• a vast digital direct department that goes well beyond just sending emails
• a creative department instead of just one guy
• three business development (sales) guys instead of just one guy
• an administrative DEPARTMENT with 4 great women instead of two gals sharing a single job
• an engineering staff that has full use of several different programming languages, some of which I've never heard of!
• a SharePoint division leading the way into a whole new world
• We started in a little 600 ft office space (just before I got here) to our main office now. But, our main office has added space 3 times and is being changed again. Last year we added a very large space on the second floor and the people here have been moved around twice. Just last month we added two MORE spaces on the second floor, finally getting all our SharePoint people in one office and all our engineers into another office. Soon we'll have a breakroom that includes more than a fridge and microwave. :)
• We do a lot of social things together - the aforementioned events I work on being the tops. We also participate in Kansas City Corporate Challenge, have associate happy hours and weekly Friday beer:30 times, create fantasy sports leagues, and just had a fabulous Bring Your Child to Work Day. This year we created the "Culture Club" to plan even more events, like attending ball games, cook-offs and bake-offs, a putting contest at the Corporate Woods putting green, and even better happy hours!

THE PEOPLE
When you're around a group of people for a long time, you're going to get to know them pretty well. And you get to see a lot of personal things take place:

• I can't even begin to count the number of birthdays and anniversaries we've witnessed!
• At least four associates have gotten married
• One marriage including two ceremonies. One was a beautiful Christian ceremony. The other was an amazing Hindu ceremony unlike anything I've ever witnessed. And the reception was out of this world, taking place on the stage of Starlight theatre.
• One marriage included a ceremony that should have been a gorgeous beach setting - but due to a tropical storm blowing in was instead in a parking garage. They've weathered the storm and just celebrated their third anniversary.
• At least fifteen new babies have been born and there are four on the way (that I know about...)
• Surprisingly there have been very few inter-office relationships even though a good number of our associates are singles in their 20s.
• I'm pretty sure we've not witnessed any divorces and only a couple major relationship breakups. Again, this surprises me in this day and age.
• There have been a few associates who have lost their parents and grandparents. I'm always amazed by the resiliency of our associates and how they keep going even in the face of personal tragedy.
• I couldn't even begin to tell you the number of college degrees and masters degrees that flow around here, many finished while working here.
• And of course, some associates leave - some by choice, some not so much. Such is the cycle of the workplace. One of my favorite engineers left to fly planes in the Air Force. A friend left to focus on her family of six. Another friend left to pursue a new life in Portland. I miss them all, but know that God leads everyone to the life they're supposed to lead.

This of course isn't everything, just what came to mind when I thought about the last eight years. There have been ups and down here, as in all aspects of life, but overall it's been wonderful and I hope for more fantastical years before they get tired of me. :)