Life at Bending Spoons
A few months ago I sat down with the Bending Spoons recruiting team to share my experience as a Spooner and living in Italy as an ex-pat. I hope this gives potential candidates a glimpse into life at the most wonderful company in the world!
By Nicolle Wasserman, Chief of Staff to Executive Team at Bending Spoons
Bending Spoons interview with Nicolle Wasserman
Nicolle Wasserman is the Chief of Staff to the Executive Team at Bending Spoons. Lured by the promise of espresso and pasticcini, we convinced her to take thirty minutes out of an absurdly busy schedule to talk us through her path from New York City to the center of the Spooniverse.
Tell us about your role at Bending Spoons
I’ve been working at Bending Spoons since October 2019, so in some ways I still consider myself a bit of a newbie Spooner. I’m a baby spoon, like a cucchiaino! 😆 My biggest project, which is still ongoing and will be for quite some time, is coordinating the design and fit-out construction of our new HQ. Sometime in the next year we’ll be moving into our brand new home, and I’ve tasked myself and our fabulous design team with creating the most beautiful and functional office in Europe. It’s been an insanely fun and creative project to lead. Because I’m driving the new office project, I also have the honor of sitting in with People Operations, which is the team that manages our daily office operations, company retreats, and in general, makes sure Spooners have everything they need to be happy and productive. I also have to mention that this team produces the most incredible parties and events!
Alongside the office project, I spend the majority of my time supporting the Executive team. In general, I try to take tasks off their plate to allow them to focus on the big picture — this can range from something small like scheduling meetings or drafting correspondence, to larger tasks such as research projects or driving new company-wide initiatives. I take a great amount of pride in supporting brilliant people, and I’m excited every day that I can play a small role in helping this incredibly talented group succeed. 🚀
Can you tell us about your path to Bending Spoons?
I’d say this was quite a nonlinear path! I was born in New York City to parents who are both artists. As I was growing up, the question was always “What kind of artist will Nicolle be?” rather than “What will she be when she grows up?” And to be honest, I never considered any alternative! I spent my entire childhood immersed in a wide variety of artistic disciplines, but ended up setting my sights on becoming a professional dancer and choreographer. However, I shifted my focus right after university: I had always had a passion for the behind-the-scenes and business side of the arts, so I was naturally drawn to arts management.
I spent eleven years directing the operations and administration for the school at the American Dance Festival, one of the world’s largest and oldest modern dance organizations. During that period, I took on a seemingly impossible task of earning a masters degree in arts management while working full time. That was hard, but totally worth it! Most recently, I worked on the Las Vegas project management team at Meow Wolf, an arts and entertainment company that creates large-scale immersive art installations and events.
Then, in early 2019 everything changed. My husband, who is from Cyprus, got a job offer in Pavia. Move to Italy, the land of delicious food and beauty everywhere… how could I say no? Within the first few days of starting my job hunt, I stumbled upon Bending Spoons. I was smitten from the start. The job description felt like it was written specifically for me, the manifesto was so inspiring, and a fire inside of me was sparked by the challenge to applicants on the website (if you’re curious, check it out). I focused all my energy on the prospect of becoming a Spooner, which, a few months after submitting my application, turned from dream into reality! 😍
How has moving to Italy been?
Moving from the United States to Italy hasn’t been easy, but it’s 100% worth it. The first few months were intense, as most big transitions usually are. We spent a lot of time setting up our new lives and stumbling through the Italian bureaucracy to get all of our official documents in order. While Italy is quite different from the USA, especially from a cultural standpoint, I feel very at home here. I’m a big city girl at heart, so it feels very natural to be in a bustling city every day.
The language barrier can be tough at times, but I’m trying to learn Italian as fast as humanly possible. And I’m lucky that Italians are very kind and welcoming. Unfortunately, right when our transition period came to a close and we were ready to relax and explore the city, COVID-19 hit. While it’s been incredibly sad to see Italy (and the world) impacted so deeply, it’s also been inspiring to see how Italians have come together to make it through this intense situation. I can’t wait to explore Milan and the rest of Italy as soon as it’s safe again — I know it has tons to offer, especially for an art, fashion, and food lover like me! 🍝
What has working at Bending Spoons taught you?
I think we can really count our lucky stars when we think about the people who lead the company. Among the many philosophies, strategies, and perspectives I’ve learned from this group, two really stand out: trust and humanity. Bending Spoons is founded on a principle of hiring the most talented people out there, and trusting them to do their job well (it’s worth mentioning: along with a very, very, very high bar). This doesn’t mean that we work in a chaotic environment with no checks and balances, but it does mean leaving a lot of antiquated work rules at the door. No one tracks how many hours we’re working, when we take vacations, or how much food we take from the kitchen. Spooners are trusted right from the start (whereas a lot of companies start from the opposite side: “I don’t know you, therefore I don’t trust you”) and our value is proven by what we bring to the table. This freedom and power allows every one of us to work in the best possible conditions, and it also treats us like real human beings. This is the type of work environment every company should strive for.
What’s been your best experience at Bending Spoons so far?
It’s hard to beat the Bali retreat! I was very fortunate to have joined Bending Spoons just in time to take part in this amazing annual tradition before COVID-19 hit. In February 2020, Bending Spoons sent around 100 Spooners to Bali, Indonesia for a week on an all-expenses-paid trip for the sole purpose of promoting bonding between colleagues. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life! We were housed in a beautiful resort right on the beach, where we all got our own rooms (some with private pools!), and the entire resort was booked just for Bending Spoons, which made bonding that much easier. Some days I laid by the pool and filled up on smoothies, and on others I was super active. One of my favorite memories was when I woke up one day at 1:00am to hike a giant volcano and watch the sunrise from the top with 30 other Spooners. How freakin’ cool is that? It’s truly unbelievable to work for a company that not only has the resources to pay for a trip like this, but that also values meaningful experiences that bond people in deep and lasting ways. It’s obvious how positively impactful the retreats are to the company’s everyday work, and I know it’s one of the (many) reasons why Bending Spoons is so successful. I give a standing ovation to the founders for making “seeing the world together” an integral part of the company’s core values. 👏
In a few words, what does Bending Spoons represent to you?
To me, Bending Spoons represents the future of the ideal work environment. Produce top-notch products, work hard, and be rewarded for outstanding results — all while having fun with an amazing group of people. What more could anyone ask for?
