A Love Letter to My Teammates : One Year Later

Last March, I wrote “A Love Letter to My Teammates” just a week after the Covid lockdown began. There was so much fear and anxiety as none of us knew what to expect, but thanks to my fantastic colleagues at Upside Business Travel, there was also hope. I don’t think any of us could have predicted the rollercoaster ride we’d go on over the next year or that we’d still be on the zooms and slacks from our living rooms a year later. But here we are. There is still a lot that is unknown. But, there is also a lot more hope. And so, as I re-read my words from a year ago, I realized that while they still ring true today (except that line where I naively predicted we’d be back in “a few weeks!”), there is now so much more to say. And so my dear colleagues, here is my second love letter to you all.

Dear Upside Fam,

It’s hard to believe that a full year has passed since we saw each other last. I never imagined we’d find ourselves here today. I can so vividly recall lowering our office blinds and turning out the lights on March 12, 2020, never dreaming it would be for the last time.

We’ve supported each other through some of the most tumultuous times in not just our company’s history but our country’s as well. When I sat down to reflect on the last year — those were the memories that remained fresh. The days that we banded together and offered support to one another in the form of grocery drop-offs, care packages or just a listening ear. The days that we celebrated quarantine marriages, new babies, new homes and many new pets. The days that the hours spent cranking paid off and we heard the wins song play again — if only in our minds. The days we’ve had difficult conversations and committed to one another that we’d put in the work to address inequalities in our country. Those, my friends, are the days that unite us.

We’ve welcomed many new colleagues over the last year and each and every one has changed us for the better. We’ve learned how to adapt both our culture and our product to a new world and that’s made us better. We’ve learned to focus on the here and now and have put more value and thought into our relationships with one another.

So, when I look back over the last year — I see Scott lip syncing to Macklemore, I see David Little dressed as a dinosaur, I see Claycia holding a telegram, I see Burkman creating dizzying emojis.

I see Mic sipping coffee over Facetime, I see John and Jami eating salads on a porch in Northwest.

I see Isra carefully packing Halloween packages, I see Brooks and Scott Fiore tirelessly calling prospects, I see Hillary and Francesca dazzling TMC’s and Bo and Mariam readying us for the future.

I see Townley introducing us to June, I see David Lee taco racing his daughters, I see Maggie’s wedding photos. I see Lucy Rafla and Missy Harrison charming us all, I see Basil Hitt and Paprika Rung.

I see all of you. So yes, my dear friends — it hasn’t always been easy, but its readied us for this next exciting chapter in Upside’s history. We’ve learned so much and come together as a team more than ever before. We’re ready to take on the future in true Upside style.

The road ahead is sure to have some bumps but now more than ever, I know those bumps have nothing on us. There’s still work to be done, but we’ll do it together. Here’s to the next 365 and the rainbow at the end of the storm— I can’t wait to see what we accomplish!