We talk to Creative Content Producer Liz Brown about Earn In's Santa Cruz Retreat, and how they encourage their employees to work in their most productive environments.

1. Where did you stay on your Outsite Company Retreat?

We stayed in Santa Cruz, at the Green House and Oxford.

2. How big is your team, and how many attended?

Our Marketing Team has a total of 10 people and all were present for this Strategic Planning Offsite

3. Are you usually 100% remote?

We are a tech startup with our Headquarters located in Palo Alto, Ca and a secondary office in Cincinnati, OH. We are not usually a remote company, but with the climate of commuting in the Bay Area and advancements in video conferencing/technology in general, employees are encouraged to work in environments that promote productivity.

4. Did you have a 'game plan' for the Retreat, going in?

As a newly formed team, we didn't simply want to sit in a conference room all day discussing business. We knew we needed time to really come together and bond (being a creative team), but were unsure exactly how to execute on that. Outsite was the perfect way to bring us all together in a relaxed setting, while also allowing us to get to business when needed.

5. What did you do during your time there?

Because we did have some deliverables that needed to come out of the offsite we did focus mainly on business. However, every morning team members were able to walk/run on the path along the water which really set the mood for the day. We also had a wonderful team dinner at West End Tap & Kitchen. On our departure day most of the team was able to go to Natural Bridges State Beach and take in the gorgeous scenery!

6. How do you think it's impacted your teamwork going forward?

Everyone was thoroughly impressed with both locations (obviously the Greenhouse was the favorite), the cleanliness and overall functionality of the homes and workspaces, and just the general feeling of being "home". It was WAY better than being disconnected from one another and sitting in a conference room all day. We were actually able to come together and feel like a family - which was one of our main goals of the off-site.

Tempted to take your team on an off-site in Outsite? Take a look at our Retreats, or try out a location for yourself.