Re-United and It Feels so Good!

After two years of holding virtual get-togethers, this year the SSCS staff reunited in person to get re-acquainted with each other and celebrate, besides.

A long time ago, in a Disco Era far away, a vocal duo sung about how reuniting felt (so) good, and that well could have been the theme this past Friday at SSCS.

You see, it’s an annual tradition for team members to converge on Salinas from across the country for a Holiday celebration in December. Part of the agenda is always a catered feast from one of our local restaurants and many pleasant surprises. It’s also an opportunity for each one of us to review the past year, how it went, and what we expect to come.

Of course, the last two years weren’t quite as festive, with most of the U.S. making a concerted effort to avoid in-person contact. We still got together at the holidays, but it was mostly a virtual thing. For a company whose culture and success is based on the personal touch, it was a bit alien for us to keep our distance, but we adapted.

All things come to pass, however, and this year we were delighted to have our first in-house holiday gathering since 2019. The atmosphere was a bit more charged than usual as you might expect; it was in some ways a company reunion, or at least felt like it. In fact, enthusiasm was so widespread, the atmosphere festive enough, that we attracted a few celebrity guests, like our friend shown elsewhere on this page. Don’t worry though, he wasn’t stealing presents, he was bringing them (allegedly).

As for the attendees that were SSCS employees, well, they participated in any number of productive activities. For example, the Sales Team got to meet and strategize in person again. Our discussions about how we can better serve customers and reach prospects gained additional synergy and dynamics, as a result.

The software engineering team, in the meantime, took over our headquarters classroom to present, to each other, topics relating to the latest technology that we can leverage in the best interests of our customers. Being in-house all together again prompted the kind of creative discussions that might not otherwise emerge in a far-flung, virtual class.

There was more, too, mostly fun stuff like raffles, giveaways, and prizes, and maybe an impromptu solo dance number or two. One thing we know for sure: to be on a team it’s good to be with the team. This past week proved that again. One more thing: whenever we get together, you can be sure that our customers are always top of mind, and dominating discussion. These meetings are a celebration, for sure, but they also focus on the operators we serve, who make the holidays a little brighter, and for whom we are all thankful.