As you might have noticed it: This was not just a pub quiz, that was also a journey back in time and deep into the roots of storytile. Actually I hadn’t planned it that way, but it somehow transformed itself into that the longer I did my research in the team-blog and the historical blog.
What I want to say: We all are often stressed, we try to optimize processes and find new business models and structures and customers, and we often forget how much time has already passed where things were much more difficult. Where finding customers, who would actually pay for their service, was still a challenge. Where nobody knew how it would go on. Things don’t get easier with the time, but sometimes change and development happen so invisible and at the same time so strong they are not noticed at all. Like the guy at INUAS said: Time happens around us, and that is the reason we never notice it. And that is the same reason why we never notice growth, development and changes – but maybe it helps to realize: you’ve come a long way.
Not all of us are part of the process all the time, of course Paul and Oli were there at the start, and also Chris. But each of us is a part of that and gave something in the process.
And I can only talk for myself: When I worked for you the first time as a freelancer I just found in live-blogging something which is exhausting, but offered me also lots and lots of fun. And then, after working for you several times, I was offered this job in probably the nicest job offer ever. And I was confused and insecure and didn’t know what to do, because I had been a freelancer for so long and some of my jobs as an employee had been pretty bad. But I am glad I said yes.
And even if you know I am an official part time worker here, having my side projects – which makes me your polyamorous co-worker, working a bit around 😉 – and even if I sometimes get mad and my emotional traffic light is dark red and I get the impression that you don’t see the power of content and storytelling and I am forgotten, I still like working for you and with you. And I mean all of you, because I am always impressed how good all of you are in their jobs: Chris and Geoff and Markus and soon Amina, you are doing this incredible stuff with the IT, stuff I don’t even really understand, but which always works out and shows the incredible power of the IT; Nadja, you are a pure genius of organization, managing on when others would just sit down and cry; Alisiya, your are taking on every role you had in storytile so well, from sales to project management, always developing so great and you are so social too; Michi, you are so incredibly gifted in sales and connecting people and being so optimistic and never giving up. And Paul and Oli, of course: You are the glue holding everything together, pushing us forward, sometimes throwing yourselves in front of the trucks, getting us together, making the difficult decisions, which is often the hardest thing. So everyone is quite having a super power.
With this pub quiz I tried to use my way of using memories and stories – and you know, I love stories – in finding a way to connect us. The last year was not easy for teams, because it softened the glue holding people together, so I tried it with these stories to find a way back. And I hope I managed to do that. Because we all came a long way...
Happy Birthday to you, storytile!
Dr. Diana Mantel