POLLY DOWSON JAMERE BOWERS JOE JORDAN ALANA PEREZ …€¦ · JAMERE’S BOWERS Events Coordinator As everyone in North America was flying to Lake Tahoe, Ally, Nicki and myself decided

V E R V E ’ S M O N T H L Y M A G A Z I N E • C H R I S T M A S 2 0 1 8

How Viv used feedback to develop as a leader

When the US team took to the slopes

Follow the journey to finding your X

Things Steven Gross would never EVER say

OUR BIG FAT US GET TOGETHER - P12

CHRISTMAS PARTIES - P38

WELCOME TO LOS ANGELES - P44

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen...

In December 2016 the first company newsletter was published with

the opening lines: “Something that has come up a lot lately is how

do we stay close and feeling like one unified company, when we

are flung out all over the world?”

This is still this newsletter's purpose, two years from when I started it

as a pet project, and it's since grown into a bit of a beast. But it's just

as fun (albeit chaotic) to create with everyone who has contributed

and made it exactly what it is.

Now I’m handing over the reigns into the very capable hands

of Polly, our brilliant new Communications Manager. I’ll be

contributing regularly with articles about culture, but from here on

in, this beast belongs to Polly!

Bedi Out! (*Mic drop)

GRANT BARRATTMATTHEW KENDALL

Editor's letter 03

New starters 04

Our big fat US get-together 12

Verve on ice 18

How Viv used feedback to develop as a leader 22

Introducing Polly 25

Finding your X 26

Off-site retreat 30

Things Steven would never say 33

...and other stories 34

On the road with Bo & Alana 36

Welcome to Los Angeles 40

What else is happening 44

The Christmas parties 46

Sophie's Christmas poem 48

THIS MONTH'S MAGAZINE TEAM

CONTENTS

POLLY DOWSON

JAMERE BOWERS

JOE JORDAN

ALANA PEREZ

ALLISON BURNS

CAISIE DILKS

ELINA MEIMANE

JOE STEVENS

RYAN CARDONA

SOPHIE BERGERETANNE BEDIEDITOR

THE DESIGN TEAM

2 Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018 3Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

OFF-SITE RETREAT - P2

Adriana LandaverdeVP of ProductProduct London What's your favourite Christmas movie? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (the old school one) and Home Alone

What is your favourite swear word? I use a lot of Salvadoran swear words, I'd be glad to teach you a few if interested ;) But the one I use more regularly: mierda!

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I used to hate Teletubbies and then my dad gave me a Po toy

Kathryn Norris-JonesInternal Travel AgentPeople & Talent New York What's your favourite Christmas movie? How The Grinch Stole Christmas or Love Actually!

What is your favourite swear word? Cunt is definitely my favourite, but I also enjoy the use of Twatwaffle & Douchecanoe!

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Once I received an enormously large painting of a Cat as Amy Winehouse, along with the "Feminist Ryan Gosling" book!

Nicki MaciasFormal Events CoordinatorEvent OperationsLas Vegas What's your favourite Christmas movie?The Grinch

What is your favourite swear word?biiiiiiitchhh

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Milk & Vine book (book filled with pages of sayings from Vine)

Ben SandersEVP Verve Software - LeadershipLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?Charlie Brown Christmas

What is your favourite swear word? Motherfucker

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?NYC-branded condoms

James HollandBusiness Development Manager - Client SuccessNew York What's your favourite Christmas movie?The Night Before

What is your favourite swear word?Don't make me choose. I love them all unconditionally.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I once received a small oil painting of a smiling baby during a 1st grade Secret Santa. It was tragic then. Hilarious now. In the child's defense the painting was tastefully done and with merit.

Gabby PuyatEvent Sourcing Coordinator - Event OperationsLos Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. My family and I always rewatch the entire series around Christmas time. Some people might argue that it's not a Christmas movie, but it's got that same kind of magical feel that comes with the holiday season. Happy Christmas! What is your favourite swear word?"Fuck" is by far the most useful. What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?One of my best guy friends in high school loved the Twilight movies solely because he had a crush on Robert Pattinson. So I thoughtfully got him a pale white dildo with Edward's face slapped on the shaft. It even sparkled in the sunlight.

New Starters

Full time Safiya Michel

Chief of Staff - StrategyLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?Home Alone 2 Lost in New York

What is your favourite swear word?Unfortunately I have a problem with dropping too many f-bombs

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?A hamster

54 Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

New Starters

Michael HunauDirector of Creative Production - MarketinLos Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Christmas Vacation. Tradition for as long as I can remember in my family is to watch this once at Thanksgivingand once at Christmas EVERY YEAR. Could probably quote fromstart to finish at thispoint. I also aspire to be Clark Griswold inmy family.

What is your favourite swear word? Really?! Ummm… son ofa bee sting? What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Does a white elephant gift xmas edition count? I once was the last to receive and got toilet paper. Not a package,not themed or special,just a plain ole’ roll of TP.

Grace KennedyFlight Sourcing Coordinator - Event OperationsRemote (Worldwide) What's your favourite Christmas movie?Elf

What is your favourite swear word? Fuck

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?A pirate flag to a boss I had in College as a gag gift. He served overseas and sadly lost his leg in the line of duty. He is an extraordinary man, and obviously a very good sport!

Travis McMichaelVice President, Brand Marketing - MarketingLos Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Die Hard - (yes, that's a christmas movie)

What is your favourite swear word? "Shit!"

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Baby snapping turtle

New Starters

Full Time Ben Nother

Strategy Analyst - Business IntelligenceLondon

What's your favourite Christmas movie?Home Alone, with The Polar Express in close second.

What is your favourite swear word?Fucking twat - a phrase I mutter to myself, usually about myself.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received? In my last job I got given talking mistletoe (adult edition) that would vocalise some pretty obscene phrases when activated. Unfortunately one day I pressed the ‘on’ button too hard, and it got stuck on repeat (with no screwdriver to take the batteries out). The office got a good 10 minutes of “I’m horny, f*ck me under the Christmas tree” to work along to before I had to smash it up.

Rebecca HundersmarckProgram Development Manager - Inventory and Business DevelopmentLas Vegas What's your favourite Christmas movie?Elf, oddly enough I also enjoy the four food groups that are candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

What is your favourite swear word? Fuckity fuck fuck, or if my iPhone has any say, it’s duckity duck duck.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?An ant farm - I gave it, and apparently they later escaped. Oops.

Max WikholmSenior Client Success Manager - Client SuccessLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?Elf.

What is your favourite swear word? Vittu! is an ancient Finnish word for the female genitalia but now has the literal meaning of "cunt". Linguistically, it is used similar to how 'fuck' is used in English to add force to a statement or express frustration. What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Secret? He's not secret he's my neighbor.

Brian BachelorHead of Culture Marketing - MarketingLos Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Not exactly a Christmas movie, but I love watching Coming to America with Eddie Murphy at this time of year. Favorite family tradition since my younger days. What is your favourite swear word? MUTHAFUCKA!!!! (but you gotta say it exactly like Samuel L Jackson).... please note this was a slight win by an edge over SHIIIIIEEEEEEEETTTTTTT! I went through a very calculated process to arrive at this decision. What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I haven't participated in many Secret Santas so the bar is kinda set low here...I've received an assorted pack of hot sauces (someone said I was caliente). As for gifts... I typically give Titos Vodka in hopes that I receive the gift back to myself at the end of secret Santa exchange rules, lol.


New Starters

Hannah AnterEvent Sourcing Coordinator - Event OperationsLos Angeles

What's your favourite Christmas movie?My favorite Christmas movie is Elf! I've seen it a million times but it never gets old. The Grinch definitely comes in close second though.

What is your favourite swear word?I'm having a hard time deciding a favorite, I think it's probably a tie between bitch and fuck.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?The funniest secret Santa gift I've ever received ended up being really practical too- a wine glass that holds a whole bottle of wine.

Full Time Katie Wells

Event Sourcing Coordinator - Inventory and Business DevelopmentLos Angeles

What's your favourite Christmas movie?How The Grinch Stole Christmas (live action) I have an annoying (or awesome if you ask me) habit of saying every line right before the characters do. Even though I only watch it once or twice a year I still know every line!

What is your favourite swear word?Son of a nutcracker!

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I got a $25 gas card one year, but when I went to use it, I discovered it only had $1 on it. My mom was my Secret Santa so I assumed she made a mistake. I texted her about it and I got back a video of her standing at a gas pump with my dad laughing her head off buying $24 worth of gas.

Kylie KoskeEvent Sourcing Coordinator - Event OperationsLos Angeles

What's your favourite Christmas movie?My favorite Christmas movie is Ruldoph the Red Nose Reindeer: The Movie. It's a way better version than the original.

What is your favourite swear word?Favorite curse word is f**k for sure.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?The best secret Santa gift I got was a $50 in-n-out gift card. There's nothing better than free burgers and animal-style fries!

Jimmy SinhaSenior Director, Inside Sales - SalesLos Angeles

What's your favourite Christmas movie?Home Alone. I was toldit’s based on a true story.

What is your favourite swear word? Barbara Streisand.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?A giant bottle of Sriracha.

Noémie KamalSenior Community Manager - CommunityLondon

What's your favourite Christmas movie?I'm not a big fan of Christmas movies even though I do like Christmas, but I find them often a bit too cheesy. However, I would say 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' first, because it's quite unique and then because I also really like to watch animated movies and love Tim Burton's films: they're often very poetic.

What is your favourite swear word?I swear a lot but mostly in French because it made me sound like I'm not rude to non-French speakers (hehe). So I would say 'Putain', because you can use it to express so many things: anger, surprise, boredom...and even happiness. There's even a meme on that, which I find quite funny.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I once offered something quite unusual for a Christmas present: it was a saucisson, to my little cousin, who was something like 6 or 7 at the time, but she had actually asked for it in her wish list.

Polly DowsonCommunications Manager - Office of CEOLondon

What's your favourite Christmas movie?Probably a toss up between Love Actually and The Grinch - plus next year I'm going to get my own dog like the Grinch's Max.

What is your favourite swear word?Fuck, because it's so versatile. I use it a lot.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?A few years ago I got some Jack Wills branded tat, which you'll come to realise is so far removed from who I am. It was from a colleague I worked super closely with, and weirdly it wasn't even a joke.

Jennifer ViolaBusiness Intelligence Analyst - Business IntelligenceLas Vegas

What's your favourite Christmas movie?If this counts (bcos it's set during the holidays, but it's not at all a 'traditional christmas movie' by any stretch of the imagination) - The Ref. It's about a thief who kidnaps a family in the middle of the holidays and the family is so dysfunctional they wind up driving the thief crazy. Cracks me up every time I watch it.

What is your favourite swear word?Fuck. It's so versatile. It can be used to express anger (fuck NO!), happiness (fuck YEA!) and everything in between (fucking right!).

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Nothing funny to report. My participation in Secret Santa has generally been nice and generous for both giving and receiving...clearly I must be doing it wrong.


New Starters

Contractors

Idunn Sofie RiiseCommunity Manager - CommunityLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?Probably Three Wishes for Cinderella (original Czech title Tři oříšky pro Popelku) which was filmed in 1973 and is on TV in Norway every Christmas Eve. It's a different version of Cinderella than what Disney portrayed, where she's a lot more feisty, super clever and really knows her own mind. Also it is wonderfully dubbed by Knut Risan, who does all the voices. I particularly enjoy his high-pitched voice for the evil stepmother. What is your favourite swear word? Maybe dammit? I feel it can go either way in terms of severity, and is also probably the most versatile one. What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?I've actually only ever done one Secret Santa, and I gave away a small, portable Bluetooth speaker which turned out to be the most popular gift amongst the 40+ men.

Adam TaylorCRM Specialist I - CommunityLos Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Mary Kate and Ashley's "To Grandmother's House We Go", obviously... What is your favourite swear word? Fuckin' A, man.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received? Part of a white elephant exchange, I picked out a Bob Ross Funko Pop that was quickly stolen and I was forced to take home a massive bottle of Poo-Pourri.

Dan FairsFreelance Software Engineer- EngineeringLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?It's a close-run thing between A Nightmare Before Christmas and The Muppet's Christmas Carol. Although to be honest, at the moment it's probably anything with My Little Pony in the title, as that's all my daughter allows on Netflix. What is your favourite swear word? Hmm.Pitched right, it can have more impact than you might expect! What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Not sure about funniest, but I once (many years ago!) gave a colleague a Cartman car windscreen ice scraper - possibly the worst gift ever.

Janelle JaneMembership Coordinator, Pollen - Community Los Angeles What's your favourite Christmas movie?Home Alone.

What is your favourite swear word?The F word!

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?The funniest Secret Santa present I have ever received was a gift that I gave to the other person:)

Chloe HammerMembership Coordinator, Pollen - CommunityLos Angeles

What's your favourite Christmas movie?My favorite Christmas movie, and one of my favorite movies in general, is Love Actually! I'm obsessed with Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley, and the whole plot of the story is so cute and romantic. Along with the quality humor from Bill Nighy. This movie never gets old, making it easy for me to watch anytime not just in December. What is your favourite swear word? Fuck!! Simple, but effective. What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Dildo… cliche, but what’s funnier?

Paul MullanScrum Master, Pollen - EngineeringLondon What's your favourite Christmas movie?National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - classic Randy Quaid.

What is your favourite swear word? Balls

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Not really funny but the best was a Stylophone. I worked with someone who received 'virgin reversal novelty tablets' from a colleague (not me!). There was no Secret Santa the following year.

Christine GraabekCommunity Manager- CommunityLondon

What's your favourite Christmas movie?I just saw the new Netflix movie 'Christmas Chronicles' and I was actually impressed how good it was. Probably the first Christmas movie I enjoyed since 'Home Alone', which I need to see every year around Christmas. Why wasn't Ias cool when I was a child?

What is your favourite swear word?Fuck always works forme! Calling people Dr. Fuck Nugget if they act like assholes always gives me some kind of satisfaction.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?When I was 13-years-old I really wanted to get my ears pierced! I made an agreement with my brother that I would pay for the piercings and we would act like he gave it to me as a present. Later that day we hadan argument and so he came clean to my parents....The story ended happily after, and I finally got my ears pierced.

Jason DeppenFootball Specialty Program Coordinator - Event OperationsLas Vegas

What's your favourite Christmas movie?National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Scrooged (Bill Murray). Can’t pick!

What is your favourite swear word?I don’t swear, I have a 3-year-old......kidding! But I do spell it out now when he’s being a L-I-L S-H-I-T.

What was the funniest Secret Santa present you have ever given/received?Miniature leg lamp from “A Christmas Story”


L ast week, all of our North American-based teams came together in the Las Vegas office to work on the Verve Travel strategy, meet the Campus Vacations team, and generally feel like one company. We called it an 'integration'

week for lack of a better term, but with our North American teams being spread out across Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Austin, Toronto and NYC (etc!) it's important for everyone to get together, for strategic thinking but also for culture and building relationships. We started with a hike to Red Rock on Monday morning (a favourite of Callum's, who does a great impression of a mountain goat), followed by a great sales presentation from Lon and Justin- although Andrew stole the show with his 'Verve Travel Vision' presentation, in a cinema complete with popcorn. As we were in Vegas, a few of our nights inevitably ended on the Strip, but all in the name of team bonding!

ALLISON BURNS GLOBAL HEAD OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT


"AMAZING HIKE IN RED ROCK THIS MORNING,

@LON WAS A BIT OF A BULLY AND TOOK

EVERYONE ON A DEATH ROUTE - BUT WE

ALL MADE IT OUT ALIVE!"

WITH OUR RECENT ACQUISITION OF CAMPUS VACATIONS, ALL OF OUR NORTH AMERICAN TEAM FLEW TO OUR VEGAS OFFICE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER. AS THE SAYING GOES, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS. EXCEPT IT DOESN’T, SO READ ON.

LIONEL MIRANDA, VEGASLon's presentation during our Sales Connect, which showed our 2019-2020 plan was AMAZING! I'm sure the entire team was hyped!

ELINA MEIMANE, LIVING IN LAAbsolutely loved our integration week! We had lots of fun at the parties and then still successfully managed to meet up the next day for presentations and workshops. Huge thanks to Allie and

Mary for organising and running the whole week! My favourite night was the very first night out we had in Vegas. After dinner and drinks at Osaka, I was close to going home, but then ran into our crowd back at the hotel screaming: "we are going to

Marquee!" Obviously I decided that I can't miss out on that - we got this huge party bus on the way to the club, it was a blast!

BO THEDE, VEGASIt was so exciting welcoming the whole North America team + CV team to Vegas! The highlight of my week was just having everyone come together to share the vision of the company for the upcoming year, and getting excited for what is ahead of us! Oh, and getting to ice skate in my gingerbread onesie!

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM, VEGASThis has been my 2nd integration week and having a majority of the company from all offices in one location is not only fun to let loose, but also a great way to build relationships with new members of the team.

RYAN BENTLEY, LA Vegas was amazing, I got to get a lot closer to a lot of people I had already worked closely with, and got to talk to a bunch of people I hadn't had the opportunity to speak with. It was an awesome experience and I left feeling closer to my colleagues and even more proud to work for the company.

1514 Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

CHERYL MYERSCOUGH, TORONTOI'm very grateful to be a part of not just a great team in Toronto, but a great company. This past week really highlighted that for me. It was really exciting to meet everyone and get to know people who I hope to be working with for years to come! I'm looking forward to the next time we meet!

DYLAN MALLOY, LAAs someone who typically runs for the hills at just the mention of Sin City, I genuinely loved every moment of the 4-day integration week in Vegas. Huge shout out to Lon, Justin, and Andrew for their travel presentations, and an even louder shout out to welcome all our new Toronto colleagues. I feel confident that our company will continue to move in the right direction together.

DANIELLE JONES, TORONTOArriving in Vegas for integration week, I was greeted by an abundance of many welcoming faces that made me feel so at home within this company. The presentations I attended as well as the conversations I got to have with various individuals was extremely inspiring. The energy and motivation that is exuded by each team is incredible, and and I can’t wait to see what is in store for us in this upcoming year.

HELEN VO, LAVegas integration was incredible because I was able to finally meet some of the Vegas and Toronto team in person. It was so fun getting to know them and dance together at the holiday party. My favorite moment was when Mary made me and Charles hold his crutches and started a limbo party on the dance floor. 10/10 would recommend.

CHARLES BERNARD, LONDONThe few days spent all together in Vegas were exhilarating. It is truly motivating to realise how much impact our work is having on everyone in the group and also for so many customers. Of course, I had to make a point somehow and left an ankle for fame and glory, hopefully that will bring luck to the whole group!!

BRYAN VU, VEGASNothing short of amazing, as are all of the Verve get-togethers! It is always truly spectacular to see all of our offices come together for a common goal and of course a few drinks! I always feel recharged after our retreats and it motivates me get after it even more! Our culture is undoubtedly one of a kind, and I want to do my utmost to give back and ensure we are succeeding.

17Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 201816

Verve on iceOur whole American team took to the mountains for our annual ski trip - there was adventure, ascary accident and much much fun…

ALLISON BURNS

Global Head of Employee Engagement

“For our first annual US ski trip, 85 of us went to South Lake Tahoe. As well as being the ski trip for the North American team (UK/EU ski trip will be in March), it was also a FAM (Familiarisation) Trip. Verve Travel has been selling Formals in Tahoe for a few years, but we were hoping to build stronger relationships with new vendors. A lot of the vendors gave us great deals, and we were able to live like college kids for a few days - we went on a boat cruise around Lake Tahoe, saw a magic show and had a fantastic evening in a night club! We also did a lot of great skiing at Heavenly (also a Gondola and coaster for non-skiers) and Kirkwood. Our annual ski trips are subsidised by the company (and therefore more optional than most of our optional events), but another way we invest in culture - and learn a new skill. My favourite moment of the weekend was watching the adrenaline ‘high’ the beginners got, after a successful first day on the slopes.“

JAMERE’S BOWERS

Events Coordinator

As everyone in North America was flying to

Lake Tahoe, Ally, Nicki and myself decided to drive from Las Vegas at 7:30 AM Thursday morning. Our intentions were to try and make it a memorable road trip, but Nicki and myself fell asleep as we were tired from the Christmas party the night before! Once we got to the hotel we checked into our rooms to get dressed for the Dinner Cruise. Once on the buses, we all knew that the Winter Retreat had officially begun as there were shots flowing from all different angles. Saturday started off with everyone going to Kirkwood to either Ski or Snowboard. I decided to ski and, after 45 minutes of struggling, I got the hang of it and did about five runs down the mountain without any assistance!

1918 Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018

The terrifying tale of the Ski Lift Accident!

Top 10 Funniest moments of the trip1. Watching Callum getting stuck

on the chairlift and having to be hoisted down by mountain rescue

2. The team getting kicked off of karaoke because it was accidentally linked to the hotel speakers

3. Karan getting hit in the face by a door on the way to the boat party

4. Georgia giving it her all, trying to learn how to shuffle

5. The surprise of seeing James Ellis having the time of his life at the silent disco

6. Anne & Georgia thinking they were going to die going down into the ‘ditch of death’ only to watch very small children snow plough extremely slowly down it

7. Gabby hanging upside from a fence that her, Erica and Sean had climbed over to go and watch the meteor shower on the beach

8. Jamere freaking the hell out that the gondola was going backwards...it had just stopped

9. Anne, Polly, Georgia and Harriet trying their hand at blackjack - and losing within a matter seconds

10. Understanding the true meaning of competitiveness

2120 Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018

Avalanches, falling down a crevasse, passing out in a snow drift - all dangerous things that could go wrong at a ski resort. You wouldn’t think that a chairlift could also be on that list, but apparently it is - and Polly experienced it first hand!

To set the scene; we’re happily sitting on the chairlift - one of the only ones open due to strong winds – when, a few chairs ahead, we hear a yell and see Callum and Nic Huzella flipped around with their chair facing the opposite way, balancing precariously on a tiny piece of metal. The engineers come running out and test the snow three metres beneath them, at which point, the entire lift starts shouting at them to “fucking jump!” It seems like mountain rescue think this is the only option too. They try to put a mat underneath them but it’s instantly whisked away down the slope by the wind. Callum and Nic are left swinging dangerously three metres up on a chair that’s on the cusp of crashing to the ground.

After much deliberation - and much more shouting from the rest of the lift - the mountain rescue create a winch to hoist them down. Nic comes first, bravely leaving Callum to fend for

himself, before he’s also rescued. All good for those two, but some of us are still stuck on the lift...

The engineers try to get the lift working again, to no avail. It’s bloody cold, we’re starving, our feet are numb, and Steven Gross is about to piss himself: it’s not a good situation. Finally, after two and a half hours of being stranded, the rest of us are winched down, frozen stiff. We just about lived to tell the tale, but we’re still wondering whether Callum and Nic are going to get us lifetime passes in Tahoe...

H O W V I VU S E D F E E D B A C K

AS A LEADERTO DEVELOP

Feedback is a huge part of our core driver mastery, and Callum has spoken about how important it is to focus on how great you can become, rather than how good you already are. This makes feedback a gift and not a criticism. However, receiving feedback can be extremely challenging and it is common for people to actively avoid it - although by doing so you lose out on a huge opportunity to gain self awareness and develop.

E VERY YEAR, the whole company sends anonymous feedback

to the leadership team, and at the Town Hall last week,

Viv took the whole company through her transformational

journey after she received the feedback last year. The presentation

was extremely powerful as Viv was radically candid about how

difficult she had found initially accepting the feedback, and then

how she used it positively to develop her leadership style.

For anyone who missed it, Amanda sent round the video link in her

Town Hall wrap up email.

VIV ON DOING THE PRESENTATION-- THIS YEAR, following our annual Leadership retreat that focuses

on feedback, I had committed to sharing my journey with the

whole company. Re-opening my 2017 “360 survey” literally made

my heart race a little faster as I re-read some of the feedback I

was given and re-lived some of the emotions all over again (TL;DR:

It ’s not just WHAT you do, It ’s HOW you do it!).

When I started writing my presentation, I didn’t know what I

was going to say, only that I wanted to be truly honest about how

it had all made me feel at the time (to the point that when my

husband read the presentation he suggested I tone it down — “I’m

not sure you should tell everyone how you cried repeatedly” — but

VIV,

CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER

I explained to him that I felt like if this was going to be meaningful

I needed to share the whole journey warts and all!). The main

objective I had was to encourage others to actively seek out

feedback and embrace the opportunity that even tough feedback

could present. Ultimately my story had a happy ending, because I

have been given the opportunity to work on the things that I was

struggling with, and been provided with the coaching and support

that meant I had truly turned things around...

I HAVE BEEN SO TOUCHED by how many people took the time

to reach out to me having watched the presentation I gave. If

getting the feedback I got in 2017 was one of my lowest career

moments, then hearing about the impact I had by sharing the

story was the absolute high! Moreover I want to reiterate that I

want EVERYONE at this company, no matter what function or

location or department to know my “door” (slack/email/calendar)

is always open for anyone that wants to talk about some tough

feedback they have had, or just how to get more feedback full

stop! Overall I’m proud to say that I consider working at Verve

as a real privilege: we are a company that walks-the-walk of our

Mastery value and so if there is any place to overcome some

limiting weaknesses that will stop you reaching your full potential

then this is it!!

I FELT LIKE IF THIS WAS GOING TO BE MEANINGFUL I NEEDED TO SHARE THE WHOLE JOURNEY, WARTS AND ALL

ALI ON COACHING VIV-- THE FIRST PERSON I coached at Verve was Callum

and the second person was Viv. She and I had one

session before Callum called me to say that the

company had administered its feedback survey and

he wanted to make sure that Viv was supported if she

received difficult feedback. He said he had told her

how much he valued her contribution to the company

and believed in her vision but knew she had some

things to work on; he told me that he wanted her to

feel supported at the Leadership Team

ALI HALL

HEAD OF

COACHING


CARISSA GATTI JUNIOR PAID SOCIAL SPECIALISTViv’s feedback was very encouraging to hear. It’s an amazing tool to be able to understand that you have to work on yourself and constantly be improving.

It’s challenging work to look “inside” yourself and grow so for that I am wildly impressed with how much work Viv put behind her session. Viv spoke so candidly, that afterwards I decided to look at my relationships and how I communicate with people and noticed ways that I can improve. Thanks for sharing your journey Viv, you are such a light.

BONNIE VIVATNAMONGKON SENIOR CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGERViv's feedback presentation at Town Hall was amazing! I have done similar feedback sessions at my previous jobs, but there was rarely any follow up or tangible

results from the sessions. It is inspiring to see all of the strides Viv has made and a great lesson that there is always room for growth no matter how accomplished a person already is. Yay Viv!

KATJA WALDBURGEROFFICE MANAGERFor me personally, hearing Viv’s story was incredibly powerful, reassuring and motivating. Talking about and admitting to weakness in such

an open and honest way, as well as telling us about the road to improvement - so inspiring, we can all learn something from listening to this! Thank you so much for sharing this Viv!

HARRIET CROSSMEMBERSHIP MANAGERI found Viv’s feedback absolutely inspiring and motivating. Encouraging others to give 360 feedback to help growth within ourselves and at work.

BENJAMIN GARCIA BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE LEADViv's story is such a valuable contribution to the company that goes beyond what I would have expected from a C-suite executive. I really appreciate how much

Verve values the personal experience and growth of our employees, and felt the same way when other members of the team shared their stories earlier this year, after the Vegas merger. It's important to me that Verve continues to provide an environment for people to grow personally and recognize that doing your job well means more than just hitting your business KPIs and quarterly OKRs. Viv's struggle to realize more of her potential beyond personal performance is inspiring.

meeting offsite when she had to share the feedback.

I BELIEVE THAT VIV’S feedback story was successful

and is compelling for three reasons. First, we worked

with her to calm her limbic system. That is the body’s

natural response to things it finds threatening and

difficult feedback falls into that category. So we

helped Viv feel supported and explained that neither

she nor her job were being threatened. We want to

help her be her best self. Second, the whole of the

leadership team practiced radical candor with Viv.

At the feedback session, each person expressed to

Viv how much they cared about her personally, and

how much they appreciated her commitment and

contribution to the company. Then they talked to

her about how her style impacted them and other

members of the team. Third, Viv embraced the idea

of a growth mindset. Having come from a background

of needing (and in Viv ’s case always receiving) praise

for her innate intelligence and abilities, she was

considerably more familiar with the fixed mindset

world — where negative feedback feels like not being

good enough. Instead she asked me, how do I do this

differently? She asked me, how do I build trust in my

teams? How do I adopt a coaching style of leadership?

How do I motivate and empower others around me?

And she continues to ask those questions. As she said

during the Town Hall, this continues to be work for her

and she continues to improve.

WHAT I LOVE MOST about Viv (and there is a lot to love)

is her ability to be open and to be vulnerable at Verve.

As we move into our next phase of creating a culture

of continuous feedback, I hope to support everyone in

their willingness to be vulnerable and to believe that in

that vulnerability there is space to grow and become

even better at what we do and how we do it. We want

to move from formalised feedback or scheduling a

feedback session, to operating in a real time culture

of candor. This means positive confrontation and we

all must skill up in how to do this. It will require us to

be clear about what we are trying to convey, learn

to deliver the message in a way it can be heard, and

provide support and regular check-ins to help people

improve in giving and receiving feedback.

WATCHING VIV'S PRESENTATION--

She asked me, how do I build trust in

my teams? How do I adopt a coaching

style of leadership? How do I motivate

and empower others around me?


What exactly will your role involveMy role will be supporting Anne on all things communications, both internally and externally. So that means helping to make sure that everyone knows about everything that’s going on in the company and editing the monthly newsletter - but also building awareness in the outside world through press and media engagement.

What part of your job is the most excitingIt’s got to be the writing, which I’ve always loved - but I also can’t wait to get more stuck into the design side of things. My first big project is going

to be putting together the hallowed 2019 Camp Navarro retreat pack - I’ve already got some ideas up my sleeve, so keep your eyes peeled for when it comes out next year...hopefully we’ll be on the same page!

What were you doing before you came to VerveSince graduating, I’ve worked for a number of PR agencies. I started with a lifestyle agency, predominantly promoting London’s restaurants and luxury hotels around the world, before moving into the B2B world. I spent some time building (some very challenging) CEOs’ profiles in the press and then most recently helped to get

tech companies such as LinkedIn, in the UK media.

What attracted you to joining VerveSo many things! But to name a couple: Verve’s mission to make the impossible possible and connect people with

their true passions really resonated with me. But I was massively attracted to the culture - having worked in a few different companies where the ways of working are so rigid, you really understand that everyone works in a totally different way. So it was unbelievably refreshing to

find somewhere that allows you to be completely yourself, both personally and professionally.

What are you most looking forward to at VerveFrom what I’ve seen so far, the people at Verve are super smart, inspiring, and hugely driven by what they do - so I’m really looking forward to working with such a great bunch. It’s also an exciting time for Verve as the company scales so rapidly and into new verticals, so I can’t wait to see what will happen next and how I can be a part of that.

What are you passions outside of workI’m probably going to sound like every other basic bitch out there now, but I’d have to say food and travel. I’m an absolute pig and love food, but cooking is what really gets me - and my friends would say one of my greatest qualities is my ability to whip up a curry feast (plus some of you might have heard about my lifetime goal to become a butcher). I’m also always on the hunt for the next (unusual) holiday - my inner geek thinks it has to involve train travel of some sort.

25Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

MY FIRST BIG PROJECT IS PUTTING TOGETHER THE HALLOWED RETREAT PACK!

INTRODUCING...

POLLY

Irene Coghlan-

From B2B marketing to Global Head of Partnerships and PR

I joined the company in a B2B marketing role in 2015 and

that role grew and evolved quite quickly, in line with the

company's growth. As we recognised that we're a sales-led

organisation rather than a marketing-led one, my role

became more focused more on sales enablement and I

started working more closely with Liam and the sales team.

After the roll out of the first few integrations it became clear

that ticketing partnerships were going to be a major growth

driver for the business, and Liam and Callum were looking

for someone to manage those partner relationships and

build out that part of the business. They knew I was ready

for a new challenge and offered me the newly created

partnerships role as well as the support and training to help

me get up to speed and up-skill where needed. I also kept on

the B2B PR stuff from my previous role.

The partnerships role was brand new at Verve. No playbook

or best practices existed so I was essentially starting from

scratch. It also required moving into more of a front office

role where I was out and about meeting partners across

Europe and representing the company at meetings and

events - something very new for me and which I'd shied

away from before.

The most important drivers for me are continuous learning,

feeling challenged, helping people, and adding value.

Moving into a brand new role at the company has definitely

been challenging but also massively rewarding. I've had

guidance from Liam to shape it, but was also given the

ownership to really define the blueprint for the function

myself. I work with loads of people across various teams

internally and externally which I enjoy. I also kept on the B2B

PR stuff so it has become a dual role which I really enjoy, as it

means I work across both sales and marketing and have lots

of variety in my work.

Sarah Beck-

From Scrum Mastery to Chief of Staff

I’d been doing the Scrum Master role for about 9 months

and I was talking to Brad in my mastery about the stuff I

really enjoyed which was less of the day-to-day team stuff

that my role was focused on. As a Scrum Master, you’re

part of 2-3 tech teams and help them run as effectively as

possible. I enjoyed the problem solving aspect, but once the

teams are running well it becomes more repetitive

and about maintaining which is where I start to find the work

less interesting. In my mastery session we worked out that the

work that I was better at and I enjoyed doing more, was the

stuff outside of the Scrum Master role, so we built a role to

include that. As Chief of Staff of Engineering I have to have a

detailed overview of what all the teams are doing and then

I have more project-based stuff – so for example I’m now

introducing Groupdesk to the whole travel team. It’s much

more a mix. What’s great is that I can make the role my own

and really focus on the bits I like – for me what I love is the

communication aspect. I run across the whole of tech, rather

then just engineering – one of the risks that I have to mitigate

is that one team is solving the same thing that another team

is but in a slightly different way. Because I have the overview

I can ensure that we’re moving as one and nobody is doing

repetitive work. It’s also about making sure that everyone in

the rest of the company knows what we’re doing, making

sure that release notes are sent out as well as roadmap

updates. This is so new people know how to use service desk

and everyone knows when integrations are happening – so

it's about communicating to everyone what is happening and

what we’re doing. And also making sure that the right people

are involved in the right conversations.

In my new role I’ve found myself doing so much less of the

stuff that I don’t find very exciting, and because of that I’m

much more motivated by the work that I’m doing and that

feels great.

OUR CORE DRIVER OF MASTERY IS ABOUT HELPING EVERYONE FIND

THE CROSSOVER BETWEEN WHAT THEY ARE GOOD AT AND WHAT THEY

LOVE. FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT'S WITHIN THE JOB THEY'RE ALREADY

IN, BUT FOR SOME IT’S MEANT A COMPLETE ROLE SHIFT.


Anne Bedi-

From Strategy, to PA, to Communications, to brand, to culture

I joined the company when we had around 17 people, so

back then everyone did a lot of everything and I got to try

out a lot of different stuff. As we scaled and everyone could

become more specialized I had choices to make about what

career path I wanted to go and because I’ve never been one

of those people that had clear career goals, I just followed

whatever I thought would let me do the projects I would

find the most interesting. When I was doing the PA role I was

doing all of the internal comms for the company anyway, so

when the communications role came up it felt like a natural

fit.

However through my mastery plan I realised the thing I'm

most passionate about is our culture – I feel like what we

have is incredibly unique and for me it’s the most important

thing about our company.

The challenges we face for scaling our culture are thrilling…

how do we make something that worked at 17 people work

at 70, for 170, for 1700 and beyond? How do we make sure

that we feel small as a company? That everyone understands

how freedom and ownership works? It’s exciting! I never stop

talking about work and find it difficult switch off because I

find the work I do so interesting – and that’s definitely been

as a result of spending the last 4 years working out exactly

what I’m most passionate about and where I can add the

most value.

Ashley Hunter-Love-

From In-house Entrepreneur to Head of Strategy to Head of Pollen US

When I joined the company I was working as In-house

Entrepreneur, before moving into the role of Head of

Strategy. I worked across all different departments, mainly

working with Callum and James Ellis, and was involved in

anything from fundraising and finance, to sales and strategy

projects. At the time, working on loads of different things

was exactly what I wanted. One day I’d be with Callum on

investor decks, and the next I’d be helping James on finance

- I loved the variation of jumping on different projects and

being involved in all areas of the business.

What I started to realise was that the problem-solving was

really giving me most energy. The most interesting part of

my role was being given a new challenge, and thinking “shit

I know nothing about this”, so having to speak to different

people, and coming up with a logical solution. But at the

same time, I felt like I was across too many different areas of

the business and always moving onto the next problem - I

was becoming quite disconnected from the results

of the previous ones.

So a year ago, I was given the opportunity to move into

being Head of Pollen, where I was in charge of launching

the commercial side of the business. In changing roles, I got

to take all the problem-solving aspects that I loved (e.g. how

to grow demand, how to engage Members, what’s the right

way to launch in a new market) but stick with those problems

and find new solutions when they weren’t working. It also

allowed me to really dive in operationally, and understand

the systems and processes that support the strategy. Most

recently I moved out to Los Angeles to head up Pollen in the

US, and what’s great is that I now constantly see results and

evolve our thinking. It means I’m able to really help to build

and develop one part of the business and deep dive on the

problems, which I find fascinating and definitely gives

me the most energy.

James Ellis-

From COO to CFO

When I joined the company we were at such an early stage

that COO meant doing a lot of different roles (as it was just

me, Callum and Liam on leadership team at that time). But

as we grew there was a moment when I had to choose

which direction I went in.

I realised over time that what gets me really excited is

building something amazing, which I believe we’re doing.

And I know to do that at the pace we want, it means we have

to have people who will put fuel into the engine to make

it work - I’ve found over time that the things that give me

energy are focusing on putting big deals together, whether

that’s the M&A side, the big partnerships or VC investment.

That meant we wanted to bring in people who were

passionate about operations and it got them out of bed in

the morning, which was not how I felt.

What’s been nice is that as the business changes and grows,

actually the ops and finance role, that early on were so

separate now work really closely together as with the whole

leadership team. We’re no longer caught up in the weeds of

things (doing the spreadsheets, producing numbers, doing

accounting) and instead we are looking at the bigger picture

in order to have the whole company run efficiently and steer

it in the right direction.

You need not see what someone is doing to know if it is his vocation, you have only to watch his eyes: a cook mixing a sauce, as surgeon making a primary incision, a clerk completing a bill of lading, wear that same rapt expression, forgetting themselves in a function.How beautiful it is, that eye-on-the-object look.”

W. H. Auden


Each team were given some of the most frequently-faced objections from clients and presented their response to these objections to the group, with a very serious judging panel of Safiya, Ben, Steven, Orlando and Liam; I would say Steven took on the role of Simon Cowell.

T he Sales, Client Success and Strategy Retreat took place in November in a beautiful country hotel in Guildford.

Teams flew in from the US and Europe for three jam-packed training days, team bonding activities and for some reason, a lot of games of Scrabble (some might even call it a Tournament!).The purpose of the retreat was to update the teams on the status of each relevant department, new processes and goals for growth, as well as training on objection handling, negotiation skills and problem solving within teams.

Day one came with updates from Client Ops, Growth, Marketing, Community and a very educational presentation on ‘Deck Building’ from George,

accompanied of course by a very snazzy deck. This was followed by objection handling in teams; each team were given some of the most frequently-faced objections from clients and presented their response to these objections

CAISIE DILKS EA TO CRO

Off-site RetreatBarnett HillCountry House Hotel

Blackheath Ln, Wonersh, Guildford GU5 0RF



THINGSSTEVEN WOULDNEVER SAY

PEOPLE GET UPSET THAT I SHOUT AT THEM TOO MUCH

I ENJOY USING LOOSE, PEJORATIVE LANGUAGE ESPECIALLY TO MY FELLOW

AMERICANS. I MEAN REALLY, THEY CAN BE A BIT C****Y

DON’

T PAN

IC!

THAT SHIRT IS TOO LOUD, I WOULD NEVER WEAR THAT

I LOVE ANNE BEDI

HAND ME THE MIKE, I'M UP FIRST FOR KARAOKE

I HATE DATA

I JUST LOVE SEEING ALL THOSE EMAILS COME IN WHEN PEOPLE REPLY TO SUMALL@ EMAIL BLASTS

I’M GOING TO DELEGATE THIS TO SOMEONE ELSE

I’M A TOTAL MORNING PERSON - THE MORE

EARLY MORNING MEETINGS THE BETTER!

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM - I’D LIKE

AS MANY WORK FRIENDS ON THERE AS

POSSIBLE @STEVIE_GS

33Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

Shout out to Dylan Malloy for being a true Survivor and scoring highest marks individually for this and in his team. Although I really, really disagree that jeans are more important than a mobile phone

to the group, with a very serious judging panel of Safiya, Ben, Steven, Orlando and Liam; I would say Steven took on the role of Simon Cowell. Shout out to Alexis Rommel for scoring highest marks on her amazing objection handling!

Day two kicked off with David Kroes hosting an amazing team building activity involving how to Survive a Bush Fire. Teams had to work together to decide which items from a list would be most crucial to your survival and put these in order. Shout out to Dylan Malloy for being a true survivor and scoring highest marks individually for this and in his team. Although I really, really disagree that jeans are more important than a mobile phone in this situation, but I’ll get over it eventually.

The second half of day two allowed Sales and Client Success teams to delve into their working relationships and the way both teams function

together, highlight problems encountered and discuss ways to improve these moving forward. This session prompted a lot of new processes and methods to improve best practices.

On day three, an external training company arrived to train attendees on public speaking and negotiation skills. Individually, team members made a short presentation to the group

and were given objectives on which elements to concentrate on to improve including eye contact, posture, deliberate pausing and pace. This was really well received by the teams and everybody saw some improvement in their presentations throughout the day. The follow-up survey showed that overall, the three days were a huge success and the feedback from everyone will help to shape future retreats. However, our biggest and most important lesson we were able to take away from the retreat is that you should never, ever, challenge Ryo to a game of Scrabble, unless you want to be utterly embarrassed. Also, unlike many other games, your Scrabble skills definitely do not improve after a few drinks.

SOPHIE

“It was an initiative we took to spread the Christmas cheer, so the Pollen UK team said we’d all wear our ugly Christmas jumpers, and some of us brought some Christmas specialties

from our respective countries, which was really nice! “

CHRISTMAS TREE IN LONDON’S OFFICE

SARAH

“Everyone spends a lot of time in the office so why not decorate there, too! It’s

fun to spread holiday cheer and I love seeing people’s faces light up when they

spot the decorations for the first time. Besides, who doesn’t like candy!”

POLLEN LA TEAM NIGHT OUT

Turns out there is this strange place where...wait for it...you literally just smash everything. No seriously...you smash stuff.

And that's the game. It turns out there aren't many better ways to bond with everyone than smashing printers and

breaking mirrors!

CHRISTMAS TREE IN VEGAS


& Other Stories...

POLLEN US

TEAM RAGE

GROUND

HARRIET’S HOUSE DECOR

ERICA’S CHRISTMAS TREE

CHECK OUT GRANT’S FLAT!!

XMAS VIBES AT

HOME

SARAH'S DESK

CHRISTMAS VIBES IN THE OFFICES

POLLEN UK TEAM DOES CHRISTMAS JUMPERS

Brandon and Sean supported the initiative

in the US and took it to the next level by wearing Christmas

jumpsuits :)

ELINA MEIMANEBusiness Support Manager

W ith all the Brits invading the LA office, Joe Jordan and Ryan Cardona

have put together a useful tool to help you find the perfect LA neighbourhood. Once you’ve found your neighbourhood, head to the next page to get some insights straight from the people who live there, have fun!

No more than 80F/26C

Over 80F/26C

Beach Day

SANTA MONICA / VENICE

BRENTWOOD / WESTWOOD

CULVER CITY

BEVERLY HILLS

WEST HOLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD

Ramen and chill

Bike/Scooter

Drink with friends Lazy Day

Breaking the Bank Ballin’ on a budget

Shopping

Coffee and a dog walk

KOREA TOWN

LOS FELIZ/ SILVERLAKE/ECHO PARK

LA BREA/MIRCALE MILE THE VALLEY

BURBANK

DOWNTOWN

Dancing Pills

Korean BBQ

Ear Plugs

Exploring

Nightlife

Historic architecture

Coffee and BrunchRooftop Bars

People watching

Car/Bus

Considered cool by others

Hangover Taco’s

3736 Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 201836 Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018 37Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018

KOREATOWN / MID CITY“Koreatown is great for the obvious reasons of amazing Korean BBQ, but it also has a lot of diversity within the environment. There are historic building all over protected by the city built in the early 1920s, as well as cool bars and unique spots to hang out in!” - Madi Fairchild

EAT: Bulgogi Hut, Honey Pig DRINK: Gaam, The Prince TO DO: Drink soju, concert at Wiltern DESCRIBE: Soju, Korean BBQ, karaoke, unique, upcoming

LA BREA / MIRACLE MILE“La Brea/ Miracle Mile has it all....shops, food, music venues and museums. It’s a very walkable part of town so getting around is very easy. You feel like you are living in a city without the mess” - Carissa Gatti

EAT: Republique DRINK: Hotel Wilshire TO DO: LACMA, The Grove and The El Rey DESCRIBE: Active, old school and energetic

SANTA MONICA / VENICE“Santa Monica is the perfect blend of city life and beach life. Although it may lack a bit in the diversity department, there is plenty to do and lots to see. Seldom find yourself needing to leave which give the traffic, is a good thing!” - Shawn Morais

EAT: Gilbert’s El Indio, Bandera, Rose Cafe DRINK: Penthouse, Shangri La, Venice Ale House TO DO: Hike, cruising on the boardwalk, run on the beach DESCRIBE: Crowded, expensive, convenient, kooky, darling

WESTWOOD / BRENTWOOD“Brentwood has a small town feel with a big city vibe. There is a perfect mixture of millionaires in mansions and millenials in apartments. It’s the place to go if you want to spend $8 on a coffee and $20 on ramen just to post it on your instagram.” - Sean Lane

EAT: Kazunori, Tsujita, Tatsu, En Sushi DRINK: The Wellsbourne, Q’s, Nickel Mine TO DO: Go to all of the different restaurants, Byrd to Bars, Brentwood Farmers Market DESCRIBE: Bougie, diverse, UCLA, ramen, lululemons

BEVERLY HILLS“Everything you’ve ever heard about Beverly Hills is true. When walking down Rodeo Drive expect to see at least 10 pairs of Gucci Flip Flops, 3 Real Housewives, and too many Instagram influencers to count. True story: Cher and Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash were recently arguing at a BH Town Hall, over Billy The Elephant’s cage size at the Los Angeles Zoo” - Erin Pierce

EAT: Sugarfish, Spago, Lawry’s DRINK: The Henry, Honor Bar TO DO: Go for a run past all the nice houses, Rodeo Drive, look at clothes I can’t buy DESCRIBE: Expensive, suburban, bougie, mansions

GLENDALE / BURBANK / PASADENA“Burbank is rad. You can actually have a yard, we have our own airport, and it’s no farther from Hollywood and Downtown than some parts of LA proper. Only bummer is the beach is a million miles away.” - Jason Gerali

EAT: The Smokehouse, Porto’s, True Foods DRINK: The Grocery Store, My Backyard TO DO: LA Zoo and Run Griffith Park DESCRIBE: Family Oriented, Relaxed, Suburban, Pretty, Boring

DOWNTOWN“DTLA is filled with an abundance of diversity and culture in every corner. This is apparent in the wide variety of amazing food that you can indulge in. From getting the best sushi in Little Tokyo or simply grabbing a quick taco from the taco truck down the street the selection is endless. There is so much history including the lovely parks and architectural marvels its no wonder why it is one of the most visited areas in Los Angeles!” - Janelle Saenz

EAT: Redbird, Urth Cafe DRINK: The Pacific Seas, LA Cita, 71 Above, Coco Boba TO DO: Grand Central Market, Walk Through the Broad, People Watch at Pershing Square or Grand Park DESCRIBE: Alive, Absorbed, Responsive, Culture, Street Art

THE VALLEY“The Valley...home of the creative. Hub for the next generation of artists, dancers, musicians, and actors. Come here for fire food, reasonable rent, and a taste of the culture.” - Waseel Amoura

EAT: Jinya Ramen, The Rustic Spoon, Health Nut, So Sushi DRINK: The Rabbit Hole, Local Peasant, Brews Brothers TO DO: Stay home, Shopping, Take a stroll at NoHo park DESCRIBE: Chill, Shopping, the Kardashians, suburban

WEST HOLLYWOOD“WeHo is it’s own little City within the City, we have our own Mayor, City Hall and emergency services, which we need because we are all a bunch of needy, bougie party kids with big kid jobs. You can walk everywhere and I always feel safe. Dogs everywhere, the French Bulldog is the unofficial dog of WeHo, I think they are issued upon move-in. “ - Mary Montgomery

EAT: GUSTO, Guisados, Sugarfish DRINK: Chateau Marmont, The Eveleigh, Laurel Hardware TO DO: Hike Runyon Canyon, Walk to BoystownDESCRIBE: Central. Congested. Walkable. Gay, Whimsical, Precious, Interesting

HOLLYWOOD“Hollywood is great because it has so much diversity in people, activities, and restaurants. There are awesome places to workout as well as people watch. “ - Jeremy Mendelsohn

EAT: Tsuri, El Compadre DRINK: Mother’s Shelter, Electric Owl TO DO: Shop on Melrose Words DESCRIBE: Central, congested, walkable, gay, whimsical, precious, interesting, quiet, quaint, diverse, active

LOS FELIZ/SILVERLAKE/ECHO PARK“The east side is like your hipster cousin who won’t shut up about the health benefits of bone broth at Thanksgiving, but she’s super fun, boozes hard, and brings amazing side dishes so you love her anyways. There are tons of cute little nooks with great food, shopping, and activities in walking distance. If it weren’t for the beach I would literally never leave. “ - Moira Quinn

EAT: Botanica, Masa, Maya’s, Brite Spot DRINK: Harvard and Stone, The Friend, Bar Caló TO DO: Run around the reservoir, dance at The Satellite, check out a show/gig, have coffee/brunch DESCRIBE: Tasty, chill-ish, walkable, Hipster, Creative, Dogs

CULVER CITY“Culver City feels like its own small town inside of LA. It’s full of young professionals and dogs, close to the beach and has great parks to hang out in. It’s also one of the best places in LA to go brunch hopping- just watch out cause it can get very boujee very fast!” - Gabriella Russo

EAT: Green Peas, Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken, Cafe Vida DRINK: The Cozy Inn, City Tavern, Public School 310 TO DO: Byrd to the beach, Baldwin Hills Stairs DESCRIBE: Walkable, lively, growing

C hristmas and the party season is officially in full swing, so unsurprisingly there’s a distinctivly festive feel to this month’s selection

of Insta pics. We would really like to share more fun photos and stories, so make sure you follow our company page: @onverveco.

CHRISTMAS FUN FAMILY BIRTHDAYSELINA MEIMANE

Business Support Manager

What else is happening?

Ashley not in the Christmas spirit ... yet! Cocktail time with Kelly, Harriet and Rianna

Sarah, Charles and Gavin took the helicopter trip over Grand Canyon

Cocktail time with Kelly, Harriet and Rianna Festivities with Elliot Christmas at Ryan’s

Rebecca and Liz at the US Christmas party Emily’s Birthday in LA Anne’s birthday celebration in Tahoe

Livi, Ellen and Liam hiking through December Snowboarding with JanKrystal at Zion National Park

Enosha and her kids Kristen and her husband Brad with his family at Disneyland

4140 Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018Verve Magazine | Issue 14 | December 2018

LOCK-INSCHRISTMAS 2018

VEGASFirst up, the US Christmas party in Vegas...thanks to Allison’s fair hand, the Vegas office was totally transformed into a winter wonderland for champagne and canapés, followed by a full-on Christmas lunch (fully US-style). Post a spot of ice skating at the hotel, we were back to the office where dinner tables had been swapped in the main room for a Saturday Night Fever LED flashing dancefloor - and room two had been set up alongside in one of the meeting spaces. Fuelled by Christmas cocktails from the bar, the music requests were on form, and there were some excellent shapes being thrown. After a few very fun hours, it was on to the hedonism of the Vegas strip and club Intrigue - obviously lots more drinking and dancing, plus an excellent surprise for Anne with her name and happy birthday spelled out across an enormous sign.

POLLY DOWSONCommunicationsManager

LONDONAnd onto the next one... it’s the Thursday before Christmas and everyone is frantically trying to get everything finished. We blink and suddenly the main room of our London office has been swapped for a banquet hall, and champagne and canapes are coming from all angles. We sit down for another full-on Christmas lunch, UK-style this time - it’s all about the stuffing and bread sauce, before heading up to the canteen which had become room one with DJ Topclass (Verve’s resident UK DJ) on the decks, and espresso martinis flowing from the bar. Obviously everyone danced, but that doesn’t come close to Viv and Ben who fully stole the show with their salsa - particularly good from Viv in a sailor hat. Biggest shoutout has to go to Katja (with support from Cathy and Allison) who seamlessly organised the entire thing - how she/they do it, I just don’t know. Now feeling very festive post two fantastic parties, it’s definitely time for Christmas and potentially one more drink...thanks for the intro Verve!

42 Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018 43Verve Magazine | Issue 13 | October 2018

CHRISTMAS LOCK-INS

We had two big Christmas parties - one in America and one in the UK. Our new Communications Manager Polly joined

at the beginning of this month, attended both and lived to tell the tale…

Community & Client Success managers gathered around the Christmas tree to discuss the upcoming festivals

Harriet joined them, wearing her Pollen denim jacket.

Ruffling the velvet skirt around the tree,

Inhaling the sweet smell of mulled wine in their cups, the group

Savoured the Christmas cake Elsie and Cathy had baked.

Then, Andrew and Bo joined,

Mingling and chatting, arguing about whether travellers would like roasted ham more than turkey.

At last, Callum arrived with a karaoke machine in his bag.

Sequins on his shirt, Santa hat on his head, Callum led the group into their best rendition of “Lose yourself ” ye

A N O R I G I N A L

CHRISTMAS POEM

product owner & part-time poet

POLLY DOWSON JAMERE BOWERS JOE JORDAN ALANA PEREZ …€¦ · JAMERE’S BOWERS Events Coordinator As everyone in North America was flying to Lake Tahoe, Ally, Nicki and myself decided

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