One of our core values is #TeamPaapri. We believe that success and growth should be a team effort. In everything we do, we ensure that our work is an extension of our customers’ work and that we win together. To build camaraderie and strengthen the team, we held our First Annual Olympics!
Keep reading for a recap of the delicious food, the team lineup, and the whole host of activities and events.
First Things First: Fuel Up!
To do our best in the competition, we had to be well fed. Fortunately, Stephani Rodriguez, Customer Experience Manager and the exceptional chef of the event, really outdid herself with a wonderful meal. On the menu, there was pulled pork, mac and cheese, “confetti corn”, arroz y gandules (Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas), and brats. Everyone kept coming back for seconds and thirds.
Introducing the Teams
With full stomachs and happy hearts, we were ready to get into our team attire! A special shoutout goes to Aimee and Ali for making our fashionable “jerseys.”
The Team Lineup
Starting off, we have the awesome Customer Experience Manager (CEM) Team, showcasing Ali Meyers, Courtney Marvel, Aimee Thornton, and Stephani Rodriguez.
Next up, rocking the pink is Team Sales! On the sales team is Brenden Cotter, Parnasi Bandyopadhyay, Ty Polsgrove, and Austin Faulkner.
Last but not least, our mighty Exec Team with Patrick Thornton, Lauren Prestin, “P” Bandyopadhyay, and David Yankosky III.
With our gear on, we were excited to compete!
Let the Games Begin
The event started off strong with the Fruit by the Foot challenge. The goal was to eat this notoriously long candy without using your hands. With sheer willpower (and chewing abilities), Team Execs won the first event, starting in the lead! The highlight of this event was P, blowing the rest of the competition out of the water and securing the victory for the Execs.
Up next was Human Ring Toss! With a pool noodle tied with duct tape in a ring, one team member had to throw the ring, while the other team member attempted to catch it with their body. The challenge was that the teammate that was getting “ringed” could not move their feet, only their upper body. While Sales had a slow start, they recovered with quick throws and catches at the end, winning the event.
Now, turning up the difficulty, the games were getting more serious with Course 1 coming next.
Course 1
It was time for the first course, which was a relay with three events. The first event was called Spin Doctor. As it sounds, one teammate had to spin another in a chair ten times. The dizzy team member then had to tag the second teammate to kick off the second event. This one, which was arguably the funniest, required the person to tie a Kleenex box with 12 ping pong balls in it (and a small cut that allowed the balls to fall) and shake shake shake until all the ping pong balls were out of the box. After their shaking duty was done, they ran and tagged the third teammate, who had to balance an egg on a spoon and walk to a table and back. This kept going until all team members did every event. Through all the mayhem, the first course had a lot of cheering and laughter as we all looked ridiculous but had fun doing it. Despite the chaos, Team Sales dominated the competition and seized another win.
Course 2
After a short break to allow everyone to catch their breath, Course 2 commenced. The first event required people to put a panty hose that had a tennis ball in it on their head and use the dangling tennis ball to knock over five water bottles in a row. This was much harder than expected as it was important to get both the force and trajectory of the swing correct. On the way back, contestants had to put a balloon in between their legs and walk back without letting it fall. If the balloon fell, then they would have to pick it up with their knees (no hands!). Several teams demonstrated expert strategy by hopping back. While it was close, the Sales Team beat out the other two.
The second to last event was Archery, with rubber bands of course! Three targets were drawn with chalk on the wall of the warehouse and teammates had three attempts to shoot a rubber band at the target. Scores were tallied up and the CEMs had a clear win with a score of 300 points. But, Sales and Execs were tied at 270. Ty and Patrick stepped up for the tie-breaker. After several suspenseful attempts, Ty brings home the win for Sales. It was a close one!
The last event was a party favorite: Flip Cup! Team members partially filled a cup with a drink of their choice, chugged it, placed it on the side of the table, and attempted to flip it over. Whether it was luck, skill, or a combination of both, Team Execs won the last event.
And the winner is….Team SALES
No bitter feelings are harbored, except for Aimee’s comment, “Of course they [the Sales Team] won, they’re all like 12 years old.” Through all the embarrassment, laughter, and cheering, we all left the event with a renewed sense of belonging and friendship.
To wrap up, I’d like to give a big thanks to the CEMs for planning and organizing this huge event and executing it so well. As this is an annual Olympics, the Sales Team is up next for putting it together next year. The bar is definitely set high!
Let’s Win Together
As mentioned earlier, we work with our customers to have joint success, so that we win together. To have a tight-knit team that knows how to work hard (and play hard) as a partner through your ERP implementation, talk to us today!
If you’d like to join the culture of #TeamPaapri, check out our careers!
