My first day at F+A felt a little like the first day of school – lots of excitement intertwined with a few fears, but after meeting our team, my fears melted away, and the excitement to jump into the work replaced them. The biggest thing that stood out to me was the workplace culture at F+A. A healthy, collaborative, unified workplace culture is thoughtfully fostered, not just happenstance. 

Each day brings an opportunity to learn something new. For an early-career professional, the priority and support on my learning has made a great impact. A culture like that doesn’t just happen – it’s built intentionally.  

One of the ways F+A prioritizes our workplace and team culture is our annual fall offsite retreat. Reflecting on my first professional retreat and our two days of learning, discussing and simply enjoying each other’s company, here are my four key takeaways: 

1. A great workplace is built on shared goals 

As a tone setter, we began by unifying around the goals for the agency in 2026. We set individual goals, talked through agency goals, and aligned on key initiatives for the year – including the adoption of new technology to track and report outcomes for clients. We had the chance to share our goals with each other, further building the kindred spirit of “we’re in this together.” 

Our F+A partner team shared their thoughts on the year and set goals focused on empowering team members, reinforcing that our core cultural fundamentals are integral to the “F+A Way.” Aligning with both agency-wide and individual goals set a clear path forward to accomplish specific objectives and high-level plans. 

2. Commitment elevates teamwork 

If you asked me what I thought we would do on the retreat, I probably wouldn’t have said karaoke – but what did I know, it was my first retreat! 

After a day of learning a new technology platform, reflecting on the past year and enjoying a great team dinner, how else should it end but with karaoke? And here’s the thing about karaoke – unless everyone buys in, it’s not any fun. But when you all commit and decide to stick with it, the real camaraderie is born. 

The same principle exists in the office. Whether with day-to-day objectives or a new plan that didn’t pan out, an effective team is built through the commitment to seeing something through, rising to the occasion and asking hard questions. 

3. High quality outcomes start with the process 

If you’ve never visited Atrium Kitchen at Pike Place Market, it’s a landmark stop you should add to your Seattle bucket list. Atrium Kitchen offers cooking classes, private events and dinners, and a free community meal program called “Nourished Neighborhood.” Not only is it an opportunity to learn how to make exceptional pasta (among other things) from scratch, but it’s opportunity to support the work they’re doing to combat food insecurity in the Seattle area. Our team took a trip down to Atrium Kitchen to close our retreat, enjoyed an afternoon of lively conversation and walked away with a new culinary capability. 

Making pasta teaches you a lot about the value of a well-defined process. Learning to make pasta together reminded me of one of our fundamentals: using our best practices. As the chefs made rounds of the kitchen, they’d make suggestions like “too much flour” or “flip the dough” to help us follow their best practice. Our team’s pasta turned out delicious because we followed the recipe developed before us.  

The same is true of our work at F+A. After nearly three months, I can confidently support our projects because of our already researched best practices. I’m set up for success as an intern and our processes are maintained and built upon as we go. 

4. Fun isn’t fluff – it’s foundational 

Building a team that collaborates well, delivers high-quality work, and seeks out ways to better the team doesn’t just happen. By creating room for conversation, encouraging calculated risks, discussing core values and inviting fun, the foundation for a healthy workplace is laid.  

We reflected, learned, tried new things and had fun. We enjoyed a team dinner where our table was full of conversation, tossing out fun questions and enjoying casual conversation.  

Those experiences translate to our regular workdays. We enjoy playing music in the office, making jokes in our morning huddle, and enjoying lunch together. Each of these components paves the way for an open and collaborative culture that makes F+A thrive. 

Editor’s note: Makenna’s insights as an intern are invaluable – so invaluable that she’s now an account coordinator at F+A! We’re fortunate to enjoy her perspectives every day as a member of our team.