Last week, the FMTC team finally got together for a company retreat in Austin, Texas. Due to recent restrictions, some of the team had never met in person, so it was an even more special occasion for us.
Most of the team arrived on Tuesday, and we kicked off our celebration with happy hour at the warm and windy rooftop bar at AC Hotel Austin. Brook had kindly gifted us all with some fabulous FMTC merch while we sipped champagne and spirits.
After happy hour, we headed to CARVE American Grille, a meatilicious place where four of our staff members shared the most enormous platters we had ever seen! We surprised Jason, one of our most established team members, with a delicious, spiced cake for dessert. We played “Two Truths and a Lie,” learning fun trivia about each other (or not!).
We started our first full day with a trip to the Wizard Academy, which is helping FMTC with its marketing campaign (watch this space!). We received a tour of the grounds and its stunning setting and were offered the best snacks and drinks.
Then it was off to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It was so hot, we mainly stuck to the shade — or put our heads under the waterfall! It was a lovely, insightful day surrounded by nature and beauty.
We grabbed dinner at Z’Tejas, which served Tex-Mex fare, and played more get-to-know-you games. We swapped anecdotes of the most eccentric or embarrassing thing about our parents — from snoring to April Fool’s pranks, we told sometimes cringey, often funny stories while we enjoyed fajitas and margaritas. Afterward, we trundled off to Amy’s Ice Creams, but it was closed, so we ended up with cookies and biscuits from a spontaneous trip to Whole Foods Market.
Our last day together began with a company meeting where we discussed our goals for the future (we’re excited for what’s to come!).
We were then whisked off to a boat trip on Lake Travis, where we spent a typical hot summer day paddleboarding, zooming down the slide, and bobbing around on floaties.
Helen (from the UK) even taught the Americans a “classic” English party dance.
We unanimously agreed it was the highlight of the retreat!
We spent our final evening at Sway hosting Affiliate and Friends, a networking event for local affiliates. It was a perfect way to end the retreat — celebrating with a few (or more!) drinks and meeting our clients and other industry professionals.
Toasts were made, spelunking helmets were given, and spicy food was consumed. The bus ride home was the most eventful part of our trip!
Thanks to Brook and the entire FMTC team for making this a memorable experience. Our team works hard around the clock to deliver the best products and services in our corner of affiliate, and we are glad we finally got a chance to meet, have fun, and plan our next steps in person.