Our October 2024 retreat: Shifting commerce for good in the French countryside

As the leaves turn red, gold, and brown and Autumn settles in, our distributed team once again came together for our bi-annual retreat this October. Being a remote-first startup means these in-person gatherings are more than just a nice-to-have—they’re the heartbeat of our culture.

Just like in Spring, we found ourselves back at the Atelier Blanchefosse, an artist space in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. This time, a mixture of familiar and new faces joined us from across Europe and beyond. From caffeinated morning chats over breakfast to late-night board games by the fire, our colleagues transformed from Slack avatars into real, three-dimensional humans.

We spent five days together, which might not seem like much. But when you are used to collaborating across time zones over screens, it’s always wonderful to watch how the first impressions of “You’re a lot taller than I expected!” quickly transform into sharing stories, inside jokes, and genuine connections.

Our retreats remind us that while we may not spend 40 hours in the same office together every week, we are united by more than just work. We’re a community of like-minded people, each with their own unique perspective and personality, sharing the mission of shifting commerce for good.

Striking the right balance between connection and productivity

This trip to France struck the right balance between getting things done and building relationships. According to one team member, "Despite spending more time on activities and meetings, we kept up with work better than expected.” Being in close quarters together brought energy to the team as a whole.

From a coding session that stretched into the night (fueled by the excitement of watching the Rails World 2024 keynote together) to focused co-working sessions on specific projects like billing automation, we were reminded just how magical in-person collaboration can be. As Joshua noted, he produced more code during this retreat than all previous renditions combined.

Thanks to Laura’s careful planning, there was ample time for structured activities and free work time. Jeroen led a morning workout session that got some people up nice and early to kick off the day in a sweat. We took turns cooking meals and adhering to the cleaning schedule (a new development from last time that kept the shared space fresh and our minds clear).

Outside of work shenanigans, we found moments for connection in the cozy corners of our retreat space. Some even found solitude on the property in what Jeroen adoringly called his “tiny (cold) cabin” for recharging. Others got together for what Michiel described as “talks and laughs” that often led to tangible and even innovative solutions to workflow challenges. Laura noted that this atmosphere was ideal for “fast decision-making” and helped bring new team members into the fold.

Constructive feedback leads to personal and professional growth

A major highlight from our retreat was the 360 feedback session, which Denisa skillfully led. Bob bravely accepted to be our first “victim.” It was our duty to share feedback about what he should start, stop, and keep doing as the CEO of Firmhouse. In a circle, we relayed our constructive comments about him in the third person.

While everyone had some initial hesitation about giving and receiving feedback, this initial round broke the ice on the entire experience. We split into smaller groups and repeated the process with each person. Turns out, the impact was immediate—it opened up the floor to have honest conversations about our work, our challenges, and our aspirations.

Topics that might have felt awkward or difficult otherwise suddenly became “discussable.” We all left the session with a clearer understanding of our roles at Firmhouse and stronger connections to our colleagues. As one team member shared, “Feeling less alone with some work-related struggles is a good experience.” The session proved so valuable for fostering communication and team growth that we’ve decided to make it a regular practice.

Excitement over our shared future after an inspiring founder talk

Our founders, Bob and Michiel, led an inspiring talk about the future of Firmhouse. Having nearly everyone in the room (sadly, Kelli and Veronika, two friendly faces, couldn't join us physically) was particularly special. It is difficult to replicate the energy and excitement online that come with uniting toward our shared mission in real life.

In an intimate environment, we learned about our journey thus far and where we are headed as a team. Laura put it perfectly: "The founder's talk was very inspiring. It really makes me proud and even more motivated to work for this amazing company." This sentiment was felt in the room as Bob shared insights into our vision and strategy.

The impact of this moment was uplifting for our team. As Bob and Michiel shared our goals and future plans, the room filled with a renewed sense of unity and purpose. Their talk not only provided clear direction but also reminded us how vital each of us is to our shared success.

It became a standout moment of the retreat, bridging any gaps we might feel in our remote work. Afterward, many of us left feeling more energized and excited about the journey ahead for Firmhouse.

Looking forward to next time

As we look back on another inspiring retreat, we’re already thinking about how to make next time even better. Every iteration teaches us something about how to balance work, connection, and well-being.

This time, we adjusted our schedule to run from Tuesday to Saturday (bumping the arrival and departure days back one day). That way, everyone could get home and decompress before jumping back to work Monday morning. This small change was a big improvement in our team’s energy levels and back to business-as-usual adjustment.

Still, this shift brought with it some room for improvement. While we had more time dedicated to co-working, we missed having a dedicated block for offsite activities. It’s important to make sure you carve out periods specifically for having fun. 

So, next time we might take off an entire Friday afternoon for some team adventures beyond the retreat space. This always helps people build stronger connections when they’re actively not thinking about work at all.

But we did enjoy a nice morning hike on our last day together. We took a stroll through the idyllic French countryside and took in the sights and sounds before heading out. With rolling hills in every direction full of cows, horses, goats, and sheep, we were grateful to bask in the sunshine, crisp air, and natural splendor.

As Bob expressed to us all, this was “The best retreat we’ve had so far!” With that said, we are always thinking about how we can improve in the future. This mindset keeps us growing, innovating, and continuously excited about our future together.