Newfangled Workplace Culture: A Day in the Life

Today, Newfangled's North Carolina office had a company meeting and followed it up with an impromptu group lunch at Q-Shack down the street.

Since coming to Newfangled from a big, corporate TV news station, one of the biggest changes for me has been the company culture—mostly the schedule, the pace, and the general attitude toward employees.

As a TV promotions producer, I used to work a 1-10pm shift, and I was on-call 24/7, 365 days a year-- including Christmas, snowstorms, hurricanes, etc. Newfangled, on the other hand, isn't a 24-hour operation. Everyone here tries to keep a Monday-Friday, 9-to-5 schedule—and as long as we do our jobs correctly, nobody has to skip lunch or stay 'til all hours of the night (hopefully!). We all have a lot of work on our plate, but we get it done without any running, yelling, screaming, swearing, or last-minute racing to hit deadlines.

Probably the biggest difference between my former career & my new one at Newfangled happens every day around 12pm. Lunchtime! When noon rolls around, all non-emergency work comes to a halt, and the whole office heads out to lunch together. I have to admit, it felt a little “Brady Bunch” at first, especially since I was accustomed to grabbing a quick, solitary bite when (and if) I had a moment to spare... But it only took a few days to truly appreciate this unique “corporate culture” experience.

Most of the time, we head next door to the Weaver Street Market (the official Newfangled cafeteria, coffee shop, conference room, etc.), pick up our meals, and head back to eat & share a few laughs around the Newfangled kitchen table. Other days, we venture out to explore one of our great local restaurants. Either way, it's a great example of how this company is much more family-oriented, and why I feel much more like a valued teammate instead of just another cog in the wheel.