How GivingTuesday brings Stoke together – from every corner of the country

We were a distributed team before pandemic-powered remote work became the norm. Looking to rapidly expand our agency meant seeking out the best talent — and the best people may or may not be in our proverbial backyard. 

Now, with team members crisscrossing the country from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, Nashville to New York, and beyond, we’re always looking for new ways to connect. Because we don’t have chance encounters in the company kitchen or quick coffee runs — daily, face-to-face opportunities to swap stories and dig deeper into what makes our colleagues tick. 

So we create them. And GivingTuesday is a perfect example.

Why we’re all about Giving — on #GivingTuesday and always

This GivingTuesday, November 29, centers around radical generosity and shared humanity. On this day, just a few days after we celebrate Thanksgiving, we commit to doing good in our communities. It could be a simple act of kindness, a donation, or a chance to roll up our sleeves and make a difference — if it makes an impact, we’re in. 

It’s also a way to connect as a distributed team. Even though we won’t be shoulder-to-shoulder serving meals, rebuilding playgrounds, or delivering much-needed supplies to families in need, knowing our colleagues are in their communities giving back is so powerful. While I’ll be at the Refuge Utah, I know Sarah Ekins and Gavin Beck are assembling hygiene kits for refugees, right around the corner. And at the same time, thousands of miles away in Florida, Enid Bryant and her family are helping their community rebuild from Hurricane Ian, while Maggie Miller helps clean up the Rappahannock River in her Virginia hometown, and Abby McHenry volunteers at the Austin Humane Society.

We aren’t together. But we’re united in spirit — and a collective commitment to do good. It’s something we can do together, transcending location and bringing us all a little closer. 

If you’re part of a remote team, I encourage you to look for opportunities like these — moments in time when, while you aren’t physically together, you’re rallied around a singular goal. For us on GivingTuesday that goal is simple. We’re each committing our time, talents, and resources to make our world a better place. On other days, we’re working to solve complex creative challenges — and the energy is palpable as we brainstorm, whiteboard, and debate from our kitchen counters, home offices, and local coffee shops. Sometimes we’re simply coming together on Zoom, celebrating a holiday, birthday, engagement, or new hire. 

These moments matter.

Keep an eye on @thestokegroup for the latest from our GivingTuesday adventures and our distributed offices from coast to coast. And comment below — we’d love to hear how you and your teams are coming together this season to do good.

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