From December 5 to 8, 2024, our Proximity Outsourcing Management Team embarked on a retreat that was nothing short of memorable.
The event had it all: team bonding, laughter, a bit of healthy competition, and, of course, some unexpected twists.
The best part? We flew everyone in from all over the Philippines for this retreat, and our Founder personally arranged everything to make sure it was a smooth and unforgettable experience. We hired pros to handle everything– drivers, private cars, caterers, professional team building facilitators, and event planners.
Let me take you through the highlights of our retreat and the moments that made it truly special.
December 5: Welcome Dinner + Karaoke Bonding
Our retreat kicked off on December 5, and it was the perfect start to an unforgettable weekend. The location? Our Founder’s home in Davao city, Philippines.
Once we were all settled, our opening dinner was served. We enjoyed a six course meal, followed by three desserts, an assortment of drinks, and then we turned the night into a full-on Karaoke Session.
Hey, it’s not a Filipino party without Karaoke right? It was such a fun way to spend time with the team, and since our team doubled this year, we needed this bonding sesh!
December 6: Team Building, Flower Arrangements, and More Fun!
The next day, December 6, was when the true competitive spirit of our team really came to life. In the morning, we headed to D’Leonor Inland Resort for a team-building activity that quickly turned into an epic battle between two teams: Team Black Horse Fighters (led by Ms. K) and Team Global (led by her husband and our Client Success Consultant, Alex).
Spoiler alert: the Black Horse Fighters clinched the win with the Building Bridges game. After the games, the facilitators gathered us for a processing session, which provided meaningful insights to the activities we did. This session also helped us improve our interpersonal skills, and helped develop agility, strategy building, and decision making. Great win for everyone, if you ask me.
In the afternoon, the competition continued at a flower arrangement workshop at Gifts Davao. This is the flower shop owned by our Founder and her sister (a family business) and all of us learned how to do basic bouquets.
We wrapped up the day with some food, a quick massage at the Roxas Night Market, and—no surprise here—back to our cozy condo units for some much-needed rest.
December 7: Upskilling, Acts of Kindness, and Kris Kringle Shenanigans
Day three of the retreat was packed with even more excitement. In the morning, we gathered at Bloom and Bake Café for an upskilling workshop, where we held a soft-skill training on “How to be Persuasive” and how that helps us in work and life alike. This was delivered by our Founder, who, unknown to many, was a college professor and a competitive debater.
Our Client Success Consultant, Mr. Alex Booth, CEO of Huckleberry Consulting, also delivered a workshop on “How Departments Impact the Customer”. This one opened our eyes to which parts of our roles we needed to improve so that they impact our customers/ clients better.
In the afternoon, we visited Talikala, Inc., a non-governmental organization that supports women and girls affected by the sex trade.
Our Founder Karla Singson has been supporting the organization for years, and it was heartwarming to see the difference they’re making. We played Bingo, shared a meal, and handed out grocery items. But the best part? We laughed and sang along with the ladies, thanks to the comedian hired for the day. To top it off, we also gave out the single-stem roses we had prepared the day before during our flower arrangement workshop at Gifts Davao. It was a humbling experience that really reminded us of the bigger picture and helped us end our day with gratitude.
The day ended with our closing dinner at West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden, where we dressed to the nines and indulged in what could only be described as life-changing dim sum.
Despite the rainy weather, we ate, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company. The night was capped off with Kris Kringle gift-giving followed by a movie marathon. Because, why not? 🙂 We felt so young!
It was awesome ending the year with almost a week’s worth of friendship, upskilling, and gratitude. We’re so looking forward to 2025! Excited to serve our clients better, and empower our remote pros more.
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