Redefining the Water Cooler in a Remote-First World
Distance is a funny thing. At Highstreet, we’re spread across different time zones, zip codes, states, and countries but we’ve learned that “remote” doesn’t have to mean “removed.” Last week, we proved that point with our first Virtual Happy Hour—an evening that was intentionally unstructured and, honestly, just a lot of fun.
In a world of back-to-back Team calls and circling back on emails, we traded the excel sheets and slide decks for some much-needed laughs and great company.
The Highlights (And the Winners)
- The Costume Vault: Since Halloween is right around the corner, we kicked things off with a sneak peek at our festive plans. Henry officially set the Halloween bar high for the rest of us by sharing his costume gallery from over the years—a massive hit with the whole crew.
- The “Guess That Baby” Mystery: This game is usually a breeze, but Daisy’s baby photo had the team utterly stumped. Jenn proved she had the sharpest eye on the team by correctly identifying three of our colleagues.
- Vegas Views & Virtual Cheers: As we chatted about what everyone was sipping on, Jerry gave us a mini-tour of his home setup, complete with a chair swing and a pretty spectacular view of the Las Vegas Sphere right out his window.
- Bingo Bragging Rights: We wrapped up the night with two high-energy rounds of Bingo. Congratulations to the Bingo champions— Gagan and Vijay!
Why These Moments Matter
It’s easy to get caught up in the “work” of it all, but Highstreet is powered by people, not just platforms. Whether we’re debating cocktail recipes or failing to recognize each other in toddler form, these moments draw us together as a team.
Remote work gives us the freedom to work from anywhere, but we’ve found that the best collaboration happens when you actually know the person on the other side of the screen. Our virtual happy hours are just one way we bridge the distance and build relationships.
