Our Most Valuable Learnings from Pepperpalooza 2022

For two days at the beginning of March, we paused for our annual Pepperpalooza event, where the whole agency together to grow as humans and teammates. From inspiring speakers and immersive experiences to surprises like musical performances from redpeppers themselves, we were faced with countless opportunities for growth and learning over those two days.

We reflected on how we’re each faced with countless lessons and learnings every day—some of which we notice and implement, and others we don’t. But imagine if we could capture the key learning of every lesson that comes our way. How much better could we become if we really pulled out and adopted the most valuable 20% of every growth opportunity?

Around here, we call that 20% pink/gold. It’s the key ideas and concepts that we recognize as important to carry forward in our lives. And it applies to work, too—in fact, the term originated when we realized we were spending too much time in meetings on the 80% that wasn’t quite as important. We decided to make it a priority to identify the pink/gold and allow it to drive us forward. Here are some of the most valuable lessons—the pink/gold—our team members walked away with after Pepperpalooza 2022:

Pink/gold for The Work

"A key takeaway for me is that thinking through your work strategically does not have to require a lot of time. What it does require is deep thought and using the ability to ask the right questions as a chisel to sculpt something great."

Tim McMullen, CEO

"Find your niche in the work and focus on that."

Courtney Chauvenne, Social Content Strategist

"Data is just data. What makes it valuable is the product of how it's applied—when it informs thoughts that become wisdom. Data informs valuable wisdom, but there's always going to be a leap of faith required in creative work."

Drew Beamer, Associate Creative Director

Pink/gold for Team Building

"Remember to breathe. Do not be afraid to stop and take time to calm the mind to be a better teammate and person."

Carrie Pickering, Digital Producer & Project Manager

"Lead for shared purpose. And allow room for others to flex their skills."

Drew Beamer, Associate Creative Director

"Spending time upfront asking questions and allowing room for conversation can save time and heartache in the long run."

Beck, Account Executive

"Clarity is kind in leadership and delegation. We should take the time to consider what knowledge in our brains might be helpful for a teammate to succeed."

Erin Sephel, Senior Copywriter

Pink/gold for Life

"The idea of listening with the same passion with which you want to be heard really resonated with me."

Reese Jones, Jr. Project Manager

"We have a lot of partnerships within the walls of redpepper. Take the intentional time to ask yourself, "what does this partnership need?"

Tim McMullen, CEO

"Creativity doesn't have to be about doing it 'right.' It can be about doing it in a way that makes you feel hopeful."

Brian Joseph, UX Strategist