In our industry, it’s a well-known fact that we work hard and play harder. MODE continued to live up to this mantra last Thursday and Friday when we traveled to Charleston, celebrating a milestone year of new clients, new team members and new accomplishments. Piling into a very large passenger van Thursday morning, our entire office (all 17 of us) set off on the vast highway with a few goals in mind – learn 3 new things about your neighbor, define what MODE is to each of us, determine some new MODE-isms and, of course, try not to get motion sick while writing all of this down.
We arrived in Charleston right in time for lunch and headed straight to Butcher & Bee, a new sustainable sandwich shop on Upper King that we’ve been working closely with, on branding and design, over the past several months. After a quick tour of the space to see how our collaborations have come to life, we sat down at the long community table to feast on family-style sides of Brussels sprouts, hummus, salt & vinegar popcorn, pickled veggies, marinated broccoli and beet salad followed by sandwiches with names like Sabich, Steamed Buns, Kabob, Tunisian, Pulled Squash and the clear favorite, Korean Beef.
We started our day of discussions by sharing our newfound truths about each other with the group and talking about what we learned over the past year. By contributing some of the knowledge each of us has learned from past experiences in an assortment of the country’s top agencies, we discussed visions, goals and attainments for the future. In between bites of snicker doodle cookies and sips of Turkish coffee, we collectively agreed on how we can evolve as a team and how MODE will continue to grow in 2012.
Just as the food coma set in and the sun dropped, we checked into the historic Francis Marion Hotel in the heart of Downtown Charleston and prepared ourselves for the evening and another incredible meal, this time at Fish Restaurant. Once at the eatery, live music set the tone for the evening and we toasted our drinks to the past year while dining on seafood, so fresh, it was caught that very morning. We continued the night of celebration through the streets of Charleston, stopping into The Belmont Lounge, a self-proclaimed “liquor lounge”, followed by Closed for Business, declaring itself the “most eclectic beer selection in the Southeast,” making sure we accurately discovered all Charleston has to offer at 1am on a Thursday.
The next morning, we gathered for a few last hours of group thought and recap over a catered brunch from Butcher & Bee. Filling our stomachs, once again, with the fresh foods from their kitchen, we tried both comfort foods, such as egg, cheese and tomato sandwiches on freshly made brioche and fruit, nut and yogurt parfait, as well as a foreign newcomer, Iraqi Breakfast. A perfect ending to two days filled with good conversation, delicious cuisine and great company.
After a relaxing and productive getaway, we made our way back to Charlotte, new ideas and goals in mind, intent on making MODE an even more exceptional place, together.
