No one thought that this small team nestled in the western states of the US would be where they are today…
It was February 2020 and the Ambit team was going about their business like everyone else, commuting to the office, getting sh*t done, driving home in the evening and doing it all again the next day.
But as we now know, all that was about to change – for Ambit and for teams across the globe.
Luckily for Ambit, there was something unique about their team. Something unexpected, that no one saw coming.
Princess Zoey.
Some called her an inspiration, others called her their ‘guiding light’. But few suspected that the one leading the way, at only 5 pounds, 11” tall, would be Princess Zoey, Ambit’s recently-appointed mascot.
The thought alone could make you chuckle. That this tiny furry pup would lead the team through the transition to work-from-home with such ferocity and confidence. It seemed impossible. But yet, it wasn’t.
With the help of this little warrior, the Ambit team adjusted to their new normal and dominated the work-from-home challenge.
“When I was appointed mascot, I was ready to take on the task of office cheerleader, party lead, and nap & snack advocate. But when I heard about the stay-at-home orders, I knew I’d be taking on a much more important role.”
And that she did. Zoey stepped up to the plate to help the team embrace their new situation with positivity and poise.
“I quickly suggested we implement new routines – like all day pajama parties and midday breaks to get in daily workouts. But as a strong leader, I know that collaboration and team effort are key. We collected input from the team and developed some new habits.
Lynn recommended we set times for specific tasks to get things done faster and Matt agreed we should all set a ‘Stop Work Time’ and honor it to maintain work/home balance.”
That’s not to say Zoey and the Ambit team didn’t face some unique challenges…
“At first it was an adjustment for all of us. I LOVE naps – usually napping 10+ hours a day – but as the Ambit mascot and the lead on this transition, I had to cut back to 6-hour midday naps.
Nick missed feeding the stray cats outside of our Tempe headquarters and Sarah, staring at the forest wallpaper in her office. Others missed being in the field with the sun on their face and the smell of freshly cut grass. And everyone missed seeing the smiling faces of their teammates.”
But again, Zoey stepped up to help the team overcome these challenges.
“It’s so important to focus on the positive. In this case, what do we like about working from home? Everyone has something. For Sarah & Tammy it’s the smell of fresh coffee permeating through the house, for others it’s being able to spend more time – or be in close proximity – with their cats, dogs and significant others. For Matt, it’s being nestled in nature with spring bringing beautiful new growth and flowers in full bloom.”
Despite their uniquenesses, there are still many similarities from the Ambit team to others.
“Yeah, we’re guilty of playing music and movies in the background or staring out the window for a bit too long…but these things are important to maintain our sanity too. Some of us, like Matt, have moved to once a week showers and others, like Sarah have just barely survived her mini heathens destroying the house, asking a million questions and requiring non-stop feeding.”
But all in all, the lessons and insights learned from this have changed their perspectives and made them stronger.
“We like to view challenges as opportunities and changes as lessons. For example, without this change, Matt never would’ve known that relationships are so complex (thanks to the recently hitched chipmunks outside of his window that fight all day). Lynn would never have solved the mystery of his dying plants (hint: they’re his dog’s favorite hiding spots). Nick wouldn’t have felt the joy of knowing his dogs get just as sad if he leaves for 5 minutes after being home all day as they do when he leaves all day long.
These insights help shape our day and our lives. We’re stronger, more informed individuals than we ever would’ve been before this.”
When it boils down to it, Zoey thinks dominating in business and life comes down to your mentality.
“You know, I think Jordan said it best in The Last Dance “my mentality is to go out and win…If you don’t want to live that regimented mentality, then you don’t need to be alongside of me.” I’m fortunate that all Ambit team members have a winner’s mentality – and we can dominate in any situation.”
So, folks, there you have it. The secrets to success for this small but mighty Ambit team. We look forward to keeping up with their story and how things evolve with Princess Zoey at the helm.
