My Favorite Company Ritual

Every week at Storyhunter, we have a little company tradition called “Storytime.” It is undoubtedly my favorite part of the work week. The…

Every week at Storyhunter, we have a little company tradition called “Storytime.” It is undoubtedly my favorite part of the work week. The concept is simple: Everyone in the company at 4:30 pm ET, regardless of where they are in the world, how busy they are, how stressful the week was, how they’re feeling that day, stops what they’re doing to get on a video chat. We say hello, catch up quickly, and then finally kick back and watch some videos. It is Storytime.

The Storyhunter Team watching a Great Big Story video about the Alishan Forest Railway during Storytime.

There really are no rules to Storytime except that we must watch at least 3 short videos, or excerpts of longer videos, that were produced on the Storyhunter platform. We watch the video, read the original posting and pitch to see how it was produced on the platform, and then finally, critique the video. We comment openly on the editorial line, the framing of interviews, lighting, sound, interesting characters, visuals, and the other usual things video people like to discuss. Sometimes conversations lead to debate, nostalgia, or more videos to add to the playlist. “I found this video offensive.” “ This character reminds me so much of my grandma.” “Did anyone see that other video that went viral last week?”

I love this weekly event for so many reasons. It is reliable. It is grounding. It reminds me about who I am and what I stand for. I get to check in with my team, my extended family, not as a boss but as a peer. We have team members in San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, and Paris, but thanks to out-of-the-box video chat technology, it feels as if we’re together. We are not under any sort of pressure to finish a task or execute against a goal. For an hour on Friday time stops. We watch stories and just hang out.

I was in L.A. for meetings this particular week, but still got to check in with everyone at Storytime.

As a creative who is now a CEO, I often lose sight of what my company actually does. I know this probably sounds surprising, but it’s true. Over the course of a typical week, I am tackling countless administrative tasks, personnel issues, strategic decisions, negotiations, and many more things that have nothing to do with making or watching videos. Storytime is a humble reminder me that my output, while not equivalent to, is necessary for, the output of the platform.

The output of the platform is, of course, brand new, original video. Some times the videos are not so impressive. Some times the videos are sad. Some times the videos we watch at Storytime are so utterly beautiful, so inspiring, so well done, that I feel that tinge of jealousy/respect/admirations that I imagine all creators feel when they see a work they love. “I’m glad someone made that” or “I wish I could have made that!” are two statements I often find my inner monologue repeating during Storytime.

A few weeks ago, we watched three incredible videos by three sets of unique organizations and freelancers, who all found one another through a simple posting on Storyhunter and created magic together. This magic, this connection, is what we honor and celebrate at Storytime each week. It highlights the connection between filmmakers in our community, the connection between our team and our community, and the connection we all have as teammates who share the same mission.

Rituals do more than just form bonds. They are transmission vehicles for culture and values. They radiate our unique set of beliefs to everyone who experiences them. They also endure through space and time. sticks with us regardless of where we are in the world and leaves an enduring, positive legacy for all who have participated in them. Even those who have left the company tell me how much they miss Storytime. So whether you’re a CEO, a head of household, or any type of group leader, I highly recommend designing rituals that bring your team together, authentically and consistently.

As our company grows and we grow, I am so glad that Stortyime always stays the same. Fridays are just not the same without it.

I would like to share some of the Storytime experience with you. Below are the 3 videos we watched a few Friday’s ago. Enjoy !

Storytime: September 28, 2018

Video #1: Atlas Oscura and Ana Gonzalez

The Posting: Editor Doug Baldinger from Atlas Oscura created a “Call for Pitches” on Storyhunter for stories about unique places and received scores of incredible story ideas. The resulting video is one of the pitches Doug decided to greenlight. It’s a remarkable, touching story about religious harmony in Calcutta, India.

The posting: Matt Veysberg from the company MyHeritage was looking for a filmmaker in a specific location to shoot the story of two brothers who found each other through their DNA test. The resulting video: The incredible story of brothers reunited after 51 years. MyHeritage uses Storyhunter to power a beautiful collection of videos that tell the stories of families they reunite across the world.

Video #3 : Change.org and Doolin Road

The Posting: Juliana Schwartz from Change was looking for a filmmaker in the Southern California are who could handle a topic with extremely sensitive subject matter. The Video: Doolin Road submitted the strongest pitch and went on to tell the sensitive story of Melissa Bumstead’s campaign. Melissa’s daughter Grace is one of 50+ children diagnosed with rare forms of cancer, all within miles of the site of one of worst nuclear meltdowns in U.S. history. The Santa Susana Field Lab hasn’t been addressed since the disaster decades ago, and now Melissa is campaigning to get it cleaned up once and for all. I remember the entire room was in tears after watching this video. We are so proud that Change.org is telling the stories of their most powerful campaigns, like this one, using Storyhunter.