Turkey, Corn, and Startups

By Nacie Carson, Contributor to Yesware

Thanksgiving has always been a big deal at my house.  My dad is a serious turkeyvore, and as such our entire holiday season revolves around the anticipation and preparation of the perfect bird.  Also, I’ve lived less than 20 miles away from Plymouth Plantation my whole life, which makes it utterly impossible to escape the cranberry-crazed local fervor.

In the spirit of the holiday, my mother has all the Thanksgiving dinner guests go around the table and share something they are thankful for. Ever since I was little, I have felt some anxiety about what to say during this ritual – having all eyes on you while you try to stifle a tryptophan-infused burp is unnerving.

But this year, I know what I’m going to say: I’m thankful for working with a startup.

This swell of gratitude erupted in my working heart after talking to a friend who works for a huge corporation. There will be no over the meadow and through the woods to grandma’s house for her this year: she’s got a late afternoon meeting on Wednesday and a morning meeting on Friday.

Conversely, when I asked my boss what time I should schedule a meeting on Wednesday, he laughed and informed me we were closed from the 20^th to the 26^th because he was heading to the Vineyard for the holiday. Ok then!

Sipping on a cranberry-flavored pre-holiday martini, I realize this is just one of many reason why I am glad I work with a startup, especially around the holidays.  Here are a few other reasons I came up with…

You get the CEO mixing customized cocktails named for each employee at the holiday party instead of small talk with a senior manger who calls you by the wrong name

• You can actually say the words Christmas and Hanukkah without a lecture from HR about liability
• You can look back on the year and see how your efforts have made a difference in the company successes (and failures), instead of feeling like your work is a drop of water in the ocean
• You get to compete in workstation decorating challenges and enjoy weeks of twinkle lights and garland, instead of passing the days by in a bland, generic space
• You have access to an abundance of holiday candy. OK, maybe they have this at some corporations too, but I can guarantee you I’ve never see more candy in an office than I do at my startup
• You get the flexibility and time to go to parties, travel to see loved ones, and spend time with people when they’re in town, instead of being chained to your desk because you used up all your vacation time
• And finally, and perhaps most importantly, you can close the year out raising a glass to coworkers you actually care about, work you love, and the knowledge you are part of something exciting.

…and also the holiday candy. Yeah.

Happy Thanksgiving, Yeswarers!