Hi there, and welcome to the Gordeaux blog – a space for exploring the ways that a fun-based approach can impact workplace culture, professional development, team performance, and business success. I’ll take some time in this first post to tell you a little bit about me, Gordeaux, and how it all came together.

That’s me.

I started my career as a technical writer who produced operational manuals and documentation packages for industrial machinery. I graduated during a recession and was grateful for a full-time job with benefits that was in my field of study.

I quickly learned, however, that writing about industrial machinery wasn’t my thing. Like, at all. It was a great boot camp kind of experience for my writing skills, and I loved spending time with the subject matter experts I worked with… I was just much more interested in the people I worked with – both the subject matter experts and the other writers in my department. They were knowledgeable, committed, and some of them had incredibly unique specialties, interests, stories, and backgrounds. After a few years, I worked my way into a leadership role where I could focus less on the machines and more on my fellow writers. This people-based focus suited me much better!

From there, I moved into the learning and development field, and then I went into corporate communications. In all of my roles, I found one common thread: I loved making people smile and using my skillset and position to improve the work lives and experiences of those around me. Some of my colleagues started calling me the Chief Happiness Officer, and now I’m ready to fill that role for more companies.

We spend so much time at work and with our colleagues, and our time at work affects our livelihoods in so many ways… why not strive to make a working environment that’s positive and productive, and dare I say fun?

There’s no reason not to! When people are enjoying themselves (and we’ll soon explore the myriad of ways different people can find enjoyment in a task), they are more effective at accomplishing goals and more open to improving their abilities in that area.

That very premise is the reason I founded Gordeaux. I believe that injecting a little fun into the business at hand helps motivate people and support more enjoyment at work. My mission with Gordeaux is to foster workplaces and workforces that are happier, healthier, and more productive!

What area of your business could use a little more FUN in it to motivate people? Drop it in the comments!