At 9 Clouds, we strive to have a smart workplace. The inbound marketing methodology is about doing things better — giving people great content instead of bombarding them with obnoxious claims.

But that isn’t just a smarter way of marketing online — it’s a nicer way. To us, being a smart workplace goes right along with making our jobs, our office, and our culture enjoyable. We take care of each other as employees and try to be a positive influence on each other’s lives.

We believe that the best work comes out of a healthy workplace — one where the culture has everybody performing at peak levels and feeling good about the job they’re doing.

9 Clouds fosters a healthy workplace culture in several ways, but as the snow (fingers crossed!) gives way to spring, we’ve all been getting excited about the chance to get outside and get fresh motivation to live a little healthier – both in the office and out.

A Communal Mindset

Image: The Good Earth

One of the things we’re getting most excited about is the produce we get from The Good Earth.

Located in Lennox, SD, The Good Earth is just a short drive from our office. This farm uses a community-supported agriculture (CSA) model to provide fresh vegetables to families and companies that purchase a share. If you have the chance, we definitely recommend getting involved in a CSA in your area.

Giving your office something to focus on apart from work-related issues goes a long way in establishing the culture of your workplace. Because The Good Earth does a nice job of updating us on affairs at the farm, we continue to feel involved and proud of the program we’re supporting.

A CSA is all about building up a sense of community, and we embrace that at 9 Clouds. Really, you’d be surprised to see how excited we all get about green beans, eggplant, and kohlrabi. And it does bring us together.

Interested in getting your own office involved in a CSA? Here’s a good place to start looking.

A Culture of Sharing

Another positive aspect of our workplace culture is our investment in collaboration. We share a lot more than our weekly produce from The Good Earth.

In a traditional workplace, people become very possessive of their private office, equipment, and projects. But at 9 Clouds, we stay open to sharing resources with one another and collaborating on projects to produce the best work possible.

The endorsement of new ideas is also part of the reason we’ve been able to put together a great young team here. Flexible work conditions and hours are huge to millennials, and we’ve found ways to make that work really well.

A lot of it comes back to great communication, and I think that’s possible because the culture of our workplace let’s us feel more relaxed and comfortable with each other than many are with their coworkers

A Healthy Office

Plus, the veggies we get from The Good Earth just help us stay healthy in the traditional sense — both because we’re getting carrots and cucumbers in our system, and because it’s that extra reminder to take good care of our bodies.

Taking care of yourself becomes a good way to take care of each other. We’re grateful that The Good Earth gives us such a positive spark in our weeks — along with the delicious greens.

Being healthy at the office can mean more than passing up a greasy burger for lunch or avoiding the elevator. More than half of us spend our days standing while we get everything done.

Plus, more incentives to bike into work or just be conscious of the environment help us take care of that other good Earth. We’re already virtually paperless, so why not shrink our carbon footprints a little bit extra while we’re at it?

A Look into Our Workplace

To hear a bit more about our unique workplace culture, check out this blog post from my first week with the company.

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