From NY to SF: Switching Offices for a Week with TRIP

Hi! Morgan here from the NY office. One of my favorite things about working at Access (where I’ve been for 2 ½ years now) is how many opportunities there are for new and valuable experiences. One of the recurring programs offered by Access is called TRIP—it stands for Training, Relationship building and Immersion Program. In short, it’s the chance to experience life and work in another Access office—and I took advantage of it last year and spent two weeks in our San Francisco office. 

I was thrilled when I was approved for TRIP and starting planning for an October visit. Luckily for me, the timing worked out so that I was able to overlap my official TRIP with a client event and extend my stay in San Francisco to two full weeks. Leading up to my time there, I spent weeks coordinating and planning. As part of the TRIP program, your stay is required to include a number of things including hosting a Lunch & Learn-style training, setting up meetings with senior staff members, coordinating an in-person client moment, and scheduling various  activities to connect with SF-based teams and colleagues. And of course, this planning is done on top of all existing account work. However, the work pays off once you’re in the San Francisco office and having these opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise have. 

While I was in San Francisco, I was able to schedule face-to-face time with team members that I work with daily but had never met! This was hugely beneficial as it allowed me to further relationships on and off of my teams. I also had the opportunity to meet with some of my California-based clients, like the Blue Diamond team in Sacramento. A few of the Access team members and I drove up to Sacramento for the day and toured an almond orchard with a handful of our clients. It was invaluable to learn in-person about the process of harvesting almonds and sharing that experience with the clients that I work closely with on a day-to-day basis. As a member of our culture team here in NY, I also met with the Access SF Culture Committee to share learnings across coasts and find moments to work together. This has allowed us to collaborate and develop a more cohesive culture across offices.  

And on top of all this, I was able to make the most of my weekends in San Francisco and explore a new city. During the evenings and on weekends, I spent time with friends and family, and got to know the city from a totally different perspective. I went on hikes, enjoyed quality time with my cousins, ate at so many delicious restaurants (too many to mention) and got to pretend like I lived on the West Coast for a stint. It was truly the best way to experience another city—working AND living there for an extended period of time. It gave me insight into the San Francisco way of life that I couldn’t have gotten any other way.  

I’m so grateful for my time on TRIP and hope to get out to the SF office again soon! Full-time employees at the Account Supervisor-level and below are encouraged to apply to the TRIP program and it is such an invaluable experience—I’d encourage anyone to apply when they get the chance.  

By: Morgan Bush, Assistant Account Executive