Updated for 2022 with Monday's observation day
We hope you'll decide to spend the day with us
While we don't observe many holidays around the Outlaw HQ, one holiday we observe with a paid "day away" is September 11 (or the nearest proximate work day). We call it our day of "What are you living for?", and it's so each of us can take a full day to reflect on what we're doing here (literally and figuratively), and whether it's getting us where we want to go.
Last Friday, I held a seminar on goal-setting and distributed worksheets for our team to work on at home. I let everyone know that we're not giving people a "day off," we're paying them to take a full day to work on their goals.
We've found it to be a very meaningful tradition, and I hope you'll join us in observing it.
Please be patient while we observe this important day.
Everything done over the weekend or today, Monday, will be handled tomorrow (Tuesday).
How did the tradition start?
One of our employees (Sue, from our time in Grass Valley) started this important Outlaw tradition in 2019.
She was working across from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and the event had a profound impact on her life: She realized that her daily grind in the high ranks of a financial company was not what she wanted for her life.
She quit her job.
She left her partner.
She started a new life in a different direction... And now, that life is filled with love and laughter and open space and dogs and all the things she truly wanted... not a loft in a high-rise, but a place in the country.
Every year, I tell our team about Sue's experience and her radical life change. I tell every Outlaw employee:
Changing the direction of your life is as simple as deciding to change the direction of your life.
Changing the direction of your life is as simple as taking different actions.
(note: I didn't say "easy," because it isn't easy... but as I often quote Mae West: "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.")
Before you can decide to change the direction of your life and take different actions, you have to think about whether the direction of today, and the actions of today are going to get you to where you want to be in 1, 5, or 10 years.
But you have to decide.
And we at Outlaw welcome this inquiry. We WANT people to think about where they want to be and what they want to do, even if it means they move on from our little gang. Every step is important in getting us where we need to go, and a job at Outlaw is no different.
We have some employees who are students, and Outlaw is a step on the path to getting a degree, because we pay their expenses while they go to school (even if we don't offer a lot of Information Technology career growth opportunities).
I let every Outlaw team member know that I GENUINELY HOPE THEY EVALUATE THEIR LIVES AND FIND THAT OUTLAW IS THEIR HOME. We have an exceptional team and I feel honored to work with each of them.
But I will support the direction this day dictates.
We are captains of our fate. We are masters of our souls.
Thank you, as always, for being on this wonderful journey of life with us.
Like I’ve always said; Ya gotta start young, if you wanna stick it out!
I love your September 11 post! I worked in finance for years, I taught elementary school, worked as a journalist, in IT and other things. But one day I had had it with all of it. I followed my heart and started working as a baker, then I became a chef and now I’m happy! I live in the country with my husband and grown daughter and life is good. (And I love your products!!)
What a magnificent Way of Life Danielle and Russ!!
Your Team of Outlaws make our world filled with More Love and Truth!
I’m semi-retired. My trail is nearing thatfl final watering hole One Day….yet you’re telling me to stand tall, be brave….and I will continue to sit tall in the saddle….and keep Outlaw fresh and clean!!
Do you not celebrate Christmas this is the most important celebration of all in Easter?
Hoping you have a good day
Been reading your philosophy of living, really living. Love it. Love your products! I’m a new, but steady customer. Now LOL – the products are so good I might start showering more often.