The Cult Of Culture
The most common compliment I receive about Cat & Cloud is some version of “Your staff is the best!” It’s funny that even the guests who have been coming in for years saying the best thing about Cat & Cloud is the people, hardly notice those “best people” are consistently changing.
It’s easy to get sucked into believing that there are a finite number of amazing people, but our experience tells us otherwise. We used to see all turnover as a negative, and too much too fast is. But the reality of a business like ours is twofold:
1. We have many people on staff who are entering the workforce for the first time. They resonate with our culture, crave learning, and do great work, but they also have their own passions and life plans. If people can come, contribute, and leave with a bag of skills that helps them thrive and get where they want to go, that's a win.
2. Even if everyone wanted to make Cat & Cloud their forever home, we can’t possibly grow fast enough to perpetually provide long-term career opportunities for everyone on staff. We also don’t see this as a negative. In most entry-level jobs you're choosing your work based more on culture, workplace experience, and learning opportunities than long-term earning potential. (I would've taken Cat & Cloud over my first job at McDonalds if it were an option.)
Strong leadership is a necessity, but the cult of personality is a trap. The cult of culture is freedom.