What I Learned From Summer Camp

Last week we took the Syrup team for a solid 24 hours on the lake. This is a big expense for a small company. Not only the cost of lodging, travel, food, etc. but more costly, the time where we aren’t producing work for the brands that we lead.

Here’s why it was worth it and my top three takeaways:

1. Truth comes out in adversity.

When someone is faced with trying something new, you get to see how they react. Some won’t try. Some won’t quit. Some won’t listen. Some try to muscle through adversity. Some let the challenge come to them.

2. Clarity Breaks matter.

In EOS, one of the fundamental principles is taking “Clarity Breaks.” Clarity Breaks are a time when you are letting the mind, body, and relationships recover from the grind. It was really fruitful to do this as a team. When someone isn’t in their element of work/office you can see a different side of a person. I learned more about people after dinner through conversation than years in an office.

We also took the time to work on our personal mission statements. Something that is hard to do in an office with your email piling up and a to-do list to conquer.

3. Shared Experiences pay dividends.

At the end of the day, it is relationships that make any company work. When we grind together and play together, the relationships get built on something bigger than the mutual value we provide to each other in the workforce. It gets built on appreciating people for who they are, then getting the opportunity to go work together.

Post by Benj Miller

Benj Miller is a founder who hates titles, a strategist who can’t sit still, and a coach who feels more like a friend. As Syrup’s Creative Director (and its founder), he turns big ideas into brands people actually remember. He’s part strategist, part artist, and fully allergic to anything that feels generic. Whether he’s shaping a brand’s core idea, building a visual identity, or pushing a website concept one level deeper, he always finds the angle that makes people stop and pay attention.

He spent two decades building Syrup into the company it is today, while also starting, leading, or advising more than ten other companies along the way. That mix of experience shows up in the clarity, honesty, and sharp instincts he brings to every project. When he’s not leading the creative charge, he’s doodling another wild idea or convincing the team that yes, it can be better.

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