theparkerfamily

So, it’s a bit of a long story … but once upon a time, I worked for a progressive web consulting firm called the Carol | Trevelyan Strategy Group. We were a mission-driven organization, with nary a business degree among us. The type of company where people willing worked obscene hours for “the cause,” and where management was willing to go without a pay check in the lean months.

Started in the early 1990s, CTSG created the first campaign web site (one of the California Senators) and by the end we had worked with just about every major progressive organization, cause and politician in U.S.

Unfortunately, our luck started to run out when the non-profit technology industry started to consolidate in 2004. By the 17th of March 2005, we had been gobbled up by a soul-less, publically traded corporation called Kintera.

Ironically, it turns out that our non-profit clients just weren’t willing to subsidize the cost of our doing business progressively … and we should all be honest that non-profits are just about the most ardent capitalists around when it comes to minimizing their budgetary spending.

Anyway, we were in the planning stages of a company retreat when the St. Patricks Day massacre occured. For many, the purchse turned out to be little more than an excerize in pink-slip avoidance, so it was of little shock that something as expensive and touchy-feel as a staff retreat was cancelled.

While the 2005 retreat was “lost,” a group of us are getting together in Vegas this weekend to make up for lost time and retreats. First step was meeting by the Bellagio fountains at midnight. How very “Ocean’s Eleven” of us.