3 Reasons Why Studio 5 is a Great Place to Work™

by Melissa Smith | Recruiter

I was eight years old when I went to summer camp for the first time. It was a very hot, early July week in mid-Missouri. If you’ve lived in the midwest, you already know what that feels like: it’s hot with humidity at 1000%, and the bugs are everywhere. But none of that mattered because I was about to have one of the best weeks of my life. And what began that week would turn into a summer tradition for years to come. 

Camp Lakewood is an incredible place in an unassuming small town in the middle of nowhere. It sits on a 5,200-acre campus with a 360-acre lake, an equestrian camp, and every activity imaginable for a child. It was a place where you could come exactly as you are. It was a place where you could play and be yourself without embarrassment. Have you ever eaten spaghetti without your hands? I have. (Seriously! It’s a camp tradition on the first night!). The weeks I spent there during my childhood and preteen years is really where I learned who I was and who I wanted to be. 

Now, 15-20 years later, I can’t help but to draw parallels between Camp Lakewood and the place where I spend a lot of time these days: Studio 5. As the recruiter, let me share with you three reasons why Studio 5 is a great place to work.

Studio 5 Celebrates Authenticity

As someone who loves meeting new people and who brings a lot of energy, I have done a lot of rewiring from previous workplaces and personal relationships in which I was told that I’m “too much.” Jobs like that can have you feeling like you have to hide or mask who you are. 

Since I attended Camp Lakewood, Studio 5 is the first place where my peers and my supervisors have celebrated the “too much” in me, and it’s created an environment where I can finally thrive and have purpose. I feel encouraged to come as I am and to be myself. It’s a place where I can trust my coworkers to meet me where I am. 

At the end of the day, none of the benefits of a job matter if you can’t show up to work each day as your authentic self and feel a sense of purpose and pride in the work that you do.  For the first time since I tie-dyed t-shirts and camped in the woods, I feel like I can be myself.

Studio 5 Celebrates People

In December 2022, Studio 5 was designated a Great Place to Work™. Because Studio 5 is a Great Place to Work™, our employees as a whole are 92% more likely to look forward to coming to work. 

I believe that one of the reasons why is because Studio 5 celebrates its people for both the work they contribute and for the milestones they reach.

Studio 5 recognizes our team in a variety of ways. This includes our weekly company All-Hands where we celebrate milestones such as completing a Thought Partner deliverable, birthdays, work anniversaries, and even personal milestones like buying a home or making a big move. 

Studio 5 Celebrates Development

Twice a year, Studio 5 goes on two Ventures, our version of an Offsite. During these trips, the entire company spends time learning, building connections, and exploring professional development opportunities as a team. 

I am currently working on our first ever virtual Venture in which we will create that connection and learning right from our own homes. This year’s theme is Camp Venture, and as you can imagine, I am LOVING it! I’m thrilled to use what I learned at Camp Lakewood and the unique perspective I gained there to help this virtual Venture be as lively and rewarding as summer camp was to me.

I’m also excited for our team to continue our development so that we can be better learning consultants for our Thought Partners.

If you are interested in joining Studio 5 to experience why it’s a Great Place to Work™, reach out to me at melissa@studio5learning.com (and no, we won’t make you eat spaghetti without your hands!).