Since 2020, we have been working on re-defining private markets back-office operations. We have come a long way in 4 years, and it would have been impossible to achieve so much without our great people. We are taking this time to not only appreciate how far we’ve come, but also to explore how our entire team has built a strong company culture that celebrates hard work as well as taking the time to recharge and practice mindfulness.
Building a remote company culture during exponential growth
Since our founding, we have adopted a remote-first approach and built a strong team across 11 countries in 4 continents. Remote work can be very beneficial but promoting mental health in a remote team, especially in an exponential growth scenario, is a tricky thing to get right. As we experienced significant growth, we barely had enough time to train new team members and handle high volumes of new business; how could we possibly promote mental health in such a high-urgency environment?
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We stumbled along the way many times, and our team has made significant sacrifices to help make LemonEdge the company it is today. Pulling an all-nighter to fix a critical bug, working all weekend to finish implementation for an important client, taking red-eye flights to 5 cities in 5 days to meet prospects and attend conferences... Our entire team has gone above and beyond their job descriptions when needed to help push LemonEdge forward.
Celebrating the team's hard work
As a company, we have made significant efforts to bring our team together around the world to spend time in person and bond. We’ve had amazing Christmas parties, laser tag tournaments, friendly bowling contests and much more.
Our team offsites have been very effective in helping our team members to get to know each other outside of work and improving their sense of belonging and camaraderie.
All that being said, maintaining a strong company culture and promoting mental health is a daily activity, not just an occasional event.
We have provided in-house mental health resources for our team as well as employee assistance programs that cover therapy services. Still, our team knows that even with company provided resources, it falls on each and every one of us to take care of our own mental health and support our teammates.
Remote work has significant benefits around providing flexibility to our team, but there are pros and cons to everything. Working from home also brings challenges as people get less opportunities to have in-person social interactions and lose the boundaries between work and home life. This is why we try to encourage our team to incorporate mindfulness into their daily schedules. Since it’s Mental Health Awareness Month, we have been exploring how the LemonEdge team unwinds and finds balance between hard work and relaxation in a remote setting.
Movement & exercise
The best antidote to sitting in front of a computer all day is going outside. Our team maintains an active lifestyle, with cricket players, boxers, football players, yogis, bikers, and swimmers in our midst.
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Engaging in regular physical activity not only strengthens our bodies but also nurtures our mental health. Studies have shown that exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin—neurotransmitters that promote feelings of happiness, relaxation, and overall well-being. Whether it's a walk in nature or an intense football game, movement offers a natural antidote to stress and anxiety, allowing us to cultivate a deeper sense of resilience and vitality.
Spending time with loved ones
When you spend time with loved ones, nothing else matters. The greatest joy for many in our team is spending time with their children and partners, not to forget cuddling their pets! It’s very important to us as a company for our team members to be happy, and we encourage our team to start families by offering excellent benefits packages.
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Hobbies
Over the course of their careers, many people gradually drop their hobbies– not the LemonEdge team. Our team members cultivate plants, practice photography, cook new recipes, fill out coloring books, meditate, play instruments and much more. Following passions outside of a career is the best way to enjoy free time. Humans are simple creatures, and doing what makes us happy is the key to a good life.
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Incorporating mindfulness into daily rituals
How you spend your days is how you spend your life. It might feel hard to incorporate new activities into your busy daily schedule, but it's worth it. Some people think they need to be working constantly, but it’s not always about the hours- it's about productivity, and taking small breaks throughout the day significantly helps.
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Building a strong company culture that promotes mental health and encourages following passions is hard, and maintaining that culture with a growing team is even harder. Company cultures are built together, as a team, and it falls on every single one of us to incorporate mindfulness into our daily schedules to ensure that we take care of our mental health.
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