It’s that time of year where the sunsets are at 5 pm, there’s a slight chill in the air (maybe more than slight), and the Q4 deadlines are rapidly approaching.
But, despite that hectic race to the EOY finish line, there’s also the promise of holiday festivities, and, for those who have been at VaynerX a while, it also signifies the start to #VaynerThanks.
What is VaynerThanks, you may ask? Is this another acronym I need to memorize? Not quite! It’s more of a glimpse into the past (over a decade old at this point!) and created by some true Vayner OGs.
Wait, So What is It?
The lore of VaynerThanks goes back to the early days of Vayner and is a tradition we still do as a company today. Employees are encouraged to share a #VaynerThanks to our coworkers, highlighting the special people who we see everyday and make coming to work so special. It’s a moment of reflection, admiration, and most of all, gratitude. And this year, we’re giving a nod to the past by looking back at the lore of what it means to give VaynerThanks.
What Does VaynerThanks Mean to You?
To Tyler Schmitt, VP of Core Relationships, VaynerThanks is more than just a few kind words. It’s a reminder of how Vayner brings people together.
“In a world that is more noisy and bifurcated by the day, VaynerThanks was always a time where you were reminded how together we were, how much impact your co-workers had on your day-to-day life, and how important being part of this company was. And, how every individual really made an impact on the whole of what we were doing.”
Or, for Marcus Krzastek, our VM International President, it became a tradition alongside his usual Thanksgiving plans.
“Every year, one of the highlights in the early days of VM was taking the bus back to my parents for Thanksgiving and dropping in all my VaynerThanks during the ride home. It’s been a great way to reflect on the year and show appreciation for everyone who’s helped and impacted you along the way.”
And here’s some of those VT shoutouts from Marcus’ train ride back home – going as far back as 2012!
Favorite VaynerThanks Memory?
Longtime Vayner employee Nick Dio, VP of Core Relationships, looked back on one of his favorite memories, aka the moment where #VaynerThanks really made it big.
“Back in the day, we used to flood Twitter (now known as X) with #VaynerThanks. Employees would share things that they were grateful for about other employees and one year, we got to the national trending page the day before Thanksgiving.”
See what happens when we all come together? Pretty impressive if you ask me!
In the wise words of Claude Silver, our very own Chief Heart Officer, “recognition doesn’t have to mean huge milestones. It’s about the small, everyday moments that make this place so special.”
In our VaynerThanks Slack channel, there lives hundreds upon thousands of #vaynerthanks messages, dating back to the early 2010’s. Each shoutout is a reminder of those small moments, where we’ve lifted each other up, and given our flowers to the people who make Vayner the community it is today.
A very happy Thanksgiving and #VaynerThanks to all of you for reading! 🦃💌