Welcome to Braveheart (light): The Solidarity Experiment
You all remember Braveheart, right?
Best Picture of the Year in 1995, Mel Gibson, kilts, “Freeeedddooommm”…
Right, that one. The brutal story of an against-all-odds Scottish rebellion against England. It’s the story of a few brave souls standing firm to hold their own in the face of inconceivably long odds.
In true hyperbole fashion, at Palo Alto Software (Scotland) we’ve banded together in pursuit of Email Center Pro users. And we’re on the attack against the unknowing marketplace (England).
Ok, so we’re not exactly risking life and limb, but we are engaging in commitments that show corporate solidarity as we pursue a common goal. And that common goal is this: We are hungrily hustling toward a user base of 4,000.
And at least 12 Palo Alto employees are making commitments varying in nature from the very difficult to the community-focused until we do. And now that your curiousity is piqued (even if it’s not, just go with me), here is a list of Palo Alto crew members participating — along with each individual’s “sacrifice”:
Tim Berry, Founder & President: Shaving his beard
Sabrina Parsons, CEO: Giving up sugar/sweets
Noah Parsons, COO: Giving up sugar/sweets
Cale Bruckner, VP of Product Development: Coloring his hair silver
Jake Weatherly, VP of Customer Experience: Wearing roller skates every day at work
Vie Radek, Controller: Crocheting an Afghan to be donated
Josh Cochrane, Director of Online Marketing: Going without caffeine
Chelle Parmele, Social Marketing Manager: Giving up soda
Alex Boone, Developer of Email Center Pro: No eating out for lunch
Kristen Langham, Director of Business Development: Collecting canned goods for donation
Teri Epperly, Documentation Manager: Exercise and Yoga stretching every day
Shawnie Gartman, Senior Customer Care Specialist: Riding her bike to work or working out at least three days per week
Jason Gallic, Product Marketing Manager: No shaving
Over the next few weeks, as we aggressively pursue our user goal, this blog will be the epicenter for all things “Solidarity Experiment”. Here you’ll find profiles of each of the participants, including a little more about what each one does at Palo Alto Software, why each opted to forgo his or her particular item and how life is getting along without it.
Which reminds me to remind you NOT to get stuck in the path of those who’ve decided to go either without sugar or caffeine. Productivity is already plummeting from those corners of the office.
Anyway, the documentation you’ll see includes words, photos and perhaps some video — along with a few surprises.
No matter what, though, it’s going to be fun…if by fun you mean itching places on your face where previously hair dared not grow.
Oh, and because I know you’ve been scanning through the article rapidly in pursuit of this figure, here it is: we’re currently at about 2,000 users.
Jason Gallic
Product Marketing Manager
Palo Alto Software
Tags: , Email, Email Center Pro, palo alto, team, teamwork
Freeeedddooommm!
[...] Email Center Pro. You can skim through the other posts on this blog and find the one related to the “Solidarity Experiment”. The four-wheelers over there are the actual pair being worn to work every day by our VP of [...]
I thought the most interesting tidbit about Tim not shaving his beard was the fact that the last time he did so was in the Nixon administration.
P.S. I miss my Dr. Pepper.