Liftoff and Teamwork: Stories of Success

Coworking has changed rapidly throughout the years, adapting constantly to handle new technologies, market trends, and industry growth. From the way that we start our day to our collaboration and communication, everyone’s routine is unique. Some work in a typical office setting, others in their favorite coffee shop or at their kitchen table.

Our team has gotten to know one modern form of teamwork fairly well: remote work. Remote work has established itself as a new normal almost as quickly as it was introduced, pulling teams together across continents and oceans. Linking great minds that would likely never have had the chance to work together, remote work creates invaluable connections.

Coworking can be a challenge, but with the right team effort, the results can be rewarding. We asked Team Liftoff how they work together across screens, and they came back with some incredible examples of teamwork and shoutouts for coworkers that stood out in a time of need:

Kris Howard (Subscriber Services Manager) to Dave Baldwin (Senior Implementations Specialist): 

As an only child with a long-standing grudge against group projects (control issues? Me?), I've historically preferred to go it alone. But working in this role has taught me that teamwork isn't just necessary—it can be wildly effective and enjoyable. One standout example is my collaboration with Dave. When we're wrangling a particularly complex Pageflex template, we act as each other's second set of eyes—and sometimes, the act of walking through the problem together magically solves it before we even finish the sentence. Other times, we split and conquer: I handle the parts I'm most confident with, he tackles the rest, and we stitch it all together like code surgeons. Dave's not the only rockstar I get to work with (seriously, the whole team is incredible), but working with him has helped me appreciate the magic that happens when everyone brings their best to the table. It's less "group project trauma," more "collaboration symphony."

Kam Bass (QA and Support Manager) to Caleb Duncan (Engineering Manager): 

I want to recognize Caleb for consistently going above and beyond to help me — whether it’s answering questions, helping me understand Liftoff processes, or working through the cause and solution for a hurdle I’m facing. What impresses me the most is that sometimes I don’t even have to ask — Caleb just volunteers to help. Even though we’re not on the same team, he always makes the effort to support me in any way he can, and I truly appreciate it.

Fred Brown (Creative Director) to Jaron Hendrix (Product Manager):

As I was trying to think of a good story about a coworker, one story became several. Paired with my indecisiveness, I had a hard time picking just one, so I compromised and chose three instead. I’ve been at Liftoff Commerce for just shy of 13 years now, working with many people toward the goal of making Liftoff great. Over that time, I’ve experienced a lot, but if I had to pick, here’s one co-working story that really stuck with me.

The first version of Liftoff, launched around 2015–2016, had been my first major project after moving to Liftoff from Graphic Dimensions in late 2015. Liftoff 1.0 was a monumental feat, built to fill critical customer needs and evolving rapidly to add features. But after two or three years, it was showing its age in the ever-changing world of commerce, and we knew we needed something new. So in July 2018, Andrew kickstarted the “Liftoff 2.0” project. 

That summer, I worked closely with Andrew and Jaron to design and build v2 from the ground up. We spent late July and August mapping out the blueprint of our new “ship” before moving into design and development. It was during this time that I learned the importance of trusting and leaning on your team’s expertise. Jaron, a UX design and development guru, took the lead on wireframes — the “bones” of the user interface — while I transformed them into detailed mockups. He was patient, thorough, and always willing to guide me in the right direction. From him, I learned what it takes to create a UI that is not only easy to maintain and develop but also meets accessibility and quality-of-life standards for customers. 

We wrapped up the project toward the end of 2018 and into 2019, but Jaron has remained a constant source of knowledge and support ever since. Jaron, if you’re reading this, I truly appreciate all you have done and continue to do!

Get to know your team

Your team is the heart of your work experience, and the way you work together can affect your company’s success. It’s important that you not only get along professionally, but showcase the dedication, care, and respect that keep your workplace running. A supportive workplace will nurture your team and create a space, whether that’s in-person or around the globe, for healthy communication and better business.

Meet the rest of Team Liftoff at https://www.liftoffcommerce.com/experience!