In the words of the great poet, Post Malone, "I'm no good at goodbyes." - a true statement and a great way to start off my farewell to Red Shark Digital blog.

As I prepare to move to The City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, Da' Big Apple - I've found myself reflecting on fond memories, lessons learned, and the incredible people I've met here. And, I must say, it's incredibly hard for me to compress my two and a half years into one Shark Byte blog, but we'll give it a shot.

I joined Red Shark in 2019 as an intern that shared the same name as the CEO, which made things very interesting from the get-go. After I was brought on, it was like I was being thrown into the deep end of the pool and I was either going to sink or swim, but the people around me tried their hardest to set me up for success (ie. Spencer). I've enjoyed the fast pace and being able to learn so much in what seems like such a short amount of time. Familiarizing myself with basic digital strategy, SEO principles, commercial photography, videography, design principles, and project management here has allowed me to be fully prepared for my next professional venture.

I didn't know what I wanted to specialize in, and that was okay, Red Shark Digital and the members of leadership allowed me a place to learn and experiment. An added bonus to this was that I got to learn alongside some pretty amazing people whom I will never forget.

Now,  you don't really realize until you're on the verge of leaving that you've made such great connections with the people you work with. When you think about it, you spend more time with these people inside the office than you do with your friends and family -- they are your new family. With every family, there's always bound to be some tension, beautiful moments, and lessons learned. Red Shark Digital has given me an abundance of all these things.

To honor the late Travis Jones, I'll now share a Red Shark value and two personal "Spencerism's" that have guided me through my time here.

1. Be Better. "As most of you probably know if you are reading this, Be Better is in RSD’s DNA. But it goes so much deeper than what you think it means. We don’t strive to be better than others, we strive to be better than ourselves. In a world where we constantly compare ourselves to others, you have to remember that you are your own person, not just professionally, but personally as well. If you strive to be better than you were the day before in both your personal and professional life, you have one of the keys to success." - Travis Jones
2. Rub Some Dirt On It. Life comes at you fast while working at Red Shark Digital. One minute you've knocked everything off your list, and the next you get 15 updates on Monday, client feedback, and a barrage of Slack notifications. I know, it's a lot, but you got this. Rubbing some dirt on it is simply Spencer's way of acknowledging your workload, and demonstrating his faith in your ability to get it done - no fuss, just trust.
3. Drink Your Cah, and Drink Your Wah. Cah; meaning coffee and Wah; meaning water. This proverb that echoed through the halls of the office was a simple yet effective reminder to stay hydrated. It's taxing work being in marketing so you need to make sure your mind and body and ready at all times. I will always drink my cah and my wah before work.

There are a few notable moments/people I'd like to remember so please indulge me with your patience as I recount these moments in time.

• Thank you to Chelsea and Taylor for bringing a blender and a George Foreman grill into their office for a private kitchen experience.
• Thank you to Mike for staying cool, calm, and collected while we were trapped in a parking lot of loose gravel at 6:00 p.m. somewhere near Raleigh.
• Thank you Abby for the countless obscure TikTok's, incoherent sounds, Halloween squishies, and Village Market sandwiches that tear my mouth up.
• Thank you Jamie for being an excellent designer and an incredibly hard-working colleague.
• Spencer, thanks for the Mazda Miata.

Red Shark Digital has truly helped to prepare me for a new role in a bigger city. I am incredibly thankful that I was given the opportunity two and a half years ago to become a member of this team. The leadership and mentorship I have received here has been invaluable and has set me up for success in my professional career.

As I look forward to my new career, I will always look back on my memories at Red Shark Digital. To quote Michael Scott, "The people that you work with, are just... when you get down to it... your very best friends. They say, on your deathbed, you never wish you spent more time at the office. But I will. Gotta be a lot better than a deathbed."

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Best,
Christian Jester