Travelling to Mendoza went beyond a business trip

TL; DR: Our recent business trip to Mendoza, Argentina was such a memorable experience! At Nearsure, we keep building upon our relations from the inside out. For a week in November, our Management Team got together with some of our eldest clients to continue to strengthen our relations and share more of our company culture. This blog tells you all about it first-hand from our CEO, Giuliana Corbo.

From November 4th through the 8^th, we at Nearsure had the pleasure of sharing with some of our eldest clients in the magnificent Mendoza, Argentina. This city is one of the country’s most touristic destinations — and it is so for a reason. Renown as the mecca of wine and nature, its location stretches out the outskirts of the Andes’ mountain range.

Our goal with this trip was to allow people with whom we’ve been working closely, and for a long time, to get a better feel for our company and its culture.

Paying cultural experiences forward

Having travelled to the United States often in search for knowledge on the American culture, I was able to witness first-hand the change of perspective a foreign culture can instill in a person. I sincerely got a renewed perspective and mind frame having had a full range of new cultural experiences as I travelled abroad.

This business trip to Mendoza was my personal effort to pay this beautiful experience forward while strengthening already meaningful relationships we hold at our company. What better way to do so than through shared cultural knowledge?

From bodegas to rafting, we had the best time together.

We certainly took up the opportunity to enjoy the place. We indulged in a perfect wine tasting experience in one of the best-rated bodegas around the world. We also enjoyed a bit of horseback riding, and we even went rafting together!

Of course, we also shared traditional customs, such as drinking mate, an Argentinian typical beverage, and having excellent food together. Meaningful as sharing mate is to us within this culture, being able to share this with people with whom we grow as a business made me especially happy.

Mendoza exceeded our expectations.

As a result to these efforts, our group went from not knowing each other in person to kissing hello on the cheek in the mornings. This is also part of a customary Latin American tradition around saying hi. Everyone who attended this gathering is now connected via a WhatsApp group for any needs in the future. And the trip to Mendoza allowed us to confirm just how similar we are from one another.

We noticed how much we share our belief in a particular set of values, for instance. We were also able to identify how we’re fundamentally people-centered at our core, and how we share a work ethic. Being able to see this in the flesh as we experience a week full of activities indeed builds upon our culture. It does so, because Nearsure’s culture isn’t only based on what happens in-house; it certainly encompasses the people for whom and with whom we work.

The lesson behind Mendoza’s business trip

Spending a few days with your team and a group of people with whom you’ve come together to do business provides a more human and grounded aspect to those relationships. We’re all able to be more authentic and genuine in the process, getting to put ourselves out there for who we truly are.

Being able to show our company culture is fundamental for us at Nearsure. It’s vital for us to share just how close our team members feel to one another, how they hold good relationships amongst themselves, and that they don’t just portray a good light to those company outsiders with whom they talk about our work.

The above is key for us to be able to reinforce just how much our words and actions are a real match. We care that what we say about our culture genuinely portrays what’s real for us.

When in doubt, the joy of enjoying one’s efforts can help.

I was quite honestly fearful at some point that a lot about this trip could go wrong. Last minute accommodations always need to be arranged and that brings about a lot of stress on everyone. Yet, we ultimately decided to take the plunge and face the risk.

We worked hard at this and sought to have all arrangements made with great attention to detail. But what was important for us days before arrival was to remember how this experience was all about enjoying ourselves. That’s valuable to me.

Trips can spark working synergies

Beyond a networking event designed to suit business needs, what we sought to offer our valuable business partners in Mendoza was also a time and place to relate amongst themselves. We intend this as a starting point for their own business synergies.

To me, the biggest proof that this bonding experience was successful is our promise to each other that we visit each other’s homes moving forward as we go about our different business travels.

Thank you everyone who came down to Mendoza for being so wonderful. To all the brilliant talent at Nearsure making this happen: you’re true geniuses.