Verve Magazine - August 2018 - Issue 11

THE YEAR THAT POLLEN AREAS BLEW UP FESTIVAL SEASON
VERVE’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 11
MEMBERS ONLY


Contents
1. Editor’s Letter 01
2. Newcomers 02
3. FAQs 08
4. Welcome To Safiya... 09
5. Pollen Only Areas Hit Festivals 10
6. Mark Melford: Company Restructure 14
7. Bounty Hunter Referrals 18
8. European Team Go Mad 22
9. The September Issue 24
10. Lock Ins: Cocktails & Karokee 26
11. Travel: South Padre 28
12. What Else Is Happening? 30
13. Passion Points 32
Pollen takes over! 10
Company restructure 14
Euro team go mad in Europe! 22
Travel: South Padre 28
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Molly. First person to Slack her location to Anne wins a prize!


THE NEWSLETTER TEAM:
This month was so jam packed that we missed the magazine deadline by... anyway who’s counting?
I think by now we’ve all just about recovered from the lock-ins (hats off to everyone who made them happen, they were awesome!!). In our main story this month Harriet tells us all about the Pollen areas that stormed Festival season this summer, we hear all about the amazing rewards some people have got from referring their friends for jobs in the company and Mark Melford tells us everything we needed to know about the company restructure.
And then there is the September issue competition - I can exclusively reveal that this came about because Zach Samson has long been campaigning hard to be on the front cover - see his email from 7th August below. Knowing how competition feeds his spirit we thought we would create the perfect opportunity for a fight to the death... armour up everyone, he’s in it to win it.
As if that wasn’t enough Chad launches his travel piece on San Padre, we find out more about our new Chief of Staff, Safiya, you can catch up with what everyone’s doing on Instagram and Erin tells us all about her passion for the track!
Enjoy!
Anne
ANNE BEDI
GRANT BARRATT
ELINA MEIMANE
CAISIE DILKS
ALANA PEREZ
Better late then never


NEW STARTERS
Sean Lane
Co Head of Demand, Pollen N.America, Pollen
Brandon Lane
Co Head of Demand, Pollen N.America, Pollen
Diana Shvartsberg
Marketplace Operations Manager. Pollen
Rachael Daniel
Social Media Recruitment Specialist, Pollen
LA LA LA LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would love to have dinner (and several drinks, preferably Tequila) with Steve Jobs to really dissect the way he viewed the world. His intuitive ability to build businesses and products that enhanced all of mankind was simply genius. Steve Job’s loved sushi as do I, so our mandate would definitely
be at NOBU.
What is your favourite swear word?
This is like asking who’s your favorite child. I like them all, some more than others on certain days. Really depends on how fucking awesome or shitty the situation is.
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’d like to attempt being a professional traveller. Someone who gets paid to travel the world, sharing my experience as I discover new cultures and eat the best food. This job certainly ranks #2 on my list of preferred professions behind my current role on the Verve/ Pollen team. Could not be more stoked to be part of this awesome company!
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would like have dinner with the best basketball player to ever live, Kobe Bryant at Nobu (my two favorite things). Growing up he was my role model and hero. What I admired most about watching him was his hunger for greatness and winning.
What is your favourite
swear word?
Depends on my situation and audience but I tend to value all of them equally depending on my mood :)
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
It’s always been my dream to become a professional sports agent! Growing up my first love was sports and my dream job was to be a professional athlete. Once I was old enough to realize I didn’t have the size or skill level to live out that dream, I wanted to get into
the business side of sports
as my ticket into the league. Once I discovered Pollen will be getting into the professional sports industry I felt like a kid in the candy store and I can keep my dream alive being able to work alongside the league!
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Osho at NOMA (Copenhagen), because wtf really went down on that complex and NOMA just looks amazing.
What is your favourite swear word?
C you next Tuesday.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
I was always interested in mycology!
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would have dinner with Anna Wintour the editor-in- chief of Vogue at Barton G in Los Angeles.
What is your favourite swear word?
Fuck- I need to chill on saying it so much.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
I always thought fashion design was really cool but I can’t even sew so that would be interesting!
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Chloe Jordache
Membership Manager I, Pollen LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Drake (my future baby daddy) at Nandos, wearing matching tracksuits <3
What is your favourite swear word?
Trifflin ass hoe!
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’m currently attempting a singing/songwriting/ DJ career. Check out my SoundCloud if you want: https://soundcloud.com/ chloejordache
Helen Vo
Social Media Recruitment Specialist, Pollen
LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would love to have dinner with either Bo Burnham or John Mulaney since they are both my favorite comedians. As for restaurant, I think I would just invite them to my weekly dinner with my family to try my mom’s home-made pho. I would love to pick their brain about their creative process and what inspires their comedy.
What is your favourite swear word?
I barely swear but for some weird reason I like saying the word hoe. I throw in the word motherfucker every now and then.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
I love food so being a food critic or a judge on a cooking show would be an absolute dream! For now, I’ll just be living my dream through my yelp page :)
Ashley Gaughan
Social Media Recruitment Specialist, Pollen
LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Roman poet of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, at the Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy.
What is your favourite swear word?
**Fuck**
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would like to own a non-profit for educating and supporting poverty level community.
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NEW STARTERS
Codi Musler
Event Operations Coordinator Las Vegas
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would want to have dinner with my fathers parents who passed away when I was really young. It could be at any restaurant in the world - I would just be grateful to see them again.
What is your favourite swear word?
I use ‘fuck’ the most. It is able to enhance the emotion in your sentences. For example: You can say “I am so fucking excited,” by adding “fucking” to that sentence it shows the overpowering thrill you
are experiencing.
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would not want to attempt
a different profession. Instead, I would love to expand within the duties of being an Event Coordinator. The operations team handles the linguistics of each event. I would want
to attempt to be on the side that does the hands on
set up (decorations and party planning).
Jereth Cormack
Senior Software Engineer London
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Hunter S. Thompson, his house.
What is your favourite swear word?
Fuck. Not necessarily my favourite, but definitely most used.
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
A bit lame, but a DJ. Just so I can get paid while I listen to music.
Abigail (Abby) Villegas
Community Experience Specialist Las Vegas
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would LOOOVE to have dinner with Christina Aguilera, because she has been my inspiration since FOREVAAA. Like even before I was born. I plan to steal her vocal chords so there’s that. I’m not really picky where I eat but I guess we could chill at Dave n Busters so we can eat and play.
What is your favourite swear word?
I have two! ‘Fuck’ and ‘Bitch’, because they’re both very versatile and can be used at the same time. A few examples: When you’re mad: man bitch fuck you. When you’re excited: bitch guess fucking what.
When you’re like nah: bitch
fuck no. When you messed up: fuuuuuuuuck. When you got tea to spill: biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I don’t have any specific profession in mind yet, but I plan to be my own boss in the future! I aim to build my own empire. Kylie better watch her back. I’m coming for her throne. But definitely an Entrepreneur! I do love to innovate and create!
Angelika Dooley
Community Experience Specialist Las Vegas
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would LOVE to have dinner with Jessie James Decker and eat at Boiling Crab with her because we love our seafood and were both from the south!
What is your favourite swear word?
My favorite swear word is probably Holly Balls, it’s like the only cuss word I say, so I use it for everything.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
A profession I would like to attempt other than the one I am in is definitely a Criminal Profiler for the FBI. I feel like I am so good at reading people, and their body language and behavior. I was asked in my interview for this job what super power I would want to have and I said mind reader because I want to know what criminals are thinking before
+ after they commit crimes. I just want to know the why!! But yeah, that’s me! :)
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Allan Gonzalez
Community Experience Specialist Las Vegas
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Frank Zappa, I’d like to get his take on modern music.
What is your favourite swear word?
Fucking hell!
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Radio show host.
Erica Fagundes
Head of Community LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would chose Lucille Ball - she was just an absolute trailblazer. She wasn’t afraid to push barriers, did it with grit and grace, and everyone loved
her for it. I Love Lucy is also
my favorite TV show ever, I’m positive I have watched every episode. To eat, I would chose this place called SixtyFive NYC. It is a circular cocktail lounge right above the Rainbow Room, has iconic views, and live jazz music. It’s my fave spot in NYC that I can’t afford :-)
What is your favourite swear word?
Shit-on-a-stick :-)
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I do understand this is probably skewed from Hollywood movies, but I would love to
be a spy. I have no training or background in this. I just think it would be awesome...
Wes Starr
Community Manager Lead LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
One person I would want to have dinner with would be Rachel McAdams at any lobster or steakhouse.
What is your favourite swear word?
B*tch!
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would want to be a pilot or a marine biologist.
Jack Fossey
Membership Manager I London
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I was initially thinking of going deep and spiritual and saying someone like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, but upon reflection it would definitely have to be Amy Winehouse - she’s one of my favourite all-time artists and I reckon she’d be a right laugh. I’d probably have to go to Nandos, because it’s slightly more upmarket than KFC.
What is your favourite swear word?
I’m gonna go with ‘bollocks” just because I didn’t realise how British it was until I was around a load of Australians who would crack up and call me “such a Pom” every time I used it.
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Generic answer is a music producer/DJ, although the other day I saw a tweet saying this guys job is a “penguin erector” which is where he literally goes around and picks up penguins when they fall over because apparently planes confuse them, they look up at them and then fall over and can’t get back up. Dream job.
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NEW STARTERS
Moira Quinn
Senior Community Manager LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would want to get dinner
with Beyonce to hear about her creative process, Lemonade is truly genius. I would take her
to Night + Market in LA for Thai food, but if we were in Texas
I’d take her to Franklin’s for barbecue. The kids are
invited too.
What is your favourite swear word?
Fuck, but I replace it with fork sometimes after watching The Good Place.
Which profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would be a comedy writer, ideally for SNL or another sketch show. I love making other people laugh so it would be cool to get paid to do that!
Shawn Morais
Head of Community Support LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Luis Figo, legendary Portuguese footballer or Benjamin Franklin. Either way it would be at Ristorante Lo Scoglio in Italia!
What is your favourite swear word?
Fuck! Although I try to use Shit more since it’s a bit less offensive.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
Chef/Owner of a small farm to table restaurant somewhere on the coast in Portugal/Azores.
Kacey Robb
Sales Operations Specialist Las Vegas
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
I would choose to have dinner with Lauren Singer. Lauren is an environmental activist who educates others on how to live a zero waste lifestyle. Lately
I’ve been striving to reduce my carbon footprint and produce less waste, so I would love to hear her tips and advice for doing so. Naturally we would have a zero waste dinner at her place in New York. And she also has a cute puppy so that’s just an added bonus. :)
What is your favourite
swear word?
As cliché as it is, I think my favorite swear word would be f*ck. Its just the most versatile swear word, and can be used in any instance. There’s not really a situation that it couldn’t be used in.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
I’m obsessed with HGTV and home renovations. If I could
be best friends with Chip and Joanna Gaines from ‘Fixer Upper’, I totally would. If I wasn’t in my current profession, I could definitely see myself being a house-flipper or
home designer.
Waseel Amoura
Inside Agent I LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Dr. Dre at Nobu.
What is your favourite swear word?
Is this a trick question? Fuck.
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
Chef.
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Madison Fairchild
Senior Sales Coordinator LA
Which person dead or alive would you like to have dinner with and which restaurant?
Jimi Hendrix. He had a really interesting yet short life and I would love to know how he experienced the 60s which is my favorite time era.
What is your favourite swear word?
My favorite swear word is f*** I need to stop using it but can’t help it sometimes!
Which profession other than your own would you like
to attempt?
If I were to attempt another profession I would definitely go into interior design. I love the creativity of designing an empty space or adding things to make it more new.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED
We’ve had several different Chief of Staffs - how do they differ?
We have functional COS and company wide ones: Sarah Beck is the COS for Product and Engineering and Emily Dryer is the COS for the revenue side of the business. Safiya who has just joined is the Chief of Staff of the whole company, so she will be focused on making the whole company run like a well oiled machine!
If I did have a staff/HR/people issue that I needed to take above my manager then who would I talk to?
It’s great to have as open a dialogue as possible with your manager, but if for whatever reason you can’t it would be Enosha or Steven Gross - and we have even more people on the way!
Do I have to take all statutory leave every year?
There is no statutory leave at Verve - we don’t say how much or how little you have to take. We want people to take off as much holiday as they need
to live a balanced life so they can work at peak performance and hit their results, which is different for every person.
Who do I go to about IT issues?
We’re in the process of getting IT support however in the meantime:
London: Amanda
Las Vegas: Enosha
LA: Currently hiring office manager but Sarah Thomas for now!
QUESTIONS
How do I request a sick day and who should I inform?
You don’t need to request a sick day - if you’re sick and need to be at home then please do so! Do make sure that you let your team know the situation so they know not to disturb you!
Do I need to come into the office to do meetings in person and how do I decide which ones I don’t need to?
It’s up to you to decide what meetings you attend and how you attend them. Some teams in the company have developed norms where they do specific meetings in person as they feel they work better,
so check with the team for these occasions.
My manager emails me late at night or on the weekend with questions and stuff and
I feel like I should answer straight away but it makes it difficult to switch off when
this happens.
You shouldn’t feel pressured to reply to anyone simply based on the time that they write to you - everyone works best at different times and just because your manager likes to work at night or at the weekend shouldn’t mean you have to. There may be instances when your manager will need something urgently, however slack and email are not good channels for urgent requests during unsociable times so they should phone you if the buildings burning down.
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WELCOME TO SAFIYA
SAFIYA WILL SOON BE JOINING THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AS CHIEF OF STAFF SO WE WENT TO CHAT TO HER MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD INVOLVE.
Can you explain exactly what you’ll be doing?
As Chief of Staff, my main responsibilities will be to help
Verve run like a well-oiled machine and drive company-wide initiatives. I will be partnering with functional teams and product lines to ensure they are working together well (within and across teams), are communicating with the rest of the firm, and have the information and resources they need to succeed.
My role will also include internal
/ external comms, governance, program and process management, investor relations, M&A integration, and special projects.
What were you doing before you came to Verve?
I started my career in consulting, moved into an operations role and then was responsible for running a line of business at an IT staffing
company where we managed to double revenue in less than a year. Subsequent to that, I completed
an MBA program and for the last couple of years I have been working in venture investing as well as with various start ups in a business development capacity.
What attracted you to joining Verve?
A number of things – but I was
most impressed with the team.
The people I have met so far are inspiring, analytical, interesting,
and genuinely engaged by what they do! I love Verve’s mission of helping people do more of what they’re passionate about – and I was attracted to how Verve practices what it preaches by enabling a results-only work environment.
What are you most looking forward to at Verve?
I am at my best when working
in fast-paced environments with
great people while helping to solve challenging problems – so the pace, culture, and growth plans Verve offers are exciting for me. There is a massive market opportunity in front of the company – new verticals and products, geographic expansion, etc. – and I am really looking forward to being part of a team that can help define and deliver on that incredible growth potential. I am also super excited to meet everyone in London, LA, and Vegas!
What are your passions outside
of work?
Traveling is my favorite thing to
do... I am lucky enough to have visited over 60 countries and live
in 5. When I am not working, I love spending time with family and friends, reading, fitness - specifically Pilates and boxing, and discovering new restaurants (I am always in the market for recommendations – so feel free to share any favorite spots!).
Verve Magazine | Issue 11 | August 2018 9


HARRIET CROSS
Membership Manager
THE YEAR THAT POLLEN AREAS BLEW UP FESTIVAL SEASON...


WHAT ARE THE POLLEN MEMBER’S AREAS?
Pollen member’s areas are exclusive areas for member’s and their friends to enjoy the VIP life at their favourite events, the higher the tier, the more friends the member is allowed to bring in. Within the area, the member
and their friends can enjoy free drinks, the perfect chill out area, hair & glitter artists and much more. The areas are designed to feel aspirational within the perfect festival location either backstage or in view of the main stage.
WHAT FESTIVALS HAVE
THEY BEEN AT THIS SUMMER?
The member’s-only areas are brand new to Pollen, launching at the end of May at We Are Fstvl where the feedback was insane! From there you could find us at Bestival & EE (which were on
the same weekend!), Elrow Town, London and SW4. With many more at Tobacco Docks heading our way!


WHAT HAS THE FEEDBACK BEEN LIKE?
The feedback from member’s in regards to the areas has been amazing, I’m now receiving many messages asking when and where our next area will be! Here are a few
of my favourite feedback quotes: ‘We loved the area
at EE!! Was great to have somewhere to go and chill in the shade a bit, and the glam station was a great little extra touch, quick freshen up and some GLITTER thank you so much for everything!! X’


FUNNIEST STORIES?
I’d be lying if there hadn’t been a few hilarious moments within the areas but I think this one tops it... just last Saturday at SW4 everything
was running extremely smoothly, Elsie and I were stood watching the large stream of festival goers entering through the gates to the right-hand side of the area and then within a flash everything starting running in fast forward mode... the rain had decided to come down in full force. Which tent was the first one for people to take cover? The Pollen tent! After looking up and feeling like
I was about to be trampled over by what seemed to be a stampede of animals, the team made a pack, linked arms and created a human barrier to ensure the area was safe - thankfully we succeeded and live to tell the tale.


INTERVIEWWITH MARK
ANNE BEDI
Communications Director
Who is Mark?
Mark is an accomplished business leader, entrepreneur and speaker in the Media, Technology and Knowledge industries. A former principal of Booz Allen’s Communication’s Media and Technology practice, he is a founder of Captive Media, the multi-award winning video game and ad network. Mark
has worked with some of the world’s leading organisations
THE MAN BEHIND VERVE’S STRUCTURAL REDESIGN. WE’VE RECENTLY CHANGED HOW THE WHOLE OF VERVE IS STRUCTURED SO WE WENT TO TALK TO THE MAN WHO HELPED SHAPE THAT CHANGE... MARK MELFORD.
including the BBC, Vodafone and the Downing Street Policy Unit and Cabinet Office of the British Government.
How do you help companies?
My job is to help companies with whatever it is that keeps them
up at night: broadly that’s strategy, organisational design or fundraising.
What is the role of organisational design?
To remove the natural obstacles of people giving their best and
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importantly it’s an evolving thing. It’s not an exact answer that’s decreed and then never revisited.
You have to keep working on it, working out what doesn’t work and then rethink. Its an iterative process.
When did you get involved with Verve?
Callum and I first spoke in March when Verve had secured its series B round and the company was going through several significant changes: it was launching Pollen and has made a large acquisition. This meant that the number of people was soaring, it was becoming seriously international and it
was moving from a single product company (B2B software) to a multi-product company (Verve Software, Pollen and Student Experiences). It was
a big moment for the company - a moment of steep, aggressive growth and that is reason for a company just to pause and think carefully about how to organize itself. Every company will go through stress points where what you’ve done up to now doesn’t work anymore and you have to make that step change to a new organisation design. Those points are very different for each company, but usually it’s around 20-30 people, then 100 or so, then 500 or so.
What was the process you ran?
The process is almost as important as the result when you’re talking about organisational design.
There were five stages in the process:
• Baseline: where are we today? What do we love?
• Targets: what is the vision of the future company? (such as we want to retain our culture and we want to work seamlessly in multiple time zones)
• Options: Breaking down the ways we could organise the company and looking at other companies do it (i.e. Spotify did it like this, Netflix did it like that)
• Design: Put all the above pieces together and see what it looks like, tweak and redesign roles.
• Iterate: You put something in place, try it on for size and see how it fits.
We spent about a week on each stage and used a steering group to do so (the leadership and senior management team - in total about 30 people who I spoke to, in some cases multiple times).
Can you sum up the structure that we moved to as a result?
Verve used to have only product lines and is now making the move to have product leaders in
the company, alongside the normal functional leaders. That introduces two axis: the already set up functional one (with marketing, sales, HR, talent, finance, engineering, etc) and then the product lines (Verve software headed by Ben Sanders, Pollen headed by James Beaumont and Student experiences headed by Andrew Citores).
That changes the way people work, because now they work in ‘cross functional teams’ and have two leaders who they go to for different things.
Why do you think this structure will work for Verve?
To make this design work you have to be collaborative and talk openly, be direct and warm with each other. Where companies are too focused on decision rights and boundaries then it doesn’t work. I am confident Verve will make it well work because your culture is so collaborative anyway - your all more focused on the end goal then on your own little patch or domain.
This structure is all about autonomy vs command & control. There are many companies that adhere to the latter, think of the army for example where it’s all about prescriptive decision making within rank. The British Government are also set up the same way - everyone knows exactly what power and decision making their role gives them and they know because it’s all written down in stone.
Whereas Verve is heavily leaning into autonomy and it’s inscribed in your culture. Verve sets the vision, hires good people, coaches them and then lets them work out how to get there - and that feeds into this structure really well.
How long will our structure work for us?
A long time - there are companies hugely bigger than Verve that still do something similar.
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I’m a big fan of the new structure! It’s been an interesting transition for me going from leading a function to now leading the Pollen product line. As a functional lead often my focus was working directly with functional teams to coach and help execute on the ‘how’. Now as a product line lead the focus has switched to the ‘what’ - defining priorities, projects or problems Pollen needs to solve. Both these areas require equal focus to help us our achieve our goals and so far it’s been amazing being able to work different functional
experts either individually or as a group to help solve Pollen’s biggest problems! I can’t wait to work with more people around the company to help make Pollen a success.
James Beaumont, Pollen Product Line Lead
I’ve loved the new restructure of teams, working within the Pollen product line has meant we have clear understanding of what each person is working on and the wider goal we are
working towards as a team. It’s also created more transparency and a better connection throughout the different teams within the team.
Harriet Cross, Membership Manager In The Pollen Product Line
Prior to having dedicated product line leads, I found that many people acted as such (true to our ownership principle!), but that ended up with there being no clear final decision maker for
a myriad of moments through each week. Now, instead of following the loudest voice in the room we have the product line lead to ultimately be accountable for and help guide key
decision making moments as needed.
Kelly Snodgrass, Community Functional Lead
As the product lead for Student Experiences I’ve found working in the new company structure incredibly effective. If I have a complex problem, I can run problems by a functional lead like Viv for example for product. Or if something requires multiple functions like product, marketing, and design we can assemble a squad of geniuses who can view the problem with their own lense and propose solutions and how to execute those solutions. I know we’re just getting
started, but already realizing the amazing team and resources I have around me to deliver the results we need for Student Experiences.
Andrew Citories, Travel Product Line Lead
Forming the sports squad has been a really good way to align both the product and commercial sides of the business around one goal of launching with major league sports teams in the US this quarter. Ultimately, we can’t enter the sports vertical without a great product, and that product isn’t much use without some great clients! I believe that increased visibility over what everyone is working on, and how that needs to fit together, has helped everyone to be more effective. There’s also a growing sense of being one team, despite
being split across three countries (US, UK, Poland). Hopefully, that will put us in a great position to react to and optimise campaigns when we go live.
Jack Sheldon, Heads up the Sports Squad
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Verve Magazine | Issue 11 | August 2018


WHAT’S WHAT?
FUNCTIONAL LEADS
Have always existed at Verve - they are the expert on their function (think Viv for Product and Brad for Engineering). They still manage their team in terms of career and mastery.
PRODUCT LINE LEADS
They manage our individual product lines (Verve Software,
Pollen and Student Experiences) and are the experts on their product.
SQUADS
Cross functional teams formed to tackle a specific problem which
is time bound and once solved the squad disbands (example Sports Squad). Squads always have a squad leader who leads for the time it exists.
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BOUNTY HUNTERS
THE BOUNTY HUNTERS COME UP TRUMPS
HOW IT WORKS
We currently pay between 10-20% of first year salary to recruiters however we can get significantly better fit and ramp-up by using our own networks, and we should reward our staff with 2% of their recommendation’s first year salary for making good referrals.
• Salary of referral is $55k | Referral bonus is $1,100 • Salary of referral is £40k | Referral bonus is £800
REWARDS:
An experience of your choice. The manager has discretion over what to spend the money on, with a strong focus on experiences or personal gifts (e.g. a trip somewhere the person has always wanted to go;
a voucher to learn to drive; a new bike).
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Lionel Miranda
Referred Alana Perez (Personal Assistant to Bo), Bryan Vu (Inside Sales) and Morvell Singh (Inside Agent I)
Alana and I graduated the same year from UNLV. We both used to work for a restaurant called SkinnyFATS, although we didn’t work there at the same time. I’m sure the owner of SkinnyFATS isn’t too happy that we keep stealing all of their good workers. I knew she’d be great as she was always known to be outgoing, to have a lovable personality, and I knew personally that she ended her time at her last job in a very high position.
Bryan’s first year at UNLV, he walked up to a fraternity BBQ I was hosting on campus and I made a sale off of Bryan (back when I was a rep)... and the rest is history. We would always talk to about him wanting more out of life and joining a company culture that was more aligned with his values. From there I knew he was a target haha! I began recruiting him to join the travel team and eventually he quit his job and joined the dark side!
I believe I first talked to Morvell in 2016 when he was a student at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), one of the schools I manage; This past 6 months, he became very proactive about wanting more and I wanted to continue working with him. I am confident Morvell is going to be a natural and do big things if he can replicate what he did at UNR at many other schools around the country.
What you’re doing with the referral reward?
So I will be ordering the mattress called the Purple Mattress and they are AMAZING. Just in time for my new house that is being built as we speak. Thanks Verve for making my (future) home not looking so empty!!
•
Dan De Almeida
Referred Lisa Feizlmayr (Senior Community manager & CRM specialist)
Lisa is a friend of my girlfriends. I knew she was good for the job as Danielle works alongside her and always heard good things + Emily Adams also knew her from previous work at festicket and gave her the thumbs up.
What you’re doing with the referral reward?
Off to Tobago for 10 days. See the Pic of me lounging on the beach from last year!
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Verve Magazine | Issue 11 | August 2018


Rob Boynes
Also Referred Peteris Bikis [Frontend & Product Design on Pollen]
He referred Peteris too so shared the bounty with George for Peteris – Rob was on holiday when this went to press, but we believe he is going on a trip to Canada to visit his family!
•
George Follet
Referred Peteris Bikis (Frontend & Product Design on Pollen)
I strongly felt that one Latvian (Hi Elina!) just wasn’t enough so I racked my brains and realised my old pal Peteris is not only Latvian but he’s also the absolute boss when it comes to product, engineering AND design. He’s a rare find in that he’s a super talented all rounder who can design and build beautiful products from start to finish (checkout his sick portfolio site https://peter.is/ ). Despite the fact he was killing it at Citymapper I knew he was looking for something new and a strong culture was high on his priority list. After lots of warming up, some Liam-esque sales techniques and a three-prong approach from other ex-Citymappers he made the jump.
What you’re doing with the referral reward?
Thanks to the referral scheme I’m earning brownie points and taking my wife for a long weekend to NYC.... probably with a long detour via the LA Office : ). Can’t wait to eat ridiculous food and take slow morning cwarfees all on Peteris/Verve.
•
Alana Perez
Referred Tim Felix (Inside Sales Agent)
Tim and I have been friends for the last 6 years, we met freshman year of college at UNLV! I knew Tim would be great for his position because he was our rep when we were in school! He brought a ton of people to Cabo for Spring Break and was also president of his Fraternity, so I knew he’d immediately understand our clientele and would be great at selling packages to students across the country!
What you’re doing with the referral reward?
I used my referral reward to attend Kristen Rowsey’s bachelorette party in San Diego! We had an amazing time celebrating this fantastic bride-to-be (and we didn’t get in too much trouble... ) We went to bars in the downtown area, spent a day on a yacht and got to spend time with all of the amazing ladies in her bridal party! It was a weekend I’ll never forget and I’m so grateful I was able to have this awesome experience with my favorite girl thanks to my referral reward!
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WHEN FIVE WENT MAD IN EUROPE...
WHEN TEAM BENELUX PARTY... THEY PARTY HARD!
ANTILLIAANSE FEESTEN, BELGIUM
BO ECKHARDT
Client Success Manager Benelux
After months of working on campaigns, it was time for the Benelux team to meet up and visit some of our festivals. Excited as little kids we arrived in Antwerp where Jelte picked us up from the train station and drove us to a perfect apartment nearby (thanks a million Jelte!). We worked for a couple of hours and then it was G&T time. Jaimy and Jelte made the sweetest gesture by giving
us champagne and postcards
to show their appreciation of our teamwork together. An amazing start of the weekend and time
to leave for the first festival, Antilliaanse Feesten.
After a drive to the middle of nowhere we arrived and were amazed by the variety of people. From cute old couples salsa dancing, to groups of friends enjoying happy balloons, and even a girl that was so drunk she was half-naked looking for something precious she lost in every single dark place she could think of.
We met up with the client who really appreciated that and despite the bad weather we had the best time. Only Angie lost her bag in the pouring rain, but luckily she found it back and we twerked the night away in our poncho’s.
The next day we lost Karim for a while, but after walking around the city and having a gross lunch we found him back at - where else - the Gay Pride Antwerp. Time to move to our second festival,
The Qontinent. Yes, really, we went to a hardcore festival. Totally shocked by all the shirtless sweaty people and the loud, LOUD music. You should’ve seen Karim’s face
that only lighted up for a sec when he saw a guy in a T-shirt with ‘please be gentle, it’s my first time’ on his back. Angie on the contrary turned into her alter ego ‘Dees de Raveteef’ (translation: some fanatic hardcore chick) and fist-pumped until she had sour muscles the next day. We met the client in the VIP area and he was very happy with us. Also Angie was meeting up with some ambassadors, including some
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Amsterdam. Well we missed it first because of slow Starbucks service and the train woman being a total b*tch, but never mind.
At Loveland festival we were a bit less energetic after partying for 3 days, but we did meet up with the client. Who by the way showed up at the minute we were trying to buy some happy balloons,
but Jaimy noticed in time and innocently and gracefully jumped of her recently claimed swan boat to join the conversation. Some last beers - like we didn’t have enough these days - and we called the night early.
Man, what a weekend! We
love our festivals, we love our ambassadors, we love our clients, we love our colleagues and most of all, we LOVE our job!
sweet little guy who was there by himself. So like a true community manager from the heart Angie pulled him up the VIP deck to party with us and he had the absolute time of his life. While Karim was busy, Jaimy found out how to dance on this music and charmed everyone around her, Bo thinking she found the love of her life and Jelte meeting some friends, we found ourselves actually really enjoying this festival, maybe the
most of them all. We stayed almost until the end and after closing the night in style with kebab - where Angie asked the kebab guy to marry her with a napkin on her head - we called the night.
The next day we had to say goodbye to Jelte who was staying in Belgium to visit Alcatraz (so sorry we missed out on Jelte head- banging) and Aftrsun festival,
and we were catching the train to
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Verve Magazine | Issue 11 | August 2018 25
THE
SEPTEMBER
ISSUE
LIKE VOGUE, OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR. LIKE VOGUE WE’RE GOING TO GIVE
THE FRONT COVER TO A FAMILIAR FACE... THAT FACE
IS TO BE DECIDED BY ALL OF YOU
This is how it will work:
•
• • • •
Everyone can nominate who they think is the biggest star in the company via a survey that will be shared on slack
Everyone gets one nomination and has one week to nominate
The top three nominees will be given 3 min pitch at a town hall
There will be a 24 hour window to vote to choose the winner
The winner will get the cover and interview in the September Issue


LONDON
It all started so calmly with a cocktail class - there were passion fruit mojitos, strawberry daiquiris and espresso martinis. Then the karaoke came out, Callum opened with Eminem’s Lose Yourself and then it slowly but surely descended into pure unadulterated joyful carnage. What happens at a lock-in stays at a lock-in but what can be said is that we have very few talented singers in the UK office and none of them made an appearance that night.
LOS ANGELES
LA had their lock-in a week before everyone else and it was a chance to welcome the new Pollen LA team! First it was drinks at the Arts District Brewing company which Steven Gross was convinced it was sacrilege to ask for anything but beer at and was thankfully proved wrong - cocktails in abundance! Then we moved to karaoke where Callum opened with Eminem’s Lose Yourself (a running theme...). It’s hard to remember exactly what happened that night except there was a lot of vodka...
and rumour had it that the after party continued in a hotel bathroom...
Cocktails
AUG
LOC


CK-INS
s & Karaoke
GUST 2018
LAS VEGAS
It was the new office opening and there was delicious food and a three makers who taught everyone how to make moscow mules and a mojitos. The plan was to go out to karaoke but then Liz pulled a karaoke machine out of a cupboard and then suddenly drunk karaoke at the office became the plan. Unlike the UK the Las Vegas office has been blessed with many gifted singers - Allison has rated herself among them and did some great renditions of various songs with Lionel and Jamere, Liz bought the house down with Britney’s toxic but without a doubt Gavin was a highlight with the voice
of an angel.


We wanted to find out more about all the amazing destinations that we offer to students and we’re starting with South Padre. Nobody knows this destination better than Chad - pictured here with one of the resident DJ’s - so we asked him to give us the low-down!
South P
Who
South Padre Island, Texas
What
College Spring Break 2019
Where
This barrier Island located 2.5 miles off the southern coast of Texas, connected by a causeway (bridge)
When
Spring break on South Padre starts February 23rd and ends April 20th
Why
Think ROAD TRIP – 95% of students drive to South Padre to save money vs. flying
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Padre
South Padre Island Texas Facts
• If you drove from Minneapolis, Minnesota to South Padre a full 50% of the 24 hour drive is in Texas even though you would cross over 4 states prior. Texas is as big as France and Switzerland com- bined!
• While South Padre Island is 30 miles long, only 9 miles is inhabit- ed with approximately 13 miles of highway and most of it is just a quarter of a mile wide.
• South Padre is just 30 miles from the Mexican border – though students no longer cross due to passport restrictions and safety concerns.
• The Island is well known as the US shrimping capital. Fresh gulf caught shrimp, oysters, and fish are dirt cheap. A fresh, fried shrimp basket is approximately $10 USD.
• The average temp in March is 74 degrees F or 24 degrees Celsius.
• The largest beach bar on the Gulf Coast is called Clayton’s Beach Bar, with 55,000 square feet of deck space on the ocean and home to our day time Spring Break Beach Stage events.
• Drinking, open containers, and even beer kegs are all legal on the beach on the Island.
Why do students choose South Padre
Island for spring break?
1.) Tradition. While the USA raised the drinking age to 21 in 1984, Texas refused to raise its age to 21 until 1986. This 2 year window caused minors in the rest of the US to flock to Texas in March as they could still drink. This was the real beginning of spring break on South Padre Island
2.) Weather. South Padre Island is about as far south as Miami, giving it unseasonably warmer weather than most of the US in March
3.) Massive size. Texans say “Everything is bigger in Texas” for good reason – the Island blows away any other destination in the world with the sheer volume of students. Upwards of 30,000 students DAILY visit our Beach Stage at Clayton’s. Also we use mainly massive party condos, not small hotel rooms which our Greek groups love.
4.) Price. As you can drive there from the rest of the US, and you don’t need a flight or passport, this prices our packages from $299 USD to $550 USD per student with a beach-front stay, 2 meals a day, day time beach stage party, night time parties, and a booze cruise.
5.) Demographic. As Texas isn’t exactly Midwest nor the South, it operates in a very independent fashion from the rest of the US. It’s unique location from the Midwest US (typically lower income than the East or West coast) means it’s affordable for Midwest students to drive to.
6.) Safety. South Padre has a near zero crime rate, clearly making it safer than other popular spring break destination and a much easier sale to parents by students.
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WHAT ELSE IS
HAPPENING?
ELINA MEIMANE
Business Support Manager
August gone,
but we have these amazing memories to go back to! Goodbye, summer 18 :)
Jaimy, Bo and Elina went to WKND in Estonia
Very excited Caitlin
Pretty ladies at Bestival
Emily at Wilderness
Alana celebrating her 24th
Cool flip there.. Guess who?
Jambo and Ponnu rockin at Reading
Benelux team got together at Antiliaanse Feesten
Ted and Jack went to friend’s wedding
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at Lake District
Sarah Jane on her Euro trip
And VERY happy James and his new chair
And Harriet went to Marrakech
Fun part of getting back from the mountain - Ania got stuck in the “goat traffic jam”
Bday
Kristen’s Bachelorette
Bonnie chilling in Palm Springs
Gavin, Benjamin and Nick went skydiving at the Grand Canyon
Karim at his friends wedding
Soraya on holiday in Algonquin Park in Ontario
Jamie went to see Illenium at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
David livin’ his best private jet life
We would really like to share more fun photos and stories, so make sure you follow our company page: onverveco
Verve Magazine | Issue 11 | August 2018 31


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PASSION POINTS
THIS MONTH WE WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ERIN’S PASSION FOR THE TRACK, HOW SHE STARTED AND WHY IT FEEDS HER SOUL?
ERIN PIERCE
Pollen Membership Manager
When do you first get into running?
Growing up, I would enter low
key races here and there but I
also played on a competitive club soccer team so track was never my main focus. However, once I got to high school I realized that I had a real talent with track since running was something always came quite naturally to me. I competed for my high school track team during the winter and spring, while also playing soccer for the school in the fall and with my club team in the spring. A typical weekend for me was a track meet Friday after school
and a meet Saturday morning, followed by a soccer game Saturday afternoon and then another one on Sunday morning. On the track, I started winning county and state championships and by my sophomore year, I
was being contacted by a few college coaches so I knew this was something I should purse. When you are being recruited by schools
you typically visit the university for a weekend to meet the athletes and the coaches, tour the facilities, and usually get a work out in with the team. The fall of my senior year was spent visiting schools and I ended up choosing Boston University because I really liked the city-vibes of the school and the coach’s attitude towards the sport was right in line with how I viewed myself as an athlete.
What type of running do you do?
In college, I competed in the 5k and 6k races during cross country. On the track, I completed in many distances - the 800m being the shortest distance I ran and the 3k the longest. My best distance was the mile and that was what I raced most often. During my time at BU, our team won the Patriot League Conference Championship a total of 7 times.
What do you love about it so much?
Unfortunately, my collegiate
career wasn’t as successful as I had hoped due to various injuries
I sustained throughout my four years at school. However, I still look back on my time as a D1 student- athlete as one of the best times of my life. I will always be grateful for all of the amazing experiences and
opportunities the sport has given me. I still go for a run mostly every day and I am actually getting back into racing pretty soon. In November, I will be competing in a half marathon in Joshua Tree with one of my teammates from BU. It’s going to be a really cool night race across the desert – open invite to anyone in the LA office who wants sign up as well!
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