• Two Canadian staffers shared a viral TikTok documenting their journey abroad to shock their UK teammates.
• They stormed right into a room mid-meeting whereas blasting DMX, kicking off a two-week team-building workshop.
• Commenters had been in awe of the company’s firm tradition: “I am unable to think about my colleagues ever being this glad to see me.”

Two distant staffers at an influencer advertising and marketing startup known as Lightning flew from Canada to London to shock teammates they’d been working with for roughly two years however had by no means met in actual life. 

The plan was really hatched in September of 2021 on the peak of the pandemic, one of many two staffers, Brooke Kasdorf, informed Insider. However the documented journey was lastly shared to TikTok late final month. 

Whereas Lightning is solely distant, Kasdorf, the corporate’s marketing campaign director, stated six workers had been based mostly within the UK on the time, together with founder Abdullah Sawati.

“You get on video calls every single day with the identical colleagues, and also you’re talking to them, and also you turn into such nice associates,” Kasdorf stated. “It is so bizarre, like, not even understanding how tall they’re.”

It had all the time been a “pipe dream” to fulfill in particular person, she stated. To her luck, at some point, higher administration requested Kasdorf and her Canadian colleague Curtis Metzler to fly over as a part of a two-week team-building workshop.

After touchdown in London, and after the remainder of the crew had assembled for a gathering, Kasdorf and Metzler blasted DMX’s “Celebration Up” and stormed into the room, interrupting the proceedings to ecstatic hugs and applause. 

The corporate had rented an Airbnb in Notting Hill, the place they organized each work and bonding actions, she stated. This included dinners, nightclubbing, karaoke, and outings to a soccer match and theme park. 

Kasdorf’s TikTok chronicling the festivities was seen 1.3 million instances.

Commenters lauded the corporate’s tradition, saying they had been envious that the company invested in serving to them socialize.

“Woman are you hiring,” one commenter joked. 

Kasdorf stated she’s been heartened by commenters who’ve extolled Lightning’s “immaculate” tradition, together with one who wrote, “I am unable to think about my colleagues ever being this glad to see me.” She additionally stated that the video has resonated with fellow distant staff, which she acknowledged might be an “isolating” expertise.  

Whereas the corporate does attempt to construct neighborhood, Kasdorf additionally famous that this viral spotlight reel is not the norm — it was a fruits of “two years of sitting at your desk at dwelling alone.”

“It isn’t like we’re partying and having these huge surprises and blowouts typically,” she stated. “However after they do occur, it undoubtedly feels very good and type of well-earned.”