“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
As we approach the end of 2024, this quote from Steve Jobs continues to ring true. Reflecting on my New Year’s Eve in 2023, I remember being at a small party in downtown Omaha. At the time, I was working full-time at a monotonous day job I didn’t love while pulling late nights, moonlighting freelance work for DayCloud and a few other small gigs. 2023 had been a long year of exhaustive hustle with no assured end in sight, but I was driven to build something more fulfilling, and I was finally starting to feel like I was getting somewhere.
Standing there with my phone in hand, capturing photos of my friends, something strange happened: for the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful on New Year’s Eve.
A few weeks later, I was hired on for a full-time position at DayCloud.
Since then, I’ve discovered just how much of a difference the right job and the right team can make. At DayCloud, I’ve felt challenged, supported, and truly part of something bigger. This experience has shaped my perspective not just on work itself but on the environments we create within it.
One of the hottest business-world topics of the 2020s has been remote work. From disappearing remote positions to return-to-office mandates forcing grueling commutes, the debate is a heated one. I grew up with entrepreneurial parents and graduated from an online high school (before the pandemic made it the norm), so I’ve always appreciated the flexibility of remote work. That being said, my time at DayCloud has solidified my thoughts on the undeniable value of in-person collaboration.
Contrary to many company return-to-work philosophies, hybrid’s strength does NOT lie in remaining on-site for the sake of surveillance and demonstrating your productivity – in fact, during heavy writing projects, I occasionally forego driving down to the office for the sake of locking in on my work.
However, especially in the creative field, there is a lot to be said about the benefits of spending time in the human presence of your team. Here are a few of my hot takes:
One of the most underrated benefits of in-person work, especially in a creative agency like DayCloud, is the sheer convenience it offers for ideation and strategy sessions. When the whole team is physically present, brainstorming doesn’t require waiting for responses on Slack or navigating an endless chain of emails. You can bounce ideas off one another in real time, sketch out concepts on the nearest whiteboard, or pivot an entire strategy mid-conversation—all without the delays that virtual collaboration often brings. Ideas flow freely and organically. There's no need to find a time that works for everyone’s calendar or clarify what you meant in a message—it’s all happening, live, with nuance and immediacy. When you're physically together, a single conversation can resolve what might have taken hours to hash out virtually.
At DayCloud, food is more than just fuel. It’s a conversation starter, a moment of connection, and an excuse to explore Omaha’s vibrant restaurant scene. While our team leans health-conscious, Taco Tuesday at Mula is a sacred tradition (a wise individual once said “treat yourself”). We also keep the office stocked with a myriad of snacks and regularly share our beverages, caffeinated or otherwise, for peer review. In my grandmother’s Korean culture, sharing meals is a key part of connecting with loved ones, and the same applies here. Food fosters the kind of relationships that make a workplace feel like a community.
Nobody has a true Target “run.” If you can stride into Target, find exactly what you need, and leave without getting sidetracked for 20 minutes, science may be entitled to study you. Our team’s Target trips may seem trivial, but these shared moments build camaraderie; from a cart overflowing with snack selections to spontaneous packaging design critiques, we're a crowd that might draw a few double takes from other shoppers... and we love that about us.
As someone who loves music and exploring new genres, it’s occasionally a little frustrating that my work playlists don’t stray far from familiar territory. As a writer, I lean heavily on instrumental tracks to stay focused, which means my soundtrack is often on repeat—think Legend of Zelda lo-fi mixes for days. But when I’m in the office, everything changes. Sharing new tunes, jamming, and singing along with coworkers introduces me to fresh sounds and helps me connect—not just to my work, but to my people.
Shoutout to Spotify’s Jam feature: no aux cord required. The DayCloud Bluetooth speaker in the attic is always running.
A phone call or a quick post-Zoom chat can break up a long day, but there’s something irreplaceable about sitting down together over drinks. Our Happy Hours aren’t frequent, but they’re filled with laughter, insights, and great advice—a delicious margarita mix of business and fun.
Remote work has redefined productivity in the modern era, offering flexibility and focus for solo tasks. But when teams are entirely virtual, something essential gets lost. At DayCloud Studios, we specialize in brand identity, brand strategy, website building, and creative campaigns for businesses of all sizes. From our home base in Omaha to the Midwest and beyond, DayCloud thrives on capturing the unique spirit and culture of our clients to craft distinct identities. And, of course, we practice what we preach by cultivating a singular, unmistakable DayCloud vibe. We've established a unique harmony that keeps our creativity sharp and our culture authentic, and those in-person days are where the magic happens: brainstorming sessions crack big ideas, spontaneous conversations spark innovation, and the simple joy of collaboration flourishes.
A hybrid model strengthens our workplace culture and enhances the quality of our service offering. Whether we're cooking up a beautiful new brand or building a user-friendly website, spending a few days of the week in the office lets us balance flexibility with bonding and thriving as a team. In my humble opinion, that's what loving your work is all about.
Until next time!
Happy New Year,
Keaton Haines
Marketing Coordinator @ DayCloud Studios
