In 2023, when we marked our tenth anniversary at SkyWater Search Partners, we wanted to do more than celebrate our company’s success. We wanted to recognize the extraordinary team members who have been with us since the very beginning with a very special 10 Year Anniversary Thank You:
Introducing the SkyWater Search Partners 10 For 10 Award: A $10,000 vacation to any place of each winner’s choosing
Now that our first three 10 year employees have completed their trips, we’re featuring each of their stories. Here, Josh Schneider, Practice Director, Chicago Accounting & Finance, describes some of the many highlights of his trip. You can read about all of our employee "10 for 10" awards here.
A Complete Surprise
“When I heard the announcement about this award, I was shocked - in a good way,” says Josh. “It’s an awesome, amazing way to show your appreciation for ten years. My family has always had the mindset that family time is important and planning time away from work for family is a priority for us,” he says. “The fact that SkyWater has always recognized the importance of work-life balance is something I’ve always valued. To me, this award isn’t just a show of appreciation for how hard we work; it’s an investment in our people.
A Three-Family Fishing and Fine Dining 40th Birthday Celebration
“My family had already been planning a road trip to Door County for my 40th birthday this year,” says Josh. When he won the award, they decided that, instead of adding another trip, they would put it into the Door County adventure, making everything about that trip bigger and more special. “We did the trip with two other families, so there were fourteen of us in total,” he says. They planned special experiences for every age in their group, from young children to parents. “We took three fishing charters, we did the state parks and we spent time at the little amusement park.”
It wasn’t all outdoor adventures, though. In addition to visiting several great restaurants, Josh arranged for one extraordinary group dinner. “I ordered a private chef to come to our Air B&B and he created an awesome gourmet dinner for us.” Josh also had a bottle of 10-year-old Rip Van Winkle bourbon delivered to the house for the adults to enjoy.
Priceless Memories
Josh says that his favorite thing about his award trip was simply knowing that he and his family were “making really good memories.” While having the private chef and sipping an exceptional bourbon with friends was unforgettable, “the fishing was probably the highlight for me. We caught 30-35 fish and one of them was a 27-pound King Salmon,” he says. “We probably took home about 150 pounds of fresh, cleaned salmon.”
Just Go Big
As more SkyWater employees prepare for their 10-year anniversaries and awards, Josh has a few suggestions. “Just go big. Do something that you wouldn’t typically do,” he says. “Go all out and do something that you love to do, but do it a little more extravagantly than you normally would.”
