The foundation of any growing company begins with satisfied employees, both inside and out of the office. By recognizing that our team consists of people with ambitions and hobbies, we can support our team members’ personal goals, not just their professional ones.
We built our benefits package and remote-work options to be flexible enough to cater to everyone’s needs. Our team can work from anywhere, anytime with our flexible policy, which we partner with four weeks of PTO annually. This allows our employees to take advantage of opportunities outside of the office, like bucket-list travel destinations.
Having a refreshed and personally fulfilled team keeps us motivated to keep crushing industry boundaries and expectations. This year alone, we had a handful of team members take full advantage of our PTO and flexibility to recharge and experience once-in-a-lifetime international vacations.
Ben Courtney | Japan – Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Takayama | 15 Days
Whom did you go with, and what did you do?
I traveled with my mom, dad, brother, and cousin. We saw many famous sites like Mt. Fuji, Matsumoto Castle, Sanjusangendo Temple (1000+ golden statues, and the 28 guardian deities), Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), Todaiji Temple (Giant Buddha), and Fushimi Inari Shrine (Torii Gates).
What were your favorite activities or a highlight of the trip?
A highlight of the trip was the food. My mother’s side of the family is Japanese, so I’ve been eating slightly Americanized versions of Japanese food my entire life. It was incredible to eat our favorite Japanese dishes made with actual Japanese ingredients prepared by actual Japanese chefs. The food in Japan is so much fresher and more natural than what we have here in the states; rice, fish, and eggs. You wouldn’t think eggs, but they are significantly better over there.
What does AdAction’s PTO policy say about our culture?
It says we want our employees to have lives outside of the office. As long as you come in and work hard while you’re here, you have the freedom to go out into the world and play just as hard.
Sarah Greenlee | Lithuania, Poland, and Prague | 13 Days
Whom did you travel with, and which popular landmarks did you visit?
I traveled with my 65L backpack! I’ve taken a solo backpacking trip every year since college. Being a party of one allows you a great degree of spontaneity, and the chance to meet new people. I spent time in Krakow and Zakopane, and at the Tatra Mountains, Prague Castle, Wawel Castle, Hill of Crosses, and Baltic Sea.
Did you try anything new?
Numerous new varieties of potato dishes, driving in a foreign country. I quickly learned what color separates lanes and traffic direction in Lithuania — and unwillingly, life with an Android phone.
Where do you want to go on your next trip?
Southeast Europe and Eurasia. I would like to visit Kas and Cappadocia in Turkey, Blagaj in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Romania.
How did your team support you while you were gone?
I had multiple teammates cover while I was out. Once my Out of Office is on, I have complete confidence in my team. They can handle anything that comes in. So much so that maybe next year I’ll stay a few extra days.
Grant Smittkamp | Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania | 12 Days
Why did you choose to go on this trip?
I am 50% Lithuanian, so I’ve always wanted to visit the Baltic region of Eastern Europe to see where some of my ancestors came from.
What was your favorite part or highlight of the trip?
The food and the culture. I grew up eating my grandma’s potato pancakes and other Lithuanian food. I’ve missed being able to eat that ever since she passed away, so it was nice to get as much of that food as I could eat while I was there.
What do you like most about AdAction’s PTO policy?
I like how flexible it is. It’s an excellent example of work hard, play hard, and sometimes those two things even overlap — which is the ideal work situation, in my opinion.
Kevin Brogan | China – Beijing, Jinan, Qufu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai | 11 Days
Why did you choose to go on this trip?
I traveled with my girlfriend, mother, and stepfather. I found an amazing deal online and already had my 10-year Chinese visa from a previous trip, and I thought, “what other opportunities would I have to see the Great Wall of China?”
What was your favorite memory?
Having the Great Wall of China to ourselves. It was so cold that there were barely any other tourists on the wall, so we had an opportunity of a lifetime.
How often do you travel and how does AdAction support you while you are out of office?
I travel at least once a month, and it is so nice to be able to disconnect and trust that my teammates will take care of my accounts. The main reason why we can take time off is that we know our team is strong enough to pick up any slack left behind! AdAction has done a great job of hiring people who are hard workers and fit the culture and are easy to get along with.
Seth Peisner | Israel – Tel Aviv | 8 Days
Whom did you travel with, and where did you visit?
The reason I went was for my brother’s wedding, so it was my whole family, a lot of family friends, and my girlfriend. We made two day trips while we were there. One was to Jerusalem, which was a tour of Old City, and the other was to the Dead Sea, which was more of a beach day.
What were the highlights or your favorite moments?
Definitely the wedding; the ceremony and reception were in a national forest just outside of Tel Aviv. It was a perfect night surrounded by friends and family, celebrating a great occasion in such a beautiful place.
Did you try anything new?
Not really. I had never been a best man before, so that was a fun adventure.
What does AdAction’s PTO policy say about our culture?
The PTO policy allows the employees at AdAction the freedom to manage their own work. It’s good to know that I can take time off when I need it, which facilitates a great work-life balance for the employees.
Danny Leggett | Ireland – Dublin, Portrush, Ardglass, Portstewart, and New Castle | 6 Days
Whom did you travel with, and why did you choose to go to Ireland?
I headed over to Ireland with my dad and six others for a father/son golf trip. My dad and I have always wanted to go play at the world’s greatest golf courses, which made Ireland the obvious choice. We had this planned for a little over two years. Within that time, we were able to recruit the other father/son duos to join along.
What was your favorite thing about the trip?
The golf. Few people get to experience the golf I got to play while I was over there. The amount of history these courses hold is something that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s a trip I will never forget. The Guinness and Jameson came in as a close 2nd favorite.
Where do you want to travel to next?
My girlfriend and I are planning a trip back over to Europe. We’re planning on visiting Germany, France, and Italy.
How did your team support you while you were out?
My team was a huge help while I was out. We put together a game plan prior to my departure, and, to no surprise, they executed out on everything perfectly. I’m fortunate to have a team with such a solid foundation, where I can take off time and trust that everything is being taken care of.
Lukasz Lebensztejn | Poland – Bialystok, Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, and Oświęcim | 14 Days
What were some notable activities or sightseeing you did?
We did a ton of sightseeing, food eating, and touristy activities. The most memorable was going to Auschwitz concentration camp in Oswiecim and paying our respects to millions who lost their lives.
Did you try anything new?
I am deathly afraid of heights, so I went up the Sky Tower in Wroclaw, which was a cool but frightening experience.
Where do you want to travel to next?
Next on the list is either China, Thailand, or Belgium for the Tomorrowland festival.
What does AdAction’s PTO policy say about our culture?
Our PTO policy is by far the best. It helps you travel the world, spend time with family, or do whatever you need to help you refresh your mind!
Conor Moloney | Germany, Ireland, and Spain | 23 Days
Whom did you travel with, and which cities did you visit?
I traveled with my wife and three young boys. We visited Dublin, Galway, Munich, Scheidegg, Bregenz, Zurich, and Barcelona.
What were some of the highlights?
We introduced our youngest son to 51 of his cousins, aunts, and uncles in Ireland and his German kin, including his great-grandparents. Some other memorable moments included building sandcastles on a beach in Ireland, ascending 3,500 feet via the Pfänderbahn in Austria and hiking back down, making our own chocolate bars at Ravensburger Spieleland, visiting the Munich Zoo and English Garden, and watching the World Cup semi-finals in the Munich airport with 500 of our “closest friends.”
How did your team support you while you were out of the office?
My direct and other department leads were a huge help and made sure “the machine” kept moving in my absence. Everyone was proactive and helped make sure that I was not the cause of any bottlenecks. All the help allowed me to enjoy the time with my family and not stress about my workload piling up or returning to a massive amount of catch-up work.
Anthony Martucci | Turks and Caicos – Providenciales | 7 Days
What were your favorite activities or favorite memory?
We took a boat out into the Atlantic Ocean and snorkeled down to the bottom to explore an old sunken ship where dolphins, eels, and tropical fish live. It was both beautiful and eerie at the same time.
Where would you like to travel to next?
Greece! It’s been on the bucket list for a while, and I think that’s next in line. I would love to explore the history, eat amazing food, and lay by the beaches.
How did your team support you while you were out of the office?
Everyone covered me while I was out with campaigns and coordination with clients. I didn’t have to check my phone or laptop once! It was a great break and a reminder that work helps fuel memorable experiences, not prevent you from experiencing them.
Livvie Sikora | Canada – Whistler and Vancouver | 7 Days
Did you try anything new?
Yes, we got to do an awesome five-part zipline tour in the mountains of Whistler. I also had a close encounter with the town bear. I’m hoping that was the first and only time I am that close to a bear ever again.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
It’s hard to pick — probably just being able to fully disconnect from reality and get some quality time in with my family, and all the donuts we ate from Tim Hortons.
What does AdAction’s PTO policy say about our culture?
It speaks volumes — by promoting and encouraging time off, AdAction shows me that while they value my work, they also value my overall happiness. I know our motto is “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” but it should be more along the lines of “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (except for the four weeks of PTO you have, fully stop then and we got you covered).”
AdAction Delivers Balance
While our entire team travels as a group for an annual staff retreat to places like Orlando, Palm Springs, and Mexico, the individual adventures our employees are able to take embodies a core value at AdAction — balance.
Providing our staff with sufficient time off and the flexibility to dictate how they spend that time is something we strongly support. We want our employees to mold their work life around their life priorities, not the other way around. Our employees work hard so they can play even harder and are always supported by their team to do so. Visit our Careers page to get the inside scoop on our culture and check out our open positions.
Anna is a writer for the HighSpeedOptions team focusing on streaming. She started her career as a content writer in 2017, working one year in the fintech industry before joining the mobile ad tech space with HighSpeedOptions’ parent company, AdAction.
