Do you remember being that eager college freshman on the first day of classes ready to take on the world? Fast forward to the end of the semester. Do you remember being that poor sleep deprived freshman after taking your last final? The cold reality of the infamous “triangle of college life” really hits you hard that first year.
The struggle to maintain good grades, while having a social life, and getting enough sleep was truly the epitome of student life. The running joke is that you can only choose two. Looks like a lose-lose situation right? Wrong! You can do it! You can do all three! But the key is balance. And it’s not limited to just college. It’s applicable to life in general in order to be able to tend to your responsibilities while having time for the other aspects of your life.
Here at gap intelligence, we very much embrace balance. It says a lot about a company when you’ve been ranked one of San Diego’s Best Places to Work and one of San Diego’s Healthiest Companies. It’s because we know and care about our people. While we do most of our work at a desk, we are very much encouraged to get up and step away for a moment. One of the internal catalysts of this encouragement is gapU.
Short for gap University, gapU started about eight years ago. Kicked off with gapCon and 3T’s, gapU rounds out as the third way gap promotes company culture. The idea is to incorporate the highlights of college life: education, wellness, and social.
Education
As our new manifesto says, “we are all change agents for our own growth”. Truer words cannot be spoken about the classes gapU facilitates. Topics range from professional development to personal passions. The goal of gapU classes are for gappers to share knowledge with other gappers.
Fitting with the university theme, the gapMBA program came to fruition when our fearless leader and brilliant CEO saw an opportunity to provide consistent classes that focus on leadership and management. This continuing education course allows gappers to get to that next level. Check out the list below to see what classes gapU has facilitated and what is yet to come in the pipeline.
Looking back on past classes:
- Coffee Origins & Brew Methods
- Book Club – Creativity, Inc.
- gapMBA – Coaching
Looking forward to future classes:
- gapMBA – Delegation – Wednesday, August 29
- Book Club – Bad Blood – Thursday, August 30
- Epson Guest Speaker, Denise Offutt – Wednesday, September 26
Wellness
There are numerous studies and articles out there describing the damaging effects of a sedentary lifestyle. When you work in an office, it can be easy to slip into this routine. However, not here at gap. As mentioned earlier, gap has been ranked one of San Diego’s Healthiest Companies and we’ve achieved that title for four years to be exact. gapU offers plenty of opportunities to get gappers moving. From discounted memberships to open schedule wellness classes. We even proudly represent as the Fighting Hedgehogs during Vavi sports leagues. We’re quite lucky to be centrally located to so many wellness options. Check out the list below to see what gapU currently offers.
Looking back on past wellness events/partnerships:
- Vavi Sports League – Kickball
- Vavi Sports League – Beach Volleyball
- Club Pilates
- Spin with Natalie at Point Loma Sports Club
Looking forward to current and future wellness events/partnerships:
- Spark Cycle – open schedule!
- Yoga Six – open schedule & discounted membership!
- Point Loma Sports Club – discounted membership!
Social
With all of the classes gapU has to offer, the overarching goal is to get to know our fellow gappers and build strong relationships. gapU strives to put on additional events to further provide that opportunity. Quite possibly the longest running event, and likely the most favored, is gapU’s Snack Attack. Every Wednesday at 11am, gappers huddle into the kitchen to enjoy an afternoon pick me up. Food certainly has the power to bring people together. Past events that have brought us together include after work happy hours, friendly competitions, and even impromptu calls to picnic on the lawn. Check out the list below to see what event gapU has coming.
Looking back on past social events:
- Toaster Oven Challenge
- Holiday Bake Off
- Camping Citizen’s Brewers Trip – craft beer making
- gappyHour at Soda & Swine
Looking forward to future social events:
- Movie Matinee at the LOT – Wednesday (date & movie TBA)
- Snack Attacks – every Wednesday at 11am!
A key to being named one of San Diego’s Best Places to Work is providing that work-life balance. Internally, gapU stands as one provider to ensure that gappers can step away from our desks and recharge. Whether that be through an educational class, group workout, or midday snack, gap intelligence has got the balance that allows us to do great.
To round out this highlight of gapU, it’d only be fitting to keep with the school theme. As summer comes to an end and the neighboring schools are back in session, our lunch hours will once again be bombarded with students. So let’s look back to a simpler time. I’ve compiled a small #tbt of our very own gappers. Can you recognize who is who??
Do you have what it takes to be a gapper? Head over the careers section at gapintelligence.com to learn more about open positions. Find more info the bottom of our about page.
