Wheelie and Truly the best week of work EVER!

By Amanda Guy - Or Manda-Fett if you prefer

'Hey WheelHeads! A very happy Friday to each and every one of you.

Yet another week has flown by here at the the Wheelie HQ! Courtney is getting her project manager skills on lock down and Dan and I have been creating like mad around here. Lisa is off shooting video right now and everything just seems to be coming up Wheelie!

This week has also been full of very fun office events and this is why I've titled this week's post "Wheelie and Truly the best week of work EVER!"

Monday was like any other day around here. We all got to the office, had a our morning huddle, and then went to our creative spaces and got to work. We have so many projects on the burner right now and there hasn't been a dull or uneventful day around here since Christmas Break!

We have a whiteboard in the office that we write our daily tasks on. We talk about what's priority and what can wait until the next day or so before we get too off task. One of our biggest projects right now, but also one of our absolute favorites, is with the Glacier National Park Conservancy. Due to the fact that we are all obsessed with Glacier Park, we are all stoked to work on the Conservancy's fun design needs. From their upcoming Backpacker's Ball, to the summer funding campaigns, we love designing for the Conservancy.  And bonus: we have even more reasons to hike and bike Glacier in order to get extra-inspired on Conservancy projects.

We've also been super busy with another wonderful project from Whitefish's very own Jersey Boys Pizzeria. As you may remember from last week's blogging ridiculousness, I mentioned that Jersey Boys would be hosting a fun filled May the 4th, as it was of course, International Star Wars Day. 

This is one of my most favorite days of the year, aside from Halloween, Christmas, and the Fourth of July! There's just something about themed days and when they involve Star Wars, well gosh, I'm like a kid in a candy store!

Events leading up to Wednesday May 4th

So after we got back into our project routine on Monday, Tuesday rolled around, and Dan and I had a lot of social media posting to do with Jersey Boys and May the 4th.

We had made several social post images that needed to be displayed on Facebook and Instagram the last week or two, so Tuesday meant we needed to bust out some of the final posts and get the May the 4th info out there for the rest of the public. 

After work, Courtney and I went and saw our good friend and client, Lauren, over at Spotted Bear Spirits for a cocktail before heading to dinner, and all we could really talk about at dinner was Star Wars Day. And by we, I mean me. Poor Courtney, haha, she's probably really sick of Star Wars by now.

As we were leaving dinner she asked me, "So Amanda, would you say that tomorrow is your favorite day of the year?!" As if I even really need to think about my answer! Of course it's a favorite day! Not my absolute favorite, but this was soon to change.

May the Fourth be with You!

I woke up Wednesday morning and laid out all of my Star Wars t-shirts to figure out which one I would wear this year. I made a cup of tea, grabbed my biking gear for later in the day, and headed towards Whitefish, very eager to get to work as I knew Lisa would be there and we'd have morning coffee together at the office.

I rolled up to the office only to discover that l was the only one at work. I was immediately bummed out because I really thought Lisa would be there. So I figured I'd make the coffee and wait for her to come in.

I opened the door to the office and all seemed normal. Hung up my cycling packs, put the rest of my stuff on the conference table, and then started to open the door to the creative room only to discover that it was filled with SMOKE! So naturally I was like, "Holy crap I have to call 911!" But I didn't, because I happened to look down at the floor at that moment and there were party lights and strobes going off and then the Imperial March, Darth Vader's theme song for those that don't know, started blaring from Dan's computer along with a message from Vader himself. I didn't know yet that Lisa and Dan hired a guy to talk like Vader for a recording that would begin the best, most elaborate, and well planned scavenger hunt EVER, in celebration of my one year Work-A-Versary here at Wheelie Creative!

There were people standing around in the dark with video cameras filming my reaction and pointing to my desk where I found a Bobafett helmet and uniform that I was required to suit up in, or as Vader put it in the recording, I would be fired.  There was also a message, or a clue, one of many I would have to figure out over the course of the morning,

Each clue took me to a different, favorite location of mine in Whitefish, but also, all of these location belonged to our very own clients, and this filled my heart with joy! So many of our clients dressed up in Star Wars fabulousness and participated in my big day and I could not be more thankful for them . . .but back to the scavenger hunt.

My first clue lead me to Spotted Bear Spirits. I marched  from Wheelie HQ across the viaduct with pride in my Bobafett uniform on and a camera man in tow. When I arrived at Spotted Bear, Han Lauren Solo was there to fight me while Queen Amadala and Yoda sat at the bar, and our good friend, and also client Zac, was dressed as a Sith in the background. In all the excitement I forgot to grab my blaster and my belt back at the office so I had to use Yoda's light saber to kill Han!

After the kill, I received my next clue, and headed over to Whitefish Legacy Partners, where Courtney and Heidi waited for me, dressed as Jawas! I opened the door and the office appeared empty until they came running out of the closet full speed with dart guns that they shot at my helmet for like 5 minutes! HAHAHA. Oh man! Heidi then handed me my next clue and as I walked out the door they both yelled, "We love you Manda!!!!"

The next clue indicated I needed to go to the place where Leia Buns would be served for the day, so I knew right away that I needed to go to Jersey Boys to save Princess Leia, who of course, was Jelisa!

I couldn't see very well out of my helmet, so after saving Leia from the trash compacter, with the help of an R2D2 pillow, I tripped over a table, couldn't stop giggling, and then Leia and I headed on our way to the next location, Glacier Cyclery. However, on the way down 2nd St., we had to fight off several Jedi characters and a Sith lord! (Keep in mind this is still being filmed.) Leia and I prevailed and headed to the back door of the cycle shop where we found Chewy! (You make a wonderful Chewbacca, Mike!)

I had to play Chewy in Connect Four, Mario and Luigi style, and once I didn't let the Wookie win, we headed to the next location from my clue, Great Northern Brewery. It made the perfect Death Star! Jessica and Katie were dressed as storm troopers and once I defeated them, I climbed the long spiral staircase, on which I had an epic battle with Darth Dan Vader. Of course I killed him and then we had to go out on the brewery roof top where all the characters were waiting for me to find Luke Slagle Skywalker!

There she was! With her epic light saber! Yoda handed me his saber once again and told me to defeat Luke if I could. We battled it out for like five minutes, both of us laughing so hard we were crying, and then that was it, I killed Lisa, aka Luke, and as she died she handed me a piece of paper and said, "Happy one year Work-A-Versary Manda! I got you something paper!!!!" And then she fell over and died and I fell over in laughter!

This is Team Wheelie: Luke Slagle Skywalker, 'Manda-Fett, Darth Dan Vader, and Jawa Courtney.  

My Work-A-Versary was filled with so much joy!  The film students from Lisa's class had a blast and filmed the entire scavenger hunt and will be showing Lisa a final edit next week. We Wheelheads will be posting the film, too, for the entertainment of all of our clients, friends, and families. I can't wait!

I was pretty much speechless after the entire event occurred. I had no clue that it was even happening, I really just thought I was going to work for another day at the office. I was pumped to go get a J-Boys slice at lunch and see the Star Wars crew there, and then bam! AMAZING!

There was so much planning and preparation to make the scavenger hunt happen. Each stop and clue lead to an event in the Star Wars movies in chronological order! And what is even cooler about all of this? Our clients participated as well! Every clue lead me to a client's business where they took time out of their busy lives to dress as a Star Wars character and celebrate my one year anniversary at Wheelie Creative. 

We are so much more than just a design and creative agency here. We love our clients, we care about their businesses, and they care about ours. Working in this kind of community makes our job incredible and beyond enjoyable. 

Wednesday was probably the best day of my life. I've had a hell of spring here at Wheelie and cannot wait to continue my journey here, working with all of you bad ass clients out there that make it totally worth it.

We are also happy to report that two young boys won the entire Star Wars Saga on DVD at Jersey Boys! Even better though? One of them got to fight Darth Vader while he waited for his pizza! He was so happy and it really made our day too.

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Thank you everyone!

Thank you to Lisa Slagle, Dawn Rauscher, Courtney Stone, Dan Hansen, Lauren Oscilowski, Axel Rauscher, Zac Andrews, Katie Williams, Jess Lucey, Great Northern Brewing Staff, Mike Meador, Pete Siudera, Heidi Van-Everen, Jelisa Guy, and my awesome intern Niles Velin for making me a rad blaster gun! And thank you to Lisa's entire film class!

It's back to work as usual around here, but we've been talking about Wednesday's events since we parted ways at Bonsai on Wednesday night. We are stoked for the weekend and cannot wait to share next weeks events with all of you.
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Happy Friday everyone! And again, a big big thank you to everyone that participated in the Star Wars adventure just for me. You all are wonderful!