I never thought I would find myself writing this blog post, but here I am. I am saying goodbye to a company that welcomed me with open arms almost two years ago. This group of people has become like my second family. Heck, they probably know more about me than some of my closest friends. I don’t think they’ll ever know how much I truly appreciate them, which is why it is so hard to say goodbye.

I have always told others, you know you really enjoyed your job when you feel bittersweet about leaving. On the one hand, I have this new adventure to look forward to, but it’s also very hard to leave all of these amazing people behind. I don’t consider these people coworkers, I consider them my friends. Too corny? They push me to be better and bring out the best not only in my work performance, but my personality. I can’t think of a time where I didn’t laugh at least once a day at Roundpeg.

Looking back, my time at Roundpeg feels like a whirlwind. So much has happened since I started working at the ‘Peg. It was the first time I worked in an office that allowed cats (Truman, I still miss you). I moved to a different desk three times. I ate food I had never tried before. I recorded a few podcasts, attended marketing conferences and even had the opportunity to speak with Ball State University students. I started writing weekly blog posts about marketing, which when I started I knew next to nothing about. You can read my first post here. I worked directly with clients, creating actual marketing campaigns they would use for their business. None of this would have happened if Lorraine and the rest of the Roundpeg team hadn’t believed in me. I even became a cat person. Seriously, this place changes people.

It will be hard not to instinctively drive to the little white house every day. I will miss my desk, which was so graciously passed down to me from Allison. I can only hope the next person to sit in it will do it justice. I left my mark on the always entertaining bulletin board in the back office. I began to look forward to Cheese Day every month and cupcakes on birthdays. I got to document Popsicle breaks, silly cat behavior and trips to the Kolache Factory on my phone for Roundpeg’s social media accounts. These are things that made work not feel like work.

I will never be able to thank Lorraine enough for giving me a job in the first place. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss, mentor and friend. I owe everything I know about this industry to her. If you ever get the chance to meet her, attend one of her seminars, have a conversation with her or work with her, consider yourself lucky. I know this sounds super corny, but it’s the truth, I am a better person for knowing her and working with her.

I will miss not being able to see these people from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday (8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays). I won’t get to watch Jenna make the cats dance to ‘Safety Dance’ when I need a good laugh. I won’t get to listen to Peter’s entertaining client calls and have Sara try and convince me that Sasquatch is real. But I will be a Pegger for life and that’s what truly matters. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work for such a great company and with truly amazing people. Thank you for everything Roundpeg. I laughed. I cried. And hopefully converted you all into Beyonce fans.