BARR Advisory Celebrates Associates at Quarterly All Hands Meeting
On January 26 and 27, 2022, BARR Advisory associates gathered for our quarterly All Hands meeting. The event was a hybrid format, with in-person attendees in Kansas City and virtual participants spread across the world.
“In addition to planning for the quarter and year ahead, All Hands is an opportunity to recognize our amazing work over the past year, celebrate milestones we’ve achieved together, share goals and new strategies for success, and establish a clear vision for the path forward,” said Brad Thies, founder and president.
The event included BARR’s annual Associate Recognition Awards, with recipients chosen by their peers based on feedback given throughout the past year. Without further ado, here is a recap of the 2021 Associate Recognition Awards ceremony, honoring team members who went above and beyond to exemplify BARR’s core values of transparency, simplicity, unparalleled support, inclusivity, and future ready.
Transparency Award
The Transparency Award is presented to an associate who builds relationships based on respect, accountability, and trust. They always take responsibility and are transparent in their day-to-day interactions. This year, there were two recipients of the Transparency Award: Julie Mungai and Whitney Perez.
Simplicity Award
The Simplicity Award is given to an individual who demonstrates the power of simplicity by focusing on what is essential and working hard to keep things clear and concise in everything they do. Dan Mathewson was the recipient of the Simplicity Award.
Unparalleled Support Award
Unparalleled support focuses on the relentless pursuit to add more value to our clients, associates, partners, and communities. The Unparalleled Support Award celebrates an associate who frequently serves as someone’s hero through determination and getting the job done. The recipient of the Unparalleled Support Award was Hannah Kenney.
Inclusivity Award
Inclusivity is another important core value at BARR. This associate values diversity of people and ideas, is an active listener, and gets to know their teammates on a personal level. Michelle Smith was this year’s recipient of the Inclusivity Award.
Future Ready Award
BARR’s final core value, future ready, is about embracing continuous improvement and driving innovation to solve the unrecognized needs for clients and the industry. The two recipients for this year’s Future Ready Award were Kristin Strand and Katie Bialy.
High Five Awards
At BARR, we’re big on peer recognition and prone to giving each other virtual high-fives throughout the week. These small gestures demonstrate the many ways in which BARR associates lean on their teammates, inspire one another, and celebrate each others’ successes. Giver of the Most High Fives Award went to Ian McGee and Receiver of the Most High Fives Award was Katie Bialy.
Social Influencer Award
The Social Influencer Award is given out each quarter to the associate who most often leverages BARR’s social media content to serve as a brand ambassador. The recipient of the 2021 Q4 Social Influencer Award is Daniel Flores Herrera.
Quarterly BARR Star Award
The latest addition to BARR’s award line-up is the quarterly BARR Star Award which recognizes an associate who lives out our core values, supports their teammates, and engages in and champions the BARR culture. The winner of this award was Cody Hewell.
2021 Associate of the Year
The Associate of the Year Award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond to deliver superior client service, is a positive leader and teammate, and contributes to the overall performance of BARR. This associate consistently practices BARR’s core values, exceeds client expectations by demonstrating compassion and problem-solving techniques, and serves as a team player, always offering support to teammates. The 2021 Associate of the Year was Cameron Kline.
Congratulations to all BARR Associate Recognition Awards recipients for their hard work and dedication!
The event also highlighted an exciting new benefit for all associates—the launch of our 2022 travel fund which provides each associate with a $1,000 stipend to further build connections with teammates. Associates are encouraged to use their travel stipend to meet up in a select city for collaborative projects, team meetings, or even to connect for a fun weekend.
All Hands concluded with a service project hosted by the BARR Belong Foundation. Both in-person and virtual attendees participated in decorating meal sacks for the KC Shepherd’s Center, a Kansas City nonprofit serving older adults, celebrating their contributions to the community, and providing support and companionship to increase social activity, reduce food insecurity, and build lasting relationships.
We are grateful for our time together at All Hands—for those who joined in-person and remotely. It was a time to celebrate each other, create stronger connections, and give back to the community.
Interested in joining the team? Check out our open positions.