The sixth edition of Treble's agency retreat brought the team together in Austin for three days under the theme "Empowered to Elevate." The idea behind it was simple enough: When individuals invest in themselves and each other, the whole system rises. That played out across three days of workshops and team time.
Despite some rainy weather, the team found ways to connect through games, karaoke, group dinners, and a full day of professional development. From learning how to ask better questions to understanding the ongoing intersection of technology, venture capital and PR right now, the team got a mix of team-building and tactics ready to implement right away.
Here's what some of our colleagues had to say about the retreat:
Sarah Vandiver, Account Manager
Culture and connection aren’t just “nice to have” in an agency—they’re foundational to doing great work. The strongest teams aren’t just aligned on deliverables; they’re connected through shared experiences, trust, and a rhythm that makes collaboration feel seamless.
Creating space for real moments, whether that’s celebrating wins, laughing through the chaos, or navigating challenges together, builds the kind of cohesion that shows up in the work. When a team is genuinely in sync, it moves faster, thinks more sharply, and produces stronger outcomes for clients.
Clients may not see the internal dynamics day to day, but they feel the impact. The energy, alignment, and clarity behind the scenes translate directly into the quality of their thinking and execution.
Dani Smith, Account Coordinator
This year's retreat in Austin was really inspiring — bringing us together in a way that pushed us to grow both personally and professionally. As someone only eight months into my role as an Account Coordinator, I found that learning from my senior teammates and digging into what confident leadership looks like was invaluable. I left feeling incredibly grateful to be part of this agency and its people.
Olivia Gardner, Head of Operations
This week in Austin reinforced something I’ve come to believe more deeply with every candidate conversation I’ve had since the pandemic: culture isn’t a perk—it’s a performance driver. In a service business like B2B tech PR, where trust, judgment, and relationships drive outcomes, team chemistry and consistency are everything.
During our ‘known for’ exercise, what stood out was how aligned the team already is - people see themselves as known for their work ethic, dependability, and cultural influence, and aspire to be even more strategically valuable to clients, supportive to their teams, and true partners to the media. That level of clarity and shared ambition is rare, and it’s what creates momentum.
At dinner, I found myself just observing in gratitude. The energy in the room was constant. Laughter, encouragement, people fully showing up for one another, even rallying behind standout karaoke performances. That’s not just culture - it’s connection. And connection is what drives retention.
The data support what we’re seeing firsthand. Strong team cohesion and culture are directly linked to higher productivity, engagement, and retention in service organizations, while engaged employees can drive turnover down by up to 51% and deliver materially stronger performance outcomes.
At Treble, about 40% of our team has been with the agency for five or more years. In an industry where turnover is common, that consistency is a competitive advantage. It means deeper client context, stronger relationships, and better judgment over time.
That’s what ‘Empowered to Elevate’ means to us. When individuals invest in themselves and each other, they elevate the entire system - the team, the client, and the work. And that’s where great agencies separate themselves from good ones.
