Raw And Unedited

There is a lot of pressure writing a Christmas blog. The last blog of the year. One that people will remember or try to forget. This one will be a bit different. More raw. More real life. More transparent.

We have been on a rollercoaster the last couple of years here at Brandner. Not business wise. We are blessed with the very best clients and an amazing group of individuals that we have the honor to work with daily. And this is where the story begins.

We have experienced immense pain watching one of our employees carry a baby full term, knowing that she would leave this world within hours of being born. And, another of the Brandner Communications family spent 18 months at Seattle Children’s Hospital, trying to save her baby girl, who recently lost her fight from a terrible disease. Before that, another employee found out the baby she was carrying had a rare heart disease, with a dim outlook, but now we see a thriving 2 year old beating the odds.

We recently had one of our creative team member’s world rocked when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 35. He underwent surgery and received the call from the doctor with biopsy results of NO CANCER. A true miracle!

No, we are not done yet, there is much more. Three baby boys born in the last 3 months to 3 different employees – all healthy and perfect. One of the babies was born to the employee who lost her baby last year at birth. Her new healthy baby boy doesn’t replace the loss of his sister, but is a beautiful reminder that miracles do happen.

How could there be more from a company of 22, right? In October, another employee in her early 40s found out she has breast cancer and several weeks ago she underwent a double mastectomy, and is now facing chemotherapy. We are hopeful that it was caught early and all this will become a distant memory.

Why do I share this? Because, the team here at Brandner are REAL people with REAL life problems and REAL life blessings. We have seen an AMAZING group of people RALLY around their own. We have watched a group of people that never said WHY ME? WHY US? Instead, we have seen them support and love each other and become a family unlike any other workplace around. Their support has ranged from making meals, providing their entire Christmas, donating sick leave, covering them at work and praying for them. It has been an inspiration to watch. What we have is rare. I have never been prouder of a team. Not only are they CRAZY GOOD at what they do, they are CRAZY AMAZING people.

Thank you, Alli, Andy, Ashley, Cara, Cynthia, Eric, Hope, Jill, Karlie, Kristy, Laura, Nettie, Natasha, Jeff, Paul, Randall, Westin, Will, Scott, Stephen H, Stephen M, Tana, Troy. You are truly the best.

From the battle tested team at Brandner, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a year full of good health surrounded by those you love.