Connection Drives Growth: Looking Back at 100GROUP's Third Company Retreat

MOORPARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--100GROUP, a FinTech leader in software and payment processing, is carrying renewed focus, stronger connections, and fresh momentum into the second half of the year, following its third company retreat held this past May in Nashville, Tennessee. The four-day gathering brought together employees from across the company's family of brands, including Kennel Connection and ReCo, along with team members from 100GROUP's California and Michigan offices, energizing a team that's only picking up speed.

The trip marked another milestone for a company that has grown quickly in recent years while working to keep its culture intact, from a first gathering in Las Vegas in 2023, to a five-day retreat in Westlake Village in 2024, and now to Nashville.

"Culture's important to me. It's in my heart," said 100GROUP CEO Jeff Brodsly, addressing the team on the retreat's opening night. "A company without culture is not a company, it's a business. And we're a company, and we're a family."

Brodsly told employees he wanted them to leave the retreat feeling two things: inspired and productive. "We bonded, we learned, we grew. We personally grew, we professionally grew, we became tighter as a company, and we can then be more productive as a company because of who we are," he said.

The entire retreat, including travel, lodging, and every event on the schedule, is funded by Brodsly personally each year, a tradition he has continued since the very first gathering. Opening the retreat, Brodsly was quick to redirect the credit. "I funded it. But it's not about the money. It's about the camaraderie," he said, crediting Sarah McKee and Kacy Waxman for the work of actually pulling it off. "I literally did nothing for this besides say yes or no."

That investment gave employees four days that mixed focused company meetings with the kind of shared experiences that are hard to come by in a normal work week. The retreat opened with an evening welcome reception, followed by days that combined 100GROUP meetings with a hat bar lunch, pool time, and dinners around the city, including a stop at Jelly Roll's Goodnight Nashville and a Cinco de Mayo celebration at Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa. The retreat closed with a farewell brunch on the rooftop at Butterfly before employees headed home. A highlight reel from the four days in Nashville is available to watch here.

As in years past, the event was organized by Sarah McKee, Senior Vice President of Brand at 100GROUP, and Kacy Waxman, Executive Assistant to the CEO. The two began planning months in advance, scouting the venue in the dead of winter before the details came together in the Nashville spring.

"We came out here a few months ago and scouted out the area," Waxman said. "It's really fun seeing it all come together, and it feels good to see everyone here."

McKee echoed that sentiment, noting that the planning process reflects the same culture the retreat is designed to celebrate. "It's rewarding because we get to be a part of that, to give all the employees an experience and help Jeff deliver his message," she said.

For many employees, the retreat highlighted how much the company has grown while still holding onto the sense of family that defines it. Ron Novak, 100GROUP's Chief Operating Officer, has been with Kennel Connection for 15 years, starting as a Tier 1 support technician before working his way up through the company. "This company and Jeff, professionally and personally, has changed my entire life for me and my family," Novak said.

Talia Hession, who leads 100GROUP's credit card processing division, has worked alongside Brodsly for nearly 15 years and pointed to his focus on people as the reason the culture holds up as the company scales. "He's really big on company culture, and it's encouraging his employees to succeed in their roles, and even professionally and personally in their lives," Hession said.

Those same impressions were shared by some of 100GROUP's newest team members. Erik Springer, who joined Kennel Connection's client success team just four months before the retreat, said the trip reinforced what drew him to the company in the first place. "The culture was the reason I came here," Springer said. "The culture will be the reason why I will stay for as long as humanly possible."

Gary Norton, founder and President of ReCo, said the retreat offered a rare chance to see colleagues face to face who normally connect only through a screen. "Although we've been meeting via Zoom or Teams, being able to see everybody in person is wonderful," Norton said.

Rick Brodsly, Senior Vice President of Sales, called the retreat "a dream come true" and said it's something the team looks forward to all year.

The retreat brought together employees from across 100GROUP's growing portfolio of brands. Kennel Connection provides business management software used by pet care companies for boarding, grooming, daycare, training, and retail operations. ReCo, founded in 1997, builds payment technology used by county and city governments across the country. Hello-Groom, developed in-house by 100GROUP, is built specifically for professional groomers. Together with the company's core credit card processing business, they make up a portfolio that has expanded significantly since that first retreat, all while, employees say, holding on to the same culture Brodsly set out to build from the start.

That growth was on full display in Nashville, and it left employees looking ahead as much as looking back. Ron Novak pointed to the size of the group itself as proof of where the company is headed. "More people are here. It's proof that the company's growing," he said. "Every person here resembles the culture that we're trying to create, that we have created and we're trying to build. And it's just a fantastic team, and I love to see it grow."

Sarah McKee said that sense of momentum is part of what makes working alongside Brodsly worthwhile. "No matter where he goes, he's gonna win, and so you're always gonna be on a winning team," she said. "It's gonna be hard work, but the diversity of what comes with that is change, and new, and challenging."

Three months removed from Nashville, Brodsly said the goal now is the same as it was on stage that first night: keep building. "Each year, it just feels like it's just the beginning," he said. "I'm excited to see how the future continues to evolve."

About 100GROUP:

100GROUP, where innovation meets seamless business solutions. 100GROUP proudly stands as the parent company of a unique portfolio of business management software solutions, gateways, and payment processing, establishing itself as the ultimate platform in the financial technology industry.

At 100GROUP, we redefine the business landscape as the leading business services concierge. We cater exclusively to business owners, offering a comprehensive suite of essential products and services. Envision 100GROUP as the only platform a business needs- a centralized hub where possibilities unfold.

Navigating the intricacies of technology coupled with payment processing, and major vendor management becomes effortless with 100GROUP. Our groundbreaking model integrates personalized concierge services at your fingertips, bidding farewell to the complexities of managing multiple vendor relationships without VIP treatment. Providing a 24/7 business management concierge, 100GROUP is the one vendor that business owners rave about.

For more information, please visit www.100GROUP.com.