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June 11, 2015 By Ray Deck III   |   Leave a Comment

Introducing BellinghamWins.com

Faithlife moved to Bellingham in 2002 with 45 employees. Now, more than 420 employees occupy Faithlife’s five buildings on the downtown campus. As the space Faithlife occupies has grown, so have the ways it invests in the community.

That’s why Faithlife is proud to introduce BellinghamWins.com—a site that celebrates the city that we call home.

“We’re excited about what’s happening downtown. It’s really become a vibrant spot,” said CEO Bob Pritchett.

Bellingham is perfectly situated on a sheltered bay below a regal mountain at the gateway to spectacular islands.

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Bellingham is surrounded by natural beauty, productive farms, and two world-class cities in two different countries.

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Bellingham hosts a significant university, a well-educated workforce, and global businesses.

Bellingham has two vibrant downtowns and a waterfront redevelopment opportunity like nothing else in the world.

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(Photos by Nick Kelly & Patrick Fore at BellinghamWins.com)

You are welcome to use all of the content and photographs that appear at BellinghamWins.com under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

Subscribe to Bellingham Wins to learn what it’s like to live in our town, and to hear about the ways Faithlife is investing in our community.

Filed Under: Ministry Resources Tagged With: bellingham, pacific northwest

May 18, 2015 By Ryan Nelson   |   2 Comments

Bellingham’s Spin on Bike to Work Day

bikes
Every year, Bellingham participates in Bike to Work Day. Last Friday, hundreds of people throughout the city celebrated alternative transportation together and bonded over snacks when they arrive at one of the 24 stations set up for anyone who biked, walked, carpooled, or took the bus to work. The event is open to anyone, whether you bike to work every day, or you’re just getting your rusty wheels out of the shed.

The annual community event is hosted by Whatcom Smart Trips—a partnership between local government, public agencies, employers, and schools to promote alternative transportation.

Local businesses rally together and set up stations throughout the city to encourage those who participate with treats and applause.

Glenn Gervais, a developer at Faithlife, has participated in Bike to Work Day since 2006. He usually bikes to work two or three times a week during the summer. Glenn races year round—from triathlons to cyclocross to mountain biking, there’s always something to do with a bike in Bellingham.

“I love that within a 5–10 minute ride from the core downtown area you can be on some world class trails at Galbraith, or on a county road with light traffic,” Glenn says.

Glenn Gervais
Glenn Gervais (left) bikes regularly with coworkers, family, and friends.

Faithlife goes the extra mile to encourage healthy activities like biking. Glenn says, “I love how supportive Faithlife is of the biking community with our bike shop, indoor parking—it’s out of the rain and there’s no need to carry a lock—and gift cards for people who participate in Bike to Work Day.”

Jon Deviny, a Faithlife designer, participated in the official Bike to Work Day for the first time this year, though he usually bikes to work once or twice a week.

“It’s a fun way to redeem my commute for a little exercise and it’s fun to slow down and see things I normally pass by in a car,” he says.

Jake Mailhot and Aaron Gill
Aaron Gill (left) biked just over two miles and Jake Mailhot (right) biked about a mile and a half.

Living in Bellingham, if you don’t bike regularly yourself, there’s always someone you know who does. Jon says, “Bellingham has the most active bike community I’ve ever experienced. There are bikes everywhere!”

Two brothers, Taylor and Jeromy Blomquist, rode the farthest of any Faithlife employees. The duo made a 12.6 mile trip together from Ferndale.

Jeromy says, “Every time we rode by a Bike to Work station, everyone got really excited and cheered. A guy even ran out and handed us a granola bar while we rode.”

Altogether, 40 Faithlife employees participated, and they rode over 60 miles in total.

The final stop for Faithlife employees was Faithlife’s freshly established food truck patio. The station was cohosted by the Pickford Film Center, Kulshan Cycles, and Faithlife.

Fred Sprinkle
Fred Sprinkle helped break in the new food truck patio at the Bike to Work Day station.

Starting this week, this new space is reserved for local food trucks to serve up an assortment of delicious foods.

Want to be here for the next Bike to Work Day? Faithlife is hiring!

Filed Under: Inside Faithlife Tagged With: bellingham, company culture, faithlife

December 30, 2014 By Pam Bauthues   |   Leave a Comment

Women in Business: Anne-Marie Faiola

Anne-Marie-women-in-leadershipLast week, Faithlife began a new speaker series, women in business. In this series, local business leaders will provide new perspectives and insights into the business world and offer advice based on the lessons they’ve learned.

Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO and founder of Bramble Berry in Bellingham, Washington, kicked off the series with an enthusiastic look at her roller-coaster journey as an entrepreneur. Her story is one of persistence: after beginning her career as a corrections officer, she quit her job to turn her hobby—soapmaking—into a means of supporting herself. She did just that, and 17 years later, she has several successful companies to her name. She has also been recognized as Washington State’s Businesswoman of the Year in 2009 and Washington State’s Businessperson of the Year in 2010.

Her business, Bramble Berry, has become a thriving, multi-million-dollar enterprise, supporting nearly 100 employees and growing. Her passion is infectious, and it’s clear that she loves what she does.

Success didn’t happen overnight, and Anne-Marie’s hardships and achievements taught her valuable lessons along the way.

Here are Anne-Marie’s top five keys to success:

1. Success is not a straight line.

Anne-Marie’s story has its fair share of ups and downs, from going into major debt to grossing millions of dollars each year, but one of the most important things she learned was to be adaptable and flexible as her business progressed. When something wasn’t working, sometimes all it took to solve the problem was admitting failure and moving past it or pivoting her direction.

2. It’s OK to dream big.

When Bramble Berry was in its early stages—and even today as it grows—Anne-Marie said it was crucial to be “delusionally optimistic.” Remaining happy and positive is key to overcoming challenges that arise, and being optimistic is an intentional choice. She noted that this is especially helpful when building a team—it’s important to lay a solid foundation and encourage new members in order for everyone to work toward the same goal.

3. Surround yourself well.

As Anne-Marie said, you’re the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with. Anne-Marie recommended choosing people who uplift you and help you out during rough patches rather than those who are unsupportive or negative. She also suggested building a network and finding a single mentor you can call on when you need them most.

4. Learn to say no.

When sharing a story about creating a large volume of product for a local grocery-store chain, Anne-Marie said with a hint of sarcasm, “I told them yes, because you always say yes to opportunity!” However, she went on to explain that saying yes to an opportunity means saying no to something else, and vice versa. It’s critical to set boundaries for yourself so you can focus on the tasks that keep you on track toward your ultimate goals.

5. Have a plan.

Anne-Marie has always found that creating and sticking to a plan is foundational for success, even cautioning, “Not planning is planning to fail.” Her decisions are backed by data, which helps her see when the plan needs to be altered. Setting realistic, attainable goals helps her see where she’s going and how she’s going to get there, and living out those goals in her daily actions helps her progress one step at a time.

In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing more lessons from local leaders—stay tuned!

Does Faithlife sound like your kind of workplace? Come join us! Check out our current career openings and apply today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bellingham, company culture, leadership, pacific northwest

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