This is what I challenged my staff to answer at our most recent staff meeting—one that coincided with Mixte’s three-year business anniversary.

I understand now that I’ve just never wanted to fit in.

I never wanted to do it the same old way.

I never wanted to be normal, and I’m proud that Mixte is a reflection of that part of me.

Possibly my parents knew this about me from birth. Or maybe they understood it when I organized my first rally as a high schooler and editor-in-chief of the paper. Or perhaps they got clued in when I joined the women’s rugby team in college (my mom’s response: “Oh god. I thought I made it when your brother declined to play football in high school, and now my baby girl is playing rugby?”). Certainly, they started getting the hints as they dropped me at the airport to head to my job as an editor for magazines in Bucharest, Romania. I know for sure my dad figured it out when I told him I had accepted a job as the communications director for San Diego Coastkeeper—I never thought I’d see a day when my daughter would tell me she’s an environmentalist, he said. (At this point, I’m sure he reflected back to my activist days handing out yellow ribbons to protect the loggers from that spotted owl…yep, I did that.)

Thinking of this, it would make sense that I would start a business in March of 2012 committed to empowering nice companies. But what adventure did I start?

Truth be told when I began, my goal was to continue working as a consultant from my VW Vanagon parked at sweet beach spots across the county. But then I saw the need.

I saw the need to help more organizations, and I saw the need to build the business that I always wanted to work for. One that loves its employees and trusted and empowered them. One that has as much fun as work. One that encourages and celebrates vacations. One that stands for something more than just dollars. One that makes you feel good.

At Mixte Communications, we believe in and benefit from all of the great work that our environmental, social, fitness and locally based clients bring to this world. And we feel good about that.

We also have a Mixte Adventure list. It includes items like eating Mexican food in Barrio Logan, do a triathlon, ride bikes in Tijuana, swim with sharks, camp with Coastkeeper, shoot guns with our interior designer, and visit J Walcher Communications in South Park. These things also make us feel good.

With a nod to all the lovely people that have supported, encouraged and trusted me along the way, I’m honored to celebrate Mixte’s three-year anniversary by giving my employees a paid day off of work with $300 to have an adventure. What are the rules? It has to make them feel good, and they have to write a blog post about it.

I can’t wait to see how they answer the question. Can you?