In this episode of The FOX Five, we are joined by FOX Clinical Practice Leader of University Relations and Clinical Fieldwork Coordinator, Nicole Williams, OTD, OTR/L, BCG, to explore five dynamic ways to experience true Team Spirit with FOX Rehabilitation. From competitive FOX Spirit Nights to bonding over happy hours, repping FOX gear, and celebrating colleagues, Nicole shares how FOX's vibrant culture keeps clinicians connected and inspired. Hear the fun story behind a video directed by her son that won big, and discover how something as simple as a social media post can build community. Don’t miss this exciting look at how to truly experience FOX's Team Spirit.

Jim: Welcome to The FOX Five, the show that explores FOX Rehabilitation through an original list created by a FOX colleague. Joining me today on this edition of The FOX Five is Nicole Williams, Clinical Practice Leader of University Relations, Clinical Fieldwork Coordinator, and occupational therapist with FOX Rehabilitation. Hey Nicole!

Nicole: Hello Jim, great to be here with you today.

Jim: We've talked recently, and you kind of foreshadowed that the next time you popped up on The FOX Five, you might be talking about Team Spirit. So, without giving away any spoilers, Nicole, what is your FOX Five today?

Nicole: You know, I feel so strongly about the culture of this practice, I wanted to talk about our team spirit, the Five Ways to Experience FOX’s Team Spirit.

Jim: All right. I believe the first time we met was at FOX Spirit Night. Within that event, there's the Team Spirit Award. Your region won the award, and part of the prize was a victory celebration. I believe we first met at that FOX Spirit Night celebration.

Nicole: You're absolutely right. That was the first time we met in person, and it was a great time, wasn't it? We had a party at a big arcade, everyone had a good time.

Jim: And I met your son, he won a door prize. He also met our founder, Dr. Tim FOx.

Nicole: He bamboozled you for the door prize.

Jim: He didn’t bamboozle me, he directed your winning video. So, in a way, he deserved that door prize.

Nicole: He did. And he would tell you no differently. He played a huge part in the winning video, he was the director when we recorded it. It was his directorial debut!

Jim: Yes! It was a big deal. We had a kid direct the winning video, and it’s not like there were only four submissions. That year, we had nearly 70. So, he beat out 70 adult directors during that Spirit Night.

Nicole: If you could have seen him doing the job, he was serious. He knew where to tell people to go, when to say "cut"—he had it all down.

Jim: So, Nicole, what is Number One on your FOX Five?

Nicole: Number One is participating in Spirit Night. It's become such a big thing with all the teams. It gets super competitive, as we know. I'm part of the Richmond, Virginia region—we say “OG” around here—and it was so much fun. After we won, we really felt like we had to uphold our title. That following year, we didn’t win, but it was stiff competition.

Jim: That brings us to Number Two on your FOX Five.

Nicole: Number two is related — we love our happy hours. I know I hear about them in other regions. Virginia is really big on their happy hours. Go hang out with your colleagues after hours! It's so much fun to get to know your team on a totally different level. You get to talk about things that aren't work-related, and it really brings everyone closer.

Jim: Because in many ways, you might feel like an island going from house to house for patient visits, but those in-person get-togethers are when you can connect with your entire region, your whole team.

Nicole: Absolutely. It's a great way to build relationships.

Jim: And if you ever need help, you’ve got a network of contacts on your team. That brings us to Number Three on your FOX Five.

Nicole: Number three is to consider shopping at the FOX Shop — and wear your stuff to show you're part of the FOX team.

Jim: I believe it’s at foxrehab.org/foxshop. If someone you know works with FOX, you can get them some swag for a special occasion.

Nicole: You can even buy gift cards.

Jim: I've always been a fan of the color orange, so it just works out nicely for me.

Nicole: Become a bigger fan of the color orange! I’ll put a plug in for the backpack. I use it when I go do treatments out in the field. It’s a great backpack, and it has FOX written right on it.

Jim: Nicole, that brings us to Number Four on your FOX Five.

Nicole: Team spirit is all about lifting up each other and the team. So, nominate a colleague for Colleague of the Month. It’s a great way to feel the spirit, praise your team members, and recognize the hard work everyone puts in every day.

Jim: That’s part of my role, I get to read every submission for Colleague of the Month. Some months, a colleague gets 12, 15, even 20 nominations. When we send those to the actual colleague, you can feel it. They’ll say, "That made my year!"

Nicole: It’s really meaningful. It’s really nice to read what other people say. We don’t always tell each other those things, and to get that in writing or be recognized for it is such a morale booster.

Jim: Amen to that, Nicole. That brings us to Number Five on your FOX Five.

Nicole: Number Five is that I really enjoy following our social media. Seeing the Success Stories and learning what other clinicians in the practice are doing is a great way to immerse yourself in our culture and show your team spirit. Fun story, at CSM last year, students came up to our booth all the time and said, “We follow FOX on Instagram! We love your Instagram.” It’s really far-reaching, and so many people are learning what we do through our social media presence. You can see all the great work we do with older adult patients. It’s great.

Jim: Nicole, excellent job! The next time you come on The FOX Five, we’ll have your son direct it. We’ll build up his résumé.

Nicole: He’ll be so stoked when I tell him that this afternoon. You have no idea. He’s probably going to write you a letter.

Jim: That’s fine. No problem at all.