Nestled in the heart of Central Long Island is the only Long Island advertising agency privileged enough to be directly adjacent to a 543-acre preserve known as Caleb Smith State Park Preserve—SMM Advertising. Our location and four-foot windows at ground level overlooking the park allow us to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday client demands, creative meetings and deadline craziness, to be part of the most amazing, ever-changing view.

As Long Islanders seem to value quality of life more these days, sometimes the very place you work can be a source of serenity, as well as entertainment. This week, our favorite visitor is a local buck that sits outside our window all day and captivates us with its grace and beauty. We periodically hear the whistling call of bobwhites and then find them nestled outside our front door. On occasion, wild turkeys and pheasants stop by the office for a visit.

Our most dramatic guest to date was a corn snake, which was found by one of our artists as she walked into the office one morning. She immediately thought it was a prank, but on closer inspection found that the snake, albeit harmless, was indeed real. For nature lovers, having such beauty surround your office not only keeps your stress levels low, it makes you feel like you’re spending every workday in a nature retreat!

MetLife’s recently-released 15th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study posits that “The enjoyment of life is beginning to take back its rightful place in the lives of employees. Today’s employees put increased focus on happiness at work … and personal satisfaction can be as important as the numbers on their paycheck.”

Maybe they’re on to something. Maybe it’s the intangibles—like beautiful natural surroundings, friendly animals and kind, talented people to work with–that take precedence over the factors that have traditionally dictated people’s workplace choices in the past. All we know at SMM is that we all truly feel lucky to work here–and going into 2018, we wish that same feeling for all of you. Happy New Year!