The Edge September/October 2025

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

itively impacted these businesses’ overall company culture. “Companies that have a focus on truly improving their community and the peo ple in it are generally companies that value relationships and kindness,” Hull says. “They are leaders not only in their industry, but in the communities that support them. The culture you build when you invest in others generally comes back to you tenfold, but it has to be authentic.” Nasrallah says they’ve attracted good employees as well because they want to be part of a good culture that wants to give back. Meanwhile, Koehn says the publicity of their involvement with multiple charitable organizations has helped open doors for them with new clients. “There’s an unspoken value,”Koehn says. “There’s no way to put a dollar figure on it. If you say, ‘I invested $50,000 into com munity involvement. What is my return?’If you’re doing it for that, then it’s not going to work. It has to just be because you gen uinely want to help other people.” TE

Hull says with the funds they’ve raised through OktoberBreast, Casting for Recover can now hold two retreats a year, instead of just one. Also, they now fund the Young Investigator award for Expedition Inspira tion and one of the research doctors they funded was able to document the gene that makes cancer go metastatic. “I would say doing this has made a huge impact on me,”Hull says. “I have not had breast cancer, and the things I have learned about the disease are amazing. The women who are involved in this event are my superheroes. And everyone knows someone who has had it. It needs to be stopped!” Kujawa says the greatest impact they experience is when a servicemember’s family calls to thank them and compliment their work. “We always communicate that to the entire company,”Kujawa says. “It makes for some great opportunities to say, ‘Thanks’ internally, and to reinforce our culture of ‘giving back.’” Serving in the community has also pos

mer’s research have allowed him to open up about a matter he previously kept to himself. “The biggest impact I see is that people actually come to me and talk to me, and people are more open to talk about too now,” Nasrallah says. “It’s not a private thing. It’s ‘Hey, how can we help each other? How can we support each other?’People just open up more, and then I get to talk about something that I’ve kept inside quietly for a long time.”

 KEY TAKEAWAYS ■ Select a cause that is

service work. ■ While not the primary

personal to ensure the work is meaningful and sustainable over time.

goal, community service efforts can strengthen your company culture, attract quality hires, and build a positive reputation with your customer base.

■ From fundraising to providing in-kind services, make sure to engage your whole team in community

Big Ups®

Spring Loaded®

Plant Colorblends this Fall

Pinkster™

34 The Edge // September/October 2025