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    Cultivate, Curate, Captivate: Building a Corporate Culture and Beloved Brand

    Whether you’re aware of it or not, your business has its own distinct culture. Though the composition of each company’s culture is unique, the occurrence of its formation is not. Wherever people spend time together, work together, and depend on each other, culture will naturally form – just look at all of human history.

    Though culture itself is inevitable, that doesn’t mean you have no control over the type of culture you want to nurture. Try this: consider the companies you adore and what draws you to them. Chances are, it’s not just what they do; it’s how they do it.

    These companies that are successful in building a strong, admirable culture recognize that when looking at your company as a collective force, you must start with the individuals that comprise it. When you cultivate a sense of community within your organization, and when your team takes pride in their work and who they work for, you turn employees into brand enthusiasts eager to showcase that pride to the world.

    What are things you can do and products you can create to give employees a way to express their enthusiasm?

    Imagine a collection that ranges from laptop decals, bags, and writing instruments to stylish apparel like t-shirts, polos, hats, and even shoes. Creating curated collections of merch should be fun! And these products should be functional and represent what your company stands for, complete with clever designs and intentional messaging. Define your values and infuse them into every facet of your operation – including your promo. Branded merch with smart messaging will help ensure your brand shines in the office and out in the world for all to see!

    By aligning your merchandise with your company’s values, you create a powerful connection. As your corporate culture becomes synonymous with community and shared values, the influence extends far beyond the workplace, impacting recruitment, sales, and public perception. In the world of corporate culture, building a cult following isn’t just a strategy – it’s a way of life. And guess what? It starts with heart (now where have we heard that before…?) which begins with unifying the individuals that make up the collective.

    THAT starts with you – and we can help!

    Check out a collection of products we’ve assembled to help you build and strengthen your corporate culture HERE.

    Celebrate A Job Well Done!

    Elevate Your Team: The Power of Recognition & Appreciation

    How do you feel when someone acknowledges your hard work? We’re guessing you feel pretty good, right? Of course, most of us aren’t out here working solely for recognition, but that’s kind of what makes the moments where our efforts are recognized so special.

    The impact of recognition and appreciation transcends mere accolades to adorn one’s home or office – it fuels a sense of accomplishment that can motivate, rally, and inspire. A well-recognized team will do well for the company in turn, and research exists to prove it. According to the Harvard Business Review, “recognition is fundamental to the engagement and retention of top talent and profitability” of organizations.(1)

    So, how do you get started showing up for the people that always show up for you? By doing just that – showing them you appreciate them, not just saying it.

    How you do that is up to you and whatever feels right for your organization. Say it loud and proud or keep it lowkey and modest – the choice is yours. Awards are sure to be top of mind when talking recognition and many people appreciate a new trophy to display on the shelves in their office. However, as a new workforce enters the chat, we have the opportunity to think beyond traditional desk hardware and embrace functional, unique items as awards, like custom cornhole boards or personalized charcuterie sets – things that recipients can enjoy outside of the office.

    Even better? Consider giving employees their own choice of acknowledgment by establishing a recognition program and setting up an accompanying eCommerce store – and before you get started, ask us how!

    For more blatant public displays, create a kudos board for team morale. Or, for a fresh approach, embrace merit badges reminiscent of scouting. Develop a series of stickers, pins, or patches that employees collect as they hit milestones. It’s a tangible representation of progress and achievement.

    Sound overwhelming?  At the end of the day, showing your appreciation doesn’t have to be over the top or out of the box; it just needs to be sincere and personal. This is where printed tokens of gratitude – a handwritten note or a thoughtful gift card – can really shine.

    Incorporating recognition and appreciation into your business culture isn’t just a nicety; it’s a strategic imperative. Elevate your team, celebrate achievements, and watch as unity, productivity, and team morale fall in line! We’d love to help.

    Check out our collection of recognition and appreciation products HERE.

    Good Vibes & Healthy Lives

    Tis the season for the sneezin’! Yes, the most magical time of year is quickly approaching, but with it comes cold and flu. It’s important that as individuals, we do what we can and take preventative measures now. Taking care of oneself, both mind and body, and promoting wellness practices, in general, is for the collective good of everyone, and it can start with something as simple as having the right products to get started.


    Physical health: the bare essentials

    Hydration and good health – the two go hand in hand! It’s easier to meet daily water intake quotas when you don’t have to think about where it’s coming from – enter the wide array of reusable water bottles and tumblers on the market. When choosing a hydration companion, many opt for styles with handles for added convenience, striking the perfect balance between capacity and portability. We offer many different styles to choose from and would love to share our most popular styles with you.

    In addition to staying hydrated, keeping your hands clean is another simple way to help ward off sickness. Hand sanitizer is a portable and affordable way to spread brand awareness and kill germs. We’ve got different sizes, bottle shapes, and even scents. You may even want to consider pairing a sanitizer bottle with lip balm for the ultimate winter convenience.

    And finally, look for a dependable tote. Some of the most popular offer long handles for throwing over the shoulder, a few different pockets for holding your water bottle on the go, organizing your belongings, and separating medicine from electrolyte packets and pens – and that are stylish enough to be carried around all season long.


    Mental health: peace of mind can be easy to find

    For a holistic approach to wellness, consider incorporating wellness-promoting items into your lineup. Unrolling a yoga mat for a quick session, diffusing essential oils to create a calming ambiance, slipping on a weighted eye mask for relaxation, or lighting a candle to infuse tranquility into a space are all simple mental wellness practices that can easily be incorporated into any busy employee’s day or slammed executive’s routine. Keeping stress to a minimum can give the body the rest and strength needed to fend off all the nasty bugs that tend to get passed around during this time of year.


    Weathering the storm: items for when bugs strike

    Despite one’s best efforts, bugs may still find their way in – and your brand can be there to provide comfort when sickness strikes! Help employees and clients weather the storm with wellness essentials like a branded tissue box for comfort, soothing lotion for self-care, hot/cold packs for relief, a cozy soup mug for nourishment, and a warm blanket to keep cozy when trying to recover.


    In the journey toward wellness, it’s not just about individual wellbeing, but fostering a community that prioritizes health. As we gear up for the season of sneezin’, let health-promoting promotional products become the ambassadors of well-being – and of your brand – spreading comfort and care to your employees, clients, and beyond.

    Check out our collection of health and wellness products HERE.

    Contact us today to set up a call with a dedicated member of our team to discuss how you can offer your consumers everything they need to get through the season of sniffles.

    5 Tips To Be A Great Remote Manager

    The landscape of management has changed significantly with the rise of remote work. In the transition from in-office to remote management, subtle shifts in approach can make a world of difference to your team’s productivity and morale. Here’s a look at what Harvard Business Review thinks sets great remote managers apart:

    1. Enabling Rather Than Enforcing

    Great remote managers act as facilitators, not micromanagers. They empower their teams by removing obstacles, coordinating efforts and providing coaching. This approach builds trust and autonomy among employees, enhancing overall team performance.

    2. Active Engagement

    Presence is crucial in remote management. Managers can stay involved by scheduling status update meetings with individuals and teams. This proactive engagement ensures they are aware of project developments, challenges and opportunities.  This, in turn, allows the manager to offer support which can help gain trust, boost productivity and employee satisfaction.

    3. Clear Communication

    Effective communication is vital in remote settings. When managers clarify priorities, deadlines and expectations, they help to minimize confusion and maximize efficiency. Regular meetings can serve as checkpoints to realign efforts and address any emerging issues quickly.

    4. Proactive Problem-Solving

    Remote environments require proactive problem-solving. One technique to address this is to encourage team members to escalate issues by calling a problem meeting. Problem meetings can follow a naming convention, so team members know what to expect on the call. For example, a “mosquito” meeting can be called for minor concerns, while a “dragon” meeting can be called for critical challenges. This approach ensures swift resolution and fosters collaborative problem-solving.

    5. Compassionate Check-Ins

    Beyond work-related matters, great remote managers prioritize regular check-ins to connect on a personal level. These interactions build trust, strengthen team cohesion and support employee well-being by reducing feelings of isolation common in remote work.

    Effective remote management is about more than overseeing tasks; it’s about empowering and engaging teams to thrive in a distributed environment. By mastering these strategies, managers can create a positive and productive remote work culture that drives success and satisfaction.

    Want a more in-depth look at these tips? Read What Great Remote Managers Do Differently from Harvard Business Review.

    Why Letting Employees Goof Off Boosts Productivity

    As more studies focus on how the employee experience affects productivity, we are learning that the old-school approach to business isn’t the most productive. Gone are the days when overworking employees without encouraging breaks is the norm. The journal Work & Stress conducted a study titled Some positivity per day can protect you a long way, where they discovered that when employees watch a funny video, they can regain lost emotional energy and self-control, leading to better focus.

    While it may sound counterintuitive, research shows that short, lighthearted breaks can lead to more satisfied and more productive employees.

    Work requires emotional effort. Whether employees are dealing with colleagues or customers, their regulatory resources become depleted. Think about how you feel after receiving an annoying email. Trying to stay calm can cause you to feel drained and leaving you less creative and unable to focus on other tasks.

    “This is where positivity comes into play: Watching a funny video increases feelings of positivity,” Professor Vera Schweitzer, researcher at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, explains. “Such positive emotions allow employees to protect their regulatory resources even after dealing with resource-consuming self-control demands. In turn, this positively affects their effectiveness at work.”

    Schweitzer and her fellow researchers found that watching funny, unoffensive videos, typically three to five minutes in length, was effective in helping employees replenish emotional resources, remain engaged and enjoy working.

    The researchers suggest organizations have a resource with recommendations for videos, such as a daily newsletter or that they share a “joke of the day”. In doing this, employers are able to foster employee effectiveness and increase comradery as workers can bond over discussions of the media.

    Learn more about this research with the press release Why silly distractions at work can actually be good for you.