There are workplaces that change your life. And then there are the ones that make you question humanity.
I’ve worked in both.
Let me start by saying this… the best wasn’t perfect, and the worst wasn’t always awful. Life rarely deals in absolutes. But in both places, the scale clearly tipped in one direction.
Here’s the plain truth about workplace perks. Free coffee and snacks don’t mean a thing when your dignity’s being stripped. People will forgive mistakes. They won’t forget mistreatment.
Company culture, in general, sets the expectations for how someone will be treated when they interact with your brand, your business. Whether it’s on social media, in a store, or even just sharing about an experience over margaritas at a weekly girls night, people are going to share how you made them feel. And you want it to be good, right?
A Tale of Two Companies
I won’t name names. (Even though I really want to.)
My hope is that the “bad” company has since cleaned up its act – and if they haven’t, well, let’s just say I’m keeping things anonymous to avoid any lawsuits.
As for the “good” company, I’m no longer with them, but I truly hope their culture has stayed strong. Toward the end of my time there, the boat was rocking a bit. Some decisions, dynamics, and personalities made things feel less steady. I hope they figured out what (or who) was causing the wobble. Because when it was good, it was really good.
The reality is, culture shifts. Sometimes with new leadership. Sometimes with new team members. Sometimes just with time.
But the goal?
Build a culture so deeply rooted in your values that when lean times or tough situations (or tough people) come knocking, you stay true to the experience you want your people to have.
The good organization, flawed and imperfect like every place, did some things really, really well.
They Created Space for Joy and Rest
They had a Sunshine Committee. Not a “forced-fun” crew with a balloon budget (I’ve been there, and we’ll get to that at the end). This was a group that showed up with intention: handwritten notes, snacks, small gifts, laughter, employee appreciation lunches. They facilitated Wellness Wednesday (aka Walking Wednesday). Yep, we literally had permission to take walks during the workday, and they paid us for it. Sometimes it was a walk-and-talk. Sometimes a solo stroll. Eventually, it evolved from Walking Wednesday into Wellness Wednesday. We did yoga. Colored in coloring books or were encouraged to create a self-care plan for ourselves. A few times, they had a masseuse donate their time for 10-minute chair massages. The point was, we were encouraged to take a moment for ourselves.
That company also offered flexible scheduling and a hybrid environment. People took their full PTO. We actually rested. (Which we really needed, because we also worked incredibly hard.) You know what happened when people weren’t expected to burn themselves out to prove their worth? They came back with ideas. With clarity. With capacity.
Rested people perform better. Rested people are creative. Rested people don’t send rage emails.
They Allowed People to Show Up as Themselves
There was no strict dress code. We wore what made us feel confident. We were allowed to personalize our work spaces. We brought in plants. Hung up our favorite quotes. Played music – within reason, of course, and only when it wouldn’t disturb others.
That environment gave people permission to show up authentically. And when people are free to be themselves, they show up more energetically, more compassionately, and more consistently.
They Made Room for People to Grow
We weren’t boxed into our roles. Growth was encouraged. People were promoted from within. Titles shifted to reflect evolving responsibilities and skill sets. We chose the training we wanted to attend. Nobody was stuck. And when someone outgrew the company? We celebrated them. Kept in touch. Invited them back to the annual Christmas party.
Because when growth isn’t just about the job, but about the person, real transformation happens. When people feel invested in, they invest back.
They Led with Humanity
One of my colleagues once asked me, gently, when my divorce would be finalized. That day, I came into my office to find a gift that still brings tears to my eyes.
There was a note – saying I mattered, and that she didn’t exactly know how to support someone going through something so difficult, but she was trying her best. Inside was a soft blanket, hot cocoa, a beautiful mug to sip it from, a stress-relieving candle, and a wooden tote that held it all together.
It was simple. It was thoughtful. It was one of the most human things anyone has ever done for me in a professional setting.
She didn’t need a DEI committee to tell her how to care. She didn’t need a playbook for empathy. She just led with her heart.
Then There Was the Other Place…
I once sat in a shared workspace while my colleague vomited into a trash can beneath his desk.
He had to put customers on hold while he puked. Over and over. For hours. And none of us could do anything to help. We just sat there, stomachs churning, praying we wouldn’t be next.
Why? Because he’d tried to call in sick that morning. But he was reminded that if he didn’t show up, it would count as an unexcused absence. And he already had too many.
So there he was.
Hunched over a trash can.
Pale and sweating.
Working between heaves.
Above him, a helium balloon with the company logo bobbed gently, tethered to his desk. One of dozens scattered around the office. The spirit committee refreshed them weekly.
You know… for morale.
“Unexcused” didn’t mean he didn’t have a doctor’s note. It meant he hadn’t planned his illness two weeks in advance, as required by company policy to take approved sick leave. You were allowed to get unexpectedly sick three times a year. The fourth? Grounds for termination.
And yes, they absolutely fired people.
I worked on a specialized team of top performers. Think employee-of-the-month types. The ones who trained others, who hit goals that saved the company money, people who genuinely cared. Not that there should be a hierarchy, but if there was, we were near the top.
This man wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t gaming the system. He was doing his best in a system that asked him to prove his loyalty by sacrificing his health.
That kind of culture doesn’t build morale.
It doesn’t build strong teams.
It builds trauma responses.
He had little kids – who, let’s be honest, bring home way more germs from school than gold stars. So yeah, he got sick more often than the rest of us. But he still showed up, sniffles or migraine in tow. Because he wanted to.
But this time? Because he had to.
And what did that culture offer him in return?
Punishment.
Disposability.
And a helium balloon.
What Does This Have to Do With Brand Strategy?
Everything.
When I talk about marketing and branding to my clients, I have to talk about company culture. Because your brand isn’t just your logo, or your sales copy, or the shade of green on your packaging. It’s how people feel when they work with you. It’s the experience you create – from the inside out. Culture and brand are not separate. Culture isn’t just words in a handbook. It is how your brand behaves when no one’s watching. Culture is whether you make people feel like valued human beings, or disposable labor. Culture is whether your people get to go home at the end of the day feeling proud and supported, or sick and scared.
You get to choose the kind of culture your brand builds. Make it a good one.
If you don’t? It can go horribly wrong.
If you ever meet me in person, I’ll tell you exactly who that bad company was – and all the other reasons why I’ll never do business with them. Spoiler: I have an entire list of nightmares. Culture can spark killer guerrilla marketing or become your worst branding nightmare. People talk. And they’ll talk more about what you did wrong than what you did right. But here’s the bottom line – people matter.
So if you’re a business owner, a team lead, or anyone with influence – look at your people like the living investments they are. They’re not machines. They’re human. They grow. They evolve. And when you pour into them, they give back in ways that grow your brand from the inside out.
Are you building from trust?
Leading with compassion?
Creating a culture worth being proud of?
Or are you tying balloons to cubicles while someone suffers with a trash can at their feet?
If you’re ready to build a brand and culture worth believing in, I’d love to help.
Curious how to get there? Let’s chat.