The Importance of Giving Back as an Entrepreneur

As the school year has started for my three kids, I’ve taken some time to think about community: what it means to my children, as young people striving to make a meaningful difference in the ways they are able; what it means to my incredible team, who have done such a great job of building community right in our own office; and what it means to me, as an entrepreneur. Like many of you, this last year has been just as busy as the ones before it. The business continues to grow, new brands are being developed, and my kids are getting older (by the second, it often feels like!). Yet among all of this, the idea of doing good for our community – my community – has endured.

At Prizm Media, our efforts to give back are focused on a few areas, from local causes in homelessness, addiction, and mental health, to international causes such as the Gaza and Rohingya crisis. As someone working in the healthcare space, I get to see every day the impact that the right medical product or service can have on someone’s quality of life, to give them that lift they need to keep fighting their battle. By supporting causes that benefit those going through an incredibly difficult struggle, I hope that we are able to provide that same “lift”. My co-owner and I value the importance of helping out the next generation of entrepreneurs feel both capable and empowered to start their own businesses. Through the lessons learned from our years of experience, we want to pass that knowledge forward. Although being an entrepreneur may be one of the toughest professions out there, there’s beauty and fulfillment behind it, and I encourage people to not be afraid to pursue it. Doing good is good – and everyone knows that. But why? Let me tell you what I think:

Fundamentally, giving back helps people. There are so many incredible causes out there – whether it is health, children, arts, environment, or animals – and supporting any of them do something special to help someone else. It’s an indescribable feeling to know you’ve made a difference in the life of someone who needed it. It’s how we ensure that we remain united as a community, and that we are building a society that we are proud to hand off to our children. It’s also a way for us to step up It’s important, and it helps people.

As an entrepreneur and a parent, I’m more and more conscious of the way I am communicating: am I helping people feel empowered? Am I positioning myself to be accessible for questions or feedback? Am I making enough time to just be present? There’s no easy answers – and I think that most parents or manager would agree. One area I do feel strongly about is that giving back – and doing good – is one of the best ways I’m able to set a good example to the people I work with. Nothing is more motivating than to see my team come together to make a difference for others, and to see their own passion for giving back start to develop. It’s the best feeling to see them brainstorm ways to grow your company’s philanthropy efforts and put those pieces into action. For our team, it has been a really special way to bond together, and I would recommend it to any entrepreneur looking for a team building opportunity.

I feel that because my team understands why these causes are important to me, they also understand me better as a leader. As a result, I am able to manage more effectively and there is a deeper level of respect throughout our culture as a whole. As a father, I am always proud to see the ways in which my children have given back to their own community – be it their school, their sports team, or their neighbourhood. It would be the greatest honour to know that that behaviour was, in some small part, influenced by the ways in which we as a family have decided to do good for our community. Which brings me to my last point…

I recognize that the team I have today may very well not be the team that I have forever. I also recognize that my kids are (despite my best efforts) going to grow up and forge their own paths. For my team, I hope that they take away the importance of giving back – especially giving back through your workplace – into their future roles, and help cultivate an environment of caring wherever they go. For my kids, I hope they remember the following simple lesson: Doing good is good. It helps people. It sets an example. Good creates more good.