Purpose-driven Insights: Businesses Redefine Holiday Impact

Across cultures and centuries, seasons of celebration have often been paired with generosity. Studies note that communal giving strengthens trust, while modern behavioral science shows that helping others can measurably increase well-being and social cohesion. Even Adam Smith observed that societies thrive not only on markets, but on moral sentiment. In a time when commercial noise can overwhelm meaning, many leaders are quietly rethinking what seasonal success really looks like. Is it volume, visibility, or something harder to quantify—like impact, memory, and connection? This expert roundup explores practical, experience-based perspectives on aligning work with service, and commerce with conscience. Rather than idealism, these insights reflect grounded actions that prioritize people, skills, and shared benefit—reminding us that sustainable goodwill is built through intention, not excess.

Stop Foreclosures, Spread Real Holiday Hope

Running NOLA Buys Houses taught me something about giving. Instead of just holiday promotions, we started helping families stop foreclosures. Getting it right took some time, but helping a family stay in their home before Christmas, that’s what matters. I think other companies should look for chances to offer that kind of real hope, not just more stuff to buy.

Carl Fanaro, President, NOLA Buys Houses

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Elevate Community With Shared Traditions And Service

We tried to get away from holiday consumerism, so we hosted a multicultural workshop where people shared their traditions. That changed everything. Suddenly our staff and community members were connecting, and charitable giving went up. My advice is to focus on letting people contribute their time or skills, not just their money. That’s what actually builds community.

Yoan Amselem, Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong

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Pay For Skills, Lift Team And Clients

December is always a rush. This year we tried something different, paying for training for a few people trying to break into our industry. The results were immediate. My team was more fired up, and clients noticed it too. My advice is to find a small way to help someone. A simple act really does change the whole feel of the season.

Lara Woodham, Director, Rowlen Boiler Services

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Invite Good-Deed Stories, Ignite Culture And Community

At Magic Hour, we tried something different. Instead of the usual holiday campaign, we asked our team and our users to make videos about good deeds happening in their communities. People got really creative, and you could just feel everyone connecting more. My advice is this: give your people an easy way to share the good stuff they see. It makes a huge difference, both for your internal culture and for how people connect with you.

Runbo Li, CEO, Magic Hour

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Promote Neighbors, Win Hearts And Shared Growth

Last Christmas we started recommending other Sacramento shops in our marketing, not just ourselves. People noticed and loved it. Our partners and us both got more positive feedback. Customers really respond when they see you supporting the local community. Honestly, working together beats competing. It lifts everyone up.

Richard Skeoch, Company Director, Hyperion Tiles

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Create Moments, Build Neighborly Goodwill That Lasts

In B2C marketing, I’ve found that generosity at Christmas is really about helping your neighbors. When our Marygrove team built a no-cost outdoor space for a community center, families still mention it’s their favorite spot to gather. That’s why our ‘Family Memories Under the Stars’ campaign focuses on creating moments, not just selling things. Help people connect, and the goodwill takes care of itself. It just works.

Joshua Eberly, Chief Marketing Officer, Marygrove Awnings

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Back Local Causes, Make Brands Truly Memorable

Working with clients on something real works best. We helped one brand offset their holiday packaging by planting trees with a local group, and the team still talks about it. My advice is to support local communities or promote gifts that actually mean something. Do something people will remember, not just another product.

David Cornado, Partner, French Teachers Association of Hong Kong

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Swap Gifts For Executive Mentorship That Matters

You know, instead of holiday gift baskets, we tried something else. We sent a few of our executives to mentor nonprofit founders. The founders got the help they needed, and our people came back saying it meant more than any party. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a way to actually help people, not just do another corporate thing.

Matthew Reeves, CEO & Co-founder, Together Software

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Offer Donations, Share Proof, Shift Holiday Priorities

Running an e-commerce platform, I saw how holiday shopping could change. Last year we let customers donate to after-school programs instead of buying discounted gadgets. Our forums suddenly filled with talk about what kids were learning, not discount codes. My advice is to partner with groups that send you actual photos and report cards from the schools. That’s more real than any sales number.

Cyrus Partow, CEO, ShipTheDeal

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Give Free Tech Lessons, Humanize The Season

Working at UrbanPro, I helped run free tech classes with a local NGO last Christmas. Seeing a student’s face light up when they finally got it was way better than any bump in our site traffic. Forget the sales push for a minute. When you’re actually teaching someone a new skill, the holiday season just feels different, more human.

Rakesh Kalra, Founder and CEO, UrbanPro Tutor Jobs

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Choose Connection, Do Good With Integrity

From a business perspective, I’ve found that Christmas isn’t about the extra push or the extra sales. It’s about connection. For us, this means celebrating in ways that feel good to us and our clients-donating, gifting and slowing down as we focus on the people involved with every purchase instead of driving a relentless sales machine. Christmas is about doing good and doing it with integrity.

Tammy Sons, Founder/CEO, TN Nursery

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Link Desserts To Meals, Lift Morale And Impact

Last Christmas, instead of the usual holiday sales push, we worked with the local food bank. For every holiday dessert sold, we donated a meal. We put it right on the menu so customers saw exactly what their purchase did. The whole restaurant felt different, and our staff was actually excited about work. People love knowing their dessert is helping someone.

Allen Kou, Owner and Operator, Zinfandel Grille

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Pause Sales, Offer Help, Earn Loyal Referrals

We stopped our holiday sales campaign one year. The goal shifted from selling to helping. We spent two weeks just offering free advice and mentorship to anyone who asked. It felt like the right thing to do. And later, those were the clients who sent us the most referrals. Go figure.

Ibrahim Alnabelsi, VP – New Ventures, Prezlab

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Offer Discounted IT, Free Nonprofits To Serve

At Techcare, we started offering discounted IT to nonprofits through our ‘Infrastructure of Kindness’ program. Suddenly, these groups could put their budget toward helping people instead of fixing servers. I’d recommend other companies try something similar. It’s easy to do and you see the change it makes in your own community, especially around the holidays.

Oliver Aleksejuk, Managing Director, Techcare

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Show Real Impact, Beat Holiday Sales Pitches

I stopped doing holiday sales. Instead, we talked about the new website we designed for the local animal shelter. That story got way more response than any sales pitch. People noticed. They can tell when your work does something real beyond the cash register. It feels more genuine, and it works better for our business anyway.

James Rigby, Director, Design Cloud

About Purpose-driven Insights

Welcome to Store with a Heart’s HeartBeat’s blog series, Purpose-Driven Insights, which unites experts and changemakers to discuss what it really means to make a difference. This series offers readers practical advice and novel viewpoints by showcasing insights from leaders in charity, sustainability, mental health, social entrepreneurship, and other fields through insightful round-ups and interviews.

Purpose-Driven Insights offers the insight and motivation required to transform your goals into significant action, whether your goal is to lead with compassion, improve your community, or support a cause that is dear to your heart. Come explore organizational strategies, individual experiences, expert insights, and industry practices that enable us all to make a positive impact on a more compassionate and interconnected society.

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