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As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving is in the air. Businesses have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities during this time of year. 

At Transcend Ideas, supporting local nonprofits is a core value of ours. This year, we were a sponsor for GAP!’s Annual Luncheon and helped support some of our favorite organizations, ABC – Above and Beyond the Classroom and Valley of Tetons Library & Teton Arts, through the Community Foundation of Teton Valley’s Tin Cup Challenge.

Here’s why businesses should consider donating to nonprofits during the holidays and throughout the year:

Benefits of Giving Back

• Build a positive reputation and create impact in your community
• Boost employee morale and engagement
• Allow your business to engage with the community in a meaningful way
• Enjoy potential tax benefits

Identifying the Right Nonprofits

When deciding how to give back, consider the following:

• Which nonprofits align with the values and mission of your business or you personally?
• What causes do your employees care about?
• Remember that local giving can have an even greater impact on your community.

Donation Strategies to Give Back

There are several ways businesses can support nonprofits:

1. Direct Monetary Donations: Write a check and donate directly to a cause or nonprofit.
2. Donate a Portion of Sales: For example, local coffee shops in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley donate a portion of Pumpkin Spice Latte sales to People Spread Love each fall. 
3. Year-Round Giving: Consistent support throughout the year can create a greater impact. Consider setting up a recurring monthly donation. 
4. Fundraising Events: Organize or co-organize a fundraising event for a nonprofit like “Pilates and Puppies” where Core Studio, a pilates studio in Teton Valley invites patrons to enjoy a pilates class with adorable puppies from Aska’s Animals Foundation.
5. In-Kind Donations: Contribute non-monetary goods, services, time, or expertise.
6. Volunteer Time: Offer paid time off for employees to volunteer.
7. Discounted Rates: Offer discounted services to nonprofit clients. For example at Transcend Ideas we offer non-profits 20% off our services!
8. Participate in #GivingTuesday: Join the global giving movement on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 and give in a way that best aligns with you.

Spreading the Word and Setting an Example

In addition to direct giving, businesses can support nonprofits by:

• Sharing information about the nonprofits you support on your business’s social media channels
• Encouraging your employees to get involved and support the causes they care about
• Providing a community board in your brick-and-mortar location for nonprofits to share their messaging

Remember, while holiday giving is commendable, consistent support throughout the year can create an even greater impact. By incorporating these strategies, your business can make a meaningful difference while strengthening its community ties.

Do you want to increase your holiday giving in the Tetons and aren’t sure where to start? Reach out to our team and we’re happy to share community resources and non-profits we work with in our every day work to channel your charitable giving to where it can make the biggest impact.

It’s 2023 – better later than never!

Every time a new year begins I feel optimistic for a better year ahead. I’m so humbled by ringing in our 2nd year as a small business. Every single year there are new things to learn, boundaries to set, and new positive habit forming. Because of this positive progress, I’m looking forward to happy every day! I’ve already attended two workshops having to do with goal setting and efficiency that have really brought forward a lot of great things to the surface.

This year I envision a year with more rest, more boundaries, more time outdoors, play more, efficient working hours, more love, more taking care of myself, date night with my husband, more travel especially in our RV, steady workflow but not necessarily more work. (Digital vision board made with Canva)

Here’s to a new year as I enjoy my 39th year on the planet, going on 40!

Great resources to use to work more efficiently and to be happy every day:

• Tomato Timer – Pomodoro
• Asana
• Time blocking
• Passion Planner – this planner I used for the first time and it’s extensive but a great way to stay on track with your passions (your work and personal goals)
• Playlist with “Focus” music/tunes – no lyrics, instrumental helps focus the mind on the task
• Good old fashion lists – generate your lists per week, this helps put these to-do’s out in the open

Would you add anything to our list? What tools do you use to find happy every day? Schedule a time to get coffee with us and discuss, we can’t wait to hear from you!

ICYMI

• 
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Do you have more than 10 tabs open on your browser right now?

Try this, close them and JUST focus on this blog post. Go ahead, I know you can do it. Our minds can not be completely quieted. It feels virtually impossible but we can help focus our minds on one thing at a time. We are meant to have thoughts pop-up constantly throughout our day. In fact, there are thousands of thoughts a day. The truth is that we can begin new routines in the noticing. Maybe you are reading this right now and have looked at your phone a few times. Have you put your ear buds in listening to a podcast?

I just listened to a podcast myself which allowed me to get curious on why I make the decisions I do. I decided to sit down and focus my attention on writing this out. The wonderful Brené Brown seems to always capture my attention and focus with her captivating guests she has on her Dare to Lead podcast. This topic became even more attention grabbing because, well the text states Focus and Attention.

Dr. Amishi Jha explores how the brain works around focus and attention. Her pivotal moment hit while raising her 2 year old and realized she couldn’t possibly give attention to her work, her child and her husband without really working on focusing her attention. Rather than this myth of multi-tasking. I too grew upset that that’s not really a thing. Dr. Jha uses the analogy of a flashlight to indicate attention on a specific person, place or thing. When we shine our light we can take in that information and connect.

Bold Takeaways to Focus to Truly Connect:

1. Close tabs on your browser.
2. Notice when you pick up your phone – Ask yourself: “why did I did I pick up the phone in the first place?” If you have already picked the phone up, now put the phone back down.
3. Meditate – I know a daunting practice but with enough dedication, refocusing can become achievable.
4. Acknowledge when you are task switching – Instead of the multi-tasking (formally called) which turns into fact task-switching, where we perform one task then switch and do another task then another and so on. That’s exhausting! Phew.
5. Attention and focus means you can have true connection.

Focus to Truly Connect

Why I find this fascinating in this world of people and why I am writing this on our branding and marketing business blog? Well, I am floored by human beings and how with research we can unearth truths we haven’t thought much about but perhaps have struggled through quite a bit. As a marketing and branding company I strive to better understand the people I want to reach. We are all bombarded by the intake of news, social media feeds, and advertisements. Although much of what I just listed on getting your attention helps amplify my client’s messages I also know that we all don’t need the added noise and overload but we need to truly connect.

Focus to truly connect transcends mere mindfulness. When we connect and align with one another we can better build lasting relationships. That’s the best way to stick in our consumers’ minds, connecting often couples with being seen and heard. Our content writer, Meredith made an excellent point in her answer to a question: “Do you have advice to a business that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?”

Her excellent answer: “It’s simple, ask the people what they want.”

Focus. Notice. Ask. Connect.