Built with heart.

We’ve spent years bringing people together through events and business meetings; being privy to what organizations do well, and what they do poorly. We’ve watched well-intentioned leaders fail to do right by their teams and watched individuals struggle to find a sense of meaning within the corporate culture where they dedicate most of their time.

We’ve also seen people light up when they talk about their work communities and the impact they make on the world.

We want to make that easy for leadership teams by helping them offer experiences that engage employees based on their values. We work to create team experiences that not only recognize employees and their efforts, but that help employees give back to their communities in ways that truly make a difference. 

That’s why we started WholeHearted; so we can help improve culture while supporting important causes and local businesses.

How it started.

Like most Canadians, WholeHearted founder Catherine McGuire navigated the ups and downs that came with the pandemic. A veteran of the events industry, the closure of offices and event venues meant that business suddenly came to a standstill, not only for her but for many others in her network and community. Yet as someone who prides herself on taking action, Catherine’s mind immediately turned to how the effects of these closures would impact those around her, and knew she had to do something.

While watching the early days of the gloomy news forecasts, she and her partner had an idea. Although living through quarantine took its toll, they also knew how lucky they were to both be healthy, and safely working from home. Watching the restaurant industry struggling, and frontline caregivers overtaxed, they thought of a solution that could help both groups at once.

That same night, watching the news, they began an initiative they called Fuel The Superheroes to raise money in the community which would buy healthy, brain-boosting meals from struggling restaurants and donate them to frontline workers with a handwritten note of encouragement with messages from donors. These notes included words like “your work makes a difference, you are our superhero, thank you for all you do, we are thinking of you, you can do this!” etc. This small act supported both industries and had the additional benefit of bringing the community together to support a great cause. Donors and community members alike were able to follow along via social media channels which documented the pickup and delivery of meals, preparation of notes, and photos submitted by frontline workers.

While they initially planned on a one-time donation, Cat and her partner ran the program for 8 weeks due to a surplus of community support – providing meals for ICU doctors and nurses, retirement homes, and paramedics. The recipients were grateful, as were the restaurants that benefitted from the surge in business. 

As messages with heartfelt thanks, photos of the recipients with their lunches, and requests to volunteer poured in, Cat realized that this could also be part of a solution to a greater issue that she herself had witnessed in workplaces – a mental health crisis built on burnout. When employees have a cause greater than just supporting their employer, they’re motivated to do better because they know that something greater than themselves is in play. When employees come to work with a greater purpose, they’re well-being is supported to work (and live) better.

Thus WholeHearted was born and has been doing more good ever since.

VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES | IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES | INTENTIONAL GIFTING

We’re heartened to see businesses paying more attention to purpose. Younger generations of workers are heavily invested in corporate values – they want to feel good about where they work, and they want to feel like they’re helping to make a difference.

Staying relevant in the 21st century means that your business cannot exist in a silo. To be a good corporate citizen, you need to think beyond your four walls – and your employees will thank you for it.

We’re here to help you put your money where your mouth is.