The business of the holidays

We hear it all the time: “It’s not personal. It’s just business.”

But as business owners, we know better. Business is deeply personal. It’s where we invest our resources, values, hopes, and yes—even our holiday spirit.

That's why this month’s newsletter explores the personal side of business leadership during the holiday season: How we give back, gather, and bring our whole selves to our professional and personal lives during this time of year.

Business philanthropy: More than just year-end giving

As a young bookkeeper, one of Jeanne’s most profound lessons about business leadership came from watching her clients' approach to charitable giving. These weren't just perfunctory year-end transactions or box-checking exercises: They were thoughtful expressions of values and vision.

Some clients maintained lists of 20+ organizations they supported annually, each one carefully chosen to reflect the personal values of the owners, the needs of the communities they lived and did business in, and industry resources they wanted to see continue to thrive.

These business owners understood something crucial, and it’s how we approach philanthropy at Creative Business, Inc. Financial support for nonprofits isn’t just about tax deductions, public relations, or even that feel-good element that inevitably comes with giving. It’s about recognizing that your business is part of a larger ecosystem—connected to your community, the causes you care about, and your larger industry.

If you're looking to develop or refine your business giving strategy—especially before year-end, consider these thoughts:

• Look locally. Often, we give to larger organizations because they have more visibility, or have the systems to disperse funds at a higher level. But be sure to also consider organizations in your immediate community where your impact can be most directly felt.
• Engage your team. Ask your employees for recommendations on charitable giving, and allot a certain percentage of your budget to organizations that are important to them. This small gesture lets your team know that they’re seen and heard and that you want to support the organizations that are a part of their lives, too.
• Think holistically. Strike a balance between giving that makes an immediate impact (local food banks, homeless shelters, and school organizations) and long-term change (education, social, or cultural initiatives). One of our favorites for immediate impact is the Children’s Aid Society of New York, where they purchase food and warm clothes for the children who need it most.

Conversation Starters

Leading at home: Adapting business wisdom to family gatherings

As business owners, we pride ourselves on managing team dynamics and fostering productive discussions. But during the holiday season—especially this one—we face a different kind of leadership challenge: navigating family gatherings that might already be a little contentious in the wake of a particularly polarizing election year.

The truth is, the skills that make us effective business leaders are exactly what our family gatherings need right now. One of our favorite books is Priya Parker’s “The Art of Gathering,” and in a recent newsletter, Parker says that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do with gatherings isn’t to tackle conflicts head-on, but to “water the garden” first. That means building the group’s capacity and desire to be together.

We've adapted a few of Priya’s strategies for our purposes here:

• Reframe roles and responsibilities. Just as we look for opportunities to let team members shine in unexpected ways at work, try "deputizing unexpected hosts,” as Priya says, at family gatherings. That quiet relative who's always on the periphery? Maybe they're the perfect person to create a Spotify playlist for dinnertime or lead a game they love. When we give people meaningful roles, they invest differently in the gathering's success.
• Create new conversational patterns. Instead of having the same debates (which can all too quickly veer into politics), seed fresh discussions with story-based questions: "What's something you've changed your mind about this year?" or "What was the best new thing you tried?" When you can help the people that you’re celebrating with reflect rather than react, you also help people share more of themselves—and that’s never a bad thing.
• Design for connection, not conflict. Sometimes the best breakthroughs happen away from the conference table—or in this case, the dinner table! Whether it's organizing a family game before dinner or staging an impromptu karaoke session, shared activities can create connections that conversation alone cannot.

When it comes to creating connections, there’s more in common with business and family than we might think. It’s all about creating the conditions where conversations can emerge—not forcing the hard stuff.

Give yourself the holiday gift of CTA compliance

One last reminder that if you haven’t filed your Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) report, you’ll need to file by January 1, 2025 (if your company has been in business since before 2024). Here’s a quick rundown of what the CTA is and how to file:

Here's information on the CTA at a high level:

• Deadline: January 1, 2025, for existing businesses; 30 days from formation for new businesses
• Who's Exempt: Public companies, regulated entities (banks/credit unions), and larger operations (20+ employees and $5M+ revenue). Everyone else needs to file.
• What to Report: Basic business information and details about owners with 25%+ ownership or leadership roles
• How to File: Submit your Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report at www.fincen.gov.

Not filing could result in significant penalties, so it's important to get this done. Questions? We're here to help—just reach out!

Sum Stuff for Your Radar

Morning Brew's 2024 Gift Guide

What it is: A beautifully curated gift-giving list.

Why we like it: We're all about holiday gifts that are thoughtful, intentional, and best of all, unique. Morning Brew's guide checks all of those boxes (and more!).

Creative Business Inc. "Best of 2024" Book List

What it is: A dozen of the books our team loved the most this year.

Why we like it: Pretty self-explanatory, right?

Adding it all up...

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

As business leaders, we often segment our lives: here's business, here's family, here's community service. But during the holiday season, these lines naturally blur. We bring our leadership skills to family gatherings. We express our values through charitable giving. We let our teams see more of who we are beyond the Zoom calls and weekly meetings.

Gandhi's words remind us that these aren't separate paths, but a single journey. When we serve others—whether through our businesses, our holiday traditions, or our charitable giving—we don't just make the world better. We discover new dimensions of ourselves. As you close out this year, consider how you might bring more of your whole self to all you do. Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give is simply showing up as who we truly are.