I make an impact by serving others instead of chasing profit
Logan is one of the longest-tenured employees at Doing Good Works and lives out the company values (Be Kind. Love More. Do Good.) every day. If you’ve ordered promo from us, there’s a good chance you’ve spoken with Logan to do that, and there’s an even better chance that he has genuinely brightened your day! Logan prioritizes relationships with customers and our team and we are incredibly grateful for his leadership.
What is your position with Doing Good Works?
I am the Director of Customer Experience. I help to facilitate the entire promotional product process for clients, starting with an inquiry and following it through to receipt of the order. My position also includes vendor relationships, management, and two other big details: quality control and client satisfaction. In my experience, satisfaction can lapse in typical relationships with clients, but at Doing Good Works we never assume that no news is good news. We tend to take an extra step and make sure that the client is happy with their order and look to see how we can serve them in the future. Today’s world can tend to be transactional, but we look to go beyond the transaction.
How did you come to work at Doing Good Works?
In the spring of 2015, I was working for another promotional merchandising/branding agency and I was not feeling entirely fulfilled. At the time I was on my own personal journey, looking to work for a nonprofit with some kind of giveback. I had never even heard of a social enterprise. I have a very good friend who also happens to be good friends with our VP of Sales, Ron Hopkins. I met with Ron and he thought it would be a good idea for me to meet Scott and Jordan (Co-Founders). Soon after, I met with them both — a few times! — and learned more about social enterprise. For me, it was an amazing realization that you could marry a for-profit business with a social give-back component. I thought it would be an honor to work for an organization that is making a difference, and I joined in August of 2015.
Doing Good Works is founded on the mission that every young person aging out of foster care deserves an equal chance to succeed and access to the networks and tools that can empower them. What does this mission mean to you?
It helps prove that these young people who have been impacted have the resilience to succeed beyond the challenges of their past or the cards that they have been dealt. It has been amazing to witness firsthand the resilience and drive of these young people; they want to succeed and rise above the statistics. What I personally have noticed is that when you give a young person a platform to express themselves creatively, with the understanding that they can simultaneously impact their specific community, their productivity is often higher than someone without that specific experience. To me, that means you can continue to shape your future based on the changes you want to see not only in yourself but also in your local community.
What did you study in college?
I got my bachelor’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management.
What are your career goals, now or for the future?
My goals are to ensure that I always continue to allow business to make a difference in the local community through business needs. I have never felt more fulfilled than with Doing Good Works. Seeing how excited businesses and organizations get because their everyday business transactions make a massive social impact fires me up to get the entire world on board with that thought process! I’m equally as excited to see the thousands of lives that have been impacted by foster care set their course on a different route than what they have been brought up in. I personally cannot wait to see our team at Doing Good Works impact the lives of young people not just in southern California, but across the world.
Can you share one example of how mentorship has made an impact on your life?
Mentorship has meant so much to me and the people I have looked up to were often the ones to shape my own personal experiences. I have a very dear friend whom I consider a mentor — a worship coach — and he has taught me so much in regard to selflessness. Specifically, that you play a unique role in an organization — however that role has been defined — embrace, cherish, and thrive in that role. I am an electric guitarist and I love hard rock. There was a time when I was on stage and all I wanted to do was bust out a solo and make it all about me! I was pulled aside during a rehearsal and told that while I have the skills for that solo, it was more important to work as a team. The solo wasn’t worth compromising the integrity of the team. He also said if I told you to play one single chord, do it with a cheerful heart, understand it’s not all about you, and have a selfless heart.
On the flip side, a young gentleman impacted by foster care received his own apartment after working at Doing Good Works, but he had no idea how to cook and was still eating out. I thought it was a little odd that he ate out every meal, so I asked him about it one day. He told me “I’ve lived in group homes my whole life and I’ve just never been taught.” So, the next day I came to the office with a $20 crockpot. I told him “this device will help you go to work and do the cooking for you. And I will go to the grocery store and show you how to buy supplies for meals.” He had food stamps, and we went up and down the grocery aisles to figure out how to maximize the allotment. I showed him how to put food in the device and how to do the cooking. He was so excited that he did not have to eat fast food and could make meals for himself, and it was incredibly fulfilling. Then we went over how to do meal prep and how to use the range top. And then it was even more exciting to see him put his cooking adventures on social media! Instead of buying chips and soda, he started making his own recipes, and now he has his own channel. He told me that cooking is therapeutic. He has friends over and loves to cook for them.
How do you look to make an impact either through your work or in your life?
I always look to make an impact by serving others because in my experience, it is better than chasing profit. I make sure that I am putting someone above my own personal needs in any way in life. From a customer standpoint, I want people to be treated with the utmost respect. It’s the same thing with colleagues. Treating people with love and kindness and making sure that I am consistent with that is very important to me. It’s the same whether I’m talking to colleagues or mentoring a young person. They have my attention and know I am going to pour my love and soul into that conversation or scenario.
What are your hobbies and outside interests — what do you like to do when you are not working or not in school?
I am a huge musician — I grew up playing the ukulele and bridged into guitar and started to sing and play. So, music is one of my major hobbies. I am also a part-time worship leader and love expressing music through ministry. Fishing is also a huge passion. My grandfather had a fishing boat and I grew up on it. He moved into professional fishing in his later years and I would often accompany him. I really enjoyed learning how to deep-sea fish. I make a trip down to Mexico every summer.
Are there any recent accomplishments you are proud of that you can share — (anything from learning how to boil an egg to purchasing your first car!)
I think one of the largest accomplishments was Doing Good Works’ success in providing life-saving PPE for health workers nation-wide. Nothing was more important than finding ways to provide in the current situation. We were in a unique position to provide PPE to those health and wellness organizations. Given our relationships with overseas manufacturers in China, we were able to get introduced to additional FDA approved factories and manufacturers. We are a branding agency that quickly learned to pivot — and we were able to acquire a large volume of PPE that could save lives. I’m proud of our organization for pivoting so quickly and providing to those in need.
What is your favorite book, tv show, or movie and why?
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. It has been a framework for finding my purpose on this earth. My favorite movie is The Notebook! I am kind of a sap for romance, and the movie was particularly meaningful because my grandmother was dealing with dementia at that same time so it was very relatable.
What is something unusual, surprising, or funny that people may not know about you?
I am very much into pun jokes and making puns. I will often try to find scenarios that work and always employ a pun where I can!
What does Doing Good Works mean to you?
Exactly what the title implies — learning to do good works. In any area of business or personal life, always strive to do good. And to be able to do that with a joyful heart. Our company name is a great and constant reminder that as team members we are doing good, but also for us to practice that as individuals. The company truly embodies the name of the organization.
