(A Lemonade Stand Case Study)
On a scale from one to “please, please make it stop,” how tired are you of hearing that “great culture” is the secret to success—with zero practical advice on how to build it? You can feel when a company culture is good and you can definitely sense when it’s bad, but putting a dollar amount on it? That’s tough.
At Lemonade Stand, we had the same problem. We’ve always cared deeply about people: our clients, our employees, even the strangers around our office park. But caring doesn’t always scale easily. It’s hard to track, reward, or sustain without becoming weirdly corporate about it.
Enter Build Then Bless: a software that finally bridges the gap between doing good and doing good business.
We know it works because we use it every single day, and it’s helping our business grow. (Our 52% close rate gives us a bit of evidence, but more on that later.)
From “Nice Culture” to Measurable ROI
When you hear “employee engagement software,” your brain probably jumps to things like surveys, points, and badges. (And maybe an HR email that says, “Don’t forget to fill out your quarterly feelings report.”)
Build Then Bless isn’t that.
It’s a platform designed to help your team intentionally build up your business—through real, human connection—and then help others inside and outside your company. Think of it as a platform for encouragement and generosity that actually moves your bottom line.
The Lemonade Stand and Build Then Bless Collab
I want to paint the picture of how Build Then Bless grows revenue by sharing examples from my time at Lemonade Stand, which is where Build Then Bless got started.
Lemonade Stand is a full-service digital marketing agency trying to bring a human touch to marketing in this very AI-obsessed world. The phrase “Build Then Bless” started as Lemonade Stand’s mission and over the last ten years has become the foundation of our culture and the inspiration behind Build Then Bless the software.
The Lemonade Stand team saw a gap between the idea of a good company culture and actually living that culture. And of course, because we’re a business, we (somewhat surprisingly) found that good company culture really did lead to higher revenue.
Who would’ve thought that being a good person to your employees, prospective clients, and current clients would build your business? Not most business owners for hundreds of years, I guess.
Think of it this way: You go to the dentist with an aching tooth and they say you have a cavity. And then they leave. No next steps on fixing the problem, or any methods for pain relief. Just diagnosing the problem.
That’s how we felt about company culture. Just a diagnosis with no ideas on how to make it better. Or if there were ideas, none of them were measurable.
So without further ado, here is how Build Then Bless has helped Lemonade Stand grow, and how it can do the same for you.
1. Sales: Gratitude Creates Growth
When a potential client meets five different agencies that all say, “We care about our clients,” who do they believe? Usually, the one that proves it.
With Build Then Bless, our sales team started sending small, personalized gifts or notes after discovery calls—not as bribes, but as a thoughtful differentiator. Something like, “Hey, thanks for your time today. Enjoy this cookie [or favorite treat discovered during the sales call] on us.”
Close rates went up. Prospects remembered us. Conversations felt more human.
Because generosity breaks down walls faster than another PDF proposal ever could.
It’s one of the reasons why our close rate is 32 percentage points higher than average. While there are other things that factor into that, our close rate did go up when our sales team started applying Build Then Bless, so the causation feels strong.
If you’re offering the same exact services as competitors, you need a way to distinguish your business. Also, it’s just really fun to send people gifts!
2. Onboarding: Closing the Gap Between Relationships and Results
The first few weeks of any client or employee relationship are critical. Build Then Bless helped us shorten that awkward “getting to know you” phase by making it easy to recognize and celebrate quick wins right away.
In an agency setting, we need time to execute campaigns and figure out a client’s strategy. Instead of waiting a few weeks or months for marketing results, we use the platform to celebrate progress early, like congratulating a new client for launching their first campaign or completing their onboarding.
We lean on the relationship aspect first while we wait for results to back us up. Agencies struggle with churn, especially in those first few months. Build Then Bless helps us delete “perceived indifference” from the equation and reduce churn.
3. Communication: Making Empathy Scalable
You know that one person who remembers birthdays, asks about your dog, and somehow sends handwritten cards on time every year? Build Then Bless basically turns your entire company into that person.
Whether it’s peer-to-peer recognition, celebrating team wins, or responding when a client shares a personal struggle, the platform gives everyone the tools to engage meaningfully—with team members and clients—without it being awkward or performative.
And the result? Lower turnover, stronger trust, and a culture that actually lives out the company’s values instead of just printing them on a wall.
Looking for a few examples of what this looks like? Here’s how I used Build Then Bless to go from distracted, part-time worker to full-fledged Build Then Bless evangelist. And how Brighton Homes and Arrive Home are using Build Then Bless in their own organizations.
4. Operations: Retention and Reactivation (Without the Sleaze)
We’ve used Build Then Bless to:
- Reactivate old clients by sending them something thoughtful (“We miss you, hope things are great!”)
- Improve client and employee retention by celebrating milestones and service anniversaries
- Reduce churn by responding to tough moments with empathy instead of an email
When generosity becomes part of your process, people stick around longer and come back faster.
Here are a few thoughts clients have shared about how Build Then Bless has impacted their Lemonade Stand relationship.
- K. Smith: “The entire team goes above and beyond, even sending thoughtful gifts, and it’s clear they genuinely care.”
- M. Adler: “I searched far and wide before I found Lemonade Stand, and I “hit the jackpot!” Lemonade Stand accomplished everything we needed, and they were an absolute delight to work with. We have continued to work with them for ten years now (on this and related projects), and we remain extremely pleased. Their motto is “build to bless,” and that is precisely what they did for me and for our organization.”
- A. Bell: “Lemonade Stand is an awesome company! We love working with them and they do an amazing job. For example, we had an issue come up on a Friday afternoon that needed to be resolved ASAP and their team helped work with us after hours (on a weekend) to make sure that it was all taken care of.”
5. Offboarding: Leaving People Better Than You Found Them
Offboarding doesn’t have to feel like a bad teen breakup.
Whether it’s a client project ending or an employee moving on, Build Then Bless helps us leave people feeling appreciated. A kind message, a parting gift, or a public thank-you post—these choices build goodwill.
A KPI Worth Measuring
At Lemonade Stand, we actually consider serving others a KPI.
Because when you zoom out, business growth isn’t just about selling more. It’s about creating more value for your clients, your employees, and your community.
When your people are engaged in serving others, something really interesting happens:
- Productivity rises
- Creativity spikes
- Stress drops
- Business grows organically, sustainably, and with purpose
The Build Then Bless ROI isn’t only measured in dollars (though those are nice). It’s measured in the kind of brand reputation you can’t buy with ads.
Why It Works
Build Then Bless thrives because it taps into the most underutilized asset in any organization: the genuine desire to make a difference.
When you give employees an easy, structured way to show appreciation, bless others, and live your company’s mission, you don’t have to force engagement.
That’s what we’ve experienced firsthand at Lemonade Stand—and it’s why we’ll never go back to “business as usual.” Because why not be nice to people and make more money while doing it? I really can’t think of a better combo.
Ready to see what Build Then Bless can do for your company?
Visit buildthenbless.com to learn how to turn your culture into your competitive advantage.
