How Gratitude and Connection Power Our Global Team
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
By Jessica Munday
When I launched Custom Neon (formerly Neon Collective), the idea came to me while I was on maternity leave, searching for a name sign for my son’s room. I never set out to be an entrepreneur or a global business owner, it was meant to be a small side hustle renting wedding signs. But within months, our hire calendar was booked a year in advance, and we were selling thousands of dollars’ worth of signage each week.
That $250 idea has grown into a global brand that has generated more than $60 million in revenue, with offices in Australia, the UK, and the US. But beyond the growth, what I’m proudest of is the culture we’ve built, one grounded in gratitude, empathy, and connection.
Our company values: We Are Brighter Together, We Light the Way, We Are Powered by Passion, and We Are Ignited by Our Customers, shape every decision we make, from how we support our people to how we serve our clients.
As a business owner, I believe it’s just as important to invest energy in building team morale as it is in customer service training. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t expect your team to deliver exceptional service if morale is low. That’s why we’ve created initiatives that strengthen relationships, encourage belonging, and boost positivity across all levels.
In the office, we hold “Peak of the Day” sessions where employees share highlights from their day, whether that’s outstanding customer feedback, a marketing win, a clever design solution, or a jump in rankings. It’s a simple but powerful exercise that helps everyone appreciate one another’s efforts and creates a real sense of unity.
We also take our team outside the office to connect with our community. From beach clean-ups and tree-planting to product drives for charities like Share the Dignity, these experiences allow employees to bond, give back, and break down barriers between departments. When we return, there’s always a renewed buzz of energy and shared purpose.
Our physical workspace plays a huge role, too. When we built our new office, we designed it to promote camaraderie and collaboration, complete with a basketball play area and breakout zones where people can relax, chat, or collaborate informally. My husband and co-founder, Jake Munday, and I also base ourselves in an open-plan office alongside the team. This approach gives us a clear understanding of day-to-day operations and helps us address issues early, rather than letting them manifest.
Connection extends beyond our walls. With operations overseas, we can’t always visit every team in person, so we’ve increased 1:1 virtual meetings and online team activities like paint-and-sip classes, virtual bingo, and wellness workshops. We also developed an internal intranet to keep communication open and encourage collaboration across time zones.
We’ve drawn inspiration from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, emphasizing belonging and self-actualization as vital components of workplace happiness. Regular feedback sessions, both structured and anonymous, have helped us identify employees ready to diversify their roles, something we might have missed otherwise.
We also implemented a wellness program offering access to counselors, gym memberships, mindfulness apps, and healthy snacks in the office. Personally, I’ve been open about my own experiences with burnout to normalize conversations around mental health and reinforce that vulnerability is strength, not weakness.
Our mission is simple: to ensure every employee feels valued, respected, heard, inspired, and rewarded. When people feel that way, morale takes care of itself, and gratitude becomes the natural outcome. Because when your people thrive, your business thrives too.
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