The Girl Who Gives Back
- Nov 10
- 4 min read
By Megan Dirks
You know that person who can’t stop their wheels from turning when they get really excited and laser-focused on something? The one who looks like she’s got a plan, a purpose, and maybe a little secret up her sleeve. That’s usually me. Not because I’m trying to steal the spotlight, but because I’m the one making sure everyone else shines while keeping the mission rooted in something that actually matters.
I’ve built my life, my business, and my brand around simple beliefs: you get out what you put in, stay consistent, and always have some form of giveback element.
Every time I build something it has the pass the check of: Is this something positive and good I’m creating to put into the world?
I don’t believe business and kindness should be separate things. I think every transaction, every event, every client experience can leave the world a little better than we found it. That’s why I’ve built giving right into the way I do business. Through partnerships with organizations like B1G1: Business for Good, every project or sale turns into something meaningful. Maybe it helps feed a family, plant a tree, or support a child’s education somewhere in the world.
It’s not about waiting for the holidays or the “perfect” time to give back. It’s about making generosity part of the daily rhythm of how we work.
Before the business partnerships and global reach, it started with something small. I was working in a government building in Canada on a paid internship, and every second Friday, the whole place would come alive with a bake sale! Busy corporate workers would come and go through the lobby, with ceilings that reached the sky. Many of us would have a cookie in one hand, and loose change in the other. It wasn’t fancy, but it had soul.
Every muffin, every brownie, every crumb of banana bread helped fund our company Adopt-A-Family programs. However much we raised by fall determined how many families we could support for the holidays. It was simple math, but it carried a lot of heart. And watching everyone come together like that (busy workers, security guards, interns like me) reminded me how powerful a community can be when people actually care. When people apply themselves to something positive as a collective, very similar to my work with The Girl on the Left.
That experience stuck with me. It’s the reason I’ve kept the tradition alive all these years, long after I left that internship.
Now, every year, I run my own Adopt-A-Family and holiday giving programs, both personally and professionally. It’s my favorite part of the season. My husband and I don’t have kids, and we’ve always felt incredibly lucky to have the time and space to give back when so many families are stretched thin.
We don’t just donate and call it a day. We go shopping, wrap gifts, and read wish lists from parents doing their best to make magic for their kids. Essential household needs are taken into account too. Delivery day when we do the drop and get to hand over those gifts, we get to know someone breathes a sigh of relief, and that’s the kind of joy that sticks.
It’s not about grand gestures or being seen doing good. It’s about remembering that even a small act of kindness can shift someone’s entire season. So what can even bigger acts of kindness do?
If you’ve been thinking about giving back but don’t know where to start, here’s the truth: you don’t need a big platform or a fancy strategy. You just need to care enough to start somewhere.
Find a cause that speaks to you. Partner with an organization that’s already doing great work. Get your clients or community involved and turn it into something everyone can feel part of. Platforms like B1G1 make it ridiculously easy to tie impact into what you already do.
And if you’re a small business owner, trust me: your audience loves seeing the heart behind your brand. It builds connection, not because it’s “good PR,” but because people want to be part of something that feels real.
Here at The Girl on the Left, we know transformation isn’t about looking like I’ve got it all together. It’s about standing for something genuine. It’s about keeping compassion in the room no matter how busy business gets.
Yes, I build brands, host events, and love helping women tell their stories. But the part that matters most? It’s knowing that while I’m doing all that, I’m also doing some good along the way.
At the end of the day, I want people to remember that I cared. That I made giving back a normal part of business, not just a seasonal thing. That I used what I had in time, energy, and creativity to make someone’s day a little easier.
Because to me, success isn’t about being the loudest person in the room. It’s about being the one who quietly shows up, gives a damn, and keeps others inspired to do the same.
That’s the kind of legacy I want to build.
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