News, Nuggets, and What’s Worth Knowing

🧂 A Dash of Industry Insights

📆 Mark Your Calendar: National Intern Day is here, and Labor Day + Boss’s Day are right around the corner. These kinds of holidays are perfect for last-minute swag drops that make your culture feel thoughtful. Need ideas? We’ve created a playbook for that.

🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shout-out to Betsy Spetich for winning the desk plants giveaway! Missed out last week? No sweat, we have another fresh giveaway below!

🖥️ Swag + Culture Building Webinar: We’re planning a webinar that’ll explore fresh ideas around swag, culture, and how teams are rethinking employee experience. If you’re curious and want first dibs on a seat, just reply “webinar” to this email and we’ll save you a seat.

The Brand Sauce Playbook

🚨 New HR Playbook Alert

First impressions matter, and for new employees, onboarding is the moment they decide whether to engage or quietly check out.

That’s why we created the New Hire Onboarding Playbook, your ultimate guide to transforming onboarding from red tape into a cultural kickoff.

This playbook helps you build belonging from day one. Companies that nail onboarding see 82% higher retention and a 70% boost in productivity. If you’re still handing out generic swag or missing the moment entirely, now’s your chance to change that.

👉 Just reply “NEW HIRE” to get the playbook sent straight to your inbox, or book a 15 minute demo to see how we can make onboarding your company’s secret weapon.

Lights, Camera, Action

🎥 Ross's Video of the Week

Lately I’ve been struggling with sleep, so I went deep down the rabbit hole of guided meditations, soundtracks, and wind-down routines. This 20-minute NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) session from Dr. Andrew Huberman has been a game-changer.

It’s not actual sleep, but science shows it delivers many of the same benefits:

• Lowers cortisol

• Resets dopamine

• Eases anxiety

• Helps your brain recover from fatigue

If you have trouble falling asleep or just need to power down at night, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s free, simple, and shockingly effective.

👉 Listen Now (or maybe save it for bedtime)

Client Spotlight

 🤝 Meet The Israel Bridge

Long before Brand Sauce was born, Ross Greenstein launched something deeply personal: The Israel Bridge. Since 2006, this nonprofit has helped Israeli student-athletes earn scholarships to top U.S. colleges while proudly representing their culture and identity.

Today, The Israel Bridge has placed hundreds of students at over 200 universities, securing more than $30 million in scholarships. But its impact goes far beyond tuition. These athletes become ambassadors for Israel, confronting antisemitism, building community, and inspiring pride across U.S. campuses. The organization also provides mental health support, Hebrew-speaking therapists, and career coaching to help students succeed both on and off the field.

For Ross, this isn’t just a side project, it’s a calling. When he’s not helping companies elevate culture through Brand Sauce, he’s pouring energy into this mission-driven work.

📣 Our Collaboration

To elevate The Israel Bridge’s mission and community visibility, we launch a branded swag program to help tell the story.

Student-athletes now receive premium Israel Bridge merchandise that they wear with pride on campuses across the country. These items don’t just build identity—they spark conversations and turn each athlete into a walking billboard for the cause.

On the donor side, we created a curated swag experience to thank supporters in a meaningful, memorable way. It’s not just a gift, it’s a chance for donors to rep the mission they believe in and help spread the word through what they wear.

🤝 Partner With The Israel Bridge

Want to get involved with The Israel Bridge? Shoot me a note at [email protected].

Weekly Giveaway

💨 Giveaway Alert: Branded Cigars

Not all swag has to be hoodies, shirts, and Hydro Flasks. This week, we’re giving away a box of custom cigars, branded with your logo. These are perfect for the golf course, closing a deal, or gifting clients with something a little more memorable. It’s fun, it’s different, it definitely stands out.

👉 Reply to this email with “Stogie” and you’ll be entered into our giveaway. The winners will be announced in next weeks newsletter.

Weekend Update

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

A Weekend I’ll Never Forget

After my divorce, something unexpected happened, my kids' mom chose not to include me in their birthday parties with friends. That hurt more than I expected. But out of that pain came one of the most meaningful decisions of my life, I started taking each of my kids on a birthday weekend, just the two of us.

What began as a way to hold onto something I felt I was losing has turned into one of the most beautiful traditions we share. I can’t say this strongly enough, if you’re a parent, and life allows, carve out one weekend a year with just you and one child. No distractions. No agenda. Just time, because time is the rarest, most precious gift you can give.

I’m not trying to preach. I’m not a parenting expert. But I can promise you this, you will never regret giving your child that kind of attention, presence, and love. Those weekends have become my most treasured memories.

This year, Maxie turned 8. She’s wild about horses, her mom’s house has horses, and she rides all the time. I didn’t grow up riding. Horses are tall. 

But when Max looked up at me and asked if we could go on a beach trail ride together for her birthday… what could I say but yes? She knew I’d say yes. She knows I always will.

So there I was, trotting along the ocean on a horse, just me and my daughter. I had no idea what I was doing (and yes, I definitely should’ve worn padded bike shorts), but none of that mattered. I would’ve ridden to the ends of the earth to see her smile like that.

After the ride, we went to a hotel with water slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool. We raced down every slide, and she won every time, of course. We ate out, curled up in bed, watched KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix, and talked about everything and nothing.

It was 48 hours of pure magic. The kind of time that leaves a mark on your heart. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. And I have a feeling Max will too, she’s already dreaming up our next trip.

To my sweet Maxie, thank you for pulling me into your world. For showing me what matters most. For making me brave enough to trot on a horse, and lucky enough to do it next to you.

I can’t wait for our next adventure together.

© 2025 On Demand Global, LLC, DBA Brand Sauce