Last month we wrote about how March Madness creates the kind of belonging that stops people in their tracks — millions of people connected not by basketball, but by a shared experience that makes them feel part of something bigger. If that post got you thinking, this one will give you a framework to act on it.
That same month, our owner John was at ACG San Diego CapCon26, where Grin Events had just wrapped hosting our Game Show for a room of professionals from across the San Diego business community. Before heading out, John stayed for the keynote. Tom Penn, CEO of San Diego FC, took the stage — and the first thing that landed was this:
“It’s not a brand, it’s a bond.”
For John, those words weren’t just inspiring — they were a perfect description of everything Grin Events is built to do.
How SDFC Built Culture Before a Fanbase
Tom Penn didn’t inherit a fanbase. He had to earn one — in a city that was getting its first top flight soccer club and had every reason to be skeptical.
From the very beginning, SDFC made a decision that set them apart. Rather than planting a flag downtown and calling it a day, they set out to represent all 18 cities of San Diego County — from Oceanside to Chula Vista, from La Mesa to Imperial Beach, from the coast to the border.
That decision lives at the heart of their crest. The central design, known as The Flow, is a circular symbol made up of 18 lines, each one representing one of the 18 cities of San Diego County, all woven into one. It is not decoration. It is a statement of intent: we belong to all of you, not just some of you.
As a result, early matches drew over 28,000 fans to Snapdragon Stadium, merchandise sales broke records, and SDFC went on to have the most successful inaugural season in MLS history. But here is what made it all possible — Tom was intentional about the order. Authenticity first. Culture second. Performance third. Most organizations chase performance and hope culture follows. SDFC built the foundation first and let the results speak for themselves. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty. You have to build it.
What 18 Cities Teach Us About Connection
Think about what SDFC actually did. They took 18 different cities — different cultures, different zip codes, different identities — and wove them into one shared community. Not by telling people they belonged, but by designing an experience that made them feel it.
That is exactly what building company culture through connection looks like inside an organization. Your team is made up of different departments, different personalities, different backgrounds, and different roles. The goal is the same — weave them into one.
But connection doesn’t happen by accident. It has to be designed. Just like SDFC made a deliberate choice to show up in every corner of San Diego County, great leaders make a deliberate choice to create shared experiences that bring every corner of their team together. A strong workplace culture isn’t something that emerges on its own after enough time in the same office. It is built — intentionally, consistently, and with the people at the center of every decision.
Why Shared Experiences Build Culture
Here is what struck our owner John as he listened to Tom on that keynote stage — we had just spent the morning doing exactly what Tom was describing.
Our Game Show isn’t an icebreaker. In fact, it is a bond builder. It creates the kind of shared moment that crosses every line on your org chart — the moment a VP and a new hire are on the same team, competing for the same answer, laughing at the same thing. Those moments don’t happen in a meeting. They don’t happen on a Slack channel. They happen when you create the conditions for them.
People don’t remember the agenda. They remember the moment they laughed with someone they had never spoken to before.
Just like SDFC’s 18 lines woven into one, intentional team building pulls people together who might never naturally connect. It is the mechanism that turns a group of individuals into a team — and a team into a culture. Hearing Tom articulate that from a completely different industry, in front of a room full of business leaders, confirmed what we have always believed: employee engagement and genuine human connection are not soft outcomes. They are the strategy.
Your Team Deserves a Bond, Not Just a Brand
Last month we said your team deserves a bracket for belonging. This month we will add: they deserve a bond, not just a brand.
Tom Penn walked into San Diego and asked how do you earn a city’s trust. We think every leader should be asking the same question about their team. Not how do we build a culture deck, but how do we earn the kind of loyalty that fills a stadium — or in your case, fills a room with people who are genuinely glad to be there together.
If you are ready to be intentional about the culture you are building, we would love to be part of it. Let’s talk about what we can bring to your next event or offsite.
And if you missed last month’s post, start here.
