Finding Belonging Beyond the Workplace
Published on September 3, 2025
Recently, I had the chance to attend my company’s Annual Baseball Meet. I work for one of the largest tech companies in Canada, a place with more than 10,000 employees. You’d think with numbers like that, it would be nearly impossible to make everyone feel included. Yet somehow, they’ve managed to create something that brings people together in the most genuine way.
At the meet, teams were formed from different stores and districts across Ontario, and we gathered not just to play baseball, but to build community. I still remember waking up at 5 a.m., buzzing with excitement. At first, it felt like just another corporate event—districts vs. districts, stores vs. stores. But as the day went on, I realized it was much more than that.
It became a day of belonging. A space where anyone—whether a new hire or the CEO—was seen not as a title or a role, but as a person, a teammate, an athlete, a friend. Conversations that might never happen in the workplace flowed naturally on the field and in the stands. This relaxed, hierarchy-free environment made room for laughter, connection, and camaraderie.
Studies show that team sports in corporate wellness programs help break down hierarchical barriers and encourage interaction across all levels of an organization (point32health.org, corporatewellnessmagazine.com). One wellness article even notes: “Some teams… arrived as strangers and left as friends” (cignaglobal.com).
And it wasn’t just about baseball. The organizers went above and beyond—food, drinks, energy boosts every few meters—everything designed to keep spirits high and energy flowing. It felt less like a corporate event and more like a giant family outing.
Reflecting on it, I realized how much the world needs more of this. We’re all searching for places where we truly belong. When a workplace invests in making people feel included, it doesn’t just make employees happier—it makes the world a little better.
Research shows that highly engaged teams experience up to 40% lower turnover, 23% higher profitability, and 18% greater productivity (teamout.com). That sense of belonging isn’t just a feel-good moment—it’s a measurable business advantage.
But belonging isn’t only the company’s responsibility. It’s ours too. We owe it to our coworkers and teammates to create those small moments of connection: sharing a laugh, telling a silly joke, grabbing a Timmies together. You never know whose day you might brighten.
At ImpulsTrip, we believe making friends shouldn’t be so hard. While we work on connecting more and more of you through what we build, we hope you also take the time to connect with the people around you. Who knows—maybe the coworker you share coffee with today will be the person you start a business with tomorrow, or the partner in a future adventure.
Do what makes you feel alive. Keep chasing the moments that keep you going. And above all—go make some more friends.