Do You Budget For Your Values?

Miles AG is a different kind of company. Based outside Atlanta, GA, this is a company that works with business customers virtually. But the mission and values are very real.

Miles AG was founded in 2010 by husband and wife team Bryan and Shannon Miles. They founded this company to glorify God while providing meaningful, flexible work opportunities for professionals across the country.

You read that right. The owners use their business to glorify God.

This is accomplished through a number of subsidiary companies, each with a specific business focus:

• eaHELP provides virtual executive assistants.
• Render provides virtual webmaster services.
• Ellipsis provides virtual writing services.
• MAGBookkeeping provides virtual bookkeeping services for churches.

The stated mission for each company is the same: to glorify God by sourcing people and services that ignite a leader’s possibilities and results.

The core values of each company are also the same:

• GOD – He is our number one. He gets the glory, not us.
• TEAM – We are all in this together. We run to our problems, challenges, and opportunities.
• PASSION – Our passion to serve others demonstrates our leadership.
• GRATITUDE – We are thankful and our gratitude drives our actions.
• VISION – We are leaders in our industry. We refuse to accept the status quo. We have the vision of what can be.

Based on my values research, the first and fourth values – GOD and GRATITUDE – are unique. Yes, there are other companies that list God as a core value. But it’s rare. The same is true for Gratitude.

When I spoke with Bryan and Shannon, I discovered something else unique about the value of Gratitude. They budget for it.

Budgeting for Gratitude

You know a value is important when a budget has been assigned to it. At Miles AG, they budget for gratitude, including: gifts for customers; gifts and support for employees and contractors; and support for those in need in their community. They’ve even created various programs to promote this value.

Frugal WOW

Gratitude is encouraged with customers and teammates through a program called “frugal WOW”, an inexpensive way to make someone feel valued. This concept was first introduced by loyalty expert Fred Reichheld, and has been expounded on by others. But the team at Miles AG have actually implemented it, as highlighted on the company blog:

• BBQ spices to someone who loves to cook.
• Monogrammed guitar picks to someone who loves to play.
• A candy bar, $5 gift card, or a book for an employee (as an unexpected gift).

Everyone working at a Miles AG company is encouraged to intentionally look for ways to go above and beyond the expectation of both clients and team members – without spending a lot of money.

Pay It Forward

Budgeting for gratitude is not only a corporate responsibility. It’s also expected from everyone associated with the Miles AG companies.

Employees and contractors are encouraged to give back through a program called “Pay It Forward”. It lines up those in need “when life gets hard” with those who can help. Bryan and Shannon believe that “we’re all stewards of our resources, and need to manage them to serve those around us as best we can.”

Through the “Pay It Forward” program, both the company and team members have been able to help many others in need, such as a church hit by a hurricane, or a contractor whose car broke down. According to their website, as of January 2016, this program has distributed more than $23,700.00 to those in need.

Impact on Culture

In one of their blog posts, Bryan Miles’ assistant – Paige Atkins – writes about the impact gratitude has had on the company culture:

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear someone mention their gratitude. When you work for an amazing company, you always have something to be thankful for. What I have found, however, is that when you are grateful, it changes a lot of things about you. Practicing gratitude is a healthy exercise. Dare I say, it will help you live longer (or at least happier).

There is clearly much power in the value of gratitude. As the founders of this company, the Miles have embraced a statement Bryan’s former mentor once said:

“Gratitude is a lasting motivator for change.”

In other words, budgeting for your values can produce a meaningful return on investment – for everyone.