Generosity at the Heart of Sidebar: Let’s Amplify Our Go-Giver Spirit

Discover how small acts of generosity are shaping our community and making Sidebar thrive.

Hi, everyone!

With last week’s rollout of our Community Core Values, we’ve taken an important step in shaping the culture we want to cultivate here at Sidebar. These values reflect not just who we are but how we show up for each other—through our actions, our interactions, and our shared commitment to each other’s success. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring each of these values in more depth: what they mean, how they reflect our vision, and how our members are already embodying them to make this community better every day.

This week, we’re highlighting the first of these values: We’re Go-Givers. There’s a reason this value leads the list—because generosity is the heartbeat of our community. Being a Go-Giver means approaching every interaction with the mindset of “How can I help?” rather than “What’s in it for me?” It’s about giving freely, without expecting anything in return, and trusting that the impact of those small, selfless acts will ripple outwards.

At Sidebar, generosity is our superpower. When we give as much as (or more than!) we take, we create a space where everyone feels supported, seen, and valued. A place where connections flourish, opportunities grow, and success is something we achieve together.

We see this Go-Giver spirit alive and thriving every day in members like Robert Ta and Tanjina Shapiro, who have each connected with more than 50 Sidebar members with no agenda other than to be helpful. Or Akshaya Murali and Subha Shetty, who consistently share their time, expertise, and energy to elevate conversations and spark breakthroughs in our discussions and speaker series. And then there are members like Gabriella Angiolillo, Vikas Sabnani, Graham Keggi, Danny Beck, Sandy Huang, Heather Inocencio, Randhir Vieira, Jessica Zoraida, Sarah Alme, Preston Smalley, Wendy Werblin, Vidya Dinamani, Nathan & Sudha Broslawsky, and so many others who have opened their homes and hearts to host Sidebar community dinners—creating spaces where members can gather, feast, and deepen their connections. These actions, whether grand gestures or small everyday moments, are the lifeblood of Sidebar and a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we show up with generosity.

Here’s the beautiful thing about giving: it comes back to you in unexpected and powerful ways. When you contribute to others’ success, you create a culture of trust, connection, and goodwill that can open new doors—not just for them, but for you and the entire community.

This week, I invite you to amplify our Go-Giver spirit. Take one small action: reach out to another member to offer help, share a resource, or simply connect. You never know what might grow from that single gesture.

And if you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It’s an easy read and an important reminder of how small positive actions can add up to have a big impact.

Finally, I want to thank each of you for what you’ve already given to make Sidebar the incredible community it is today. Together, let’s continue to build a community where generosity, trust, and connection aren’t just values we talk about—they’re values we live every day.

Cheers,
Ha Nguyen
Chief Evangelist & Head of Community

First of the new year Sidebar gatherings -- a community dinner graciously hosted by Jessica Zoraida at her beautiful home and a Supper Club gathering in Chicago organized by Marc Plotkin.

Reach out to community@teamsidebar.com if you'd like to host a gathering in your city!