MaximillianGroup: A Company That Found Purpose in Giving Back

MaximillianGroup was always a thriving business, but one day, everything changed. Max Barrett, Founder and Marketing/Business Development at MaximillianGroup, was transforming work processes when he realized something crucial. Despite liking his job and having a great team, the long-term impact of his work was nil. The company was being run into the ground by the executive team, and Max's work was not making any positive impact on people's lives. Suddenly, it wasn't about money anymore.

"Max and his team decided they were done with projects that "paid the bills"

The remains of that company can still be found online, including social media accounts, a YouTube channel, and hundreds of Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints and an F-rating. Interestingly, in all those BBB complaints, the time Max worked with the company showed an A+ rating with some surprising comments praising Max for resolving issues. So, what motivates us to do what we do?

Max spent a couple of years rediscovering the answer to that question until he watched a TED talk that changed everything. The TED talk was "Why We Do What We Do" by Tony Robbins, where Max learned that giving back is what matters in life. Max was giving back to his team and customers at the failed company, but the result of that giving back - job security for employees, pay raises for team members, and company growth - was not going to occur. Max didn't want to be the only one making a positive impact on people's lives just to fatten an executive's income.

Max's team has excellent work ethics and communication that some may feel is a bit underfiltered. Mistakes, successes, failures - everything is discussed and not without emotion. Failures brought up in meetings are met with understanding that there is fear in saying part of a project ended up in disaster. Something many employees would probably be fired for ends up being a moment of true teamwork as corrective actions are discussed, and work is assigned to bridge the gap.

Max and his team decided they were done with projects that "paid the bills" and instead focused on finding projects that could make money and could change lives. As they shifted their focus to partner with underserved communities and nations in developing sustainable economic growth, their success and satisfaction in their projects soared even higher. This was due to the eagerness of the people in these communities to learn and apply the business knowledge and strategies they were given.

Muhammed Dibbasey, pictured in a
Social Media ad created by MaximillianGroup

One of the communities that MaximillianGroup worked with was the Gambia in West Africa. Through Facebook, Max met a motivated and determined young man named Muhammed Dibbasey, who had no formal education but was passionate about making a difference in his community. Though initially interested in hip hop and helping to market a friend's album, Muhammad began working with MaximillianGroup to develop his business skills and learn basic marketing and sales strategies, leading to the creation of Grab Di Mic, the fastest-growing performance event in the Gambia featuring the country's top hip-hop and pop artists. The success of the event led to the founding of a record label distributing West African music worldwide and promoting young artists globally.

The first Grab Di Mic event took place in 2018 when Muhammed was just 21 years old. With the goal of giving his friend and others exposure, he asked Max for help finding a sponsor. Despite being homeless on a beach in Ventura, California, Max gave him the $200 he needed to get started. Now in its third year, Grab Di Mic is anticipating 3000 attendees, a significant increase from the 2000 in their second year.

Muhammad's journey is just one example of the positive impact of MaximillianGroup's partnership with underserved communities. Through collaboration, great things can be achieved, and countless lives can be improved.