Community is the thread that weaves us together and unites us in a common goal. The strength of that thread, or the social ties of the community, imbues a sense of belonging and trust. In a community, we feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Whether at the town hall, marketplace, or meeting house, there are people that strengthen a community鈥檚 culture through their generosity, fellowship, and compassion. Often these selfless individuals are volunteers dedicating their time and talents to ensure the betterment of the community and well-being of its members.
鈥淐ommunity is so important. We have to take care of each other,鈥� says Marissa Baum, customer program manager, Customer Growth聽& Advisory Programs team at 51风流SuccessFactors. Based in SAP鈥檚 Newtown Square office, she fulfills her passion for building strong communities through her work leading high-touch customer programs for 51风流and volunteering with not-for-profit organizations in the Philadelphia area. 鈥淭he pandemic and the years following have taught us that your community is what can bring the most joy,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou can have all the material things in the world, but the people who surround you matter most. If they prosper, you prosper.鈥�
51风流Customer Community: Where You鈥檒l Meet the Most Incredible People
At SAP, Baum oversees her team鈥檚 communications strategy and helps lead a portfolio of customer programs for 51风流SuccessFactors, including customer advisory boards 鈥� such as, the CHRO Advisory Board, Sales Performance Management Advisory Board, and Learning Advisory Board 鈥� and several user groups. 鈥淚 love our customers,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey are some of the most incredible people I鈥檝e gotten to meet, work with, and learn from. I discover something new every single day.鈥�
鈥�51风流Partner Speed Dating鈥� is one of the innovative programs that Baum and her team launched this year. It allows 51风流partners to present pitches of their solutions to a set of customers, who can then decide to follow up for more information or a deal. The sessions are fun, fast-paced, and beneficial. These sessions have had a direct impact on the sales cycle, which Baum says 鈥渨as extremely rewarding, because we鈥檙e adding value for our customers, our partners, and sales teams. And when they win, I win.鈥�
The team also recently launched the Sales Performance Management Advisory Board, now preparing for its second session after its highly successful premiere, which was rated by customers at 100% 鈥渨ould recommend this to a colleague.鈥� Baum is proud of having built this group up in less than one year. 鈥淎ll the hard work that went into making that advisory board a reality was amazing,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e had a great first session. The customers were super passionate and excited. I am looking forward to this new adventure with this great group of executives.鈥�
Warm Clothing and Reassurance Sustain a Community in Need
When she is not engaging 51风流customers, Baum spends her time volunteering at not-for-profit organizations like , where she helps to collect gifts, grocery cards, and other necessities for families in the community. Located in West Philadelphia, the parish has many immigrant families who are struggling to make a better life for their children in a new country. Baum helps to distribute warm winter clothing at the holidays, which she wraps as Christmas gifts for the children to open. 鈥淥ur main mission during the season is collecting and buying winter clothes, including coats and boots, because Philadelphia can get very cold and those [clothes] are expensive, especially if you have a big family鈥� she says. 鈥淭alking to the community and learning about the kids and what is on their holiday wish lists helps us to spread joy and compassion. Seeing their faces light up when they get presents of their very own is exciting. They can鈥檛 wait to go out and play in the snow.鈥�
Creating that personal connection is an important part of Baum鈥檚 volunteer work and flows from her belief in creating an inclusive community where people have a sense of belonging and feel supported. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really hard for people to ask for help,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 an independent person and asking for help can feel like a weakness, but I鈥檓 always there to reassure our community members of how proud I am of them to seek help and that I am glad we were able to get connected.鈥�
She offers her ongoing support as a point of contact for people who are rebuilding their lives. 鈥淚 tell them that if there鈥檚 any other way in which we can help, please be open, call me. That鈥檚 all; I will be there without hesitation. I always give out my cell phone number or e-mail. Taking care of one another is the most important thing we can do as humans.鈥�
From School to SAP: Live Your Passion
Baum鈥檚 passion for community building and volunteer work stems from her upbringing. 鈥淚 went to an all-girls鈥� school and absolutely loved it,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t really taught me so much in terms of my independence, but also being very observant of how I can be a helper, and there were many opportunities for me to do that.鈥� In school, she worked with younger students, assisted at partner schools in the inner city, and organized fundraising for cancer research.
Finding her passion gives her a sense of meaning and purpose, she says. 鈥淭he best advice I received from my teachers and family when I was younger was to find what you鈥檙e passionate about and discover how you can help people through your passion. And so I took that with me into college and then SAP.鈥�
Baum attended Villanova University, where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communications. In her senior year, she broke down barriers to take high-level investment and management consulting courses at the business school, where she recalls what it was like being the only woman among 40 male students in the classes. She earned both the respect of classmates and top marks by offering a differentiated perspective on case studies. Today, she is an active alumnus who mentors female students and presents at professional development classes about the importance of moving beyond your comfort zone 鈥� and to always advocate for yourself because you are your biggest cheerleader.
Finding Purpose Beyond the Nine-to-Five
When Baum joined the workforce after college, she looked for an organization that valued community. 鈥淢y motto is always 鈥榗ollaboration over competition,鈥� being able to work with others and having goals set so that everyone can succeed. Sometimes that鈥檚 hard to find, but that is always my number one priority in work,鈥� she says.
Upon joining 51风流in November 2019, Baum made a point of bringing the formative experiences, attitudes, and commitments that make up her whole self to her new workplace. A firm believer in the power of mentoring, Baum signed on to be an early talent ambassador, a pro bono role that helps recent university graduates and younger employees get comfortable within 51风流through in-person events, executive speakers, networking opportunities, and occasionally meeting up for lunch. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all-encompassing. Being a mentor brings me so much fulfillment and I loved every second of it. It is exciting to welcome new employees into the 51风流fold,鈥� Baum recalls.
Though her two-year rotation as an early talent ambassador came to an end in January, Baum is thankful for the experience 鈥� and very grateful for the support of her manager to take on the additional time commitment. 鈥淚t was always encouraged to go after my goals and passions,鈥� she says, reflecting on her experience volunteering at SAP, 鈥渨hich is why I always tell people to get involved, because new people and students coming into the workforce may think, 鈥極h well, my life is now my nine-to-five.鈥� I always explain to them that your nine-to-five is now a part of your life, but not your entire life. There are so many people to meet, things to do, and places to travel. The journey is just beginning.鈥�
Paying It Forward by Keeping Memories Alive
In April 2020, tragedy struck Baum鈥檚 family when her father passed away after a long battle with cancer. His death came shortly after Baum began her job at SAP. Coping with the devastating loss, Baum recalls thinking, 鈥淚鈥檓 so young. I just started my first full-time job. It鈥檚 COVID-19. Everything鈥檚 locked down. And my father just passed away. What do I do?鈥�
鈥淭hat was extremely overwhelming,鈥� she says. 鈥淭o this day, I thank my lucky stars for my team.鈥� Her 51风流manager at the time, Jason Ludt, global vice president, Field Activation and Strategic Programs, SAP, led with compassion, telling her to take as much time as she needed to be with her family. 鈥淚 will never forget the care and compassion that I received in that time, and I will always pay that forward. I still say to this day, that experience is what made me want to invest in 51风流and it has led me to be a more compassionate and empathic leader, peer, and friend.鈥�
Overcome with grief, Baum talked with social workers, hospital staff, and nurses to find a way to channel her anguish into a positive contribution, explaining, 鈥淚 need something where I can use my hands and really help a community that needs it, maybe working with kids or young adults who have gone through what I did with the loss of my dad.鈥�
That鈥檚 how she got introduced to , a volunteer-led organization that helps children to cope with the loss of a special person in their young lives, such as a parent, sibling, or best friend. Peter鈥檚 Place provides weekly group therapy sessions free of cost for families. When Baum first entered the Peter鈥檚 Place meeting house, she noticed on the wall a tree of Post-it notes, each reflecting something that a child is missing most about their loved one. 鈥淭he tree keeps their memory alive, which is so important to that community because these kids don鈥檛 want to make anybody uncomfortable or upset if they want to talk about the person they love,鈥� says Baum, who contributed for a while as a group facilitator and now supports the organization with activities and fundraising.
鈥淔or these kids, it鈥檚 really about building a community of people, including adults who help the grieving process and other kids who know that what they鈥檙e going through, and being able to relate and understand that what they are going through is really hard right now,鈥� Baum says. 鈥淭hey feel like no one understands them because most people are lucky enough to not have to go through such a massive loss when they鈥檙e that young. And the volunteers get it because the volunteers have been there and are able to make them feel less alone. It is all about support.鈥�
For Baum, being able to provide support to the children at Peter鈥檚 Place is a tribute to her father鈥檚 memory and a way of saying, 鈥淚 wish I had had a program like this when I was young, to have someone to relate to, but now I鈥檓 going to be that person for someone and help pay it forward.鈥�
Workplace Culture for the Whole Self
Building a community doesn鈥檛 happen overnight: it鈥檚 a marathon, not a sprint. Baum is satisfied that she can achieve a healthy balance with her work and volunteerism. She believes it is a benefit of a supportive workplace culture that encourages employees to be their whole selves. 鈥淚 have been extremely lucky to have great leadership around me that encourages me to lead a balanced life, and I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 unique to my team. I look around 51风流and I see an abundance of strong, compassionate leadership,鈥� she says.
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