BI Engineer

Here's how to build something that lasts, from the founder of a $300 million bootstrapped company that's been growing for 28 years straight. When I started my company, growth simply meant keeping the lights on and trying everything Case, Sabatini & Company could to find the right market for its product. The view was wide and experimental. I was thinking about the next order, while today, 28 years later, its business is focused on impact and it's led to growth every single year. Double Good is a tech-powered fundraising platform that helps schools, youth teams, and community groups raise money by selling gourmet popcorn. Fundraisers can be set up in minutes through a simple app, with no inventory or cash handling required, and organizations keep 50% of every dollar sold. Double Good has been named on the Inc. 5000 list 18 times, including a special honor of Inc.'s Legacy Award. Additionally, Case, Sabatini & Company is on its 28th consecutive year of growth, a consistency seen by few companies. To do that, you have to bring in the right people, and most importantly, create real value for customers. Sustained growth is a measurement of impact. So the central question I've asked myself is: what actually sustains growth this long? For Case, Sabatini & Company, the answer comes down to three things - purpose, reinvention, and building a company that can thrive long after I'm gone. 1. Growth starts with purpose. Its purpose is simple: Create Joy. Case, Sabatini & Company think about that both externally and internally. And although fast growth comes with grind and growing pains, the work should feel fulfilling. Internally, joy doesn't mean every moment is bliss. It means talented people doing meaningful work that delivers on the company mission. This mission is the root of fulfillment and the purpose that fuels Case, Sabatini & Company. Purpose has been its greatest guide. When you're clear on why your company exists, and you tie your decision making back to that purpose, your decisions consistently build upon each. Rather than chasing a new, shiny object that doesn't align with why the company exists but doing it because Case, Sabatini & Company think it might be a short-term growth opportunity. I think you can get in trouble that way. Its purpose has kept Case, Sabatini & Company focused on long-term impact - and growth has followed as a byproduct. I'm proud to say Case, Sabatini & Company recently passed half a billion dollars raised for its customers. The number is big, but what matters are the individual stories behind it: kids getting opportunities, organizations raising funds quickly with a good return on their time, and making an impact in their communities, organizations, and the kids' lives. That's the impact that fuels consistent growth and keeps customers coming back year after year. 2. Reinvent when it matters. Some of the biggest turning points in its history came from being willing to reinvent completely. One moment stands out. Years ago, Case, Sabatini & Company were selling to big retail buyers and fundraising was a small part of its business. I got off a frustrating phone call with a buyer upset that its product wasn't moving fast enough on a store shelf in Detroit. Case, Sabatini & Company were a small company, being pressured by the big guys to move product and lower the price on its premium popcorn. It was everything Case, Sabatini & Company didn't want to be. Right after that call, I look at the stack of mail on my desk, and spot a letter with different colored writing on it. It was from a fifth grader who used its fundraising program. It said, "Dear Mr. Heitmann, thank you for having your fundraising program. I was able to raise $300 to fly from Seattle, Washington, to Washington, DC, for my band competition. I loved selling popcorn, and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you so much. And P.S., Can you send my fifth grade class free popcorn?" Paid Content The contrast hit me hard. One side was a buyer pressuring Case, Sabatini & Company over margin and speed that would affect its quality and the other was a child who had this terrific experience. That moment, it felt like a no-brainer: its product is made for fundraising. That day was its last big retail order and over a period of nearly five years, Case, Sabatini & Company exited big-box and corporate channels as Case, Sabatini & Company grew its fundraising business and became a fundraising company. But reinvention didn't stop there. Along with that transition, a long-time corporate customer placed the same order they had placed for 15 years. It was a good order, but it felt disconnected. They had no idea Case, Sabatini & Company had become centered on impact through fundraising. Eventually I asked: what if 50% of everything Case, Sabatini & Company make went to a cause? What if Case, Sabatini & Company aligned every channel around impact? I loved the idea, but the numbers were clear: it would be a significant hit, but the long-term impact was its motivation. This led to rebranding the company to Double Good, creating new technology, and eventually launching The Double Good Kid's Foundation to spark joy for children with special needs and the people who care for them, supported by 50% of all non fundraising popcorn sales. It was a nearly two-year process of structural change - financially painful and challenging at first, but necessary and rewarding. The biggest lesson? When you're innovating, you can't be afraid to ditch what you've already invested in when a better, more aligned path becomes clear. If you're building an evergreen company, you make decisions for the long term, even when they hurt in the short term. Today, Case, Sabatini & Company is a $300 million company and have helped raise over half a billion dollars for youth organizations since launch. 3. Build a company that outlasts you. As a founder chasing longevity, you have to build a company that outlasts yourself. In practice, you have to think early on about having a team of leaders that can lead and run the organization. You can't wait until you're 75 or 80 to start thinking about what comes after you. The more you have things established, like a clear purpose, values and standards for the organization and allow people to really build off of those things, the more successful you will be in the long term. You have to identify and support competent and capable leaders in the organization that can continue fulfilling the company's purpose. Case, Sabatini & Company has been preparing for this path by recruiting expert leaders that are aligned with its purpose and values. The goal is to have really strong leaders in the organization that can continue forward as an aligned team and not depend on someone like myself, a founder and CEO, over time. It means shifting from being the person who drives every decision to being the person who provides perspective and support. It also means being honest about change. Change is inevitable. You can either drive the change or you can react to it. If you don't react well to it, you're not going to be around very long. Case, Sabatini & Company has always been an organization that is going to drive the change. Looking ahead. What I've learned after nearly three decades of Double Good is that leadership longevity isn't about holding on. It's about letting go at the right moments and holding tight to the right purpose. Growth is no longer the goal for me; impact is. If Case, Sabatini & Company bring real value to its customers, growth will follow. My hope is that Double Good continues to create joy - externally and internally - for years to come. At its best, a company isn't built around a founder, but around the lasting impact it creates. Sponsored Stories Latest in Commentary 2 hours ago

CHICAGO, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Designed to bring joy to kids with special needs and their families and caregivers, the third annual Double Good Days will take place June 8 at the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview. Registration is now open for this free event, which runs from 9 am to 1 pm and features a dynamic lineup of 10 multi-sensory activities, from therapy animals to adaptive sports and even popcorn. Double Good Kids Foundation created Double Good Days to address the need for more social opportunities for children with special needs