It Pays to PLAY

Kristi Herold

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“All work and no play” makes for a dull workplace…and a costly one.

Organizations that provide opportunities for employees to playfully connect, bond, and build friendships see improvements in retention, engagement, and innovation. Intentional play at work creates a culture that benefits all employees’ physical and mental health and the company’s bottom line.

It Pays to PLAY is a rich resource filled with ideas for play at work—whether in-person, hybrid, or remote—and illustrates how the ROI from play is multi-faceted and exponential. Learn the ways play can be easily and affordably implemented—regardless of your industry—benefiting everyone from the most junior employee to the C-suite right through to the end customer. It truly does pay to play.

Press & Praise

Alex Lieberman, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew

Our team at Morning Brew enjoyed some laughs with a virtual scavenger hunt led by Kristi's team at JAM, and we fully agree with the ideas shared in her book. Playing and laughing together will strengthen bonds among your team, enhancing creativity and innovation no matter what industry you're in.

Kara Goldin, Founder of Hint Inc. and author of the WSJ bestseller Undaunted

It Pays to PLAY is spot on. Great leadership means understanding how to create engagement with your team, and Kristi Herold has definitely mastered this! A must-read for anyone interested in understanding and implementing the power of play.

Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and O2E Brands

Having known Kristi for over twenty years, I can confidently say no one knows the power of play better, and when it comes to injecting fun and play in the workplace, she is worth listening to.

An innate entrepreneur, Kristi Herold combined her passion for sport, business, and community in 1996 and founded JAM (formerly Sport & Social Group), one of the largest adult recreational sports league providers in the world, connecting millions of people through play. When the 2020 pandemic forced sports to pause, Kristi’s team created a new service: providing professionally hosted virtual (and now in-person and hybrid) events to help corporate teams all over the world stay connected through play.

Kristi has been recognized in the Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women and as a top three finalist in the Canadian Women Entrepreneur awards. She has earned multiple Great Places to Work certifications and is a Governor General’s “Queen’s Diamond Jubilee” recipient.

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