Innovation

Castle & Cottage Realty Inc was established 5 years ago by Katherine Bordelon. Ever since, social responsibility has been embedded in their culture. Katherine wanted to create a culture that was about more than producing profits and selling houses. Her and her team established the Castle & Cottage Company Employee Volunteer Program (EVP). By requiring each employee to compete 10 hours of volunteer work a month, employees are encouraged to engage with their community and build connections. By having volunteerism embedded in their mission and culture, they were able to benefit their community, have a farther reach, and increase profits.

Through the EVP, Castle & Cottage is able to build a stronger community while creating a positive business model and boosting profitability. Some examples of community outreach C&C include funding a new playground at a foster care home and donating a percentage of their quarterly sales to help plant 50-100 trees a year in lower income areas in Orlando. They also have gone and given bags to the homeless with food and other essentials and have lead quarterly conferences with speakers talking about sustainability and market innovations. Katherine is also a board member for the Pride Chamber in Orlando supporting LGBT communities and Teach for America Orlando encouraging excellent education for all children. These are just some of C&C's forms of outreach they are apart of that help increase their impact.

The EVP encourages business members to build a stronger community through making connections. Castle & Cottage is made up of Katherine Bordelon (Owner/Broker) and four real estate agents. By reaching out to other small or locals businesses, they are able to make a larger impact while also increasing profits. Supporting sustainability and community outreach is just as much, if not more of a focus that profitability. This business model has proven to be effective and has lead to a better, more sustainable community.

Castle & Cottage team members at event supporting Pride Chamber

Inspiration

Katherine Bordelon had been a realtor for 30 years prior to establishing Castle & Cottage in 2016. While debating getting her broker's license, Katherine felt that any other place did not have the same values she had. Katherine valued sustainability and using your platform as a business to make a positive impact on society. Her and a team of agents that she was mentoring went on to decide to start up Castle and Cottage.

The lack of focus on sustainability and social responsibility within the market encouraged Bordelon to take initiative and start her own business. After talking with her, it is very evident she is passionate about what she does. Bordelon stated that, "I hope to make an impact through what we do, even if it's just one person." No matter the size of the organization or project, you have the capacity to make a difference in just one person's like by the way you treat them. Castle & Cottage truly understands the value of community and selflessness. Profits is not their main concern. Katherine is motivated to make a positive impact on her community no matter the size.

It is very obvious that volunteerism and community outreach is embedded in the culture at Castle & Cottage. Katherine made efforts to create a positive business environment striving to create positive change. By having her employees serve 10 hours of community service acts she is able to make sure that her mission and values are carried out. Katherine is motivated to make a difference and has been very successful in doing so. She is pioneering in her industry a business model centered around volunteerism and has proven it can be successful.

Overall impact

Castle & Cottage and the way they operate their business has a positive effect on all stakeholders and companies impacted. By imbedding social responsibility and volunteerism in their mission and culture they are fighting to make a good impact on all members involved. In the short term, they are supporting their community and engaging with more people. By being involved with volunteer work on a daily basis, they are able to make and keep relationships with people, growing the potential impact they can have.

In the long term, they will see their business flourish and the community along with it. By making consistent efforts to strengthen local areas, over time you will see it begin to pay off. As members of their team continue to go into the community and build relationships with other businesses and individuals, overtime those connections will prosper. When you build a community around yourself of supportive members, you are better prepared to continue functioning as a business and to make decisions. This business model has proven to be nothing but beneficial to all members. Over time as the business continues to build connections it will continue to grow is size and profits.

Business benefit

Adhering to social responsibility as part of their business plan has led to increases market opportunities. By having consistent relationships with other small businesses outside of their market, they are able to open up their field of opportunity. More clients, larger community, and higher profits are all results within the business. As stated in their Social Responsibility Engagement Constitution, employees are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workspace. Castle & Cottage values their employees along with their opinions, wellbeing, and feelings. They recognize that employees are more likely to thrive if they feel they are in a safe and welcoming environment where they feel as though they are understood and heard. Having social responsibility is not just being mindful of the community, but also people within the organization.

Castle & Cottage also places emphasis on who they chose to partner with. By partnering with other small businesses within their community they are able to make a larger impact. Choosing to stay away from larger corporations leads to them being able to have a larger voice in the ways they are making an impact. They chose companies outside of their regular market in order to reach a larger audience. In doing all of these things, the organization is able to increase their profits because they have widened their reach and opportunity for growth. Having your business dedicated to making an impact outside of your own direct impact sets you up to make a greater difference in the world around you. This model shows that by giving back to the community, your business itself is also benefiting.

Social and environmental benefit

reach, gain larger profit, and having a greater impact.

Castle & Cottage is dedicated to making a greater impact on their local community. They support multiple non profit organizations that are focused on creating better change within our society. Some of these organizations include the Pride chamber, Teach for America Orlando, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, One Heart for Women and Children, and many more. These partnerships have led to many lives being impacted. Members of C&C are able to have a voice in areas they may once wouldn't have had the opportunity to. Their core values include power of the individual, commitment to education, and social responsibility. As a corporation, they believe it is their responsibility to use the platform they have been given to reach other communities and areas in need.

Each employee is required 10 volunteer hours per month as stated in the Castle & Cottage Company Employee Volunteer Program (EVP). This program encourages employees to build connections and relationships with others inside their community. Katherine Bordelon, the owner of C&C wants her employees to be conscious of the social impact they make and strive to leave a positive mark. In our interview, she spoke of the time C&C was able to build a new playground for a foster care home and plant trees in neighboring communities. By having social responsibility a part of their company culture and mission it ensures the business is having a positive impact on the city of Orlando. Castle & Cottage is a group of like minded individuals working to make profits but more so make a difference and help their community throughout their day to day lives.

Interview

Katherine Bordelon, Owner/ Broker