Authentic Leadership in Action: From Bargains to Big Impact

Introduction

 

As President and CBO (Chief Bargain Officer) of the Bargains Group, Jody Steinhauer has mobilized her award-winning discount wholesale and promotional products company to revolutionize the business landscape.

 

As a Canadian female entrepreneur, Jody uses her network of resources and leveraged buying power to aid every company and not-for-profit agency that she touches to maximize their buying dollar. Since 1988, Jody has grown Bargains Group from her apartment to a multi-million-dollar-a-year business. She is also often sought out for speaking engagements due to her successful entrepreneurial business experience, and has been featured in various media outlets, and is an official Huffington Post blogger.

 

Pioneering her belief of “giving back makes good business sense”, Jody is a tireless not-for-profit advocate, and the founder of the national charity, Engage and Change, and its two annual initiatives, Project Winter Survival and Project Water. Through these projects, Engage and Change helps thousands of homeless throughout Toronto and the surrounding area survive the extreme weather conditions while engaging and enabling citizens of all ages to donate their time to their local community through sponsored group engagement events.

 

Jody’s business has expanded to include a social enterprise wing: Kits for a Cause. With a focus on social impact, Jody has built a model for companies to support their local community. Kits for a Cause provides turn-key solutions for businesses to engage their employees while solving local community services’ needs for resources. Her model of “brokering goodness” has worked with some of the top industry leaders in both the corporate and philanthropic spheres.

 

 

Summary

In this inspiring episode of the Cause Leadership Podcast, host David Hutchinson sits down with social entrepreneur Jody Steinhauer, founder of The Bargains Group and Engage and Change. Jody shares her remarkable journey of building a for-profit, for-purpose business that supports countless charitable organizations and communities across Canada.

Together, David and Jody explore the real-world challenges of leading in the social impact space—from navigating post-COVID funding gaps to the importance of resilience and authenticity in leadership. Jody also introduces her groundbreaking initiative, Kits For A Cause, which creatively connects corporations with frontline charities to deliver real, tangible help to those in need.

Tune in to learn how purpose-driven leadership, meaningful collaboration, and bold storytelling can drive lasting change—and why encouragement and recognition matter more than ever for those leading the charge.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, or changemaker, this episode offers invaluable insights on how to lead with heart—and make a difference.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction to Jody Steinhauer and Her Work

03:02 Navigating Leadership and Resilience

05:51 The Bargains Group: A Purpose-Driven Business

08:54 Engage and Change: A Charity with Impact

11:52 Building a Purposeful Team

14:41 Connecting Corporations and Charities

17:40 Stories of Impact and Learning

20:25 Encouraging Leaders in Challenging Times

 

Connecting with Jody:

https://www.bargainsgroup.com/ 

https://kitsforacause.com/ 

https://engageandchange.org/ 

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodysteinhauer/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bargains-group/