Written By JR Robinson

As we look toward 2026, the traditional playbook for business success is being rewritten. If your strategy for the coming year relies on cold outreach, stacking business cards, and transactional networking, you might find yourself running in place.

In this special #getAMPLIFIED feature, we sat down with Jeremy C. Park, CEO of cityCURRENT, author, and philanthropist, to discuss a different path to victory. His philosophy is simple but radical: If you want to amplify your business, your brand, and your personal fulfillment, you must first amplify your service to others.

Here is the blueprint for turning community service into your competitive advantage.

The "CEO in the Bathroom" Theory

We’ve all been to those networking events—the "sharks in the water" environment where everyone is trying to sell something. Jeremy Park notes a hilarious but telling trend at these events: the decision-makers are hiding.

"If you want the CEO, go to the bathroom... they will sneak off... because they get hounded by salespeople all day long." — Jeremy C. Park

The most powerful people in your city are usually introverts who are tired of being sold to. So, where do you find them? You find them volunteering.

When a CEO is washing feet for Samaritan’s Feet or packing meals at a food bank, their guard is down. They are there to serve, not to be sold. This creates a "safe spot" where genuine relationships can form. By volunteering alongside them, you aren't just a salesperson; you are a peer in service. You build trust, character, and depth—the three ingredients that actually lead to closed deals.

The 2026 Strategy: The "Two Nonprofit" Rule

If you want to #getAMPLIFIED in 2026, you need a tactical approach to your community engagement. Park suggests a specific framework for every business leader: Serve with two nonprofits.

1. The Large Nonprofit (The Networker):

   Get involved with a major institution, like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or a large regional food bank.

   • The Benefit: You will learn high-level leadership, understand complex organizational processes, and meet a vast network of people.

   • The Limitation: Your individual impact is a small drop in a big bucket.

2. The Small Nonprofit (The Legacy Builder):

   Find a grassroots organization where resources are tight.

   • The Benefit: They need you. You can take on leadership roles, sit on the board, and use your specific business skills to transform the organization.

   • The Result: This is where you build your legacy and differentiate your personal brand. You can point to specific results and say, "We did that."

The Law of Reciprocity: The Farmer’s Mindset

Park describes his approach to business as that of a farmer. You are constantly planting seeds of good fortune. You don’t plant a seed and demand a crop five minutes later. You plant, you water, and you wait.

This is the Law of Reciprocity. When you are the first to show up and the last to leave, when you help someone find a job or connect them to a resource without asking for a referral fee, you are banking social capital.

"You never really know at what point that's going to yield crop... but all of a sudden you start to look back over six months, a year... all these blessings come your way that would have never happened."

The Antidote to Burnout

We are facing an epidemic of isolation and burnout in the business world. The hustle culture of 2024 and 2025 has left many professionals feeling empty. The cure isn’t a vacation; it’s connection.

Park emphasizes that service is the quickest way to rewire your brain for happiness. Whether it is a student struggling with depression or a CEO struggling with burnout, the solution is the same: Go serve.

When you volunteer, you surround yourself with people who care about others. By default, you are placing yourself in a room full of people who will eventually care about you and your success.

Programs in Action

In the interview, Park highlights organizations that exemplify this spirit. As you build your 2026 goals, look for similar organizations in your community:

• Samaritan’s Feet: This organization serves millions by washing the feet of children and providing them with new shoes. It requires humility—CEOs kneeling to serve children—which breaks down ego and builds immense gratitude.

• cityCURRENT: An organization dedicated to "powering the good." They focus on bringing business and community leaders together not to sell, but to serve, hosting hundreds of free events that uplift the community.

Your Battle Plan

This week, take a hard look at your calendar for the upcoming year.

1. Audit your networking: Cancel the events where you feel drained and sold to.

2. Select your two: Pick one large nonprofit and one small nonprofit. Contact them this week.

3. Plant the seeds: Make three introductions for people in your network that benefit them, not you.

Don't just set revenue goals for 2026. Set impact goals. It’s time to stop chasing success and start attracting it through service.

It’s time to #getAMPLIFIED.