The Ultimate Compliment: When Culture Takes Off the Mask

By James Bryant, Director of Culture & Insights

I walked into the office this Halloween morning and stopped in my tracks. Four of my colleagues were standing there—suspenders, suit jackets, beards, and yes, even bald caps—dressed as me. My first reaction was laughter. My second was something deeper: gratitude.

They say imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, and there's truth in that old saying. But as I stood there with my doppelgängers, I realized this moment represented something far more significant than a Halloween costume. It reflected the kind of culture we've been building together at Reconciliation Services—one rooted in like-mindedness, not conformity; appreciation, not mere tolerance.

We talk often about our three foundational tenets: Dignity, Community, and Advocacy. These aren't just words on our website. They're the pillars of how we show up for each other and for every partner and client guest who walks through our doors. But the real magic happens when we go deeper—when we See each other fully, when we Empathize with authentic compassion, and when we Authentically relate as whole human beings.

Here's what struck me about Halloween this year: it's a day dedicated to masks. We wear costumes, we disguise ourselves, we play pretend. And isn't that what so many of us do every day? We mask our hurt, our pain, our struggles, our fears. We show up in protective costumes that hide the beautiful complexity of who we really are.

But what if we didn't?

What if—like my colleagues did this morning—we chose to celebrate each other instead of hiding from each other? What if we took off the masks we wear to protect ourselves and allowed others to see us, truly see us? That's when trust is built. That's when rapport becomes real. That's when the strength within each of us is revealed.

Today, I'm grateful for a team that doesn't just talk about culture—they embody it. They showed me that when we create space for people to be seen, to be appreciated, and to belong, something extraordinary happens. We stop performing and start connecting. We stop hiding and start healing.

So here's my challenge as we close out this Halloween: What mask are you ready to take off? What would it look like to show up more authentically tomorrow than you did today?

Because when we see the beauty in people—when we truly see it—all things become possible.

With gratitude and suspenders,

James Bryant
Director of Culture & Insights
Reconciliation Services