Joe Kiedinger and Alex Bougie standing in office lobby for a photo

The Dignify Story

Our roots go back to 2002 when J. Kiedinger Advertising started in a humble ranch-style home on 9^th Street in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Initially, serving clients in advertising and marketing, it was Servant Leadership that drew the interest of our founder, Joe Kiedinger, even more. This new passion led Joe down a path of more than 20 years of research about leadership.

Along the way, Joe discovered the idea for his life-changing, patented technology, Dignify, while playing a board game with his stepson, Alex. Having struggled for a few years to communicate effectively with his pre-teen, he suddenly realized that he was taking the wrong approach.

Alex wasn’t like Joe. Alex was sensitive, thoughtful and soft-natured. Joe needed to speak Alex’s language and follow his rules of communication if they were going to truly understand one another. That’s how Dignify’s first seed was planted.

Today, Dignify is not only our transformative leadership development and communication platform, but it’s also our company’s namesake.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.

The five levels of the hierarchy are physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

In today’s world it has been found that the top three levels of the pyramid are not being adequately met.

Though we are more connected today, it has been found that people are lonelier than ever and having a harder time fostering healthy, long-lasting relationships.

With the rise of social media presence and comparison culture, individuals are often measuring their self-worth against unrealistic standards set by others. This can result in feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

People are also experiencing a lack of fulfilling opportunities. Many find themselves stuck in jobs or situations that do not allow them to pursue their passions or fulfill their potential. Limiting opportunities for self-expression and personal growth.

This is why Dignify has made it our mission to help people unlock their true potential and spread dignity to the world. We do so by helping others satisfy these three needs on the pyramid through emotional data and practical applications.

What We Do

We help leaders like you who are seeking a system for building relationships, developing their employees and improving communication.

How Do We Do It?

Using Dignify’s curriculum, coaching and technology to create sustainable and profitable growth for organizations.

Our Mission

To bring dignity to the world.