Thank You
“Thank you” — two simple words that we probably don’t say often enough — and hear even less frequently — at least, not sincerely. And yet, gratitude may be the most important posture to adopt when relating to others. The folks over at Bulldog Drummond have curated a selection of essays on the theme “Gratitude Is A Transformational Attitude” that explains and examines the power of thankfulness in business, leadership, and life. Here are a few of my favorite points: 
“No matter a brand’s size, businesses should treat their patrons like kings and queens. Take the time to know their customers by name, learn their shopping preferences and become more than a means of a product or service. Most important of all, they should let their customers know how grateful they are to have them.” — Len Jacobson, founder of Storyworks
“Gratitude goes both ways—showing appreciation for kindness and returning it. And here’s what’s really important: At the center of gratitude is human connection. Without connection, appreciation tends to be emotionless, which moves us from gratitude to simply being courteous.” Joergen Aaboe, co-founder of Ylixr.
“Gratefulness…creates humility, which if embraced, is a powerful way for leaders to stay connected and true to themselves.” Rich Berens, President and Chief Client Fanatic of Root Inc.,
“When I cracked open my well-worn dictionary I saw a definition that included gratitude having to do with someone’s willingness (and this is the important part) to return kindness, not just be grateful for it. In other words, being grateful means we’re thankful to have something in our lives and are looking for ways to return it, pay it forward and give it back.” Steph Jagger, writer, speaker and coach
And from my post, “The Fruit of Thankfulness,” that profiles three exceptional leaders who practice the art of gratitude, “Thankfulness is a critical posture to assume in business. But it’s not something one can manufacture or fake. It’s a fruit planted in the seeds of humility, caring, and love.”
With these thoughts in mind, I want to say a big, heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the members of the Great Brand Society. As part of their membership in this exclusive group of my colleagues and friends, these folks were given early access to my new book, Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do, in exchange for their honest assessment of it and their help in getting the word out about it. Their responses blew me away (you can read some of their thoughts here) and their help was invaluable in making the book launch a terrific success.
So, merci, gracias, obrigado, grazie, hvala vam, danke, and thank you, Great Brand Society:
- Jack Abbott
- Hilton Barbour
- Vivienne Bechtold
- Brad Bennett
- Marlino Bitanga
- Scott Brewster
- Louis Byrd
- Jennifer Caballero
- Victoria Cabot
- Stephen Denny
- Cammie Dunaway
- Sara Calhas Ferreira
- Lisa Freedman
- Chris Gaebler
- Mike Ganino
- Adam Golomb
- Terri Graham
- Joon Han
- Ray Hartjen
- Chris Heyn
- Larry Hooper
- Hessie Jones
- Caroline Joy
- Joyce Kibe
- Danny Kim
- Sondra Kiss
- Randy Korba
- Bryan Kramer
- Kevin Kruse
- Nick Lambesis
- Matt McKee
- Jeremy Miller
- Katharine Mobley
- Steve Morris
- Sangam Napit
- Olusegun Paul
- Stan Parker
- Paulo Peres
- Ricardo Pinella
- Dionne Rodrigues
- Rusty Shelton
- Alan Sorkin
- Christina Stahler
- Dennis Tafoya
- Michael Tchong
- Carl Thomas
- Mark Tomaszewicz
- Sean Van Tyne
- Stephanie Weaver
- Lisa Wells
- Kara West
- Mark Wilde
- Marnie Wilson