How do Our Socially Responsible Businesses Relate to Gratitude?
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it seemed fitting to explore gratitude through the lens of our kinder brand businesses. But before we do, let’s take a look at what research has to say about the benefits of gratitude in the workplace: better teamwork, increased productivity, improved employee retention, happier customers, reduced sick time of employees, stronger relationships and improved health…both mental and physical.
Excited to explore how our kinder brand companies express and experience gratitude around Thanksgiving, I started with my partner, Claudia Rucker, owner of Estetica Mia. Not surprisingly, she does celebrate Thanksgiving with her team over a dinner, but after posing the question to her there was this pregnant pause. I could tell she was considering something and then she added: “What makes Estetica Mia really special is gratitude.
We strive to live gratitude every day and have developed a culture of appreciation where we don’t leave gratitude to chance or only special occasions. We are very intentional about making sure our employees’ efforts and actions are recognized. So in our daily huddles with our employees we express our gratitude to them for living our values and making a contribution to our mission. This really ties our actions to how we want to show up.. We also end our day by connecting with our team and letting them know how much we value them. We want to model this for each other, our clients and collaborative partners. Our ability to do this and support each other in this way allows us to live a joyful life.”
When we finished, I had this sneaking suspicion that gratitude might not be a once-a-year occasion for our kinder brands. And sure enough, that’s exactly what I discovered!
Similarly, Aaron Pick, CEO, shared that Allen Construction strives to create “a culture of celebration” that allows people to feel a strong sense of purpose around their collective goals.As an employee-owned company, they go out of their way every month to make sure fellow employee owners are acknowledged across the entire company.
There is a longstanding tradition of Shout Outs at company events and within internal monthly newsletters that recognize stellar craftsmanship, exemplary execution and collaboration. Teams within the company have celebration gatherings on a quarterly basis to highlight and reflect on collective accomplishments. This can be a team dinner, a day of golf or any other activity that will allow the team to feel rewarded together.Aaron says that “the company’s Core Focus is a clearly stated reason for doing the work they do – to enjoy working and growing together while caring for our planet – which inherently emphasizes gratitude and celebration as a way to enjoy working together.”
They also are consistent about starting meetings with a check-in where everyone shares something good that’s going on personally or professionally, which also helps to promote a culture of gratitude and celebration.
Another one of our socially responsible business owners, Laurence Hauben of Market Forays says that gratitude is a “daily thing” for her. It is at the center of who she is and what she does….”expressing gratitude to the earth and the variety of life forms and their colors and textures…the sensuality of it is mind blowing. I really do see God in a head of lettuce.
And going to the farmer’s market is such a rich experience. You get to engage with the farmers, ranchers, the fisherman and other food providers at a whole different level where it’s not just a commercial but a human exchange …around something we are all passionate about: food. Expressing gratitude to each other for our bounty is a way to connect.”
Laurence also had an interesting twist on gratitude. She and her partner grow specialty fruits of all kinds on their farm, including Mirabelles, a delicate and tasty fruit typically grown in France. Recently, she sent boxes of them to twenty two different customers around the country. Unfortunately, two of her clients emailed to say that ½ of the batch arrived bruised and discolored. Deciding that perhaps they were too fragile to ship, she contacted all twenty two of her clients and offered them either a partial refund for the inedible portions or two complimentary jars of her homemade preserves. To her amazement, only one said “yes to a partial refund”, and three said “thank you, and, yes, to trying her jam”. The majority reached back out to thank her for her offer and tell her that they didn’t want a refund even though some of them had arrived over ripened. They were just grateful that she was willing to grow her specialty fruits. She recalls fondly, “They were so incredibly supportive, responding with gratitude in their hearts for our efforts. I think these types of experiences come back to the central value to kindness and making sure our clients are happy.”
The common theme shared by these socially responsible companies is that gratitude is baked into their companies’ cultures. It is a mindset, a worldview, and a way of life.
So, if you’re looking to feel better about how you consume and choose your service providers, especially around the holidays, consider reaching out to a local owned, socially responsible business. To learn more about the businesses that have qualified as kinder brands, visit: www.monicalenches.com/community-matters.
Or step into the holidays by join our Kinder World of Commerce community on Instagram and Facebook @monicalenchesrealestate.We’ve dedicated the month of November to celebrating gratitude with a different socially responsible business every week.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, and a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to our kinder brands for going out of their way to protect, regenerate and educate our community. Your efforts are making a difference, and we appreciate you very much!