A few years ago, my friend, the late John Ruhlin taught me the concept of taking the extravagant and making it simple while taking the simple and making it extravagant. He would send sheets of steel as thank you cards to clients, which I promptly had to adopt into my own business. These things are legendary and blow my clients minds. Because they do cost $6-10 each we don’t send them to everyone, but for people you really want to make a strong impression on…these sure do the trick. This one goes out to a client who just booked me for a speech in April. It’s always good for people to see us practice what we preach.

Hello Gratitude friends! Today I went to an inspection with a client that has lifted my spirits and become a great friend. I had written her a gratitude note and when I handed it to her it sparked a conversation about what I am doing and why. She shared the most beautiful story with me that I thought I would share with you.. She was born in Cuba during the transition to the Castro regime. Her family was wealthy in Cuba but saw the writing on the wall in Cuba and decided to come to America. They left behind everything they had and made it to an area in New York with a 2 bedroom apartment, no car, and nothing to speak of the wealth they had once had. She doesn’t even have a copy of her birth certificate! Her dad was a very proud man and knowing that he left to protect his family, he did not wallow in the decision or the outcome. He just put his head down and worked… very hard… all the time. When my client was older and had a family of her own she wanted to thank her dad for all of this sacrifice and hard work and sent him a note. Last year, when her father passed away she was tasked with packing up his home and she found her note that she had written years ago in his nightstand… right on top. She had forgotten writing it but could tell that her dad had read it many, many times over the years. She said that in a very dark moment in her life, as she faced the loss of her dad at 62 (he never even got to retire..) she knew that this note she had written to him years ago had brought him peace and that she had no regrets for things unsaid. Her gift to him became his gift of peace to her in her time of sadness.

Late to this but plan to participate as fully as possible. Took up a similar challenge with John many years ago and the experience was transformative for me and my relationships with some of the recipients.