By: Candace Press, SVP of Operations at Thnks
In the startup world, each day is its own adventure and things change almost daily. As the first employee at Thnks, I can attest to the need to pivot quickly and solve problems as they arise. I’ve seen the early triumphs and the growing pains of building a successful company from the ground up. We’ve seen tons of exciting growth, and in my opinion, a large part of that has been keeping gratitude at the center of everything from our first days.
Here are some of the best ways to use gratitude in your business from day one.
- Use what you have now to the fullest. Part of leveraging a gratitude mindset means being aware and thankful for the things you have now as you strive for the things you want tomorrow. When I started at Thnks, I quickly realized my fresh excitement and enthusiasm was only going to take me so far. There were many challenges and issues that inevitably came up in the early days and being resourceful was a life-saver for me.
- Learn about and appreciate your teammates. As the team expanded, it was important to have a hands-on approach and learn everything I could about the roles my teammates were playing. In order to be successful, I had to adopt a learner’s mindset and stay in that frame of mind for years.This helped me develop a deep understanding of the different facets of the company and what each person was doing. Additionally, I found an equally deep level of gratitude for the knowledge and talents each person brought to the team. Learning constantly, not only in respect to business, but also about the people that help power a business is a tremendously motivating force as a company grows. Knowing that we are all using our unique abilities collectively to build something new and sharing our gratitude for the contributions of others is very important to building a positive company culture.
- Keep gratitude consistent. The most important part of scaling our startup was remembering to hold tight to the values we started with. There were many changes and moments we faced uncertainty, but creating a strong foundation of gratitude was the most valuable component of our growth at Thnks. We went into our company with strong ideas about who we were and what we valued as professionals and people, and we’ve stuck tight to those ideas ever since. The consistency of our shared values has been a lifeline, especially in the tough times.
With these ideas as a cornerstone, I’ve had the privilege of watching our business grow from 1 to over 50 employees. As exciting as our growth has been, I personally find more satisfaction in knowing that every interaction has placed gratitude at the center. Believing in our core values has made the uncertain times easier, and the successes even sweeter.
Thnks can help you take steps to use gratitude to build your business. Within seconds, you can show them your appreciation by searching for a gesture, personalizing a note, and sending it off via SMS or email. Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo, or click here to learn more about expressing gratitude in business!
