2024 Thnks Gratitude in Business Awards

Anna-Vija McClain: Founder/CEO at Piccolo Solutions

"Anna-Vija goes above and beyond what some CEOs or founders of a company do for their employees and clientele. As a small business owner, she understands and can relate to the need for support from outside forces, and as such she is a tremendous advocate for her clients. She has a hands-on approach, always ensuring she has time to spend with her clients, from a simple check-in call to a lunch meeting to stay connected. She knows what keeps her business moving forward, and that is happy and satisfied clients. Another great quality of Anna-Vija is her humbleness. While most owners embrace the spotlight, Anna-Vija goes the extra mile to ensure her team gets the credit for much of the company’s success. Through her guidance, patience, and mentoring her team excels in all their goals, personally and professionally. Anna-Vija understands that company culture helps shape productivity which trickles down to the clients.

Sometimes philanthropic engagement can seem insincere however I am inspired by Anna-Vija’s ability to set time aside for her community engagement. She is proactive in her volunteerism, whether that is through building awareness, directing programs, or through hands-on activity. It is because of her business platform, which is marketing, that she can take on an active role to help engage and most times direct groups to elevate their reach and end goal. Here are some of the programs that our company / CEO are actively involved in, the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Nashville Emerging Leaders (NEL), BrainTrust, SCORE, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, and the Vanderbilt Women in Business and Internship Program. Even her two furbabies are rescued K-9s from the Nashville animal shelter. In her spare time, if she is not taking a quick 10-second nap, she is pursuing the next opportunity to get involved."

How have you grown your business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

We "say thanks" for referrals promptly with an extra special “Thank You” through handwritten notes and gifts to those whose introduction results in business. Showing extra gratitude for those who think about us has had exponential results, especially when people know we aren't trying to hard sell every one we meet!

What would winning this award mean to you and why should you win it?

Years ago, I was introduced to the concept of "thankitude" - having a baseline attitude of giving thanks. Being grateful is an intrinsic part of me. Recognition for the positive impact that that attitude has had on my team, clients, and community would mean we’re moving the needle forward!

Kylie Neschke: Enterprise Account Executive at Slack (Salesforce)

"If Ted Lasso looked up the definition of Team Player, it would be Kylie Neschke (and potentially Jamie Tartt, if you watch the show you get it). Kylie is one of the hardest working people I know, and yet she always makes time to lend a hand or ear to her peers and core counterparts. Kylie brings a creative perspective to problem-solving and is known for resolving complex customer issues quickly with a smile. She is our team's” go-to” when we need a fresh perspective on getting something done. Kylie has spent time with all of us helping us maximize ACV, crush negotiations, and partner with difficult customers. She is the first call you make when you want to share good news and also when you are having a difficult day.

Kylie was the ultimate VIP team player during account transitions this year when she was asked to stay on an account for an additional few months to ultimately help the new AE close a sizable deal. Kylie went above and beyond to make sure the customer had a seamless experience (the Salesforce and Slack way) and helped onboard the new Slack Specialist. This was way above a standard account handover - Kylie set up multiple meetings and demos with C-Suite executives at the account, followed up by bringing in product managers and specialists, and even helped with negotiations. This is particularly powerful because when this sizeable deal closed, Kylie was not the Account Director, and therefore did not have quota retirement nor did she get ACV credit. Kylie behaved this way because she knew it was best for the customer, the team, and ultimately Salesforce.

Kylie Neschke would be my hire if I get promoted to a management role because she is not only a strong seller, but she makes the entire team better. I am a better seller, coworker, and person, for knowing Kylie."

How have you grown your business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

Gratitude enables me to connect authentically with customers and colleagues by showing genuine appreciation. Expressing gratitude through personalized introductions, milestone recognition, thoughtful support, and gestures (e.g., coffee + donation to Girls Who Code) fosters lasting loyalty and trust, which in turn strengthens partnerships and leads to positive business outcomes.

What would winning this award mean to you and why should you win it?

It will be an honor as it validates my commitment to authentic, appreciation-driven relationships. While my commitment to personalized interactions, lasting relationships, and community-focused contributions have an impact on business outcomes, I am most proud of the compound effect of showing gratitude. My seemingly small acts ripple outwards by inspiring teammates and customers to pass on personalized messages of appreciation to others in their lives. 

Julie Rotan: Senior Manager, Customer Success at Hubspot 

"Julie is the backbone of our leadership team here at HubSpot in the Mid-Market Customer Success segment. She has such a profound impact on several parts of our business, but a big focus for her this year was re-establishing and amplifying our culture. As a segment with 7 teams and 60+ individual contributors (in a company of 6k+ employees) it’s easy for culture to take a backseat at times - especially in a remote world - but thanks to Julie’s work our culture is stronger than it’s ever been. Employee gratitude and gifting was a key pillar of her strategy, and something that THNKS has enabled us to do with consistency and scale this year. As a manager, I’ve gotten incredible feedback from my team on how much even the smallest gesture can mean to them. It’s a fun way to say ’we care about you’ and ’your contributions do not go unnoticed’. We have launched a lot of new plays and strategies this year at HubSpot and to me, our introduction of THNKS was one of the most impactful, which just wouldn’t have happened without Julie leading the charge.

That’s the scale of Julie’s impact - finding new tools and opportunities to just make our lives easier and better at work. Beyond that, she is the most supportive and encouraging individual I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. If you’ve had a tough stretch, she’s the first person to lend an ear (and some advice). If you’ve had a recent win, she’s the first to congratulate and celebrate you. Colleagues like Julie are rare and I am incredibly grateful to work alongside her day in and day out."

How have you grown your business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

Gratitude— it’s something foundational to HubSpot’s culture and an intrinsic part of our DNA. You see because we don’t just build software, we build careers, and we’ve built a company grounded in shared beliefs and values that allow us to best solve for our customers, remain humble, remarkable, and transparent, and thoughtfully invest in our people through the power of gratitude, inclusion & belonging. With Thnks, we’ve been able to amplify our internal recognition and rewards systems in 2024, implementing new programs that recognize incredible work and achievements across our teams, motivate towards stronger metric attainment, and above all, strengthen our team culture & relationships through intentional gratitude practices. More specifically, we’ve created a ‘ReMARKable’ award in Thnks, granted each quarter, that highlights individuals who have truly left their ‘mark’ on our team, on our customers & on our company.

What would winning this award mean to you and why should you win it?

Winning this award would be a true honor & incredible opportunity for us to continue to invest in one of our favorite products of all — our HubSpot culture! As a leader on our Global Customer Success Culture Committee, I hope to use these funds to expand our internal gifting strategies across our 12 global offices, creating additional avenues for leaders and teams alike to share in the power of gratitude with Thnks in 2024 & beyond.

Troy Stevenson: Account Manager at Pegasus Logistics Group

"I’m nominating Troy Stevenson for this award because of his exceptional contributions in fostering both team and individual development. Troy has created a more positive and healthy company culture and consistently goes above and beyond to lend a helping hand.

He had a coworker text that they were having car trouble and would be late. Instead of being upset or going about his day, he immediately went to help them. He wasn’t asked to and didn’t have to, but he immediately went to help because that’s the kind of person he is. He’s always finding a way to help out a coworker or friend. He’s someone you can always count on being there for you. He makes me want to come into work every day just to talk to him and hear his insight. He’s always offering encouragement and support when needed. No matter how tough of a day he’s having himself, he always checks on others and does what he can to make their day better."

How have you grown your business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

Starting from humble beginnings as a dock worker and rising to become an account manager, I've learned valuable lessons along the way. Whether loading a truck with a coworker in 110-degree heat or working in a cool, air-conditioned office, I've come to understand that every individual's job is crucial in building relationships based on trust and communication. By consistently showing up and expressing gratitude, I've forged strong connections through both successes and mistakes.

These experiences have taught me that it's okay to be vulnerable at times, allowing me to be open to fresh ideas. Honesty and commitment in these relationships have built a trust that I am unwilling to compromise. I believe this has helped me to have some of the personal successes that I have had with both my colleagues and my clients.

What would winning this award mean to you and why should you win it?

I pondered this question for a while because it feels selfish. The irony of receiving this recognition now is striking to me, as my mom is in the hospital fighting for her life. In one part of the hospital, an elderly woman with dementia wanders the hall, not knowing where she's going but still able to move. Meanwhile, my mom is being lifted into a chair.

A nurse told me that the woman with dementia has family but they never visit, while my mom is surrounded by support.  I sleep in a chair at the hospital at night with my mom, and then I go to work during the day. The nurse began to cry, saying she rarely sees such a contrast; one woman all alone, while another woman (my mother) has family with her every night.

Grace is showing up for people. Grace and gratitude are so important in this race we call life;  bc they help build the deep and meaningful relationships that are the most important part of the journey. GRACE just so happens to be the name of the organization that Pegasus supports. They provide food and clothing to underprivileged elders and children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. If I win, my donation will be to the GRACE Foundation, because…. we ALL need a little grace at some point in life; and sometimes we need that grace to help us find the gratitude.

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

How has your company grown its business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at its core is a Network of people. Individuals who are committed to positively impacting the landscape of pediatric healthcare either by way of their own means, or via the company they work for, the university they attend, or the hobby they hold dear. Regardless of the “how” they are connected to our Network, at the end of the day they are human beings, and human beings crave relationships. Community. A feeling of purpose.

In our world at CMN Hospitals, it’s the relationships with our donors/partners that we have been entrusted with. It is both an honor and a great responsibility to ensure that those who seek to support our mission to change kids’ health and change the future are fully aware of 1) the impact they are making by doing so and 2) the gratitude felt by those who directly benefit from their generosity.

Each and every day, our teams at both the national and local levels are strategizing and implementing stewardship plans that allow us to effectively and thoughtfully grow our donor relationships, fulfilling the basic human need for the community and in doing so, giving our donor population a greater sense of purpose. Gratitude is a critical component of our day-to-day work.

Each year, CMN Hospitals raises over $400 million for 170 local children’s hospitals across the US. To us, expressing gratitude translates to stronger donor relationships which directly translate into healthier communities."

Leasecake 

How has your company grown its business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

At Leasecake, gratitude is the cornerstone of our company culture. We recognize employees' contributions through shout-outs at our all-hands and personalized gifts to foster a motivated and cohesive team. Similarly, we express our gratitude to customers and partners through thoughtful gifts and social media highlights. As a result, we have stronger morale, stronger business relationships, and improved business outcomes.

Our commitment to gratitude is embedded in our all-hands meetings, which we start and end with shout-outs to employees who have gone above and beyond. These meetings begin with our leadership team announcing an individual who has exemplified one of the company’s core values. This recognition is accompanied by a personalized gift card to one of the recipient’s favorite places, ensuring the appreciation is both meaningful and memorable.

To further this culture of recognition, we dedicate 5-10 minutes at the end of each meeting for an open floor session where anyone can give a shout-out to a colleague. This practice has become so ingrained in our culture that we often exceed the allotted time, demonstrating the genuine enthusiasm our team has for acknowledging each other’s efforts. Everyone at Leasecake has a voice, and we are not shy about expressing how much we value one another.

Our commitment to gratitude extends beyond our internal team to our valued customers. We recognize that customer referrals are among the best sales leads, and our customer success team is dedicated to spreading the love to our customers. We frequently invite customer guests to participate in our educational webinar series, where they share their stories and tips for success. These contributions are highlighted on our social media channels, and we always send a thank-you gift to show our appreciation.

This positive feedback reinforces our belief that a culture of gratitude and kindness is not only the right thing to do but also good for business."

Numeracle

How has your company grown its business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

"Gratitude is the foundation of human connection in business—a principle that Numeracle intentionally prioritizes. Through appreciation in action, we’ve built a trusted network of partners that continues to grow, proving a genuine human connection is the linchpin of lasting success even in the often chaotic business world.

Numeracle’s values-driven mindset isn’t confined to an office. We’ve built a thriving, fully remote organization that leaps the hurdles of distance and disconnection at an Olympic level. And it all starts with the people. We hire passionate people who are interested in serving businesses and consumers alike, lead with empathy and transparency, and demonstrate accountability and ownership. Our shared sense of purpose makes it easier to connect with each other both online and offline. Team offsites, annual all-hands retreats, frequent daily updates via Microsoft Teams (polls, questions, team kudos, industry updates), and virtual Friday lunches (games, get-to-know-you, show and tells, mental health breaks, demonstrations) make it feel like we see each other in-person every day. Our intentional focus on communication, connection, and well-being has created a virtual workplace that feels as engaging and supportive as any traditional office.

In the end, I am not sure I would even refer to Numeracle as a “company.” In fact, it’s much more special than that. It’s a community. Members of a community help each other; they listen to and empower each other to grow personally and professionally; they show understanding and compassion, and they advocate for the needs and interests of the community. I’m deeply grateful to be part of this extraordinary community. It’s a place where we’re empowered to be our best selves, and where we work together to make a real difference in the world. That’s what makes Numeracle truly remarkable."

Pegasus Logistics Group

How has your company grown its business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

"One of the groups in our stakeholder model is the community, which focuses on team member engagement, donations, and time.

Pegasus gives every employee a paid day to be used towards volunteering. Team members are encouraged to use this volunteer day during the work week to give back. Managers also organize team-building around this volunteer day as a way to grow closer as a team while helping those in need. Team members can select any cause they want to support. Over the last year, there have been more than 675 logged volunteer hours submitted.

Our Culture Team is primarily focused on four areas – Community Service (C), Recognition (R), Events (E), and Wellness (W). The Recognition CREW captain is responsible for measuring our recognition efforts and encouraging Leadership to make it a part of their weekly focus. The Recognition CREW Captain provides updates in our monthly Company and Information Announcement (C.I.A) meetings as well as our monthly all-hands culture chats.Another program we have to thank employees for going above and beyond is our “People on Point” or POP program. Each manager is given access to our POP form (also moved from a manual to automated process within the last year) in which $55k has been sent to team members since September of 2023. A POP can be given in any amount between $25-$200. This program has empowered our managers to be able to fiscally reward team members at any time for outstanding efforts."

Salesforce

How has your company grown its business relationships and business outcomes through the power of gratitude?

If giving thanks was an Olympic sport, Salesforce would be a decorated gold medalist. In the realm of giving thanks, Salesforce would be the Simon Biles of AI and CRM.. and I don’t make that comparison lightly. Salesforce’s core values are trust, customer success, equality, sustainability, and innovation, with an overarching layer of gratitude.

Salesforce’s culture is built around doing the right thing and making sure we express our thanks to those who help us to do so. On every team meeting, and company Town Hall, all the way up to our CEO, we take a moment out of our busy schedule to send gratitude to our teammates, partners, and customers. I’m not kidding, we pause and I’ll send a Slack to those we want to acknowledge. Some of us are traditional and craft hand-written notes to thank our partners and colleagues. Others are more innovative, and send coffees, lunches, and more via THNKS. Either way... everyone is showing their thanks.

One way we show gratitude is by giving back to our larger community by thinking globally and acting locally. We believe that the best way to give back is with what is most valuable, our time. Our founders created the 1-1-1 model, which commits 1% of our equity, technology, and employees’ time to build a more equitable and sustainable world. We’re also a founder and champion of Pledge 1%, a global movement to ensure giving back is part of companies of all sizes. Our employees are allotted a few days a year to volunteer with a charity they are passionate about.