The Thankful Leader: How Gratitude Strengthens Your Business
Ever since I was little, I have loved Thanksgiving. The smell of a turkey roasting, the warmth of a house filled with family, and the excitement of everyone being together made the day feel alive. I loved helping arrange the flowers on the table, folding the napkins just so, and seeing the candles flicker as the house glowed with light. Each small detail added to the sense of tradition and connection.
Those early experiences taught me the value of creating a warm, welcoming environment, paying attention to small details, and helping others feel cared for. Years later, I carried those lessons into a very different setting—the bustling front of house at BirchTree Bread Company during the busiest seasons. I organized hundreds of holiday orders, implemented systems to make pickups smooth, managed employees under pressure, and welcomed every customer with warmth. I handled marketing, communicated our brand, and made sure each person who came through the door felt seen and appreciated. Even in the chaos, I tried my best to make everyone feel valued and to wish them a happy Thanksgiving. Over time, I realized the common thread in both the holidays of my childhood and the busy seasons at the bakery: connection and gratitude. Gratitude is not just for holidays. Its true power comes from making it a daily practice, recognizing and appreciating the people, moments, and efforts that fill our days all year long.
A Word with Roots
Before Keep Light, and long before Birch Tree, my roots were in education. As an English teacher, I have always been drawn to the origins and meanings of words, and while I would generally discourage repetitive word use like my repeated use of gratitude in this post, in this case it is simply part of the point.
Gratitude comes from the Latin gratis, meaning pleasing or thankful, and gratia, meaning favor or kindness. I love how mutual that origin is. This sense of giving and receiving is at the heart of appreciation. It is not passive, it is participatory. Understanding it as a mutual exchange shaped how I led teams, connected with customers, and created experiences that felt meaningful for everyone involved.
Leading with Gratitude
When gratitude becomes intentional, it changes how you see your business. Scarcity says, “There is not enough time, clients, or growth.”
Gratitude responds, “Look at what we have built. Look at who we have helped. Look at how far we have come.”
This shift fosters clarity, confidence, and calm. It shapes the way you lead, the tone you set with your team, your trust in customers, and even your ability to breathe when deadlines pile up. Gratitude is not performative; it is the quiet current that keeps you grounded, focused, and aligned no matter the month.
Gratitude in Action
The holidays at the bakery were always a whirlwind, beautiful and exhausting. But no matter how busy we were, gratitude was part of the season for both team and customers.
Some years, the team received a loaf of fresh-baked bread, a bottle of wine, and one year even a farm-fresh turkey. I always added a simple handwritten note: “Thank you” or “We appreciate you,” signed with a heart in sharpie. These gestures were not about the gifts themselves. They were about connection, turning coworkers into a small family, and showing genuine appreciation.
The same spirit extended to customers. During the pre-Thanksgiving rush, hundreds of brown bags and pie boxes were alphabetized and arranged by pick-up time, each marked with a heart drawn by my over-caffeinated hand in the early hours of Thanksgiving Eve. As hectic as it could get, I took comfort in extending gratitude to the people who chose us, who chose to bring our food to their family table. It was an honor.
Although I must say, not every season went smoothly. One year, we oversold several pies due to miscommunication. For a few frantic hours, it was all hands on deck. That experience sparked better systems, clearer order tracking, real-time updates, and a reminder that gratitude, when paired with structure, protects everyone’s time, energy, and trust.
Staying Present in the Rush
The holiday season hit like a wave. Right after Thanksgiving came Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, holiday strolls, gift cards, special events, and time-off requests, one after another. Some days felt like swimming against the current, trying to stay afloat amid the chaos. Other days, the tide receded, leaving stretches of quiet water where focus and patience were just as necessary.
Staying present during the rush meant leaning into both the chaos and the calm. Planning well did more than keep the bakery running. It created space to notice the good. Clear systems, aligned communication, and realistic expectations allowed moments of laughter amid the frenzy and quiet pride when work was done well. It meant savoring the small victories: a perfectly poured latte, a customer’s delighted smile, a colleague’s quick joke that cut through the stress. Preparation did not just prevent mistakes. It let me experience the season fully and enjoy the energy and warmth of the work rather than simply surviving it.
Those moments, both the rush and the calm, became opportunities for gratitude. Pausing to notice the effort, care, and connection around me reminded me that thankfulness is not limited to a holiday table. Recognizing the small, meaningful details in everyday work, the ways people show up for each other, and the fleeting joys of a busy day became a practice I could carry beyond the season. Even the chaos itself became a teacher. It showed me where attention, patience, and care mattered most.
But while chaos can teach, gratitude needs space to grow. Systems, clarity, and intentional practices give it room to breathe, allowing the lessons from even the busiest moments to translate into lasting habits. With the right structure, you can maintain perspective, cultivate gratitude, and lead with grace under pressure. That is exactly what I help business owners create.
I Help Business Owners:
Run smoother operations
Simplify workflows and streamline schedules, so your team stays focused, productive, and confident, even during your busiest seasons.Strengthen customer loyalty
Craft thoughtful, authentic messaging and experiences that make clients feel seen, valued, and eager to return, building long-term relationships that grow your business.Have grace under pressure
Make clear decisions, keep your team aligned, and stay calm even when the pace gets hectic. Guide your team through busy seasons with composure, respond to challenges smoothly, and create an environment where everyone feels supported and motivated.
With the right systems, communication, and leadership approach, you can run your business with more clarity, confidence, and calm while keeping your team motivated and your customers delighted.
This November, make gratitude and intentional practices a system, not just a feeling. Review your operations, connect meaningfully with your team and customers, and celebrate wins, big or small.
If you want guidance creating workflows that keep your business running smoothly, strengthen client relationships, and help you inspire your team with confidence, let’s connect. Together, we can turn busy seasons into opportunities for growth, connection, and lasting impact.
