Be Someone's Hero

Not long ago, I shared a post about my son William and how happy he is when he receives his check, goes to the bank, and cashes it (even asks for his $38 check to be paid out in $50's!).  That physical check reminded him of what he accomplished in that last pay period.

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream just had a Christmas Party to celebrate their heroes (that is what they call their employees).  Troy, the owner, had a special gift for the heroes.  He gave them their own Howdy business card!  William calls it his "greeting card", which really is more accurate.  You should have seen how excited the heroes were to receive their own business cards, probably the first business cards they have ever had.  

While some of us would take this for granted, these heroes reminded me of how business cards provides a sense of belonging:  "I am William and I am part of the Howdy family."

As we all look at 2026, and how we can get even better at what we do, maybe we can think of ways to increase this sense of belonging at work.  If you are an employer, it could be a small gesture with great impact.  What if you gave every employee a small budget (i.e. $100 per month) to go to an account of their choice as part of their annual merit increase.  It could go to their student loans or a 529 or Emergency Savings or even an HSA.  

Thrive can help you with this.

If you could generate the same reaction as the Howdy Heroes, I would call that a win!

And, if you are in the Denver area, be sure to stop by the happiest ice cream shop around. 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and continue to be someone's hero.