After tens of thousands of conversations with business owners, we’ve concluded that one of the key determinants between thriving and struggling businesses is how appreciated customers feel. While that insight might seem fairly commonplace, what’s rare is discussion on how business owners go about making their customers feel appreciated. So, we reached out to some of the most loved and admired entrepreneurs and small business owners in the community and asked them to open up about how they show appreciation to their customers.

Carnell Tate

Showing clients appreciation begins with purpose and responsibility, not gestures. My goal has always focused on protecting people when they feel most vulnerable, not just when life goes smoothly. That belief shapes how I show up. One evening, a client called after her husband had been rushed to the hospital. She felt overwhelmed and scared. She wasn’t calling to review coverage or request changes. Read more>>

Melanie Lira

The most meaningful way I’ve shown gratitude to my clients was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I made the decision to pause all attorney fee payments for six months. Many of my immigration defense clients were facing job loss, uncertainty, and fear—not only about their cases, but about how to provide for their families. Read more>>

Jennifer Norman

One moment that still stays with me was something very simple—and very human. A customer reached out after discovering Humanist Beauty Facial Oil at Flying Solo in SoHo while she was visiting New York. She shared that she’d been struggling with rosacea, and that the oil had noticeably calmed her skin in a way nothing else had. Read more>>