Thankfulness circles into serotonin celebrations and fuels the human brain for surprising outcomes.
A Serotonin Christmas
Today, for instance, I received a poignant reminder of serotonin’s circular Christmas magic from Sue Dungey. A waitress at Brantford’s, Williams Fresh Cafe on Market St, Sue stirs thanks in many who stop by for a warm meal. She did even more for me.
Recently, I co-facilitated an amazing meeting, in Brantford, Ontario with leaders from the Re-wired Group.
From that encounter, I’d like to share a magical overflow for what I’ll call – a serotonin holiday season.
Out of sheer gratitude for Sue’s care during our busy meetings in Williams Fresh Cafe – I slipped a brief letter of thanks to the restaurant’s management team. Never thought a thing of my two-bit note again – until today when this response came back from a thankful waitress! Wow!
Gratitude extends the magic!
Sue emailed back her gratitude to extend the circle:
Dear Ellen: I just wanted to drop you a quick note to properly thank you for the very kind email you sent on my behalf. It was an absolute pleasure having you in our cafe last month and I was delighted to be able to assist you and your colleagues. I am not sure if you are aware but Williams Fresh Cafe is a chain of roughly 75 restaurants across Ontario with our home office also base in Brantford.
The CEO of Williams came to the store yesterday to meet me and thank me on behalf of the company. I was quite taken aback and frankly a little shocked.
I also learned yesterday that your kind email was sent to every store in the chain to be posted on the employee boards, and that I was named employee of the month with what we call the golden apple award. It is because of customers like you that I still enjoy my job.
Thank you so very much for remembering me and should you find yourself back in Brantford please feel free to email me and I will book our room for you in advance.
Merry Christmas Ellen and God bless
Sue Dungey
Sue’s note – in response to my brief note below – proves how thankfulness sincerely spoken can become a golden apple to those (like Sue Dungey) who deserve it most!
Imagine thanks as a tool to build springs of hope
My original note of gratitude about Sue – read:
Greetings Managers at Williams Fresh Café,
I’d like to commend your amazing restaurant, and especially extend thanks to a superior employee – Sue Dungey. My reason for genuine appreciation is that Sue represented your café in brilliant ways at every turn during a recent visit. How so?
On Tuesday, December 6th, I organized a business lunch between two leaders from Detroit and two of us from Rochester, NY. As a Canadian/American citizen myself – I felt so proud to be back in Canada. What an unexpected pleasure to find the kind of service Sue offered us at your restaurant.
First, we enjoyed great food, in a terrific atmosphere. Second, Sue offered us a quiet area in the restaurant to meet and were able to hold ideal discussions, without even asking for such service.
Sue and others served us as if they were glad we were there! Sue welcomed us at the door, helped us to get a top lunch by making numerous suggestions, and ensured that we had an enjoyable experience, at every step of the way.
When a waitress serves clients as she would engage or care for her own family, or as if she owned the business – she has done far more than folks expect. That was Sue, and I cannot thank you enough for hiring folks like this hostess who leaves a lasting impression in every way.
We’ll be back!
Best, Ellen Weber
My simple thanks circled back, through brilliant leadership at Williams Fresh Café, and through Sue’s golden apple emplyee-of-the-month service.
Appreciation extended its magic and serotonin into MBA and other leadership programs we’ll facilitate in the coming term. How will the neuroscience of thanks rewire your holiday season?
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Thankfulness circles into serotonin well being and fuels the human brain for surprising outcomes. Today, for instance, I received an unexpected reminder of from Sue Dungey, a game-changing waitress I encountered at Brantford’s, Williams Fresh Cafe on Market St. How so?
Last week I co-facilitated an amazing meeting with game changers from the Re-wired Group, in Brantford, Ontario. We planned a dynamic innovative pathway forward, but that’s not the purpose of this article.
Out of sheer gratitude for Sue’s care during our busy meetings in Brantford – I was inspired to send a brief letter of thanks to the restaurant’s management team. Never thought a thing of my two-bit note – until today when this response came back from the waitress! Wow!
Gratitude extends the magic!
Sue emailed back her gratitude to extend the circle:
Dear Ellen: I just wanted to drop you a quick note to properly thank you for the very kind email you sent on my behalf. It was an absolute pleasure having you in our cafe last month and I was delighted to be able to assist you and your colleagues. I am not sure if you are aware but Williams Fresh Cafe is a chain of roughly 75 restaurants across Ontario with our home office also base in Brantford.
The CEO of Williams came to the store yesterday to meet me and thank me on behalf of the company. I was quite taken aback and frankly a little shocked.
I also learned yesterday that your kind email was sent to every store in the chain to be posted on the employee boards, and that I was named employee of the month with what we call the golden apple award. It is because of customers like you that I still enjoy my job.
Thank you so very much for remembering me and should you find yourself back in Brantford please feel free to email me and I will book our room for you in advance.
Merry Christmas Ellen and God bless….Sue Dungey
Sue’s note – in response to my brief note below – proves how thankfulness sincerely spoken can become a golden apple to those (like Sue Dungey) who deserve it most!
Imagine thanks as a tools to build futures of hope
My original note of gratitude about Sue – read:
Greetings Managers at Williams Fresh Café,
I’d like to commend your amazing restaurant, and especially extend thanks to a superior employee – Sue Dungey. My reason for genuine appreciation is that Sue represented your café in brilliant ways at every turn during a recent visit.How so?
On Tuesday, December 6th, I organized a business lunch between two leaders from Detroit and two of us from Rochester, NY. As a Canadian/Americancitizen myself – I felt so proud to be back in Canada.What an unexpected pleasure to find the kind of service Sue offered us at your restaurant.
First, we enjoyed great food, in a terrific atmosphere. Second, Sue offered us a quiet area in the restaurant to meet and were able to hold ideal discussions, without even asking for such service.
Sue and others served us as if they were glad we were there! Sue welcomed us at the door, helped us to get a top lunch by making numerous suggestions, and ensured that we had an enjoyable experience, at every step of the way.
When a waitress serves clients as she would engage or care for her own family, or as if she owned the business – she has done far more than folks expect. That was Sue, and I cannot thank you enough for hiring folks like this hostess who leaves a lasting impression in every way.
We’ll be back!
Best, Ellen Weber
My simple thanks circled back, through brilliant leadership at Williams Fresh Café. Appreciation extended its magic and serotonin into MBA and other leadership programs we’ll facilitate in the coming term. How will the neuroscience of thanks rewire your holiday season?
People do remember how you make them feel.
What may not be a big thing to us (but when we know, in physiological terms, is a great thing), may be enough to allow someone to continue on – to change the course of their day. To quote Martha, “That’s a good thing.” 🙂
Thanks Dorlee, what amazes me as I consider your thoughtful words here is that the brain cannot engage complaints and thanks at the same time:-) Youi are so right and it’s clearly a part of putting the magic back into the Christmas season:-)!
What a lovely example of how the expression of gratitude can lead to such positive ripple effects, Ellen 🙂
Thank you for sharing this story. You really brought to home the warm fuzzy feelings one gets from saying thanks, or in neuroscience terms, the serotonin benefits…
Thanks Pamela – and I agree that Sue’s generosity to come back and tell me – inspires us all to up the GAME of GRATITUDE! Count me in – what a great season to pay forward the blessing of thanks:-)
How wonderful that she Sue closed the loop with you and shared the impact of your gratitude. The power of declaring appreciation cannot be underestimated. Here is to 2012 and upping our game of gratitude. Thanks for the inspiration!