Today is August 3rd. It’s also National Watermelon Day.

You probably didn’t know that.

Tomorrow is August 4th — National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day…though some argue that National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is actually in May. It’s debatable.

Meanwhile, yesterday was August 2nd — National Ice Cream Sandwich Day… not to be confused with National Ice Cream Day, which was in July.

Really? We love sugar and coloring as much as the next person — and we celebrated National Ice Cream Day with the best of ‘em. But at a certain point…come on people.

Maybe we should take a step back and start thinking big picture here. Do we need to identify specific days to appreciate the little things in life? Or should we make a conscious effort every day to just be more grateful in general…more grateful for the food that nourishes us, the laughs we share with loved ones and the roof we have over our heads?

Gratitude is not something that should come once a year. And it’s not something that should be marked on a calendar. You shouldn’t appreciate something — or better yet, someone one measly day of the year just because the greeting card industry told you to. Instead, if someone is important to you, you should appreciate them all the time. A small gesture of gratitude can bring a smile to someone’s face, warmth to their heart and encouragement to their soul.

When you think about it, expressing your gratitude for someone for the joy they’ve brought to your life is no different than the appreciation you should express for a faithful customer or a loyal employee.

Showing employees that their contributions count and that you value their commitment, inspires them to work smarter, strive harder and thrive further.

Gratitude is a force that perpetuates a positive cycle of give and take. Recognizing employees for their achievements and their loyalty throughout the year will go much further than a once a year token of appreciation or occasional pat on the back.

At Rymax, we deliver robust, year-round engagement programs that recognize employees for a multitude of things including, employee contributions, sales achievements, years of service awards and more.
This same concept is applied to our corporate gift programs and customer loyalty programs. Creating multiple touch points throughout the year to show your appreciation and keeps you top of mind for customers, while increasing engagement.

We keep all audiences motivated and inspired by delivering them the latest and greatest premium items in the marketplace. We also carefully select each item in the program, making sure that it caters to the specific wants and needs of the audience at hand. This shows a true appreciation of the audience’s support/partnership.

Remember…when building a rewards and recognition program, be generous, be thoughtful and always be grateful.