Where Did You Get That?

I have always loved giving blankets because they feel like a warm hug.

They bring comfort, a sense of security, and a little reminder that someone thought about you.

That is what makes a blanket such a meaningful gift. It is useful, personal, and easy to enjoy without feeling overdone.

One holiday season, I had planned to give blankets to both my client and an executive at the company. They were beautiful blankets, tucked inside keepsake boxes and tied up with wire bows. They felt thoughtful, elegant, and memorable, which is exactly how I wanted the gifts to feel.

The only reason I did not deliver both blankets on the same day was simple: the two offices were on opposite sides of town.

So I delivered the first blanket to my client.

A question that opened the door

That same night, the executive visited my client’s home and saw his whole family wrapped up in that blanket.

That is the best kind of gift reaction. It was not sitting in the box. It was not tucked away for later. It had already moved into their real life.

She asked him, “Where did you get that?”

He said, “Donna Bender.”

And she said, “I need to give Donna more business so I can get a blanket too.”

What she did not know was that I had already planned to give her one.

The next morning, when she arrived at work, there was a blanket waiting on her desk.

I did not hear the full story until a few days later, when my client repeated it to me. And yes, she did give me more business.

That is the part I love about this story. The gift was not a reaction to what she said. It had already been chosen. But the timing made it feel like a little bit of magic.

Appreciation has a ripple effect

The executive understood right away why people responded to the blanket. It was soft, substantial, and beautifully presented. It felt like something you would be proud to give and grateful to receive.

She ordered one for every employee.

That alone would have made the story special. Employee appreciation matters, and the right gift can say what a hurried email or quick thank-you sometimes cannot. It tells people, “Your work matters. We are glad you are here.. and we appreciate you.”

But the ripple did not stop there. After employees received their blankets, some of them ordered the same gift for their own clients. They had experienced the feeling of receiving something thoughtful, and they wanted to pass that feeling on.

That is what a well-chosen appreciation gift can do. It does not just get opened. It gets remembered, used, talked about, and sometimes passed along. It does not have to be loud or complicated. It simply has to be useful, thoughtful, and given with care.

Choose gifts people can feel

That is what the right gift can do for your business.

It can help a client remember how much they value working with you. It can give an employee a reason to feel appreciated. It can turn a simple thank-you into a conversation, a referral, a repeat order, or a stronger relationship.

The product itself does not have to be a blanket. It could be anything useful, thoughtful, and well chosen. What matters is that the gift fits the person receiving it and reflects the way you want your business to be remembered.

That is the kind of ripple worth creating.

The BIG Show & Tell: Getting big marketing results for you

Because the holidays have a way of sneaking up on us, I added a special bonus edition of The BIG Show & Tell yesterday, September 29th.

Catch the replay here. It is simply an extra gift-focused show to help you gather ideas early and plan with less stress.

Our next regular quarterly show is on October 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST.

Watch on YouTube, DonnaBender.com, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Watch Good Morning Entrepreneurs Show 159 featuring my weekly Roving Reporter, Surprise & Delight Marketing segment.