Imagine starting a new daily habit to help boost one of your most important values. Now, imagine doing that for 365 days straight. Do you think it would create a fundamental shift in your life? How about your work and/or business?  Erin Hatzikostas sits down with John Israel, a.k.a Mr. thank You, to discuss a curious journey of gratitude than spanned an entire year.  John starts by telling the story of how he first got into business, selling Cutco knives to pay his way - losing his first big sale, but getting some golden advice from his mom, and how this ultimately led him to start the Mr. Thank You project years later.  The Mr. Thank You Project is one which started as a personal quest and ended as a movement, where he's now on a mission to inspire 74 million 'thank you' cards written around the world. Ho did he go from writing a semi-awkward 'thank you' card to a single customer to trying to elevate the happiness of the entire world? John tells stories about just a few of the incredible occurrences that arise from his quest. He talks about what he learned as well as how he inspired others.  He provides the listener with practical advice about how to find, set, and attain new habits that can change the course of their life in multiple ways.  Erin and John talk about the difference between recognition and acknowledgment, including how it can become important in both your work life and your personal life. Finally, be sure to check out the 'What I love about you' video challenge, which he invites all of us to try. You can find out more about John and the Mr. Thank You Project at: Twitter @ themrthankyou Linkedin @ John Israel Email: If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).  Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to  We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @  Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "Who's gonna pay the most to do something that's legal and can allow me to keep my clothes on ideally." "I realized I wasn't upset that I'd lost a customer. I was upset that I'd lost that relationship." "When you realize you can value people over profit, you start to realize it's people ou bring you your profit." "In business, people don't care what you sell. They care why you're selling it." "I wanted to challenge myself to explore my capacity." "How do you appreciate someone you've never formally met?" "We took a high value and we made it an intentional practice to live that value every day." "I stopped trying to make it this 'I have to do it every day', and I instead tried to become aware of great opportunities to acknowledge somebody." "There is a difference between recognition and acknowledgment. Recognition is thanking someone for what they do. Acknowledgment is thanking someone for who they are." "How do you treat that for which you are grateful?"