Andrea D'Cruz MBA I MSA I MCom’s Post

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday—a time to pause, reflect, and enjoy meaningful moments with family and friends. I hope everyone gets to enjoy some well-deserved time off, delicious food, and the warmth of loved ones. This year, I have much to be grateful for! —To my wife, for being my rock, my best friend, and occasionally reminding me where I left my phone. —To my mom, for instilling strength, perseverance, and a good dose of guilt when I need it. —To my siblings, for proving teamwork makes the dream work (especially when it involves taking care of our parents). —To my kids, for teaching me unconditional love and showing me what patience really means. —To my friends, for always having my back and still putting up with my bad sense of humor (and occasionally bad decisions). —To my colleagues, for showing up every day and making the grind a little more bearable (and comical). —To my business partners, for dreaming big, inspiring me, and occasionally pulling me back from the really crazy ideas. —To my group chats, for all the 🔥 memes and videos. —To our many business partners, for constantly showing up, taking care of us, and making all of this plausible and smoother. —And to the community around us, for the steady stream of support, showing up day after day to help us keep this dream alive. Wishing you all a holiday filled with gratitude, joy, and connection. Let’s soak in these moments of togetherness and recharge for the season ahead! Also, there is no greater Thanksgiving Dish than good old fashioned Green Bean Casserole. If you disagree, I will fight you. #FreshSqueezed #Thanksgiving #Gratitude #FamilyFirst #CommunitySecond #GreenBeanCasserole

As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on something truly meaningful: the connections we’ve built in our professional lives. Your network is more than just a collection of names—it’s a community of individuals who have supported you, inspired you, and helped you grow. This Thanksgiving, I have a challenge for you: Go into your LinkedIn connections and give thanks by writing recommendations for five people in your network. Think about a colleague who went above and beyond, a mentor who shared their wisdom, or a client who’s been a joy to work with. A thoughtful recommendation isn’t just a gift to them—it’s a way to strengthen your relationship and show your appreciation in a lasting way. Here’s how: 🦃 Go to their LinkedIn profile. 🦃 Click the “More” button under their profile picture and select “Give a Recommendation.” 🦃 Write something specific, meaningful, and genuine about the value they bring. It’ll only take a few minutes per person, but the impact? Immense. So, are you ready to take on this challenge? Five people, five recommendations, and a whole lot of gratitude shared this holiday season. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy, connection, and reflection. PS The image is of my favorite Thanksgiving! It was in 2017 that we had visitors from Slovakia and China, along with my grandmother's sister... in addition to everyone else! 🗨 What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year? I'd love it if you'd share in the comments!

As Thanksgiving 🦃 approaches, many of us are getting ready to spend time with family and friends. While these moments are filled with blessings, they also require us to navigate different personalities. Whether it’s differing opinions on politics, sports rivalries, or preferences for how we live our daily lives, we all have our differences. This morning, my lesson from the book 52 Lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch was this: Lesson 17: Look for the Best in People In the movie, George Bailey shows kindness and respect to Violet Beck, the "bad girl" of Bedford Falls. George didn't judge Violet for what he saw, he pointed out the good in her when she needed to hear it most. When Clarence shows George what life would have been like without him, we see how much of a positive impact George’s kindness had on Violet’s life. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebrations, take a moment to focus on the positive qualities of your loved ones. We are all unique, and it's natural that we may not always agree. Sometimes, it's easy to focus on the flaws in others (like Violet in It's a Wonderful Life), but it’s important to look beyond those differences and recognize the goodness that’s in everyone. The same approach applies to our coworkers. In business, it takes a variety of people to make things run smoothly. Take time to acknowledge and encourage the positive contributions you see in others—whether at home or at work. This Thanksgiving let’s be intentional about searching for the good in those around us and offering praise and gratitude for the unique blessings they bring into our lives. 🙏

Here are a few ways to make those thanksgiving conversations a little more easy. 1. Prep: Remember that you are likely talking to people that you are out of practice talking to. Take a second to decide how you want to show up to the thanksgiving table. Don’t expect every conversation to be easy, or flow. You can expect to simply show up to the table with love. Here are some thoughts that help me: - My job is to be fully present. - I can take a break whenever I want to. - This is a gift, and I can receive it. - Everyone wants to be heard, and listening is my gift this thanksgiving. - If I get tired, I am allowed to leave early. 2. Take it easy on yourself: if you are expecting to cook all morning, travel to someone else’s house, entertain other people, care for your family - all of that is hard work. Take it easy on yourself. You don’t have to be run ragged in order for this to be thanksgiving. Take a few things off your plate that you have decided you want to do. Even the simple things (ironing, waking up early, getting there to see the parade, cooking that second casserole, bringing a gift for the host) and see what happens. 3. Celebrate the small wins: when you lay your head down on the pillow after all of the festivities, don’t make a list of how you fell short. Celebrate every small small you can remember. Feel the joy as you celebrate in your body. I am so thankful for you. I’m thankful that you allow me the space in your inbox, in your brain, and in your heart. You are an amazing person, and I am so glad that you are alive. Just by being you, you are making the thanksgiving table better. Heather PS. If you're thinking about a good Christmas gift for yourself, how about having more time? How about learning how to have that hard conversation? How about getting that promotion or career change you have dreamed about? That’s what coaching with me will get you. It all starts with a free consult call.

In just three days we celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA. This year coming off of a presidential election, you may want to be aware of unresolved conflicts and left over "feels" from a disappointment or a victory. Unless your family is all on the same page, beware of hidden landmines. All it takes is someone bringing up politics, religion or lifestyle choices: What was supposed to be a day of gratitude, becomes a day of full blown drama. It doesn't have to be this way if you know how to lead instead of being pulled into negativity. Here are some strategic communication skills to apply: Set Your Intention Decide in advance how you want to experience Thanksgiving. Ask yourself the following questions: ✅ What emotions do I want to cultivate? ✅ How do I want to show up for others? ✅ What does a meaningful holiday season look like for me? Once you're clear, you'll identify the red flags that tell you you're getting off course. Listen, Acknowledge and Redirect Be mindful of distractions that can derail your intention. In many families, hot-button topics can fuel drama. Add past resentments, unresolved conflict, strong opinions, closed-mindedness, or too much alcohol, and you’ve got a recipe for chaos. Here are some sample phrases to adjust to your situation. The method here is to "Listen and acknowledge" before you redirect. It goes like this: ✅ "You make some valid points, Uncle George, but today I want to focus on how blessed we are to be together." ✅ "I hear you, Sis, but let’s keep today about loving and appreciating family." ✅ "Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought. For me, I just want to focus on enjoying our time together today." No reason to dread holiday gatherings when you know how to lead. Whether it's the workplace or family dynamics, to change the culture you have to change the conversation. Wishing you a peaceful, drama-free Thanksgiving! #StrategicCommunication #Thanksgiving

In a few days, loved ones of all ages will gather to be grateful! As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, consider these ideas to get the different generations in your family connecting: 1. Merge the kids’ and adults’ tables. Don’t segment seating by age, instead mix generations and see what happens. Whether a grandparent shares a pearl of wisdom or a teen captures the meal on SnapChat, everyone can learn from each other! 2. Ask questions and share stories. Research shows that stories sync the brains of the storyteller and the listener. What a great way to transfer knowledge, wisdom, and legacy with those you love! Here are some conversation sparkers: · What was Thanksgiving like when you were growing up? · What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? · Who or what are you thankful for in your life now? · Here is a special story about our family… · The quality I most appreciate about you is… 3. Do an activity together. Whether taking a walk, playing a game, or cooking together- sharing experiences creates connections and memories that can last a lifetime. Let us know if you try these tips, and what you notice about the experience! Our hope is that this Thanksgiving you and yours will gain perspective of the past and the present… and strengthen generational connections for years to come. Happy Thanksgiving! J + Dr. K

In a few days, loved ones of all ages will gather to be grateful! As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, consider these ideas to get the different generations in your family connecting: 1. Merge the kids’ and adults’ tables. Don’t segment seating by age, instead mix generations and see what happens. Whether a grandparent shares a pearl of wisdom or a teen captures the meal on SnapChat, everyone can learn from each other! 2. Ask questions and share stories. Research shows that stories sync the brains of the storyteller and the listener. What a great way to transfer knowledge, wisdom, and legacy with those you love! Here are some conversation sparkers: · What was Thanksgiving like when you were growing up? · What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition? · Who or what are you thankful for in your life now? · Here is a special story about our family… · The quality I most appreciate about you is… 3. Do an activity together. Whether taking a walk, playing a game, or cooking together- sharing experiences creates connections and memories that can last a lifetime. Let us know if you try these tips, and what you notice about the experience! Our hope is that this Thanksgiving you and yours will gain perspective of the past and the present… and strengthen generational connections for years to come. Happy Thanksgiving! J + Dr. K

Of course I'll wish Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and colleagues I actually know - just like I'd say happy birthday or congratulate them on a new job. But here's a thought: does anyone actually care about those generic 'Happy Thanksgiving to all my valued customers/connections' posts? You know, the ones that feel as personal as a robot reading a phone book. It's like we're all stuck in this weird corporate greeting loop. Company A sends a generic message, so Company B feels they have to respond, then Company C jumps in... Before you know it, everyone's inbox looks like a thanksgiving card factory exploded. Last time I checked, I've never picked a vendor because they sent me a mass holiday greeting. Pro tip: Generic holiday messages get ignored. Complaining about ignored messages gets you blocked. And no, I won't remember your company because of a mass greeting. I remember good products, not automated wishes. If I ever send one of these myself, throw holy water at me and block me. PS: My only sincere Thanksgiving wish? That you don't end up as another turkey-frying disaster video on YouTube. Those exist for a reason - learn from them. Stay safe out there.

Thanksgiving Is Over - But Its Message Doesn’t Have to Be By now, the dishes and glasses are done (or mostly done), the leftovers are tucked into the fridge, and another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Yesterday, as I exchanged Thanksgiving greetings with so many friends and connections here, it made me think: Why does Thanksgiving have to end? Not the holiday itself, of course. We can’t sit down to turkey and pie every day. But what about the spirit of Thanksgiving - the gratitude, the kindness, the hope, the connection? These aren’t one-day-only ideas. If we pause to think about what Thanksgiving really represents, it’s a moment to: - Be thankful for what we have. - Appreciate the people who make our lives richer. - Extend kindness and understanding to others. - Find hope in the face of challenges. There’s no expiration date on any of that. What if we carried the best parts of Thanksgiving into today? And next week? And next year? What if we made gratitude a habit, not just a holiday? For me, yesterday was a chance to reconnect with family and friends. But it was also a reminder to slow down, reflect, and focus on what truly matters. That’s a lesson worth taking into 2025 - and beyond. What about you? - What stood out most about this Thanksgiving for you? - Is there something you’re taking from it that you want to hold onto? - How can we all carry this day’s message forward? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s not let the spirit of Thanksgiving fade with the day - it’s too powerful to leave behind.

Sharing Thanks with Loved Ones 🧡🌟 This Thanksgiving, let’s make a point to share our appreciation with the people who enrich our lives. The holiday season is a perfect reminder to slow down, reflect, and make sure our loved ones know how much we value them. Here are some ways to share thanks with those who matter most: Family Tradition of Gratitude 👨👩👧👦: Start a new tradition at the dinner table where everyone takes turns sharing one thing they appreciate about the person sitting next to them. It’s a great way to foster connection and build each other up. Send a Video Message 🎥✨: Can’t be with someone in person? Send them a video message expressing your gratitude. Seeing your face and hearing your voice makes the gesture extra special, especially for friends or family members far away. Cook or Bake Together 🥧: Sharing a meal is one of the most meaningful ways to connect. Whether it’s baking pies, cooking a family recipe, or simply helping with dinner prep, spending quality time in the kitchen creates memories to be thankful for. How are you planning to share thanks with your loved ones this week? Drop your ideas in the comments and let’s inspire one another! 🤗💕 #ThanksgivingThanks #ShareGratitude #FamilyTime #LovedOnes