Recognition Turned a Struggling Team Member into a Growth Catalyst
One of the core principles I teach in Creating Business Superfans® (my book) is simple—but often overlooked: “People will crawl through broken glass for appreciation and recognition.” Most businesses say they value experience, but limit it to customers or employees. What they miss is the full ecosystem—team members, contractors, vendors, and partners. Every one of them is a stakeholder, and recognition matters to all. A few years ago, I was working with a 30-year-old language services company that looked stable from the outside. Decent revenue. Loyal clients. Internally, though, cracks were forming. One team member was struggling deeply—severe depression, missed days, and moments where quitting felt inevitable. When I stepped in to run the company, I didn’t try to fix them. I trusted them. I gave them ownership they hadn’t been offered before. They were hesitant at first, but with encouragement and support, they leaned in. Every Monday, we reviewed wins and gaps. One thing was non-negotiable: public recognition of progress, even small wins. Momentum followed. Confidence grew. Ideas surfaced. Improvements were implemented—without being asked. I always told them: “If you think it’ll work, let’s try it.” Within a year, their engagement soared and the department they supported grew from under $100K to over $225K in revenue. That same year, we scaled the company by nearly $1M, hit record profitability, and in early 2024, the business was successfully acquired. Neither of us works there anymore—but that team member is now a close friend and a true Business Superfan®—someone who proudly advocates for the business the way die-hard sports fans advocate for their team. Why This Matters Recognition didn’t just boost morale. It unlocked confidence. It activated creativity. It revealed greatness that was already there. This is exactly why I launched the Entrepreneur Prosperity™ Hub—for service-based entrepreneurs who know their business is capable of more, but feel held back by misalignment, broken systems, or unpredictable profits.