These are 2 of the most powerful words in the English language — they are equally powerful in any language. They express our gratefulness for the benefits we have received, either in personal or business relationships.

This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada so I wanted to share a thanksgiving story about one of my clients — PRO-TAX, headquartered in Charlottesville Virginia.

I have had the privilege to work with this organization since 2008 and they have consistently demonstrated their values and commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience. And they are working every day to improve and make it better.

This story occurred after a recent trip to their corporate offices to conduct customer research. We spent time talking with customers to better understand their emotional and business needs.

When I returned home I received a hand written Thank You note from the President.

How often do you receive a Thank You note from your clients?

I often speak about the power of a Thank You, but usually when referring to thanking our customer/clients for their business or employees for their efforts.

What a remarkable example of truly living your values.

Thanks to the great group of folks at PRO-TAX for reminding us that we should be thanking all the people in our lives who enrich and add value — not just the ones who pay us money.

My Perspective: Who has contributed to your business or personal life that you haven’t thanked recently. Make a point to do so this week.

Plus, I want to offer my thanks to everyone who has contributed to making this past year so great. Whether as clients, colleagues, readers, contributors or the many bright and engaged people I have had the privilege to meet — thank you for making my life richer.