The Quiet Power of Thank You: Building a Global Brand Through Gratitude
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
By Mariko Amekodommo
In the fast-moving world of entrepreneurship, especially across tech, media, and culinary experiences, it’s easy to believe leadership is fueled by ambition alone. But after 12 years building global brands, scaling startups, and hosting thousands of people at my table, I’ve come to understand this: real leadership is built on gratitude; quiet, consistent, and radically intentional.
Gratitude, for me, is not a passive reflection. It’s an active ingredient in how I hire, manage, launch, and grow. Whether I'm leading marketing strategy for a growing platform, building cultural bridges through food, or mentoring a founder on brand positioning, appreciation is the undercurrent that keeps things flowing, especially when the pace is relentless.
I realized this early while managing distributed teams across the U.S., Europe, India and Asia. We were often under pressure to deliver, launch, and iterate. What kept us connected was not just deadlines or dashboards. It was the intentional practice of recognition. A Slack message acknowledging someone’s extra hours. A shoutout for a developer who quietly prevented a major issue. A simple thank-you to a teammate who took on a task without being asked.
These weren’t grand gestures, but they created momentum. In that momentum, we built not just scalable systems, but a culture of mutual trust and shared wins.
When I founded Mariko Presents, my global culinary brand, I brought that same philosophy into every kitchen and every boardroom. My work sits at the intersection of experience design, wellness, and cultural storytelling. I’ve hosted everything from intimate supper clubs to corporate team-building experiences across Europe, US, India, and Southeast Asia. These aren’t just meals. They’re micro-ecosystems of gratitude.
At a recent team-building dinner for a Fortune 500 company, I invited each guest to write a short thank-you note to someone who helped them show up that day. The moment was unplanned, but the energy in the room shifted. Conversations deepened. People listened differently. Later, one executive told me it was the first time in two years that her remote team truly connected as people, not just coworkers.
That is the impact of gratitude. It drives retention. It reduces friction. It turns colleagues into collaborators. And yes, it creates measurable growth - in loyalty, in team resilience, and in the way people experience your brand.
At Mariko Presents, we integrate gratitude into every client touchpoint. From onboarding notes to closing celebrations, we create space for people to be acknowledged. In my consulting work, I often help brands design rituals that embed appreciation into the workflow. Day 30 welcome-back emails. End-of-quarter highlight reels. Thank-you notes baked into event follow-ups. These small shifts change the tone of a company. They help people feel seen. And people who feel seen build better businesses.
Gratitude is not fluff. It is not a side note. It is a leadership tool, a cultural driver, and a serious growth strategy. Especially for women entrepreneurs, who are often expected to carry both performance and empathy, leading with appreciation is not just powerful. It’s transformative.
We are not here to build companies that merely function. We are here to build movements that matter. And that begins, always, with thank you.
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