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I Give Thanks

Today is a day of firsts for me.

This is the first Thanksgiving of my life without Toy House. Thanksgiving always brought that sense of excitement. The season is finally here. Let’s rock and roll! It also brought that sense of apprehension. Did I do enough? Am I prepared? Is the staff ready?

  • I give thanks to my grandparents and parents for all their years of service to Jackson, and for making Toy House the store that it was.
  • I give thanks to all the customers we were able to serve over our 67 years of business. You still rock my world!
  • I give thanks that all my wonderful team found life after Toy House.

This is the first Thanksgiving where I am cooking the turkey. My mom had knee surgery yesterday. Everything went well, but while she recuperates, I get to play head chef.

  • I give thanks to my grandma and mom for teaching me to cook.
  • I give thanks to the doctors who have performed so skillfully on my parents this past year.
  • I give thanks to all the medical and emergency personnel who will be with their “work families” instead of their blood families this holiday.

This is the first Thanksgiving where I get to go buying instead of selling.

  • I give thanks to the retail workers who have to leave their Thanksgiving dinners early, stay up late, or get up early to deal with massive throngs of people fighting over door buster deals. Your work is underappreciated.

This is the first Thanksgiving where I am more worried about the success of other stores than my own.

  • I give thanks to the businesses who have hired me to help them and I wish them all the success this weekend can bring.

This is the first Thanksgiving where I have been up early not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

  • I give thanks to all of you for reading my blog, for sending me your stories, for sharing your successes with me.

You are the reason I get excited to write something every day. You are the reason I am Happy this Thanksgiving. 

  • Finally, I give thanks for this report from the Advocates for Independent Business that shows how the indie retail segment is coming back through, “Personalized service, connection with community, product expertise, and ability to create experiences,” the same things I preach and teach.

Enjoy your day! Rock your weekend!

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Even though I can go out shopping, I’ll tell you right now that I won’t be out there door busting tomorrow. I might hit the streets midday just to see what is going on, but I am not a Black Friday Transactional Customer.

by Phil Wrzesinski

Phil Wrzesinski is the National Sales Manager of HABA USA toy company, a Former Top-Level, Award-Winning Retailer, a Thought-Provoking Speaker, a Prolific Author, a 10-Handicap Golfer, an Entertaining Singer/Songwriter, and a Klutz Kid who enjoys anything to do with the water (including drinking it fermented with hops and barley), anything to do with helping local independent businesses thrive, and anything that puts a smile on peoples' faces.