Tomorrow is February 14th, and while some people think of Valentine’s Day as a “Hallmark holiday” invented to sell greeting cards, I encourage you to think beyond this cynical label. As you make dinner reservations, buy treats for the children in your life, and pick out chocolates to give to your love, it’s worth asking:

How can we utilize Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to pause and appreciate everyone we care about?

Back in 1965, Nat King Cole spelled the answer out in one word: L-O-V-E. Songs about love – and the loss of love – continue to dominate music charts today because love is a language we all speak. It hits home and touches each of us.

I cherish the love of my life, my husband Mike. He is a loving, kind, and generous husband who always provides and takes care of his family. I make a point of never taking these gifts for granted.

While many people will share the day tomorrow with our spouses or significant others, some of us need to create opportunities to celebrate one another. Mike and I have to spend this Valentine’s weekend in different states because of our busy schedules, so we made sure to celebrate early with a special dinner with close friends.

I will spend today and this weekend serving organizations I love in our community, first by lobbying our state representatives at the Lobby Day at the state capitol to prevent human trafficking, and then by volunteering at the Home of Hope fundraising gala. I will also get to host my dear niece, who is in graduate school, and her friend at our home.

The message of the importance and universality of love that embodies Valentine’s Day spreads beyond just romantic partners. It’s important to honor everyone you love in your life.

Your Family

Regardless of what your family looks like, Valentine’s Day is a chance to honor everyone in it. If you’re blessed to have children, take time to appreciate the gift they are in your life. Children may require more time, energy, and commitment than you ever imagined in your pre-parent days, but they are the greatest thing you’ll ever create.

For those of you still fortunate enough to have your parents or other aging relatives, treasure them. As parents age, we have an opportunity to honor them and express gratitude for all they have given us.

• Be present with them. Busy professionals and entrepreneurs have sprawling to-do lists, but what is all of your hard work for if not to provide the blessings you share as a family. Whenever you get time together, turn off your phone shut out distractions, and give each other the gift of time.
• Love your children unconditionally. That means making sure they know you mean the world to them irrespective of their grades, their successes, or the choices they make.
• Check in with your parents regularly. To ensure you maintain regular contact despite your hectic schedule, pencil visits and calls into your day planner. Accompany them to doctors’ visits when you can. Make sure they have what they need and they are taken care of.
• Encourage them. Regardless of age, everyone needs encouragement to reach their goals. Inspire them to dream big. If they fall, motivate them to get back up again. Obstacles and failure are part of life and family takes care of one another in good times and bad.

Your Team

Make sure that your employees or colleagues feel the love on Valentine’s Day and indeed everyday. If you’re an entrepreneur, you know that a team allows you to accomplish more than you ever could on your own.

• Acknowledge their efforts. In our hectic fast-paced world, it’s easy to take your employees or colleagues for granted. Words of recognition can make people feel more positive about contributing and motivate them to produce even greater results. Gratitude should be part of your daily routine.
• Seek their feedback. One of the best ways to make employees feel valued is by asking for their input and ideas. When you welcome their opinions, not only will they feel valued, but you’ll benefit from the feedback of people who play a hands-on role in your business. They can share a different perspective on how to drive sales, improve client relations, or increase efficiencies.
• Learn to let go. It’s your job to make sure you have the right experts on your team. Once you’ve entrusted someone with a job, learn to let them own it. Some entrepreneurs struggle to give up control and wind up doing everything themselves. However, it’s important to show your team that you trust them and value what they bring to the table.

Your Clients

Without customers or clients, you have no business. Although you should show your clients love and appreciation year around, this is a great opportunity to actively remind them. They most likely won’t expect it, which will make it all that much more meaningful.

• Serve them well. When people give you their business, you show them how much it means to you in the way you treat them. If you don’t put much value on them, it will show. On the other hand, when you value them greatly, you give them the best possible service. Remember that clients are your best source of referral business, and they can always choose to take their business elsewhere.
• Express appreciation. Do you have a way you express gratitude to clients? For some entrepreneurs, it’s sending a small box of chocolates to each new client. For others, it’s an annual holiday gift. (Why not an annual Valentine’s present?) For still others, it’s a token of appreciation when the client reaches a milestone. Whatever it may be for you, make sure you’re actively letting clients know how much you appreciate them.
• Honor commitments. One aspect of love is committing to another person. When you promise something to a client or customer, keep your promise above all else. Under-promise, over-deliver, and always show up with integrity.

Let Valentine’s Day be a reminder that unconditional love is a powerful force in both your personal and professional life. Show passion and compassion for the people who matter most to you and you’ll build a more fulfilling, prosperous life for yourself and your loved ones.

May your life be filled with love, prosperity, and blessing in all that you do.

Are you one of the 5,000+ people getting inspiration and encouragement from the Celeste Giordano Coaching Facebook and LinkedIn pages? Follow us for daily positive ideas and motivation to improve your business and your life.

And if you’re ready to make 2020 the year you finally achieve what you’ve been hoping for, contact me today. We can create a plan that will allow you to build your legacy business and “double plus” your revenue this year.

Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

Want to use this article? Please feel free to use this content as long as you keep it in its original format and include a link to the original post and Celeste Giordano’s brief bio.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I work with each client to implement the strategies they’ve been missing that will enable them to break through barriers preventing them from the success they know they are capable of. Contact me today to find your future clients who just don’t know what they’re missing.