The Chocolate Shoe and the Boot: Why the Best Recognition Is Never Generic

About a year ago, my friend Felicia got handed a white chocolate cowboy boot on a stage in Reno.

Felicia runs High Mark Distillery, and I was there signing books for her Barrel Club investors. Jimmy, the guitarist hired to play that night, and his wife wanted to thank her, not with a card, but with something made for her. So before Jimmy's set, he called Felicia up and handed her that boot, filled with chocolates. Rugged. Bold. Her.

Then they called me up next.

I got a leopard-print chocolate high heel, because I'd spent that trip planning what came after: a few days in Napa to explore, indulge, and keep researching the experiences, businesses, and wineries that make people feel something.

Same gifters. Same night. Two women, two completely different gifts, because they'd actually paid attention to who we each were.

That's the part I haven't stopped thinking about all these months later.

Why It Worked

Nobody handed either of us a mug with a logo on it. Nobody handed us the same thing.

Jimmy and his wife paid enough attention to know that Felicia is boots, and I'm heels. That took maybe thirty extra seconds of thought. It didn't cost more. It wasn't harder to plan.

But it meant something, because it proved we'd been seen, not just included.

The Lesson for Every Leader Reading This

Most recognition programs are built for scale, not for people. Everyone gets the same certificate. The same gift card. The same "employee of the month" plaque with a new name slapped on it.

And it lands exactly like it looks: generic.

The moment recognition becomes interchangeable, it stops working. Your team can feel the difference between "we recognize people here" and "we see you here." One is policy. The other is loyalty.

So here's the question I'd ask any leader before your next round of recognition, whether it's for a client, a teammate, or your whole team:

If you swapped the name on this gesture, would anything about it change?

If the answer is no, it's not recognition. It's paperwork.

The good news? You don't need a chocolate shop or a stage. You need thirty seconds of attention and the willingness to make it specific.

That's it. That's the whole strategy.

CTA: This is exactly the kind of shift I help organizations build into their culture - not as a program, but as a mindset. If you're planning an event around recognition, belonging, or team culture, this is what The VIP Experience keynote is built to unpack. Home | Lindsay Smith Experiences