Coffee Time with Eric

It's back to basics for this week's Coffee Chat. Today, we'll cover the five types of gift card and prepaid card incentives — the building blocks behind nearly every loyalty, award, market research, and rewards & recognition program

January 21, 2026 There’s a magic that happens when  fun ,  connection , and  flow  come together in your workday. Let's call it Fun + Work — and that’s exactly what I wanted to explore in  Coffee Chat #41 . In it, I read from  The Power of Fun  by Catherine Price and share some of the albums that help me tap into a productive, joyful mindset at work (and get into that “flow state” where time seems to disappear).  What Is Flow and Why It Matters Flow is a psychological state w

As we kick off a new year, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped make 2025 a meaningful year for the gift card and digital rewards industry. Gift cards, prepaid cards, and digital rewards continue to power loyalty, incentives, and recognition programs around the world. This Coffee Chat is a moment to appreciate the community, the collaboration, and the impact this industry delivers every day.

As 2025 comes to a close, Eric Thiegs takes time to reflect on strategy before shifting into action. In Coffee Chat #39, Eric compares the Year of the Snake — thoughtful, intentional, and strategic — with the Year of the Horse, which represents momentum and forward movement. Reflection matters, but progress requires commitment. As we head into 2026, the question is simple: what plan from the past year is finally ready to move?

For this week's Coffee Chat, we’ll take a minute to talk about a simple way to spread a little extra generosity this season. According to CAF America, ~70% of adults are expected to donate to a charity by year’s end—yet 15% give only during the holiday season. It made me wonder… could we raise that 15%? We know charities love cash, but they also welcome gift cards...

I'm holiday shopping today—let's talk about taking advantage of the seasonal, holiday gift card promotions and deals. 🎁 After reviewing the National Retail Federation Top 100 and several other lists, I found that 60%+ of restaurants and retailers offer some holiday promotion on their gift cards—bonus cards, discounts, or partner incentives. And this isn’t just a consumer perk—B2B gets in on the fun, too. 

It’s Thanksgiving week — a time for gratitude, giving thanks, and…shopping for gifts and using gift cards. In this week's Coffee Chat, I unpack insights from PwC’s 2025 Holiday Outlook Report

In 2026, after 230 years in circulation, the U.S. Mint will end production of the penny. But the digital penny is alive and well, thanks to its innovative companies, which are redefining what a penny can do. Microrewards with seamless redemption make pennies even more powerful when they’re digital — no physical friction, no rounding, and no tough choices for retailers between cutting profits or raising prices when the physical pennies run out. In this week’s chat, I demo the

It’s Halloween season — the perfect time to talk about things that send chills down every business leader’s spine. I spend a lot of time thinking about business risk: what could go wrong, how to prepare for it, and how to keep growing despite uncertainty. So, in the spirit of Halloween, here are the Top 10 Scariest Things Facing Businesses Right Now — and a few ideas for how to keep those monsters at bay.

Last week, I asked about the "The Future of Gift Cards" while on the road in Minneapolis. Thought leaders from across the gift card spectrum responded. Today's chat is a summary of the answers, comments, themes and trends that emerged.

A little help from my friends - the future of gift cards

Pushing Outside of the Comfort Zone

This week’s Coffee Chat highlights three UK events representing the very best of our industry

This week, I share how a business discussion seven months ago led me to a transformative retreat at an 800-year-old estate in Sintra, Portugal. This episode is a bit longer as I sit down with two special guests and industry colleagues, Shawna Nichol, MBA and Todd Tomlin (from Memorii Journeys), the visionaries who turned last week’s trip into reality. 

Coffee Chat #28 with Eric: The Power of Showing Up. This week, we're going to talk about the power of showing up. It started while I watched Novak break another tennis record at the (USTA) United States Tennis Association's US Open this last week, which made me think of Cal Ripken Jr.’s ironman streak with the Baltimore Orioles, which led me to think about…my high school friend, Rick Goebeler.

Did you know the average person has $244 in unused gift cards? Across the U.S., that adds up to more than $21 BILLION in unredeemed value. Let's look at what I found in my own gift card search at home.

The Power of Moments - Surprise & Delight using Customer Data

Coffee Chat 25 with Eric: How Many People Use AI?

This week, I filmed from Frisson Espresso on 44th Street in the heart of New York City. Grab your coffee - our topic today: Trends in business travel, with a little fun as we throw in some "bleisure" and Broadway, too.

I have the ultimate work-life balance quote for you: “Don’t get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life.” — Dolly Parton 🎶 I’m taking Dolly’s words to heart today...