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. 

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.

I am celebrating my 33rd anniversary in my longest-standing loyalty program (I signed up for it my freshman year of college) and reflecting on how gift cards and loyalty are a match as good as peanut butter and jelly.

I have a confession to share. I just got back from the beach, and I turned down an awesome incentive on my Spring Break trip. 😳 Now, you might be thinking, "Eric, you LIVE for incentives!" And you’re right—I do. I’m a 25+ year veteran of the loyalty/incentive space. Why did I walk away from this one? Answer: You’ll hear the story in my Coffee Chat video. But here’s what’s interesting: I’m not alone. Research from loyalty firms back up what I felt at that moment.

Small Value with High Loyalty Impact - let's talk about the power of ‘micro rewards. These small, frequent incentives can increase engagement in loyalty, rewards, promotions, and employee recognition programs by up to 25%.