Gracious Eloise

Live Graciously

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"Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness." -Leo Tolstoy

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Handwritten notes strengthen personal connections which is invaluable in business!

Expressing Thanks Expresses Sincerity All other things being equal, people prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust. Writing thank you notes is a very powerful way to strengthen the very types of relationships that generate word of mouth referrals for a small business.

Read more by clicking the link above!

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The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

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Meet the Gracious Eloise Team: Doe Kim, Manager of Operations

Where did you grow up? 

I moved around a lot. I was born in Korea but we'd move somewhere new every few years. I really liked living in Germany -- we were in Frankfurt. 

Where did you go to school?

Cornell; I studied Computer Science.

What's your favorite place in New York City?

The Williamsburg Bridge. I got married in Brooklyn, and that day as we drove over the bridge, it was just so serene and quiet. 

Where's your favorite place you've traveled to?

That's tough, but probably Bali.

What do you do day-to-day at Gracious Eloise?

I do finance, HR, administration, operations - I do anything Eloise and Paul need.

What makes for a good thank-you note?

It's best when they're unexpected. When they're a pleasant surprise, that's when you've really gone above and beyond. 

What's the most gracious feedback you've heard about Gracious Eloise notes?

That it looks so real; people can't believe it's printed. One of my friends is an investor, and he said Gracious Eloise is one of the most interesting companies and ideas he's ever seen. That's big, because he sees a lot of companies and constantly evaluates investment opportunities.

How do you use Gracious Eloise notes?

Mostly for business purposes, to show what our product is.

What's your favorite quote?

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"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -Winston Churchill

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Good manners have much to do with the emotions. To make them ring true, one must feel them, not merely exhibit them.

Amy Vanderbilt

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"Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it."

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Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.

Albert Schweitzer

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"Leaning In" is Not Enough: Women Entrepreneurs Need to "Leap In"

In a response to the book the Gracious Eloise team just read, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, Forbes's Candida Brush argues that women must "Leap In" instead in order to be successful. 

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Gracious Eloise Book Club

Recently, the Gracious Eloise team read the popular novel Lean In by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. 

Everyone gathered over lunch recently to discuss what they thought of the book. Although there were some strong opinions in the group, most reviews of the book were positive: the general consensus was that Sandberg sets a good example for ambitious young entrepreneurs, especially women, by leading by example.

Ben liked that she backed her statements up with statistics; Paul pointed out that Sandberg had a slew of mentors who helped her get where she is today; Doe said that maybe Sandberg's advice is easier said than done. 

To conclude our discussion, our CEO Eloise revealed that she identified with many of the obstacles Sandberg faced, but encouraged everyone to ignore negative thoughts, and to instead keep track of the things we are thankful for. For Sandberg and our own CEO, learning to ignore negativity coming from other people -- or from within -- is the key to success. 

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Happy Mother's Day from Gracious Eloise!

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How to Perfect Etiquette with Digital Help

We're featured in Peggy Post's blog for Good Housekeeping magazine!

Thank You Notes  When you've just had a birthday or anniversary, got married, had a baby, or received a promotion, you're faced with sending a lot of thank you notes.  While emails or in-person thanks might be acceptable for birthday presents, according to Peggy, you should still hand write thank yous for wedding and shower gifts. Well, we all know from experience, both as givers and recipients, how long that can take!

Enter Gracious Eloise, a brilliant tool that can help you produce personalized, heartfelt notes in no time. After you spend about 10 minutes hand writing a sample, you upload it to the site, and its "Snowflake Algorithm" smartly learns your handwriting, down to the scrolls you make on your "y's" and the way your cross your "t's". You can then type in your thank yous and it will print them out on a notecard in your own handwriting. Even if you prefer to write your notes long hand, try using technology to keep track of your gifts. In addition to jotting down the gift and giftgiver, I include a photo to use as a reference---it sounds a lot more personal to say, I loved the lovely purple lace tablecloth than, thanks for your thoughtful gift. I also snap a photo of return addresses on envelopes and attach them to the list! 

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"Always be a little kinder than necessary." -J.M. Barrie

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Warren Buffett calls for America's men to boost women in business

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Girl Scouts create a new badge to get girls interested in tech

"There is a gap between men and women in science and technology fields, and the Girl Scouts have come up with a fun way to help fix this problem. The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) and Women in Games International (WIGI) joined together and created a brand new merit badge for video game developers."

We love it!

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Mother's Day is May 12th! 

Let Gracious Eloise help you celebrate the Mothers in your life by sending a handwritten note. You are sure to make her day!

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