Feb. 10, 2026

A few weeks ago, I was on a call with a client who had shown up exactly as she always does: thoughtful, curious, and a little skeptical.

At one point in the conversation, she paused and said something like, “I’m still not totally convinced this will work the way we hope, but I trust the process enough to keep going and see what we learn.”

And in that moment, it really dawned on me how much appreciation I carry for the people I get to work with, and how rarely we stop to name that kind of thing out loud.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about love... not the over-the-top, heart-shaped-chocolate kind, but the quieter kind that shows up in attention, noticing, and appreciation.

The kind that makes people feel seen.

In business, especially, we tend to talk about attraction in very transactional terms. When we think about ideal clients, partners, funders, or collaborators, the questions usually sound like: What do I need to do to attract them? How do I position myself better? What am I missing?

Those questions are understandable, but they keep the focus squarely on ourselves.

What we don’t talk about nearly enough is appreciation.

In personal relationships, we’re often drawn to someone because of very specific qualities: the way they think, what they value, how they move through the world. Over time, if we stop noticing and naming those things, the relationship can start to feel hollow, even if nothing is technically “wrong.”

The same is true in our work.

So, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend, I want to offer a simple but surprisingly powerful exercise:

Five Things I Love About You

Think about the people you most want to work with. That might be an ideal client, an ideal corporate partner, an ideal funder, or an ideal collaborator.

Instead of focusing on what they can offer you, ask yourself a different question: What do I genuinely love about this type of person?

Not what they give you or what they fund, but who they are.

For example, when I think about my own clients, purpose-driven leaders building their thought leadership online, here's what comes to mind:

1. They are deeply curious people who ask thoughtful questions and are not satisfied with surface-level answers. That curiosity makes the work more meaningful and the outcomes stronger.
2. They are innovative thinkers who are willing to challenge old ways of doing things and imagine what could be better, even when that requires unlearning or discomfort.
3. They tend to be skeptical about social media, and I genuinely appreciate that. Their skepticism pushes me to validate, test, and prove that what we are building together delivers real ROI, not just good vibes.
4. They are highly self-aware. They know where they thrive and where they need support, and that level of awareness is one of the strongest indicators of effective leadership.
5. And they are lifelong learners. They do not come into the work assuming they have everything figured out. They come in open, reflective, and willing to grow, and that openness is what allows their ideas to resonate so powerfully with others.

When I stay grounded in these truths, everything about my work becomes clearer. My messaging feels more natural. My content sounds more human. My partnerships feel more aligned.

That’s because appreciation sharpens attraction.

Now it's your turn.

At some point this week, take 10 minutes and write down 5 things you genuinely love about the people you work with or want to work with.

Then reflect on this: where are you already reflecting those qualities back to them, and where might you be overlooking them? How might your messaging, outreach, or partnerships shift if they came from appreciation instead of striving?

Clarity does not come from trying harder to be attractive. It comes from paying closer attention.

Just like any meaningful relationship, the business relationships worth building are sustained by being seen, named, and valued again and again.

Happy Valentine’s week. ❤️ I’m rooting for the relationships, in work and in life, that truly light you up!

With care,
​Brynne

p.s. If this exercise brings something into focus, especially something unexpected, I’d love to hear about it. You can always reply and tell me one thing you noticed. 💌

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