Being Present & Thankful With Jennifer Ann Johnson

Attention is leverage. When we choose presence over noise and gratitude over fear, decisions sharpen, relationships deepen, and work flows with more ease.

In this episode, I unpack simple habits—like mindful mornings, single-tasking, short resets, and specific appreciation—that form a practical operating system for owners seeking clarity and steady energy without longer hours.

I'll define presence as full engagement, and gratitude as noticing what’s working. These mindsets lead to better decisions, stronger relationships, greater resilience, and more creativity. You’ll hear why task-switching drains you, how mindful listening builds alignment, and how appreciation transforms team culture.

I share a bakery owner's story: a 10-minute morning practice and nightly gratitude list boosted her focus, quality, and sales—turning a mistake into a bestseller and her shop into a local favorite.

Try one presence habit and one gratitude habit this week. Subscribe for more practical tips, share with a fellow entrepreneur, and leave a review to let us know what worked for you.

Visit us at jenniferannjohnson.com and learn how Jennifer can help you build the life you dream of with her online academy, blog, one-on-one coaching, and a variety of other resources!

Chapters

• 0:00 Why Presence And Gratitude Matter
• 1:33 Defining Presence And Gratitude
• 2:30 Benefits For Decisions, Relationships, Resilience
• 5:44 Practical Daily Mindfulness Habits
• 6:40 Gratitude In Teams And Communication
• 7:00 Sarah’s Bakery Transformation Story
• 8:47 Key Takeaways And Weekly Challenge

Transcript

Jennifer Johnson: 0:37

Being present and being thankful. Today I want to dive into why being thankful and being present is so crucial for small business owners and how being present and being thankful can really impact your business and impact everything that you do actually in your life and in your business. Whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for years, this episode is going to show you how mindfulness and thankfulness can be your secret weapon for success and fulfillment. So let's start by addressing why being present and thankful is so important, especially for small business owners. As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of tasks and planning for the future and worrying about what might go wrong. And some of this future thinking is necessary, but an overemphasis on it can lead to stress and burnout and missed opportunities and being in the present. So being in the present means being fully engaged in what's happening right now. It's about giving your full attention to the task at hand, maybe the person you're speaking with or the challenge you're facing. Gratitude, on the other hand, is about recognizing and appreciating the good things in your business and life, no matter how small they may seem. Together, they can create a powerful shift in your business. And here's how they can give you enhanced decision-making abilities. When you're present, you're more aware of the nuances of a situation. The clarity can lead to better and more informed decisions, improved relationships, being present in your interactions with other people in your life or in your business, build stronger relationships, increased resilience. Gratitude helps you maintain that positive perspective, even when things get tough. This is crucial for weathering the ups and downs of small business ownership. Greater innovation. Being present allows you to notice details and opportunities that you may otherwise miss. Reduce stress. That's a good one because both presence and gratitude have been shown to reduce stress levels, which is vital for maintaining your health and enthusiasm as a small business owner. So, what are some practical ways that you can incorporate being present and practicing gratitude in your small business? Start your day mindfully. Begin each workday with a couple of minutes where you could just have mindful practice. You can meditate or breathe deeply or just sit quietly and set your intentions for the day. Practice single tasking. Oh, this is so hard for me because I am the consummate multitasker. Focus on one thing at a time. Give it your full attention before you move on to the next thing. Then you should take mindful breaks throughout the day. Take short breaks to center yourself. Even a minute of deep breathing can help you reset and refocus. Even keeping a gratitude journal, and that at the end of the day, you write down three things that you're grateful for that happened that day. Express appreciation. Regularly thank employees and clients and partners, but be really specific in what you're thanking them for. Create a gratitude wall. It's space where you can put notes up there for your team. And practice mindful listening. When interacting with others, give them your full attention. Again, that is really important. Active listening. Let me share a real-world example with you how these practices can transform your small business. So Sarah was a small business owner. She owned a local bakery. And like a lot of other people, she was always stressed and always thinking about the next day's orders and competition. And she decided, after we worked together, to incorporate presence and gratitude into her daily routine. She started each morning with a 10-minute meditation, focused on her breath, setting positive intentions. Throughout the day, she practiced being fully present, whether she was kneading her dough or piping cupcakes or whatever she was doing. She also started a simple gratitude practice. Every evening she wrote down three things she was thankful for. Some days it was big, some days it was small. But she she was consistent with it. And she noticed over time significant changes. She felt more relaxed and energized. Her improved presence led to a better quality products that she was doing and more meaningful connections. And people commented. That helped Sarah maintain a positive outlook. And she began to see opportunities where she only saw problems before. A mistake in an order led to the creation of a new popular product that she had. And she discovered her rediscovered her passion for baking. By being present in her work, she found joy in those small moments. And her renewed enthusiasm was contagious. It inspired her team and attracted more customers. Her result was not only did she feel more fulfilled, but her business flourished too. Her sales increased, employee retention improved, and the bakery gained a reputation as the most welcoming spot in town. So as we wrap up, presence and gratitude can enhance decision making and improve relationships and increase resilience, foster innovation, and reduce stress. Practical strategies are things like mindfully going about your day, single tasking instead of multitasking, taking breaks, keeping a gratitude journal, expressing appreciation, and creating a gratitude wall and practice mindful listening. These practices can transform not only how you feel about your business, but its performance and its success. Remember, being present and grateful isn't about ignoring challenges or pretending everything's perfect. It's about engaging fully with your business while maintaining a positive and appreciative perspective. It's about finding joy and opportunity in the day to day. So I challenge you to incorporate one practice of presence and one practice of gratitude into your business routine this week. Start small, be consistent, and watch how these simple practices can create profound shifts in your business and in your life.