Welcome to Grateful Brand

Welcome to Grateful Brand –

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

He couldn’t have said it better. Two thousand years ago, Cicero hit the nail on the head and today, in our time, I have created Grateful Brand to serve as a reminder of the importance of being grateful, expressing this gratitude through positive messaging and acts of kindness.

While our name will soon appear on various products, Grateful Brand is first and foremost a metaphorical badge: a way of thinking, and even a state of being. In 2008 I had an encounter with a woman who, without exaggeration, had been through more than most people could bear in the duration of a lifetime. Her experiences had weathered her far beyond her years yet she shared with me, with a charmingly warm disposition, one of the best phrases I’ve had the privilege of hearing.

“If nothing else, brand me grateful.”

With a youthful motion, she balled her fist and pretended to brand her hip, while making a clever “tsss” sound, as if her tattered overalls were being singed by a hot piece of iron. I realized that, for her, being grateful was a permanent state of being and that she was a better person for it. At the time, I was not capable of living as harmoniously with my own set of circumstances, yet I have held on to that phrase ever since and now, in spite of everything that has been and everything that has yet to come, I have chosen to adopt my own Grateful Brand.   

I am thrilled to finally take the plunge and openly share with you what, in truth, represents the core of my happiness and success. Through following my progress, I hope you will be inspired to spread this message and perhaps be encouraged to adopt a Grateful Brand yourself.

Many thanks,

Dane Blackburn