Check out our February newsletter!
February 2026
HANSON HEADLINES
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A Simple Cup of Coffee One Act of Kindness Can Echo for Years
Sometimes, the smallest gestures of kindness can make all the difference in someone’s day. Five or six years ago, I was out of town for a conference in North Dakota, standing in line for a cup of coffee. A woman with a couple of kids was in front of me. After she placed her order, she turned to me and said, “And, I’ll pay for this gentleman’s drink, too.” Admittedly, I was flabbergasted at that; I didn’t know her from Adam. I was just going in for a cup of coffee (really, out of the blue and probably not fully awake yet). And, here was a stranger unexpectedly treating me to a coffee.
I’ve always been kind by nature, I suppose. I like to grab the door for someone, especially if their hands are full. I’ll happily give up my place in line if someone else is in a hurry or just looks like they could use a little win. The simplest things, like greeting people with a “Hello, how are you doing?” are bigger than they may feel in the moment. I just hope that, whatever the gesture may be, it makes someone’s day better. And we have to remember to turn the positivity toward ourselves, too. When life gets you down, take a walk or a little break from work, stress, or whatever is bothering you. Chat with someone, maybe not even about the problem, but as a way to clear things off your mind. Sometimes, you just have to take things one day at a time, and it will get better. As a tax professional, I regularly assist individuals in resolving financial problems and alleviating stress. Kindness is a crucial part of it. Just a few extra minutes of pleasant chit chat, a friendly check-in about a client’s life, or opening the door to welcome them in makes the stressful parts far lighter.
This moment of goodwill still sticks out in my mind, and it’s fitting for this edition considering that Random Acts of Kindness Day is coming up on Feb. 17. Doing something nice for somebody, especially when they least expect it, could change their whole day, and maybe even save a few lives. I
know it’s meant a great deal to me, and I love to go out of my way to bring a bit of joy to every client I work with. After this kind stranger paid for my drink, I asked her why she had done it. She told me she was inspired by her sister, who had sadly passed away. She just decided to do nice things for people occasionally, in memory of her sister. I haven’t been out to Fargo for a while, but I remember the warmth of that cup of coffee like it was just yesterday.
Kindness is contagious, so open that door or pay it forward in the line at the coffee shop. It might just
change someone’s day … or at least give them a good story to tell years later. –Craig Hanson
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How the World’s Most Iconic Brands Stay Instantly Recognizable Consistency Is the Ultimate Brand Power Move
Consistency creates connection. When your audience hears a familiar voice on your website, your Instagram post, or in a reply to their email, they feel grounded. They know what to expect. That reliability is what turns awareness into loyalty. Something powerful will happen as your brand’s voice begins to line up across every touchpoint. Your audience starts to feel like they know you. They see you as dependable, familiar, and, most importantly, trustworthy. That’s how loyalty forms, not from discounts or gimmicks, but from a steady, genuine voice.
Every great brand has a voice that sticks. Before you even see the logo, you know it’s them. Whether it’s Apple’s crisp confidence, Nike’s motivational punch, or Disney’s warm nostalgia, that’s the power of a consistent brand voice. It transforms businesses from “just another company” into trusted, recognizable favorites. And trust matters a lot. In fact, 81% of consumers say they must trust a brand before they’ll even consider buying. The surest way to build that trust? Consistency. When your tone, words, and energy stay aligned across every email, caption, and customer interaction, you create a relationship your audience can count on. What does ‘brand voice’ mean? Yes, your brand voice is how you sound, but it’s also your company’s entire personality. Your values, mission, and spirit are made tangible through every sentence you publish and conversation you have. Your brand voice should be unique, recognizable, and impossible to fake. It’s the difference between Red Bull’s fearless adrenaline-filled energy and Lego’s creative playfulness. Each has a tone perfectly matched to what they stand for, and that alignment makes their messages hit home every time.
How to Keep Your Voice Strong and Steady 1. Document your brand DNA.
Don’t leave your voice up to chance (or whoever’s managing your social media that day). Create detailed brand voice guidelines. Outline your tone, key personality traits, dos and don’ts, and examples of real-world language that reflect your brand. Ensure that everyone on your team, from marketing to customer support, knows how to represent your brand effectively. 2. Adapt, but don’t abandon. Your core voice should remain consistent, but your tone can adapt to suit the situation. Social media posts can be relaxed and conversational, while email newsletters can strike a balance between friendly and professional. The key is adaptability without losing your brand’s essence. 3. Listen and refine. Your brand voice isn’t carved in stone. It evolves as your audience, market, and values grow. Monitor engagement, review feedback, and watch how your community responds. If your tone feels dated or disconnected, adjust. Brands that stay relevant never stop listening. Be the instantly recognizable brand. Your voice is your signature, and in a noisy digital world, it’s your most significant competitive edge. When your message sounds the same across every platform, your audience can identify it, trust it, and remember it. So, stop blending in and start defining your voice. Because the most powerful brands speak with a voice their customers can’t forget.
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The couple invested a modest $20,000 from their savings (barely a fraction of what they’d set aside) and watched the business take off almost immediately. Sheri began buying little charms from craft stores, such as peace signs, hearts, and smiley faces, then gluing them to cufflinks that fit perfectly in Crocs’ signature holes. Her kids wore them to school, and that’s when the orders started pouring in. Within weeks, Sheri’s basement was a full-scale production line. Then came the website. In just two weeks, she was drowning in demand. Retailers wanted hundreds of Jibbitz at a time. Soon, the
Crocs. He asked where she’d gotten them. Lexie proudly replied, “My mommy made them.” The man handed her his business card and said, “Have your mommy call me.” The man was Duke Hanson, founder of Crocs. A little over a year after Sheri stuck that first silk flower into her daughter’s shoe, she and Rich sold Jibbitz to Crocs for $10 million, plus another $10 million if they met sales goals. More Than a Happy Accident Today, Sheri and Rich still lead the
Jibbitz brand. Their story is a reminder that when creativity meets opportunity, you need to bravely say “yes” to that spark of an idea and let it grow.
Schmelzers had to trade their basement for a warehouse, and within a year, Jibbitz were being sold in more than 3,000 stores. The Poolside Pitch That
From a rainy afternoon to a multimillion-dollar deal, the Schmelzers’ story is proof that innovation often starts small, with curiosity, creativity, and maybe a sewing kit full of surprises.
Changed Everything Sometimes, luck meets preparation in the most unexpected places. One afternoon, at a local pool, 7-year-old Lexie caught the
eye of a stranger who noticed her decorated
HAVE A Laugh A Revolution of Residential Design Levittown and the Rise of Suburbia
In 1947, a stretch of potato fields on Long Island started growing something new. Instead of potatoes, thousands of identical houses filled the space. The development was called Levittown, which marked the beginning of a new type of suburbia. Before Levittown, suburbs were mainly for the wealthy, but this was different. The developers treated home construction like an assembly line, and crews efficiently completed house after house. With veterans returning from World War II and the baby boom beginning, demand for affordable housing was high. Levittown helped meet the need with homes that came with appliances and a small yard for barbecues. Soon, the development became its own world, with swimming pools, baseball fields, and shopping centers, which transformed the American landscape. Before long, similar neighborhoods stretched toward the horizon, and the dream of a better life moved to the city’s edges.
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905 James Ave. NE • Jamestown, ND 58401 (701) 252-6190 • CraigHansonCPA.com Inside This EDITION
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
1.
The Power of Paying It Forward
2.
The Real Reason 81% of Buyers Trust Some Brands Over Others
3. The Birth of Suburban Life 4.
Meet the Mom Who Made Crocs Even Cuter (and Cashed In)
JIBBITZ: PROOF THAT PLAYTIME CAN PAY OFF BIG How a Rainy Afternoon Sparked a $10 Million Idea
Every great brand has a light bulb moment, but few shine as brightly as the one that sparked Jibbitz. Last month, we dove into the fascinating ups and downs of Crocs’ creation. Now here’s the almost too-good-to-be-true tale of how Crocs’ most valuable accessory came to be. Junk Stored in a Sewing Kit It all began on a rainy afternoon, with three restless kids and a stay-at-home mom trying to keep them occupied. Sheri Schmelzer wasn’t setting out to build a business empire. She was simply searching through her sewing kit for a little arts-and-crafts fun. Her children, Lexie, Julian, and Riley, were obsessed with their Crocs, colorful rubber clogs that had suddenly become everyone’s favorite footwear. So, when Sheri stuck a silk flower through one of the holes, her kids went wild. Soon, they jammed buttons, beads, and baubles into every Croc in sight. Sheri said on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “I was
just trying to keep everybody entertained. My girls flipped out when they saw these. They were like, ‘I want the pink one! I want the red one!’” When her husband, Rich, came home that night, he didn’t just see a cute family project; he saw potential. “You could see this little light bulb go on in his head,” Sheri said. From Craft Table to Trademark By the next morning, Rich had filed for patents, trademarks, and copyrights. A seasoned entrepreneur, he knew the value of protecting a great idea before it left the house. Then came the question of naming their new venture. Rich had long called Sheri his “flibbertigibbet,” a nickname for someone who talks a lot and brims with energy. Sheri cut it in half, added a “z,” and Jibbitz was born.
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