Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

Pepsi's CEO Writes Letters to the Parents of Her Employees to Express Her Gratitude Looking for a new way to make your employees feel appreciated? Try this one.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Monica Schipper | Getty Images

What we accomplish today is, in part, due to our upbringings. Parents, mentors and guardians play major roles in our success -- that's what PepsiCo CEO Indrani Nooyi believes.

After becoming Pepsi's CEO, people began complimenting Nooyi's mother on how she raised her. That made Nooyi realize the large role parents played in the success of their children. As a result, Nooyi got out some pen and paper and began writing personal letters to hundreds of employees' parents to express her gratitude.

Related: The Four A's of Expressing Gratitude

"I was a product of my upbringing. ... It occurred to me that I had never thanked the parents of my executives for the gift of their child to PepsiCo," Nooyi said in a video with Bloomberg's David Rubenstein.

Nooyi herself attributes much of her success to her mother and how she was raised. To continue expressing gratitude to parents, Nooyi takes it upon herself to not only make sure these parents are appreciated, but to make sure employees keep their parents updated.

"If I felt that our employees were not calling their parents often enough," she said, "I'd write a letter to them on why it was important to call parents."

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Celebrity Entrepreneurs

9 Billionaires Who Didn't Graduate High School

High school dropout is usually synonymous with impoverished but no diploma was no barrier for some of the world's most successful people.

Travel

Save on Business Travel for Life This Memorial Day with an $80 Deal

OneAir Elite uses AI to search the web around the clock for flight deals.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Apple iPhone 7 Users May Be Owed a Slice of a $35 Million Settlement — Here's How to Claim Your Share

Previous (and current, no judgment) iPhone 7 users may be entitled to up to $349. The deadline to file a claim is June 3.

Devices

Keep Business Private with a Second Phone Number for $20

Hushed offers users a virtual number that can take calls and messages privately from their personal number.