🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 A handshake so powerful, it deserves its own email

In the quest to captivate our audiences and create meaningful connections, we often believe we need elaborate strategies and complex systems.

But sometimes, the most powerful moments of connection come from surprisingly simple gestures.

Have you ever witnessed that fabulous moment on the Great British Bakeoff when stern-faced judge Paul Hollywood—the silver-haired bread expert known for his difficult-to-impress demeanor—extends his hand to a trembling baker?

For those unfamiliar with the show, this well loved baking competition showcases amateur bakers creating everything from perfect pastries to showstopping bread sculptures.

While contestants receive verbal feedback each week, the rare "Hollywood Handshake" has evolved into the ultimate symbol of excellence—a gesture so coveted that bakers have been known to burst into tears upon receiving one.

When a baker receives that rare, coveted handshake, watch their reaction. Shock, disbelief, and pure joy mix together as their smiles widen to the point where it looks like their heads might crack open from happiness.

Next quest: Recover from emotional overload.

In that moment, validation and recognition transform their entire experience.

So what makes this gesture so powerful? It's genuine. It's earned. And perhaps most importantly, it's simple.

This got me thinking about our creative businesses and the experiences we create for our audiences. What is your equivalent of the Paul Hollywood handshake?

Is there a simple, authentic gesture you could offer that would:

• Cost you little or nothing

• Feel absolutely genuine

• Create disproportionate joy for your community

• Become something people aspire to receive

Maybe it's a personal video message to new members, a handwritten note, or public recognition for a community contribution.

Maybe it's simply remembering someone's preferences and acknowledging them in a thoughtful way.

The most powerful gestures don't require complex systems—they require presence, authenticity, and the willingness to recognize others in meaningful ways.

If you're looking to create more meaningful engagement with your audience through authentic connection, you might consider joining us in the Epic Engagement Guild.

We cover questions like the ones above all the time. Together, we're exploring the art and science of captivating our audiences in ways that make them feel seen, heard, and cared about.

What simple gesture might you implement this week?