The most helpful O’Daily blog of the year.

Yes, it’s our annual “Get Started On Customer Gifts (and Employee Holiday Party)” reminder!!!

That’s it. That’s the whole post.

Just kidding. I never do anything less than 10,000 words even when it could be a one-line reminder. 😂

Timeline Review (aka Reality Check):

• Decide gift strategy (who + what)

• Figure out where to order from

• Iterate because it’s always too expensive or too slow

• Scramble to get contact info from customers

• Make sure gifts arrive before customers are OOO for holidays

• Also happening simultaneously:

  • huge push for great Q4 close

  • 2027 planning

  • time off for holidays

  • normal business emergencies

NOT TO SCARE YOU (Happy Halloween 🎃) but time to get those AI agents going!

Yes, AI can help plan and execute but even the world’s best bot cannot speed up mail delivery (yet?).

P.S. If you want to have your company holiday party at a restaurant or other venue, you should have booked 2 months ago. Second best time to book is NOW.

(Or do something at someone’s house or other free location but get it on the calendar so people can plan around it!)

Here To Help: Best Gifting Resources

Customer Gifts

• Start Planning Customer Holiday Gifts TODAY!
  START HERE. A step-by-step timeline working back from delivery day, plus the key questions to answer first: why, who, how much, what, and who owns it.

• Holiday Guide: 7 Easy and Amazing Customer Gifts
  Tried-and-true gift ideas and vendors at different price points. All used, received, or recommended by founders.

• 3 Lessons Learned from Real Customer Gifts
  Real stories from Pardot and Rigor about what flopped and what delivered. (tl;dr: spending more does not necessarily make customers happier.)

• PSA: You’re Behind On Customer Gifts. Here’s the Complete Guide!
  The all-in-one guide. Timeline, strategy, ideas, and lessons learned in one spot.

• Are You Ready For Customer Gifts? (We Got You Covered!)
  3 fresh gift ideas with local flair. Spoiler: Espy gift boxes are 🔥, based in the Atlanta Tech Village.

• The O’Daily Startup Gift Guide (Crowd-Sourced Edition)
  20+ gift ideas straight from founders and top-notch gift givers. Shopping local in Atlanta? Follow the 🍑.

Employee Gifts

• 10 Employee Gift Ideas (Including Remote & Zero Cost Options!)
  Budget-friendly and remote-friendly picks.

• 5 Easy, FREE Ways To Show Gratitude To Your Team
  Simple and timeless strategies to say thanks! ❤️ (Yes, custom memes are classic and enduring and you can’t convince me otherwise.)

• Here’s Why Tradition Matters At Startups
  Make a special-to-your-company holiday ritual.

Bonus: Gifts for Founders

• The Ultimate Gift Guide for Founders! (50+ Ideas)
  Grouped by time, health, rest, and more. Forward to your loved ones. Or treat yourself!

What’s the best gift you’ve received? What are you loving right now? Should I do a “favorite things” post with gift ideas for 2026??

Forward to a founder or customer success leader who is knee deep in everything and may not be thinking about holiday gifts (aka all of us! 😂)