After years of working with dozens of companies—and stepping into new executive roles myself (whether it’s a familiar industry or not)—I’ve seen a common mistake repeated over and over.

The little things often get overshadowed in business by the big things we think move the needle—mega deals, major product releases, mission-critical priorities. This week, I saw the impact of those little things.

That day, as I walked away $15 lighter and twelve minutes later, I realized the power of his approach. He wasn’t just shining shoes; he was building connections, one smile, one conversation at a time.

The market seemed to be there: Clean Juice was capitalizing on the health-conscious lifestyle. The city was booming. The foot traffic had to be good. They had scale, with a couple hundred stores across the country. So why did this one fail?

As I approached the gate, the man at the front of the queue came into view and carefully continued his clear, concise instructions - one at a time. And what a lesson that was.

We work in an age where employers and employees easily give up on each other. Employers ignore the long-term payoff by investing in people, while employees often feel underutilized and undervalued. But occasionally, you meet a man like Tony, who defies conventional thinking methods and reminds you of more important values.

Products and services are nearly indistinguishable to buyers. It’s only getting harder to tell two SaaS tools, IT service companies or medical devices apart. A salesperson is the last line of differentiation. Never underestimate your ability to make it matter. Do more, go further.

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or the gazelle—when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”

Over the years, Wally brought his parents and four other siblings to America. Today, they’re all citizens with families of their own. Wally and his wife are raising four children in Philly. As we arrived at the airport, I asked Wally his secret to having such an incredibly positive attitude. Wally responded… “Expect less and give more.”

I learned a two things from a 9-year old girl and her Mom on a park bench in the middle of a freezing cold night in Philly on Saturday. Here’s how it happened.