We began our Recognition Road Trip on Monday, July 11th in Chicago, IL, to see for ourselves if we really are an Underappreciation Nation, and if so, do something about it!

Before we left Chicago, we conducted interviews around the city, introducing OGO and the purpose of the Recognition Road Trip: to inspire people to recognize their OGO for being awesome and for doing great things. We asked for thoughts and predictions on what we would find when we challenged people to open up and give recognition.

After all, we had no idea what to expect ourselves! Would people embrace the idea and be motivated to reach out to a loved one or friend? Would they be hesitant to talk to strangers like us about something so personal?

The people we talked to had mixed emotions. Carol from North Carolina summarized the overarching theme nicely. “You’ll either get people like us who are excited to talk to you, or you’ll get people who will run in the other direction. People are usually all in or all out.”

But the important pattern I recognized from each interview, was that they always ended on an optimistic note. Regina, a woman with a contagious smile from Tennessee, said, “I hope people will embrace you. With all that is going on in the world, we need more positivity and unity.”

Despite their hesitations, people truly hoped that others would embrace the spirit of OGO and believed that what we are doing is good.

So after three days on the road, what is the verdict?

People. Are. Awesome.

I have been blown away by the amazing people we have met so far and their willingness to be vulnerable and share stories with us about the important people in their lives.

In the past three days we have been to Chicago, IL, Springfield, IL, St Louis, MO, and Springfield, MO, as well as many places in between. Each place has proved to be wonderfully unique, but they all share one important thing: people everywhere love recognition!

We have sat with couples, best friends, families, and individuals, from all walks of life, each with unique stories and perspectives.

My favorite moment of recognition came from Melyssa and Dallas, a couple we met in Normal, IL. To say they were skeptical of us would be an understatement. When we introduced OGO and the Recognition Road Trip, Melyssa rolled her eyes, laughed and said, “that’s weird.”

But as we told her that 70% of people, neighbors, husbands, friends, and grandparents feel underappreciated for the things that they do, she started to warm up to the idea and finally agreed to recognize her OGO.

Melyssa’s OGO is her high school English teacher who helped her develop a passion for reading. Melyssa said she struggled with reading for years, found it to be boring, and her education suffered because of it. But this particular teacher went above and beyond to find books that Melyssa was interested in and changed her life for the better.

“It’s been a total transformation. I always have a book in my hand these days, and she made me want to push myself in school,” she said. Towards the end of the interview, she began to get emotional and said, “And I don’t think I ever thanked her.”

Dallas, who initially refused to be interviewed, jumped at the opportunity to recognize Melyssa as his OGO after she opened up. Of Melyssa, he said, “She is the first significant other that I’ve had that lets me be the person that I am. Any weird quirk or interest I have, she encourages me to embrace and explore it. That’s why we are getting married next year.”

We asked Melyssa how Dallas’s comments made her feel and she beamed and said, “Special.”

“Dallas is amazing because regardless of what mood you’re in, he always makes me smile and brings me back to a happy place. He has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. I never thought I would meet anyone like him.”

It was absolutely incredible to see the transformation that this couple went through in the ten minutes we spent with them. From being engrossed in their phones, to making the uncomfortable choice to be vulnerable with us, to physically radiating joy and positivity at the end, I truly think OGO made an impact.

Finally, we asked them to share their new perspective on OGO’s Recognition Road Trip. After all, Melyssa, who was hesitant to even choose one OGO, had recognized two by the end of the interview! They said, “You don’t hear enough recognition. People need something like this. With everything going on in the world, we need more positivity and appreciation.”

So what have we learned so far?

People love to be recognized! And most people, with a little push, are willing to do it (and feel great afterwards)!

Over the next few days, we will be stopping in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Amarillo. After this strong start, we are excited to meeting more amazing OGOs and help them to recognize the incredible people in their life. We hope to continue to challenge people to actually take that step of recognizing someone and making a positive difference in their OGO’s day.

It may be early in the Recognition Road Trip, but I think we are well on our way to earning the title of Appreciation Nation!

Stay tuned!

- Carly Sullivan