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Inspiration

The quiet gifts we forget to count

n payments, we move fast. We track key perfor- still had a bug or two to work out These relationships
mance indicators, chase settlement times in mil- shape careers more than any quarterly revenue ever could.
liseconds, automate what used to take hours, and
I talk in acronyms that would bewilder most dinner Beyond work, many of the richest blessings are subtle:
guests. Yet as Thanksgiving approaches, it’s worth paus- the friend who checks in without needing a reason, the
ing, not just to be grateful for the big wins and visible family member who keeps your world steady just by
milestones, but also for the invisible foundations that being there, the habit or skill you barely recognize as
make our work and our lives possible. special because you've honed it for so long. Even the mind
that solves problems intuitively or the voice that can calm
Consider the everyday miracles in your professional a room—these assets are as real as capital, yet not listed
world. The fact that most merchants expect payments on a balance sheet.
to clear in seconds, not days, is because countless
engineers, providers, risk teams and innovators built the So this season, reflect on what helps you every day: the
infrastructure that now feels “normal.” Many of us don't systems that function, the people who care, the strengths
take time anymore to appreciate how rarely systems fail, that carry you forward quietly. Express gratitude for
how seldom a consumer actually notices the complexity them—in person or silently. Because in a world obsessed
behind a tap, scan or click. with the next big thing, sometimes the most transformative
act is simply recognizing what you already have. And that,
The progress our industry has made in eliminating like a truly seamless payment, can change everything.
friction is an astounding achievement, and one too easy
to forget.

And then there are the human constants. Colleagues who
don’t just hit deadlines but spot the errors you didn't see.
Clients who trust you enough to ask the hard questions.
The mentor who took your call when they didn’t have to.
The early customer who believed in a beta product that Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

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