An ordinary Monday shift turned into something memorable at Toro Toro in Fort Worth. One team member received our 99th surprise $1,000 tip. Positive surprises still feel rare. Most of the ones people carry are the hard kind. When the opposite happens, both sides notice.
The receiver often gets a sharp dopamine lift from the unexpected recognition. The people handing over the tip tend to feel the helper’s high; the one studies connect to oxytocin and a quiet endorphin lift. Those biological shifts create a shared memory of connection that can travel outward and make the next act of kindness feel a little easier.
This drop happened while Deedre Daniel was in town as the opening keynote speaker at the American Society of Appraisers International Conference. During How to be More Interesting Than a Cell Phone®, she asked the audience for two volunteers to join her and ASA’s CEO, Guillermo Ortiz De Zarate, in making a stranger’s day. Melanie Modica and Jon Gargulak raised their hands immediately. The Big Fat Tip does not incur separate travel expenses, so these moments simply ride along with existing work trips and reach different parts of the country without extra cost. The recipient’s reaction touched everyone. You never fully know what someone is carrying.
BIG FAT THANKS to Karim Guirguis, who covered the full $1,000 for this tip and the next one as well. He has supported us before, and we are grateful for the continued trust. Special thanks to Melanie Modica, Jon Gargulak, and Guillermo Ortiz De Zarate for stepping in with genuine enthusiasm.
Thank you for taking the time to watch the happy news video. Kindness multiplies when it is seen.
