Back in my advertising days, the term “makegood” was frequently used by media buying departments all over the country. Basically, my job as a media buyer was to purchase air time for my clients so that their advertising commercials would run on TV or radio stations at specific times on scheduled dates. If one of my client’s “spots” (a.k.a. commercials) was not going to air as planned, the station had to “make it good” by airing it at another time/day. The value of that “makegood” needed to be the same or better than the value of what was originally planned.

A makegood, in advertising, meant there would be work involved on both sides. Once the buyers learned what would be missed, they would have to evaluate what was being offered by the station to make it up. Was the value equal or greater? On the other hand, the station would have to work hard to make it up because a contract was already agreed upon and the station needed to uphold it. Not to mention, the station had to protect their reputation. Most stations did not want to be known as a company that made contractual agreements but then constantly moved things around when they needed to; offering too many makegoods. Needless to say, everyone involved always cringed when we learned that the advertising schedule was not going to run as planned.

My neighbor Dana is someone who I would call a Makegood Queen. If she borrows a stick of butter, she brings me a whole package (4 sticks) after she is able to get to the store. When she borrows an avocado, she not only brings over her guacamole but a bag of really good tortilla chips to go with it. Not only does she give me a makegood for what she borrowed, but the value that she places on such a little item is usually over-the-top and insanely thoughtful.

I bought this dish from Joann’s Fabrics. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is a month from now and T-day items are already 60% off?

I saw this platter (pictured above) when I was waiting in line at Joann Fabrics. Of course I bought it because: IMPULSE. I went home and checked Pinterest to see all the posted versions of these platters. Here are links to the ones that caught my eye: https://pin.it/45cl6a36dinazr , https://pin.it/tjnqy6qln7ovq5 , https://pin.it/c6eqb5hgxbz35d , https://pin.it/72zqtjejkylnox, https://pin.it/txorej52tg7oss , https://pin.it/heum5krutq77qw . These platters serve up more than food, they send a message of giving which fits right in with thoughtful pinches!

Another gesture that my neighbor Dana taught me years ago is very similar to the concept of all those wonderful giving platters. If I brought her family some food on a dish or in a jar, she would return the container filled with something that she wanted me to have. At first I couldn’t understand what she was doing. How come she was returning the jar to me? And why does the plate now have cookies on it? Dana explained that she was replacing what I gave her with something that she wanted to give to us. The media buyer in me couldn’t help but think of this gesture as a “makegood”. Even though contracts, equal or greater value or reputations have nothing to do with this - exchanging something for something is like making it good. Dana taught me to pay it forward to someone else once the container makes it back to me. I have loved the concept ever since! It’s thoughtful and generous and nowadays, for me, the term makegood, doesn’t make me cringe anymore!

The assistant in my hub’s department has an annual ritual that produces some of the best toffee that I have ever tasted! After she makes many batches, she fills up round tins with toffee and gives them out as Christmas gifts. One year she asked me if I kept the tins once we were finished eating the toffee. Of course I do because: HOARDER. I figured she asked because she wanted to reuse the tins. So I filled them up with treats and when I gave them back to her she had the same reaction as I did. Why are the tins now full of cookies? Because the symbolism of filling it up after she filled me up is thoughtful. Like me, she had never heard of such a thing but she was really grateful to learn about it.

We all have times in our lives when we have to borrow. No one ever plans to be short on something or hopes to go thru life lacking stuff. Almost always, whatever it is that we need to borrow, is necessary. I think about the TV and radio stations who needed to borrow the the air time that I had already purchased. Almost always, the stations would more than make up for it and I like to think that my clients benefited from the change of plans. When and if I borrow something from someone, whether it’s food, clothes, money, time etc. I try to give makegoods. We all can’t be like Dana, so the makegood doesn’t have to be “over-the-top”. A sincere note or a photograph of the finished product letting them know that if it wasn’t for their help, this wouldn’t have happened. Giving a pinch to let the person know that borrowing meant much more for you than the person doing the lending is thoughtful. Also, can I suggest that if you are going to use a giving platter, make it good!

Pinches,

Barb