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A Small Gift, a Lasting Lesson, and Our Thanks to the Finosec Community

By Zach Duke

February 10, 2026

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Every Thanksgiving, each of our clients receive a gift from us; simple glass jars filled with wintergreen mints. If yours is still sitting on your desk, maybe you’ve wondered, why mints? Why that particular gift?

They’re personal to me.

My dad loved wintergreen mints, and he always had them with him: in the car, in his pockets, and on his desk. When I turned 11 he started to bring me along with him on business trips. He was a furniture rep, driving from town to town visiting stores in a territory that spanned several states. We’d be on the road for days. I’d watch him work, listen in on conversations, and learn.

Before we’d walk into a store, he’d stop and say: “Zach, the customer is the reason you’re in business.”

It wasn’t a catchy saying; it was a survival fact. He didn’t have a base salary so if his customers didn’t sell his furniture, our family didn’t have income. That mindset shaped everything about how he worked: how he showed up, how he followed through, how he built trust over time.

That lesson stuck with me, and it’s shaped how I lead. It’s the mindset we’ve tried to bake into everything we do at Finosec, from how we build our products to how we show up for our clients when they’re prepping for an exam or navigating new guidance. The candy jar was a small gesture, but I hope it conveys that bigger message: We don’t take your trust for granted. We’re here because of you.

At the end of 2025 Finosec had 184 clients and a 99% retention rate. As a kid eating mints in the front seat of my dad’s car I never could have dreamed of that.  I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your partnership, for your trust, and for letting us be part of your work.

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During Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to reflect on gratitude—both personally and professionally. At Finosec, our commitment is grounded in one key principle: the customer is the reason why we’re in business. This belief has been instilled in me since childhood, thanks to the lessons of my father, who not only shaped my views on business but also inspired me to carry these values into my leadership today.

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