As CharterHouse’s website explains:

The fishmongers greeted strangers like old friends. Despite the noise and bustle, when a fishmonger focused on serving a customer, it was as if they were the only two people in the world. Everyone was smiling—and buying lots of fish. John noticed that selling fish looked cold and exhausting, yet these fishmongers attacked their work with energy and engagement. He wondered, “How do they do it?”

“When people experience how good it feels to be appreciated—and appreciate others—they focus on what they can ‘give’ rather than what they can ‘get,’” the company tells prospective clients.

Charthouse says it has worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies, including Target, McDonald’s, Apple, and Lockheed Martin. Its marketing materials advertise techniques such as attracting and retaining millennials (“They want to know their work has purpose”) and building trust among co-workers (“The common thread in high-performing teams is that members encourage and ‘ignite’ each other”).

This story has been updated with comment from the White House.

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