★★★ What Leaders Are Saying About the Book ★★★ "Written with deep honesty and experience, Ditch the Sugar Coating challenges everything we think we know about Recognition." — Ankur Warikoo, Entrepreneur, Content Creator "If you believe people are your greatest asset, this book shows you how to actually act on that belief." — Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder & Executive Vice Chairman Info Edge "Ditch the Sugar Coating is a bold reminder that leaders who master both technology and the human heartbeat will truly shape the companies of tomorrow." — Peter Hinssen, Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author, Serial Entrepreneur "With sharp reflections and powerful truths, Ditch the Sugar Coating gets real about Recognition, not as a strategy, but as a human necessity." — Samir Krishan Modi, Founder Modicare "A must-read for leaders who want to scale culture with revenue. Excellent Book" —Verne Harnish, Founder Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of numerous books on Scaling Up "This book challenges leaders, teammates, and even families to stop the performative praise and start giving real, thoughtful, human Recognition." —Rajesh Setty, Entrepreneur, Teacher, Author of Smart, but Stuck and 19 books 📌 Why You’ll Want to Read Ditch the Sugar Coating Unmasks the real difference between recognition, appreciation, incentives, and bonuses Helps leaders and teams move past tokenism to real, lasting culture shifts Designed for HR leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, leaders, and team builders Filled with real stories, not corporate jargon and complicated frameworks. Gentle but bold. Recognition Is Not the Dessert What if we’ve made Recognition too complicated? What if we’re spending crores on programs, vouchers, and tech but our people still don’t feel seen? Ditch the Sugar Coating is a bold, honest look at what Recognition really means and why it’s one of the most misunderstood forces in the workplace. Written by Nidhi Jain Seth, a product designer and founder of Pinnacle Rewards and Recognition with over 25 years of experience creating meaningful awards and trophies, this book isn’t built from theory, it’s born from real conversations, factory floors, family stories, and corporate boardrooms. Through simple stories and practical reflections, Nidhi peels back the layers of performance optics to help us return to what really matters: noticing, highlighting, and meaning it. 🔍 Inside This Book, You’ll Find: The subtle but powerful differences between Recognition, Appreciation, Incentives, and Bonuses The hidden costs of over-rewarding with under-meaning Real stories from founders, factory workers, and HR leaders who got it right. How to build micro-rituals and symbols that anchor culture, without draining budgets Ways to make digital recognition tools feel human again A refreshing look at how Recognition works for blue-collar teams, not just knowledge workers Reflections that go beyond the office because the need to be seen is universal 🎯 Who This Book Is For: Leaders and founders who want to build high-performing, trusted teams HR professionals designing recognition programs or trying to revive stale ones Educators and coaches working with teams, students, or creative groups Anyone tired of surface-level praise and ready to explore real, lasting recognition Ditch the Sugar Coating will make you pause. It may make you rethink what you’ve been doing for years. And it will almost certainly change the way you lead.
About the Author
Always learning something new.
Always experimenting with fresh ideas and materials in her factory.
Always planning her next vacation.
That’s Nidhi Jain Seth, founder of Pinnacle & Positively Perfect.
A graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), a self-taught product designer, and a lifelong champion of the power of Appreciation and Recognition, Nidhi has spent 25 years helping companies bring Recognition to life through thoughtful, creative products that people hold on to for months, years, and sometimes even a lifetime.
Every year, she carves out time to learn something new to keep her own flow of creativity fresh and upto date: from IIM Bangalore to Harvard, and ISB, to the Corning Museum of Glass and Arrowmont Craft School.
Ditch the Sugar Coating is rooted in real conversations, behind-the-scenes challenges, and the lessons she’s learned helping hundreds of companies turn everyday gestures into moments that truly matter.
