Emily Jenkins
As many entrepreneurs know, starting a business means living in a constant state of unknown. Will we meet our goals? Will we book the next deal? Will we make it through the year? Dominion Payroll’s co-CEOs, David Gallagher and David Fratkin, know those questions well. Their story, passion, and perseverance continue to inspire every member of the DP team. Having worked tirelessly to create not only a successful growing company but also to build a winning culture.
During this time of year, the Dominion Payroll team has an amazing opportunity to reflect on the sheer strength it takes to build not only a successful business, but a sustainable culture that inspires employees and clients decades later.
A Lesson From One of Our First Clients
In Dominion Payroll’s early years, David Fratkin and David Gallagher visited a prospect whose meeting
overlapped with the company’s lunch hour. They soon learned that this wasn’t just any lunch break. Each day, the business paused operations so the entire team could gather in a community room and share a meal. The owner spoke with pride about how central this ritual was to their success.
That moment stuck. There’s something quietly transformative about unplugging and sharing a meal together. A lunch table becomes neutral ground, where hierarchy softens, where quieter voices rise, and where laughter flows more freely than it ever does in a conference room. In a hyperconnected world where we’re always reachable but rarely present, sitting down to a meal is an act of intention. These shared moments nourish us, literally and figuratively, and remind us why we show up each day. They help us build a culture that runs deeper than our email inboxes.
How the Tradition Grew at Dominion Payroll
Inspired by that early client, David and David made communal connection a cornerstone of Dominion 
Payroll. In addition to dedicating paid time for community service, the team gathers every Friday to share a meal. But nothing compares to the annual Dominion Payroll Thanksgiving feast.
Much like that first client encounter, the entire team steps away from the day-to-day and comes together around the table. Every year, David Gallagher shares a reflection to lead us into our busiest season, year-end.
“Thanksgiving is always my favorite holiday,” he begins. “It’s the moment we get to step back from the year and say, wow, look at everything I have to be grateful for.”
He went on to share with the Dominion Payroll team the importance of gratitude and how one can use techniques to focus on the positives in their day-to-day
"When we consider the things that frustrate us, or things that may get under our skin, our natural response could be anger or frustration. I am going to challenge you to take a couple piece by piece and really evaluate them. And when we have these feelings, those feelings turn into emotions and those emotions turn into behavior. Which then turns into our character. And that is who you are. These are what I call vapors. The little things that get under your skin or make you frustrated which can lead to feeling resentful. But I bet, almost each one of those things are just that – vapor. When you really consider those feelings, you realize they are just you – your own vapors in the way of your best self."
His message was simple but profound: Thanksgiving is the perfect time to acknowledge those vapors, let them go, and make space to become the best version of yourself, with gratitude leading the way.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
As the DP team cleared their plates and returned to their desks, they carried more than full stomachs. They carried a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper connection to their colleagues, and a reminder that success isn’t measured solely in numbers or quarterly reports. It’s measured in the culture we nurture, the gratitude we practice, and the intentional moments we create together.
This Thanksgiving tradition, sparked by a simple observation decades ago, has become the heart of what makes Dominion Payroll more than just a workplace. It’s a community grounded in shared values, mutual respect, and the belief that when we take the time to appreciate one another, we become our best selves.
And that is something worth being grateful for, not just during the holidays, but every single day.
