My Hero, My Friend

A few weeks ago, I started writing about people I have met during my career in the Hospitality Industry who have had such a profound influence on my life, both personally and professionally. The first person I talked about was my husband Terry: how we met and how 35 years later, we remain partners in every way.

I must confess – there is another man in my life. I have known him a little while longer and he remains a “love of my life”. There is no jealousy or problem here, because how blessed am I to have a best friend who has been with me every step of the way since he hired me at Sea World.

Allow me to introduce you to Tim Brown. Tim hired me in 1969 when I applied for a summer job at Sea World. I remember sitting in my white dress; hands folded; hair in a braid and a demure attitude exhibited when this high-energy, athletic and may I say handsome man walked in. The rest is history.

Tim was my boss at Sea World; our Best Man at our wedding; our business partner from 1975 – 1988 and my life coach to this day. While working together, he always saw in me what I didn’t see in myself. He nurtured, coached, challenged and supported me through every phase of my career development. He was the one who pulled me “kicking and screaming” into sales. Since leaving our company, he has gone on to build another successful business venture, Meeting Sites Resource – an Orange County based site selection firm, with his wife and partner, Jennifer Brown. Fortunately for all of us, our businesses compliment each other, which provide continued opportunities to work together.

A lot is said about Baby Boomers and our habits. Well – Tim is one of the best habits in my life and his influence has been profound. I am so grateful for his friendship, his support and his guidance. We have traveled the world together, we have shared our children’s weddings, and we have buried parents and friends we loved. I am so blessed and grateful to have a lifetime of memories that are shared with a man who knew me when I was a teenager and loves me still.

Take a moment to consider – who is the “Tim Brown” in your life? I hope you have someone like Tim who believes in you; sees your potential and loves you for who you are. If you do, you are truly blessed.

Pay it “spring” forward….

We were recently asked how we were first inspired to provide community service activities for our client programs. For us, it was one event that sparked our interest in developing give-back activities and now, nearly 15 years later, we have found these to be some of the most rewarding and memorable experiences for our clients.

In 1989 we had an opportunity to orchestrate an extraordinary community service project for GE Plastics. During their visit to San Diego, they had five groups, varying in size from 100 – 700 people. Their goal was to design and implement community-based projects for each group that would make a lasting impact. They titled this effort “Share to Gain” and it was the most inspiring project I had ever seen. Our company helped GE Plastics identify the potential projects, partner in the logistical coordination and preparation of the facilities, and re-locate the children and adults in the various facilities for 1 – 2 days so that the work could be accomplished. We enlisted our staff and vendors to donate time and resources to maximize the benefit of this day.

Being a part of this project and helping to support the success of this effort created an awareness that everyone involved could benefit from these types of projects. Since then, we have developed programs of various proportion and focus that offers a community service aspect.

I think the most important thing to remember is that there are so many opportunities for companies to incorporate a give-back event into their program. Even if it is just one element of the event that is transferable to benefit the local community, that effort can make an impact. A give-back can range from the centerpieces that are donated to local hospitals; food that is donated to a local Food Bank following an event; an afternoon that is sponsored and supported at a local attraction for families in need; to a team building event that requires assembling or creating a product that is donated to local charities.

From all of these activities, it has become obvious that so much could be accomplished – not perhaps on the scale of our inaugural project, but day-by-day and group by group.

Total Package

To survive in the business world, the question that always arises is what makes you stand out from your competition. As with all industries, the needs and demands of our clients have shifted with time, altering the way we conduct business.

From the beginning, we have been defined as the innovative destination management company, and in the golden days of business, it was all about the presentation and the appearance of what we had to offer. Our chance to demonstrate our creativity and capabilities came in a perfectly packaged proposal that would hopefully leave a lasting impression on the client. The unique packaging only attests to the customized proposal inside. This is how they will remember The Meeting Manager; this is what distinguishes us from the rest.

Over time, things have changed where the lead time is less and the clients’ demand for immediate response is greater. Of course, with the ever growing popularity of conducting business via the internet, the change in presentation and packaging is now creatively shown electronically vs. hard copies.

Just the other week, our sales team prepared a proposal that matched the theme of the client’s program. Carefully wrapped in pink polo shirts and packed in a travel suitcase, the proposal was delivered to the hands of the client. There was something about the excitement and sense of pride and accomplishment exuding from our staff that made me nostalgic about the good ‘ol days. It was like returning to the roots of our business, and watching the staff admire the suitcase as their final product was sent off for delivery makes it all worthwhile.

So although much of our business ways have changed, it also comes full circle. Sometimes now, returning to the basics of how things use to be might be the one thing that makes you stand above the rest.

Our Lives Are Changing Every Day . . .

I remember when we didn’t have computers; when our company’s technology consisted of a Xerox typewriter with a 10 page memory capacity; when Fed Ex was revolutionary; and when someone asked us to send them a fax, sounded like they were asking for “just the facts”. Isn’t it incredible what has happened in just 25 years?

In the 1950’s, most women stayed at home and spent 2.5 hours per day preparing dinner for her family. Today, 70% of women work outside the home. I grew up with the adage, “necessity is the mother of invention” and I had an experience last week that brought those words to life.

I bought an auction item at the annual YMCA fundraiser. My purchase was for “Dream Dinners” – 12 pre-packaged meals that I would prepare and freeze for future use. Two weeks ago, I pulled out my gift certificate; went on line as instructed to schedule my cooking session; and chose my menus. Two days later, I arrived at “Dream Dinners” excited but not sure of what it was that I was going to do. Walking into the kitchen, I was welcomed by Steve Hall and his culinary protégées. In just a few minutes, I had peeled off my jacket; put on my apron; washed my hands and was ready to prepare!

During the next two hours, I worked from station to station, preparing dinners that I had pre-selected. The facility was immaculate; the attention to cleanliness and friendliness was delightful and my enthusiasm for this concept grew minute-by-minute. Two hours later, I had 12 meals that were fresh, healthy and ready to go. As I drove home with my cooler of food, I thought about why I had such a good time and this is what I realized:

• We all want to be good parents and preparing healthy meals for our families and friends is a way that we measure ourselves
• My experience was fun; friendly and made me feel welcome
• The quality of the ingredients and the finished recipes was exciting
• This two hour session enabled me to provide healthy meals for my family with a minimum effort and maximum use of my time
• The recipes drew me out of my culinary rut and inspired me to try new things
• I anticipated that we would entertain more because the work was all done ahead of time
• The price was right – great value for the product

Just think about this modern day solution. Necessity drove inspiration – inspiration drove invention. I don’t think my Mom would have appreciated the need for this service in the ‘50’s, but in sharing one of my Dream Dinners with her, she joined me in my enthusiasm and appreciation for its benefits to me and my family.

Business is business. Whatever the service, whatever the product – we succeed as a result of our ability to adapt and embrace the world and the changes that influence our lives. “Dream Dinners” was such a great reminder of this – and the dinners were delicious too! Bon Appetit!