Together We Make a Difference

I was looking back on this year to see what was on my mind last Christmas and was not surprised to see that my heart and head were much in the same place. There is no question that as I get older and our family and friends are blessed with such abundance, I seek out simpler ways of making a difference. I can’t deny that I am still a decorating maniac and that our house looks like a Christmas movie set, but underneath all the stuff, I search to make a difference.

The past few weeks have been busy with Thanksgiving celebrations and holiday preparations. This year, we focused our annual staff parties on the spirit of Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. With this priority in mind, we made arrangements to bring everyone from our four office locations for one giant community event. On Tuesday, November 28^th, more than 100 people gathered at a local military station to partner with an organization whose mission is to assist military families. We spent several hours organizing the warehouse, sorting donations we had collected, assembling care kits for wounded warriors, making wreaths and just doing everything we could to help support these young military families. It was a great day! Our message that day was “Together We Make a Difference” – and we did.

This is also the third year that as a family we have a new way of gift giving for Christmas. We draw names and choose a “giving gift” for each other that is important to the receiver. This year, Terry and I have funded many gifts through Project Concern’s Gift of Life program. This is the most wonderful program – and to see what a few dollars can achieve is amazing. I’m sure Santa will come visit our granddaughters – but he is also delivering “flocks of hens” from our girls to families in Nicaragua. The eggs that the hens produce can be sold or eaten, so the family can increase its income and consume a nutritious source of protein at the same time. Not only does the family benefit directly, but so does the entire village - once the family raises more offspring, another group of nine hens will be given to a neighboring family as part of a growing community fund.

I hope my sister doesn’t see this blog before Christmas because her surprise will be spoiled - but she is our inspiration and reason for helping to fund a safe water tank for an entire village in Central America. This tank will literally change the lives and the economy of the people living there. And Terry decided to buy a llama. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America where over 60% of the population lives in poverty. The addition of a single llama to one home can have a tremendous impact. A llama can help carry heavy crop loads to market which allows a family to earn more income because it can sell more goods. A llama can also have its wool sheared and sold to provide additional income for the family. Merry Christmas Terry!

So my holiday dream and my holiday wish is for each of you to consider the possibility of the difference you can make. I hope you find someone, some cause, some idea that inspires you . . . because this I know, together we make a difference.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

SCHOOL DAZE. . .

I’m curious . . . does anyone else find it odd that school now starts in early August and Labor Day no longer marks the end of summer? Remember when we were growing up and everyone started school the day after Labor Day? It seemed so simple. My nieces and nephews have been returning to grade school, middle school, high school and college for the last four weeks – so weird.

Our granddaughters Bryony and Raegen are starting kindergarten this year. This is such a big day for a five-year-old! Raegen has already started – and as you can see, she is “over the moon” about her first day of school. This excitement is probably reflective of her Mom’s love for education, as she was an elementary school teacher and has nurtured Raegen’s love for learning since she was a baby. The love of knowledge is an amazing gift.

As we all navigate the stages of our education, we anticipate a certain point in time when we finish school and immerse ourselves in our careers. Now, after almost 35 years in the hospitality industry, I realize that I have never stopped learning. This industry and all professions are constantly evolving and changing. The only way to keep pace – and hopefully to help define the standards - is to remain a student. We are fortunate there are so many opportunities for extended learning in the hospitality industry. Certainly, professional memberships like MPI, SITE, PCMA, FICP and others come to mind with highly regarded education as a primary resource of the membership. Two of my favorite resources – the DMC Network and ADME – are uniquely focused on the DMC industry and our particular needs. Carefully developed certifications are encouraged to recognize professionals with extensive knowledge in their professions.

I am lucky in that I really do love to learn. I take art workshops, mosaic classes, flower design, writing, management and leadership classes and any other courses that interest me and enrich my creative and professional talent. Years ago, I made a commitment to earn my CMP and DMCP and have now re-certified to maintain my credentials. I wish I could find time to really study computers – I am frustrated by my limited knowledge within such limitless opportunity. I’d just like to be able to use the majority of the features on my Treo.

My advice and encouragement is to forever remain a student. Study things you love; read books about things you like; learn about things you don’t know much about and always keep your mind and heart open to new experiences. Terry and I have been blessed to travel all over the world – and as you will see by this photo of Maasai children in Kenya – their classroom was the shade of an acacia tree, their teacher was an elder and their possibilities were without limit. I wish Raegen and Bryony could have been with us – imagine children born to such different lives sharing their excitement for learning. That is a lesson in itself!

My Head is Spinning . . . .

. . . And at times, I feel a hundred years old. It’s not that I feel old today – it’s when I look at old pictures – or think about how we used to do things, we all look so young! Last week, I sent this postcard to our lifelong friend Patty Blank who worked with us for more than 10 years from the early 1980’s – ‘90’s. We still work together on a variety of projects and spend a lot of time together – and it seems that all we talk about is our weight, plastic surgery possibilities, menopause and of course, men (our men). When I saw this card from our company archives (circa 1983) – I honestly wondered what we used to talk about. We were young, thin, healthy . . . who can remember what occupied our time then?

More than the aging process, it is the dramatic change in how we conduct business that captures my attention. I have written about this topic before - which proves how big a deal it is to me – but the one industry change that I have noticed is photography and how different our habits are now from just 10 years ago. I am sure I was one of the last hold outs for film-based cameras. Our son Jason gave me a traditional camera two years ago and had to look long and hard to find one. I remember when we used to buy rolls of film and pack our suitcases with film and batteries to make sure we could make it through an extended trip. Then last year, Jason convinced us that it was time to take the quantum leap to a digital camera, which we did just before a trip to Turkey (and yes, our friend Patty Blank was with us). I was an immediate and enthusiastic convert. Not only did I have the camera with me all the time – but I found it to be so easy and convenient to use. No film running out; no batteries dying . . . it was great. When we returned home, I spent a few hours online enhancing and correcting the pictures and then posting them to Kodak Gallery to share with our friends.

Now – less than a year later, I always have my camera with me. I take pictures of all of our events and send them to clients afterwards. When looking for items for a client, I photograph what I find and immediately send them a picture. Within our own family, we all share our digital albums which give us a chance to see what is happening in each other’s lives.

There is a lesson in this story. The photography industry as we know it has changed 100% in the past 10 years – how amazing is that? Professional photographers no longer control access to their negatives – instead, they now provide a CD or a website of the pictures they have taken. Consumers are printing pictures at home on their own photo printers – or sharing them electronically and ordering prints online. Kodak and Shutterfly have distinguished their companies as amazing online resources with capacities for producing customized cards, invitations and gifts within a matter of days – and you never speak to a person – everything is ordered and processed electronically. This industry has reinvented itself to seize the opportunities now available. WOW!

So – though at times I feel archaic and out of sync with all the technology changes around me, I am holding on with enthusiasm and appreciation for the unbelievable and exciting advancements that are taking place. I remind myself that change is good and rich with potential. It’s a life lesson – a business lesson . . . enjoy!

Once a Client . . . Now a Friend

When I first started this blog, I talked about George Millay, the founder of Sea World and the first of many mentors who have influenced my career. A few months later, I told the story of my friendship with Tim Brown who hired me when I was 19 years old and has profoundly influenced my life since our first meeting. He remains an important part of my life and I celebrate our friendship every time we are together.

We are preparing for a very important visit at the end of this month. In 1995, our company was awarded an exciting program for INTA, scheduled for May 1996. We participated in a competitive and challenging process to earn this business. How could I have known that as a result of that program, I would enjoy lifelong friendships?

Jude Duffy and Feikje van Rein are women who have changed my life. They taught me the “standards of excellence” that all clients should aspire to achieve. From our first meeting; through the RFP process; the awarding and development of the business; and the onsite management of the program – we worked hand-in-hand like a finely tuned machine. We complemented each other like peanut butter and jelly! I have often wondered why our experience was so special and eleven years later as we prepare for their visit, I am reminded of the qualities I appreciated the most. Some of these traits are personal – some professional, but all so appreciated:

• Jude and Feikje treated us with respect and as partners from the first contact
• Jude shared budgets; success stories; failures; and any information that would help us to help them
• Jude was true to her word – she did what she said she would with contracts and deposits delivered on time
• Jude and Feikje trusted us to do our job well – and their faith inspired us
• Jude and Feikje believed that work could and should be fun and we laughed our way through a year of planning
• When I committed to the 3 Day/60 Mile Walk in 2003, Jude initiated a fundraising effort on my behalf in New York - pure friendship and support
• Jude and Feikje became advocates for our company and friends to us

Jude and Feikje are coming back to San Diego this month – not for business, but simply for fun. We are celebrating a “Benchmark Birthday” for Jude and this is where she wants to be. Our “circle of friends” includes the one and only Tim Cloonan, the most amazing Senior Convention Services Manager and Claudia Wible, Director of Catering Event Management at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina– our co-producers and conspirators during the 1996 and 2005 INTA conferences. Some members of our original Operations Team have left our company, but their contributions and the fun we had will never be forgotten. Bill Van Ert (aka “Van – the loafer man”) continues to captain our corporate Operations Teams and Terry Hanks, an original team player, will also be joining us in our celebration.

I dedicate this blog to friends – friends who enter our lives as clients and professional partners and cross over to touch our hearts and lives. These friendships are few and far between, but the ones that last are the rewards of a long and fulfilling career.

Can’t wait to see my friends . . .

RESOLUTIONS . . . To Be or Not To Be

At this time of year, people are often asked to share their personal resolutions for the New Year. Many have given up on the idea because they don’t want to set themselves up for failure.

I believe in resolutions – because I believe we have an amazing gift that we take for granted. Our bodies, minds and spirits are miracles – our capacity for learning, emotion and delight is unlimited. It is when we get caught in the routine of our lives that we forget to notice the magic of it all.

Resolutions are the renewal of our commitment to the quality of our lives. Whether a resolution is to improve health; spend more time with those we love; or to learn something new . . . it is a promise to ourselves to create the best possible life we can live.
The mistake we make is that we often try to make a 180 degree change – and therein lays the probability of failure.

As I get older, I am learning that I can make a big change, but I have to do it in small steps that are manageable. I honor my health now more than ever before. I make good choices to support my continued quality of life. I spend more time with my family and friends – and nothing is more important than the time I spend with my granddaughters. They provide a portal to pure delight – pure enthusiasm – pure trust. I am working to integrate those wonderful qualities into the way I live. I am committed to living in the present and not dragging years of stuff around with me. The past has passed. The resolutions I have made – and the changes I have made make my life better.

I wish you a lifetime of resolution and reward . . . Happy New Year.