Author Archive

  Last week, I visited a beautiful spa in Mexico. That’s another reason why I like spas: they offer staff huge opportunities to excel in customer service.  Think about it: When people go to a spa they’re open — they’re after a positive experience. If you meet that openness with a staff well-versed in building relationships and providing excellent customer service, you’ve got a sure [...]

I’m not likely to ever forget what happened last night. As we walked back to our room after dinner, two Caesars Palace employees asked if we wanted to see Elton John and handed us two tickets to sit on the upper deck. They said “You gotta go now,” which meant just as we were … [...]

Last week I had a chance to reset my clock. I spent time with a group in upstate New York, training, learning, sharing, walking out in nature, sitting by the fire … yes, in the snow and below-zero weather. It was fantastic!  In my training work with customer service staff I focus on the more practical aspects of the [...]

Artists, entrepreneurs, bloggers, business owners, writers get their inspiration in all sorts of ways: in the shower, meditating, running, walking the dog, swimming, reading, from teachers, mentors, movies. I’m sure I’ve missed some; feel free to remind me.  More and more I’m finding inspiration in Nature. Months ago, a robin made a nest on the eaves outside our home. When the birds left, the [...]

So true: It doesn’t happen right away. Have you ever looked back at your life and noticed that so many of the wishes and dreams you once had have come true? They didn’t come true when you were really actively wanting, did they? No. Wishes, visions and success are born, develop, mature, change us and then one day [...]

Thanksgiving is a very special time, filled with reminders of everything we have … and it is so very much!  It is a celebration of the bounty and generosity of the Earth, of our planet, of our lives. Today, I am celebrating you: friends, family, readers, fellow bloggers. I am celebrating new dreams, new expression and [...]

Creating, delivering, innovating are all processes with peaks and valleys; not linear, not flat. What do you think? Is it less productive to spend time mulling a new development or researching a new idea? How about courting the muses for inspiration? Do you feel you’re truly productive only when you’re actually selling your product or service and earning money?   I remember speaking about this with an [...]

Are you in your work space right now? Look around you. What do you see? Are the objects, images and reminders that surround you uplifting? Do you love every thing you see? Do you have a sense of well-being when you enter your work area, or does it make you cringe? If you see clutter, unfinished piles, and things [...]

We dined out this weekend. Great food; “blah” service. Our server was polite, but everything she said came out as if scripted, inauthentic. She greeted all our comments with one word: “fantastic”. I finally figured out why this bothered me — she had no empathy.  At one point she asked about the salad. I told her the salad wasn’t that great but the wine was very good. To this, [...]

Imagine. It’s your free afternoon. You are going to the spa. The receptionist calls you two hours ahead of your appointment and says they look forward to seeing you. She tells you to call as you are getting there if you have trouble finding them.  She asks what you would like to drink upon arrival and gives you options.   [...]