Memorable refers to the depth of understanding that comes by allowing experiences to speak to one another: familiar and exotic, new and old, or side by side.
I find my expectations around the taste and quality of wine vary depending on my surroundings or the location. Location can mean any number of places: countries, regions, large or small wineries, family-owned wineries, in a restaurant or at home. Some of my favorite and most memorable experiences are those visits to small family-owned wineries in the middle of nowhere.
While driving through Franconia, Germany, and we saw a small sign near a driveway that read “Wein.” We made a right turn and parked in front of a simple house with a typical wooden swing set near the house and a heavy wooden door with a doorbell, which we pushed. An old woman (OMA or Grandma) opened the door. Her face and hands were weathered from years in the fields. Her hands looked strong, a finger was missing and there was plenty of earth under her nails. She spoke German with a regional accent so strong we could hardly understand her. However we all spoke “WINEeese” without strain.
When we asked if we could taste her wine her face lit up! She was cute as she wobbled back inside gesturing for us to follow her. She opened a little refrigerator and pulled out bottle after bottle of wine, all sorts of wine. If I remember correctly the bottles were already open and few had labels. She poured wine for each of us including herself.
Our expectation for the wine’s taste and quality was low. We were CORRECT; it was mostly undrinkable and nothing we would buy in a store. BUT we were having a fabulous time just soaking up the old woman’s joy of sharing wine with strangers. We stayed for at least an hour. She doted over our daughter pouring her glasses of varying grape juices: red, purple, white. Hayden eventually went to play on the swing and we bought wine.
I can’t say whether or not we ever drank the bottles we bought. It doesn’t matter – it was a memorable experience. It drove our decision to buy undrinkable wine.
Memorable refers to the depth of understanding that comes by allowing experiences to speak to one another: familiar and exotic, new and old, or side by side. Can you create an experience so wonderfully memorable that you could drive another to buy even the undrinkable?
Showing posts with label connect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label connect. Show all posts
Friday, March 12, 2010
Monday, November 9, 2009
Coach Jake declares: Enthusiastic Leaders Enjoy Premium Wines
Be the enthusiastic leader in your life! Enthusiasm must be nourished with new action, new aspiration, new efforts, new vision. It is one’s own fault if enthusiasm is gone.
Remember it is the power of enthusiasm that leads others to act- so make it contagious. Our latest joys in Va La’s Enoteca (also known as a wine tasting room) illustrated the resounding response to our celebratorious enthusiasm.
My sister flew from California to Pennsylvania with only 36 hours to share and participate in a special religious event in honor of my son. We were full of life and joy in sharing this time together, brief as it was.
I insisted we visit some wineries on our way back to the airport. During our tasting we concentrated on the wines and intermittently recalled the previous day’s experience. We shared our stories with our server. She was engaged and our energy was quickly transferred.
We then mentioned our next stop was the airport. Surprise, surprise our now high energy yet empathetic server insisted on honoring my sister with a glass of wine from their premium wine list. We smiled, were truly grateful and suggested a premium chocolate would be the perfect pairing for a perfect farewell. The rest goes without saying.
Leadership includes sincere enthusiasm for a meaningful experience and a shared vision. There is truly no desire for resistance only assistance. Part of my job as a leadership coach is to help energize and motivate leaders to focus on those activities that invoke such enthusiasm.
Remember it is the power of enthusiasm that leads others to act- so make it contagious. Our latest joys in Va La’s Enoteca (also known as a wine tasting room) illustrated the resounding response to our celebratorious enthusiasm.
My sister flew from California to Pennsylvania with only 36 hours to share and participate in a special religious event in honor of my son. We were full of life and joy in sharing this time together, brief as it was.
I insisted we visit some wineries on our way back to the airport. During our tasting we concentrated on the wines and intermittently recalled the previous day’s experience. We shared our stories with our server. She was engaged and our energy was quickly transferred.
We then mentioned our next stop was the airport. Surprise, surprise our now high energy yet empathetic server insisted on honoring my sister with a glass of wine from their premium wine list. We smiled, were truly grateful and suggested a premium chocolate would be the perfect pairing for a perfect farewell. The rest goes without saying.
Leadership includes sincere enthusiasm for a meaningful experience and a shared vision. There is truly no desire for resistance only assistance. Part of my job as a leadership coach is to help energize and motivate leaders to focus on those activities that invoke such enthusiasm.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Location, Location, Location - for the love of wine!
I find my expectations around the taste and quality of wine vary depending on my surroundings or the location. Location can mean any number of places: countries, regions, large or small wineries, family-owned wineries, in a restaurant or at home.
Some of my favorite and most memorable experiences are those visits to small family-owned wineries in the middle of nowhere in foreign countries. Not to say I don’t have a fondness from family-owned here in the United States. It’s quite different… read on and you might agree.
While driving through Franconia, Germany, and we saw a small sign near a driveway that read “Wein.” We made a right turn and parked in front of a simple house with a typical wooden swing set near the house and a heavy wooden door with a doorbell, which we pushed. An old woman (OMA or Grandma) opened the door. Her face and hands were weathered from years in the fields. Her hands looked strong, a finger was missing and there was plenty of earth under her nails. She spoke German with a regional accent so strong we could hardly understand her. However we all spoke “WINEeese” without strain.
When we asked if we could taste her wine her face lit up! She was cute as she wobbled back inside gesturing for us to follow her. She opened a little refrigerator and pulled out bottle after bottle of wine, all sorts of wine. If I remember correctly the bottles were already open and few had labels. She poured wine for each of us including herself.
Our expectation for the wine’s taste and quality was low. We were CORRECT; it was drinkable and nothing we would buy in a store. BUT we were having a fabulous time just soaking up the old woman’s joy of sharing wine with strangers. We stayed for at least an hour. She doted over our daughter pouring her glasses of varying grape juices: red, purple, white. Hayden eventually went to play on the swing and we bought wine.
I can’t say whether or not we ever drank the bottles we bought. It doesn’t matter – it was a memorable experience.
Insight, I believe, refers to the depth of understanding that comes by setting experiences, yours and mine, familiar and exotic, new and old, side by side, learning by letting them speak to one another.
Some of my favorite and most memorable experiences are those visits to small family-owned wineries in the middle of nowhere in foreign countries. Not to say I don’t have a fondness from family-owned here in the United States. It’s quite different… read on and you might agree.
While driving through Franconia, Germany, and we saw a small sign near a driveway that read “Wein.” We made a right turn and parked in front of a simple house with a typical wooden swing set near the house and a heavy wooden door with a doorbell, which we pushed. An old woman (OMA or Grandma) opened the door. Her face and hands were weathered from years in the fields. Her hands looked strong, a finger was missing and there was plenty of earth under her nails. She spoke German with a regional accent so strong we could hardly understand her. However we all spoke “WINEeese” without strain.
When we asked if we could taste her wine her face lit up! She was cute as she wobbled back inside gesturing for us to follow her. She opened a little refrigerator and pulled out bottle after bottle of wine, all sorts of wine. If I remember correctly the bottles were already open and few had labels. She poured wine for each of us including herself.
Our expectation for the wine’s taste and quality was low. We were CORRECT; it was drinkable and nothing we would buy in a store. BUT we were having a fabulous time just soaking up the old woman’s joy of sharing wine with strangers. We stayed for at least an hour. She doted over our daughter pouring her glasses of varying grape juices: red, purple, white. Hayden eventually went to play on the swing and we bought wine.
I can’t say whether or not we ever drank the bottles we bought. It doesn’t matter – it was a memorable experience.
Insight, I believe, refers to the depth of understanding that comes by setting experiences, yours and mine, familiar and exotic, new and old, side by side, learning by letting them speak to one another.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
By Appointment Only
When a winery or vintner states that tasting is “by appointment only,” GO! For years this turned me off because I assumed the winemaker pretentious. Growing up in an open-door policy lifestyle, I didn’t understand why they were closed to the public when all the other wineries were open. I changed my mind in the spring of 2000.
My husband and I were on a quest to taste ALL the wines of the California Central Coast before we moved to Germany. We had only a couple of weeks to hit all the wineries, including those that were “by appointment only.”
We discovered these to be quaint mom & pop set ups with a small inventory. We called on a winemaker located on the outskirts of Paso Robles. His wife was most friendly when we called and set a time within the hour. Just enough time for her to bake us a loaf of bread to enjoy with our wine.
When we got there her husband, a man in his 70s greeted us on the driveway. He was a retired engineer from Italy turned winemaker. After showing my husband his prized Alfa Romeo we were invited into his home to enjoy the fresh baked bread, wine and listen to stories from Italy to America. It was their story that brought the flavors of the wine to perfection.
I never looked at my watch. It didn’t matter that we had many more wineries on our list. By Appointment Only: “Wherever you are, be there.”
If you could schedule an appointment for somewhere special, where would that be?
My husband and I were on a quest to taste ALL the wines of the California Central Coast before we moved to Germany. We had only a couple of weeks to hit all the wineries, including those that were “by appointment only.”
We discovered these to be quaint mom & pop set ups with a small inventory. We called on a winemaker located on the outskirts of Paso Robles. His wife was most friendly when we called and set a time within the hour. Just enough time for her to bake us a loaf of bread to enjoy with our wine.
When we got there her husband, a man in his 70s greeted us on the driveway. He was a retired engineer from Italy turned winemaker. After showing my husband his prized Alfa Romeo we were invited into his home to enjoy the fresh baked bread, wine and listen to stories from Italy to America. It was their story that brought the flavors of the wine to perfection.
I never looked at my watch. It didn’t matter that we had many more wineries on our list. By Appointment Only: “Wherever you are, be there.”
If you could schedule an appointment for somewhere special, where would that be?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Lost Keys ?
Did you know that 1500 sets of keys are turned into the Las Vegas International lost and found department annually? That's just one airport in one city in all the world (albeit many things stay in Vegas). There is a cool website, www.return2owners.com that helps you tag them and get them back.
What do keys have to do with leadership? Surly you know the term Keys to Leadership. It's all related.
I wonder how many clients or contacts you lose a year because you don't have anything to link them back to you. The care and keeping of your existing clients and contacts is more valuable than and takes less energy generating new ones. Never under estimate the value of tried and true birthday cards, newsletters, gimmicky give-a-ways and quarterly phone calls.
Never leave out family. Make sure they see you as the leader you are in your life. Keep them close and tuned in to your leadership activities. Last year I received a referral from my Uncle Paul. I haven't seen him in years but the birthday card I send (thanks mom for burning that one in my brain) and keeping him on my email list kept us connected.
Until someone develops www.return2(yournamehere).com , make sure you take the time to stay linked. You'll better serve your existing clients, keep channels open for prospects and generate leads.
I'm off to Vegas to search through 1500 sets of keys; this may take some time.
What do keys have to do with leadership? Surly you know the term Keys to Leadership. It's all related.
I wonder how many clients or contacts you lose a year because you don't have anything to link them back to you. The care and keeping of your existing clients and contacts is more valuable than and takes less energy generating new ones. Never under estimate the value of tried and true birthday cards, newsletters, gimmicky give-a-ways and quarterly phone calls.
Never leave out family. Make sure they see you as the leader you are in your life. Keep them close and tuned in to your leadership activities. Last year I received a referral from my Uncle Paul. I haven't seen him in years but the birthday card I send (thanks mom for burning that one in my brain) and keeping him on my email list kept us connected.
Until someone develops www.return2(yournamehere).com , make sure you take the time to stay linked. You'll better serve your existing clients, keep channels open for prospects and generate leads.
I'm off to Vegas to search through 1500 sets of keys; this may take some time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
