Gone skiing. This blog will be closed today. All comments and pearls of wisdom will be returned tomorrow. Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause. It’s snowing in Vail!
Gone Skiing
Is There A Glen Plake of the Business World?
Glen Plake is a free spirit. He is a guy who has been changing the world of skiing from the inside out. He’s done it, not by winning gold medals, or Winter X games, but by traveling from ski hill to ski hill hanging out with the people that make them run; not the CEO’s, but the dishwashers, and the busboys; the best skiers on the hill that no one knows about.
I remember watching his first big movie; Greg Stumps, Blizzard of Ahhs! It was in stark contrast to the mainstream, conventional ski videos by Warren Miller. They pushed the limits. They were rough, no frills, extreme skiing movies, that got to the raw essence of what its like to strap two wooden boards to your feet and ski the ungroomed, untamed, natural terrain provided by mother nature.
The Glen Plakes of the world force us to remember what it is we do and why we do it. They don’t allow the conventional to anchor us in the mundane. They push the envelope and challenge what we accept as the norm. They remind us that it’s the dishwashers; not those in the big offices that make our world run and in many cases they know a lot more about our business than we do.
Is there a Glen Plake in the world of business? I can think of a few, but I think there need to be more. They keep us honest and this is exactly the kind of leadership we need.
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Gone Skiing
I’ve been skiing all day, everyday since Sunday. It’s been a blast. But it is also making it difficult for me to post here.
I get my inspiration from reading, and participating in the sales process daily. This week all I’ve thought about is skiing. Therefore, I’m talking the last day of the year off.
Happy New Year to everyone. I hope 2010 brings you everything you want and more.
See you on the slopes.
On The Slopes
I’m teaching skiing this week. I am booked in a private lesson with the same family all week.
I like these kind of bookings. You get to know the people you work with. When you spend 6 hours a day for 6 days with the same people they become more than just clients. They becone friends. A relationship is built.
I still talk to clients I had 3 years ago. (my first season teaching). We text, and email staying in touch throughout the year. It’s been great. I’ve made some great friends.
There aren’t any businesses that I can think of where you spend this much personal time with your customers as ski instruction. They are on vacation. They are paying to have me add to their vacation experience and this is what I love most about being a ski instructor.
Every year at this time, I spend a week a part of someone elses vacation. I take this very seriously. I do everything I can to ensure my clients walk away feeling there vacation in Vail was better because of me.
I’ll let you know if I succeed this year too. I hope so. This is one thing I don’t ever want to fail at.
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