Around The World Trip

The first week of my “around the world” speaking tour is completed, and I am tired but still healthy, and I have been blessed with meeting some wonderful people and feeling as if I have made a difference.  I have done five different presentations in four different cities, including Mexico, in six days!

Last Monday (February 4) I flew to Baltimore where I was the opening keynote speaker for the Educational Travel Conference.  There were about 500 attendees from many organizations such as the Smithsonian, National Geographic, Elderhostel, the cruise lines and university sponsored trips as well as representatives from countries all over the world.  

They loved my presentation and the focus on how one person could make a difference when it comes to customer service, and they especially related to my “Johnny the Bagger” story as well as to some of my own travel experiences.  I met wonderful people from every country and also learned about some amazing trips that are available to places like the Galapagos Islands. One of the people from India heard that I was going there and has arranged for my friend and I to be escorted to a series of caves and temples carved into the mountains near Mumbai. (Other friends have connected us with two people who live in Mumbai, one Indian and one American, who are also going to spend a day with us, so I am excited about seeing that part of India from a Native’s perspective!)

The next day I flew to Brainerd, Minnesota, to speak to Crystal Cabinets, a custom manufacturer of beautiful kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  My flight was delayed leaving Baltimore, so I barely made my connection in Minneapolis (travel today is never without stress!) ; however, I arrived about 11:00 pm and was picked up and taken to Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake. Of course it was snowy and COLD but a gorgeous setting.  They brought all the managers and team leaders to the half day session, and it was a wonderful success.  They laughed, cried, learned, and shared in many interactive exercises.  One of the most fun ones was when I asked each team to stand up and then I asked any of the rest of the people in the room who needed something from them in order to get their work done (the definition of an internal customer) to please stand up.  Then I told the leaders to look at their customers.  Because it was visual and they realized immediately that they are all customers of one another and how interdependent they are, it was a powerful exercise and had a great impact.  Even though this was a very diverse group, they were all highly involved, and I received lots of affirmation.

One of the highlights for me was finding that an “old” friend, Karen Ford, now lived in Brainerd, so she came to my session and then we had dinner together that evening. We used to babysit one another’s children and do many things as a couple in Illinois, so we had lots of fun sharing memories and reminiscing about “old times.”  We had not seen one another for years!

The next day I flew to Chicago through Minneapolis and was picked up and taken to the Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois, the former home of Arthur Anderson. (Amazingly, one of the three people in the limo has been to Mumbai several times and was able to give me lots of advice about what to see!)  This weekend was a reunion of many of the leaders of the firm, and I was asked to be their opening keynote speaker.  I was deeply touched with the feeling of  family that still exists even though they have all gone in many different directions since AA imploded.  The theme was “Connections”, so my work fit perfectly. One of the attendees was David Swinehart, who was a neighbor in Western Springs, a good friend of my son, Garrett, and had even been in my cub scout troop many years ago. What a small world it is!

That afternoon I again traveled to the airport for flights to Cancun, Mexico, where this morning I was the opening keynote speaker for the Top Producers Conference for LDL Financial Services.  Unfortunately, the airlines lost one piece of my luggage and it happened to be the one with my swimsuit in it, so even though I had a free day on Sunday, I never did get to the pool or the beach. However, I did have a massage, so that certainly helped my spirits, and when I returned from the spa, my bag had been delivered.  (Now I am just praying that that both bags make it to India! 😉  Sunday night the group had a huge party around the pool with every kind of food and drink imaginable. I even tried GOAT (and it was surprisingly good!)  I met some wonderful people, including two women who had lost their husbands, too, so I know these will be ongoing friendships.  

This meeting was held at the Ritz Carlton, the only 5 diamond resort they said in the world (not too sure this is true); however, it was a LOVELY facility, and I always enjoy the amazing service they provide. I was given a suite on the Club Floor, and every detail was taken care of from confirming my flights to printing out my Boarding Passes.  This morning there was a handwritten card with a personal note from each of the three concierges on the floor–Wow!!!!  It is easy to get spoiled with care like this!  

I got a standing ovation from the group today which is always a thrill, and then was escorted to the “aeroport” where the flight to Newark was only a half hour late.  They even served us a hot sandwich on this Continental flight, so I am impressed. I am going to meet my friend, Nancy Cobb, from Illinois in Newark to accompany me to India, Thailand, and Vietnam, so I will report on the rest of the trip as the days go on.

P.S. You will be shocked to know that I did not buy a single thing in Mexico!!!!! 😉