Graffiti has always fascinated me – especially the urge to express something so urgently that it has to be done in whatever way possible, whether on a bathroom stall or a random object. I recently stumbled upon some graffiti that read, “exactly what you run from, you end up chasing.” It made me stop and think. What am I chasing? This pandemic has taught me that I can face any challenge with clarity and context because anything is better than a pandemic. Although tech has been hit hard lately, and we’ve had clients cancel RKOs and incentive trips, I’m not afraid. I’ve been through similar situations in the past, and I’ve seen panic and fear. But I know that we’ll be okay. It’s an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, our companies, and our jobs.
I’ve been reading a lot lately. And my colleague Dana Pake recommended an excellent book called Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. What I love about Unreasonable Hospitality is that it encourages us to take hospitality up a notch by paying attention to what’s happening right in front of us and finding ways to enhance the experience for our clients or guests. It’s not about working harder. It’s about going the extra mile and doing something special just because.
Recently, we produced an event in San Francisco where a tech startup CEO spoke on stage. During a Q&A session, one of the company’s sales managers asked the CEO about his favorite restaurant, and he responded with McDonald’s. I loved how authentic and unpretentious that answer was. So, during the break, I decided to do something special for the CEO. A McDonald’s was just three blocks away, so I asked my colleague to run down and grab two cheeseburgers. As the CEO was leaving the stage and taking off his microphone, I handed him the cheeseburgers with a smile. He was surprised and delighted by the unexpected gesture.
Did the cheeseburgers have anything to do with his start-up or our event? No. But a small act of kindness made a big impact on him. It only cost me $5.00, but seeing the CEO’s smile and knowing I’d made his day a little bit better was worth it. That’s what hospitality’s all about, which is what our jobs are all about – making people feel special and valued, even in small ways.
I realized I’d been running from fear of instability. But now I am chasing cheeseburgers. The act of making someone happy – even with a $5.00 cheeseburger – is what matters. This kind of hospitality will move the needle and set our industry up for success.
