Or, Why I Love My Job So Much.
Over my 30-year career, I am pleased to admit, out loud, that I’ve learned quite a bit from my clients. Not necessarily just the normal stuff about their business or about doing business (that goes without saying!), but personal stuff that has surely enriched my life. I learned about sports I’d never heard of, places I’d never been to, and pastimes that became something I embraced.
Think about it… if you have an inquisitive mind, which I do, it’s easy to pick up a smattering of knowledge about a variety of topics if you simply take a little time to chat with everyone who comes into your sphere. I know that I’ve been accused of talking too much, but I think it’s because I am so curious to hear about other people. And I genuinely am interested… really!
You might wonder what brought this epiphany to the surface… well, as most of my friends know, I’ve recently returned to my aquatic roots and am swimming laps as my main form of exercise. I was a competitive swimmer up until I was 18, then a swim instructor and lifeguard through college, so it comes rather naturally for me. But what reminded me that I loved swimming so much, was picking up a new client that is deeply involved with the sport. So, thank you, Steve Little! It was not so much the marketing that we were now doing for his company, Claro Pools, it was being involved in the Swim to Win Foundation‘s “Just Add Swim” event last weekend. (Cool “Selfie” with all the Olympians!) I had the opportunity to really meet and spend time with 7 Olympic Champions, some of whom I had idolized back in the day when I competed. Yep, Brian Goodell, Rowdy Gaines and Janet Evans… you are my heroes. Then I met Kaitlin Sandeno, Jason Lezak, Rada Owens and Aaron Peirsol. All champions, all amazingly friendly and awesome, and they all still swim to stay in shape.
Watching them on their “break” at the event, instead of eating and relaxing, they all hit the pool and knocked off a mile or 2 of laps. Wow. That really got me thinking, so I talked with each of them about it, and they all encouraged me to get back into the pool. They’ve been so great, tweeting me encouragements and staying connected on my progress. Who would have thought? (Check me out at a swim meet, circa 1970… yep, I was first off the deck!)
But that’s just one example… I remember the time that I scheduled a a random coffee with a client, where I learned she also rode horses, which was and still is another passion of mine. Within days, I was meeting her at the stables, buying her horse, and having the best 8 years of showing LifeInTheFastLane, my hunter/jumper superstar. I loved that horse, and had I not spent a moment outside of the work, I would never have had the opportunity to know this wonderful animal that took me to greatness and let me love him to distraction. (Wasn’t he pretty? This was at the HITS Horseshow in Indio, California).
How about all I’ve learned from spending 6 years marketing the Living Desert? Everyone knows I love animals, but this was deep immersion into the wild animal psyche and it was engrossing and fascinating, every day. It helped me with my training of the horses, how to work better with the dogs, and how to just watch and admire the cats… who truly rule the ranch.
There’s all the medical knowledge I glean from our clients like Desert Regional Medical Center, Dr. Maria Lombardo and Providence Medical Center. There was so much that I learned when I worked at Spotlight 29 Casino, Westminster Mall, Fashion Island… the list goes one. The people I’ve had the privilege of working with continue to amaze, surprise and delight me.
I thoroughly love getting to know my clients as people. What are their hobbies, what sports do their kids like, how many pets do they have. Just by finding out that someone likes horses, I’ve met some of my dearest friends which has led to new adventures. And all it took was a few minutes off the agenda… asking and really caring about the answer to, “What did you do this weekend?”