Go for the Gold!

With the Summer Olympics well underway,  I am always amazed by the strength, graciousness, determination, passion and respect that these athletes show day in and day out.   Composed and poised under the spotlight of pressure to bring home the medal, not only for yourself, but for your team and country.   There is nothing like a spirited race that gets your adrenaline flowing and energy high.   Enthusiasm is quite contagious.   Competition is good, whether you are competing for a gold medal in London or whether you're competing for one in your career.    Gold medals represent the epitome of standard --- the highest pinnacle to achieve  --- one that will separate us from our peers and colleagues, while establishing our achievement in a job well done.   Right?   So...we can't all be stellar athletes, shouldn't we strive to be stellar in our careers so that we own the gold there?

I've thought a lot about this over the last six days.     I have been in New Orleans for the 10th Anniversary of Tales of the Cocktail, one of the emerging industry events, that truly embodies the best of the best.   The event has grown since it's humble beginnings and it's not only a testament to the industry itself, but to the vision of the founder, Ann Tunnerman.   So... how does an industry event have any correlation to the Olympics and going for the gold?  

I was amazed and in awe of the passion and respect that, over a course of 5 days, is not only shared but embraced.    Truly, in the spirit of competition, we all want to be the best in our own right.   We work with our colleagues to create and develop to achieve the highest pinnacle possible --- the gold medal when it comes to customers, repeat business, credibility and most of all, success for ourselves and our companies.   One thing as an industry that we should all remember is that competition is good.  It makes us better.  It makes us feel challenged.  It makes us all go for the gold on a daily basis so that as we grow professionally, our industry grows as well.  

The hospitality industry is "our" country, so to speak.  Every day, we are blessed to be a part of it and enjoy the fruits of it's labor.  We should go out and promote it with pride and passion.  We should share our love of our own individual craft and companies while embracing the spirit of competition.  We should show respect and tip our hats to anyone who achieves "gold".   For me... it's motivation to see someone excel and reach the highest pinnacle.  It truly makes me want to put forth more effort and be recognized for being one of the best.  Whether, we agree or not, there is room for all of us in this big ole' world and not only does competition help to keep us all on our toes, it keeps our industry moving forward instead of backwards.  We all learn from each other.   

Even in the Olympics, as in everyday life, it's easy to lose focus, become disappointed or disengaged or want your competition to fail.   Isn't that a natural instinct at times?   I think what separates the stellar and elite are those that overcome those feelings and bring themselves back up to their gold standard.   Be the very best that you can be, day in and day out.   Show respect for yourself, your company and your industry.   Take care of your customers and provide them with your best effort every time you step out on the platform.   When you compete, do it fairly and with respect.   The best champions are those who can achieve greatness but remain humble and know that on any given day, the result could have been different.   

There are many days of Olympic events ahead, but, for each of us, our days to compete and contribute are far beyond a two week period.   As a collective group, we are all striving to be standing on that podium, whether as an individual or as a company but at the end of the day, no matter who ends up there... we still represent our industry.   

We are the ambassadors of our crafts, our companies and our industry and we should all be mindful that our words, our actions and our efforts are just as impactful as our achievements.  

Congratulations to Ann and the Tales team for a job well done.  You deserve a gold and I'm already looking forward to 2013.    For the rest of the industry, on any given day, we all deserve to be at the center of the podium and feel pride for what we do.   Each day provides us another opportunity to wake up, smile, be grateful and appreciate the opportunity to share our passions.  

Enjoy the Olympics and Go for the Gold!

Kudos to the Creative Minds of.... what else, DRINKS!

Have you ever walked into a restaurant or bar and felt overwhelmed by the menu choices?   I mean, honestly, some of the drink menus today are pages and pages of incredible sounding recipes that seem to "over stimulate" your mind, body and soul.  Do you feel your palate salivating at the sound of some of the tasty creations?  Have you ever thought about who created those concoctions?   

This past week,  I was one of the many THOUSANDS to attend Tales of the Cocktail, an annual festival that is held in New Orleans every year.  If you haven't heard of it or you haven't been - place it on your calendar!   Every July,  it's a gathering like no other.

Among those attending were not only regular folks like you and me who just love to imbibe, but, the elite de' elite in the hospitality business.  The creators of all of those "tempting drink creations" on menus nationwide - yes, I am referring to the bartenders and mixologists from all across the US.

Whoever thinks that these guys and girls aren't at the top of their game are just WRONG.   I am so impressed every single day by their passion, their intensity, their fun for life, but most of all, their work ethics!  They create, develop, share and most of all, ENJOY every second doing it.  They have elevated the craft of being behind the bar to a completely new level. 

TOTC (shortened version) has become one of the leading festivals in the US, in the hospitality industry, sharing the history of the cocktail, tasting rooms, spirited dinners, networking and friendships, all while being surrounded and embraced by the City of New Orleans.  It simply doesn't get much better.   My hat is completely off to Ann (the founder and aka Mrs. Cocktail) , who has done an amazing job since the very first one.   Next year, they will be celebrating their 10th anniversary and I know that it will be even bigger and better!  Here's the website:   www.talesofthecocktail.com, so please check it out and put it on your radar!   


I'm sure that I am not alone in my dilemma when it comes to ordering cocktails.   I have never been a self professed expert, just someone who enjoys a good one.   I have friends who can look at the menu and immediately determine in their mind which one,  just by the description,   is going to taste fabulous on their palate.   For me, it just isn't that easy, so,when I have an opportunity to converse with the creators, I am  simply in awe.  

In conversations with them, I have really learned so much about ordering and even understanding how to order.  They all agree, that most of the time,  they have a lot of people who come in and don't really know what they want to drink - so it's their job to create something delectable.   What I found is that they do this by simply engaging in conversation and asking a few questions?  Do you like sweet flavors?   Salty?  Are you partial to exotic?    Or sometimes, they say, let me create something for you and if you don't like it, we'll find something else and they work their magic on a drink that they have been given rave reviews for in the past.


I am sure that there are tons of venues across the country with this kind of personal touch and I hope to experience each and every one of them.   I love people and when you run across somebody who shares the same type of passion as you do, it's just a wonderful experience, which is why, this past week, seeing and being around all of these talented and creative individuals had me GIDDY as a school girl.  (We all know how many years ago that was, don't we? )  They are true professionals who believe in their work, share their passion with each and every one of us every single time we go into their establishments and along the way... we've found and made a new friend.  Think about your favorite local hang-out... you go in, they know you by name, know what you like to drink... maybe that Cheers mentality wasn't so bad after all.    

As I've thought about some of my favorite spots and people, I realized that they all had one thing in common - their understanding of the customer experience while also having the ability and talent to create something wonderful.   Its a dynamic combination and every time I see it, I am just as impressed as the time before.  It truly never gets old!   

To all of my friends in this profession and to those I have yet to meet, Cheers to each and every one of you and I really hope to see all of you before next July in New Orleans!