Thanksgiving Reflections

On the eve of Thanksgiving, I am thinking about Thanksgiving 2010. I had just moved into my house Labor Day weekend and I was hosting dinner at my house. I invited some extended family over but none of them accepted the offer. It was a quiet dinner with my immediate family. My dad ended up staying the night at my house and that's when I discovered my bedroom is probably the coldest room in the house and the next time he came over he would have to stay in my daughter's room. Little did I know there wouldn't be a next time. That was my dad's last holiday with us. He died a few weeks later. Death has a way of putting life into perspective. My dad's death taught me that everyone is not meant to be a part of your life regardless of who they are. It also reminded me that sometimes family is just that in name. A real family has a relationship with one another and they work on cultivating that relationship. After my dad's death, I was at peace knowing this would probably never be the case for my family. As I reflect on these past three years, I think about how my dad's death has changed my life. I am forever grateful for the life lessons. I am learning how to prioritize things that matter to me and people who matter to me. I am nurturing relationships that are nurturing to me. I watched my dad live a lifetime of wanting to be loved by his family and he never received that. My dad wanted that mother's love that he never received. His sisters and brother did not have a close relationship with him and after his death I was at peace knowing I probably would never speak to them again because the link that held us together was no longer here. I am grateful for the people who have come into my life and those who have walked out of it. There are some who I am putting out because they are not good for me. Life is too short and I am not going to surround myself with those who do not have my well-being in mind. I am going to focus on me and doing what's best for me!!

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."~Marcel Proust

Protecting Your Brand!

I went to a movie screening of The Best Man Holiday on Friday and it was a less than stellar event. From my understanding (the theaters management), the promoter was only sold 100 tickets but he in turn oversold the event. I'm not sure how many seats were oversold but by my estimate it was at least 500!

Last night my sister got tickets for a screening for the same movie but a different event company was hosting. Upon our arrival, the manager was sitting at a table checking in the guests and issuing wristbands for admittance. There was a private theater where complimentary cocktails courtesy of Grand Marnier were being served. 

Everything was delightful! The hostess was such a joy. She made sure she stopped by periodically as we were mingling to see if everything was okay.

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. When I told her about the event on Friday and the level of disorganization she was appalled. She also said "If I can't do it like this, it's not being done. I have a brand to protect!"

I really liked that she knows and understand how important her brand is and will protect it at any cost. This young woman is really making strides and I will support Events by Eve in the near future!

Quality Customer Service is becoming a fleeting memory.

Just recently a new Mariano's grocery store opened. Every time I go there I encounter very polite employees. I believe that's one of the reasons I keep going back. The quality customer service.

Friday evening The Best Man Holiday came out. I decided to support my former hairstylist and go to her private movie screening. The tickets for this event cost $20. This included complimentary wine, cheese and the opportunity to shop with various vendors. 

Upon arrival, there were no clear signs to direct the guests where they should go. After speaking with some other movie goers my party and I realized we were in the wrong line.  The line we got in was for people who bought the Groupon. 

We finally got in the correct line and when we redeemed our tickets for the actual movie ticket, we were informed that our show time was one hour later than we had anticipated. 

The theater management nor the event promoter seemed to understand the frustration of many of the guests. The manager kept saying they sold the promoter a certain about of tickets and she couldn't do anything about the promoter overselling the seats. 

There were a number of other issues and I will address them at a later date. The entire experience was interesting to say the least and one that I will never forget. I vowed that evening to never support this individual.