Why Location Immediately Drives Your Results

My view was beautiful. 

Boardwalk. Sand. Ocean. Santa Monica Pier. 

What's not to love?

As I was standing in the doorway to my meeting room at Shutters in Santa Monica, I really understood why location location location is so overly used. 

I was running an executive event and my secret fear that no one would show up was completely wiped out as the room was full of excited chatter, story telling, and laughter from executives who until five minutes prior, did not know each other. 

It then occurred to me, I wonder if I had held the event at a less desirable hotel, would I have had a full house?

When you pull into the driveway of Shutters in Santa Monica, you have to carefully dodge the young surfers with their giant surfboards fresh out of the ocean, then you have to decide if you are going to be caught by the selfie-calling-completely-instagramable colorful butterfly wall, before you are greeted by a team of beaming doormen offering you water and to take your bags. 

“As soon as I walked through the door I felt relaxed Val”

Was a comment I heard from many of my executive attendees.  

Location is conducive to learning. If you are comfortable, fed, and watered nothing can distract you. 

When your audience is CEOs and executives you have to transport them to a place physically and mentally where they remove themselves from their inboxes and demands. 

Same applies to your sales kick off, company meetings, leadership offsites, well really - anytime you are bringing a group of people together. 

Take a picture. Does the view “wow” you?

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

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Why You Have To Boldly Ask To Get What You Want

If you were being really bold, what headcount would you ask for next budget year?

If you were being really bold, what initiative do you believe you should own?

If you were being really bold, what would you ask your boss about your next career move?

This past week alone three executives I am working with surprised themselves when they got to lead an acquisition, received support for a 10% increase in their headcount, and had a promotion brought forward 12 months to be given a new title and compensation package on the spot.

Growing up in England my mum always used to say to me “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Same is true in business.

Are you boldly asking for what you want, or are you discounting your ask before you have even attempted it?

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

How Often Do You Surprise And Delight?

I escaped to Santa Barbara with just one daughter. We had two different school spring break schedules for our three daughters and so I decided to have two separate holidays.

 I’ve checked into thousands of hotels, and for the first time ever, as we walked into the lobby we were greeted with something I had never heard before - "Please take a seat and I will check you in.” So simply, yet surprisingly I have never experienced this before. Chantelle told us all about the recently renovated hotel while we sat on a squishy sofa. A pure delight.

A week later when we returned home a surprise package arrived for Olivia. It was a thank you note from the General Manager Warren Nocon, and a gift of a child's size robe.

 Olivia had written a thank you letter while we were staying and we were both surprised and delighted that he took the time not only to reply, but to send her a perfect child size gift.

 How are you delighting or surprising your employees or customers?

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/