Here I am in front of the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL. Yes this is the rundown dump we had our Leadership Conference at, LOL, Of course it was a fabulous resort, that's how we roll with Tastefully Simple.
We had the most fun at the best conference to date. I say this everytime. Each conference and trip is the best ever. This one is going to have a special place in all our memories. Let me explain, as it is with most things in life. Oprah was involved.
Back in 2002, I attended my first Tastefully Simple Conference. Our conferences always have a theme. The theme of that conference was Believe. And our conferences begin and end with a Welcome address and an "Off You Go" Address from our CEO, Jill B. Strahan. Now from the get-go I noticed a couple things about these addresses. One, Jill likes quotes. and Two, Jill likes to tie in her speeches to in the days before youtube a movie and now in the last few conferences a viral video.
What the heck you say? A viral video. Yes really, the very cool inspiring ones that spread like wildfire because when you watch them you get goosebumps. For example at our National Conference in August. Jill's address was centered around Susan Boyle on Britan's got talent. How Susan walked out there and everyone laughed at her, but she doesn't let them get her down and she started singing and bam! Everyone was blown away and amazed.
This time Jill showed us the video of the Black Eyed Peas kicking off the Oprah show downtown and the dance that starts w/one person and spreads out to 21,000 people on Michigan Avenue. I would have posted a liwk to it here but well, I couldn't figure out how to do that so if you haven't seen it you really have to go youtube and put in 'black eyed peas oprah' and watch it.
Then we discussed what the Leadership lessons were in the video. Such as, as a Leader sometimes you may feel like the lone woman up there dancing by herself, but if you are having fun and you put yourself out there, the next thing you know people want to join in.
But wait that isn't the really fun part about the story!
On Saturday morning, two consultants came onto the stage, Jody M and Leigh H and said. You know what? We were thinking wouldn't it be fun if we all did the dance to that song, here tomorrow morning and surprised Jill? And then there was thunderous applause. So whilst our CEO was off leading a panel discussion in another conference room, Jody and Leigh taught us the dance. And in 17 minutes we had the plan and had practiced. With the help of the HQ team at the conference, and about 600 consultants who can keep a secret, Jill was none the wiser.
Sunday morning Jill walked out the the I gotta a Feeling song, because that was going to be her walk-on music anyway, and we all stood up and clapped because that's what we do.
And then Jody was standing in front of the stage dancing all by herself, crazy lone woman dancing and Jill laughed and had a look on her face after Jody was dancing for about 15 seconds, a look like,
"Okay Jody, I get your point, why don't you go sit down now."
Right about then the 32 Senior Team Mentors started following Jody
and then the music picked up and !!! Everyone was dancing. The whole room. And Jill cried. Because really imagine, all those people, your sales managers so to speak, are fun enough, and care enough to give you your own Oprah moment.
It was such fun. Stuff like that never happened when I worked in an office!
When we sat down I saw that one of the resort employees was on his cell telling someone what had happened and how he thought we were great. Wonder if he recorded it on his cell and uploaded it to you tube!
