www.bourbonandbranch.com

 1920’s speakeasy.

Incredible place.  You can only get in with web reservations and the door password.

I recommend the thing with cucumbers. 

Mark Hopkins.  This morning.  Fifty Democrats.  One speaker.   Ten Thousand goosebumps.

It is the first time I have ever had tears in my eyes listening to Senator Hillary Clinton.  She connected with the audience this time- in such a beautiful way.  After she left there was an overwhelming response from the crowd- they were shocked and very very pleased.

What did she do differently?  She talked about her life.  In particular, her dad.  Her dad, his last days and his neighbors Larry and Dillard.

Well done.  The entire room was filled with policy wonks who the week before, with Obama, expressed their dismissal of the stories and the desire for policy.  Senator Clinton did both.

60 down.. now for the rest of the world.

www.becausewecan.com

Look at the talent of these two artists.  They are transforming the internal environment… Stunning.

They are also great story tellers.  Jeff told me a great story last night….

Our friend Tamara decides to have a Goth Workshop years ago.  Two of the attendees go outside to smoke a cigarette.  They are dressed in Goth drag and practicing their postures.  Across the street, two Frat boys, complete with the upturned collar, yell across the street, “Fag.  Where is your mommy, asshole..”  Etc. Etc.

The two fake Goths are thinking, “Oh my god, we are going to be beat up by these two frat boys for being Goth, (they were not goth.)”

The two Frat boys come running across the street toward them laughing saying, “Sorry.. sorry.. we are totally kidding.. we are going to this party where we are supposed to dress up like Frat boys and we were just practicing…. ”

The Goths laugh and say, “No problem.. we are actually attending this Goth workshop….”

Life is like that.

The world is a much sadder place this week with the loss of Bobby Blanchard, 1957-2007. He was enjoying a weekend with his 3 buddies celebrating his 50th birthday. The landing gear on the small plane they were in failed on landing.

Things would have been okay except this particular airport had a steep ravine on the side that caused them to tumble. Two guys walked away from the crash and the pilot would have except he suffered major burns pulling Bobby out of the wreckage. Bobby suffered a broken neck passed away on the scene.

I am in a group of CEO’s, how I met Bobby. At our event this week we asked that the MC say something about him. Give us a moment of silence. Tell the folks in the audience that what the widow needs is stories from us about Bobby and what he meant to us.

I do not think the MC really wanted to do it. It was clear in the way he did it.

In public speaking, don’t fake it. If you do not want to honor the life of someone who passed away, have someone else who wants to do it DO IT. Similarly, if thanking someone from the lectern, feel thankful about it. What I am trying to say in my very tired morning way is: WORDs mean nothing. Going through the motions is transparent. Audiences hate it. We look dumb doing it.

Match the emotion, the words and the way we say it : presto, a real connection.

I use NetFlix. My husband and I love having mini-film festivals since we do not have television.

Recently, I flew across country with my son. I brought with me a NetFlix movie thinking it would help to have something to distract him. It didn’t help. I somehow lost the movie - I believe I left it on the plane. (Traveling with a child is like that.)

So I let NetFlix know I lost it. A friend of mine told me just to say it never arrived; however, I just didn’t feel good about that. I had it- I lost it.

Netflix let me know they would charge my credit card $20 for the damage. That is strange since previously viewed Cd’s go for a lot less than that- Okay, I lost it- my bad.

I found the CD today. It was in another CD case of music we had on the plane. In pristine condition, I decided to return it. I just spent a frustrating tape loop from hell on the NetFlix website trying to let them know. There is NO WAY to actually e-mail a customer service person.

Am I writing this post to let you know just how petty and insane I am.  If you have read a few posts, you know about the latter already.  I teach customer service and this is such a great example of how good companies stumble in taking care of people.  Rest assured, as soon as there are NetFlix competitors, there will be an 800 number all over the website.  For now, they can make their clients jump through hoops since they are the only game in town.
So, back to my story,  I search the website for ANY address. I find out they are hiring customer service people in Los Gatos. I send them a resume:

Hi. I do not want you to hire me.

I want you to keep me as a happy customer.

Since you are hiring customer service people, I assume you want to HELP your members.

I lost one of your CD’s. I reported it as lost and purchased it. I have since found the CD and want to return it.

There is no option on your website for this. There is also no way to actually contact anyone at netflix if there is a problem that doesn’t fit in your cute little boxes. Since you are looking for a customer service rep: I assume you have them there.

Please help. J

c@nicelydun.com
Christina Harbridge
The Movie: The 39 Steps, Hitchcock

Have a great day!

-Christina

I will let you know what happens.

A few months before our son was born, a dear friend of ours gave us a beautiful crib.  It was a perfect size and style for our home.   We went out and bought a new mattress, some yummy fun sheets and bedding.  The crib looked beautiful and perfect just waiting for Sebastian to join in the fun.

We did co-sleeping. (read: he slept with us.)  Over time the bed started to become a clothes hamper.. a “next size toddler clothes” holder… a giant pile of cotton color.

We finally passed it along to another mom in Brisbane.  We decided it was time for our little buck (next time you watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer you will get that reference) to drive a bed.

Tonight, sssssh, is his first night in the bed.  He is actually sleeping in his own bed right now!  Of course, I have checked on him 13 times in the past hour… he is still SLEEPING IN HIS BED!   I have photos to prove it.

Aw, youth.   (another RRNR reference)

One of the best speakers I have ever heard.  He was exhausted, tired and run out.  Still, his ability to speak passionately about our country inspired the crowd.

A man fainted in the audience.  He stopped his Stump Speech and asked for help.  He did not speak again until he was sure the man was okay.  He teased they guy, “You’re young.. you’ll be a-right.”

He talked about Selma Alabama and the recreation of the civil rights walk.  He corrected people who say it is a celebration of Black History.  It is a celebration of American History.  just like the Union organizers.  Just like the Suffragettes (whoops… he didn’t mean it… wrong term, and you get the message.).  Just like the 13 colonies.  American history.

He talked to the band.  He talked to those of us in line.  Very personable.  It seems impossible that we had a meaningful conversation in 45 seconds.  It felt we did.

He talked about his eight year old daughter Malia saying, “Oh, dad is doing that president thing.”
Listening to my tape of the event, the audience erupts in laughter every 5 seconds in the first 5 minutes.  Really. 

He talked about his fear no one would show up when he announced his run for presidency.  17,000 people showed up.

He talked about not having experience.  Dick Cheney had experience.  Donald Rumsfeld had experience.  (audience goes nuts)

It is interesting the way he used “We Know…” to segue between points.  We know we need healthcare for all (spoke for a minute on this)  We Know we are in a war we do not want to be in (spoke for a few minutes on this)   He used this pattern through out his talk - it worked for him.

 He asked the question, can I win the presidency?  The audience cheered yes.  He sort of nodded his head and quipped, “My opponents sure think I can.”  (Audience goes nuts again.)

What I didn’t hear is policy.  Some people were annoyed by that.  A Stump speech is meant to give goosebumps.. it did.   It is easy to see how humans are getting swept away with the enthusiasm of this man. 

I’d coach him on one thing though.  When being introduced- the entire room is watching you Senator Obama.  Look at them.. or at least smile and connect.  Your shoes are nice- just not that interesting for you to look at. 

Yes, y’all, I have an opinion about everything.

Al Gore.

Love him.

Won the election- lost the presidency.

Supreme Court. Surprisingly did the wrong thing in a moment of history. I thought.
Al Gore.

He never said he invented the internet.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp

He did save our planet from economic devastation by the usage of military funds to create something we all could use.

The government gave us the internet in the form of two tin cans and a cup. The Bay Area took this thing and turned it into Spock, Beam me Up Transporters. Our innovation and yes, even in some cases, our greed, made the entire world just a little bit closer.

Al Gore deserves an award for that. For sure. The spin-meisters who crafted the invention lie deserve a public pie-ing.

So he walks away from the presidency. Al Gore. He avoids the risk of upheaval in our country and lets Bush have it. I was mad at him for that. I really felt he could have saved us from Iraq, Oil prices blah-dee-blah.

I wonder.

An Inconvenient Truth.

As president, he clearly would not have had the time to create such a film. This film is finally getting the little folks, the Americans who have the power to turn off a light, to see the dire situation the world is in.

People are paying attention. Oscar. Peace Prize. Wow.

My friend Braun said to me today that he had an epiphany. The internet saved us economically and Al Gore was a part of that. If the American people respond the way we did to the internet, perhaps this sustainable energy thing, Al Gores new project, just may pull us out of another economic depression. Braun pointed out that when gas prices go up, taxes go up. The oil companies do not pay the extra tax: the folks pumping their gas do. What is happening right now is offensive and the American people should be protesting.

Hey Al Gore…. let me be the first to thank you…. 5 years from now, if Americans get into their innovative spirit, you are going to be heralded as the person who made this happen.

I attended an all day session today in the Presidio at The Grove.  The facilitator Laurie taught us how to facilitate meetings using visual graphics and iconography.  Quite a fascinating process and I highly recommend it.

www.thegrove.com

http://www.thegrove.com/learning_center/resources_video.html