I have attended several events this year and each presenter has highlighted the value of relationships to your overall success. This is especially true in the hospitality industry as we all need to work together to achieve a common goal…a successful meeting or event.
Last month, I brought my team of independent meeting planners together to kick off the new year. We brought in entrepreneur, speaker and author, Sue Cooper, for our final session. She is the author of the Millionaire In Flip Flops and the owner of Lazy Dog Adventures in Key West, FL. On a side note, I highly recommend you considering her as she was an excellent speaker. One of the key points of her message was on how the relationships we create are critical to our success (both professionally and personally).
Sue shared her message through a series of stories that demonstrated how the relationships she had formed throughout her life have benefited her. They helped her in sports, getting her first job, earning promotions to starting and successfully running several businesses. My two biggest takeaways from her message on how to improve our relationships were:
- Be authentic
- Be vulnerable- the more human, the better the relationships
I challenge you this week to get out and focus on relationships with family, friends, co-workers, customers and industry partners. I am confident that strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones will contribute to a successful year!