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Exceeding Expectations

A few weeks ago, I was on a business trip to Boston. It was one of those trips where I had gotten in the night before, started working the next morning at 7:30am (5:30 Denver time) and finished in time to catch the last flight home that night. Only this time, I missed the 8pm flight. It had left at 8am.

Yes, I had booked my ticket and hit a.m. instead of p.m. What a knucklehead. Or was I? Perhaps I was meant to wait 5 hours for the next flight…

It was a Thursday night and tons of flights were canceled or delayed due to the severe weather. So, giving in to my mistake, I headed for the concourse brew pub. As luck would have it, I got the last bar stool; the place was packed with weary travelers trying to make the best of a tiring situation.

As I laid my head on the counter and whispered, “IPA”, the guy next to me said, “long day?” “Oy Vey”, I thought, “please don’t talk to me. I have just spent 10 hours intensely listening to people talk…I’m going to cry…” But instead, I looked at him and laughed. “Is it that obvious?” He just smiled. Turned out, he was going to Vegas with the other 5 guys at the bar. His day was just beginning.

“So, what do you do?” he asked. “Market Research” I softly responded, hoping he’d think I had no personality and would leave me alone. “Oh, cool! I looove to hear what people think – I work for Apple!” and at that point, whatever personality I was trying to sit on bubbled up and I said, “Really? I happen to have a not-so-happy feeling about Apple at the moment” and proceeded to pull out my iPad and give him my story.

Long story short, I didn’t like that Apple launched the iPad 2 right after the holidays, when all one could buy was the iPad1. Why not launch 2 before Christmas, not after. In 2 weeks, my new toy became an old toy. Not a satisfying feeling.

“Not too worry. Here is my card. I’ll be in the office on Monday. Call me and let me see what I can do for you.” Poor guy had no idea who he was sitting next to. The following week, I called and left a message. Within a day, he called me back, chatted about my situation and then sent the following email:

Hey Robin, It’s ___ from Apple Business! Great talking with you today and thank you for following up with me after our impromptu/amazing meeting at the Boston Beerworks in terminal C. After you told me about the way you felt about Apple after our unintentional wrongdoing that impacted you, I felt as if I had no other choice but to win you back as an Apple customer once more.

At Apple, the satisfaction of the people that own our technology is by far the most important element of our industry leading customer service model. Being a provider of technology, it is inherent within our business that technology will change quickly and often times right when we don’t want it to. It is not the job of our users keep track of this, because people like yourself have far more important things do.

The story that you shared with me speaks volumes to the topic above. Again, I would be happy to take back the product that you have, in exchange for the newer model of iPad 2. (Example: 16GB AT&T iPad 1 for a 16GB AT&T iPad 2)That being said these are the things I need from you…

WOW! I was stunned. And delighted. You see, in a nutshell, my job is to get consumers to talk about how they feel about a product or service. Then, the Client that hires me takes what they hear and uses it to deliver a better product or service. That’s’ exactly what this guy did. In a nano-second, he turned me from sour grapes to wine.

And…what are the chances that I was working on a technology company project at the time and that I had just spent the week interviewing folks about computers and that I would miss my flight (which I have never done) and that I would end up sitting next to someone having a reverse conversation? Talk about being in flow and meeting people at the right time…

So, dear readers, if you live in New England and have any thoughts about upgrading/changing or exploring new IT solutions for your business, then let me know and I will put you in touch with this young, old soul who exceeded my expectations. Actually, no matter where you live, I am sure he can help. His philosophy can’t be beat:

“My job at Apple focuses around business to business sales. As you know, the team that I belong to is based out of Boston, MA area and we work with people all over New England. One of the best parts of my job is that there is no commission on anything that we do here. Our role in the businesses that we work with is to provide honest, accurate and solid Apple solutions that an existing business can pickup, implement and get working.

We like to say, “More work. Less labor.” Meaning, more of what your business does best and less of the technology becoming a barrier in what you love to do on a daily basis. Whether you come into store, call on the phone, shoot an email or setup a meeting; our pledge is to gather all of the information that we need to create a unique solution that will fit the NEEDS of your business.

Apple has come a long way over the past 10 years. We have listened to our customers, and if business is what they want, we plan on doing business better than everyone else.”

I’d say he is a very good listener.

How has someone MindFULLY exceeded your expectations? Let us know!

Color Me Crazy

G-d bless my girlfriends. Not one of them shamed me as I spent the last month perseverating over what color yellow to paint the family room/kitchen. Wars rage, sickness ravages and our government stumbles. Try as I do to keep perspective and balance, I could not move off of “what color yellow?” We’d go into restaurants, I’d ask what the color was (champagne gold). Jill sent me her neighbor’s yellow (straw). Dad and Pam shared theirs (dorset gold). Still, nothing.

But on Friday, it all came together. Isn’t that the way life works? You change one thing or try one more time and whatever you are struggling with comes clear.

It was a big week at the house. Picking paint colors is excruciating for me. Color is visceral. I feel it. People say it doesn’t matter, you won’t notice once art is up. But that’s not how I work. I see it, I feel it. I go through color phases. This one is yellow. In our last house we went from green, to orange and ended with blue. My friends shake their heads and color me crazy.

And I can’t hire someone to pick ’em. That I’ve learned along the way. I have some wonderful women in my life who are terrific decorators. At different points, I have tapped their expertise, but in the end, for a variety of reasons, I have to do it myself (with Ken, of course). I know what I like. I get why they make the big bucks. It is a lot of time and work. Frankly, I couldn’t afford myself.

On Thursday they started to paint the outside and the Grey was wrong (and I had “bought” that color from an ” exterior paint expert”). My stomach turned. Panic set in. I couldn’t afford, literally, to make a mistake. But, as she often does, Colette (www.handygirlfriend.com) showed up for a walk at just the right time and pulled the paint deck from her trunk. There, in City Park, she suggested a new Grey. The next day, Matt painted a sample of her choice and the breath returned to my body. Ken and Chris agreed. We were back on track!

THAT’S what friends are for.

Taupe, check. Yellow, check. Grey check. We still have to pick a color for my daughter’s room and then all we can do is cover our eyes and hope that when Chris yells, “move that dumpster!”, we are as happy as the folks on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Our job is not that extreme. But it is extreme enough.

How do you MindFULLY make choices about creating your home? Let us know!

TED

I Love TED.

I know, my husband’s name is Ken. So who is TED? (And no, TED is not my contractor!) According to their website: TED a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

I love TED. On days when I feel like a vanilla wafer, I can jump on the site and give my bland, dull spirit a jolt of inspiration. It feeds my curiosity, broadens my horizons and allows me to have something to say when I’m called upon to be in the world and stand up straight.

You can watch their videos; attend their talks in your city or down load a podcast. I listened to 3 of them on the flight home Thursday night. One took courage. It was a talk by Ric Elias: 3 Things I Learned While My Plane Was Crashing. As we bumped through the storms ravaging the mid-west, what better time was there?

You can learn just about anything with TED – Technology, Entertainment, Design, Business, Global issues, etc. It’s all on TED.com. You don’t have to go anywhere, do anything, take any tests. All you have to do is sit back and absorb.

There’s a whole world out there. It’s easy to forget. TED lets you open up your world. Try it and watch how large it gets. And then, watch your heart follow.

How do you MindFULLY learn new things? Let us know!

Where There’s A Rut, There’s A Way

The other night, as laid with my daughter before sleep, she proclaimed she was “utzy” and couldn’t put her finger on what was under her skin. Luckily, she is pretty quick at getting to her emotions, and sure enough, 20 minutes later bounded into my bedroom and proclaimed, “I’m in a rut!”

Join the line.

We talked about what “rut” meant to a 13 year old (this Friday) and she spilled her thoughts. Gratefully, nothing major. And yet, everything we all bump up against at this time of year. It’s Spring and I sense from lots of conversations, that folks are ready to get moving again.

We brainstormed ways to get re-juiced and agreed to tackle what we could. The rest we could use as fuel for the days to come. Here are our top 10 favorites:

Update your iPod with new music. Can’t think of what’s new and fun? Then just buy the soundtrack to Grey’s Anatomy. They have great songs by new artists all in one neat package. Plug it into your speakers and let it be background music to your day.

Don’t laugh, but buy a few new pairs of under garments. I ripped out an award winner from Real Simple last week (cupidintimates.com) and threw out everything that had a hint of gray to it. Way easier to suck your stomach in when the band on your panties isn’t broken.

Employ a few Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) techniques. One of my favorite books to help you do this is The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Creating Balance, Harmony, and Prosperity in Your Environment. There are a few simple things you can do that will make all the difference, like moving around 22 objects in your house. You can do that yon your way out the door.

Move your body. Try on running for size. Here’s the link to the “Couch to 5k” Training Plan. http://www.fromcouchto5k.com/articles/training/the-couch-to-5k-training-plan/ I have NEVER been able to run, but I made a date to start next week. I need to do something new and this seems like a simple and easy way to just get my butt in gear. I’ll let you know…

Make a list of everything rolling around in your brain. By a colorful marker to cross it off with.

Buy one new plant and place it in a daily visible spot.

Download Arthur on Netflix and take yourself back a few years. When you return to today, you’ll feel lighter, for sure.

Add some lavender to your bedroom. Whether it is a misting spray, real springs or washing your sheets in lavender water, it will help promote rest. And with a little rest, things always feel better.

Think about one thing weighing on your mind and deal with it. Face it. Tell the person who needs to be told. Get it off your chest. Hard to do, easy to wonder “Why didn’t I do that sooner?”

Pray. Really. Get a bowl or a box and write down something you need help with. Then fold it up, put it n the container and let it go. Ask whatever higher source you believe in to help. Then step aside and do one nice thing today. Pay attention to what you begin to see.

Sure enough, after just cleaning out her bathroom (her idea), moving the hamper from the closet to a new space that makes it easier to use and putting the garbage can under sink, she looks better, feels lighter and is wearing things she forgot she had.

That’s the best part – remembering what we have. That alone can help us move forward. Gratitude. It’s the best fuel in the world.

How you MindFULLY get yourself out of a rut? Let us know!

Did You Know

Is there something about you that would surprise friends and family? A few weeks ago, after reading my post about scents, my camp friend, of 30 years, mentioned that he had no sense of smell – hadn’t had any since he was a a kid. I had no idea! He ordered an amazing meal for us in NYC – how’d he do that without being able to taste?

Then yesterday, I was talking with my dad about how I look for synchronicity and patterns in numbers and he told me that when he is bored or distracted, he plays a game with himself whereby he can look at a word and within seconds, tell you how many letters are in it. I threw out a few words and he threw back the letters. Humph! Who knew?!

Here’s something I’ll bet my friends and family don’t know about me… When I am in a meeting ( or when I was in school) and I am bored, I take my notes backwards. I write the whole letter and sentenced from right to left.

The funny thing is that years ago, when we were sitting around the table after my grandmothers funereal, my mom was doodling and it turned out that she writes backwards, too! Except, she does it in script. That’s kinda weird.

If you were to think about the people who know you, is there something that you realize they don’t know? Do you have a hidden talent, passion or habit that you never thought about, but might surprise them? Tell them. Show them. Crack them up!

What do you do MINDFULLY do that makes you unique? Let us know!

This Is Only A Test

Remember that piercing sound that was on TV and the voice-over that said, “This is only a test of the Emergency Broadcast System’? Well, this is neither an emergency nor a loud sound. Rather, this post is simply a test for trying to figure out why my Mindfull Monday post did not post. My iPhone is acting up, as well. Hmmm…

Not much to say. But for reading this, I will leave you with an interesting link from my sister in law on how changing our words can change behavior. Perhaps this is what I really need to test.

You Look So Familiar

People often smile at me, as if we have met before. It’s a funny phenom for me. When introduced, they often say, “You look so familiar.” I laugh. I look like every other East Coast Jewish girl. I’m not that unique.

Or am I?

A few years ago, I read Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives by Brian L. Weiss. It was fascinating.

On his website, Dr. Weiss describes the story: As a traditional psychotherapist, he was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from “the space between lives,” which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss’s family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career.

After reading his book, the frequent smiles and familiar greetings began to make sense. The next time someone said “hi” with a knowing intonation, I whispered to my husband, “In a past life, I must have been a Queen and these are my peoples; I must have been a good Queen and they are happy to see me again!”

Clearly, I’m joking. But why else would strangers wave? I travel a lot for business and sometimes in the airport I make a game out of counting the number of people who smile at me. I love it. It brightens my spirits after long days and reminds me of the good in this world.

We are all so busy. And it shows on our faces. The scowls, the impatience, the disappointment. But what if we smiled more. Simply said, “Hey, how’s it going?” Took a deep breath and smiled before responding?

Today, while walking in the park, a man walked toward me, talking on his cell phone. As I passed, he smiled and waved. I smiled back. I didn’t know him. But maybe he tasted my food for me hundreds of years ago and was simply showing back up to say, “Delicious day out here in the park, isn’t it?

When do you MindFULLY notice when you meet someone familiar? Let us know.

Common Scents

Today, as I puffed up the stairs from the garage, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent – Au d’ Abercrombie. I knew my husband and daughter had beaten me home from the mall.

Scents are a funny thing. They can make you gag (like in an Abercrombie store where they pump the perfume into the air as soon as you walk in the door), they can delight and bring you back to 5^th grade and your first real perfume (Shalimar) and they can calm your nerves when you smell something worn by someone you love (Old Spice deodorant).

Smell is the most mysterious of human senses. Odor engineers need not only chemistry and physics but must also know something about history, psychology and sociology. This is the conclusion of a new book, Odors: Physiology and Control (McGraw Hill; $6.50), by Carey P. McCord, of Detroit’s Industrial Health Conservancy Laboratories, and William N. Witheridge, ventilation engineer for General Motors. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794764,00.html#ixzz1ITD68BtI

Chanel has always been one of my favorites. Last week in a department store, we stopped by the Chanel counter to sniff what’s new. My Bobie (grandmother) wore Chanel No 5, I wear Chanel Allure and Coco Chanel was a passing fancy scent for my first job (so was the job). In her new book, “The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume,” Tilar Mazzeo reveals the complicated — and often scandalous — history of the world’s bestselling perfume. Read more: http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/136335/#ixzz1ITDXRXPq

I can remember good times and bad, by scent. Aeromatique by Clinique was the bottle I packed in my suitcase for my post-college, two week, whirlwind European tour – the bottle they told me NOT to pack. Of course it broke and soaked all my clothes and my duffel bag. I tried to wash everything in a tub in Austria and the smell was so strong, I stuffed towels under the bathroom door to keep the smell from wafting out. I had my shorts washed by the hotel and thinking I was so smart, placed them under the mattress to “iron” them. Only when the bus pulled onto the highway, did I smell my own luggage which triggered my memory and sinking heart, realizing I had one pair of shorts left. And they stank. To this day, if someone near me is wearing Aeromatique, I still get that little gag cough feeling.

Grace, by Philosophy, is my daughter’s new favorite. A friend of ours wears it and she is strong and successful. Tabu reminds me of Auntie Susan and her cozy, lovely home in Boston. Opium reminds me of my old self, trying to be grown up and living in LA for six, silly months and Obsession is the scent worn by one of my first bosses. I could smell her coming. It was like smelling fear.

When my daughter was born, I didn’t wear perfume. I wanted her to know my natural scent. I wanted her to know when she smelled ME, it meant “You are not alone. All is well. You are safe. You are loved.”

Scent can do so much for us. Play around and have fun. See what scent can do for you!

What scent do you MindFULLY wear and when? Let us know!

Fun Yum!

On Sundays, my daughter and I try and make something sweet for the week. We call them “Sunday Sweets”. Always looking for a new twist on old favorites, I recently came upon a trend that I am far behind on…cake pops! How cute are these!

As it is Spring Break for those of us with kids in school, this week is dedicated to ease and fun. If you are looking for an activity, maybe you could try your hand at making a sweet treat for the week.

Here’s a link to a recipe blog I stumbled upon that gives you a step-by-step recipe to follow. They make it look pretty easy. All you have to do is add your twist! http://reciperhapsody.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/cake-pops-2/

What MindFULL twist did you add to this new twist on an old favorite? Let us know!

Let You Be

“When you surrender and stop resisting and stop trying to change that which you can’t change, but be in the moment, be fully open to the blessings that you’ve already received and those that are yet to come & stand in that space of gratitude and honor and claim that for yourself and look at where you are and how far you’ve come and what you’ve accomplished and who you are- when you can claim THAT and SEE that, the literal vibration of your life will change.” — Oprah

Now, I am not one to often quote Oprah, but this spoke to me. It was on the website of one of the most inspirational blogs I read, Jamie Ridler Studios. http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/

The quote prefaced another interesting link; Geneen Roth reading from her book, Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything. You can check it on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Znw2UYH4c&feature=player_embedded#at=302

Both got me wondering about going easy on ourselves. A simple concept complicated by inner voices and pre-conceived notions. However, rather than ponder, I am taking this MindFull Monday to simply surrender. Please join me. For one day, Let It Be. Let YOU Be.

How about if we say the Song Of The Day is Let It Be…come on, hum it with me. When ever a stab of something comes to mind today (it comes in different forms for all of us) hum a few bars and turn on the ease. For one day. Let It Be.

How do you MindFULLY find ways to Let It Be? Let us know!