Daily Intent

Santa Barbara, California -By Jeff Bochsler - Follow me on Twitter. Tell the world by clicking the Facebook link above.

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“We went to Malibu.  Had a blast and so will YOU!¨ - Campers, Young Life, Malibu Club

Malibu Princess

17 YEARS OLD:

Full height reached.  Best friend, Jared Morell, on my right.  High school mentor, John Heywood, on my left.  A handful of Inglemoor High School familiars circling.  And hundreds of brand new faces and souls forming groups of security all about.Faces from north and south, east and west.

Faces with similar wear, similar time on Earth.  And faces with similar expressions fountaining outward.  Nervousness.  Excitement.  An attempt at cool.

A week of unknown is ahead as we wait on the wood planks standing us tall above the glistening, quiet waters.

We all have heard from the elders that the week is “life changing”.  Much wisdom is to be learned.  Much fun is to be had.  And by the looks of it, we know there are going to be plenty of beautiful girls to be joining in the joy and wisdom.  The crushes were budding.

Indeed, the fixings are right for 7 days of glory.

A white spec appears on the horizon.  Moments later the spot mirages into a majestically white, towering boat, the Malibu Princess.  Might this be our ride to paradise?  More nerves spiral round.  The shuffling of bodies on the deck quickly is muffled by a consistent, thunderous noise barring detail, rattling off the hills.  The engine of the ship?  Couldn’t be.

Nearer and nearer the noise becomes clearer.

Ah, yes.  Voices singing.  “We…Malibu.  Had… YOU!” Nerves growing as the chant continues.  “We …Malibu.  Had a blast …YOU!” Anxiety building with the tune.

“We went to Malibu.  Had a blast and so will YOU!”  “We went to Malibu.  Had a blast and so will YOU!”

For the next half mile of the Princess’s journey to its place of rest, the chant in full clarity enlivened our spirits, knocked down our fears, and bolstered our belief in what was ahead.  7 days of energy was sounding from the souls of those that were ending their week at Camp Malibu.  It was happening.  It was our turn.  We were the next to be embarking on a journey we’d never forget.

EVENTS AND MEETINGS:

Small dinner party.  Blowout surprise birthday party for a best friend.  Fundraising event for a couple hundred donors.   Business event for thousands.

We have all put on events and meetings.  No matter the size, the idea runs the same.  Your guests are attending because they expect value.  They anticipate good conversation or fun or a break from reality or information or connections.  There might be anxiety heading into the event.  There may not.  Maybe they are even forced to be present.  A wife demands her husband come along.  You, the boss, make the meeting mandatory.

Whichever the situation, your event’s success begins before they arrive.  Your set-up most often determines the initial energy walking in the door, before you stand in their presence.  Your job is to understand their emotions and expectations, then lead the crowd into the event with uniform expectation and emotion.

THE SET-UP:

Young Life, the camp operators, knew their audience.  They knew their emotions.  They knew their resources.  They knew their goal.  They wanted their guests arriving excited, open to try new things, with limited fear.  They set up their camp perfectly.  For them, there was no better set up than those coming back from a life-changing experience, announcing in uniform that a great experience is ahead.  “We had a blast and so will YOU!”

Entertainers, too, understand the great importance in the set up.  Lady Gaga picks artists that will prepare the souls for optimal energy and experience come time for her opener.  Jay Leno ensures the endorphins are running by the time he steps on stage with an opening act by a budding comedian.  I’m ready to laugh by the time Jay raises the mic to his mouth.

Even Jesus Christ, kind of famous, had a set up man telling the world he was coming in John the Baptist.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Step-up your set-up.  Don’t miss the opportunity.  Don’t leave it up to the guest.  Plan ahead.  Know your intent and goals.  Make sure they are mentally and emotionally ready to receive what you have for them.

The next business meeting you host, ask yourself how might you ensure your guests arrive with energy, ready to learn, ready to participate, and ready to connect?  An empowering email sent out to those in attendance?  A quick phone call telling each the same uplifting message?

Going to be pitching investors about a new business idea?  You will definitely need a powerful set up because you will only have ten minutes in person to wow them.  Get their contact information and communicate with them a consistent message.

How about the only day you’ll ever have all your loved ones together, on your wedding day?  The last thing you want is a dull crowd.  You send out invitations and pictures.  Is there anything else you can do the week before to ensure your guests arrive ready to converse, meet new people, and boogie down?

On a more regular basis, your next dinner party.  Is there something you can do to boost the energy before your guests arrive?  A delicious picture of the main course?  A goofy picture of you and your husband awaiting the guests?

Then, once your guests arrive, carry this same energy forward, and execute.

BUZZWORD: Agflation

An increase in the price of food that occurs as a result of increased demand from human consumption and use as an alternative energy resource. While the competitive nature of retail supermarkets allows some of the effects of agflation to be absorbed, the price increases that agflation causes are largely passed on to the end consumer. The term is derived from a combination of the words “agriculture” and “inflation”.

Interest in alternative energies contributes to agflation. In order to produce biofuel (such as biodiesel and ethanol), manufacturers need to use food products such soybeans and corn. This creates more demand for these products, which causes their prices to increase.

Unfortunately, these price increases spread to other non-fuel related grains (such as rice and wheat) as consumers switch to less expensive substitutes for consumption. Furthermore, agflation will also affect non-vegetative foods (eggs, meat and dairy) as the price increases for grain will make livestock feed more expensive as well.

Points to Ponder:
Visit The Jeff Bochsler Daily.  It is a compilation of my Twitter feeds (CompoundingYou) in newspaper form.  I only follow global, newsworthy sources that further my understanding of economic development.

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Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

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