“Good, every year we’ll get 52 more practices than each of your competitors.”

This is what Michael Phelps’ coach told him when Phelps committed to doing workouts on Sundays. If he could do the work when others weren’t, it would give him a decisive advantage in the upcoming competitions.

It worked. Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. Not...

When COVID-19 first hit the event industry back in March, I wrote about the eye of the storm we’re all in. Where is the eye? How big is the storm? How long will it take to pass by? What kind of damage will it do to the event industry? To your business?

Nearly 15 weeks later, we’re still in the middle of it. Immeasurable damage has been done. Businesses are underwater. The...

Did you hear that? The ding from your phone? Look down and you might be surprised to find that it’s not another invite to a Zoom meeting but an actual wedding inquiry. From a new client, not a current one, who wants to reschedule.

I mean, when did an email that said, “My fiancé and I just got engaged and we’d love to know more about your pricing and...

If you missed it, we started a book club through our new Ideaction Community. Each month I pick a book with big-picture ideas that we can put into action with event businesses. This month we’re reading Jonah Berger’s Invisible Influence, which is about the simple and subtle ways others’ behavior affects us.
 
While we started reading it last month for business purposes, I...

Katy and I were talking about what to write this week in the newsletter and I told her how conflicted I was about writing blog posts while still trying to listen and learn. I don’t want to create more noise in the conversation by trying to produce optics that support my beliefs, but I also don’t want people to question where I stand on important issues.

I have been, still am,...

I'm eyebrow deep in research on characteristics of top-performing salespeople in complex sales deals. 

• What was it that separated the absolute best from the mediocre?
• Are top sellers born with personalities that make them successful?
• Is it possible that some will never get good at selling their services?

I’ve read a ton of books and articles, listened to lots of podcasts and...

What is wrong?

Last year, Katy and I were talking about the challenges our clients were facing in their companies. I’d just gotten another call from a wedding pro who wanted to know if their pricing was the reason bookings were down.
 
I could tell them the answer right away:
 
Yes and no.
 
You’ve heard me say it over and again. The price you charge is the...

I’ve been here before
 
Does anyone else wonder if instead of Instagram it will be TikTok that’s a part of the new normal? Or will we go back to scrolling photos of amazing experiences and destinations instead of giggling over lip syncs?
 
You’re probably thinking, “What?! Sam’s writing about TikTok, now? Times really are crazy and the new normal is anything...

Is it me, or is it just plain weird out there right now?

After two months in lockdown it’s hard to tell. The immediate business crises seem to have run their courses. Contracts have been rewritten. PPP and EIDL loan applications are in (and many are funded). Rescheduling is a regular part of email correspondence.  

Basically, it feels like the new normal everyone talked about is...

When I was 20 years old, I took a year off from college and rode my bicycle through Europe for four months. 
 
At least, that’s what I tell people now. 
 
But the story of what happened wasn’t so certain when I was in the middle of it.
 
College didn’t go according to plan
 
I began my freshman year at a top liberal arts university that recruited me to...