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Gulf BreezeInspirationTravel

The Gulf Breeze Dream: Part Two

By January 21, 2009No Comments

Hopefully you have read the previous post and have spoken your dream out loud. The nice thing about dreams is that they don’t end. The inspiration they bring creates a dialogue in your memory that continues to generate new ideas, and sometimes bring the dream into reality again.

As I mentioned in my last entry I had been working with a technology company called AppRiver (www.appriver.com), helping them to take their presentations to new heights. The positive spirit at that company is something you feel when you walk in the door, and I was called to do just that last week. I was going back to Gulf Breeze to work with people that love what they do. What a perfect match for me.

I looked forward to sitting down with the AppRiver team again, as the last time I was there the creative energy in the room could hardly be contained. When I arrived this time in Pensacola the weather was slightly cool, but a far cry from Atlanta’s 32 degrees. Even the Pensacola airport seems charmed to me, with friendly people and the spirit of Jimmy Buffet hovering close by. I breezed in and out of there in no time and headed for my hotel to bundle up and walk on the beach that had held my dreams last summer.

I had a glorious walk on the sugary sand, taking in the Gulf air, watching sea birds dive for their dinner, and being present. I dined on fresh tuna and watched the sky and clouds swirl together in a complex palette of yellow, blue and white. The next morning it was off to AppRiver for another incredible day. The company is growing even in this tough economy and it’s easy to see why. Besides their phenomenal products and services, they have a creative and generous energy that seems to flood every area of the organization. My training session was no exception.

We had a great day of brainstorming, getting rid of bullet points, and coming up with solid, unique presentations.

Everyone walked away from the session inspired, most of all me. I call this the cycle of joy. If you live and give your passion, you encourage others to do the same which not only brings results to the client, but also joy back to you. AppRiver CEO Michael Murdoch (pictured below) and the rest of the executive team are great role models and constantly contribute to the success of this incredible company culture.

I had a lot to look forward to the next morning. One of my AppRiver trainees was playing in a cover band at 9:30am for the after-party of a 5K run on Pensacola Beach. I had breakfast, then headed down to Captain Fun’s beach club to see Diamond Dave and his band Marsha Marsha Marsha rock the place! One of my other participants showed up and we had a great time listening to the music and watching Dave have a blast on stage.

All too soon it was time to pack up and head to the airport, but not before one last walk on the Gulf. Under blue skies I strolled and reflected on where the Highroad has taken me. The sun swept over the water and reflected gold light into my eyes. I stopped at several points along the way just to remind myself to be here now.

The Gulf Breeze dream continued on, and I look forward to my next return. But more than a physical place, I believe the Gulf is a reminder to be open to receive whatever good comes your way and to not limit the power that a dream can have.

In fact, these dreams of which we speak are the key to giving presentations that work, that make you memorable and cause your message to stick in the minds and hearts of your customers, clients and prospects. So inspiration is not just a nice-to-have; it is the fuel that ignites the engine for liftoff. More to come, so stay tuned!

Vicki Flier Hudson

Vicki Flier Hudson, Chief Collaboration Officer for Highroad Global Services, Inc. inspires people to leverage the full power of differences. She has helped countless large-sized corporations establish successful operations across the globe and build bridges across cultures, distance, and time.

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