To be WOWed or not to Be WOWed? is the question. When I was in Dallas at the eWomen Network conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, Inc. speak about the WOW experience. WOW is all about “Delivering Happiness”. He spoke about the family culture developed at Zappos. It was refreshing to hear about a place that encourages: employee engagement, embracing change, and open honest communication. You can find their core values http://about.zappos.com/our-unique-culture/zappos-core-values . Needless to say, I was very impressed and within 2 weeks I started to experience the WOW not by Zappos but by three different places. I should call Zappos just to feel the WOW effect. Better yet, let’s start creating our own WOWs. I want to share these WOW experiences with you and why they impressed me so.

El Ranchitos Restaurant- Dallas, Texas

One of the nights in Dallas, some girlfriends and I went to El Ranchitos to have the authentic mexican restaurant experience. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was great.  Live Maraichi tunes in the background. Our waiter had a great sense of humor, big smile, and even brought us a dessert on the house as we could not leave without tasting the Banana Flan. It was yummy! Jokingly when we asked him to call for a ride, he pulled out his own car keys. We had a blast!

Lesson #1: WOW does not have to cost anything to give. Engage, smile and have fun!

Coeur d’alene Resort – Coeur d’alene, Idaho

From playing on the beach to walking the boardwalk of the Coeur d’alene Resort, you will soak up the sun and hospitality in Coeur d’alene, Idaho. My WOW experience came when Jason, a Sous chef, at the Coeur d’alene Resort stopped by our family huddle in the lobby to see what we  were up to. My son and my girlfriend’s daughter were trying to pull out some slivers on the bottom of their feet. Jason had security paged to bring the first aid kit. When security had not yet arrived, Jason had took it upon himself to go and get the tweezers and some bandages for our children’s sliver feet. WOW! He was the sous chef. He did not have to do what he did but he did it with great style and excuse the pun – taste!

By the way, security arrived, the slivers came out, and the fun continued!

Lesson #2: Go above and beyond your call of duty!

Apple Store – Southgate Mall – Edmonton Alberta

My iPod touch was not functioning properly so I decided to take it to the Apple Store to have someone take a look at it. It could not be repaired and it was past warranty. Good news was – they could get me a replacement in 3-5 days. Within 6 hours, I had another iPod touch in my hands. Thanks to Justin, a very personable and open employee at the Southgate Apple Store. He was very professional and tried to find a solution to my issue. I had to give him a high 5! I explained to Justin that I had just finished reading “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh and that the book talked about creating the WOW experience. Justin stated that they look for WOW moments too. WOW was all I could say! Full circle and Kudos!

Lesson #3: Over Deliver What You Promise and You Will Be Remembered!

We need to come up with ways we can make people say WOW! Businesses who focus on customer service can benefit from delivering the WOW! Each of us can contribute to this movement and make the world a happier place to be! Let me know how you practice the WOW!

Tony Hsieh signed my book with these words to live by, “Live in the WOW!”

I have been getting emails and requests for the video footage of the spotlight moment. The spotlight moment is because of amazing people like you! You energize me! Thank you! Special Thank You to eWomen Network for an incredible conference and life changing experience!

A friend of mine gave me Loral Langemeier’s book, The Millionaire Maker’s Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life, to read a year ago. It has sat on my beside table waiting to be read. Do you have some books like that?

Timing is Everything!

I had the opportunity to meet Loral in Dallas at the eWomen Network conference I attended. Meeting Loral  has motivated me to start reading her book. I could not put it down. She shares down to earth examples of how you can start thinking more like a business owner than an employee and what your revenue model is. Now I understand why this book was not yet read. It was because I was not ready to hear the message. Have you ever wished everything would happen right now? Well, it usually doesn’t; it takes time. They say that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. This was exactly the case. There are many tips I could start instituting right away that will help grow your business and think outside the box. 

Whether you are contemplating starting a business, improving an existing one, or just getting started, this book with help you be aware of the due diligence you should be doing. The opportunities are there, you need to look at your strengths to create your cash machine. It is when you try to go too fast, you begin to fall.

I believe this quote to be true.

“If you have the endurance to persist, the conviction of your vision, and the commitment to your plan, you will eventually reach your goal.” – Loral Langemeier

I just returned from the eWomen Network Conference in Dallas, TX where I won the Spotlight on Stage for One Minute. Let me tell you this was an incredible experience. I will never be the same again.

There were many incredible speakers and business owners that I had the opportunity to meet. Each one was full spirit and intention to get the most out of their experience. I have several pages of notes with stars and notes saying “You need to do this”. That way, I will not forget what ah-ha moments; I had during the presentation, perhaps you do the same.

The 10 highlights from a few of the speakers included:

1. Zig Ziglar – inspired us all. WOW!
2. Lisa Nichols – “The world is more interested in who you are becoming.”
3. Marcia Wieder – “Dreaming without taking action is a fantasy.”
4. Barbara Niven -“Trust that you know your stuff.”
5. Lisa Johnson Mandell – NEVER say “We are thrilled to announce..” in a press release.
6. Tony Hsieh -Your happiness will not last if you sole purpose is profit.
7. Connie Podesta -“You will never have the least competition that you have today.”
8. Mari Smith – “Biggest Financial Disaster – Do not measure your worth in dollars.”
9. Peggy McColl – “Think like your customer.”

10. Lisa Clemons – “Do not allow anyone or anything negative live rent free in your mind!”

These are few of the statements that stuck out in my mind from their talks. Powerful content…transforming content to apply. My mind has shifted gears and I want to connect and follow-up to be the change I want to see in the world. Many people go to conferences and seminars and do not follow up with their contacts. This should be a no “brainer”. This is a prime opportunity for businesses to grow and discover joint venture opportunities.

With the opportunities and speeches, I realized once again that I need to be aiming higher. Higher than ever before in order to achieve bigger. I started view ing the world and thinking differently about the opportunities available. What are you doing to achieve bigger and shine? Are you taking actions and meeting your opportunities?