Climbing the corporate ladder is one thing, but would you run up and down 40,000 stairs to get in shape to take your clients on an “outing?”
Now, granted the outing is a hike into and out of the Grand Canyon, but, still, what lengths (or heights) would you go to ensure client happiness?
“If you are going to take on the Canyon you have to be prepared,” Diane Golden told me as she prepared for her annual trek to Arizona’s grandest outdoor adventure. Diane and several of her clients prepared for the week-long adventure by climbing the stairs in Dallas’ City Place DART Station.
“We start in November and taper off within a week of leaving in January,” she continued. “We carry 20-pound packs on our twice-a- week climbs and mix in loops of White Rock Lake.”
Diane is the founder and owner of Fit 4 Adventure, a destination management company based in East Dallas. The 15-year old company specializes in planning running, cycling, hiking and similar adventure trips around the world. The Boston Marathon, cycling in Majorca, hiking the Grand Canyon and skiing in Colorado are among the 15 or so events Diane plans and executes annually.
What does this have to do with networking? Diane started her company with the basic premise of planning trips for friends. Even today she relies upon face-to-face interaction to recruit trip goers and guides. She uses her extended network to build and maintain her business.
Always remember that your next client could be in the seat next to you on a flight or next door.
Relentless
