Designing the invitation is an exciting and creative aspect of planning an event. By hiring a graphic designer, you open the door to fresh visual ideas, innovative paper selections, and a professionally finished piece. Customized invitations set a unique tone for any social or business occasion; their individuality and style tell guests far more than where to go and when to arrive. A well-designed invitation provides guests a tantalizing peek into the festivities that lie ahead.

admin Event Essentials, The Wilsonwest Way culture, customers, design, partners

When I started my business, I was strongly cautioned to keep my personal and business lives separate. As a new parent, that made no sense to me. And, well, I simply bucked that notion – knowing that I would draw from the same resources to thrive in both spaces.

Fast forward 18 years and I often revisit this work/life balance debate, of which much has been penned. There is yet to appear a magic set of rules to follow to promote harmony on both sides of the fence and I continue to maintain that there’s no distinct line. Advances in technology support this position.

What does keeps me balanced is an understanding of and a commitment to my vision and values. While I still need to juggle, take some detours, and question things along the way, I am confident about the direction I am heading and will hop a fence when I need to.

Speaking of 18, it’s birthday time again in our house and I am reminded once again to celebrate with a big thank you to my son Charlie and to all of you who have contributed to our success. As the post was so popular last year, I wanted to direct you to my thoughts on the matter in August of 2009.

Cindy Wilson

admin The Wilsonwest Way culture, holidays, Management, relationships

Event producers rely on a team to pull off an extraordinary meeting or event. At Wilsonwest, we hold members of this team in a very high place. Call them trusted partners, collaborators, friends –  but never vendors. Vendors sell you something. Trusted partners give and keep on giving – great inspiration, extraordinary service, value, respect, and much more. Working with these partners you are capable of delivering more than you or your customer imagined. All of this giving translates into an even greater experience for event participants.

This week, I’d like to give a shout out to one of those partners: Bill John and the Odyssey Team.

The Odyssey team is extraordinary and they have been working to create meaningful Corporate Socially Responsible (CSR) events long before the term was in vogue. When many of us hear the words team building, we cringe. Odyssey changed this for me. When you meet Bill, you understand why the firm is so successful.  He lives and breathes his mission. He listens. He gets it. And he is a true innovator.

Check out their work: innovative, dynamic, smart, and real.

Cindy Wilson

admin Relationship Marketing, The Wilsonwest Way collaboration, culture, partners, relationships

I took a quick trip to New York City last week, and while dining in some great spots I was reminded of a favorite guru of mine in the hospitality industry: Danny Meyer. Danny is CEO of the Union Square Hospitality Group and owner of famed restaurants such as Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Tabla, The Shake Shack, and many more.

I LOVE his approach to business which he calls enlightened hospitality and which serves as the foundation of his thriving restaurant empire. This business model, designed for long-term sustained profitability, embraces his key stakeholders in the following order: 1) employees  2) customers 3) community 4) suppliers, and 5) investors. Hmmm? Investors at the bottom of the list? Sound a bit backwards? Meyer argues that if you place the emphasis on the first four groups (in this order) you will find that it is their collective work and collaboration that fuels even greater and more enduring financial success which ultimately fuels the bottom line and makes for happy investors.

His businesses are known for outstanding employees, warm hospitality, strong ties with exceptional suppliers, and a solid commitment to playing an active role in the community. Investors are honored to be associated with businesses that generate not only profit, but good will and soul. There’s a lot to be learned from this business philosophy and I have enjoyed reading Meyer’s book Setting the Table, The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.

Meyer understands that serving food is secondary to the experiences he creates for his customers and to quote him, “Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that’s hard.”

Cindy Wilson

PS – If you’re heading to NY  there’s a few new Shake Shacks popping up in the Theater District and the Upper East Side.

PS - I know it’s been around for a while, but my daughter and I loved, loved, loved Billy Elliott The Musical and I hear it’s coming to San Francisco in the Fall.

admin Relationship Marketing, The Wilsonwest Way collaboration, culture, customers, employees, food, partners, relationships

What other event gets teenagers out of bed at the crack of dawn during summer vacation, prompts grown men to cry, and brings together 204 nations in fair-minded competition? With 715 million people are expected to tune into the final World Cup match (compared to 106 Million for our Football game aka The Super Bowl), it is clearly the most important sporting event anywhere. The Wilsonwest Team has had the privilege to be a part of the World Cup at Stanford (1994), in Paris when France reigned supreme (1998), and most recently in Berlin (2006). As an event producer, I have never seen more spectacle and frenzy. You can truly feel (and hear) it in the air!

This year, since we’re not in the center of it all, I have been observing from afar and wondering what lessons we might we learn from World Cup where aside from a few bad referee calls and temper tantrums, the world’s drama is played out fairly on a stage of grass. What if we could channel that energy to take on some the planet’s biggest challenges? This would certainly be a call to action for social media experts – mobilize people all over the world to stop and focus their energy, time and even money on just one thing – even if it’s for only the 15 minutes allotted during half time. What if we could create a competition that is as exciting as the one played out on the field? With all the eyes of the world focused on such a venture, would it not be an opportunity of a lifetime?

Cindy Wilson

admin Uncategorized collaboration, culture, events

A few weeks ago, my colleague Mary Sullivan and I served dinner to a group of teenagers at the Larkin Street Youth Facility. It was an extraordinary experience in many ways. From the minute we walked in the door until the last meatball sub was served we felt a vibe – a good vibe. All around us were people helping other people and the energy in the air was palpable. The front door was open, the staff’s minds were open, and the kids were receiving all kinds of good energy, the kind of energy that helps you move beyond the street into a safer space.

It was a welcoming, nurturing space, with a sense of ease. Larkin Volunteer Manager Audrey Muntz greeted us and thanked us profusely for our simple dinner of meatball subs, salad and cupcakes. She shared Larkin’s mission with us, gave us a tour, and was incredibly thoughtful in the way she helped us understand and respect their work and the boundaries important to their mission. She wanted to make certain that we, too, were taken care of in the walls of Larkin Street Services. A part of me winced, thinking that I should have placed more care in the advance preparations – but thankfully my colleague and friend Mary Sullivan had prepared a homemade sauce inspired by an elderly North Beach neighbor while Nick Rossi’s wife (and chef) Tracy created the perfect cupcakes. Okay, I thought, let’s serve up the meatball subs.

Well, one by one, they disappeared with many requests for seconds and many thank yous in between. I walked out of there that night feeling so filled up – not from meatballs, but from the energy that came back to me and I am inspired to do more.

Thank you Larkin Street for the inspiration and the energy. You live your mission and your place exudes your mission.

Visit this place – call them and offer to help. They need clothes, money, and volunteers to prepare and serve dinners. You’ll feel the vibe the minute you walk in the front door.

admin The Wilsonwest Way culture, food, San Francisco

Zappos. Not only do they A) deliver shoes quickly, but they B) offer free shipping in addition to C) no-hassle returns.

By every indication, this company has a soul.

Here are 10 more reasons to love Zappos, which are also 10 really great reminders for all of us in the service business. While these are their company values, they are easily and powerfully adaptable to any project we embrace. Try them on for size:

Deliver WOW through service
Embrace and drive change
Create fun and a little weirdness
Be adventurous, creative and open-minded
Pursue growth and learning
Build open and honest relationships with communications
Build a positive team and family spirit
Do more with less
Be passionate and determined
Be humble

The CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, also talks about the importance of hiring people who consider themselves lucky or optimistic as these folks tend to pay more attention to detail and are cognizant of their surroundings. I consider myself to be a lucky person. I won a giant Easter Rabbit when I was in the second grade. On my first trip to Las Vegas I tried roulette and hit it big with a $20 chip on #17. And if you’ve read a previous post, you know how I feel about #17. I have a lot more “lucky” stories (like how many times I lost my wallet only to have it returned with gifts and stories to share), but I’ll stop here and connect the notion of luck to the business values and the list. If you equate luck with paying closer attention to your customers and the details, I’ll place lucky high on the list. A little luck may open a door you otherwise might not have noticed.

Thank you Zappos for your innovative and thoughtful practices and for always delivering the goods.

admin Relationship Marketing, The Wilsonwest Way culture, events, relationships

Look closely at the inside cover of Seth Godin’s new book Linchpin and you will find a picture of me and my colleague Nick Rossi. Imagine how excited we were to discover this when the book arrived! How did this happen? Well, unbeknownst to us, our colleague Mary Sullivan sent in our photos in response to the questions, “Who Matters to you? Who could you not live without?”

Take a moment now and think about the people who really matter to you – those people that you just can’t live without.

Call them. Write them a note. Send off an e-mail. Celebrate them! Do it often. It feels good to be on either side of this equation.

I will join Seth in the chorus by saying, celebrate the linchpins! We most certainly need more of them.

admin The Wilsonwest Way culture, partners, relationships

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”

- Elwyn Brooks “E. B.” White

E.B. White penned, among other books, Charlotte’s Web – one of my all time favorite children’s books. If I had the opportunity to sit down for coffee with E.B. White today, I might challenge him to think that there’s time and space in the day for both saving and savoring. Thankfully, that notion has begun to work its way into our manner of doing business. Call it conscious capitalism, corporate social responsibility, or what you will – it’s a movement toward thoughtful leadership with a strong sense of mission and purpose.

Eighteen years ago I founded Wilsonwest on the simple principle that a respect for the quality of life for my employees (and me) directly contributes to the high quality work we deliver for our customers. At the time, I remember being challenged as to why my clients and future clients would care if I valued and supported a high quality of life for my employees. I never wavered, and now I know first-hand the wisdom of this decision and am honored to have contributed to the enrichment of the lives of my employees. Collectively, we work to contribute to the growth and well being of our customers’ businesses and employees by building and nurturing the relationships that are core to their business success. It’s a good cycle and one that affords us the opportunity to both savor and save.

If the wise spider Charlotte were here, my guess is that she’d weave those words into her web.

admin Relationship Marketing, The Wilsonwest Way collaboration, culture, customers, relationships

Each year at this time, as I count my blessings, I count among them the most wonderful invitation I receive each year: Thanksgiving brunch at Thomas Keller’s Manhattan restaurant Per Se – complete with the best indoor seats for viewing Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Does it get any better than that?

For 85 years, Macy’s Parade has kicked off the holiday season with glorious bands, balloons, and floats. 85 Years! I salute Macy’s for sticking with this parade through good and bad years (including both the Great Depression and the current recession).

Now, go out there and spread some of that good will and good cheer! Pretty soon more parades will start happening again in this country.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Wilsonwest who love parades, parties, and the like.

*Full disclosure: I borrowed this post’s clever title from Per Se’s invitation. Thank you Thomas Keller and the generous people of Per Se for the yearly invite.

admin The Wilsonwest Way culture, drink, food, holidays