Socially Savvy - Don't be a Leach....

     Being new to the Social scene ( only the last 3 years) i find it ironic that I am writing a blog about what is Socially acceptable and unacceptable……But here we go……..

    There seems to be a common thread of a lack of common sense when it comes to being out socially and indulging in alcohol……  I personally thought that after college some things just kinda became  common knowledge, but the last few weeks have taught me otherwise.  So here we are pointing out what I feel would be the obvious yet again!

    In the social scene you have a few different kinds of people. 

     First, You have the regulars.  They enjoy going out often.  Then have established a relationship with their favorite spots and are treated accordingly - this usually includes a semblance of VIP treatment when they come by RSVP or last min.  This does not mean that they are always accommodated, but rather, when ever it is feasible, they are taken very good care of.

    The second type are the occasional social.  They may only go out a couple times a month, but they not only indulge well at the establishments they goto, but they treat people well, so they are treated well. 

    Finally, the 3rd type.  these are…..for lack of a better word…. the leaches.  They go out often, but have no clout, no respect and no manners, so they have earned nothing.  So how do they continue to socialize?  they leach off others!  Let me explain.  They are the entitled.  They believe the deserve something they have not earned.  So to get it they use people who have earned it!  You know the ones I am talking about.  They come by your table……sit down, drink your boozes, eat your food and don't leave so much as a tip to help out with the cost.  They think everyone owes them something or they think they are so beautiful that you are privileged to have them at your table  whilst they indulge in your hospitality.  

    The saddest thing about this is that they never think how they affect the lives of the people they leach off of.  They are after all beautiful and therefore Justified. 

    So here is my less than subtle clue for everyone.  If you so much as take a french fry…..Drink a glass of bubbly or sip some wine…..make sure you compensate financially for it.  NOBODY owes you anything!  If you don't want people to start telling the front door your not welcome, be an adult and pay your own way.  I don't care how beautiful you are or what you think you are owed.  Put your big boy/girl pants on and pay your own way!  Its a matter of respect!..  xoxo!  ;)

Are you an Average American

The Average American:

Watches 4 hour and 49 min of TV a Day

Drives 33.4 miles per day

Is 17 pounds over weight

Brings home 30K a year

Has just 9 days of vacation a year

Sleeps 8.5 hours a night

Has less than $3000 in savings

Complete's 13 years of school



Some of the most successful people in the world

Sleep between 2 -5 hours a night

Watch very little if no tv at all

Take vacations out of country as well as for a week or more at a time

Prioritize savings over having "things"

Tend to be more healthy and energetic due to making health a priority

Don't rely on swear words to get their points across - they have a larger vocabulary to draw from.

Went to school but the amount of time didn't matter - it's how much they retain that counts



    Here is the bottom line…..We are all running the race of life.  Successful people fall down just like the Average American…..they just get up faster and more often and refocus on their run.  So you have to ask yourself, "Am I an average American?"  and if so, Do you want to stay that way. 
    Do what the Average American does and be average……… or be willing to do what most won't and Discover what success looks like to you! 

So you think I'm Lucky

      Can I tell you how many times I hear that in a week???  You're so lucky to have a good man…… your so lucky to have a great job…..Your so lucky to have such well mannered kids…..
     You have got to be kidding me?!?!?!?!  Luck has 
N O T H I N G to do with it!!!!

    Think about this for a min….If you first thought is "they are so lucky"…..Then you my friend are on the wrong track! 
    Consider this…… when you look at someone and think…"they are so lucky"….What are you really saying?  Do you really think "LUCK" had everything to do with it?  If your answer is yes, then you will stay right where you are at!  Until you get out of your own way and stop looking for excuses for why someone else has something and you don't, you will get no farther than you are. 
    Imagine this…..You are hiking up a hill…..You get uncomfortable and stop for lunch…then you take a nap….Then you look around for water, fill your jug and decide your hungry again….The other person you were hiking with kept going and is now at the top of the hill.  Are they lucky they got there?
    Just saying……. If you keep on going with your destination in mind, you will eventually get to where you are going.  Stay out of your own way and don't get distracted by the "nap" in life!

No Tresspassing Please!!!

          It has come to my attention over and over and over and OVER again that people just don’t THINK when it comes to posting on other peoples facebook pages.  So I put together this comparison to help the slow ones understand!

           My facebook page is PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!!  What about this is in any way confusing?!?!?  Yes, you can look at it from the street, goggle earth me or in true stalker form click a picture as you drive by because I am a part of the public!  But, for some reason some people get confused as to what is theirs to touch.  Remember the saying “if it’s not your don’t touch it?!?”

            Like my house, on my facebook I have many friends who drop by to say Hi.  They leave a note on the door (posting) if I’m not home, send me message thru my mail and WHEN INVITED attend parties and dinners with me.  So let me now take the time to EXPLAIN why you can’t just post anything you want on my page!

            Posting links, your business specials, pictures I am NOT in, and “Hey have you seen” on my wall is like putting posters on my house, Sticking advertisements in my lawn and using my driveway as your own reader board for advertising!  It’s called trespassing!!!!  People PLEASE! I don’t get what about this is not clear?!?!?

          SO, in a nutshell, start treating people’s facebook pages like their homes.  Learn some manners and ask before doing ANYTHING!!!

Sheeesh………

           

The Power of the Referral

It stuns and amazes me just how much our society takes for granted.  As funds get less and less you would think that businesses would get this concept…..but alas No,  So let me tell you a story about a business that got it.

            I had someone come to me with the name of a location that they thought they wanted to take their team to that had just earned the number one spot in their company in the NATION!  The Corporation that they worked for saw fit to reward them with a night out socializing.  So plans were set in motion and I was contacted to see if I could help make it great.  I contacted my contacts at the location they suggested and received the “talk with this person – they are in charge of that kind of event.”  So I did.  What I got from that was the “Here are our rates for that kind of event”.  Nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary.  The Regional contacted me to finalize the details as some of the corporate peeps were going to be a part of this celebration, and when they saw the details they were less than impressed.   Some of the Corporate people were not going to be coming in so they decided to scale down and  asked me “Would you suggest something else?”   So I did.  I contacted one of my favorite locations for socializing.  They have always taken great care of me and my associates as well as friends so I texted them the info and in less than a day they had things set up.

            The day of, I followed up with a phone call as the peeps were headed their way to celebrate, to touch base on the  details and upon finding out where they had set them up asked if they had a more plush area they could set them up with and let them know the details for the reason of the celebration.  They made adjustments in 5 min and surprised them with a bottle of Celebratory Bubbly!  My associates were impressed as was I.

            When I stopped in to see how the evening was progressing they all had smiles and oodles of  praise for the location, drinks food and staff!  It was the perfect match. 

            So here is what I say to you…..Treat your referral’s like Gold because they are Gold.  There is no better advertising than the power of a positive experience when people’s money is on the line.  Respect it and be thankful for it!  THAT is Socially Savvy!

 

Socially Savvy – a Positive twist and a 7 day Challenge

 We wake up each day with a boat load of things to get done, people to see, relationships to start, build and even end, running half crazy most of the time.  And it seems that only when strong emotions are triggered do we stop to take notice and usually those strong emotions are negative.  Someone has irritated us, mistreated us or through their lack of awareness let us slip thru the cracks.  This poses a problem if we are to create a more positive culture.

            Think about this for a moment.  All the businesses…. restaurants, lounges, department stores, repair shops,  construction companies, postal services………. All the business associates, mechanics, grocery clerks, sales associates, wait staff, garbage men and customer service people that make our lives easier and nicer on a day to day or visit to visit basis.  How often do you let them know you appreciate what they do?  Do you just expect it to be fab everytime? 

            We all need that positive reinforcement that what we are doing is making a difference in someone’s lives so someone needs to be the catalyst for this……will it be you?  Take time over the next 7 days to look the people in the eye that serve you and say “thank you”.  Follow up with a Review on google or Yelp, a customer service letter or comments to their manager.  Best is to commit it to paper so they can see it over and over again, to remind them that what they do makes a difference, and so that other’s may know what their strength are as well. 

            1 week to focus on the positive…… I wonder what will become of it…….

Socially Savvy Drinking

Here's one for the road folks!  Socially Savvy Drinking......kinda sounds like an oxymoron, but we are going to go there anyway! 

     There is a big part of Today's Social experience that includes drinking of alcoholic beverages, so i felt we should cover some of the do's and don't of Socially drinking as there have been quite a few examples of late of what NOT to do!  So let's start with the definition of Savvy: shrewd and knowledgeable in the realities of life.  Drinking: consume or be in the habit of consuming alcohol, esp. to excess......

With those definitions in mind, it is possible to be a Socially Savvy Drinker?  The answer, of course, is Yes…. It just takes some effort!  So, let’s start with this little bit of reality.  When we decide to go out and have a night on the town, we are usually wanting to let go, relax, step away from the reality of our daily lives, stresses, jobs etc or celebrate milestones in our lives.  With that said, I would think it would be assumed that part of being Savvy when people are drinking would be to NOT be the person or persons to mess up a perfectly good Buzz that we just paid good money to enjoy, by being rude, inconsiderate, Obnoxious or just plain stupid!  Here are some facts to consider:

1. Drinking is expensive…..don’t be the one to waste peoples money by messing up their buzz! 
1. Friends:  Stay positive and up beat – now is not the time to bring up topics of tention
2. Businesses:  Reminder – we are PAYING you to get intoxicated!!!!  Anything you do to mess that up is not only rude, but just plain bad business.  Teach your employee’s to think ahead, have solutions to problems BEFORE you approach customers with issues, and make sure to accommodate accordingly when your company has made a mistake or planned poorly.  Don’t make us quite literally pay for it!
3. Drinker – use discretion – you are paying good money to enjoy these beverages…..  don’t waste it by over indulging!  This is a Social experience….if you want to get wasted, go home where you won’t mess up anyone elses evening!!!
2. Know what kind of drinker you are: 
1. Happy drinker
2. Don’t drink often
3. Abnoxious drinker
4. Loud
5. Angry
6. Sleeper
3. Know where you body is:  be aware – have you been eating much that day?  How about working out a lot and rapidly droping your body fat levels?  These all affect how your body process the alcohol you are ingesting so think before you get going so you don’t go to far!

Driving arrangements – Have these set in place BEFORE you start drinking!  If you’re the DD, don’t change your plans and expect someone else to drive your drunk friend home!  Make sure to have cab money just in case or check with your restaurant/lounge manager – lot’s of times they have worked out special rates with local hotels so you can stay in town and be safe!

     Here are some Socially Acceptable & Not acceptable things to consider...

Socially Acceptable –

1. To not drink a drink someone buys for you!  To often this is where trouble begins – you order your drinks knowing you limits but then people start buying you drinks and you lose touch.  Thank them and ask for a raincheck
2. Apologize if you do something stupid while drinking – don’t blame it on the alcohol, just say sorry

(LB) Socially Unacceptable

1. To not know what level of drinking is too much for you!
2. Argue in public when drunk – keep it to yourself till you get sober – usually works out better that way
3. Drop your drinks on someone elses tab!  WHY do I even have to say this?!!!?

If Social is the goal, than remember, to do that people have to want to be around you! 

xoxo

LB