Tegucigalpa, Honduras

The flight into Tegucigalpa was uneventful, which is the type of flight we like. SRC and I finally landed at 12:30 p.m. after an all night/morning flight. I was feeling fresh as the morning air. My teeth were wearing a nice cashmere sweater and my skin felt like it had been air brushed with germs. I could not wait to take a shower and brush my teeth. From the airport we were driven to El Zamorano which is part of an Agriculture University in Tegucigalpa. It was like a compound with guards, big buildings, small building, and a church. They had reserved a house for us to rest and get cleaned up. The first thing I did when I got to my room was lye down on the bed. It felt so good to be stretch out after spending 12 hours in a near sitting position. I did not sleep fearing that I would not wake up or that I would be too groggy for the presentation. I did shower and brush my teeth so my two main objectives were accomplished.

I must tell you why we were in Tegucigalpa. Two weeks ago I received a call from Mitty, who is the licensee in Honduras. Mitty explained that she had just received a call from the President’s office inviting SRC to come and speak at an event celebrating the President’s first year in office. Wow! SRC and I had visited Honduras in November and at that time had the opportunity to visit with President Zelaya. It was an honor for SRC to be invited to participate in this event. As we arrived at the event site I was amazed by all of the people. I think the audience totaled about 300 people. Most were invited guests of the President but also included Ministry Presidents, Vice Presidents, and cabinet members. Plus, spouses and family members were attending. It was a great group and you could tell they were eager to hear SRC’s message.

The weather was quite warm and the dress for this event was business casual. I did not really come prepared for business casual so I decided on a knee length floral skirt and white shirt. I stood out like a sore thumb as I stepped out of the car amidst those dress in darker colors and their dark complexions and hair. If my long blond hair doesn’t already make me stand out my outfit did. I just put a smile on my face and went into the building.

SRC was welcomed by applause as he walked into the building and after a short introduction by the President’s advisor the presentation began. Oh, before arriving at the event site, Mitty told us that the President had arrived on a Harley Davidson. What a hoot! Can you picture it? The President dressed in his leathers, helmet on, with his entourage of body guards following in front and behind in their armored cars. Quite a site! OK, back to the presentation. SRC did a fantastic job and really engaged the audience, which probably totaled about 250. The audience included the President's cabinet, ministers and their people plus spouses and other invited guests. SRC had an interpreter who did an exceptional job. We could tell that she really prepared before hand. Most of the interpreters prepare by reading SRC’s books so they are familiar with the terms, phrases, words he uses. Adriana (the interpreter) was not only in sync with what she was translating she was also expressing the emotion and importance of what SRC was saying. Quite impressive! At the conclusion of the presentation President Zelaya presented SRC with a plaque recognizing him as a honorary guest. President Zelaya has such a warm smile and although his stature and mustache causes a bit of fear enter my body he really is a nice man.

Monday morning SRC was able to teach a group of about 150 people; executives from Tegucigalpa. The impressive thing about this event is that it was pulled together in less than two weeks. Mitty and her team did a phenomenal job. They were a terrific group as well and asked great questions. I have said this before but the Hondurians (is that right?) are beautiful people. They have bright eyes and shining faces. All of them seem happy regardless of their station in life. This group seemed happy to be attending and SRC was nearly stampeded at the end by those who wanted pictures and autographs. Talk about elbows out. I have to get in right up in a few faces of those who were crowding and being forceful themselves. With the language barrier and not understanding, “Move back” they looked at me like I was talking nonsense to them. They soon got over it once their picture had been taken or book signed. It’s either that or SRC gets lost in a crowd of people coming down on him.

As we drove around Tegucigalpa I was amazed at the homes that lined the streets. These homes were worn down, small, and not to clean looking. When we arrived on Sunday after having spent four days at a gorgeous resort on the island of Maui it was a shock to see the poverty and poor conditions. I am sure there are areas that are not like this but we were not able to see that part of Tegucigalpa. We could see homes on the hillsides and from the air I could tell there were areas with larger, newer homes. It was such a contrast from Hawaii. It is such a contract from the neighborhood I live in. I feel ever more appreciative of my circumstances.

Maui, Hawaii

You know your job is not so bad when you can travel to Hawaii, work and have time to play. SRC and I flew into Maui on Wednesday, January 24th. Upon arrival we checked into our rooms and I immediately turned around and went to the Ritz Carlton for an audio visual rehearsal. SRC would be speaking to Yum! Brands the following day so it was my turn to do some work to prepare. With the time change I was wiped out by the time I got back to the Grand Wailea so I had some food and went to bed…at 9:30 p.m.

Let me just say that this resort is spectacular and huge! Waterfalls, fish ponds, swimming pools, fountains, ocean, as well as beautiful flowers, palms trees and interesting statues. As I was driven to the Ritz the sun was setting…it was absolutely incredible. Kevin, my driver, told me to watch for whales, which I did and spotted at least one. He also told me a bit about the island and interesting bits of information about the culture.

The event for Yum! Brands was a huge success. There were probably 250 in attendance at this event and all we captivated by what SRC said. He really hit a home run! Both SRC and I were impressed by, not only the group attending, but the entire company and what they stand for. Very impressive! At the conclusion of the program we were driven back to the resort to begin our fun and frolic at the beach.

As I normally do I wore my business suit (black) to the Yum! event. Here I am in Hawaii looking like secret service…totally out of place. SRC and I ate at a pool side bistro which also put me out of place surrounded by swim suits and shorts. I finished lunch, hurried to my room, changed and out to the pool I went. That evening the FranklinCovey group went to the aquarium for dinner and to check out the fish, etc. It was really quite fun! It was my first chance to see everyone from FranklinCovey who was there for President’s Club so that was fun as well. SRC and I found out that he was speaking to the FranklinCovey group Friday morning instead of Saturday morning. That was a bit surprising but we managed.

Friday morning I got down to the ballroom to do my audio visual set-up for SRC’s presentation…business as usual. The meeting started and SRC welcomed everyone and thanked them for being there. As he usually does he pointed to me and told the group I would be assisting him. Then SRC called me to the front of the room. As I was walking to the front he said, “Chelsea is a trained hula dancer and she is going to do a hula for us”. I stopped and turned around…the inner dialogue began, “Chelsea you can either be a stick in the mud and say you won’t do it or you can muster some courage and just do it”. I did it! With the encouragement of the audience I got up on the stage, took my shoes off and prepared to do the hula. SJM happened to have a grass skirt on which he kindly let me borrow. H. Smith volunteered to serenade as I danced. And so it began, Chelsea, on stage by herself dancing the hula in a grass skirt. I had a huge grin on my face the entire time not quite believing that I was in front of 400 people. H. Smith did a fantastic job and when I concluded with a bow the room erupted and gave me a standing ovation. Not bad for having taken three Polynesian dance classes in my lifetime. As I look back on it now I am glad that my courage stepped up to the challenge and I did it. I would have been more embarrassed if my weak side had won and I had not done it. Once that was over SRC started up his presentation and did a fantastic job with the FranklinCovey group. I really do work for a fantastic company and love my job. I have decided that I will not be sharing any secrets with SRC again. What happens in Maui stays in Maui!

Laird Hamilton, the famous surfer, was the guest/surprise speaker after SRC. I just have to say, he is one fine looking man. He was standing behind where I was sitting during SRC’s presentation and when I turned around and saw him there I could not help but do a double take. Wow! He was an excellent speaker as well and the audience seemed to enjoy his message. He spent a good portion of his time answering questions which he said is his preferred way of speaking to a large group. I don’t know if I speak for the entire group but I really enjoyed what he had to say.

I need to add that I love working for FranklinCovey. It is a pleasure to rub shoulders with so many fascinating and wonderful people. As I listened to BW, SM, BB, and SJ give their updates from the 2006 fiscal year I heard the passion that they have for their jobs, the company, and the employees. I am lucky to part of such a great organization.

Friday afternoon was play time! Yahoo! I spent time in the sun, in the pool, on the waterslides, and just having a grand time. It really was a little bit like heaven: cool breeze and warm sun. The waterslides were a blast! Most, if not all, of the pools are connected by the waterslides or lazy river. There is also a bar at one of the pools which we stopped at and were treated to smoothies. So fun! Thanks SJM!! I went to dinner with a fun group at Ruth’s Chris. We laughed and ate and laughed some more. I know some incredible people and I feel lucky that they are my friends and colleagues. You learn the most amazing things about people in a relaxed atmosphere like that.

SRC and I concluded our stay on Maui today. We attended the FC meeting this morning and then I immediately changed and went to the pool for some time in the sun! It was another beautiful day! We are now on our way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

New York, New York - January 8-9, 2007

My first ever trip to New York! The hotel where I stayed, Millennium Hotel, overlooks Time Square. It was amazing to drive through Time Square at 12:30 a.m. and it was as bright as day. To be honest it was smaller than I imagined but still amazing. My room overlooked other buildings but if I craned my neck to the left and pressed my face to the class I could see a bit of Time Square. I started my first day with news of a "strange odor" penetrating the city. OK, strange odors I can handle but when office buildings are being evacuated and you are in the city impacted by 9/11 it is not anything to take too lightly. I stayed in my room, watching the news until I felt it was safe to leave. I took a cab to Soho and met R.H. for lunch at a yummy French restaurant. My back was to the door so he watched for stars...we had a false alarm with a Paris Hilton look alike. The food was delicious and R.H. and I talked about the event that night with SRC and he told me about New York. At the conclusion of lunch I stayed in Soho for about another hour to do some shopping. Great shopping! I braved the subway to get back to the hotel. It reminded me of Chicago.

SRC had been invited to speak at a YEO event in New York which is why I was there. The venue was an old Broadway Theater attached to the Millennium Hotel. It was amazing! R.H. told me that during a recent renovation they uncovered Tiffany glass that had been painted over. There are beautiful greens, blues, golds, and reds. Spectacular! In total there were about 250 people attending the event and SRC did a fantastic job. Take a close look at this photo and you will notice the marquee above our heads. The event organizer had 2-3 artists in Central Park draw SRC and the one you see here was the best. I rather like it. You will also notice that I am in jeans. I was not quite through with my Audio Visual rehearsal when I got the word that SRC was arriving. I raced outside and met him at the curb. He just smiled and laughed. I did change into a business suit and looked appropriate for the event.




On my next trip to New York I do not want to go alone...it would have been far more fun to see everything and more with someone else.