Professional growth through travel

August 16, 2010 I love to travel and tell stories about the places I visit. And I learn so much through the people I meet. Today's post is from Seattle. Upon arrival last evening, I eschewed Pike's Place Market which was crazily swarming with tourists for a local bar tour. As with any travel enterprise, what you plan and what happens can be different, not much different than marketing planning really. So, I met a guy ... no, not like that. I met a great bartender at The Alibi who is planning a trip to New Orleans with his wife and daughter. I traded coasters full of travel tips on New Orleans for cocktails; and also a plan of attack for the Seattle Sunday afternoon. Knowledge is currency - in this case - my bar tab. With his direction, I travelled next to Zig Zag Cafe where the bartender recently won the "Best Bartender in America". The drink of choice should you make it there, the "Moscow Mule". And of course, small world syndrome took over. Our bartender (not Murray who was off on Sunday) was asking about Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston. I know people in Houston who do not know about Anvil but their reputation on the cocktail circuit has Seattle abuzz. Word of mouth marketing in play. And my last lesson came in the form of a 20th anniversary block party for The Cyclops. The owner John Hawkley and I had a nice chat about the perseverance required to keep a small business going. He shared that in his 20 years in the business, he has had to work hard and some years are better than others but he remembers to always savor and celebrate successes. Those memories will keep you motivated when times are not so good. Good reminder for someone in a new role as sole proprietor role in marketing.