Wednesday 16 March 2016

Hello, Bonjour, Hallo, Bongu

Now then - what makes you think I've been on a course or 2 this week..............???!!! Actually I've been on 2 but first of all a few words as to WHY I've been on them! 

Firstly - I like the slogan in this picture.  It's amazing how many various people say to me how great it is that we win awards and that it's a fantastic reward for all our hard work. 

It's also amazing when people say how 'lucky' we are and I'm reminded of that famous saying that: I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it or another variation: The harder I work, the luckier I get." That quote is from Thomas Jefferson but accredited to many including Golfer Gary Player. 

But actually being a Pub Landlady (that is after all the title of my Blog) is much more than pulling pints and asking how people are. Its about a whole host of stuff of which luckily SOH gets to do the boring but very important stuff - Finances/Prices/Suppliers/Budgets etc etc - you get my drift. 

But my part of the ship that is The Victoria Inn is of equal importance - the people. You the guest, our team, the food, menus, social media, advertising - the fluffy bits really some would say. But even this part of the business is about hard work - fun, but work. This week it just so happens I've been to 2 great events with 2 different members of our team and goodness I'm inspired to even greater things (watch out world)!!
 
Yesterday Jonathan (one of our Asst Managers) and I went (exceedingly early!) to Exeter to a course
called The Art of Being Brilliant. Now I happen to think we at the Vic are already pretty brilliant and in fact I met a customer on the course who exclaimed 'Why' we were on the course as she really did think we were indeed already brilliant (blushes deeply)? 

But actually this particular course challenged our pre-conceived thoughts quite brilliantly and helped re-inforce ideologies I/we hold as a business in terms of excellence and yes, brilliance! Jon and I loved it and talked non stop about how we could work better/smarter/ more brilliantly all the way home!! How TO BE not just TO DO! Thanks Andy Cope - you gave us a Brill.... fantastic day!! 

Then today, the delightful Jessie (she of the great smile and even greater tattoos) came with me to the Eden Project in Cornwall (another even more ridiculously early start) for a South West Tourism Growth Fund International Tourism Conference (blimey thats a title and a half isn't it).  Lots and lots of like minded people in the same room to help learn to grow tourism in the SW. 

Another day of true inspiration and bloody amazing presentations from some truly inspirational speakers - 2 of whom have stuck in my brain all the way through to tonight (yes, some doing that - I know!). 

Firstly Simon Calder travel writer, guru, he has a strap line of  'The man who pays his way” because he won't accept free transport or accommodation from the travel trade. 

He says the people with the best stories to tell live life in the cheap seats - love that! 

But he was passionate about giving great facts and figures, advice on the travel industry and how we can help get more tourism from across the world to the SW. 

Second and so helpful to us in our business was an award winning speaker and the writer of great
books including OMG Marketing: - Geoff Ramm. Wearing a rather nifty suit he bounded on the stage and kept me enthralled for an hour as he gave us video clips, short stories and pause for thought moments! By the way OMG is not text talk for Oh My God its actually Observational Marketing Greats! See, Geoff I was listening. There were also many other speakers to numerous to relate each and everyone though.

My goodness were Jessie and I suitably inspired by the time we staggered out into the Cornish air........... I now have a list of to do/ to be/ ideas / to research / and on and on..............

So how does this tie into my opening line of Hello etc........ 

Well you find out the country where the last Hello word comes from in my title post - these are some of the countries talked about today. 

What does the last 2 days have to do with being succesful?? 

Well if I have to tell you I guess you'll never know..................  

Till next time my lovelies, 

Liz x

P.S Fantastic congratulations to The Samuel Jones pub in Exeter - one of St Austell's managed houses for winning the Best New Pub/Bar award at last nights Morning Advertiser Publican awards. Great job Reece and team!

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