Dancing On Purpose.
Photography by Melissa Baker
Did you know that over 70% of working Canadians now have jobs in the service industry? That’s quite an impressive number. I know this fun fact from my recent studies into becoming a Canadian citizen. I also know that to have a fruitful, enjoyable career in the service industry, you have to love it. The most successful practitioners I’ve met, yes are passionate, but they also possess something innate that goes much deeper and further back. In fact, some of the brightest stars I’ve hired, trained or have been lucky enough to encounter hardly had any “previous experience” at all, on paper.
Truth: everyone has a premium dance move when at a wedding. You have yours, I have mine. Isn’t is delicious to watch people slide into theirs when they hear the song that finally gets them to the floor? I find it glorious to watch people as they combine their moves flourishing in the joys of being alive.
Another truth: everyone has a purpose. Internationally renowned author and speaker Richard Leider says that “When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.”
What prompted me to write this article recently occurred as my wife was home sick. Being the awesome, superstar husband (that I think I am) I offered to make her soup. When she said “yes,” immediately following I was present to an overpowering title wave of euphoria and unadulterated focus. This wave of energy lasted the entire time it took me to make the soup and then deliver it. The oxytocin infused feeling remained as I sat beside her as she ate it. During the meal, I said, “this is why I love what I do. It’s who I am. I can’t explain it.” Believe me, I did not think that I was going to have a refresher course in “How to identify One’s Purpose” from such a mundane task like making soup. But I did.
“What is your purpose?” William Shakespeare’s Hamlet contemplates this doozy with, “to be, or not to be, that is the question.” This question is the one that I ask at every interview when recruiting for a customer facing or service orientated position. Some have an answer, some have a few answers, some struggle in answering at all. If I were to ask you this question and you find yourself struggling and searching to identify a purpose or discovering a new one, I hope you find value reading this article and that it helps you reinvent or lock on to yours.
Advice from T.D. Jakes says that “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” What I’m mining for during an interview is to find out what they are passionate about. Reading between the lines of a resume is an art within itself mastered by the greats, learning who they really are, what makes their heart-beat, and determine why they love (not like) helping others is essential. When someone talks about what they are truly passionate about, they glow so bright it’s blinding. I recall interviewing someone for a bell person role who could not stop talking about cars after I unloaded my purpose question onto him. I followed with, why don’t you apply to work in the automotive industry? He said he was afraid he didn’t have enough experience. This man had just taken me on 25 years of experience! Whether it be your front desk agent, sales manager, custodian, phone operator, server, or general manager, everyone on your team is responsible for telling the story of your brand. The stakes are too high. You must have people that love what they do engaging with your customers. I would have done anything to have that man on my dealership floor. “Previous experience” is overrated in 2019.
For me, my purpose(s) has always been right under my nose, hiding in plain sight. The same goes for you too, by the way.
I’m a son of an educator, consultant and an award-winning leader in the state of Ohio. I grew up witnessing my father do his dance, inspiring, educating and supporting others to achieve success on a grand scale. At an early age, I was being influenced by a true leader consistently in service to others. It’s no surprise that from my first customer service job at 16 as a ticket taker at a local movie theatre outside of Cleveland, Ohio, my passion for connecting with people and creating positive experiences for others was sparked. Ok, so it was through popcorn and Twizzlers, but it was a start. Purpose.
Soon I discovered another way to powerfully connect to people…through singing. At 18 years old, I relocated to New York City as I was accepted into the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Studying under some of Broadway’s most accomplished theatre practitioners, I dedicated my education to learning how to effectively use the power of the human voice to engage and captivate an audience. After graduating I embarked on a journey that would fulfill my childhood theatre geek dreams! Bringing joy and creating memorable experiences night after night on stage for people all over the world. Purpose.
During my career on stage, I was a guest at hundreds of hotels across the world, and became fascinated with the people that worked in the hotel industry. What I found most incredible was meeting hoteliers and food and beverage professionals that truly had the ability to demonstrate what is was to be in service to others. To be totally selfless, putting themselves second, for the sake of a stranger’s good fortune was awe inspiring and it captivated my soul. It got me thinking about my purpose/my dance. Where did that come from in a person? Are you born with it? The innate action of helping someone else without expectation of reward or applause. Purpose.
It reminds me of my two loving Grandmother’s. One Greek (Bess), one Italian (Antoinette). Yes, passion runs in the family. The over the top love I received from them was majestic and resonates strong in me to this very day. There was also a lot of really good eating. A majority of the memories I have is of them in their kitchens, doing their dance in an impenetrable zone. Looking back, they both wanted nothing more but to ensure that I was nourished and cared for all the time. Their sense of purpose was laser focused and had nothing to do with garnering an accolade or trophy. It was unconditional and 100% selfless. I walked away the victor (pun intended) as they both no doubt influenced me in more ways that I even realize today. Purpose.
While in New York City, when not performing on stage I found ways to fulfill and explore my passion for bringing joy to others not by playing a character or singing songs, but by immersing myself in the customer service industry. I was extremely fortunate to have had my customer service foundation, training and roots come from my tenure with Disney in New York City. Jackpot! The skills were transferable and I found it very similar to show business in many ways. What I loved most was that the interactions and connections I was sharing with people were real with no spotlight required – albeit the moments were sometimes short lived, but they real. These were authentic interactions with people who wanted 2 very specific things: support with something and a positive experience to remember. Purpose.
I began mixing my personal influences and professional experiences merging the different aspects together and honing in on what I was really passionate about. I locked on to my purpose and boy has it been invigorating and incredibly rewarding. Slowly and steadily, I segued out of showbusiness and into the people business. Looking back, I’ve been gifted with exceptional mentors, supervisors and managers that would influence and ignite my purpose at every stage of my career, (another pun, sorry I can’t resist.) An additional dance that was discovered early on was that I had all the makings of a talented educator for adult learners. Teaching others skills and knowledge through exceptional experiences. This became the foundation and driving purpose for every position I would hold to this day. It became my WHY, and over the next 20 years, that is the common through-line that has been the thread in quilt of my career. Purpose.
Mark Twain said that “The two most important days in life are the day you born and the day you discover the reason why.”
We all have purposes/dance moves throughout our life that evolve, some get better results than others, some come and go based on circumstance, some remain the calling we have until our very last day.
The people that are on your team or interviewing to be on your team, also have the above. Your customers are also dancing as they purchase from you, dine with you, or stay with you.
Wouldn’t it be a remarkable thing to see them dancing together, enjoying each step along the way?
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed and found value in my journey of dancing through life. I would love to connect with you and learn more about your purpose. Shall we dance?