2 weeks ago I sat with my family and told them this would be a different kind of December.
Daddy is usually gone most of this month, running around entertaining at holiday parties and missing every kids concert, ball game, family party and decorating the Christmas tree.
This year would be different, I told them, even though this year there will be no kids concerts, Zoom-only attended ball games, and COVID-cancelled family parties…
And this year, instead of driving across the street to the tree farm, we would take an entire day, drive to the mountains, chop down a real Christmas tree, and decorate it together! I never thought that would be an unforgettable and wonderful experience, but it was, even when the tree tried to jump off our car on the highway.
As of 2 weeks ago I had only 3 events scheduled over the entire month (I used to average over 20 events the first 3 weeks), including my Virtual Public Show December 28th to close out the year, in a last ditch effort to bring smiles to anyone interested in receiving joy while my family and I create a fun SHOW experience from our home –
Check out The Video below and please join us:
As fate would have it, all of my December plans of ease and relaxation have flown out the window.
Yes my friends, you’re reading this blog Sunday morning, Dec. 13, and I just completed my 8th event of the week!
What the heck happened?
Have you ever heard of last minute party planning?
I’ve just been the beneficiary of everyone’s scrambling to put a party together.
I literally went from wondering what I should do with all of my time in December…to barely sleeping, as I prep for the next surprise event, racing to and from locations, going from one in-person event in Vernal, UT (masks, hand-sanitizer, and social distancing in force) for FFA students, to doing a virtual event from my home office in South Jordan, UT for 2,000 data analysts worldwide, and then racing off to St. George, UT for a Property Management company, to returning home in time to make 400 diamond cutters and engineers laugh from my home office over virtual…criss-crossing the State like a madman.
My family and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work.
Only a few weeks ago I was lamenting about those who were bailing on doing virtual events, and now I have so many to do I can hardly see straight – and it feels like a normal December again in our home.
If 2020 has taught me anything, there is a great joy in working hard.
Not just working hard toward a cause, to create a solution, to come back from the brink of destruction – all of which are reason to work as hard as possible, but in having the opportunity to work hard.
The Promise isn’t just a philosophy to consider when it’s convenient – rather it’s a Promise to always be ready when the call comes, to over-deliver, to push the self to excellence, and be the kind of brand someone in a bind can count on to bring an unforgettable experience to attendees, even if last minute.
3 AMAZING experiences happened this week that prove this point:
1 – 36 Hours: On Wednesday, I received a Facebook message from someone I’d never heard from in my life. He said he saw me perform at his school 15 years ago (yes, that made me feel old!), and that his company needed a last minute entertainment show for their company on Friday. He wondered if I still offer a show and not just a speech (“in the year of COVID, yes I do!”), and if I was available (“why yes, yes I am!”). Within 36 hours I was performing for one of the best audiences of my life.
2 – Laughter Worldwide: The client needed a show of laughter for overworked employees worldwide, with 500 between the US and UK, and 1,500 in India. A full hour of laughs. At 8 AM. On Virtual. Is that even possible? Here’s the screen shot of the event professional’s response –
3 – Books as Gifts: Anytime anyone wants to buy books directly from me I am happy to oblige, especially when it comes to gifts for clients at this time of year. So thankful peers, clients, and friends are sending messages like these, so I can also keep The Promise and deliver something extra special back to them. See this exchange –
Yes, it all made for extra work, and yes, it requires more effort and a bit of struggle sometimes, but there is no greater blessing at this time than the opportunity of work.
Thank you for the chance you’ve given me to work for you.
~ jason hewlett
Leadership Coach * Virtual Keynote Speaker * Speaker Hall of Fame
The Promise To The One