Presenting.....
During the corporate jobs over the past 15-20 years, I was required to do many presentations, stand up and address varying people of different levels in the companies. As I've mentioned in past blogs, travel was a big part of my previous job. I was required to go Milan, Italy a few times to do some training and presentations, although there is one trip I will not forget.
The day I was travelling I
During the corporate jobs over the past 15-20 years, I was required to do many presentations, stand up and address varying people of different levels in the companies. As I've mentioned in past blogs, travel was a big part of my previous job. I was required to go Milan, Italy a few times to do some training and presentations, although there is one trip I will not forget.
The day I was travelling I was required to go to the company HQ at Slough. Following the meetings I had there, I was whisked away to the airport by the corporate chauffeur. He took me swiftly to Terminal 3 where I paid up, got out of the car and made my way to the nearest departures board - the plane was on time. All going to plan… Or so I thought!
My laptop bag seemed rather light. I checked it and found that my laptop was not inside, it was still on my desk in Slough! I definitely would need it in Milan as I was doing some training at the office. All of my information was on the computer.
I rang the office who gave me the phone number of the corporate chauffeur. I then rang and he agreed to go back to the office, collect my laptop and bring it to the airport. He made it just in time for me to get through Security in time to board the plane. Thank goodness for the kindness of the chauffeur!
The experience of giving many presentations in different environments has put me in good stead as I now need to present in networking meetings but also to key individuals in companies and hotels. Except now it is on a subject that I really can say I am passionate about.
After planning what to write for this blog, I was presenting at a networking meeting from my laptop. When I arrived at the venue I proceeded to set up my TV screen that I was using, got out the cables to connect it to the laptop, reached in my bag for the laptop… It had happened again! Except this time the laptop on my desk at home and I was the chauffeur, so I couldn't nip back and get it in time for my presentation. I managed to improvised by using my iPad. My opening line was ‘I’ll just connect my iPad to the screen’, at which point I placed the iPad on the top of the TV screen which thankfully caused quite a few laughs. Many people congratulated me on the presentation, so no harm done!
Enter Mr Bean!
During my time working for a company that was in Swindon, I was given the opportunity for overseas travel, visiting a number of countries including regular trips to Copenhagen. My three daughters and I had made an unspoken deal in the family that each time I went overseas I would bring a gift I could only get from that country. Some times it was special Danish cakes and other times wafer thin chocolate that I thought was only available in Denmark. Years later my eldest daughter
During my time working for a company that was in Swindon, I was given the opportunity for overseas travel, visiting a number of countries including regular trips to Copenhagen. My three daughters and I had made an unspoken deal in the family that each time I went overseas I would bring a gift I could only get from that country. Some times it was special Danish cakes and other times wafer thin chocolate that I thought was only available in Denmark. Years later my eldest daughter found that exact type of chocolate had been available in a nearby supermarket! I tried!
About 6 years ago the Swindon office was closed and most of the employees were either made redundant or were moved to the offices in Hull or Slough. I thankfully managed to negotiate a ‘work from home’ contract which required me to go to the global head office in Slough for meetings only 2-3 times per week to start with. When friends and family asked me where I was working I would innocently reply the ‘Home Office’. Most cottoned on to the joke, but one of my sisters genuinely believed I meant the Home Office in Westminster! We played that joke for quite a while, until she eventually realised!
Being home based with the need to travel to Slough frequently, meant I was often driving to Slough during the rush hour and naturally got used to driving through those difficult conditions. Then when I had to go abroad, I used to leave my car in the relative safety of the head office car park, and catch a corporate chauffeur driven vehicle to Heathrow. This gave me lots of experience of the good, not so good and quite honestly, the painful times being chauffeur driven by other people. The seeds for creating my own executive travel company were being sown.
Whilst waiting for a meeting to start at the head office, I was sat in their reception area enjoying a coffee. Unfortunately, I was blissfully unaware that every time I reached forward to pick up my drink from the low coffee table, my tie was being dunked in my mug! I only realised something was wrong when the coffee had seeped through my shirt and trousers. Thankfully I was quite early for my meeting, so I rushed to the toilets and attempted to dry my clothes using the hand dryer, very much like the famous sketch by Mr Bean!