yeee haw

Well I'm in Dallas for a big sales conference... several hundred sales-y people from across our larger organization holed up in hotel, exchanging leads, promising to synergize, and working the room in concert. It's pretty alarming, really.

On the flight down, I sat across the aisle from our CEO, and we had light conversation about the Kindle, our new Blackberries, and technology geeking in general. My whole goal is of course to be an identified presence to these people, so that there'll always be a face by my name in their mind... I like to do that right up front and just be Jimmy. Other people on my team work a longer game, keeping the profile low, but being the last man standing at bar close time: I can't compete in that one, and will usually make a show of being the FIRST to leave the team drinking party. That almost always leads to a followup the next day "Man you had the right idea, leaving early". I can't argue that the "last man standing" method is also effective - at least one colleague seems to have that as his primary way of keeping his job.

Back to the flight, the CEO is something of a wild primitive man-wolf. He ignored all directives regarding iPod (music on throughout), he spread his stuff across multiple zones in flight, he had me hold his coffee while he found a place to stuff his bag. When we landed, he had his seat belt off 1 second after touchdown, and was out of his seat a good 40 feet from the gate, getting an exasperated "SIIRRRRRRR" from the attendant. Add to this, one of my coworkers had seen him at a restaurant, eating a whole chicken with his hands, sucking the meat of of bones (my colleague's wife had pointed him out, and said "that is the most disgusting man I've ever seen in my life". My colleague replied "that's my boss"). And no, that last anecdote is not made up.

Anyway, the schmoozing was actually relatively productive: We have a new acquisition and they have a presence at a few New England and New York clients I'm trying to wiggle into, so I think we'll be making a few trips out that direction soon.

I got to the room relatively early last night, and happily so since I had been up since 6 (early rising kids) AFTER another scotch avenging (in bed at 1), so I got a good 7 hours of sleep and am ready for the world. The breakfast buffet was an adventure in disappointment - but at least there was peanut butter toast, and there's a Starbucks nearby to provide relief from the colored water "coffee" they were serving.

The day is tightly scheduled, but I'm looking forward to the group activities this afternoon: I'm going on a JFK Conspiracy Tour! I'll let you know if I find out anything groundbreaking.