During the conversation Troy brought up The Bucket List, the movie released several months ago that followed two men on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die. The great thing about the list between these two men was that most of their to-do's were terribly uncomplicated.
We decided, Troy and I, that creating unique experiences was nothing more than selecting bucket list type experiences to share with our network -- and here are some examples:
- Many of you play golf with your clients and referral network (yawn). But to play golf one time on the course in St. Andrews, Scotland, now that would be a bucket list kind of experience.
- Taking a client to dinner at a great restaurant is always fun... (yawn). But to sponsor a trip to eat at La Spada in Florence, Italy might be a bucket list sort of experience.
- Hosting people on a fishing boat off the coast of Southern California is an often used boondoggle around these parts (yawn). Taking a group into the western delta of Alaska to catch King Salmon is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
- Tickets to sporting events are always appreciated, and so average.... But a chartered flight to Indiana to witness the annual Notre Dame v. University of Michigan game might just be a once in a lifetime event.
- Hosting people on a local ski slope might be fun, but a chance to swoop and slip on the mountains of Chamonix, France is definitely on the bucket list for many.
Several years ago Merrill Corporation hosted me on a fly fishing trip to the Kanektok River in western Alaska. It was a journey of my lifetime with moments I can still recall with amazing clarity and fondness. To this day Merrill remains at the top of my list of whom to call -- it may never change.
So, could you dream up a bucket list of experiences that will bring your network of relationships closer to you?
