In our business, we are fortunate to spend lots of time with both artists & guests.  We have been pleasantly surprised to see 95% of our guests take more pride in showing respect for the artists while they are on vacation than ambushing them for photos and autographs.  I witnessed something this past weekend on our 1st Annual KISS KRUISE that brought it all together for me.  I call it “The Take”.

Gene Simmons from KISS and Shannon Tweed (his wife) were preparing to leave the ship and a family had stationed themselves near the elevators hoping to get one last photo.  I happened to be there to witness this and before the elevator made it down to the lower decks, I introduced myself and asked the family to consider a different approach.

I explained to them that artists like to give themselves to their fans on the artists’s terms and it’s important to respect their space so they don’t feel like their autograph or photo is being taken from them.  Then I requested that the family put the camera and sharpie away and simply wave goodbye & say thank you when the elevator doors opened.  The dad was not buying it at first claiming he really wanted a photo for his kids but I begged him to trust me.

A few seconds later, the elevator door opened and Gene & Shannon exited and approached the ship’s gangway. At that moment, the mom, dad, son and daughter all waved goodbye and thanked Gene & Shannon for sharing their vacation with the fans.  It was perfect.  I was so proud of them for trusting me.

The best part is that after Gene & Shannon had passed by and right before they took their last step off the ship, Shannon turned around and motioned for the kids to come to her asking them if they wanted a picture.  The dad looked over at me and smiled, pulled out his camera and captured a great moment.

The next day I saw the family walking around the ship and the dad came up to me to say thanks for sharing that insight and he promised to spread the word.

It has to be so hard to be in a space with your hero and fight the urge to take something for yourself to remember the moment and prove that you were there for your friends.  For most of us, it might be a once in a lifetime moment, however, please know that the artist is usually aware of what you are thinking.  If we respect their space and give it a second, they will almost always acknowledge the respect you have shown them in a genuine & memorable way.

When we don’t exercise the moment of patience around our heros, we are “Taking” something that they would much rather give.

Andy

Check out the latest episode of Sixthman.TV:  Outsourcing HR

Outsourcing HR from Sixthman TV on Vimeo.

Happy hump day everyone!

-Mike

A few years ago when we were presented with the opportunity to take on more cruises, I noticed some hesitation from a few of the Sixthman team.

I sensed uncertainty and as a leader, I believe the best thing you can do is sniff it out and figure out a way to make it certain one way or the other.

When I asked one particular person what she was afraid of, she said, “I just want it to stay special.”  As I dug in with other people, that seemed to be the biggest concern.

So we got a small group of us together to talk about what “Special” means.

The conversation was about vacations and parties we had attended in our lives, and cool elements we observed that made the event memorable.  In less than an hour we identified seven checkpoints that must be present for us to be able to deliver Special on a larger scale.  As long as we could do well in these areas, we could grow as much as we wanted.

So here they are…

Invite
We want you to feel genuinely invited.  Until we can get the artist to knock on your door and say “I’m throwing a party on a boat, would you like to go?” we intend to find creative, tangible ways to connect with you and invite you authentically.  E-mail alone is not acceptable.

Inform
There are lots of questions to be answered when it comes to planning a vacation, especially one as unique as ours.  Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need at your fingertips.  What to wear? When to arrive? What documentation to bring? What’s included? Do I have to be able to swim? How to behave if you end up in an elevator with your favorite artist? Along the way we want the “Cruise to Start Now” by engaging you online and offline to introduce you to artists, other guests and our staff.

Excite
Life goes on after you book your vacation and sometimes there are months between the time you reserve your cabin and when we actually pull away from the dock.  About 45 days prior to sailing, we want to remind you that life is about to get better and it’s time to focus on what lies ahead.  Ideally an item arrives in your mailbox or inbox (or both), but it says it’s time to put your shades on because the future is about to get bright!

Welcome
As soon as you walk on the ship, we make sure that Sixthman is there to greet you with a smile and a high five so you know we have been expecting you, and are so glad you could make it.

Looked After
Our goal on board is to be everywhere you turn. If you need a guide, we’ll be there. If you’re lost, confused or frustrated, our team is committed to getting you back on track.  Maybe you need help making a memorable proposal to your future wife or wonder why artists prefer to not have flash photography while they are performing or need us to make something right because we didn’t deliver what we promised. We’re always looking for ways to take care of you.

Amazed
Everyone has his or her own perfect moment on board and we‘re here to set the stage so it can happen.  It might be under the stars at night watching a show, or enjoying an afternoon concert by the pool while enjoying a cold beverage with your feet dangling in the water.  Whatever it is, we want you to have that moment where you say to yourself “I am where I need to be, with who I need to be with, doing what I need to be doing”.

Appreciated
At the end of the cruise, we are flattered that you trusted us with your vacation and are grateful that you chose to spend your time and money with us. As you walk off the ship, we believe it’s important for you to know that!  Maybe it’s a “Bye Five” or a voicemail from an artist that evening or something in the mail the next week that simply says “We appreciate you being with us”.

So here is what we are shooting for…hold us to it!

-Andy

You may remember that last year we started a new thing here at Sixthman called freestyle officing.  So far, it’s worked great!  You can come in, sit where ever you’d like, and never get bored with the same desk every. single. day.  Well, sometimes finding the best place to sit is tough and that got us thinking…

We cruise all year long, and on each cruise ship there’s a Maitre D’.  They help the guests find their seats and make sure that everyone is looked after.  So, the question we asked ourselves was, “Why not give it a shot?  It works on board, right?”

Please welcome our newest member – the Sixthman Maitre D’.

I went to see the Avett Brothers recently and after the show as my wife and I were walking back to our car, there was a stack of Avett Brothers posters sitting there as a gift for the fans to take home.  I thought that was so cool.  It was like a personal message from the band that I interpreted as “We appreciate you being here”.

We bought a ticket, they put on a great show, we gave them our time, they gave us a gift and were the “Last One to Give”.

The next time I think about the Avett Brothers, I will think about how I appreciate them appreciating me and giving me a poster that probably cost them $.25 but had much more value to me.

We have seven “Moments” that we want each guest to experience from the time they hear about one of our events to the time they return home from what was hopefully the best vacation of their lives.  The last one is “Appreciate” that’s exactly what the Avett Brothers did that night with me.

I think great people and great organizations find opportunities to show appreciation by being the “Last One to Give”.

Andy

If you can stand a flashback to high school music theory class for a while, I want you to try something next time you walk by a piano. Strike the white key immediately to the left of any pair of black keys using your right thumb (see the key labeled C on the left).

Then use your middle finger to strike the white key immediately to  the right of the pair of black keys (see key labeled E above).  Now use your right ring finger to strike the white key on the inside left of the three black keys (see key labeled G above).  Each one of the keys are individual “Notes”.

Now strike all three of them at the same time.  Congratulations, you just played a“C – Chord” on the piano.  To appreciate what you just did, randomly strike any other three keys at the same time.

Hear the difference? Unless you accidentally made another chord or are tone deaf, it should have made you cringe a little bit because it sounded so bad. That’s the beauty of a “chord”. It only sounds good once it’s complemented by two “notes” that work well with it. This principle doesn’t only apply to music.
Each of us individually has gifts and strengths that resemble those of a unique ”Note” but no matter how good you are, you can only achieve so much on your own. Building partnerships with people who have different skills, passions, and work styles to create a “Chord” is critical to achieving success in business and life.  Just as great songs are made of a combination of the right ”Chords”, great organizations are made up of authentic and meaningful collaboration.

So don’t miss the chance to be a part of something great by working selfishly, and attributing all outcomes to your “note” or “gift”. Instead, build strong harmony with people who complement what you bring to the table.  Reach out to the right combination of “notes” and what you will create will be music to everyone’s ears.

-Andy

PS-If someone ever asks you if you play piano, you can now say ”a little”.

So you know when people type about something so insanely amazing, the only way to get the point across and make it sound like you mean it is to type. like. this.? Well, in order to get the true vibe of TRB XI across, this entire blog post would have to be written just. like. that.

But I’ll spare you, because that would just be hard to read.

So much fun has been had, and so many amazing moments have happened – I don’t even know where to start. For me, this is the first Rock Boat I’ve ever worked. However, I’ve been in attendance since 2004. It’s a bit of a different experience on the flip side of a cruise – but I have to admit I’m having just as much fun working as I did when I was a guest!

This is actually my favorite lineup TRB has ever hadIt would be hard to go through all of the great moments that we’ve experienced, but here are just a few of my favorites so far:

• Watching Andy try to convince all of our guests that it was a great idea for him to apply sunscreen to their noses as they boarded. Some embraced it, others ran in fear. But everyone was in good spirits!

• Sister Hazel Sail Away Party – the time was finally here for us to decide where we were actually GOING on this cruise! At this point, we had 2 ports on hold – both of which were great possibilities:  Costa Maya or the Bahamas. After checking the weather reports one last time, Costa Maya won by a landslide. After the announcement, Sister Hazel broke into their first set of the boat. They kicked off the cruise perfectly by singing “Sail Away” and then continued on to do a rockin’ show complete with a limbo contest.

• Back Rub Blingo – when we asked Gaelic Storm to host Bingo one day, we had no idea what we were in for! They decided they didn’t just want Bingo – they wanted Back Rub Blingo! Never heard of it? Yeah, we hadn’t either, but it’s exactly what it sounds like. Gaelic Storm + the Carnival Spa massage team + lots of Bling + Bingo. If that’s not an equation for randomness, I don’t know what is.

Gaelic Storm's Back Rub Blingo

• Artist vs. Artist “60 Seconds To Win It” – to watch some of your favorite artists compete in 9 mindless mini-games was unforgettable. Kudos to Matt Hires, Matt Duke and our own Andy Levine for participating and giving us some great Rock Boat moments. (Ask Matt Duke about the “How’s it Hanging” challenge with the banana. You’ll get a good story.) And congrats to Matt Hires for bringing home the coveted Golden Ping Pong Ball Banana Trophy.

Artist vs. Artist 60 Seconds To Win It

• Costa Maya. Was. Perfect. (Seriously – best Rock Boat port stop ever. Perfect weather, perfect location – just 100% all-around amazing.

• NEEDTOBREATHE in the Paris Lounge – Just wow. Though the entire show was amazing, the end of it was the part everyone will remember. The entire band unplugged, came out to the front of the stage near the steps and sang “Valley of Tomorrow.” The crowd who had just been rocking out like crazy just moments before was dead silent – you could seriously hear a pin drop. I even saw the security guards turning around to sneak a peek at what was happening. The power in their voices was just incredible and gave me chills. They plugged back in and finished out the night with “The Outsiders” – absolutely perfect.

• Guilty Pleasures with the Goose – Goose just couldn’t stay away this year – and we’re glad he didn’t! This show was the ultimate artist collaboration set – he had chosen people from almost every single band onboard to come out and sing some guilty pleasures – we heard everything from Backstreet Boys to Bryan Adams, and it was all topped off with EVERYONE on stage singing Faithfully by Journey. These are the things Rock Boat memories are made of.

• Halloween Night – ALL of it! Everything about Halloween night was absolutely incredible. It was one of the biggest and best theme nights we’ve ever done, and we had a TON of participation. Sister Hazel zombied it up for their Monsters of Rock set which was extraordinary in itself, but THEN it was all topped off by Jett leading his band of zombies (a.k.a. the Sixthman staff) to flash-mob the crowd with the Thriller dance (definitely my personal favorite moment so far!). At the end of the night Gaelic Storm played to an Atrium full of costumed guests – including the Monopoly Man, some penguins, a Jamaican bobsled team, a cow, some sheep, and who knows what else. If you’ve ever been to an Atrium show before on any of our cruises, just imagine that, but with crazy costumes. Insane. The show ended with the entire band standing on the bar for their last song, instruments and all. Again, insane. And that wasn’t even the end of the night! Trailer Park Ninjas continued the party well into the morning on the Promenade deck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that stage so packed.

Thriller Flash Mob

Alright, I’ll stop now. Though I could honestly type forever about other things that have been just as awesome as the few I’ve listed above. We’ve got one more full night of music out on the open sea – let’s rock this boat all the way back to Tampa!

~jen

It’s a Saturday morning and you’ve made your list of things to do for the day and as you are walking thru the living room on your way to get your keys and head out, you notice that the movie “Shawshank Redemption” is on TV.  It’s your favorite part of the movie so you sit down to watch just that one scene.  Next thing you know, you’ve watched the entire ending and since you jumped in late and it’s playing all day as part of a TBS movie marathon, you begin to watch the first part of the next showing. Now you’ve spent 3 hours (that’s how long it takes to show a 2 hour movie on TBS) watching TV and your list of things to do has not changed.

You know what we call that?  “Getting Shawshanked”.

There are a ton of movies that will do it to you and it happens every day in other parts of our lives too.

We crave certainty and pursue it tirelessly even though most of the brightest parts of our lives and our best stories were created when there was zero certainty present.

How I met my wife?  How I ended up finding my best friend?  How I ended up in this career?  How I learned by biggest lesson that defined my outlook on life?

We get “Shawshanked” when…

We go to our favorite restaurant and tell ourselves we are going to try something new but at the last minute we cave and order the same thing we always get.

We go to a party and promise ourselves we are going to meet some new people but we end up hanging with the same small group having the same conversation we always have.

We we wake up knowing the three biggest things we can do to make an impact today yet we stare at our inbox all day letting that dictate our priorities.

We end each concert with the same song because we know it works instead of having the courage to try something new.

Our only options are to either retell old stories or make new ones.  And to make new ones that are worth re-telling, we have to try different things.  I mean after all, as comforting as it is to relive old stories, it’s kind of depressing to think that we might not be a part of any more great ones.

Let’s make some more glory days.  That’s what keeps us alive.

Last night, a friend of mine asked me to help her put herself into a new environment that was way outside her comfort zone and it meant traveling somewhere to do it.  I’m excited to help with this because I know once she gets on the plane, she will have no choice but to accept the fact that the only certainty in her life is that there is no certainty.  There will not be anything to fall back on, unless of course “Shawshank Redemption” comes on the TV in her hotel room.

There is new buzz word at Sixthman in addition to our most popular word “Shawshank”.  It’s the word we use to associate with someone who exhibits the qualities we believe are critical to strengthening the communities we are trying to connect.

We call it “Contributor” and we want to reward them because we all know that “what you reward gets repeated”.

If you have ever been frustrated or confused while reading or interacting on a forum and tempted to steer away from the drama, you will want to find a “Contributor” before giving up.  They will usually clear things up and make your visit worthwhile.

Here are a few behaviors to look for in searching out a “Contributor”

1) Engages in a positive “non-attention seeking” manner

2) Debates constructively and with an open mind

3) Challenges moderators respectfully

4) Shares information and knowledge in a helpful and humble way

5) Sets personal agenda aside and supports what’s best for the community

6) Welcomes new people to the forum

What does a “Contributor” earn for a reward?

A seat at the table…

Andy

PS…Look for the story behind why “Shawshank” is a popular word at Sixthman tomorrow.

In 2000, I was the manager for a band that was in the studio recording what I felt was the best song on the album and the producer was trying to chop the length of the song down to make it sound more “Radio Friendly”.  He was eyeing a section of the song that I had seen fans really react to at live shows and believed was important to the story.  The manager is often not welcome in the recording in the environment so for me to be offering my opinion to keep that part of the song in was a bit out of line.  The producer was visibly frustrated and said to me “We have to trim the fat” and I replied “That part isn’t fat, it’s a organ”.

Fast forward to a few months ago when we were preparing to launch our first “Digital Welcome Kit” for The Rock Boat. In the past we had sent a “Survival Kit” via mail with a Compilation CD featuring a song from each artist on the cruise, a luggage tag and some other items.  Getting clearance from artists to put a song on a cd vs. a download has become a big challenge for us and we rarely get it in time to do all the things you need to do to design, print, mail it in time.

Well once you took the CD out, it appeared to us that the luggage tag and the other items would not have the impact we wanted.  If I had been able to reflect on my experience that I shared above, I would have recalled that our guests love the luggage tags we send and that they would be considered “Organs”.

We launched the “Digital Welcome Kit” and it looked great.  We heard a lot of good feedback about the ability to just download the song right into their ITunes but got ripped for not sending the Luggage Tag.

We ordered 2,300 luggage tags the next day and while our guests won’t get them before the cruise, they will get them afterwards and hopefully forgive us for removing an “Organ” but “Making it Right” in the end.

Let’s have a great year and may you realize it’s an “Organ” and not “Fat”.

Andy

PS- The band was Sister Hazel and the song was “Champagne High” (see link to video for the song) and is about going to the wedding of your ex.  The lyric in question was the “while your story is completed, mine is a long way from done”.