Hey I’m Natalie and I’m new to the Sixthman team! This is my first blog post to go along with my first cruise EVER!

Enjoy

It is the last night of the Elvis Cruise 2010 and all that comes to my mind is WOW.

The first team meeting was overwhelming and slightly intimidating with information but a friendly game of whiffle ball was an awesome bonding experience to break up the workday. The pre-cruise party was a great introduction to the next 4 days of non-stop ELVIS. The cruisers were excited and could not wait to get on the boat and get to hip shaking. Embark day was smooth and the next thing I knew we were off and sailing!

It’s hard to actually pick favorite moments from this cruise because honestly the entire event was an amazing learning experience. The energy and excitement of the guests was so uplifting and watching the artists interacting with them gave our Sixthman phrase “Live Loud” a whole new meaning.

Being a rookie on this cruise meant so much to me. To watch my team really push hard and hold the line with every task and trial they were handed, I feel so honored to have been a part of this.

Here’s to a fabulous Elvis Cruise 2010!

When our Away Team heads out to sea, they always send an update to the Home Team back in our Atlanta office.  Check out “Home Team” Denial for further explanation of this new company dynamic.  That said, here’s the update I just sent to our Home Team:

Elvis has left the building… and boarded a cruise ship!

The Elvis Cruise 2010 kicked off with a huge party for the yearlong celebration of Elvis’ 75th birthday.  We all had our birthday hats on while the huge crowd of Elvis fanatics stood around a 5-foot long, pink Cadillac cake while singing the Happy Birthday song to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  It was an amazing moment and you could feel the passion in the room.

As the night continued, we all got a sneak peak at some of the hottest music about to hit the Elvis scene:  Viva ELVIS – The Album. DJ Argo was spinning these re-mastered Elvis tracks while showgirls and door prizes added to the excitement. The album doesn’t hit the public until November 9th.  Yeah, we’re special.

Another show to make you stop in your tracks is Stephen Fishwick’s Paint! In Motion.  His art really does come to life as he dances around the canvas slinging paint and making masterpieces.  This performance was definitely a new element to The Elvis Cruse this year and it was undoubtedly a huge success.

That brings me to one of the highlights of today – The Elvis Fashion Show.  We had models from all ages that consisted of none other than our very own Elvis cruisers.  That’s right, our guests got to strut their stuff on stage and all around the Lido deck showing off Elvis Presley Enterprises’ latest fashions.  T-shirts and purses and pajamas, oh my!

Everyone is kicking butt and making our guests have the experience of a lifetime!  Andy, we miss you buddy, but we’re standing strong and representing the brand well.

Stay tuned for more updates…

-Away Team

Congratulations! You closed the big deal but left your team a little frustrated.

We call that the “IMPACT” and the “WAKE” and we all know people like this. They perform at a high level but it can be hard to be on their team.  I have been guilty of this many times and it is never worth it in the end. So I am working hard to reduce my “WAKE” without losing “IMPACT”.

Here are some examples I have either witnessed or been responsible for…

#) Secure an artist for a cruise by going direct to the manager instead of allowing our team to take the proper path.

#) Come up with a great idea right before the event that requires lots of last minute changes instead of taking time in advance to brainstorm.

#) Have a breakthrough conversation with a partner about a new strategy and forget to inform the team of the new direction while they are working hard to execute the old strategy.

#) Lead a group into battle successfully and forget to share the credit with the team.

#) Write a hit song with your band mates and take all the credit when doing an interview on the radio.

#) Invite someone to sit in with your band without telling your crew who ends up scrambling and looking like rookies trying to set up for the guest artist.

Why worry about your “WAKE”? Because your team will eventually burn out over time, despite your “IMPACT“.

So get out there and make the great dive…just leave as small a splash as you can.

Andy