Airplanes need both SPEED and LIFT to climb into the air.

It takes science to explain how the air travels further over the top of the wing than the bottom of the wing resulting in the plane lifting into the sky.  It’s mysterious & invisible.  It involves a little bit of magic and is absolutely necessary if flight is the desired outcome.

If you’re looking to be successful in life, whether it’s as a band, company, employee, spouse, you’re going to need both speed and lift.  Sure we all can generate speed but until we create lift we’re just speeding down a runway while burning expensive fuel and limited time.

How to create lift

A band that puts up posters, builds a website, records an album, and hires a PR firm generates speed. The lift, however, comes from the way the songs and the live show affect the listener.  For most bands, they can determine if they have lift, before they spend any energy on creating speed. Bands that focus on creating the lift long before they worrying about speed will have a better chance to soar.

A small business that pays for logos, business cards, office space, and lawyers generates speed. The lift comes from the satisfaction customers have with the product.  Many times, that can be determined from a pilot test or a “beta test” approach.  A good friend of mine got his first customer before he even had a name for his company because he focused on creating a solid idea first and testing it out.  He created lift and then focused on speed.

A spouse that spends years telling his partner each day that she is “beautiful” generates speed. The LIFT comes when he takes the time to discover that her “Love Language” is Quality Time and he starts “planning a date night each week”.  Both gestures are welcomed, just one generates speed and one creates lift.

If you feel the wind in your face and are not feeling like your band, company or marriage is achieving flight, stop building more speed and start focusing on creating lift.

-Andy

Happy Wednesday Cruisers!

As we wind down for the holidays here at Sixthman, we can’t help but get caught up in the growing excitement for cruise season next year! We have been working hard to plan amazing activities and cruises for everyone and we can’t wait to get started. We wanted to leave everyone with a little holiday message and we hope you all have a wonderful holiday and new years.

See you in 2011

-Your Friends at Sixthman

The Night Before Christmas: Sixthman Style

“Twas the night before Winter Cruise season, when all through the loft
Not a sixthman was stirring, not even a pup;
Cruise posters were hung on the round walls with care,
In hopes that the first cruise, would soon be here;

The team was nestled all snug in their desks,
While visions of living loud danced in their heads;
And Shags in her hoodie, and Minnie in her bed,
The call center was quiet, not a word need be said;

When out in the parking lot there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from our nooks to see what was the matter.
Away to the windows we flew like a flash,
Tore open the garage door, the glass made a loud crash.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature cruise ship, and 7 tiny ships near!
With a very loud driver, so lively and so,
We knew in a moment it must be Grande Rojo

More excited than cruisers, through the office he came.
He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now Rock Boat, now Simple Man, now Ships  & Dips and Cayamo!
On 311, on Kid Rock and Best Cruise Ever!

To the top of the Lido Deck! To the top of the Promenade!
Now sail away, sail away, sail away all!”

So down to Florida the cruise fleet flew,
With the 7 tiny ships and Grande Rojo too.
It was only but a minute, as we turned back around,
In the front door Grande Rojo came with a bound.

He was dressed in blue and khaki, from his head to his socks,
“Your cruisers” he said, “had me going nonstop!”
A bag of poker chips he flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his hair so cherry!
His mouth was drawn up with only a smile,
And the beard on his chin had been growing a while.

He had a broad face and skin full of freckles,
That shook when he laughed when the bands he did heckle.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave us the know, he’d come back again;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And sold the last cabins, then turned with a jerk,
He sprang to the cruise ship, and gave a loud “HEYYOOO”,
And away we all flew, down to board the first boat.

We all heard him claim, as he disappeared out of sight
“Happy Cruise Season to all, and to all a good night!”

If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time to take a look.  As we prepare for the holidays in the office, we also take a little time out to get our creative juices flowing and write a little something for you.  We give you information on upcoming events, ponder about recurring events, and even throw in a little fun.  It’s our bi-annual newsletter, check it out!

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

My 4 day immersion into the world of Wellness has shed a lot of light and revealed many sensible solutions to achieving better health.  We rarely know what we are getting ourselves into when we set out to sea with a new community but we had no clue what to expect with our first “non-music” cruise.

The last few days have truly been inspiring.  We confirmed our suspicions that people are passionate about other things than music and there probably is a great opportunity for us to learn how to bring many other communities together on vacation.

But we also witnessed a large group of people focused on their journey to stay fit and healthy.  We heard from experts in fitness, nutrition and other aspects of wellness which got me excited but mostly made me feel duped.  Duped that I didn’t know these fundamentals about the food I have been putting in my body my entire life and guilty for what I have been feeding my kids bodies during their young lives.

Don’t worry…I have not been brainwashed, just educated and here are some things I have learned.

#1) Count Your Calories

If we count them and understand how many we burn (which is not as hard as you think), we can recognize patterns that will lead to weight gain, loss or maintenance.  Apparently, I burn about 2,500 calories per day just from normal activity.  Adding a workout can burn an additional 300-500.  If I can eat 2,000 calories a day, I can lose 1 pound a week without even working out.  An additional 1/2 pound if I workout 3x per week.  I never knew you burned that much just with normal activity.

#2) Muscles Burn Calories

Even when they are not being worked, muscles need calories.  The bigger they are the more calories you burn throughout the day.  And some muscles, like legs and back, burn more calories each day as they are bigger than biceps and triceps.  Something to know before you spend all your time doing curls and push ups.

#3)  Abuse is Abuse

Knowingly choosing the wrong foods and becoming overweight is very similar to abusing alcohol and drugs.  The main difference is that people who abuse food carry it around with them as extra fat for everyone to see whereas alcohol and drug abusers are able to hide it easier.  Odds are that we are using food to cope with something going on.

#4) The Lunch Lady

There is a huge opportunity & responsibility to change things in the school systems.  It won’t be cheap in the short run but long term benefits are overwhelming.  I am looking for an Ipad app where kids can learn math skills by building 2,000 calorie meal plans.  They would select a group of things for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert.  If they were over 2,000 they would exchange items to make it balance.  If they were under they could add a dessert or a treat.  Can you imagine kids being able to look at a menu and add up the calories in their meal?  Maybe an SAT example….If Jim had 3 chicken breasts, 3 slices of pizza and 3 hamburger patties, how many calories would he have?

#5) We All Have Fat Somewhere We Can’t Lose

The body stores fat in different places for everyone.  Some of it is dictated by the balance of testosterone vs. estrogen and some of is just genetics.  So don’t be surprised if you get totally ripped and still have a little something you can’t get rid of on the legs or butt or somewhere.  According to the experts, everyone has at least one thing that you just can’t shake.

I am by no means a health expert so do some more reading before embarking on a plan if you feel so inspired.  What I am sharing is just my observation from listening to experts on the Jillian Michael Ultimate Wellness Cruise.

And for those of you who trusted us with your vacation this weekend, thank you.  It was so refreshing to see so many people working hard and having fun at the same time.  You helped us learn more about ourselves and inspired us to look for opportunities to incorporate Wellness into everything we do.

Here’s to a New Fun Tier.

Andy

Good Morning Day 3!  Where does all this energy come from?  As I rolled from my bed this morning, guests were already jogging around the promenade.  Jillian was already kicking butts.  And, healthy food was already being served.

I’m amazed with the endurance of everyone on this cruise.  As a semi-athletic, relatively young individual, I fancy myself a bit of a strong arm.  But I pale in comparison to these people.  They’re jogging, they’re working out, they’re following along to Jillian’s Wii game, and they’re high-fiving all up and down the promenade.  It’s a sight for all eyes.

We always talk about bringing like-minded individuals together that share a passion, and we’ve done it.  I’ll be honest, we were a little scared.  How do you make a wellness cruise Live Loud?  You have Jillian Michaels yell about pushups, and these people will Live Loud all day long.

See you on the sweaty side!

-Lisa

The guests on Jillian Michaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise have more competitive spirit than any group of people I’ve met, and they are awesome! These people live loud, but in a very different way, as Melissa pointed out in the previous blog. On Day 1, we had a Deck Wars rally so that each team could meet their cohorts. Oh, wait…. Back a little further: do you know about Deck Wars? It’s the coolest thing ever!

We have split the entire ship into four groups – Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. Each person can earn tokens for their team, and the team with the most tokens at the end of the trip wins!

I am captain of the yellow team. Yesterday at the Deck Wars rally, all four team captains taught their group a cheer, and Jillian was to judge and decide on the best cheer. I was really impressed by all the other teams’ cheers, and a little worried about the competition. While we were getting ready, the pool deck was SO loud! It sounded something like this:

Go back to bed, here comes TEAM RED!
We’re lean! We’re GREEN! We’re fierce workout machines!
B-L-U-E! We’re the best team on the sea!
And finally… Yellow’s strong! Yellow’s bold! YELLOW’S gonna win the gold!

There was a ton of cheering and shouting; I even met some Red team folks today who had lost their voices from all the fun!

For the main event, Jillian came out, introduced all of her trainers and special guests, and then it was time for the cheer competition. All four teams rocked it! I won’t tell you who won, because it’s not ALWAYS about winning, but I will say that it was one dang fine moment in Sixthman history.

Day 2

I woke up this morning at 7am this morning to start my shift and made my way out to the Pool Deck and could you believe it! -There were people out there running on the track, getting ready for the first Jillian Workout and drinking some OJ. This might not seem like such a phenomenon for most, had you not sailed on our other Sixthman events, like say, The Rock Boat. If I was oddly up early enough on The Rock Boat to see what was going on at 7am, I’m pretty sure the only thing I would have found would have been the stragglers who haven’t made it to bed yet.

I was so impressed! It was the most energizing thing to see 250 dedicated guests up and ready to get their butts kicked by Jillian at 8:30am and a few handful others just peeking in to see what was in store for them when it was their turn. All of this is happening while we overlook the amazing port of Great Stirrup Cay. With it’s irresistible white beaches and blue oceans taunting them to come lay out and drink a daiquiri, the island was put on hold while our guests got what they came for, a chance to work out one on one with the woman who has changed many of their lives. There was sweat and looks of pain on every person in the hour long class but every single one of the participants had the biggest grin of accomplishment as Jillian counted down the last 10 seconds of the final plank pose.

It’s just now 10am and I feel like we’ve already had a full day of positive vibes and I couldn’t be more ready for the rest of these classes and seminars. This is easily the biggest step out of our box that Sixthman has taken, and it’s a great one. In fact we’re going to take a huge lunge out of our box, and maybe do a few pushups in the end just because we can.

Here’s to the rest of Day 2!