P-A-C-E ASSOCIATION does it again. Phil Grudzinski, the CEO, makes things happen. He established the PACE Conference in PHOENIX as the place to be for Networking, Education, Meeting Old Friends and singing Karaoke!  Oh! YES! I DID!  You know I wouldn’t miss the chance to sing in front of an audience.  It was so wonderful to see those millionaire business owners…singing for their margaritas and shots, having such a wonderful time, playing instead of hustling for once in their lives….Do I hear a song in there?♫

WOW! Okay enough of the exclamation marks. It was perfect weather and we had a fantastic time.  Sally and I met some smart new prospects and we will be opening those doors in real time later this week.   Once, I even held a mini-training in the exhibit hall for a fantastic company called Interior Concepts.  (I can’t help myself.)  The young man, Brandon Gerard, who heads up their Sales Division asked for my “good ideas. “Did I ever say “no” to a salesman?  (Especially one so young and handsome.)  Oh Yeah! and I already heard from Jeff Milberg who never fails to be marketing something fantastic for all who employ him .

Lisa Nye Ford and her staff made it a very big occasion, the sponsors poured the wine. The word of the Meeting was “IN the Cloud!”  Tom Rocca is now working with Cloud9…look out and get ready for some very big expansion. Tom is the one with 60 ideas in 60 minutes, remember?

Sally did wonderfully in the GOLF tournament except she hit the longest ball over the fairway and it didn’t count.  Another reason I play tennis.  That would never happen in TENNIS.  Why would you put the prize for the longest shot on a hole that didn’t have enough fairway to hit to? I don’t get it but then I don’t get golf where less is better than more.  I never liked that concept. I like more of more is better.

Keith Fiveson (ITESA – People Convergence Solutions ) videotaped Sally and me and if I do say so myself, we were AWSOME!  It’s all for the new website.  We look great on camera.  Linda Bankhead of Presence Technology, was  bending my ear for a while at lunch, SMART and PRETTY…Darn it’s tough for me, getting older. Met the CEO of  E-TECH and I said….why haven’t we trained your whole company in The Positive Coach Approach? They come to all the FREEBIES. Do you think that will work? Nicola Roark of Harland Clarke has a lot to say about Contact Center Services…call her.

Linda Ritchie from Interactive Intelligence, has the cutest little goat and we put our LLAMA, Louie right next to him, check it out on our facebook  page.   Rob Marshall and Liz Frinch of the Mid-atlantic chapter are going to invite me to speak at their BIG BIG Chapter meeting….it’s about time!   New guy, Barry Maners looked sharp and wants to talk to me about business? Of course! The Fraser Group is the Voice of Customer Solutions.  Dave Gregory –WEST,  and Lee Pemberton from Inspired Performance Solutions talked about Coaching which is my favorite subject other than LAMA… they opened eyes and ears about Coaching in the Call Center. There is room for all of us Lee, no kidding. (About how many call centers in the USA alone? )  Reggie Brown Rand B Media Services in Phoenix or San Diego…not sure but he  did the videos and he was awesome, in my photo he made me look younger than  Springtime. ♫ Another Song…Hey, I was in South Pacific once. I tell Sally, to lie about her age. She says “Why?”  I am your mother, because I said so…..

Here is something very new….GlobalFIT, Owen Murphy, is a new member and is going to give great discounts to those agents who want support in getting fit!  It’s hard answering 80 -100 calls a day and staying trim.  ME, TOO!  I just sit here and talk.

Of course, I am sour grapes because Jane Bulman of Comcast cleaned my clock in the tennis match we played in mixed doubles.  I will get over it and try again next year. Jane is so awesome her top spin is to die for!  Now I have to go on a diet because of all the food and drinks.  Gary Pudles bought me one and Darlene Geller-stoff bought me many.  It was her turn!  Darci Maenpa from Toastmaster’s International looked great as usual.  She knows how to party.  Kathleen Kelly from DVSAnalyticis helped us girls…set some wonderful new goals for next year.  Shireen Wedlock from SMARTACTION, is a pistol but who doesn’t know that? We are on a rant but we will tell all later. C5 is the code word. SHUSHSHSHSHSH.

We made many new friends and tried hard to support the old ones.  See you next year!

Later with video.~Judy McKee