The inception for a New England trip began when my older sister, Joanne, said that she’d be in Stonington, Maine for the summer.  “Come and visit,” she said.  “We’ll be here through September.”

New England’s summer beauty along with visions of huge lobster, fried clams and fresh scallops persuaded me to explore a northern trek.

Food seems to work its way into many important decisions these days.  This has been happening more and more with age.

It’s all part of seeking and enjoying life’s simpler pleasures.

In Maine, seafood is abundant and delectable.

The ubiquitous lobster traps speak volumes about the region’s uniqueness and splendor.

Mixing Business and Pleasure

Looking to combine business and pleasure during a trip north, I sent a message to New England contacts to announce my travel plans.

The response was immediate.

“It’s about time you consultants came to Connecticut,” said Carmine Iapaluccio, from Carmine’s Plumbing.  “You guys are always in Atlanta, Nashville or Chicago,” he exclaimed in his heavy northeast accent.

Needless-to-say, Carmine was excited about my upcoming visit.

Carmine’s employees had recently attended one of my company’s webinars, so world class customer service strategies were top of mind.

Then came a phone call from Susan Davis from H.R Clough Inc. in Contoocook, New Hampshire.  “Could you conduct a seminar for our employees?” Susan asked.

Susan’s phone call resulted in a flashback.

A few years ago, I met Donna Arsenault, H.R. Clough’s General Manager, at a propane conference.  Our mutual rapport was immediate.  “We’d love to have you visit our facility and train our employees – if you ever come up north,” she said.

And a few years later we are doing just that.

Serendipitous events like this arise during the execution of worthy goals.

After my visit with the H.R. Clough team, they sent this nice remark:

“Our employees benefited from Steve’s training and consulting during his New England travel.  Steve’s objective insight and hands-on approach added great value to our operation.”

One Thing Led To Another

As one thing led to another, four companies hired me to serve their employees in a variety of training and consulting assignments that made the New England trip both fun and profitable.

Ehrhart Propane in Ithaca, NY also hired me to train their truck drivers, office staff and technicians in customer service and soft skills.  Bill Overbaugh is Ehrhart’s General Manager.  He and I met a few years ago at a conference and it was inevitable that we’d work together someday.  Business relationships are like that – it starts with a little spark which ignites into something much brighter.

My wife was born in Ithaca.  So I took pictures of her childhood hangouts and sent photos home via smartphone.

Also while in Connecticut, I served Modern Mechanical Systems, a commercial HVAC contractor.  This was a fun visit.  The stories about my dad and the old Bronx neighborhood resonated with Angelo Taccariello as he was familiar with the Bronx too.

My next trek begins in mid-July and I will be traveling through the Midwest.  Click on the adjacent calendar to learn more about my destinations and availability.

In September, I will be traveling to the Midwest again.  Then, down south in October.   All my upcoming travel itineraries are on our home page.

Family Time is Fun and Exhausting

Spending a weekend with my sister and brother-in-law was fun.

We took a ferry from Deer Island, Maine to Isle au Haut for a hike through rough terrain.  I wore sandals, because I didn’t fully grasp that “rough terrain” would be vertically challenging.

The  hike through Isle au Haut was definitely meant for billy goats.

Overall, the ferry ride and hike were invigorating and we returned to my sister’s place exhausted and hungry.

Yes, food works its way into the dialogue somehow.