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500 Miles in 2012

December 31, 2011 in Business Development, General, Uncategorized with 7 Comments

So, most of my goal setting will happen tommorrow. It’s the day I set aside to reflect from the past year and plan for the next one.

Or at least I tell myself that. Usually that just means I lay around and watch football and recover from the night before.

But, i do usually think about my goals for the year and write them down. Both personally and professionally.

However, there is one goal I know I’m doing and I’m inviting you to join me in it.

I’m gonna run 500 miles in 2012. That’s 10 miles a week with a 2 week vacation. Now, for some of you 10 miles a week seems impossible. For others, you can actually do that while you are sleeping. I don’t care what end of the spectrum you are on, to do it consistently for a whole year is alot.

Here are the rules:

* You can run, walk or ellyptical your miles.

* You can NOT drive, bike, motorcyle or skateboard (yes, someone asked) your miles.

*If you look like the guy above and think you are doing miles that does NOT count.

*No, you don’t have to run/walk them with me. Everyone is on their own.

All I’m trying to do is provide a community of people who want to accomplish this goal so we can hold each other accountable. And yes, there will be prizes.

So, It’s the honor system here. If you cheat, you are only hurting yourself.

If you want in on the goal, all I need is your email and name. I’ll send you a link to a google document you can update on your own. This way we can all motivate each other.

We start Jan 1, 2012. May the force be with you!

 

Hiking Near the Glaciers

July 7, 2011 in General, Travel, Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Now, there is no way pictures or video will do the Glaciers of Iceland justice. Plus, they come out of nowhere. You’ll be driving and think you have landed on Mars. Think all ash and volcanic rock and then BOOM! A Glacier. We actually hiked near that little volcanic glacier that shut down most European air travel for a few weeks back in 2008.

Let’s start at the beginning. Which is the “getting there” part. There are no real roads in iceland. Well, one road that kind of circles the perimeter called the 1. But to get to the Glacier you have to go off road. And in summer when it’s finally warm and the snow starts to melt your drive to the Glacier includes river crossings. Lots of them. It’s intimidating at best. Especially when you are 4 girls in a stick shift and you are facing a pretty large river and you aren’t sure how deep it is. Like this one

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKMsFugSk6E.

and here’s the video from inside the car. (NOTE: might be tough to watch as it was tough to film. Do not blame the videographer for the rockiness)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nyB_5giy-0

Once you cross a few of them it apparently gets easier. I wouldn’t know that b/c I wasn’t driving but that’s what I was told.

Anyway, the hikes are absolutely incredible. The change in landscape is crazy. One minute it’s green, next your on volcanic rock, next snow, etc. Like the picture to your left kind of looks like a golf course but it’s not.

 I was amazed at how much ash there was still left due to the volcano that erupted in 2008. All the black you see in the ice is from the volcanic eruption.

If you come to Iceland you must hike the Glaciers. We did the hike up Landmannalaugar one day and then over to Porsmork and along the Laugavegur trail the next day.

Here’s one of my favorite pictures.  It’s a picture of my friends hiking an area they call the cats back. it speaks for itself. I highly recommend doing this at least once in your life.

Lessons From Charles In Charge (not Scott Baio)

September 10, 2010 in Business Development, Humor, Marketing, Sales, Uncategorized with 2 Comments

Now, in case you missed the story of my run in with Chachi read it now.

Now, that we got that out of the way it should be clear to you that based on personal experience, I’m a big FAN of the Chachi & the Charles in Charge and not-so-much of the Scott Baio. Of course, I’m sure Scott Baio is a perfectly nice person I just caught him on an off night. Right.

Um, how cute is he?

But, this post is about Lessons From Charles in Charge. Just in case, you are from another planet and have never seen the show here’s a clip of the Opening theme show.

Keep in mind, I’m totally biased and was 12 at the time this show came on the air and totally in love with Scott Baio in general but here’s what I’ve learned from the show.

1. Charles had Charm

 So, he’s good with the ladies. Ok, great with the ladies. Why? Charm. In life, charm will get you places especially in Sales/Marketing. Recently I posted LikeAbility and Why I hire for it. Same thing with Charm. People want to buy from people they like. So, make yourself or your product likeability.

2. Charles was Self – Effacing.

Let’s face it. Him & his boy Buddy messed up. And they messed up ALOT. But usually he took the approach of admitting it which is exactly what you should do. Everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are easier to forgive when they are admitted and the people you are confessing too like you.

3. Charles was FUN

He was in charge of the kids but he was kind of a big kid himself. Life is short. Your job should be fun, is it? (and yes, i know jobs can not be FUN 24/7 but you should have way more good days than bad days) If not, what can you do to change your environment? If you are in charge and are not fun but want to know how to be fun call these guys. They know what corporate fun is all about.

So, here’s to being more like Charles in Charge!

Insignificance

August 28, 2010 in Business Development, General, Uncategorized with 3 Comments

Been in NY for about 5 days now and been trying to think about why this city makes me crazy. There are many things I love about NY which are mainly my friends & food&Central Park.

But there are WAY more things I hate about NY which are mainly plays, pigeons (rats with wings),  all public transportation, & the fact there are so many people here. Like WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE.

However, I think my frustration boils down to a city like NY makes me feel insignificant. I get caught up in the fact that i’m such a small part of my environment and begin to think things like “do these people i encounter as they brush by me on the street or tell my rudely “time for you to get out of the cab now” even know i exist?”.

That I’m an actual person not an object?

And the truth is they probably don’t. And i don’t know why it grinds on me but i have a very “human” desire to matter. Even in a city as big as NY. To be important.

I think everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselve and be passionate about what they do. And everyone wants to belong to a Community.

Have you ever felt this way? Do you struggle with living a life that doesn’t matter? And how do you define what does matter in your life?

Interested to know your thoughts as I’ve been struggling with this all week.

Internships & How to Use them

August 25, 2010 in Business Development, General, Marketing, Sales, Uncategorized with 4 Comments

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about all the bad interns I’ve seen. Today, I was on a call with some people in sports and realized it’s not just me. Apparently, there are ALOT of bad interns out there.

Really, I don’t understand it. If you are going to do an internship, why not do your very best job? I mean most of them aren’t even paid so why do it if you aren’t interested in getting a job in that field?

That’s the problem. I actually think that YOU are interested in a job you just don’t want to do the work.  No, this isn’t a library. You can’t use our computers to be on FaceBook all day. Here’s a novel concept. If you get an assignment and you finish it, get up and ask for another. 

Awhile back, I posted on Entitlement and how it’s displayed in this next generation. And while I do think our culture has helped foster this, I think it’s also a personal choice. So chose not to be entitled. Most of you interning for the first time are between the ages of 18-22. You aren’t actually owed anything yet. Hate to break it to you but graduating college doesn’t entitle you to a job or a certain level of respect.

Working in sports is a SMALL WORLD. Everyone knows everyone. So, If you want a job in sports I recommend interning. It’s your best way in. However, don’t do it unless you really want to work. And be impressive. Trust me, most people in sports have such low expectations for interns that being impressive won’t take much.

I have people ask me daily how to get a job in sports. And honestly, 90% of the time you have to intern or know someone. When you are young you work like a dog and get paid like a stray cat. But, it’s one of the most rewarding careers you can have if you are willing to work at it. So, find an internship & get started.

And if you impress me, I’ll help you get a job. But, if you don’t, somewhere down the line someone I know will ask me about you and i will be forced to tell them the truth.

Explaining Myself

August 13, 2010 in General, Social Media, Uncategorized with 7 Comments

So, if you’ve been reading this blog with any regularity you might be thinking who is this chick? What does she do?

My blog master Molly sent me an email saying I should explain who I am. She also said i might want to decide if I’m going to be funny or write about business.

Well, the answer is both. At least I’m going to try to be both.

Currently, I work for the Professional Bullriders as their VP of Marketing. Just to clarify, i am not writing as a representative of the PBR. In fact, I’m not even sure they know I have a blog. If I talk about work at all, it’s b/c it happens to occupy about 70% of my life so it comes up. Just like my dogs, my family or my adventures.

I also happen to be fascinated by sales & marketing & most recently social media. So, since all those things help me in my job they might be relevant to a story every once in awhile.

And while you couldn’t tell from how many hours I spend at it, my work does not define me. Well, at least not completely. I do love my job and my work and am excited about the future as it pertains to my job. And that’s a good thing since it’s important to be passionate about what you do. Specifically, when you are averaging 60+ hour work weeks.

But, I also like to travel and to eat and to go on adventures and try new things. And usually, those life experiences are funny. Like when I recently tried yoga. Or when I went on a 8 day, 500 mile bike ride across upstate NY with my crazy family.  And so I write about them.

Sometimes, my job allows me opportunities to meet people that turn into a funny story. Like the time I met Chachi or Steven Tyler.

The point is I’m going to write about my life. The good, the bad and the ugly. Because apparently writing in this blog is therapeutic for myself.

And to be honest, that’s who i’m writing for. Myself.

If you happen to enjoy it along the way, so be it.

Book Review: Radical Marketing

July 6, 2010 in Business Development, Marketing, Sales, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

You might be wondering what the Grateful Dead, Sam Adams, Iams, Snap-On Tools, Harley Davidson & Virgin Atlantic have in common. I know I was. In fact, the first thing I thought when reading the book jacket was “Hold up, you are gonna tell me the psychadelic druggies known as the Grateful Dead had a marketing plan. And you would call it Radical”.

Well, the good news is. They didn’t really have a marketing plan. Which is good for me, someone whose made their career in sales/marketing to know. Because sometimes when i’m in a creative lull I’ve wondered if hallucaginens would help :-)  (don’t worry Mom, i’ve never, to this day tried any kind of drug). But, what the Grateful Dead did have is an unwavering product and a loyal fan base. And there success happened b/c they were radical marketers (whether they actually knew it or not).

According to the book, here’s what all these “radical” marketing companies I mention above have in common.

1. A visceral connection to the customers

2. A long term commitment to the cause

3. A willingness to work with and make the best of what’s at hand.

That’s something i can get behind. I’ve been fortunate my whole life to work for organizations I truly believe in. Whether is been in professional sports or with Thomas Nelson; for very different reasons, I’ve truly believed in what I was selling.

I think it’s important to believe in your work. And having employees that believe in your product is second only to your customers believing in your product. In fact, i think they go hand in hand. Employees that believe interact with customers that believe. If you have nothing more than quality product with a few loyal customers & some diehard employees then that’s more than most people/companies will ever get.

Here’s the 10 rules to Radical Marketing:

1. The CEO must own the Marketing Function.

2. Make sure the Marketing Department starts small & flat & stays small & flat

3. Get out of the Office & get face-to-face with the people that matter the most – the Customers.

4. Use Market Research Cautiously

5. Hire Only Passionate Missionaries

6. Love & Respect Your Customers

7. Create a Community of Consumers

8. Rethink the Marketing Mix

9. Celebrate Uncommon Sense

10. Be True to the Brand

I highly suggest you read the book for more details & lots of case studies on companies that got it right but here are a few of my more thought provoking finds..

* Most radical marketers define their market not in terms of demographics but in terms of behaviors & needs (thrill seekers, sports-enthusiasts)

* Quote “The relationship between the band & the Deadheads needs to be nutured b/c they are us & we are them” – Phil Lesh (I wonder how many companies feel that way about their customers?

*Key take-aways from the Grateful Dead:

1. They demonstrated love & respect for the customer (only band to let people record concerts live)

2. Spend Most of their time face-to-face with the people who mattered most – the customers (toured more/gave more concerts 80/yr over 30 year span)

3. Created a community of users (set up camps outside. there concerts were an “event”)

4. True to their brand (knew who they were and who they weren’t. Stuck with their music. Didn’t switch genres)

Key take aways from Harley Davidson:

* Quote “Let’s turn left when the competition turns right” – Clyde Fessler.

* Harley Davidson revived itself when they built “clubs” within the stores. Sense of community & belonging matters.

I could go on & on but actually Harley Davidson, Grateful Dead & the Harvard Business school were the most interesting case studies to me. And these are all products that i have absolutely no interest in what-so-ever. But, what’s compelling to me about all of them is that first and foremost, it’s about the product. They all had exceptional products & stuck with the brand and vision. Second, it’s about connecting the products with the people and all 3 of them do it with a sense of community.

To me, that simple strategy makes sense.

Communication

July 4, 2010 in Business Development, General, Marketing, Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized with 9 Comments

Wipe Out style Saucer

WipeOut Course

Had an interesting thought yesterday on communication in the most unlikely of places.

Bear with me on the photo. I have no idea what i’m doing.

To the right is the wipeout style saucer. Imagine it full with kids and me lying on a raft about 100 yds to the right of it. I was just laying there minding my own business when i heard this little boy yell repeatedly “Guys, I’m serious this time. Serious. Let me up”. He said serious like 47 times so of course i knew he was SERIOUS :-)

Here’s the thing with that saucer. It can cause alot of problems. The idea is for people to get on with weight equally distributed (prob #1) and to spin and jump around so everyone gets a thrilling ride. There are only 2 ways up (prob #2) and they are footholds directly across from each other in which you have to dip the side down to water level to let people on.

 The main problem for this little “serious” boy was that the kids on the other side were trying to let someone on at the same exact time the kids on his side were trying to let him on. Plus, the weight was not equally distributed. Big drama. And no one was communicating except loads of yelling and screaming. Quite literally the right hand was not talking to the left hand.

Now, i’ve never worked anywhere where communication is not a problem. It’s the #1 complaint i’ve had from employees no matter what the job. It’s also from what i hear the #1 problem in most relationships. I’m not here to pretend i have the answer. If i did, i would have bottled it up for sale years ago and instead of being in the Bahamas on vacation, i would be here permanently :-)

But, as i laid on my raft watching this “drama” happen 100 yds away i had the following thoughts:

1. I could actually say something. I mean i knew within 15 seconds what the problem was. I could have said “Hey kid. If you “serious(ly)” want to get up on that thing; you have to take turns and let the other side get their kid up and then you can go. I think that’s alot of the problem with communication the people who clearly see the solution are either apathetic (in my case I’m on vacation and those aren’t my kids :-) ) or in my experience, people in leadership often don’t want to stick their neck out b/c they are happy with status quo and don’t want the drama that entails when you truly get involved.

2. Any one of the kids could have climbed to the top of the ball. At that viewpoint, it would have been clear what to do. But, as I often find in buisness, often people are scared to take control and do what’s right. In general, i think we lack leaders.

3. Any one of those kids could have asked for help. Often, we are so “silo(ed)” that all we can see is our own problems. We can only see the one solution we can come up with. Rarely, is that what is best for the company but b/c that’s all we know, we act in a vacuum. And people are afraid to ask for help.

That’s it. Just some simple observations learned b/c some 7 year old said he was “SERIOUS”. Now, i’m heading back to the beach where I have 48 more hours of apathy before the real world beckons again.

Goal Setting Works

June 29, 2010 in Business Development, Marketing, Sales, Uncategorized with 8 Comments

My first job out of college my boss Steve Delay taught me about goal setting. Now, this was a guy that didn’t even own an TV and thought your life should be all about your job & reading biz books. At the time, i thought he was a lunatic. Now, i realize i’ve kinda become him (except for the 100% work part, although sometimes its close. But even that isn’t a bad thing when you love what you do and you maintain balance.)

Anyway, back in 1996 i wrote down some work goals with his help in 90 day increments. I learned 2 things that day.

1 – Writing something down is about 70% sure to make it possible. (again, i have no scientific research on this but i’m going to go with the whole accountability factor of the written word. Specifically, things you promise the boss. Just trust me – it works). And its really that simple. The pure act of writing it down is usually the hard part.

2 – Writing things down helped give me clarity about where I was going and how I was going to get there. It forced me to think about my next steps rather than just do them. In the biz sense, it helped me align with company objectives.

In addition he asked me to write down some personal goals I want to accomplish in the next 3 years. Keep in mind I was 21 years old at the time. It was 1996. Looking back, i am surprised by my goals. They were huge, goals. I wrote down the following:

1 Skydive (did this in summer 1997)

2. Travel internationally (did my first international trip to Paris/Germany summer of 1996)

3. Run a marathon (did this summer of 1998)

4. Become a big sister as part of big bros/big sis (did this 1997)

5. Give blood (did once summer of 1999, fainted. No longer on goal list)

6. Write a book (NOT ACCOMPLISHED… YET)

I was amazed after the first 90 days of accomplishing my business goals how it changed my perspective. Even more amazing was the personal goals. Do you know less than 1% of people will ever run a marathon? I was accomplishing things i never thought possible.

Since then, goal setting is something i’ve taken with me to every job. I think it’s a key managing tool for my staff.

Now, most of my staff hates goals. In fact, in one job my staff called me Lynn on regular days and Lynnette on Goal Days. It made them nervous b/c i gotta be honest; I’m tough on goals. I have high expectations. I normally give people about 2 “grace” periods of goals before Lynnette comes out. Again, you can read my previous blogs but i have low tolerance for people without passion and even less for those who come “entitled”. And let me tell you, if you work for me and continue to put down goals you aren’t reaching, then you & me are gonna have some problems.

Here’s what i tell one of my staff when they first prepare for goals.

We are having 90 day goal meetings. Bring your year goals and then break out what you can accomplish in the next 90 days. This is not your normal daily tasks, this is above and beyond. Things you want to accomplish but can’t.

Use the S-M-A-R-T acronym:

S – state your goals

M - make them measurable.

A - make they attainable.

R - Make them results oriented (do they fit within overall company goals)

T – time bound (this one is done for you – 90 days)

I find this rewarding for 2 reasons. First, it makes me spend time with my direct reports every 90 days & give them feedback so they aren’t just hearing it in a year review. Two, it helps me learn more about them.

I almost always make them read a book (or take an online class) as part of their goals. Why? B/c reading is something people generally toss aside. Especially reading for learning. This forces them to read something that will make them better at their job as well as give them new ideas.

In todays world, we are overwhelmed with information. Technology comes at us from all directions. I think the whole world has A.D.D. i know I do. Setting goals sets focus. It keeps you from getting bogged down in your day to day duties. It forces you to have vision. It takes you outta the trees and into the mountain top for a clear view. It gives you perspective.

I challenge you to write down some goals for the next 90 days. Let me know what you accomplish :-)

PS – I have been thinking about writing this blog for a few days now and the day i did the first draft @michaelhyatt comes along with the following post http://michaelhyatt.com/2007/01/goal-setting-the-90-day-challenge.html and steals my thunder. HA. Actually, i was happy to see i was kind of in agreement with him. Anyways, he is MUCH smarter than me, been doing this alot longer, has pretty pictures and actual factual data in his blog so check it out.

My run in with Chachi (circa 1996)

June 29, 2010 in General, Humor, Uncategorized with 30 Comments

At the request of now 3 of my good friends, i am adding some humor to my blog. They said i’m too serious with work stuff on here and that’s only half of my life. Since nothing really good in terms of humor i asked them what am i supposed to do. My best friend replied “Just post your Chachi story”. So, here you go. And thank you to my friends for keeping me real.
The people in this story are real. They are not actors (well, chachi is, technically by trade. Or was a legit actor at the time of this story. Well, I count Happy Days as legit, not sure about you. However, I could debate how he is not now. Even though he has a reality TV show which if you watch will prove this story is true)
DISCLAIMER: You will not be a better person for hearing this story. I am not a better person for living this story. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m a worse person and you will be too. Sure, you might laugh but if you laugh it’s at my expense and frankly, that’s just not nice. So, read at your own risk.
Facts you need to know:
1. This true story takes place in 1996. It is being reincarnated today b/c we didn’t have FB or Twitter in 1996 so none of you heard it except the few people I called. And I’m not even sure I had a cell phone to call people on. It was 1996. And I was living on ramen noodles in an overpriced shoe box in Redondo Beach. So, I was broke. And had no communication. So, this story probably didn’t make it to many of you.

It’s also being reincarnated b/c I mentioned it in my dinner with my Garth and Trish blog and had about 30 requests for the story. So, for the 30 of you who care, here you go.

2. In 1996, I was a year out of college. If you know me, you know I have sayings or songs I repeat often. Like in 1993, I played Ice, Ice Baby loudly from the sorority house about 57.68 million times a day. I know that’s a lot, right? Ask my sorority sisters; they loved it. Or currently, I’ve been on “what is wrong with you?” This question is not a legit worry of mine; more just a response to ridiculous questions or behavior. You wouldn’t believe how often I have to use it.

So, in 1996 my phrase was “Easy Chach”. Not sure where I got it from but I sure did wear it out. If you approached me and were agitated, my first response was “Easy Chachi”. If you were driving behind me and got to close I’d give you the ole “Easy Chachi” (silently of course. I do not suffer from Road Rage). Anyway, you get the drift. A couple of my guy friends even started responding to this by saying “Easy Joanie” right back at me which I of course, LOVED.
Please pay special attention to this point. It is critical to understanding the story.

3. I was working in LA for the Kings at the time. I was 22. My job was to sell tickets and in doing so we got assigned season ticket accounts. As a Midwestern girl this was my first time being around “celebrities”. I got my account list and here are just a few of the names. Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. You know, D list actors. No big deal These were MY accounts. All mine. Other people had their own celebrities. These, I owned -MYSELF. I was 22 and I was big time. I was gonna meet them and win them over.
NOT SO MUCH.
See, the Kings weren’t that great at the time. Our previous owner had been put in the slammer and stole a lot of money. And we sucked. So, apparently that’s not a big draw for celebrities to actually attend games. Who I did meet were their agents or more like their personal assistants. Some were nice. I remember, Tom Hanks person was great. Some were not. Jim Carrey – BOO! Or boo hoo which is the sound of me crying b/c I think his assistant was the first person to make me cry at work. However, some called me direct. Ok, so that’s a stretch. Only Al Michaels called me direct and he wasn’t so nice. I put him in the same category as Jim Carrey’s assistant. Anyway, I quickly got over celebrities. To be honest, 99% of them were a pain in my ass. Plus, we really didn’t see that many.
4. I had 3 childhood crushes growing up. Don’t expect to be surprised. I think every little girl in America had the same ones. And the order of these are important. Drumroll please.
a. Bo Duke – oh howdy, I loved me some Bo Duke. Those blond locks and carefree spirit and this little girl was sold. I even had a Daisy Duke outfit but I was careful to point out that I was NOT Daisy Duke b/c that was his sister. And that was gross if I was his sister and thought about Bo like that. So, I was Daisy’s twin that wasn’t a sister but just a twin friend.
b. Charles in Charge (of our days and our nights). So, I didn’t really know Chachi that well. The few times I watched Happy Days I was much more into the Fonz and his thumbs than anyone else. I also really like Ritchie Cunningham but not in a crush sort of way. However, when Charles in Charge came on I was a goner. Loved myself some Charles in Charge. Wanted him to be in charge of my days AND my nights if you know what THAT means (WAIT, get your head out of the gutter. I was like 12. My nights were literally me sleeping but I just wanted him to look over me in a good, clean, wholesome way). Anyway, the whole point is that Scott Baio to me was Charles NOT Chachi. This is another very important point to remember for the story ahead.
c. Ricky Shroeder. That dude had a train. Wasn’t sure if I liked him or his train. It all kinda runs together but he had it going on and I know I for sure wanted to live with him. And his dad. AND HIS TRAIN. FOREVER.

Ok, that’s enough of the background information. Sorry to have to relive that but it’s a decade later so some of this story may not make sense unless you have all the facts. I don’t want to be misinterpreted in case a legal battle breaks out.

THE STORY:
At a Kings game at the Forum. Yep, we are going old school arenas here. The building didn’t even have a concourse that went all the way around. It was like 2 half moons placed together where you could walk to the top or bottom but not actually cross onto the other half moon. We had a Forum Club where all the celebs hung out after the game. Well celebs and players and the puck bunnies (can’t leave the girls out of it). Now, I can’t remember if that Forum Club had a bathroom. Logic tells me it must have but you never know. Again, the building was OLD. And now, I’m old and my memory is fading.

What I do know is there is a hallway in the Forum that goes from the bathroom in the offices to the Forum Club. The hallway is what you would call “tight”. Like, I’m not sure two people could cross paths without one of them having to turn their shoulders. Yep, like I said ‘TIGHT”.

What I also know is on one particular night after a Kings game in 1996, I was in the above described hallway just trying to get some work done (by work I mean making copies which is what the low lever people who ate ramen noodles had to do)when I noticed someone coming down the hallway. Why did I notice this person you ask? One b/c he yelled out “Where’s the bathroom?” and 2 b/c he was weaving from side to side crashing back and forth into the hallway walls of course. And when you do this it’s loud and also noticeable. My first thought was oh this is gonna be “tight” when he tries to get past me.

But, then I recognized the guy. As he approached 3 thoughts raced through my head in rapid fire succession.
1. OH MY GOSH. Its Scott Baio.
2. OH MY GOSH. He’s like 5’2” (inserting whatever sound your heart makes when its crushed here b/c when I saw how short he was my crush was OVER)
3. OH MY GOSH. I think he’s drunk.
I hope you read that QUICK. Like in 3 seconds. QUICK. B/c that’s about how much time I had until I was within 5 feet of him. Or more like that’s how much time I had before he started yelling at me.

At first it was just aggressive “Hey Girl” and a poke on my shoulder “Where’s the bathroom?”. To which of course I respond “Easy Chachi”. Of course, I do. You read point #2 on the preface right? It wasn’t personal. I barely even registered that I was saying “Easy Chachi” to the actual one person on the planet named Chachi. It just came out. It couldn’t be helped. Truly, it was not intentional.

Now, I have thought about this a lot. More so, 10 years ago than recently but a lot none the less. I ask myself, WHY? Why oh why could I have not just told him where the bathroom was. Why did I have to say “Easy Chachi”. I really wasn’t trying to be funny. I was in shock. I mean it was Scott Baio for the love of all and he was SHORT. Why “Easy Chachi”? I think I will never know.

But, the point is I said it and it could not be taken back. Believe me, if I could; I would.

Now, I can’t speak for Scott Baio. I tried his publisher in order to report this story fairly and she could not be reached for comment. But, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Scott Baio did not like being called Chachi. Here were some tell tale signs that brought me to this conclusion. Keep in mind: I am not a body language expert or a therapist. I am just Lynn. And this is just one girls opinion.

First, it took him about 32 seconds for what I said to register (to be fair that probably indicated his intoxication more than his “not liking the chachi part”. Then, his face turned RED (not oh how cute he’s blushing type of RED but oh crap, I think he might hit me type of RED). Then he took his 2 fingers and poked me square in the collar bone (which was about eye level for him) and said “I am not Chachi. I am WAY MORE THAN CHACHI (and since I’m a Christian, and I’m trying to not exaggerate and just state the facts I will ask that you please insert about 47 cuss words in here and a lot of statements about his career and how he was bigger than Fonz and more than just Chachi and yada, yada, yada and how I was a nobody and did I know who he was and how dare I) Also, insert a lot of “who’s your boss? And “im gonna get you fired” into this rant.

Now, please reread preface points 3 & 4 now. I was not particularly into celebrities but he was my #2 childhood crush as Charles. So, please believe me when I say what I said next was meant to comfort him. And relax him, and let him know I knew he was more than Chachi. I really thought “Yes, I loved you in Charles in Charge. You were so great” would let him know he had my support.

Alas, my friends, it did not.

Apparently, he took this as sarcasm and literally lunged for me. I say lunged but it was more like a slow reach. (b/c he was intoxicated. Again, I did not have a breathalyzer on me so this is just my opinion. It can not be proven) However, I stepped out the way and he fell into the bathroom. The Men’s Bathroom. Which is exactly what he was looking for, right? I helped him just like he wanted. It had been right behind me the whole time. Your welcome, Scott Baio. YOU ARE WELCOME.

I say this now but at the time, I saw him fall and got the heck OUTTA there. I was 22 and scared to death he would report me and the fact I called him Chachi. I didn’t know if you could get arrested for that or not. I was new to LA and didn’t know all the state laws yet so I decide to just hightail it outta there. Needless to say, when Scott’s new reality show aired. I was relieved b/c now I could be sure he wasn’t still in that Forum bathroom. He made it out and I didn’t get arrested so all is good.

Like I mentioned, you aren’t any better for knowing this story but I hope you enjoyed it.

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