There are very little boundaries these days.  Everyone wants to feel connected to other folks and with the influx of so many social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace, etc) those connections are crossing boundaries that used to be rather distinct.  As an example: a co-worker you only speak to on occasion finds you on Facebook and wants to be your Facebook friend.  Not wanting to be rude, you accept them.  But now, they have access to all sorts of random tidbits about you that they did not have access to before.

Many people try to say “Well you should only use LinkedIn for business and Facebook for friends and family,” but trying to fimly maintain that distinction is very difficult.  This makes it your responsibility to be very careful with what you post on these websites.  Its a warning that is shouted by many Social Media experts, but not always adhered to by others.  Just as you can’t un-ring a bell, you can’t erase what’s been written in cyberspace.  Chances are by the time you do, somebody has already seen what was written when you didn’t want them to.

Everyone has to adjust their own internal filter to their comfort level, but be sure to use that internal filter.  EVERYONE sees your status updates on nearly every single one of these sites.  Be careful what you put out into the cyber universe because karma has a funny way of coming back to you.

Happy Monday!

I love dancing…especially Salsa Dancing!  I don’t go as frequently as I like but I love it nonetheless.  But partner dancing, which Salsa Dancing is, does require adhering to some rules of etiquette.  Especially in the hygiene department.
Partner Dancing requires being in close contact with another person and their personal space.  Which means that person will be in your personal space.  So you should be prepared!

• Use deodorant.  You may think you smell like a peach and love to be Au Natural.  Perhaps your friends and family even agree.  Cool!  But be on the safe side.  You may end up dancing with someone that doesn’t think eau de you smells so peachy and they won’t dance with you again if they have to hold their breath the entire time.
• Be gentle with the perfume/cologne.  No one wants to feel like they’re dancing with a brothel.  Feel free to use whatever perfume or cologne you like, but go easy.  You don’t need to bathe yourself in it.
• Use mints or gum.  Maybe you just ate a delicious meal doused in garlic, or had a juicy burger with extra onions.  Regardless, the person your tangoing with does NOT want to know what you just ate.  So pop a mint.  Chew some gum.  Spritz some Listerine.  Just do something to freshen that breath.

Here’s to some cha cha cha!

I vividly remember going to Pinot Bistro in Studio City for lunch several years ago with my co-worker, our Director of Sales and the General Manager.  It was our “incentive” for having exceeded our sales goals the previous month.  Pinot Bistro is one of those lovely places with linens on the tables, proper place settings (you know…too many forks to know what to do with), and VERY attentive servers that just appear out of nowhere when you need something.  Being fresh out of college, going to LUNCH at this joint was just a weee bit intimidating.

So, as we sat down to order I carefully eyed the menu because I didn’t want to pick anything I would have trouble eating.  It was French inspired cuisine so there were a few dishes on the menu that I was not brave enough to try at the moment (like the duck…which I know love).  Several other dishes sounded delicious, but as I considered HOW I would consume the meal I was quickly deterred from ordering one plate over the other.  Mainly because most of the dishes were accompanied by French Fries.  I thought to myself…how am I going to eat French Fries in this joint?!  It wasn’t exactly a place that screamed “finger food.”  So I ordered the Salmon which did NOT come with fries or anything that would appear to pose a dining challenge.
My co-worker, on the other hand, did not put such thought into her meal selection and ordered a dish with fries.

So as we were chatting and served our plates I noticed my co-worker carefully eye the delicios meal in front of her.  And I noticed her eat her main entree but not touch the fries…until the Director of Sales and General Manager started to eat their fries….with their forks.  And so she did the same thing.  Can’t blame the woman!  I probably would have done the same thing!  It was, after all, a business lunch.  And when all else fails the best thing to do is mirror your “superior” or client.

Later, at the office she and I were recapping the meal and she says, “I didn’t know what to do!  I was about to pick one up with my fingers but then realized that probably wasn’t right!  So I waited.”  We shared some giggles over the whole thing, but I did learn a valuable lesson.  There are occassions that require you to fork your fries…or any food you would usually dive into with your fingers (pizza, onion rings, chicken wings, all that good stuff)!

Happy Monday!

P.S. If you have tales of your dining adventures to share…comment!

We have all been guilty of some cellphone faux pas at one point or another.  Just this past week I committed one while at dinner with friends (I have an internet addiction…must be dialed in at ALL times).  And while attending a conference this week I heard some serious stories about folks and their cellphones.  So lets all review together, eh!

Cellphones at:

• Dinner…it is rude to take a call, text, tweet or surf the web at the dining table.  If you MUST, then excuse yourself from the table.  Admittedly, I have been guilty of all charges.
• A Seminar…unacceptable.  You’re in a room with a crowd of people who are all intently listening to a speaker who is trying his or her best to engage said audience and then…your phone rings (or vibrates).   It happens!  But what you DON’T do is answer the darn thing…especially IN the room…while the speaker is speaking.  It happened this week…and those whispered tones you speak in so no one hears you are not whispers.
• The movies…your screen lights up when you text and people can hear you on the phone (please see above).  Its a disturbance and a distraction and ruins the experience for the folks next to you.  If you are expecting a call, then seat yourself so as to make a quick exit when it comes in.
• The checkout line…hmmm.  Imagine you are trying to speak with a client and they are not paying attention to a thing you’re saying because he or she is gabbing on the phone.  Well, that’s how the clerk probably feels.  Granted, the interaction between the two of you is not that deep, but give the person their due.  Acknowledge them and their efforts and ask your friend to hold until your finished or offer to call them back when you’re done.  The clerk and people in line behind you will appreciate the gesture.

Did I leave something off the list?  Leave a comment with your suggestion!

Happy Monday!

Wine tasting is always a fun outing!  Having lived in the Bay Area for a bit, it was always one of my go-to weekend adventures.  Hitting up Napa and Sonoma…it was always a guaranteed good time!  And now that I’m back down south, I go to Temecula to get my winery fix (not quite the same, but just as much fun).

So I have never had the “What do I do” complex at a winery, but I understand that some people do.  So here’s a crib sheet for you!

1. Okay….so technically….when you’re wine tasting you’re not really supposed to drink the wine.  You are to quite literally taste it and then spit it out….but in my book that is just an absolute waste!  The reason for this is so that you don’t get drunk.  And if you’re tasting 4 or 5 wines per winery and hitting up about 5 wineries and they are all heavy on the pour….well good luck getting home!  So, while it still goes against some of my beliefs, when I go wine tasting I don’t finish the glass…unless its a really good one!  I taste, maybe take one more sip, then pour the rest out.
2. The crackers serve a purpose.  They are to cleanse your palate between wines so that your taste buds don’t confuse the flavors.  So, it is okay to eat the crackers.
3. You don’t always get to keep the glasses.  Some wineries allow you to keep your glass as part of the fee for the tasting…others don’t.  So always ask before you abscond with your glass and you’ll save yourself a wee bit of embarrassment.
4. You are not supposed to get a full glass of wine per pour.  Remember, its a tasting. A typical wine glass accommodates about 6 oz if filled.  A tasting pour is usually about 2 or 3 ounces…some places may even only do 1 oz.
5. It is perfectly okay to not like something.  Everyone’s taste buds are different…and all wine is not created equally.  So if something doesn’t quite hit the right spot for you, don’t worry about it.
6. Have fun!  I am a big believer in wine for all mankind.  So just because someone may be standing next to making comments on the color of the wine, tannins or sulfites does not mean you have to do the same.