The Best Day Ever
Walking through the gates of Disney World for the first time, winning the district 5 little league title, having the chance to meet with the chief marketing officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; what do these events all share in common? All are moments I will never forget, for as long as I live.
After a certain age there are few moments in our lives that truly bring out the kid in us. My inner child was brought out recently on a trip to meet with the newest “free agent” pick up of my all-time favorite sports team. Traveling down to Tampa with some of the most influential people here at MCG, I had those “pre-game” jitters we often hear about from athletes. As the proverbial rookie here at MCG, I was honored to be in the presence of such brilliant marketing minds.
Pulling up to the Bucs executive offices began to conjure up memories of going to games at Raymond James Stadium with my family, celebrating our one and only super bowl win and playing Monday morning quarterback after tough losses. Stepping into the lobby I was immediately lessened to a kid in a candy store, running from display to display calling for my colleagues to come see the history of my childhood team. Too many times we get caught up in the day to day grind of our professions and we forget to have some fun.
Is acting like a kid again so bad though? The mind of child is pure and unfiltered. It is unconcerned about the monotony of the day and more concerned about living each day to the fullest extent. Sometimes to move forward we must take a step back.
Sitting in the board room with the marketing team of this NFL franchise, my mind was as clear and sharp as it has ever been. I cannot lie when I tell you it took me quite awhile to get over the initial shock of being in the company of not only the team I grew up watching but some of the brightest minds in marketing today. I was honored to have learned so much while at the same time providing a unique perspective to this meeting. Once my inner child quieted down, I was able to bring the view of the fan to this open discussion. Taking this view point of a fan and integrating it with the marketing expertise and knowledge I have gained while at MCG, I added relevant ideas to this meeting.
The excitement and exuberance I was showing began to rub off on my fellow colleagues, as they saw this raw passion to help my team. This inspired them to match my enthusiasm with brilliant ideas and thoughtful insights. For a brief moment I think my inner child had a few friends to keep him company in this metaphorical playground of a meeting.
At the conclusion of this day I was able to reflect on everything that had transpired. Not only was I able to live out a dream of mine, but I was able to share it with a group of people I look up to and respect highly. What did I learn? It is ok to act like a kid every once in awhile. It can be good to be a part of something larger than life to help put everything into perspective. So take some time to listen to your inner child, it may be just the inspiration you need.
Tags: great days, inner child, NFL, sports marketing, Tampa, Tampa Bay Buccaneers