Let’s be real. Most of the things you learn throughout your formal education years don’t endure the test of time, at least not in a purely factual way. Yet, they are tiny buildups that shape who you are today. It’s not so much what you’ve learned, but more the experiences you’ve had as a result of those learnings, that have a greater chance of sticking around after you’ve entered adulthood.

One of the required courses in my undergrad at Queen’s University was Marketing Strategy, taught by Professor John-Kurt Pliniussen, which revolved mainly around solving real-life business challenges. Now, I remember we read Buyology (a book about the psychology behind how and why we make purchasing decisions, which I would highly recommend), and worked on a couple of interesting business cases, one including Tail Wags — an Ontario-based helmet cover manufacturer looking to enter the teen market.

Although I don’t remember exactly what our ‘lessons learned’ were for that specific project, I do remember surprising my younger brother with a very cool beaver helmet cover as a result of this case study, which he loved and probably still has to this day (my brother is now 16). Either way, check them out — they’re pretty cool.

My then 6-year old brother pretending to be a beaver with his Tail Wags on

In that class, however, we learnt one important lesson, which I still cherish to this day — in both my professional and personal spheres. If you apply this one principle, you’ll create stronger relationships, not only with colleagues and clients but also with loved ones.

Lagniappe

I got lagniappe’d during a trip to Zadar, Croatia back in April 2016

On the Dalmatian coast, hospitality is the currency. After all, tourism is people’s livelihood, and any negative experience can lead to personal economic perils. It’s a tourism economy rooted in ‘mom-and-pop’ type businesses, from lodging to restaurants and activities. That’s where I’ve learned how important lagniappe was.

#business #life-lessons #inspiration #personal-development #self-improvement