Humble brag here.
But I did something I always wished someone would have done for me.
We had a conference for the past few days.
I paid for everything for my staff and me.
I mean, just meals and parking. Which … was substantial.
One of our Uber Eats lunches was delivered by a guy in an Alfa Romero, for fuck’s sake.
That’s Boca Raton for you.
Even at dinner last night — as everyone was nervous to order alcohol because Don’t Tread on ME FLIPS THE FUCK OUT if someone has a drink on work time — they were like ok are we splitting this bill four ways.
Like no the fuck we are not.
I said when I was younger, I used to go out with my wealthy colleagues with expensive taste.
While I’d order one appetizer AS my entree … I wouldn’t eat the appetizers ordered for the table … while they’d order bottles of wine while I sipped my water …
They’d go to town and then say great let’s split the bill five ways.
So my $12 calamari was suddenly $76.
I remember my boss Greg saying to me in the middle of some dumb event at Buca di Beppo, “You should’ve eaten the appetizers; I told you you’d be paying for them.”
Dumb girl. I learned.
So I told my group a very short version of that.
That I didn’t want them to not have a great time. To worry for one second about anything other than being completely present to talk to our customers and teammates.
My Sapphire card is screaming. But hopefully I can get the CFO to approve it without involving the biggest bitch in the whole wide world this year.
Who, anytime she looked at me, barked about me not wearing my lanyard.
It was in CAR since people within 90 miles cannot stay on property and I get flustered at the valet every damn time.
Anyway, this all unlocked such a core memory of going out to eat, lowering the cost basis of rich people’s meals, and yet still starving.
I don’t want my people to feel that way, ever.
Though I pay them all better than I was paid.
And frankly they are worth a whole lot more.
A WHOLE lot more.
I just wish someone had felt that way about me.
But all I can do is correct history. And in doing so, not perpetuate trauma into the next generation.
That particular trauma, anyway.