Family First: Blood & Bacon

I’m back. Took a quick week off for some R&R.?

I hope you missed me ;-)

I’m just returning from an overseas cruise with my family. It’s been quite the adventure of traveling to four different countries, three I had never been to before. We started in England, headed to Ireland, then Iceland, Scotland, and back to England.?

Iceland is off the charts, FYI. I’ll be going back there for sure.

I usually like to stay connected and work on a few projects while I’m on vacation. I don’t think of it as work, but as part of who I am and what I am passionate about. The time difference, being with so many family members (seven? of us), and the various tours and schedules made this trip a little different, though. I chose to be more connected with my family and less with what was going on back home.

My brother-in-law remarked at dinner last night that this is the true definition of a leader, compared to having a glorified job. He was sharing how his boss can’t take any time off because he’s unwilling to give up control to the rest of his team. I laughed and shared how there is so much that gets done in our company that I am no longer qualified to handle. It made me feel extra proud of the organization that we’ve created over the last seven years.?

I truly have a great team that takes care of each other and our customers.

But, of course, you can’t take the entrepreneur in me completely on vacation, and my mind is always spinning with curiosity and ideas. Being on a cruise ship and watching how things get done is fascinating. I’ve always been inspired by the hospitality industry and what goes on behind the scenes to ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Here are some things that I noticed about this Celebrity cruise experience:

• Personalization. I’m sure more automation will come to these ships at some point, but it’s nice that there is still such a personal touch between the staff and the guests. They become like family while you are on the ship. They get to know your schedule, understand your likes and dislikes, and make all the accommodations for you without you having to ask. It feels really nice to get this type of service and attention.

• Listening. This goes hand in hand with the above, but I can’t tell you how many times we casually mentioned something at dinner only to have the team provide it without being asked. The staff is constantly listening, which is super impressive. It reminded me of one of the episodes in Season 2 of The Bear when a diner at a top-notch restaurant casually mentions they didn’t get to try the deep-dish pizza while in Chicago. Moments later, the staff runs out for a pizza, puts their special touch on it, and serves it – which dazzled and delighted the guest. The same applies here. It’s definitely made a lasting impression.

• People. There is an incredible culture filled with so many nationalities, languages, and ages that’s been created on this ship, but it all comes together beautifully. It’s a special type of person who loves taking care of others. What struck me when talking to many of the staff is how they’ve worked themselves up the ranks and have their sights set on the next position. Living on a ship is not an easy job or life, but they love it and it shows. I feel very grateful that I got to connect with so many wonderful humans while on this adventure.

All of this made me wonder what the experience would be like if they used AI to replace a lot of the staff and/or experiences – which they certainly could. I thought about this a lot and came up with countless ways Celebrity could automate things. And, while it may make operations less expensive and more efficient, an AI-driven experience would definitely not be as meaningful or impactful.?

I wonder what is to come.

I’m returning to the States feeling inspired to take both my learnings and my rested, ready, and reinvigorated spirit back to ContentBacon to continue to level up our team and customer experience.

I hope you are all able to take time this summer with family or friends – or solo time! – to have some adventures.

“Adventure awaits those who wander with an open heart and a curious soul.”?