Years ago, I had to stay in a filthy hotel in Kansas City. My employer, a public seminar company, had sent me there to deliver a presentation. The company wanted to minimize travel expenses, so speakers were often put up in off-brand hotels in bad neighborhoods. I was not having a good week. The company had me out on a 5-day "swing," my third consecutive week on the road.
The schedule had me flying out on Sunday, renting a car for the week, and then driving to five major cities in as many days. I would fly home late Friday night, have one day at home and fly out again the next Sunday.
It was hard to eat right, get proper rest, and stay upbeat when working like this.
When hotels are dirty, it's a sign of bad management. This almost always means poor service, bad food, scarce amenities, and a lumpy bed.
This fleabag hotel in KC was one of the worst places I've ever experienced. I saw a mouse in my sleeping room. The sheets and towels were threadbare, and the walls were thin. The room where I was delivering my 6-hour presentation also had problems. The carpeting hadn't been vacuumed in about a week. The lighting was poor. Several buckets caught rainwater that leaked from the ceiling. Only 12 people were in the audience that dreary day. I was discouraged and wanted to quit the speaking biz. But someone from Hallmark was in attendance. She must have liked my program that day. Years later, she hired me to deliver training at her company. I did not stay at the same hotel. Moral: Hang in there. Something good is always happening, even when you don’t know it.
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