Growing Pains

When I was working behind the counter, measuring my impact was simpler. I could feel the change in someone’s body language or see their eyes light up when we interacted.

They might even say:

“I really appreciate you, this sets the tone for the rest of my day. Thank you.”

The further away from that world I travel, the murkier the waters become.

I’m no longer that experience factory pumping out 2 minutes of magic for each of the hundreds of people I’d serve each day.

It’s more nuanced now. I connect with fewer people face to face. Instead of blasting people with my energy cannon, I spend my time listening, asking questions, and planting seeds that other people will water and grow with time.

Gone is the instant gratification of guest service. I create and share in hopes of making things better and helping others who are on a similar path.

Maybe I can shorten someone's learning curve. Maybe I can empower someone to take the first step towards something that everyone else is telling them is impossible. Maybe the people around me will grow into amazing leaders and maybe I'll have played some small role in that journey.

I hope all of these things are true. But I can’t be sure. It’s a strange feeling.

When someone asks me: “What are you working on today?” I often don’t know what to say.

Describing my work in list format makes me feel like I’m not doing enough.

“I’m going to have some conversations, mostly listen and ask questions, maybe go for a walk and think about what would make Cat & Cloud the best place to work ever, then call Jared and kick that ball around for a while. How bout you?”

I watch from the sidelines as our employees make our guests' eyes light up, one after another.

When I step back and watch the show I become aware that in so many ways I’m not who I used to be, and I’m not quite accustomed to being who I am, but I’m looking forward to growing into it.