So I'm sitting in this restaurant . . .

[Russ H]

in Austin, TX, and this guy walks up to me and says:

"Russ? That you?"

I look up, and it's Bill! (snowbank).

Takes me a second, since I'm not expecting to see a fellow fastlaner outside of Phoenix.

But there is he, smilin'.

Seems to me I recall someone talking about moving to Austin, but I just plumb forgot.

Good to see you, Bill.

Who knows where we'll bump into each other next? Vegas? Napa?

Phoenix?

-Russ H.

 

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[Jonleehacker]

Just be careful if you go out for dinner with Snowbank... he likes to play "fastlane roulette" with the check

 

[biophase]

Just be careful if you go out for dinner with Snowbank... he likes to play "fastlane roulette" with the check

Which usually means free dinner for everyone else!!

 

[Jill]

Careful who you may run into in Napa! Looks like I'll be in the Bay Area for most of the next 5 or 6 months. May have to sneak up there and surprise y'all!

(I wonder if Bill's learned to say "y'all" yet?)

 

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[NoMoneyDown]

You were/are both in Austin, and you didn't look me up? For shame!

 

[Russ H]

You were/are both in Austin, and you didn't look me up? For shame!

I'm at an innkeeping conference at the Renaissance Hotel (in the Arboretum).

Love to see ya, but I have no wheels.

I'm in classes most of the day, and have meetings scheduled each evening-- but I'm sure we can figure out a time to get together.

Call the hotel (512-343-2626) and leave a message for me in my room (rm 616, Russ Herschelmann). Be sure to leave your phone #, and I'll call you back.

Prolly can't do dinner, but we could have a beer at the hotel bar, if that works for you.

(Bill/snowbank, that goes for you, too, if you want to sit and chat for a bit).

I fly out Friday morning.

-Russ H,

 

[Russ H]

Careful who you may run into in Napa! Looks like I'll be in the Bay Area for most of the next 5 or 6 months. May have to sneak up there and surprise y'all!

(I wonder if Bill's learned to say "y'all" yet?)

Y'all are most welcome to come on by and set a spell up here in the wine country, Jill.

We'd love ta see ya!

-Russ H.

 

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[LightHouse]

Wow! how random is that.

We (andres, and I) get other fastlaners coming through the DC area but never see them ( BOB!..., Diane was here at some point as well). Gotta check for fastlaners in your travels some times.

 

[NoMoneyDown]

I'm at an innkeeping conference at the Renaissance Hotel (in the Arboretum).

Love to see ya, but I have no wheels.

I'm in classes most of the day, and have meetings scheduled each evening-- but I'm sure we can figure out a time to get together.

Call the hotel (512-343-2626) and leave a message for me in my room (rm 616, Russ Herschelmann). Be sure to leave your phone #, and I'll call you back.

Prolly can't do dinner, but we could have a beer at the hotel bar, if that works for you.

(Bill/snowbank, that goes for you, too, if you want to sit and chat for a bit).

I fly out Friday morning.

-Russ H,

Wow, the Arboretum is just right down the road from where I (still) work. Unfortunately, the only time it appears we can meet is maybe for a quick bite at lunch. I am trying to set up a luncheon with a real estate investor buddy of mine for Thu or Fri, so maybe we can all meet this Thu for lunch? Let me know as I would really enjoy chatting with you in person. I'll try to leave a VM at your room as well in case you don't get this msg.

 

[Russ H]

Might be able to do an early lunch Thursday (11 am) provided I'm back by 12:30-- there is an awards lunch over here at 12:30, and I need to be here for that (it's honoring a Napa innkeeper who passed away last year, and I'm the only one here from Napa).

Seems to be a few restaurants that are really close (Z's, etc)-- if there is a place that would be quick, we could also meet from 11:30 to 12:20 or so.

Let me know.

-Russ

 

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[Russ H]

Wow! how random is that.

Actually, we were on our way to the restaurant next door (more Tex Mex, and cheaper-- several in our group including me are on a tight budget). I screwed up and walked into the wrong place (didn't realize there was another restaurant next door). Realized our mistake, but were a bit sheepish at leaving (and the menu looked yummy, so . . .)

Had I realized my error, and walked next door, Bill would never have seen me!

THAT is pretty darn random.

-Russ H.

 

[Bobo]

Fly out friday? Well crap, I fly in on Monday for orientation in my new job....

I've run into so many people in odd places - airports, shows in NYC, other countries.... while I would not want to paint it, it is in fact a very small world.

 

[hakrjak]

in Austin, TX, and this guy walks up to me and says:

"Russ? That you?"

I look up, and it's Bill! (snowbank).

Takes me a second, since I'm not expecting to see a fellow fastlaner outside of Phoenix.

But there is he, smilin'.

Seems to me I recall someone talking about moving to Austin, but I just plumb forgot.

Good to see you, Bill.

Who knows where we'll bump into each other next? Vegas? Napa?

Phoenix?

-Russ H.

I'm still thinking I ran into you in the Vegas airport bar one time, but you've never confirmed it or denied it. Some guy who looked a lot like you (From photos, we've never met) -- Gave me a business card to come stay at his B&B in Napa sometime after a chat with me & my wife about wine and the Napa Valley. Lost the card though & don't recall the name of the place....

- Hakrjak

 

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[Bilgefisher]

I'll certainly see yall in June. We booked the honeymoon cottage for 5 days.

 

[Russ H]

I'll certainly see yall in June. We booked the honeymoon cottage for 5 days.

Woo hoo!

Looking forward to seeing you both.

-Russ H.

 

[Russ H]

Wait, it gets better . . .

So I'm looking through my spam folder today and see an email from Bill (snowbank). Apparently my email provider doesn't like Bill's email addy. :shruggie:

So I open the email, and it turns out there is a big get together tonight of a marketing group Bill belongs to (AIMEN-- Austin Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs Network).

Their special meeting tonight features 6 entrepreneurial women, answering questions from the audience.

So I google map it. I have a bus dropping me off at bedandbreakfast.com headquarters ("A" on the map). And I'm planning on walking over to the Long Center after that for a big innkeeper's party ("C" on the map). So I stick in the address of where this special marketing meeting is ("B"):

700 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701 to The Long Center for the Performing Arts - Google Maps

(select "walking" instead of drive, and you'll see why I was pretty much amazed).

It was exactly between the two spots I was going to!

********

So I RSVP for this marketing event, and send them a question.

Go to the first event, have a Shiner Bock (yum), then walk to this internet marketing thing--- w/another innkeeper who is WAY more tech savvy than me. His wife is also w/us (very cool lady).

The whole panel thing is very cool-- and they're shooting it for release to the web!

At the end, the organizer gets up and says, "We have time for one more question. There's a guy here who owns a B&B in the Napa Valley . . ."

(at this point, I'm thinking, "this is just unreal . . .", but I'm also worried that the organizer is going to mess up my question (he's trying to read my email on his iphone, in the dark).

So he says, "Are you here? Why don't you come up here and ask your question?"

!

So I do. I turn to the ladies (camera is on me), and tell them we have a B&B in the Napa Valley, and we have a lot of high-tech gals in our area. So my question to them is: How do I address you as a market?

First lady doesn't really get it. Yells at me for being too macho, and tells me if we want to attract women, we've got to let go of the macho thing.

I jump back in (moderator hands me the mike), and I say something like, "Thank you. Actually, the majority of our market is women-- they're the ones who find us."

So the 2nd gal on the panel says, "So what are you asking? How to market to women?"

And I say, "No-- I want to know how to market to YOU. To tech girls."

And she nods and goes "Ahhhh. . . ."

And that's where the whole thing just took off.

Fantastic answers. They asked a few questions about our inn (and made me say the name of it on camera! )

Afterwards, I'm handing out our business cards to all of the ladies on the panel. Two of them want to book getaways or mastermind groups at our Inn. I'm shocked (all I wanted to do was ask a question-- and I'm getting business-- this is insane!).

Next thing I know, another gal from the audience comes up to me and says, "I don't know why you're here tonight (I tell her), so then she says, "I'm a travel writer. I have tons of PR contacts, and I would love to help you if I can. Here's my card. I have a friend in New York who just got an assignment to do a travel piece on the Napa Valley-- I'll have him call you, OK?"

I walked out of there kinda gobsmacked.

All because I walked into the wrong restaurant last night . . . and a fellow fastlaner spotted me . . .

Thanks again, Bill. I'll post updates to this thread if anything more happens!

-Russ H.

 

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[Bilgefisher]

Very cool Russ. Reminds me of that Chaos theory post awhile back.

http://www.thefastlanetomillions.com/off-topic-discussion/20616-anyone-up-lil-chaos-theory.html

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Very cool Russ. Reminds me of that Chaos theory post awhile back.

Anyone up for a lil Chaos Theory?

Wow, the rippling effect is already profound and its only been a few days.

 

[LarryG]

Glad and inspired to see that good things do happen to good people. You certainly deserve good things Russ. Good to see Bill's out and about as well. Hope Austin works out for you both.

 

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[Rawr]

Fly out friday? Well crap, I fly in on Monday for orientation in my new job....

I've run into so many people in odd places - airports, shows in NYC, other countries.... while I would not want to paint it, it is in fact a very small world.

I just heard it last weekend from a new friend of mine. "As you get older, you will realize this is a very very small world. Meet everyone you can"

Great story Russ. You are a good guy, so it makes sense that people embraced you

 

[Russ H]

I haven't followed up on the contacts yet-- will be doing that over the next few days.

We'll see what happens.

-Russ H.

PS Thanks, Rawr. That was a nice compliment.

 

[Russ H]

Fly out friday? Well crap, I fly in on Monday for orientation in my new job....

I hope you like music, Bobo.

South by southwest is in Austin all next week.

At 2000+ musical acts on 80 stages, it's one of the biggest music events in the country.

Rock on :urock2:

-Russ H.

 

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[snowbank]

Just be careful if you go out for dinner with Snowbank... he likes to play "fastlane roulette" with the check

I was glad that everyone at that meal was so excited to play cc roulette. With poker players it's standard to do it for most meals, so to see the excitement from some first time cc roulette'ers was fun.

 

[snowbank]

I fly in on Monday for orientation in my new job....

Bobo,

You working in Austin or just for orientation?

 

[NoMoneyDown]

Bobo/Snowbank ... Are you two Austin residents (or soon-to-be)?

 

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[snowbank]

Bobo/Snowbank ... Are you two Austin residents (or soon-to-be)?

I'm in Austin

 

[LightHouse]

I hope you like music, Bobo.

South by southwest is in Austin all next week.

At 2000+ musical acts on 80 stages, it's one of the biggest music events in the country.

Rock on :urock2:

-Russ H.

Big time tech stuff happens there too. For those in Austin, don't miss it.

 

[Rawr]

I was glad that everyone at that meal was so excited to play cc roulette. With poker players it's standard to do it for most meals, so to see the excitement from some first time cc roulette'ers was fun.

This is the one where everyone puts the cards in and then waitress pulls them out, last person pays? Read that in a banker book a while back, interesting concept.

 

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