President's Club
Post by Barbara Gross
I’ve been fortunate enough to work at companies that celebrated their top performers with trips to “President’s Club”—a mix of awards, fancy dinners, and what they lovingly called team-building exercises. Sounds harmless, right?
Let me walk you through a few unforgettable moments.
Vermont. Picture this: I show up for our first dinner dressed to impress—beret, scarf, leather boots with heels. Chic, right? That is, until I learned the next “fun activity” was tubing down a snowy mountain. No skis. Just a ski lift, an inner tube, and a steep ice slide. As I asked to be pushed off the edge because I couldn't do it myself, I screamed, spun, and slammed my way down—but survived. And somehow? Fastest woman’s time. Must’ve been the aerodynamics of my boots.
Next Day: Hockey. But not just any hockey—sneakers-on-ice hockey. Let me offer this PSA: do not attempt to run on ice with sneakers.. We played in sneakers on solid ice. If you've ever wondered what it's like to fall in every direction possible, just try sprinting on a rink in running shoes. Let’s just say the bruises were memorable.
Trip to Puerto Rico. On the ride from the airport, our bus driver pulled over… to call his bookie. Not a joke. He needed to place a horse bet before dropping us off. Priorities, right?
That week’s activity? Kayaking. I'd never done it, but figured—how hard could it be? Turns out, very. The first time, I wasn't able to turn and was paddling out to sea. The second time, I got stuck on a buoy. Both times, the (very cute) lifeguard had to rescue me. Of course, everyone accused me of doing it on purpose. I didn’t—but hey, I wasn’t complaining.
At the award ceremony, along with my trophy, I received a cheeky postcard that read:
“Meet Me At My Cabana #5 at 8 p.m.”
Here’s the real takeaway: I didn’t win all the games. I wasn’t the most athletic. But I showed up, gave it my best, and laughed through it all.
If at first you don’t succeed—try again. But do it with humor, laughter, and your authentic self.
That’s how memories are made. That’s how we grow. And sometimes? That’s how you earn the fastest tubing time and an invite to Cabana #5.
Click here to watch my speech on this topic, given at a Heart2Heart Toastmasters club meeting
Barbara Gross grew up in Massachusetts & graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Right out of College, I took a teaching job for four years at a Business School teaching computer software then moved to California where I now reside in the San Francisco Bay Area working as a Business Development Manager for Computer Software & have been in that industry for over 30 years.
I express my love for life by showing people how being able to laugh at oneself is great fun & can be used to achieve any goals in life or business.
I believe you have a choice to either laugh or cry & I choose to laugh. People often ask me “Why do all of these funny things keep happening to you???” I reply, “If you listen carefully, they really were not that funny at the time, but in hindsight, they are hysterical!!!”
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