Image by ottofocus13 via Flickr
The word “vocation” comes from the Latin vocatio, which means “a calling.”
The other day, I was teaching a class and talk about Raving Fans. During the class, I put up a picture of a few people with Harley-Davidson tattoos on different parts of their body.
As I was talking about the passion these people had for the brand, I was transported back to Daytona Bike Week in 1998 where I was in a convenience store.
Walking through the aisles, I saw a gentleman wearing a jean jacket (well, vest, as the sleeves had been cut off) and on one tricep was tattooed the word “Harley” and on the other “Davidson.”
At that moment, I asked myself: “what possesses someone to feel so strongly about a for-profit enterprise that they would go to those lengths to display their allegiance to the world?”
And then, the follow on question, how can I help others inspire that same passion for their customers?
I think that’s where the true journey began.
And that’s what I’ve been studying and practicing ever since.
Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane.