Nestled in the mountains of Northern, New Hampshire  in Dixville Notch is a nostalgic, scenic and wonderful resort called Balsam Grand Hotel. Being here has been like stepping back in time. The resort ’s history dates back to before the Civil War and was started because travelers between Quebec and Portland, ME were intrigued by the beauty of a farm that overlooked the notch through the mountains. The staff I encountered exuded customer service and a passion for their historic hotel. The food was exquisite both in taste and presentation.  The surroundings were as beautiful as any I have encountered in my extensive travel to all but one of the fifty states. One of the many things I really liked about this resort is that the rooms have no TV’s. One ten year veteran employee told me that he had observed many families connecting and relating in ways they might not do at home because there wasn’t the distraction of the tube. Not every guest shared my excitement over TV-less rooms but the same employee told me that for everyone who complains about no TV’s, two or three say they hope the resort never gets them.

In my three days at the resort I, too, had wonderful conversations and made connections with people that extended beyond my keynote presentation to the New England Telecommunications Association.

- I spoke at length with a few resort employees about their culture and the  ”Balsam way”.  I learned about the history of the Balsams and how the first votes are cast in presidential primaries. I visited the room at the resort called the Ballot Room which displays many photographs of candidates dating back nearly fifty years.

- On two different nights at dinner, I had stimulating conversations with a  politician from Maine and a CEO of a telecommunications company. Over dinner, the CEO told me he was both inspired and frustrated because of my speech. He was inspired because he wanted to do more to make a difference both personally and professionally, but he was frustrated because he came to hear me speak in order to  find answers. We brainstormed some ideas over dinner and agreed to have a follow-up conversation again in a few weeks.  He also helped me re-think some aspects of my speech to make it more effective to a “nuts and bolts operations guy”. Though we were different in many ways, our interests in helping others connected us. 

- After my speech on Monday, I had an incredible mountain bike ride through the woods of the resort. When I returned to the bike shop, I had a great conversation with the shop employee. I asked him how long he worked at the resort. He replied, “To call what I do work would be an insult to those that really work. I’ve played here for about six years.”  He told me that he lived with his wife and young son about 2 miles away and rode his bike to work until it snowed then he cross country skied. “I may not be rich, but I wake up every day with a smile on my face.“ 

As I was writing this blog post, the sales and marketing director walked by the table where I was working. Like the other employees I encountered, he was passionate about this place and the traditions that have existed for many years. I had overheard him tell someone that the resort was about as likely to change as the English Common Book of Prayer.  For those who visit this historic resort steeped in tradition, that may very well be a good thing.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go towww.TimRichardson.com