Approaching 3 o’clock.  Just under 20 minutes away.  Tired, not motivated, not getting ahold of anyone.  How can I switch it up, for the day and principally.  Hmmmm…..  Account Executive, Account EX-EC-U-TIVE.  Thought about getting out of the office, getting into the street, but no.  No one wants to be approached on Friday.  They’re too much looking forward to their weekend.  Can’t blame them.

Funny thing about networking…. Forgot what I was going o write, how I was going to approach that.  Work, the ‘working’ part of the word.  Where the work is done.  But if it’s too obvious, then the potential for something lucrative or promising to materialize diminishes.  Writing about work, solely now, I see that when you work too hard you damage your work, the use and application of it.

Work should be impassioned, dynamic and ever encouraging of creative.  For me, be it wine, or teaching, or here at Sonic… there needs to be life, radiance and never repetition.

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10/11/19

Thinking of ways to build this, this AE story.  Taking notes, making appointments, but still not producing as fast as I’d like.  I know, I know… patience.  Slow down.  I know that’s what you’re thinking.  And you should be.  Tenacity and temperament is a tough tightrope walk to work.  But I do.  I have to.  Keep writing, keep brainstorming till you get something.  Committing to staying in office, all day.  Brainstorm.  Keep a storming brain.  That’s how you find gems.

Wake earlier.  6-something doesn’t fucking cut it.  Even 5am is just barely acceptable if you want to get ahead in tasks, productivity, and life, success.  At least that’s what I’m finding.

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4:40.

Possible power outages.  Everyone talking about it. If it happens, it happens.  Just my mind about it.  Getting a beer after this, then class.

Going to send my EOD, and possibly leave early.  Just thinking about it, at this point.  Wonder how life will be affected if the power is out for several days as some say might happen.  Not worrying about it.

Checking schedule, when I can write…. Daily word quote still enough under 2000 words that I’m in an eased writer spree and breeze.

Alone in bullpen.  Trainers gone, my AAE partner gone.  And nothing really to write.

How ‘bout a walk.  Use restroom.  Walk slow.

Now back.  Nothing to write and feeling anxious.  But what would I tell my students.  Of course, relax and don’t force it.  IT, whatever IT is, will find you.

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Day SIXTY-SEVEN

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, and scattered and stressed with all these projects, with all these directions.  No matter, no weights slows this writer.  Craving my own office like I never have.  With plenty energy today, not having a drop of wine last night and going to bed stupendously early.  Think… think…. What to put out next, in terms of story….  The morning, the coffee, the pen, the paper.  That’s it, like I always stress to students.. Where are you and what are you doing?

Mapping out day, even though it’s most mapped.  Going for a run at 11:30, then back in office and head to Petaluma.  Set appointments.  I want at least two, for the day.  Log everything…. Places hit, self-evaluation, notes on what to say even though I keep it not so much simple but succinct and unassuming.

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5800 words in novel.  My daily goal is under 2000 words, so I’m more than safe and comfortable with the pace expected, demanded.  Home from lunch and babies have a snack.  Emma not wanting anything at lunch but an ice water and some bites of the chips and salsa while Jackie ordered and devoured a quesadilla with rice and beans.  Then we played in the park, and they were out before we reached the River Road exit.  Now Emma has some yogurt, Jack finished his and rests on couch.

More wine writing for me.  Need something to study and survey tonight, but what.  Thinking target a bargain bottle from Bottle Barn, see what type of force I can acquire for less than $20.  One of those missions, you know?  Or, have the Kunde Rose that’s in the fridge.  I’ve never felt that Rose though could be anything so worth an avalanche of pages.  Maybe this one will be.  Tasted it the other weekend, last I believe, when visiting Dwight in the tasting room.  Actually he was outside on the patio by the water helping some tech group from the city, majority of which were hungover form a wedding the prior nuit.

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Last day of September.  Soon entering my two favorite months of the year.  The semester flies by me as does just life.  After this weekend, I am convinced of the wine industry’s erase from my pages.  Not going to elaborate, but I need emancipate and further assert here at this desk, for my agency.  P-O-Z, Positive Office Zoo, or Zen.  Just thought of having it be an acronym.  Back to this morning, LEADS.  Conversations.  As many as you can have.  Get out of the office, visit spots literally given to you from Shannon.  Follow up on everything and don’t stop moving.  TAKE SONIC LAPTOP HOME.  Keep working, start tomorrow morning, tonight.  Having that be put to post-it to make it official, yes, but to feel it more.

Wondering what my next “power move” as I posted should be.  One thought, the first, is just quit the winery.  Hone on speaking, tech, blogging, building the agency and understanding Sonic and more of what it entails, speaks, what it IS.

The latte is strong, and it taunts me to move quicker.  Send notes.  Just had a calendar reminder pop up, to call a prospect in Rohnert Park, set initial.  Leaving reminder on screen to remind me more overtly.  The morning started a bit turbulent, of course with kids and what I had to do, and my little daughter curling up like a little kit in her blankie, not wanting to move even when I walked from shower to side of her bed. She I think subconsciously curled into my arm, me kneeling at bed’s side, talking to her and telling her I love her, that we need to get up and Daddy’s always here to help her.  I’m here now, where I can not only elevate our quality of life.  I’m not obsessing over that, the whole quality of life thing, I mean I don’t think I am.  Or maybe I am, I have kids and I want their life to be as encouraging and enjoyable as mine was on Bayview Drive.

Clear off desk, and keep it clear, clean.

Did a little, but not before setting appointment.  Appointments, more specifically.  2.  Already have to start thinking about changing into workout clothes for today’s HIIT class.  Cardio today, so I’m not that concerned.  But I remember how sore I was the last time I did this class.  Don’t think about it, at all.  Break soon, finish latte by ten, which is in 17 minutes.  Getting pulled away from page by new ideas that swarm into my head and nest and more ideas fall out and fly around.  Have to go out to car… get the wine I bought for clients before it gets too hot.  FUCK.

Not a big deal.. Still cold outside, Fall, one of my favorite months.  Lid off latte cup, now more or less chugging it for more electricity, more speaking ideas on Sonic and what I do and what I can provide a business.  Thinking of what the CTO said in going above the technology, focus on the human in front of you… focus more on myself and what I love about the company, what I love about businesses run this way.

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A and E

Day FIFTY-SIX – 9/27/19

Started morning with music, and mostly tracks that connect and delightfully intermingle with my soul and principle being playing.  Then to latte acquire, 4 shots.  Parked bag and notebooks here in office then to other building to say hi to certain friends, my MDU brothers and sis.  Abe teaching me about a matter concerning resi vs. commercial points.  Learned more, which was unexpected and firefly delightful.  I’m feeling not just more autonomous in my AE spree, but more alive and perceptive and preemptive.

Watching a real estate show last night and how they attract business and generate leads, start conversations and collaborate more than compete, has me walking in all this work differently.  Thinking of this like real estate, and speaking it as I do literature and writing, and wine.  Speaking of which…. The winery did get my check right, from what I can see.  Was hoping they didn’t so leaving would be even more melodic.  Doesn’t matter.  Whether it’s correct or in’, I’m leaving soon.  Deciding entirely in this, this AE story and perspective.

Just made the two calls I had to this morning—oh, actually there’s one more I need to make.  One left message with someone in shop and the other’s voicemail is full.  How does someone let that happen?  Oh well, it happens.  Enacting real estate practice model, from prospecting to daily operations, to taking to advertising and social media, then fusing my professor and wine life into it.  I need to buy more wine for clients.  Not super expensive bottles, but ….. St. Francis SoCo bottles.  Not too pricey and little to no diminish in quality.  I’ll go by tomorrow at some point–  Interrupted concentration with text from colleague on consumer side of business, away this weekend getting married.  I texted him some wishes well and he sent a thanks in return.  One of the nicest humans I’ve ever intercepted unknowingly in my story.  The first day at Sonic, for my “interview” which was really more of a presentation of Mike Madigan and why Mike Madigan should be here contributing, he smiled and showed voluminous interest in getting to know me.  That too I catapult and compose in this AE book.  A bit of a tangent, but not. Musical. All of this… jazz, hip-hop, rock, literature… everything bound and tied to one tell.

Sore from yesterday’s workout, taking notes and it even hurts to scribble.  Still have to make one call.  Won’t forget.  What next… leaving at 10:30 for Danville.  Messaged Director Mark F. for insight as to approach and he, like I, keep it not even simple but human.  Ask the vendor about him, his visions, his projects, his story and self.  I say this maybe to excess and a repeated wet, but today is different.  Started with music, and last night with that real estate doc.  Have idea for letter… to old friend, in real estate.  Sending.  Well, writing first then sending.

Sent.

9:26, and my speed hasn’t fizzled in the least.  Have to send a couple more letters, or notes. Then to the drive.  On The Road, my essential and most fundamental and fixed of figures.  I’m finding that business isn’t speed dependent but sight dependent. What you see for yourself and how you see the steps in front of you.  Talking to Abe in the other building and the presentation he’s about to make and the precision that’s necessitated in what he’s about to do, there’s more lesson.

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Meeting in 20 mins.  Busy, and just the way I prefer it, today.  Taking notes on this AE story, in new and small journals.  In fact, only in those spots.  May pull from blog for this book idea I have, but the notebooks will be solely for the story.

Desk, a wasteland of valuable information and post-it notes on prospects and leads, vendors and what be.  Tomorrow driving to Danville to have sushi with a vendor.  When was the last time I had—oh yeah, when in the Field Sales Gang, canvassing in upper Oakland, or near it, some chic and trendy somewhat upscale area.  So tomorrow, sushi and conversation…. Thinking of titling the book, A and E.  Well, that’s the for-now moniker I’m applying.

Where do I get a snack after meeting, maybe a beer and take more notes for book, on the job itself and how to—OH, interviewed a candidate earlier, technically morning, for an AAE post.  What she said sank sense into my thinking, concerning being out of the office and canvassing, taking notes in phone with the voice function… writing everything down and expecting to hear no but translating as “No, but only for now.” Today I feel myself shedding the associate angle of my story, becoming an AE.  But not yet, not yet, I know.

Got a coffee in back a bit ago, but ice in cup, and cream.  Why di I do the cream, WHY.  Tastes like rubbery old milk.  Drinking it anyway for the meeting ahead. I have no plan to dominate the meeting or any such sort of act, but I do want my assessment of this morning’s interview heard.  And it will be.  It always is here, in the Sonic walls.  Conversation dominates this company, in tandem with honesty and eagerness to hear others, learn, grow, collaborate.

Taking laptop with me, to wherever I grade and have a snack and beer and…  Thinking Del Valle, again.  Love that patio but I think tonight sit inside.  I’ll start the book, or not.  No… not.  Forget I said that.  Desk still a mess, put note on calendar to clean it up from 4-something till 5 but I’m going to go collect somewhere.  Have to.  By year’s end, this will be the only thing I do.  No more winery, no more JC classes.  I’ll only teach through blog.  Studenthood, that’s what I want, and that’s what I have here in this chair and in this story as an AE, or AAE.  Account, and Executive.  Though I don’t see myself as an executive, but clients will receive executive treatment.  They are the executives in my measure, and will be treated in like-step.

5 minutes till meeting… grabbing book journal (the larger), heading to Sales Manager’s office to debrief on meeting.  Don’t want to finish coffee.  Won’t.  I won’t.  Take sip….  Oh my god.  Fuck.  Gross.

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9/25/19

Re-organizing and drawing strategy with my approaches to accounts.  Everything is a prospect, and diminish the emphasis of having a focus now.  Geographically yes I think it’s advantageous to have a focus area, but that’s not to say an AE or other like-sales rep should dismiss other areas.

2:32pm, and writing emails.  Using a current template, but I will re-write. Thinking of myself as a sales teacher.  Well, eventually.  This is my template, my training and playing ground.  Test everything.

102 degrees outside.  Hoping over hoping that class tonight is somehow cancelled.  Somehow.

Started a book last night, a narrative prompted from last night’s lecture.  Approaching all of this, this in the AE position, like a professor.  No, a teacher.  Let’s say I had to teach someone how to sell… what’s the first forward of instruction I would utter?  “Say hi.” Greet the person.  Don’t talk about your product, service, or you.  Learn about them.  And note, reader, that this is a note to self, with throws of growling intent to intensify the transactional momentum of my presence here.  Not just a sale here, a sale there, but a belt of signings.  Change everything, and however many times I’ve written that before doesn’t matter.  The aim of this project changes….  Today, Day 54.  Not much time to adjust or re-adjust.  The Account Executive is about more than transacting, or even relationships.  But nearness, communication, accessibility.

This position is reminding me of sales thoughts and musings I’d have in the vineyard when at Roth, walking the SB lot, like that morning I was walking the last few rows and decided I’m done with a full-time fold in the wine world.  I wanted more.  I found Sonic, then ten months into Sonic I found this set of pages.  So… get more professor-like…. Write a book on how to do this while learning to.  ONE, no self-doubt.  Absolutely not allowed.  TWO, write everything down.  Everything you learn, everything you think, everything you want.  THREE, keep conversation perpetual, tireless, and creative.

In these remaining 46 days, starting the other journal Mom bought me.  The larger one, leather-covered with the Apache blessing on it reading “May the breeze blow new strength into your being.”  About what will I note, exclusively… how to do this.  How to be an Account Executive, or “successful” at selling.  Not a corny how-to, and not a Death of a Salesman connect.  But my pages, how I made this work, how I made it mine.

FOUR, be your own agency.  Write your aims, sights, weaknesses, areas of study….  WORK.

Tirelessly.

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