I watched in horror, my panties in his hands
It happened during my first trip with a new boss. I was working for Nickelodeon, and we were headed to London.
That’s how I found out New Boss Lady had negotiated some swanky perks into her employment agreement. One of them was that she could stay at super expensive 5-star hotels when she traveled.
(That meant anyone who traveled with her could, too. 😉)
Her assistant booked us in The Lanesborough… a hotel I’d never heard of.
I’d always been a “get down to business” type of person. So when it came to hotels, my only criteria were that it was convenient to where I needed to be, clean, and safe.
I was super busy the day we were leaving, I had a gazillion things to do.
When the car service pulled into my driveway, I hadn’t even started to pack!
I usually pack things carefully so they’ll be less wrinkled. But there was no time for that. I grabbed a bunch of suits and shirts and threw them into the suitcase, figuring I could get them pressed when I got to the hotel.
I was almost out the door, when I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten to pack – underwear.
I raced over to my dresser, grabbed a fistfull of panties, and shoved them into the suitcase.
Phew! That would have been really awkward if I arrived in London and had to tell New Boss Lady I needed to shop for underwear.
We arrived at The Lanesborough after our redeye flight. We had just enough time to grab a shower before our first meeting.
My first clue that The Lanesborough was different was when I was checking in. The lady at the reception handed me a stack of business cards with “The Lanesborough” and my name printed on them.
“Your calling cards while you’re in London, ma’am,” the receptionist said.
Huh. That’s a nice touch, I thought.
When I turned to go to my room, a man waiting nearby said, “Right this way, Ms. Kaufman” (my maiden name). “James, your butler, will show you to your room.”
Did he say, “butler?”
I’d been to London more times than I could count. I’d never heard the porter referred to as a butler before.
Well whatever floats Jamie’s boat! He had my suitcase, and I wanted a shower. So he could just butler me up to my room, pronto!
When we got into the room, James put my suitcase on the luggage stand and started showing me around. He told me where I could find everything, how to work the TV, etc., etc.
All the while I was thinking, “That’s great Jamie! Now get outta here so I can shower.”
Then James walked over to my suitcase and started unzipping it.
Wait … was James really my butler? And was he going to unpack my suitcase?
Dear God, please no!
I could already feel my cheeks starting to flush with embarrassment. I didn’t want him to see my careless packing job.
I quickly said, “That’s alright, James. I can take care of that.”
“It’s alright, ma’am … part of my job,” he insisted.
I had no idea what to do. I sat down on the edge of the bed, my mind racing. I prayed someone would pull the fire alarm. Or maybe I could fake a sudden illness?
James flipped open the suitcase. And there, right on top, was the wad of panties I had shoved in.
I felt completely and utterly exposed. There was nowhere to hide.
Butler James fished one of the panties out of the tangled mess and held it up.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I realized they weren’t panties. I'd accidentally grabbed a handful of thongs!
I watched in horror as James pulled apart the web of thongs, one by one. He held each one up, folded it carefully, and put it in the drawer.
All the while, James was the consummate professional. He didn’t even flinch as he went about folding my thongs. I heard him chatting on about something … but I have no idea what. My brain couldn’t process anything at that point.
Now you may be wondering, “Why on earth is Nicole telling me this story?”
Well, if I’d had a packing list, I wouldn’t have forgotten my underwear. And I wouldn’t have found myself in such an embarrassing predicament.
A packing list would have given me a clear plan to follow. And when we have a clear plan, it makes things so much easier!
It’s the same when you’re trying to create a successful health or wellness coaching business. That’s why I created a plan for you to follow.
I mapped it out in a free download called, How to Create a Profitable Health Coaching Business. It walks you through the proven, 5-step system natural health professionals use to turn their skills and expertise into a profitable online coaching business.
It’s free for subscribers to this newsletter, Be A Profitable Health Coach.
Be A Profitable Health Coach focuses on the proven strategies and techniques I’ve used to help over 1,000 health and wellness professionals build their dream businesses.
I cover the essentials, like how to…
Position yourself so you become the obvious choice for your dream clients
Create an offer that people want to buy
Craft messaging that gets people excited to work with you
Create key marketing assets, like a website and webinar funnel, that capture new leads
Turn new leads into clients
And so much more!
I want to help you create a coaching business that gives you the freedom to work when you want, where you want, and with whom you want. Because that’s the kind of business I created for myself. And I now spend 2-3 months a year traveling (mostly in France).
If you’d like a health or wellness coaching business that supports the kind of lifestyle you want to live, this newsletter will help you get there.
And if you want access to even more resources, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers get more in-depth posts that give you worksheets and other resources to help you implement the strategies I share.