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May 09, 2023 at 11:19 PM
What You Need to Know
- There were no candles on the tables at the recent FPA Retreat.
- Just getting to the tables was different.
I’m standing on the terrace outside the dining room at a hotel near Naples, Florida.
Nothing unusual, except that I’m wearing a blindfold.
The dinner to kick-off the Financial Planning Association’s FPA Retreat was described in the schedule as “Dining in the Dark.” I had visualized a small ballroom with candles on the table, and very low lighting.
I was wrong.
We are divided into groups of 10, told to put on blindfolds, and then to hold onto the right shoulder of the person in front of us.
I grab the shoulder of Andrew Sivertsen — of The Planning Center in Moline, Iowa — and hang on as we are led into the dining area and helped to a seat.
Holding on to me is Alexandra Armstrong from Sarasota, Florida.
Dinner starts with a salad. Try eating salad when you can’t see.
Then we are given the main course. (The mashed potatoes are easy to eat. Prime rib, not so easy.)
The Organizers’ Thinking
This totally unusual experience and other events held during the conference helped attendees to “see” things differently. The retreat organizers’ idea was to challenge our thinking, provide learning experiences, and help us meet with others to get ideas and strategies to grow our business.
The blindfold experience definitely set the tone. The dinner speaker — Mark Valenziano — had unexpectedly gone blind at age 15.
He related his situation to the goal of financial planners, who try to help clients prepare for the unexpected.
The dinner experience definitely forged connections.
