My next travel adventure takes me to Palermo
If you have been watching this season of “White Lotus” on HBO, then, like me, you are drooling over the stunning views of Sicily, an island off the Southern Coast of Italy. I’m heading there Jan 1–7th.
My good friend sits on the board of NY Chamber Orchestra. The conductor is Sicilian and he’s composed a piece to be unveiled it at the Teatro Massimo Jan 5th. She know I’m always up for a good adventure anywhere. So we’re going.
Packing actually starts the minute I buy the plane ticket, which was November 8th. To get ready, I thought about the three main activities I would be doing.
Site seeing. Palermo in January features a temperature high of 59 and low of 44. Not too bad. (I’ve been to Rome in January and literally froze to death waiting in line to go to the Vatican.) My outerwear will be key, because it will be the thing I wear every day. I’m bringing 2 coats. A quilted jacket from Athleta, which packs easily in my suitcase. It’s light, which is great when climbing the steps of Ancient Greek theater of Taormina in the midday sun. For the formal evening at the Opera and dinners out (Palermo features some Michelin star restaurants like BYE BYE BLUES,) I am wearing this Reiss coat. I’ll wear it on the plane, since its my bulkiest item.
Being a New Yorker, I already know good footwear is a must! My Nike sneakers and ankle boots with a rubber sole are my go-to’s. I bring 2 different pairs of shoes to interchange day to day, in case I develop blisters from all the walking around.
Opera. In Season 2 Episode 4 White Lotus, the main characters go to the Opera house in Palermo. This night will require a long dress, which I’ve rented from Rent the Runway. We will be staying across the street from the Opera House, so I don’t have to worry about bringing shoes to get there, and to change in. But I do need shoes that I can walk in given the cobblestone streets. Long ago, as I approached 50, I traded sky high pin heels for block heels from M Gemi.
Dinners Out. I’m bringing tops that can easily go with jeans, but are dinner-ready with a simple swap of tailored pants. If I don’t get back to the hotel before dinner, I can look presentable (Italians are quite formal and well dressed in general). This silk scarf from Ferragamo is a great way to dress up any outfit.
Knowing all this, preparing for my next adventure is not unlike preparing for leadership. Here’s how:
Preparing Mentally.
Phil Jackson in his book, 11 Rings, talks about building winning NBA teams. He coached the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. When the team has brotherly love of one another and thinks of themselves as one unit when on the court, that’s when it becomes unbeatable. How can I recreate this? While I’m a fierce facilitator, the success of the group truly lies with the women in the Mastermind.
I arrive ahead of my friend so I can be alone with my thoughts before the Mastermind kicks off. I’m thinking critically about the goals and outcome for 2023. This year, by far, is the biggest group I’ve ever had in my premium level offering. I want to infuse a bit of magic into this year’s curriculum. No better place to do that than in a place that is outside of my day to day routine. No better place to get fresh insights than outside of my day to day routine.
Preparing logistically.
A few years ago, I realized that I suffer greatly from street-style FOMO. I get to a destination, and I would salivate over what this person was wearing and “oh I could have brought that pair of palazzo pants.” As a result, I was missing out on one very critical thing: Being present. Being conscious of the place I had travelled thousands of miles to see. This bit of self awareness has revolutionized the way I pack.
I viewed What is on Trend In videos on Youtube. This channel creator literally has trained cameras on the streets in different cities, so you can see what people are wearing in winter time in Paris, London, Milan. I looked at the video on “What people are wearing in Sicily in Winter” for inspiration and was immediately taken by the flair of woman wearing a fur cape shawl, effortlessly thrown over a jacket as she walked arm in arm with her boyfriend.
HBR calls it, its ‘purposeful preparation.’ Given my street style FOMO, I’ve prepared sartorially, so I can feel confident and present when I’m gazing upon Camera delle Meraviglie a mysterious blue chamber is decorated with Arabic inscriptions. Years ago, I would have stood on that street and stared, enviously at the woman in the fabulous cape shawl. Now I’ve bought a shawl and am prepared.
I don’t speak Italian. I will be on my own for a few days. I have to make strategic decisions in ambiguous situations. Do I want to plan tours, or do I want to just go with the flow? I’ve joined a “We are Palermo” Facebook group to ask these questions.
Preparing Strategically.
Women often tell me, they don’t have time to think about their leadership, i.e. what tasks to hand off to an assistant or team. Planning for leadership means intentionally setting aside time for it.
Jan 21st is when my Mastermind kicks off. Its the largest group I have ever managed at this premium level. These deep thinker, highly motivated and intelligent ladies are with me for 12 months. I want to be the best leader I can be. I’ve given up alcohol. I’m reading a ton. I’ve adopted a meditation practice.
Planning for leadership also requires taking stock of one’s values. I think about my values and then craft a life around it. It’s something I learned from my interview with Lisa Druxman, CEO of Fit4Mom, who does this each week.
My top 3 values are Adventure. Beauty. Freedom. For the adventure piece, I am allocating 1 hour each week to thinking about one detail related to the impending trip to Sicily. (I extend the joy of a trip with the months of preparation.) Seeing a musical piece at the Palermo opera house, is in alignment with my value of ‘beauty.’ Because I run my own business, I can make my own schedule. I can take time Jan 1–7th. Sicily aligns with my value of ‘freedom.’
If you would like join my adventures in leadership, there are two options
I can build a VIP Day around you. It has the elegance of my trips, but not the 12 month commitment. It’s 24 hours, uninterrupted, dedicated time to you and your business, getting clarity on your personal brand. You can pick a domestic location or an international location (Think Paris). Fill out this form.
You can join my Samita Lab Mastermind. This is an elite group of women who are together for 12 months, crowdsourcing and workshopping solutions to their business challenges. The theme for next year is “Building a Personal Brand.” We will be doing some serious personal development work to shed light on deep seated scripts and things that are running you (and showing up in your business).
