Insights from Dana
Here’s Looking At You, Kid

Greetings from Morocco!

When most people hear “Casablanca” they think of the movie, and possibly its most famous quote: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Me?

Having spent a considerable amount of time here (and planning this awesome Expansion Experience!) I can say my perspective is a bit different.

And that’s the whole point!

To shift the mind.

To deepen the soul.

To get new perspectives.

And, while I look forward to sharing some of the week’s learning’s in a future post…

Today I share a little about travel:

Any travel comes with interesting stories, international travel amplifies that.

While this trip has had its share of…challenges…from the airport in Toronto all the way until our days here in Morocco…

I want to focus on the taxis.

In America, we absolutely take taxis for granted.

We assume the driver of a taxi wants to pick us up and take us where we want to go.

In many cases, we might think we are doing them a “favor” by flagging them down.

The thought of flagging a taxi, and explaining to the driver where you want to go, and having them turn you down is…absurd in America (and many other countries).

However, in Casablanca, this is common practice.

A huge, convoluted city, coupled with a lack of addresses makes it challenging to get places.

Even so, taxis are the main method of transportation (other than walking).

How do the drivers work it out?

They are very choosy about who they pick up (ideal clients).

They only take passengers within a certain geographic area they know very well (to ensure they can create the result for their clients).

If they do take someone to an area out of their known space, they confer, ask for a phone number, a landmark, something to orient them, and they ask strangers when they get close (not afraid to ask for help).

In our case – our driver asked a man selling pomegranates by the side of the road how to get to our destination. The man abandoned his wares, jumped in the front seat, and took our driver (and us) to the place three blocks away. He insisted on a tip for this (which we happily paid) and I got a little tip about business as well.

Be clear on what you offer, who you offer it to, and always ask for help when you need it.

In addition, offer help graciously when you can, and you will likely be compensated for it in the end.

Everything comes full-circle after all.

Over the next couple of days, I am working with the participants on contradictions and communication (we will be with people who speak nothing but Berber and we speak English, French and Spanish).

Needless to say, I can’t wait to share our insights with you!

Until then…stay passionate!

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