I don’t talk about work a lot. I have a great job with a great company, but I don’t think people are particularly interested in hearing details about what someone else does at work. Every once in a while I make an exception.

We have a group of clients that serve as an advisory council for our company. The members of the council are hand-selected based on the company each represents and the amount of business they have with our company. It is a very efficient way to get feedback, both negative and positive, that helps us run our company more effectively.

Once a year we take this group somewhere for a meeting, and we invite the spouses. Before I came to the company employee spouses were not included. I, however, understand what an amazing asset my wife is in these settings, so as soon as I got here I pushed for spouses to be included. It is especially important on a trip like this when the clients bring their spouses.

These are some good folks. I have always been very careful about understanding the difference between work relationships and friendships, but these folks make you cross the line into friendship. It works to everyone’s advantage, and it makes trips like these a lot of fun.

We meet until noon each day and then we plan an event for everyone during the afternoon and evening. While we are meeting, Peggy usually plans something active for the spouses to do (she is a personal trainer, you know). Not everyone participates, but everyone is invited.

Today we went riding in the desert on ATVs and then went to a ranch for dinner. The ranch has an “Old West” town set up, and we shot pistols and threw axes before dinner. It was a great active day and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

Tomorrow is our last day out here. I’m ready to get home, but we have really had fun.

And riding the desert in an ATV is an excellent exfoliator.