A Bientôt, Cher Paris
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
While the naïve me wishes that the literal meaning of Hemingway’s statement were true — that I could bring home with me a feast of the French food I’ve tasted over the last month — I know that Hemingway’s true intention is of course more valuable (if by only a little).
The feast Hemingway talks about is a feast for the mind. It’s my experience that in Paris, no matter where you are, you feel like the city is stuffed to the brim like a turkey on Thanksgiving, in every brasserie and park, with the world’s secrets. She grins slyly at you as you pass through her tiny winding streets, almost jeering at you, daring you to discover what she holds.
As I wrote about last week, curiosity is all it takes to reap the benefits of such a wonderful city as Paris. Where my curiosity took me is a rejuvenated perspective on how to approach and analyze situations, and how to remain open-minded to new ideas and suggestions. Today, I presented my final presentation to a group of managers from the marketing department here at Canal+. My presentation contained what I hope are helpful thoughts from an outsider on future opportunities for growth within Canal+. The restructure my team in Boston underwent this year, and the integration it forced between disciplines, was a major point of reference for how I identified these growth opportunities. We can certainly all work in a more integrated fashion, for after all, we truly are #bettertogether.
In return, going home, I’m challenging myself to bring back a renewed positive, change-embracing, integration-minded presence amongst my own team. Ultimately, what will move teams and businesses forward is continual change and new thinking and ideas, and I’m thankful to have found a new perspective on the true value of that spirit here at Canal+.
And this is the magic of Paris at work. It’s incredible how the city’s magic nourishes and rejuvenates you so that when you go forth, you too bring a new joie de vivre, a new eyes-wide-open mentality back to where you came from or someplace new, your parting present from your wonderful, warm, lovely Paris.
Of course, a special thank you to my coach, Francois Fourrier, and all of the Canal+ marketing team members who gave me such a warm welcome. I’m truly grateful to have had this opportunity to learn and grow with you all throughout the last month and I look forward to new beginnings back home inspired by my time here in Paris :)
