Sunday, July 16, 2006

What's up with Cell Phones in the Gym?

This post has nothing at all to do with my life as a professional school show performer, but I had to get this off my chest.

Why would anyone spend their time in the gym sitting on a weight bench talking on their cell phone? Can you not find a better place to carry on a conversation than a crowded weight room? Maybe you don't really want to work out anyway and the phone is a convenient distraction? I can't imagine anyone being so subservient that they can not arrange to have even 30-60 minutes (at 5 AM no less!) to finish a work out uninterrupted.

I also work as a consultant to other performing artists, and I write regular columns in two different industry trade journals where I have advocated staying accessible to your customers, clients, and prospects. I even write a free e-newsletter every other week where I discuss (among other things) how to available to your people. Cell phones are one great way to do this. I even wrote an article that's posted on my web site about this very thing and in it I stress that being connected does NOT mean being available 24/7.

You have to have family time, bathroom time, and occasionally time at the gym and these need to be done WITHOUT cell phone conversations.

There, I feel much better now.

--Julian Franklin
www.JulianFranklin.com

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