Southern California Business Report Nov 25 25 Guest Christine Ferrera, Etiquette Coach & Trainer Polished Message Etiquette

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to k MET fourteen ninety am ABC News Radio
in the Southern California Business Report with the Vettwalker, a
show dedicated to highlighting successful Southern California businesses and the
people behind there.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Welcome and thank you for joining Southern California Business Report
on ABC News and Talks k MET fourteen ninety AM,
ninety eight point one FM and km ET TV. I'm
e Vetwalker, live blasting our signal from the center of
Southern California, serving a population of over twenty five million.
Get us crystal clear and on demand by downloading the
free live streaming app on Google Play and the Apple

(00:41):
App Store. As always, a tremendous shout out to the
team Mitch, Bill and Sean I love you guys, and
to our special advisory committee that can be found at
www dot scbr talk dot com. Forward slash Advisory Committee
on the link and learn about the incredible leaders doing

(01:04):
the work. And of course, speaking of leaders, I am
absolutely thrilled and honored to introduce and present a new
leader every week to my amazing audience today. Christine Joy
Ferreira is a nationally recognized etiquette coach, trainer and founder
of the polished message etiquette method. Renowned for her dynamic,

(01:24):
hands on approach, Christine empower's professionals, students, and leaders to
project confidence, polish and poison every interaction. With over a
decade of experience, she has transformed audiences ranging from Fortune
five hundred, organizations and universities to use leadership programs, including

(01:44):
as an international judge and presenter for the Miss Universe
Billize pageant. Christine's acclaimed workshops, featured in City Pride magazine
and Microsoft sponsored courses, blend practical skills with signature elegance,
helping clients master first impressions, communication, and image. Honored as

(02:05):
the Fontana Chamber of Commerce's Ambassador of the Year, Christine's
mission is simple yet profound, to help individuals and organizations
thrive by unlocking the power of etiquette, because, as she teaches,
etiquette is more than a knife and a forg Christine,
thank you for being with us here today.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Thank you. It's my honor and privilege to be in
your presence and I'm here to serve you and your community.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Thank you while you do it so gracefully. Every time
I see you, you always have this beautiful, bright smile
and are always so warm and inviting and considerate, and
I'm just so thrilled to finally have the opportunity to
invite you and be a part of the program. But
of course, as you know, the first question I enjoy
asking each of my guests is to give us a

(02:53):
brief history in time and share with us what was
a moment when you decided you wanted to pursue and
powering others through polished messaging and etiquette.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Powerful question, and the moment that happened was years ago
when our eldest son finished college and went into the
working world. He came home complaining about all the challenges
he saw. Mom asked one question, what are you going
to do about it? Rather than here the litany of

(03:27):
challenges he saw, he said, Mom, I will write a
book and help them. He's then wrote his first etiquette book,
The Perfect Gentleman's Pocket Guide by Michael Ferrera Junior, and
it's been on Amazon for fourteen years now. Then came
the moment he asked me, since I've been retired, Mom,

(03:51):
you can go here, and you can go there, and
you can go everywhere and help me. And so I did.
As a retired person from the medical industry was lovely
to help my child then as I was his pr person.
That's when I was tapped to work with the Fontana

(04:11):
Chamber girls, their pageant world and the rest, as they say,
is history.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
That is just so exciting. And of course that's going
to be one of my first questions to you, because
as someone who has worked with pageant participants worldwide, including
Miss Fontana, how does etiquette shape the confidence and poise
required to be on the stage.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yes, etiquette strengthens their presence. Once you understand the value
of etiquette, you can go, You can be, you can
engage at any level with anyone. You're poised to deliver
your message. You avoid unnecessary words, and you can exit

(05:03):
any conversation at any moment without being challenged. So, Yes,
etiquette positioned these ladies that I have shared health and
communities at large that I have served. They have escalated,
elevated themselves to level they themselves are sometimes surprised.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
So, Christine in a nutshell, can you give us the
definition of what etiquette means to you and how you
present it to your pupils?

Speaker 3 (05:39):
How do I present etiquette to my people? My etiquette
platform has three pillars only three, and it started with
only one. However, when I truly engaged, I noticed that
the main component, which was communication, I needed to add it,

(06:02):
which is why we now have communication, image and style,
how we present ourselves, and comprehensive etiquette, because etiquette is
not only about the knife and fork, is how you
walk into a room and your image speaks before your words.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
So with that said, you know your bio and your
experience is so broad, including working with worldwide pageants. You
collaborate with universities to educate students on etiquette. How do
you tailor your lessons for diverse student audiences from around
the globe?

Speaker 3 (06:47):
Great question, and the way I do that is first
I talk about the principles, respect being number one, communication
being number two, and aagement number three. Once I teach
about how to respect others, how to deliver your message

(07:07):
and engage with others, then I tie that in with
the culture so that they can then take the same
elements and use them in their culture. Because respect is
respect no matter where it is and no matter who
you are, you can use it, and respect means in

(07:30):
my world, once we respect ourselves, it is absolutely easy
and less challenging to respect anyone in the world.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
I love that, you know. That's actually something that I've
always integrated into my children's upbringing. Is you always number one.
You always respect yourself because when you respect yourself, you're
able to respect others. And that's one of the most
important things qualities in life. You know, with or without etiquette,

(08:04):
just respect in itself is so important, But etiquette is
that element that just elevates it and ties everything together
to create grace and ease through every movement of life.
So Christine, share, why is self presentation so vital in
both pageants and everyday life? And what first steps can

(08:24):
anyone take to improve their own look of presence?

Speaker 3 (08:28):
Oh, that is such a beautiful question, and deare to
my heart because how we self present ourself makes the
difference in any environment. You are, first of all, we
must be groomed from the top of her head to
the soles of her feet, because as women, we wear

(08:52):
shoes that sometimes have tips, and you want to avoid
not walking in the room eight and tapping as you
go along. And I teach that mister cobbler is your
best friend. When you find the tips fallen off, take

(09:13):
it to him or her because mine now is a her,
and they will polish it up, and that favorite shoe
of yours will be just as elegant, and you will
have your signature look, your signature shoes, and you will
always enter a room being polished and poised when you

(09:34):
walk in. Before you speak, you are speaking. So become
that polished person, have your signature look and self present
at any time anywhere, even if it's the grocery store.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
I love it, so you know I'm the same way.
You know, I won't go out until my hair is combed,
And there have been one or two occasions when I
have and people don't recognize me, even though I've known
them for years. So it definitely makes a difference. You know,
when it comes to the elegance of gatherings, what are
the subtle touches that transform a simple event into a

(10:14):
memorable and polished occasion?

Speaker 3 (10:17):
Wow? Wow, That memorable moment is first, get in the invite.
When I get an invitation, I look it over from
top to bottom. I look at the font, I look
at the text, then the collar, and then I look

(10:38):
at the date. Because the person that invites you, they
invest in you to offer the invitation, so therefore you
must be graceful in responding because that you know the
person will have a warm, welcoming reading table for you,

(11:02):
great company for conversation, and being on time because that
is your number one priority when it comes to get
in an invitation. Show up on time and if you're
on time three o'clock, you're late. And if you're too early,

(11:23):
don't go inside, stay outside and wait a little bit
before you go in. And then you show up just
enough time because you never want to impose on your
hosts while they may be doing the last minute touches.
And most of important for the hosts is to be

(11:44):
able to greet, interact, and have conversation in welcoming their.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Guests absolutely and so for hosts, what do you consider
the most overlooked duties and how can they fulfill their
roles with both warmth and efficiency?

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Ah, how does the get the hosts use their time efficiently?
Plan the night before you plan you know who said yes,
be ready for them. When your guest gets there, you
are the one that will open the door for them,

(12:23):
or you can hire someone to greet them. However, one
of the points they may miss is not being able
to introduce their guests. You allow yourself to welcome and
then introduce your guests to someone else that is there,

(12:45):
because it's important that everyone communicates, engage and have a
wonderful time at your event. You invited them, and you
must make sure they are very well taken care of.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
I love it those little fine details that really make
a world of difference. And of course, you know, Christine,
when you're among guests, fellow guests and hosts, how does
your advice for graciously exiting or pivoting away from uncomfortable

(13:19):
conversations without offending anybody? You know? Right now, we're coming
up on the holidays. There are going to be lots
of gatherings, and we're going to be interacting with a
multitude of people with a multitude of thoughts. But how
do we, you know, pivot from conversations that maybe are
not as pleasant as we would like them to be.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
I smile when I get these questions because they are
so beautiful, and I like that the audience get an
opportunity to hear ways of handling some of the etiquette
challenges that they may encounter. And this is one because
everyone is around talking and someone has you cornered and

(14:00):
you may want to not be in their presence, and
the way you exit is you kindly speak soft words
to them and maybe simply say it was lovely, thank
them it was lovely being in your presence. I enjoyed
the conversation. I will move on and try to meet

(14:23):
other people, because this is what we're there for. Networking
is your priority when you go, when you're in business,
and when you attend an event. And one of the
tips I always teach while we're networking and want to
exit from a conversation is how to handle your networking

(14:44):
food as in place in your plate in the right
hand and eat with your left fingers as this so
that when the person comes up to you and you
want to exit from that conversation, you kindly thank them
for their time and you move on over. Take this plate,

(15:05):
return it to your left hand, and now you have
a non greasy right hand or your dominant hand, whichever one.
Then you choose and give a warm, friendly, non herding handshake.
Web to web, wrap around a couple of pumps and release,

(15:27):
and you can exit any conversation that you are especially
the ones you're uncomfortable with.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
That's a great technique, and I especially like you know
that message of gratitude. As you're exiting, you know it
was great to speak with you. Thank you for the
time that we shared. And moving on. So let's talk
a tire. How should one decide what's appropriate for different events,

(15:55):
from pageants to business and holiday parties.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yes, going back to your invite. When you're invited to
the holiday party, read it, know where it's going to be,
know the details, know the timing, and know the attire.
And if it's a holiday event, dress appropriately. Appropriately appropriately
means that we avoid being over the top of the event,

(16:29):
be gracious, be kind, and allow your attire to be
welcome in and not distracting. Ask questions when we don't
know if a certain attire might not be appropriate, call
the host and ask the question. Because not everyone reads

(16:54):
or look at the invite, the invitation will share with
you the collar scheme, the type of attire. For example,
is it a garden party, is it a summer dress party?
Is it a business casual attire for a man? Is
it a high and elegant affair? That will guide you

(17:17):
And this is how you choose what to wear and
how to be polished and present and never over the top.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
What is your you know thoughts on trends. It seems
like trends for women are exposing more and more skin.
And you know, I've always kind of leaned towards the
side of modesty. What is your take on that as
it relates to etiquette.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
As a tire relates to etiquette, I always go on
the modest side. I teach it, I encourage and the
reason we never know when an opportunity is right next
to you, and you may have missed out on the
opportunity of your lifetime because you decided that I will

(18:14):
just wear what I want. It's my life. Yes, doesn't
work in the world, and I encourage most people to
give thought to what you're going to do, say, and
how you will present yourself. It matters to the world,
it matters to you. First of all, you've gone to college,

(18:37):
You've learned your craft, and now you want someone to
hire you. Your degree must serve you well, so position
yourself for that opportunity. So now you're attired to shine
behind your words.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
And as we know, gatherings will often include multi generational guests,
how do you encourage people to engage in conversations that
span the range of teens possibly to seniors that are
inclusive and enjoyable for all.

Speaker 3 (19:18):
Engage them, talk with them, ask them questions. As I
teach many times, my favorite word in the whole wide
word has three letters, and when I say that, everyone
starts thinking, what is it? That's the easiest word. Ask,

(19:40):
Ask questions. Allow others to share with you their thoughts,
their opinions, their ideas, and give them credit for it.
Share with them how proud you are of them. For me,
the word prod I never use it lightly because I

(20:05):
am proud of you when you execute what you're taught.
I am not proud of you for doing your homework.
That's your responsibility when you use the tools you're taught, parents, teachers, professionals,
and I see it. Oh my goodness, you have all

(20:26):
my heart. And so engaging with the multi generational, especially
in the holiday seasons. Have them sit among you, because
at an event, begoes a unit. However, at times when
we separate, it gets us to have other types of conversation.

(20:48):
And now when we meet back up with the person
we went with, you have five conversation and they have five,
and now you have ten. Engage with them, give them
kudos for what they've done in the life, the short
life they've had, but they can contribute to the environment

(21:10):
more than anyone can imagine, So engage them.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
That's a beautiful testament to how simple it is to
have a meaningful conversation. Is just ask right, show genuine
curiosity and interest in ideas, thoughts, lives, events, activities beyond
your own. I think that's a very big part of

(21:36):
the mindfulness process and developing and cultivating those meaningful connections.
And you mentioned pride. We were talking about something that
made you proud just before we started our conversation, Christine,
share with us, you know, just a brief moment of
one of your pupils that made you proud by integrating

(21:58):
and implementing the values of etiquette that you passed on
to them.

Speaker 3 (22:03):
Oh my goodness, that is so beautiful. As I was
getting prepared, I had a conversation with one of the
young ladies I have coached and trained for years. She
shared all the step she took to be in the
position that she wanted to be, and I said to her,

(22:28):
I am so proud of you because she executed. And
that's what makes etiquette so powerful. It's how you engage
the steps you take It's not for someone out there,
it's for you and you can do it. So her

(22:48):
testimony to me and especially I did for first graders,
and oh my goodness, the parents, they sent me the
most beautiful thank you no from the children that when
Holman became the etiquette police, Oh, I love it.

Speaker 2 (23:07):
That is wonderful. And I'm sure that just makes you
swell with pride because we can see it beaming from
your smile. And you know, Christine, we are going to
go up on a break. We're going to pick up
this conversation to learn more practices of etiquette as we
approach the traveling season, as we travel by trains, planes,

(23:28):
and automobiles, and how we can practice etiquette in those
environments as well. For everyone listening. If At Walker with
ABC News and Talks Southern California Business Report. Here with
Christine Ferrera, founder of the Polished Message Etiquette Method, who
is a celebrated coach and trainer, renowned for empowering leaders

(23:49):
to exude confidence and poise. Her acclaimed workshops, international judging
and award winning expertise inspire transformation, proving etique is more
than knife and fork. It's the art of thriving in
every setting. When we return.

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Speaker 2 (27:16):
Welcome back everyone. Evet Locker with ABC News and Talks
Southern California Business Report here today with Christine Ferrera, founder
of the Polished Message etiquette method.

Speaker 4 (27:27):
She is a.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Celebrated coach and trainer renowned for empowering leaders to exude
confidence and poise. Her acclaimed workshops, international judging and award
winning expertise inspire transformation, proving etiquette is more than knife
and fork. It's the art of thriving in every setting.
Thank you again for being with us today, Christine, my

(27:49):
pleasure so prior to the break you were sharing with
us some of the examples of the pupils and past
students of your etiquette message, including first graders that made
you so proud when they were taking their skills back
to the home and being the etiquette police at their
own dinner tables.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
Yes, that is correct. They I gave them this exact
picture that's behind me as their takeaway, so they had
it as their template to share with the family what
I taught. Then one child ended up setting her table
and the mom gracious listened to me the photo of

(28:33):
the place setting, and I was so proud of her.
It's beautiful that it's a seed planted at an early age,
the same early age I was taught. Because etiquette comes
to me almost naturally, because I had this most beautiful
anthelma that thought we should know every aspect of life,

(28:56):
and etiquette was one of them. So etiquette was what
I learned at the early age of seven, and I
passed it on to our children. So when he went
into the working world, that's how etiquette birth rebirthed in
our household. And he wrote the book. I got asked
to teach it, and here I am created the Polish

(29:19):
message etiquette and became the funder of it, serve in communities,
university students and oh my goodness, the students at the
Universit is, oh my gosh, there lovely and yes, etiquette
is important in her life every step of the way.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
Absolutely, And you know, as you mentioned, communication and conversation
are one of the greatest pillars of etiquette, so we're
gonna come back to it as the host. As the host,
what are some topic guidelines to ensure discussion remains relevant, respectful,
and engaging for all guests.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
Encourage yourself to use uplift in topics, educational topics, and
aspiring moments, whether it's sharing your story to a younger person,
finding out about what their direction is and how you

(30:25):
can enhance theirs. Invite them to reach out to you first, suggestions, hope,
and guidance because an adult has had so many years
of experience in vast areas, so that person or even
another adult from a different industry, we can always learn.

(30:48):
So choose the topics wisely, uplifting topics, educational topics, and
topics that can help anyone grow. If there is a
topic you want to stay away from and you're not
a fan of where it's going, this is when you

(31:09):
tap into your what Christine calls change the topic question,
and you do it so subtly it's not even notice.
You simply change it, change the topic.

Speaker 2 (31:25):
So how would you implement a change the topic question?
Assuming we're having a discussion about something that you're not
a big fan of, how would you segue into that
question to change the topic.

Speaker 3 (31:40):
This is why we listen in conversation. And then you
can go back to a point the person made earlier
that they never expound on, Sally, would you expound on
whatever it is? And now you're on a whole different
topic and you've moved on with grace and style.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
Absolutely, and the person that is having the conversation feels
empowered because they feel listened to and honored to have
the opportunity to expound and expand on their previous comment. Brilliant.
I love it, Christine. With the ubiquity of smartphones, they're everywhere,

(32:26):
we can't get away from them. What are your essential
etiquette rules for device use in family, social, and business settings?

Speaker 3 (32:37):
Device use in social, family, and business All three are
important and how we handle them with grace and style
will elevate you, your audience, your community to the next level.
Number one for the business people, when you're in a meeting,

(33:01):
we understand that you may be expecting a phone call,
turn your phone in silence, and if you must take
that call, exit handle it in private. The table is
not part of your conversation to allow them the respect
of stepping away. When we're with children, we find the

(33:25):
time when they can have it, or you choose where
you go for dinner so that you can then have
adult conversation and children conversation. And this is when you
can talk about all the excitement they had at school,
or what happened at the soccer game today, did you

(33:47):
score a goal, how was the feeling? And this is
how you bring them in. Devices are tools that we
can all use and learn. How we bring them into
your etiquette world is powerful. Avoid placing them on the table,

(34:07):
and what I teach is you may place them in
the back of your chair so that you don't need
to reach for them, or have it on the table
so that as it rings, you look down or you
reach for it. There are ways that can eliminate those distraction.

(34:27):
And the truth is you are networking because you want
to meet other people and they're not on your phone
right now, they're in front of you. So use your
time wisely and engage. Take your etiquette level to the
next level.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
So you know, we spoke about familial gatherings, but let's
touch on the business world. How should a host of
a business gathering or event or celebration, prepare guests to
ensure everyone feels comfortable and knows what to expect.

Speaker 3 (35:04):
That's a beautiful question because I recently had the honor
of creating an invite for my husband's staff, and I
had all the details and every point was clear. We
must stay who it's for, who's allowed to attend, where

(35:25):
it's going to be, and the address, so that with
technology they can map out their time frame. A subtle
way I handle invitations is because I know some of
my guests are typically late. There's just those people I

(35:49):
do and everyone can have this as their tip. I
give an invite with two different times and when my
late comer at ten, and show up there right on
time with my guests that are there. And I have
used that technique for eons because one of my favorite

(36:13):
part of life is entertaining. So use it and you
will be the best at it. Oh, I love it.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
So you keep track of those that have a history
or tend to show up on the later side, and
you up the time maybe fifteen twenty minutes earlier than
the guests that are more punctual. It sounds like absolutely,
I love that technique, no one knows. That's wonderful. So, now,

(36:45):
as we mentioned that we're coming up on holiday season,
or even outside of holiday season, just in general, when
we get together with coworkers, colleagues, in a business setting,
with organizations, how should we interact when alcohol is served
at an event? What advice do you have regarding also

(37:06):
physical touch and maintaining thoughtful boundaries because, as we know,
sometimes when alcohol is involved, those boundaries seem to be
somewhat blurred, or you know, things can go awry. What
is your advice.

Speaker 3 (37:23):
My advice to when alcohol is being served. When you
are the host, you are in control. You must focus
on your guests and be sure that they're only having
what they need to have. And earlier I spoke about
my three letter word. Ask questions before you touch anyone,

(37:47):
ask permission. Never ever feel as though it's a privilege
to grab someone and hug them. No, which is why
I develop the subtle hug, and I teach the hug
and not to hug. Everyone does not deserve a hug. Yes,

(38:08):
that might sound contrary, However, we share the hug. It's
how we share it. Because for one, this is when
I teach how we wear our perfume. I love mine
and you love yours, and we will wear it graciously. However,

(38:29):
when and this is a tip for the audience, when
we're getting dressed, as we wear our perfume, we put
it on our body and not on her clothes. Because
when you hug someone, even if you're having the spirited beverages,
that hug may not be as genuine as you intend

(38:50):
it to be, or you may slip and cause on
wanted aggression to the person. So be thoughtful. We don't
want your perfume on them because when they walk away
now they will be smelling you and not then, so
be thoughtful about it. And when the ladies, especially ladies,

(39:16):
we should set our boundaries, pay attention. Awareness is the factor.
Be aware of your surroundings and others' behaviors. You look
across the room and you know he's coming towards you,
brace yourself and be ready to exit. Because if you

(39:37):
know you don't want to be engaged, you ask questions
and speak up, stand for yourself. Fighting back sometimes become
more becomes more challenging than speaking up. And yes, we
must be gracious in how we touch others.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Another controvert topic I know we're in California, but what's
your perspective on the topic of men wearing shorts in
the workplace?

Speaker 3 (40:11):
Oh my gosh, she has some beautiful questions events men
wearing shorts and ladies because latest typically it's the different
types of slacks, and there's a difference between a pants
and a slacks and we must know the difference. Likewise,
there's a difference between a sandal and a slipper. We

(40:34):
must know the difference and wear them appropriately for the environment,
the workplace, the party, the gala. Back to the shorts.
Many industry allows shorts, especially sometimes the tech industry. They're
behind the computer many days, and I now can attest

(40:56):
to that I sit behind my computer creating curricas and
creating different aspects of where I want to go. However,
what I suggest, and I highly suggest this, in your
position as a tech tech expert, you may have the

(41:17):
opportunity to speak on behalf of the company. So have
a set of appropriately professional whether it's business casual or
business attire, and know the difference, because your business attire
and your business casual are very different in the sense

(41:38):
that you will be wearing a suit and tie and
then the casual, you may only be wearing a shirt
and a tie or no tie at all, with well
polished shoes. So be prepared. Whether you're in the tech
industry and you're allowed to wear show, be able to

(42:01):
pivot for a different environment, and in the other industries,
be thoughtful of your choice because you chose that position.
Each industry has their guidelines, and their guidelines are there

(42:22):
for a purpose, and one of the main one is
to protect safety. So when you choose to wear what's
not in there, you must think about it and be thoughtful.
Makes sense.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
So we'll touch on dining with colleagues. You know sometimes
we have dinner events or business dinners. What simple steps
can help us avoid common etiquette mistakes and present our
best selves?

Speaker 3 (42:53):
Ooh, good question. Learn to use your tensils. The knife
is in the right hand, the fork goes in the left,
or your dominant hand. Likewise, if you're a dominant left
handed person, it's your responsibility to speak up to the

(43:16):
host and ask them share with them that I am
a left hand person, so that they will place you
at the right placement at the table. When you're left
handed next to a right handed person, now you're forever
bumping elbows. Know that when you're out with different colleagues,

(43:39):
because we don't know everyone that's getting together at the
holiday for twelve months. You've talked to them on the phone,
and now you see them. You want to chat, you
want to hug, you want to engage, But know these
before you go. Know that you can avoid asking is
this your glass? Is this my glass? Is this your glass?

Speaker 2 (44:01):
Now that's inst the topic of conversation at many business
dinner tables.

Speaker 3 (44:11):
You're correct, know that you only have twelve to fourteen
inches of space, just what my background shows, and then
you'll eat from outside inwards. The smaller fork will be
your salad fork. The bigger one is your entree, and
you may notice at the top of it there is

(44:34):
a fork and a spoon, and the only reason they're
there is that you haven't ordered your dessert yet, and
when you order either cake or ice cream, they'll take
one away. This is the way you know above the knife,
you see right here the knife, and right above it
is your glass, and that is how you will know

(44:57):
that that's your space. So we'll never have to hear
the question ask is this my place? Is this my glass?
Is this no, look for the knife and you'll find
your glass. Beside your knife is the spoon. The spoon
right here. This will be your soup spoon. And the

(45:18):
way you use it is you take your spoon and
go forward up and then to your mouth. It's all
in the risk, because the more you twist your wrist
going to your mouth, you will spill all over you.
So forward up into your mouth. Well, there you have it,

(45:40):
you can use it, and I'm here for any more questions.

Speaker 2 (45:45):
Well, so back to the million dollar question. As many
travelers will be on planes, trains, and automobiles. As we
mentioned earlier, traveling with grace can be a challenge. What
are your best tips for packing, attire and interacting with
fellow travelers to show class and consideration.

Speaker 3 (46:06):
Class and consideration. Recently, I came back from my third
solo trip, meaning my husband didn't go with me, so
I had to do everything. So I packed accordingly. Take

(46:29):
only what you need, look at your agenda, plan your
attire for the day, and that's what you choose. Happy
enough that the attire you will need for that specific
event you're going to attend will be in your travel luggage.

(46:50):
Just perhaps something happened your luggage did not arrive with you.
You have the attire you want, take comfortable shoes, have
your luggage ready and easy to roll or move with.
You have books to read at least one. And never

(47:14):
disturb your neighbor on the plane if you see them
busy reading. Stay focused, and only engage when it's needed.
So first of all, prepare your luggage wisely.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
And.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
For professionals and for everyone especially, dress appropriately on the plane.
I always talk about I never wear tennis shoes when
I'm traveling. I take my tennis shoes and my tennis
shoes for me to run around and enjoy where I am. However,

(47:54):
when I am stepping on the plane, I step on
the plane as polished as I need to be because
it's about other people. How will I engage with them,
how will they see me? And I try my best.
I don't try. I do my best to be polished
wherever I go. So take it with you, elevate yourself

(48:17):
even when you're traveling. Traveling is fun, it really is.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
It's, you know, one of those things that it's something
to look forward to and just a wonderful experience. You're
traveling from one destination to the next, and all the
adventures in between.

Speaker 3 (48:34):
Right.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
So, finally, Christine, how can etiquette be made fun and
accessible for everyone? And what is the best way for
people to connect with you to learn more about becoming
their most polished selves?

Speaker 3 (48:52):
How can anyone get in touch with me? Let's start
with the other question. Can be polished no matter what
your bank account does not determine it. Whatever you have,
and I teach this, you hang it out for three
days and then you go back and you wear them,

(49:15):
rotate them. And so when do you want any of
these steps that I share? You can reach me at
www dot the thch polished message dot com. I am
on every single social platform and I would be happy

(49:35):
to elevate whatever aspects of your life you would like
to get polished.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
I love it, Christine. Thank you for your grace, for
your class, and for your continued education with enthusiasm to
help us all elevate ourselves, polish ourselves, and live our
best lives, not only for ourselves but for those around us.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Yes, it was my honor, my privilege to be in
your presence, and I know your listeners will take away
at least one tip they can implement, which is how
I teach what I teach, you should be able to
implement it immediately.

Speaker 2 (50:25):
Wonderful. Thank you so much for your graciousness and for
just everything that you do in our community and for
making life that much more bright and brilliant. We appreciate
you and we look forward to following up with you soon.
Thank you, Christine.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
All Right.

Speaker 2 (50:43):
For everybody listening, don't forget to find us on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn,
and Instagram. Check us out on SCBR talk dot com,
and don't miss my conversation with doctor Lisa Warren and
doctor Mary Lopez, deans at Western University of Health Sciences, who,
in an era of profound healthcare challenges, champion holistic, patient

(51:05):
centered care. Their visionary leadership in osteopathic medicine and nursing
empowers the next generation of practitioners, inspiring future leaders to
confront the behavioral health crisis and advance a future where
communities and individuals truly flourish. Next week, meet Tom Gump,
a dynamic leader dedicated to expanding Rotary's impact. As a

(51:28):
proud Edina Morningside Rotarian, Tom currently chairs Rotary International's Membership
Growth Committee, helping clubs thrive worldwide. He'll serve as director
for Zones twenty five B and twenty nine from twenty
twenty six through twenty twenty eight, and is co chairing
the twenty twenty eight Rotary Convention in Minneapolis with his family.

(51:49):
Deeply involved in rotary, Tom's favorite part remains the friendship
he built along the way. You do not want to
miss it. We will see you all next week.