Last Friday the 13th had a bit of a sense of humor.

I was slated to speak at Fordham University, moderating a roundtable on the Future of Work and the Human Experience with a group of CIOs. Sounds glamorous, right? I had my content ready, stats packed in my back pocket, and caffeine pulsing through my veins.

The only thing I didn’t have?

The correct address.

Yes. After a week of high-intensity work, a sore right heel, and a jampacked schedule, I missed a detail. A little one. The kind that turns into a big one. East 62nd versus West 62nd. Let’s just say the distinction… matters.

Cue: a 30-minute detour, some colorful inner dialogue, and a few deep breaths to get centered before walking into a room where I was supposed to be the calm, composed moderator setting the tone for the day.

Here’s the thing. I know how to prep. I train people on presence, preparation, and delivering with impact. But every so often, life hands you a live-fire lesson. This was mine.

Could I have blamed the lack of a detailed invite? Sure. But it was on me to catch that, to triple-check the location, to verify the route, to calendar it with care, to add the sponsor’s number to my contacts, to leave margin for the unexpected. I skipped all of that, and it cost me.

Because here’s what mattered most that day: the people in the room were my customers. My sponsor, the one who extended the invitation, was my customer. And I was responsible for delivering a great experience.

Arriving 20 minutes late meant we didn’t get to do proper introductions. It ate into the warmup time that builds trust and rapport. And because I hadn’t reached out earlier that week to check in with the sponsor, we missed the chance to align and connect casually ahead of time. None of that was intentional. But it mattered.

And yet, here’s what I’m proud of. We still had an incredible, honest, human conversation. Because even when things don’t go perfectly, experience isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection, owning the moment, and making the best of the time we do have.

Still, next time, I’ll come better prepared. So here’s the checklist I’ll be using, and one I’d offer to any leader, speaker, or service pro who wants to nail the customer experience:

Little big things: the experience checklist

• Confirm the exact time, address, and route 24 hours in advance
• Add sponsor or host contact info to your phone and send a quick check-in
• Build in 30 minutes of cushion for travel and setup
• Pack backups: slides, adapters, charger, notes, water
• Mentally rehearse your opening 5 minutes, set the tone
• Leave space for introductions, conversation, and connection
• Ask yourself: what will make this easy and memorable for them?
• And most importantly, don’t skip the basics. They’re not basic. They’re everything.

Little things make a big difference. In service. In leadership. In life.

And every now and then, they remind us that showing up prepared isn’t just about looking polished. It’s about honoring the people we’re there to serve.

That’s what real experience is made of.

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