Reader,
Back in February, I bought a limo.
Yes, you read that correctly.
A 30-foot DeBryan Stretch Limousine now sits proudly in my back driveway like the official mascot of questionable decisions and unforgettable memories.
But I didn’t buy it to impress anyone.
I bought it as a tool.
A tool to bring family and friends together.
A tool to create moments.
A tool to make memories that don’t just show up on a calendar, but stick in your soul.
The backstory of this event can be found here.
Now that this beautiful beast is sitting in the driveway, I’m constantly looking for events, outings, and excuses to team up with others and create the kind of memories I dreamed about when I bought it.
This past Saturday was exactly that.
A few weeks ago, I posted a Facebook Reel asking friends to share food, beverages, events, or places within a one-hour drive that they would rate a true 10/10.
I took their suggestions, built an agenda, invited friends and family, and started picking everyone up at 8:30 a.m.
Because nothing says “responsible adult” like a limousine rolling through town before most people finish their first cup of coffee.
Our first stop was Faye in Murphysboro, Illinois, where I had an 11/10 brisket benedict.
As we were eating, I dropped the first surprise on the group.
I told them we were heading to Alto Pass for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Then I added one small detail.
“They have a parade that starts at noon…”
Pause for effect.
“And we are in it.”
The group erupted.
Smiles. Laughter. Shock. Energy. The whole room lifted.
And honestly, it felt incredible.
That was the feeling I had hoped to create when I bought the limo in the first place. Not attention. Not applause. Connection.
We passed out beads for everyone to wear and hand out during the parade. We mixed buckets of candy. We loaded up the limo. We hit the road.
There was only one tiny little detail I had failed to mention.
I had never actually confirmed with the parade organizers that we were allowed to be in the parade.
Minor detail.
Leadership is fun like that.
I had reached out multiple times, but by this point in the day, I was leading the group forward with nothing more than hope, a prayer, and a stretch limousine full of candy.
When we reached Alto Pass, we started asking around to find the parade lineup.
Eventually, someone pointed us toward a church.
We pulled in at 11:40.
The parade started at noon.
There was not a soul in sight.
No floats.
No bands.
No tractors.
No clowns.
No organized chaos.
Just us, a limo, a pile of beads, and the growing realization that I may have accidentally invited my friends and family to a parade that did not want us.
Then a woman named Molly from the Garden Club walked up pulling a wagon full of flowers.
I asked, “Are you in the parade?”
She said yes.
I asked, “Where is everyone else?”
She said, “I have no idea.”
Perfect.
So we did what great teams do when the plan gets fuzzy.
We got to work.
We started making signs. We decorated the limo. We organized the candy. We got ready.
Then, around 11:50, a group of about 30 people arrived wearing red and carrying instruments, noise makers, and enough enthusiasm to power a small village.
They were from the Tomato Fertilization Club.
Yes, that is real.
The club was formed in 1979. They nominate a king and queen for the event. They dress in red. They make all kinds of racket as they walk the parade route.
At 11:55, a fire truck pulled up.
The siren hit.
And just like that, we were off.
The parade lineup was simple and spectacular.
Fire truck.
Molly with the Garden Club wagon.
The Tomato Fertilization Club.
And us.
The World’s Greatest Day crew.
We waved. We laughed. We passed out beads and candy. We fully engrossed ourselves in the moment.
And we made memories we will talk about forever.
Here’s the leadership lesson.
When you are in charge, it is your job to be the visionary, the planner, and the person willing to see things through.
But leadership rarely comes with a perfect parade route.
Sometimes the plan is fuzzy.
Sometimes the details are incomplete.
Sometimes you arrive at the lineup and there is no lineup.
Sometimes the only thing standing between your team and disappointment is your ability to keep moving forward with hope and a prayer.
That does not mean you fake confidence.
It means you keep evaluating.
You ask questions.
You look for answers.
You adjust.
You stay calm.
You keep the group moving.
You trust that the next right step will appear when you are willing to take the first one.
No one in my group knew how close that parade moment came to falling apart.
They didn’t know I was quietly wondering if we had just driven a limo full of people to an empty church parking lot.
They didn’t know I was scanning the scene, asking questions, and hoping this thing would come together.
And that is exactly the point.
All they will remember is the laughter.
The beads.
The candy.
The fire truck.
The Tomato Fertilization Club.
The limo rolling through Alto Pass.
The feeling of being part of something unexpected, ridiculous, joyful, and unforgettable.
They will remember that we had the World’s Greatest Day.
And that is leadership.
Not because everything went perfectly.
But because when the plan got shaky, we kept going.
So here’s your challenge this week.
Create the moment.
Make the invite.
Build the plan.
Bring the energy.
And when things don’t go exactly as expected, don’t panic in the parking lot.
Ask the next question.
Find the next person.
Take the next step.
Your team does not always need to see every problem you are solving.
Sometimes they just need to feel your steady belief that the day is still worth making great.
Because the best leaders don’t just manage the agenda.
They create the memory.
BOOM!!!
Takeaways for Leaders
Vision gets people excited.
Someone has to imagine what could be possible before anyone else can experience it.
Planning creates momentum.
The agenda, the details, and the preparation matter. Candy does not sort itself, people.
Flexibility saves the day.
When the plan gets wobbly, leaders don’t freeze. They adjust.
Hope is a leadership tool.
Not blind optimism, but steady belief that the next right step is worth taking.
The memory matters.
People may never know every problem you solved behind the scenes, but they will remember how you made them feel.
Action Step
This week, identify one experience, meeting, event, or moment that you are responsible for leading.
Then ask yourself:
What can I do to turn this from something people attend into something people remember?
Onward >>>>>
Tom
#TeamBOOM
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