I had dinner with some Lady Planners last week and was telling one of them that next time she needs to buy a particular item of furniture she should give me a shout, because after a massive project for a retailer I am now an expert on the subject.
I then realised that she has a makeup client so started picking her brains for foundation and mascara advice (her top tip –if you run the mascara wand over the ends of your lashes after application it looks like you’re wearing falsies).
One of the perks of Account Planning is inadvertently acquiring an awful lot of knowledge about some fairly random topics. My areas of Unlikely Expertise now include rabbit nutrition, fruit juice manufacture, dogs with sensitive tummies, the best way to wash your hair and optimal back bar layout in pubs and bars.
But what to do with all this knowledge? I’ve stopped a friend feeding her rabbits carrots (they’re full of sugar and can give bunnies upset tummies), have shinier hair and make more educated choices about which orange juice I buy, but beyond that I’m just a head full of facts and figures waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting friend…
That information could come in handy one day. In the meantime, it makes you an interesting planner.