The Element Pitch: A Poem by Louise Daley
At our first Tern event, we asked our esteemed coaches to take part in The Element Pitch – a competition where each candidate was asked to stand up and pitch the one unique personal quality or element that sets them apart from everyone else in life or in their career.
Executive VP and CFO of AccorHotels APAC, Louise Daley, recited an original (and beautiful) poem about her Element: curiosity. She expressed that while her background pointed her towards working in finance, her curiosity drove her into a rich and fulfilling career in one of the world’s largest hotel groups.
When asked what word best describes my intent
When I find myself in my element
a word I would use to define me
I realized it is simply curiosity
It takes me to places of wild imagination
Without rhyme or reason or explanation
I sometimes wonder whether I should be so hell bent
On following a notion that didn’t cost me a cent
Now you may think this strange from a person in finance
A poetic approach reserved normally for romance
But from the moment I started my career in travel
I have never worried a moment that things could unravel
Now It is not to say you don’t need to be strong,
In the face of the many times when you will surely be wrong
You will make lots of choices every single day
But only by asking questions will you know you’re going the right way
So if you think I would be able to help you at all
And you’re not afraid to risk a fall
Then let’s go forward, just you and me
Into the exhilarating world of curiosity