AN INTENSE DAY OF BRAINSTORMING: Well, I have 2 days left here in Maikop. I wonder how much good I've done. I have learned a lot about their market adn their challenges, but helping them with a strategy is really going to be a challenge. We spent the morning with the Sales Director basically hashing out a business review and doing a SWOT analysis. We didn't get very far as information is so limited.

Mid-day, the director arrived and I had the opportunity to really sit down with him and ask some key strategic questions, share some thoughts and ideas and I felt like we had a very good rappore. Tomorrow, I am doing a 2 hour seminar on sales and marketing basics and then we'll do some blind taste testing and brainstorming. I'm looking forward to that but I am grateful to have an intepreter.

This evening, we arrived back at the hotel and I had a HUGE heavy briefcase. Of course, being in Russia, men generally carry things like that for women. It's the one perk that exists in the business world for women. Last night, Sergei offered to take my bag up the 3 flights of stairs to our floor. Today, as we walked to the entrance to the hotel, I contemplated whether or not he would offer, or if I should ask if he was going to and I heard him sigh and reach over to take my bag. As Sergei lived in the US for 9 years, I think the same thougths were going through his mind as well. We both laughed at the situation, but he did offer, and I did accept his offer to carry my bag.

I will NOT be in shape for this bike ride in 2 weeks. Hmm. OKay, that's it for today.