Star Struck at the Cannes Film Festival

While in France about two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend the Cannes Film Festival. The event is filled with A-list stars and is the highlight of a filmmaker's year. Unfortunately you needed special passes that are reserved only for film people in order to go to the movie screenings and if you were so lucky, to walk the red carpet as well. Well, for being normal tourists, we did get lucky. About a half hour upon arriving to Cannes, we passed an area crowded with paparazzi and assumed someone famous must be coming soon. How exciting!

Not even 15 minutes later, Joaquin Pheonix, Robert Duvall and Eva Mendes got out of fancy black cars and the cameras were flashing. We later saw them on the red carpet as well. We obviously made ourselves at home and snapped some up-close photos of the bunch. But I can tell you we did so while acting like little kids in a candy store. It was as if seeing these celebrities was the best thing that ever happened to us.

These people are famous in Hollywood, but perhaps not so much in the business world. However, once you start working at a consulting firm, you are put on clients where you have the opportunity to work with CEOs, CFOs, COOs and the like. These may be people who you have heard of and greatly admire, but you probably shouldn't act as star struck as we did. You have a job to do and your ability to handle yourself around those who are significantly higher up in the business world is a great reflection of your character.