Eddie Osterland lives by a piece of advice that was told to him by his father: watch for the gold ring.

 

Eddie’s dad used to ride a merry-go-round in Brooklyn as a child. The best part was getting an outside horse and, every once in a while, there was an arm that would drop down with cartridges of lead rings that you could grab, if you were lucky enough to be on the right horse. And if you got one of these rings, you got a free ride. But, once a week, there was a brass ring, and if you managed to get it, you got free rides for the year. 

 

Eddie’s dad called this the gold ring. You never know when it's going to come by. So be vigilant, reach out, grab it, and ride it wherever it takes you. It may not be the end-all, but the next gold ring you see coming along might be seven years from now. 

 

Eddie’s gold ring was a plane ticket from New Jersey to Honolulu. He decided to take a vacation after he got a degree in psychology, before jumping into his career. He and a friend went down to a travel agency intending to buy one-way tickets to California. The travel agent told them for another $95 they could buy tickets to Honolulu instead, so that’s what they did. 

 

Eddie decided to stay in Hawaii and started studying psychopharmacology at graduate school. He started working as a waiter at night, but one night the sommelier was sick so Eddie ended up filling in, which inspired him to move to France to study professional wine tasting at the University of Bordeaux, making Eddie America's first master sommelier.

 

Now, Eddie combines his food and wine expertise with sales psychology to create memorable events that help businesses acquire new clients.

 

His tips for power entertaining include:

 

• Always serve wines in pairs so you have something to compare it to
• Serve your best food and wine first 
• If you’re entertaining at a restaurant, don't let the restaurant control your experience – make friends with the sommelier and book a quiet, private dining room
• Never let the check come to the table – give your credit card to the restaurant beforehand and tell them to add a 25% tip

 

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Resources:

• Learn more: eddieosterland.com
• Facebook: @eddie.osterland
• Instagram: @eddieoeddieosterlandcom
• Read: Power Entertaining
• Get your copy of Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and...