Respect. That one little word holds so much honor, promise, and power. Business leaders and humans in general, strive to receive it; though it is often hard won and easily lost, unless meticulous care is taken to maintain it. However, as we all know, first impressions and unfortunate faux pas often sink us before we have even had the opportunity to earn the respect of those around us. We alienate ourselves by our deficiency in the essential understanding of how to behave in typical and atypical situations. We lack the confidence to handle unexpected incidents with patience, poise, and sincerity. If we take the time to learn the rules of behavior and to use those rules not as a robot who walks a certain distance ahead of or behind a given person, because that is what protocol dictates. Instead, we use those rules as tools to help us to treat our coworkers well and our customers honorably, we are in fact preparing for ourselves the building blocks of a respected existence. While I am passionate about the possibilities of training others in etiquette and protocol, I am also a stay-at-home mother of three phenomenal little boys. The primary factor holding me back from pursuing a career as a business etiquette trainer is the immediate financial obligation of attending the training. Receiving the grand prize of free tuition would be absolutely amazing. I would be able to begin my career as a consultant of business etiquette and protocol with the powerful and respected name of the Protocol School of Washington behind me.