Give Love

I was talking to my friend Jen last night, who I'll see next month at Natural Products Expo West (and is also planning a trip to New York this spring). "I think you need to try to discretely snap some pictures on the subway in the morning. I need to see some grit."

Hmmm...well, there's plenty of grit here in the Big Apple, though somehow the filter on my camera tends to seek out beauty (and sunshine), where ever I can find it.

I received my second Valentine of the season over the weekend, from someone who is also an aficionado of beauty, as well as the power of accessorizing....

This was taken late last fall, when I just moved in. Carly had come over to see me, just throwing on a little something for a Saturday visit.

Carly is very much a girly girl -- Hello Kitty, Princesses, American Girl, Hannah Montana, unicorns, rainbows, crafts and lots and lots of pink at all times. Her mother Stacy isn't quite sure where this came from. As you can imagine, Valentine's Day is Carly's holiday!

She and some of her little friends were creating Valentine's for family and school over the weekend, it was like a big factory with stickers, pink and red construction paper, multiple markers and sparkles everywhere. She proudly presented me with her first.

Stacy started a nice tradition a couple years ago (that I think, truthfully, was born out of a "Something's got to give" moment during a hectic holiday season when she was 9 months pregnant) by sending out Valentine's cards to their former December holiday card list. What began as a time saving strategy is now something special to receive mid-Winter.

Jason commented on the activity: "It's never a bad idea to tell someone you like them," he said, wisely.

"Failure"

Two things I enjoy nearly every single day are açai bowls and smoothies, and coconut water. One company I used to work for, and one company I know from the natural products industry.

Earlier this week I was surprised and delighted to read the news that Madonna invested in Vita Coco! I know the founder and some people who work for the company, and certainly they manufacture an outstanding product. Undoubtedly this investment will be wonderful for them, for both star power awareness and the resources required to battle the 'war at shelf' that's very real and quite challenging for independent companies. What I love is the story behind it...How a college drop out creates a company, works hard to make a superior product (I'm sure not without considerable struggle, and a few moments of staring into the abyss) when out of nowhere an unexpected door opens.

A few weeks ago, I read a story in the Economist called "The Harry Pottery Economy": "...The recession of 2008-2009 has been accompanied by bold claims about businesses' economic importance. As car makers teetered many people put it about that one in ten American jobs depended on the industry. The figure turned out to include taxi drivers. Similarly adventurous claims have been made for telecoms and road-building. As a single-handed creator of jobs and wealth, though, few can match the writer Joanne Rowling..."

When the first Harry Potter came out several years ago, I remember reading J.K. Rowling's personal story -- how a single mother was struggling with bills and debt, and sitting at a cafe with her child to warm herself as her home lacked heat, when the entire Harry Pottery story just popped into her head. And of course she then completed the crucial next step by then reaching for the gift -- she sat down and wrote it.

J.K. Rowlings' very moving commencement speech at Harvard University is worth listening to for the 'fringe benefits of failure.'

TGIF

Even before my Aunt passed away last Friday I was feeling restless and irritable.

I took these shots walking to the train last week. We had morning flurries in Brooklyn Heights that were gone by the time I reached Chelsea.




Pretty, but...

The same day I had gotten an email from my yoga teacher in Laguna with this shot. Sigh.


So I am California dreaming but this seems to be the closest I've gotten to that lately!

I stayed home yesterday to recharge a bit and work in the afternoon. I was talking to my colleague Adam later in the day, mainly rehashing the same ol' same ol' conversation about a potential client that has remained 'potential' for nearly a year! It's been annoying and mainly Adam and I amuse ourselves with the latest on what he tells us. Though yesterday I was just over talking about it it and said,"Adam, I have to go. I am going to get a pedicure and go to yoga. I'm taking back California." Adam said, "I see that..."

So while I padded to class in a down coat and boots, mentally pretending I was in flip flops and wearing a lot less clothes, I thought about my promise to myself of maintaining a California lifestyle in New York.

This morning a miracle happened. I felt the urge to stop in Perelandra on the way to the train and discovered an amazing juice bar in the back. There's a Whole Foods across the street from work, which is wonderful to have, but there's something about small independent natural products stores and cafes that are inspiring to me. This one -- product and staff -reminds me a lot of Mother's Markets, a wonderful indie chain in SoCal.

I loved Perelandra's handwritten juice bar menu, the interesting recipes the juice bar guys were telling me about, and the sense of pride they had, and just plain ol' good vibrations there. After some time debating the wonderful choices, I decided upon a "Green Goddess" smoothie. And as I left the store sipping it, even in 20 degree temperatures, I felt like a green goddess once again.

And then it hit me. It's finally February. TGIF!

$2.2 million!

A campaign we've been working on for several months had its New York event today -- which has raised $2.2 million dollars so far this year for rare cancer research. Here's a story about the founders that ran yesterday morning about the event, and a news story on NY1.

Birthday Boy

My dear Aunt Ruth passed away yesterday and it was a very sad day. I stayed home from work and talked to my sister and father, and watched white caps form in the East River from the bitter wind. Though the last thing I felt like was going to a party, I had a surprise 40th birthday party uptown for my friend Paul -- and it's Paul, you go.

Paul's parents (who I hadn't seen since his 30th birthday!) came in for the weekend from Miami and his business partner hosted a cocktail party for all of Paul's many, many friends in her lovely home right off the park.

I've been friends with Paul for several years, and we used to be neighbors in New York, and saw each other all the time. Many of my other friends know Paul as he has that perfect social swizzle stick way about him, and can drop in nearly any setting and make entertaining conversation. When I lived in California I stayed at his apartment a few times, including my last trip in August where I was pretty anxious about the relocation and finding a nice place to live -- Paul took it all in stride and was a great sounding board, and wonderful friend.

Paul also works in public relations though tends to work with primarily luxury brands and society events, which can be a world away from organic food and beverage and the 'green' crowd. When I first moved to California and came back for a visit, I remember meeting Paul for dinner with other friends and was a bit 'tape delay' on the bold face names and happenings reported in Page Six and New York Magazine and he exclaimed, "Oh, you've lost your edge!" A few weekends ago we had brunch in my old neighborhood and I asked him when he was coming to Brooklyn Heights again and he said, without skipping a beat, "As soon as I'm back from Switzerland", where he was attending as he put it "the superbowl of luxury" with his watch client. Last night he referred to me as 'living in the country' (I am two subway stops from Wall Street).

Paul always makes me laugh, and last night that was what I needed the most. Yesterday was a day of extremes in the circle of life, but also a day that poignantly reminded me of the importance of treasuring the people in your life most of all.

How to Live

My friend Dave used to say, in his Dave way, that there should be a Death Channel to prepare you for the inevitable. Dave lost his mother a few years before my mother passed away, so his outrageous statements were also grounded in this perspective.

My cousin Sharon just called from Michigan and my dear Aunt Ruth is likely dying right now, something we were expecting but of course you never really are prepared for.

I talked to my Aunt a couple days ago, the evening after I went to the New York Stock Exchange opening bell ceremony. She didn't have a great day but we had a wonderful conversation and some laughs, as we always do. She said that they turned on CNN to watch me on TV. I said that I wasn't part of the small balcony group -- at least this time!! My Aunt remarked that I sure lead an interesting life and it sounded like a lot of fun "More fun than a hospital bed!" as she put it. My Aunt, like my mother, both had a true joie de vivre, and their approach to life continues to teach me, truly, how to live, and how to love.

Last week I had randomly stumbled upon an article written by Bill Gates Senior called "The Older You Grow, The Taller You Get." I discovered it was an excerpt from a book he had written called "Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime" so downloaded it and read it immediately. In addition to his perspective on leadership - which he ties to family and a life of service and being a good global citizen -- it truly shows a life well lived, and certainly the roots of the values instilled in a very famous son. And in Mr. Gates' 83rd year, he's enjoying an extraordinary third act of his life, as Executive Director with his son and daughter in law of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is channeling enormous resources, time and talent toward's some of the world's biggest problems.

I was most drawn to his discussions about his wife, who passed away shortly after Bill (Trey) and Melinda Gates were married. She sounded like an amazing woman - full of life and love and joy - and some of her zest reminded me of my mother and aunt's fun-loving ways, and truly generous hearts.

So I need to borrow the words of others as I can't find my own right now. Here's the chapter I loved the most:

I remember helping Mary prepare a toast to Trey and Melinda that took the form of a letter to Melinda, based on the wedding vows. We cherish a picture of her delivering the toast, looking vibrant and beautiful. Here's Mary's letter.

Dear Melinda:

In just a few hours you will be married and you and I will share the same name! Although Bill and i have been married forty-two years, we continue to learn what it means to be married.

"To love and to cherish"

Celebrate his good points and remember you don't have t love everything about him. If you see some things about him that you simply have to improve upon (things his mother did not get just right) recognize...reforming a husband is a long term project and it doesn't always work out. Sometimes it is better to reform one's own expectations.

"For better or for worse"

Don't expect calm waters. Pray for courage. Keep your sense of humor. No man and woman ever had a perfectly harmonious marriage. A good marriage takes effort, resilience and suppression of personal ego, but the fundamental requirement is living with the fixed vision that your relationship is permanent and forever.

"For richer or for poorer"

There have been but few couples for whom this phrase has had such special meaning. Every day will test the need for a sense of humility about your circumstances. Your lifetime together will, in the end, be a verdict on your recognition of the extraordinary obligations which accompany extraordinary resources.

"In sickness and in health"

As you know in the past few months, we have had a chance to reflect quite directly on promises to stand by one another in sickness and in health. This challenge has brought a new depth to our relationship. Of course the waters have not always been smooth, but I can't imagine not being married to Bill! I hope you will have this same feeling 42 years from now about your Bill Gates.

Love, Mary

In delivering this toast orally Mary shared a quote from the Bible, the Gospel of Luke XII 48: "For unto whom much is given, of him shall be much required." This has become the basis of one of the two main values of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mary passed away on June 10, 1994.

Photo Ops

You never really know when you get a call out of nowhere and an ordinary day turns out to be something quite extraordinary.

Last night I was getting ready to leave work and go to Stacy and Jason's house because I hadn't seen the kids in a while and we were going to have "International Game Night". Stacy told me that Logan has been asking about me quite a bit, primarily because he's doing well with his potty training and Jason served up a sleep-over at my place as Logan's reward (!)

(Ahem, while I am glad a sleepover at my place is seen as something to strive for...being a potty-training incentive is a new one!)

Right when I was leaving, we got a call from a contact at the New York Stock Exchange saying they had a last minute cancellation and did we want to have our client come down tomorrow morning to ring the opening bell. We had 15 minutes to decide, track down our client and commit.

By the time I left work, it was 100% a go. That evening I told Jason that the NASDAQ opening bell ceremony we participated in a couple weeks ago was a little surprising to me. Of course it was such an honor and exciting to be there, and we were all very grateful to have our important cause being broadcast over Times Square. But it was so surprising to not see people there. I was imaging a big noisy trading floor, and instead it was completely virtual - a sleek street-level studio with a podium and cameras and lots of big screens, but no people.

Jason said, "I think you'll find the New York Stock Exchange a little different..."

This morning felt like a tour of the White House! While we waited in the NYSE board room, an executive told us some facts about the history of the Exchange that began in 1653, including the impressive board room built in 1792, and how the early days of trading involved brokers standing up and discussing each stock one by one. (How civilized!).

We were escorted to the trading floor (cameras, coats and bags all left behind) and the event founders, top donors and some cancer survivors involved with the cause went to the famous balcony for the ceremonial market open. The floor itself felt straight out of a classic movie like "Wall Street" or "Trading Places", with seemingly hundreds of branded financial company zones that reminded me of 10x10 trade show booths at Expo West. And from the floor we watched the opening bell being shown live on CNBC.



After we were escorted back to the board room, they gave us all parting gifts. I was amazed they had the time to inscribe all of them between 6 pm last night and 8:30 a.m. this morning. Then again, its New York. Anything's possible.



I was thinking that the surprising turn of events reminded me of another ordinary Tuesday about three years ago when I got a call from a very frantic woman from the State Department because Sambazon was nominated for the Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence by the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, and we won (and had no idea).

That's of course another story, and another photo op, but you just never know what adventures the day will hold...