Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:54 am

BeautyView: Sharilyn Abbajay, VP Global Spa, Retail and Fitness, Marriott International

Sharilyn Abbajay, VP Global Spa, Retail and Fitness, Marriott International

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day with the board of the Washington Spa Alliance (WSPA), a DC-based association I am a founding member of whose mission is to “act as a knowledge center, connecting spa professionals in the nation’s greater capital region. WSPA works to promote the exchange and innovation in the field, and to ensure that the highest ideals of spa are met through policy and action.” I loved our meeting, our 2012 planning ideas, our brainstorming. And I particularly loved to be able to spend some time with Sharilyn Abbajay, WSPA’s co-chair, a dear friend of mine, and an industry veteran. During the breaks in our WSPA retreat day, I learned some new things about her…

AP: What city were you born in? SA: Toledo, OH.

AP: What city to do you live in? SA: Lanham, MD, although I feel like I live on an airplane.

AP: What is your middle name?  SA: Sue.

AP: What is your astrological sign? SA: Libra.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? SA: Touching people and making them feel special.

AP: Least favorite thing? SA: Too many choices.

AP: What is your most prized possession? SA: My family.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? SA: I’m a Nana… I have two grandsons, 4 and 1.

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? SA: Yes, A Toy black watch. It’s all plastic, so I never have to take it off, and don’t have to worry about it when I travel.

AP: Diamonds or pearls? SA: Pearls.

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? SA: Coco Chanel.

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? SA: Hot bath with essential oils. Small indulgences…

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? SA: 1. Drink plenty of water. 2. The night before, use the Alchimie Forever blueberry Kantic Mask, religiously. 3. Pack light. If you forget it, you can always buy it there.

AP: What is your favorite book? SA: The Incredible Journey by British author Sheila Burnford. It teaches your survival, the importance of hope, perseverance, and protecting one another.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? SA: Fiji water. Per Dr. Pamela Peeke, I swore off alcohol two years ago.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? SA: Sleep. 7 to 8 hours every night.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? SA: I blend the Aveda Shakras with Chanel Number 5. Depending on the day, a bit more of one or a bit more of the other.

AP: Botox or not? SA: Not. Not to say I don’t need it…

AP: Hair color: natural or not? SA: Not.

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. SA: I don’t have an ipod.

AP: Quote to live by. SA: Never take your eye off the ball.

AP: Who is your mentor? SA: I have a lot of mentors… Margory Abbajay, my aunt. She was the first female Vice President of Revlon.

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. SA: Stay true to who you are.

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Posted on December 16, 2011 at 9:31 am

BeautyView: Katia Beauchamp, Founder and Co-CEO, Birchbox

Katia Beauchamp, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Birchbox

I love women entrepreneurs. I particularly love beautiful women entrepreneurs who have chosen the beauty industry as their playground. And above all, I love beautiful women entrepreneurs who have chosen the beauty industry as their playground and have gone to my Alma Mater, Harvard. I know two such women (I hope there are more…): Marla Malcolm Beck, of bluemercury fame, and Katia Beauchamp, of Birchbox fame. Last week, I had the pleasure of catching up with Katia, and learning a bit more about her.

AP: What city were you born in? KB: I was born in Austin, TX and grew up in El Paso, TX.

AP: What city to do you live in? KB: New York, NY.

AP: What is your middle name?  KB: Winter. My Mom’s maiden name; she had only sisters and wanted her name to be carried on.

AP: What is your astrological sign? KB: Scorpio.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? KB: I love how smart and imaginative it is. To me, the beauty industry is the perfect mix of creativity and business.   

AP: Least favorite thing? KB: Working in the beauty industry, I feel like I have to look perfect and polished and beautiful every day. I hate having to blow dry my hair every day.   

AP: What is your most prized possession? KB: My husband, if I can call him a possession.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? KB: Most people don’t know a lot about me… In high school I was captain of my cheerleading squad and president of my school. More recently, most people wouldn’t know that that my favorite workout is dance class, from hip hop to ballet and everything in between – and my favorite food is dumplings. (I dance so I can eat more dumplings!)

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? KB: Yes, a gold Michael Kors.

AP: Diamonds or pearls? KB: Diamonds.

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? KB: Dead: There are so many… Cleopatra. Alive: John Stewart; I love his point of view and intellect. 

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? KB: The secret is forgiving yourself. And forgetting about the concept of work/life balance. There is no such thing. That balance is overall life, not this week or this month; you don’t have to be balanced, just prioritize different things at different points in your life.    

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? KB: 1. Avoid any restaurants that have pictures on the menu. 2. Try to befriend locals. 3. Book only one night at a hotel and find where you want to stay once you get there.  

AP: What is your favorite book? KB: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? KB: A dark and stormy.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? KB: Face oil, any kind. I really believe in oil as a makeup remover and moisturizer. I have really dry skin, so I layer a mist, then the oil, then a moisturizer.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? KB: I wear Sugar Litchee by Fresh. I also love Serge Lutens fragrances for when I need to feel more grownup.    

AP: Botox or not? KB: Whatever makes you feel beautiful; no judgment. Personally, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

AP: Hair color: natural or not? KB: Not. I love coloring my hair color, I switch colors a lot, it’s one of the most fun things about being a girl.

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. KB: Pumped up Kicks by Foster People; Suicidal by Adele; the entire She and He Christmas album.

AP: Quote to live by. KB: I’m not the type of person that likes quotes.

AP: Who is your mentor? KB: A friend and entrepreneur that is the founder of a few different companies. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met, a great sounding board, always makes time for me when I need advice.

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. KB: Work hard and own it. You make your own success and your own luck. Ask for what you deserve. Don’t feel you have to abandon your femininity in the process…

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Posted on December 6, 2011 at 3:50 pm

Ajune medical spa to close on December 28th

I love the train. Perhaps it is because growing up I took the Swiss train regularly. Always on time (not a myth, one second late and you miss it), always clean (also not a myth), it wound through the mountains slowly but surely and brought me to my Nona, to the ski slopes, to Bern. Amtrak doesn’t quite live up to the Swiss trains, but I still love the 3.5 hours of peace between DC and New York City. While my trips to NYC are always hectic, tiring, fun, and productive, this trip will also be sad. Tomorrow for the last time, I will visit Ajune medical spa, my favorite medical spa in the City and one of my very first Alchimie Forever clients. Indeed, on December 28th of this year, Ajune will be closing its doors (its website is already down, perhaps as a precursor to the closure).

Ajune has been at 1294 Third Avenue since it opened, 13 years ago. Owned by Dr. Maura Romita, a famed plastic surgeon, Ajune was one of the first spas to understand that spa goers wanted results, medical-style procedures, under medical supervision, but all in a softer, more spa-like setting.

Over the years (I started working with Ajune in 2004), I have had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people, whether managers, therapists, aestheticians or receptionists. Margaret (now the spa director at Merge, also in NYC) was the one who brought Alchimie Forever into Ajune, and for that (and for the fact that she has since brought my line to Merge!), I will be forever grateful. Having worked at Avon prior to Ajune, she is a numbers-driven, no-nonsense operator, someone whom I have learned much from (and continue to today). I worked with Josephine for many years, whose smiles and kindness I still remember. Cara was my colleague Catherine’s favorite aesthetician at Ajune, a petite brunette, with a great extraction technique and constructive feedback and input on the Alchimie Forever product prototypes I would have her test. Most recently, I have had the pleasure of working with Amy, who was hired to work at the front desk a number of years ago and has since been promoted to spa director; today, Amy is in charge of this transition time.

To all of you, to Dr. Romita, to Dana, to the entire Ajune team, I say thank you. Thank you for taking on Alchimie before anyone did in NYC. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for your support and friendship over the years. Thank you for your business. Thank you. I will miss you. Catherine will miss you. New Yorkers will miss you.

Having spoken with Amy, she shares these bittersweet words: “Thank you to our loyal clients for their patronage; we hope that during our time open on third avenue, we provided you with incomparable service and an education about skincare that you will take with you throughout their daily life.”

Dr. Romita will be taking a select few technicians to continue working at his office at 853 5th Ave at the beginning of 2012. The services they will offer will be strictly clinical.

While the recession has not been kind to the spa industry, this is the first long-time Alchimie Forever spa partner that has closed. Ajune closing makes this economic turmoil feel a whole lot more personal, and brings home the fact that we are not out of the woods yet. We small businesses must continue to support each other, to help each other, to work together. And we consumers must continue to shop local, spa local, and to support our own communities.

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Posted on November 21, 2011 at 7:11 am

Time to reflect and be grateful

Thanksgiving week is always a very special week for me. While I grew up in Switzerland, this is my favorite holiday – good food, good wine, family, and of course football. It is also a week of reflection – reflection about all the people and things I am grateful for; reflection about the New Year that is almost upon me; reflection about life in general. And reflection requires quiet time and stillness of mind and body. Time not doing, but time thinking. This special week, which technically according to the calendar starts today, for me really started this past Friday.

Indeed, last Friday something happened to me which hasn’t happened since the fall of 2004. I missed a meeting. Not any meeting, a work meeting. And not any work meeting, but a meeting with Mei Xu, of Chesapeake Bay Candle, a woman whom I admire, and whom I had contacted after we were featured in the Washington Post Magazine together. A woman who runs a multi-million dollar company, and who has no time to waste. I didn’t forget about the meeting… I went to the wrong Starbucks. And of course, of all mornings, that was the morning I left my phone on my desk.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that this is totally non-Ada behavior. I was rushing. I had too many things on my mind. I was reading my emails in diagonal instead of paying attention to what I was reading. The last two months have been so busy, I forgot to take the time to think, to reflect, instead of always running around to “do” things. My body was trying to tell me to slow down (I have been sick for almost a week), but I am of the opinion “mind over body.” So I don’t listen to my body. But I do listen to missing a meeting with a CEO. My personal pet peeve… that I inflicted on someone else.

Lesson learned. I spent the week-end reflecting, not “doing” much at all, but listening to everything that was going on in my head, making to-do lists and holiday gifts lists, calendaring, quietly organizing my apartment (as if I weren’t busy enough, I moved 20 days ago – and this was my first week-end at home!), and spending time thinking. The result: I am starting this holiday week feeling “zenified,” grateful, and organized. Nothing better than that (except having Mei Xu forgive me for Friday’s mis-hap of course…).

Happy Thanksgiving week to all.

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Posted on November 17, 2011 at 10:05 am

BeautyView: Marti Morenings, Founder and Chairman, Universal Companies

Marti Morenings, Founder & Chairman, Universal Companies

I don’t get star-struck in the typical way. Seeing or meeting Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or even Angelina Jolie won’t faze me. However, having a burger next to President Obama makes me grin from ear to ear (some of you might remember that picture). And meeting successful entrepreneurs gives me butterflies in my stomach. Of the successful entrepreneurs I have had the good fortune of getting to know, Marti Morenings, Founder and Chairman of Universal Companies, is one of my favorites. She started Universal Companies with her father, grew the company, sold it, and then bought it back from the purchasers to grow it even further. She lives wellness through and through; she is a woman entrepreneur; she is a single mom; as a serial entrepreneur, she is now involved in the alternative energy sector; and she wears Jicky by Guerlain (Guerlain’s first fragrance, and the only perfume I have ever worn)! What is there not to love?  

AP: What city were you born in? MM: I was born in Belem’, Brazil.

AP: What city to do you live in? MM: I now live in Bristol, VA.

AP: What is your middle name?  MM: I don’t have one.

AP: What is your astrological sign? MM: Leo.

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? MM: My favorite thing is the spa and wellness component, and the idea that we can have an impact on the beauty that comes from within.   

AP: Least favorite thing? MM: My least favorite thing is when beauty becomes all about the external image and less about what’s inside.   

AP: What is your most prized possession? MM: My health.

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? MM: I have two very energetic Jack Russell Terriers – Spud and Mia.

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? MM: Yes, a Cartier wristwatch.

AP: Diamonds or pearls? MM: Diamonds.

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? MM: I would have loved to have met Steve Jobs and shared a meal with him. I’m reading his bio now, and I think it would have been fascinating to have known him – he was the consummate entrepreneur. 

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? MM: Make time for yourself – it is the best thing you can do for your children, your family and your career, not to mention your health. I am hooked on doing yoga every morning, and I try to do it at sunrise and outside on my back deck if the weather is good. It is an incredible way to start the day!   

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? MM: 1. Pack light by picking one color scheme and including items that can be dressed up or down.  2. Drink lots of water. 3. Pack almonds or other protein foods to snack on. 

AP: What is your favorite book? MM: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? MM: Scotch and soda.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? MM: Moisturizer and getting enough sleep.

AP: What fragrance do you wear? MM: Jicky by Gurlain.   

AP: Botox or not? MM: Not.

AP: Hair color: natural or not? MM: Not.

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. MM: Looking for Answers – Susan Tedeschi, Melt My Heart to Stone – Adele,  Songbird – Eva Cassidy.

AP: Quote to live by. MM: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

AP: Who is your mentor? MM: My mom – she was the ultimate multi-tasker!

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. MM: Don’t listen when someone tells you that you can’t do it. Think in terms of partnerships with employees, vendors and colleagues, and look for ways to make them more successful. It always comes back to you tenfold.

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Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:43 am

BeautyViews: Sarah Kugelman, President & Founder, skynICELAND

Sarah Kugelman, President & Founder, skynICELAND

One of my favorite aspects of the beauty industry is that I am surrounded by amazing women entrepreneurs, women CEOs, women leaders, all of them absolutely beautiful – inside and out. From this realization a few months ago came the idea of interviewing some of my favorite female beauty executives, to learn more about them, to learn from them, and to be inspired by them.

To start this series, below is my interview with Sarah Kugelman, President & Founder of the niche skin care brand skynICELAND. I have known Sarah for a number of years; I have mentioned her in my blog in the past; I consider her a friend. Over the years, we have become close enough to share the highs of beauty entrepreneurship, as well as the challenges that us “small, niche” brands face. I have learned from her, yet in the below interview were a number of new things I discovered about her. Enjoy!

AP: What city were you born in? SK: Manhattan.

AP: What city to do you live in? SK: Manhattan!

AP: What is your middle name? SK: Dean. I was named after my uncle who was Daniel. My sister is named Dana. So we have inverted names. I’m Sarah Dean and she’s Dana Sayre (a family name)

AP: What is your astrological sign? SK: Sagittarius (fire!!).

AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? SK: The product. It’s what always keeps me going at the end of the day. I’m a product junkie at heart!!   

AP: What is your least favorite thing? SK: Products that are not genuine and have marketing stories that feed mistruths to the consumer. It really hurts all of us.

AP: What is your most prized possession? SK: I don’t know if you’d call her a possession exactly but my daughter is my most prized treasure. I live for her! There is no material thing that matters once you have a child!

AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? SK: I studied to be an actress for many years.

AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? SK: Yes, and I’m still always late! I am not really into watches, so I don’t know the exact name, but it’s a beautiful gold Cartier with diamonds that my husband gave me when I gave birth to our daughter. Every time I look at it, it reminds of the day she was born.

AP: Diamonds or pearls? SK: Definitely diamonds!

AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? SK: There are so many! Probably Oprah Winfrey, President Clinton, or Richard Gere!!

AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? SK: I’m still trying to find the right balance but here are some important things I try to make a priority:  taking my daughter to school every morning. I try not to go out at night during the week and spend very focused/concentrated time with her when I get home in the evening. I work out at least once a week (I’m trying to get that to 3x a week!). I don’t get to work before 8:30am and I don’t stay past 7pm. I do sometimes work at home at night and on the weekends, but try NOT TO! And, I have certain activities that I do when I feel really stressed:  I get massages (so important!), take yoga, go to acupuncture, focus on my diet (cutting out sugar, white flour, alcohol and butter, eating more EFA’s and antioxidants, taking vitamins), take warm baths, light a candle, watch ‘silly’ TV. This helps me to calm down, refocus and remember my priorities.

AP: What are your three top tips for travel? SK: I always bring a yummy, cozy wrap. It is always cold and uncomfortable on planes and this helps me feel like I’m creating my own environment. I always bring my skyn ICELAND Arctic Face Mist, which refreshes and hydrates my skin. And it smells heavenly! And, my Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, because I get puffy under-eyes when I travel. I always carry my ipod, you never know when you are going to need some calming or energizing music!

AP: What is your favorite book? SK: The Namesake. Hands down.

AP: What is your cocktail of choice? SK: Champagne.

AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? SK: Never go to bed without washing your face!

AP: What fragrance do you wear? SK: I wear a Jasmine fragrance created by the perfumer Sarah Horowitz.

AP: Who is your mentor? SK: I am really fortunate to say that I’ve had some wonderful women mentor me throughout my career. My boss at Bath and Body Works, Sandy Cookerly Jones, my boss at Estee Lauder, Sandy Cataldo, Jennifer Balbier, the product guru (who heads up creative product development for MAC), whom I’ve worked with on and off for over 17 years , and Susan Rafaj, a beauty industry veteran and marketing expert (she is in her 80’s and still going strong, she is my hero!).

AP: Botox or not? SK: As I say to my husband all the time “I’m not going to grow old gracefully!” so why not?

AP: Hair color: natural or not? SK:  I’ll never tell!

AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. SK: Seal’s ‘Whirlpool’, Sheryl Crow’s ‘Are you strong enough to be my man’, Duncan Sheik ‘Barely Breathing’, Lisa Loeb ‘Stay.’ Oldish songs that always make me feel good.

AP: Quote to live by. SK: Live every day like it’s your last!

AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. SK: Do something you love and feel really passionate about. The rest will follow.

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Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:27 am

Bisnow Entrepreneurship Series

This morning, I woke up grumpy. Might have to do with the fact that I got home at 2:30 am, after three exhausting tradeshow days in Las Vegas and a flight that involved a very large man seated next to me (whose bulk kept overflowing in my seat) and a 2-year old across the aisle from me who had a 4 hour temper tantrum (equivalent of a lifetime dose of birth control). Oh, and the fact that I work up at 6 am for a crazy day. When I am grumpy, only three things tend to be foolproof in helping my mood: red lipstick (check); a cute dress (check; and white in honor of the first day of summer); and inspiration from other entrepreneurs (check). I came so close to not attending the Bisnow Entrepreneur Series event this morning, for which I had a couple of weeks ago re-arranged some client meetings (which I never do), in order to sleep one additional hour. But I did go, and am so happy I did. Not only did I run into some of my favorite people in the DC entrepreneurship community, including Kate Palmer of Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and Jeff Reid of Georgetown University, but I finally had the opportunity to hear and to meet a hero among us DC entrepreneurs (in particular among us Georgetown McDonough School of Business graduates), Michael Chasen of Blackboard. His presentation was more effective than an extra hour of sleep or four extra cups of coffee in terms of waking me up, and changing my mood.

For those of you who have met him, it will come as no surprise that I would describe him as handsome (he actually asked me put that in my blog, although I would have even if he hadn’t), charismatic, confident, funny, smart. He gave us the short story about how he started Blackboard (which today is a public company, has over $500M in revenues and over $100M in EBIDTA), and then shared some key lessons learned along the way.

Lesson #1: “Focus on the business, not on the office.” Work on the business model and forget about everything else, including a fancy corporate suite and expensive office chairs.

Lesson #2: “Networking is essential.” It’s all about who you know, who you know that knows someone who is the neighbor of the best friend of the wife of someone you really need to meet.

Lesson #3: “Constantly share your vision” (in a memorable and confident way). He told of introducing himself at a networking event (see lesson #2) as “Hi, I’m Michael, co-founder of Blackboard, an e-learning company, and we are very excited about our first deal with Microsoft.” (Their first deal being the purchase of Microsoft Office).

Lesson #4: “While you need to seek advice, you also need to recognize that you are the expert in your business.” Supplement your vision with what you learn from others. The operative word being “supplement” (ie not “replace”).

Lesson #5: “You should have a business model that makes money.” When Michael started, the trendy thing for software companies was to give their software away for free. He admitted to adding up zeros in all the columns of an Excel workbook, and concluding that it still amounted to zero.

During the Q&A session, a few additional lessons, or pieces of advice, emerged. Michael, as most successful entrepreneurs I have heard say, spoke about the need for passion for what you are doing. As entrepreneurs, we work harder and (for a long time although hopefully not forever) for less money than we would if working for someone else. Only true passion can get us through that. His is passion for education. He also talked about making mistakes everyday, and about the importance of not dwelling on these as negative experiences, but on learning from them, and most importantly, on incorporating them in your business strategy. He talked about his love of being a business based in downtown DC (I so relate to that). He talked about people who ask him “What do you do for fun” and him responding “My job is fun, my work is my hobby” (I so relate to that too).

The last audience question was something I had been wondering about since he started his presentation. How is it that he, Michael Chasen, the co-founder of Blackboard, is still the CEO? How has he been able to go from ideating the business to launching a startup to growing a small company to going through an IPO and to running a multi-hundred-million dollar business? Such a rare occurrence… With the matter-of-fact attitude he showed through the entire discussion “I’ve been successful by hitting our sales numbers every quarter.”

On that note, let me head back to the office and work on my own quarterly sales numbers. Eagerly,  effectively,  with a renewed sense of inspiration, and with no recollection whatsoever of the fat man, the screaming toddler, or my short night. Thank you Michael.

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Posted on April 28, 2011 at 8:30 am

Dare to dream…

Last year was the first time I attended the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) annual gala. Some of you might remember that I blogged about it, about the inspiration that came with that evening. Yesterday, NFTE held its 2011 Dare to Dream gala. Just as in 2010, I was re-inspired, re-energized, moved to tears. And yesterday, I was also honored as a locally-grown entrepreneur. It was a magical evening. An evening filled with amazing students, teachers, and entrepreneurs. An evening filled with great friends. An evening filled with soundbytes. Here are some of my favorites.

“We can educate our way to a better economy.” Julie Kantor, the Executive Director of NFTE DC Region

“I have an MBA. A Masters at Being Amazing.” Also by Julie Kantor

“Entrepreneurs can do anything with persistence, perseverance, and passion.” Edie Fraser, Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson

“Your first business may fail, but that doesn’t mean that your second, or third, or fourth won’t be successful.” Aaron Batallion, Living Social

“No fear. There is no reason to fear.” Michelle Lee, STG International 

“Hire for attitude over smarts. Attitude is everything” Mark Michael, Occasions Caterers

“The person who says it can’t be done shouldn’t interrupt the person who is doing it.” Seth Goldman, Honest Tea

The keynote address was by Rodney Walker (pictured below with his Alchimie Forever goodie bag). The entire video presentation of his journey was so powerful and moving it is impossible to capture it in a soundbyte. I saw seasoned business men discreetly wipe the corners of their eyes (I was doing the same, less discreetly) as he spoke of overcoming drugs, homelessness, poverty, with the help of NFTE. Rodney inspired me to do more with NFTE, and today I re-iterate the commitment I silently made last night to play more of a role in the life of these young students. As soon as I stop typing, I will be calling my girlfriend Minal, who is the one who introduced me to NFTE a few years ago, to make this commitment a reality. Once again, thank you NFTE.

Rodney Walker with his Alchimie Forever goodie bag

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Posted on December 6, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Work-life balance?

I don’t often repost data or information without commentary on my blog, but I came across Tim Ferriss’ blog earlier today and just had to. I can’t think of the right adjectives to describe the data… amazing, amazingly scary, disturbing, funny… so many words come to mind. As I begin to think about my New Year’s resolutions, perhaps I can add to the long list:

  • Do not check email in the middle of the night (or in bed in general)
  • Take time off, and encourage my team to use up their vacation days

Thank you Tim for the reminder!

(more…)

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Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:22 pm

Lessons learned

I received the best introduction ever today. I was about to present at the networking luncheon for Work It Girl Networking, when the founder and CEO Teresa introduced me as the “world goddess of skin care.” May I please put that on my business card?
Work It Girl Networking brings working women together during lunch, which always features a female guest speaker. Past speakers have included Pam Sorensen, Kate Michael, Sara Damelio, and more. Today, I spoke, thrilled to be in such great company.
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