I recently celebrated my 30th birthday and as a woman this is ‘supposed’ to be some kind of milestone that most fear. For me, turning 30 has been a gift. It’s given me a chance to look at the last decade and see how far I’ve come, how much my priorities have changed, and how lucky I truly am to be alive in this world.
In 10 years, I’ve…
- had just about every hair color imaginable (including purple, blue, green, and fire engine red),
- bought an apartment,
- graduated college,
- attended so many rock concerts that I probably have permanent ear damage (totally worth it),
- got married,
- lived in Germany and Spain,
- been a nanny, waitress, receptionist, and actress,
- and, had a 30th birthday party where people gave a bit of a shocked look when I revealed my age and repeatedly told me that I don’t look 30!
Also turning 30 has allowed me the chance to get excited about the next 10 years. I know that there will be ‘unexpected’ events outside my control but I’m excited for the next decade in during which I’ll hopefully become a mother, finally go on that honeymoon, buy a bigger apartment, fall deeper in love with my husband and bond with my mom over her grandchildren. It seems I gain wisdom, patience, insight, power, and freedom every year. While I don’t know what’s in store for me in the years ahead, I imagine that when I hit 40 my list of the last 10 years will astound even myself. What are the next 10 years going to hold for you?
My husband and I have a tradition. Every year we ring in New Year’s Eve by spending the first half of the evening partying with our kids- complete with party hats, dancing, games and lots of Happy New Year shout outs. Believe it or not, our house gets pretty rockin when all three kids get those noisemakers going!
The second half of the evening is all about us. Once the last child is down we open up the champagne, enjoy a beautiful gourmet meal and start our annual planning session. Planning? That doesn’t sound very romantic, does it?
Maybe not but it definitely sets the year off right and brings us closer together.
We start by opening up a fresh new notebook and creating pages for the following categories:
- Proudest achievements
- Best moments
- Biggest regrets
- 2010 GOALS
We take about an hour or so brainstorming these topics. We reflect on the year, talk through our favorite memories and mutual frustrations. Think of this like creating your own personal montage movie scene. It brings some clarity to our lives, which as we all know, can often be a bit of a blur as we dash from one thing to the next.
Here is a glimpse at our discoveries:
- Proudest Accomplishments? Finally cleaned the scary attic. Goal for 2010 - tackle the even scarier basement!
- Best moments? Hanging out with our friends at the town pool on summer weekends, going on a Fall weekend getaway without the kids. So Goals for 2010 would be: Join pool and plan another getaway!
- Biggest regrets- didn’t see enough adult movies. Goal? See at least 6 films this year (sad, I know but at least its achievable)
We came out feeling incredibly blessed to have great jobs, friends and family and that our frustrations and regrets can often be minimized by refocusing our priorities on those things that bring us the most joy and satisfaction. I highly recommend you try this exercise – either with your partner or by yourself. Just make sure your goals are SMART ones (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) and check your progress at least quarterly to see how you’re pacing.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”
Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to spend a lot of quality time . . . with my TV. In October, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Emma and while she slept much of the day in my arms, Rachael, Ellen and ladies on The View kept me company.
A few observations from my three-month TV marathon:
- Networks often negotiate to have a celebrity appear on all the talk shows in their line-up. For instance, a star may appear on Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly and The View – all ABC properties. Great for the network, especially when it’s a big name and great for the celebrity and whatever movie/show/cause/product they are promoting. A bit boring for the viewer like me, who is actually watching all those shows in succession – I can’t be the only one! Celebrities should be directed to make the experience for the viewer a bit different with each appearance – tell different stories, show different clips, etc. Some are better at this than others.
- Celebrities are very conscious of their look when they jump from show-to-show, trying to give the appearance that they didn’t tape them all in one day. I saw Catherine Zeta-Jones wearing a green dress with her hair down on Good Morning America, only to appear 30 minutes later on Regis & Kelly in a different dress with her hair up in a chignon. Knowing both shows are live and she only needed to jump in a car to get across the city, made me wonder if this was really necessary.
- Most of the shows are trying to utilize social media in their own way, chipping away at TV’s 4th wall. Regis & Kelly verbally respond to some of their emails, The View captures insider information from audience members and their production staff via “ViewTube” and Rachael Ray has a backstage area designated for her guests to tweet about their appearances. This new layer has brought interesting value to the shows, treating viewers to a look behind-the-scenes.
What do you think of today’s talk show offerings?
Having just found my first apartment in NYC after two and a half years of commuting from Connecticut, I am waxing a bit nostalgic about the 16 hours a week I share with the MTA Metro-North Railroad. Throughout my years on the train, friends, colleagues, clients and strangers have all commented on how exhausting the commute must be – and it has been – but there are certain aspects to the train ride that I have come to almost enjoy.
- The Ritual
There are intricacies about trains that you pick up after a few months of riding: the aisle seat in a three-seater is missing a head rest but is strategically positioned outside the frigid A/C stream; the window seats in winter are the warmest because you’re right next to the heater; train cars with bathrooms have a slightly latrine-y smell that no one wants to sit through for an hour-and-a-half. Only a commuter can understand how fulfilling it is to find the perfect seat on a given day – and the placebo calm that ensues because of it.
- The People
Through my time commuting, despite a few awkward encounters with the requisite train creeps, I have learned a lot about people and the way they live. From the self-confident dad sharing a sappy phoned-in “goodnight” with his kids, to the septuagenarian sleepily editing a script for the next big Broadway hit, to the girl nervously chattering with her middle school crush, each person has taught me something about who I am or reminded me of who I once was, and it’s been infinitely more entertaining and enlightening than television.
- The Time
You may be thinking, ‘Sarah, what do you mean “time”? If you weren’t on the train, you’d have even more time,’ and yes, that’s true. However, there is something freeing about being trapped in a train car for 90 minutes, because it’s almost required you do something to tap into your personal Zen. Be it reading, listening to music, watching videos or sleeping – there is little else you can do or be expected to do on a train. And that can be very relaxing.
In the words of Queen Latifah, “let’s start 2010 by giving, not taking.” I had the honor of hearing these words directly from her last week at the COVERGIRL Clean Makeup for Clean Water Campaign press launch. COVERGIRL launched this effort as a partnership between the iconic Clean makeup line and the non-profit organization Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW), at a press conference in LA with long-time spokesmodel Queen Latifah and the newest CoverGirl Dania Ramirez. Both Queen and Dania are faces of the Clean makeup advertising campaign and Dania is the ambassador for this new cause initiative.
The mission of Children’s Safe Drinking Water is to address the need for clean drinking water around the world. Thanks to COVERGIRL’s involvement, 70,000 children will have purified, clean drinking water for an entire year! What a way to kick off 2010. The launch event in LA was filled with emotion and excitement. Both CoverGirls gave remarks to a packed press room about their personal experience with helping those in need and their eagerness to be part of the Clean Makeup for Clean Water Campaign.
Cause marketing has definitely been pushed to the forefront of business plans for many brands, especially in today’s economy where giving back to those in need is important to consumers and brands alike. It has been such a rewarding experience to be part of the planning and execution of this campaign and see the results come to life.
From logistics to media attendance, it was amazing to see what teamwork can accomplish and the benefits of working together at MMC. Our pitching of the launch helped generate awareness for an outstanding cause (CSDW) that is truly making a difference in the lives of children, as well as the COVERGIRL brand that is committed to this great initiative.
To date, our coverage results have been outstanding. Utilizing traditional and social media we’ve been able to secure coverage on broadcast, print and online—including buzz on twitter! Even Dania herself tweeted about the Campaign and spread the news to her celebrity friends and fan followers:
@daniajramirez : @iamkelis Back at work is right darling!!! check out my covergirl clean water conference vid. http://bit.ly/4EerxQ xox
@ZacharyQuinto: heroes fans: check out @daniajramirez (just joined twitter) & her covergirl clean makeup clean water campaign
It has been so inspiring to be part of this with COVERGIRL and I look forward to seeing the results of the Campaign throughout the year.
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/covergirl/41731/
I got my wings this weekend with a few friends from the office. I’m feeling pretty sore; I can feel it in my back, legs and definitely my arms. On Sunday we took flight and soared into the new decade thanks to Crunch gym’s Antigravity Yoga “Wings” class.
Have you tried this hybrid of yoga and cirque du soleil? The Antigravity Hammock becomes your wings and it allows you to attempt positions only thought to be done by skilled circus performers. A straddle 5 feet in the air? No… But yes!
The class started off slow with a warm up for my muscles and a chance to get familiar with the hammock. But soon enough I found myself upside down (head rush!) practicing my inversions and backward flips.
But the class wasn’t all tricks, as traditional yoga postures are modified to take shape with the hammock. Downward facing dog, warrior one, cobra – all found with the antigravity hammock. While it won’t replace my regular vinyasa, savasana in antigravity yoga took me to a different place. The hammock becomes a cocoon and it cradles you until all tensions are let go.
For a new experience in 2010 try the Antigravity Yoga “Wings” class at Crunch. Watch a class here.
As the saying goes, “image is everything.” In a world where the type of cell phone you carry is almost as important as the designer label on your purse, technology is seeping into all aspects of our lives – including fashion.
Reading over 300 blogs a day, I feel pretty up-to-date on the latest hot products. It’s hard to believe that my aunt was able to surprise me with a totally cool Christmas present that I had never seen or heard of before.
The Echo Design iPod/iPhone compatible gloves I received combine my aunt’s love of fashion, with my love of technology. They also solve a major dilemma I have – how do I keep the music pumping on my walk to work while keeping my hands warm in the bitter cold? These gloves, which come in a great variety of colors including “MMC pink,” have special fingertips that allow you to use your Apple products (and other touch sensitive accessories).
I’m a true believer in talking, both online and offline, about innovative products I love. Word-of–mouth marketing isn’t just something I do professionally, but personally, too. My colleague Greg and I had an in-depth conversation about my new gloves and what he coined “techno-fashion.”
We couldn’t help but wonder, what’s next for 2010 –
Whatever it is, Greg and I will be ready to be trendsetters. Perhaps we’ll even make the purchase from our mobile devices.
Social media continued to explode in 2009. According to SheSpeaks, 85% of online women now belong to a social network. That gives marketers ever expanding opportunities to reach women at the point of purchase whether at their desks, in the store, or on their mobile devices. In the last few months, many social media pundits have published their predictions for the big social media trends of 2010.
How can you take advantage what’s to come to accelerate your brand growth? Here is some practical advice from Marina Maher Communications (MMC):
There’s a danger of moving from advocates to “so-whatvocates”
When a woman decides to fan your Brand, that’s just the beginning of your relationship. Like any great relationship, you need to show the love to keep them coming back for more. Consumers may fan you because they love your brand. But their ongoing loyalty depends on how they interact with others in this exclusive club. So don’t just hero the brand. Look for ways to facilitate fan interaction. Intersperse status updates with videos and photos of customers interacting with your product. And give your fans fun content, insider scoop and benefits like coupons and special offers so they can promote your good words and deeds throughout their own networks.
Online customer service will evolve from “listening” to “hearing”
From Comcast’s Twitter feed to Wal-Mart’s Elevenmoms, companies are employing social media initiatives to listen and provide immediate service and information to their influential female customers. The next wave will find companies moving from a more passive “listening” emphasis to more active “hearing,” mid-course correction and action.
This trend will mandate a closer alignment between marketing/public relations and customer service and may soon make today’s focus group concept largely obsolete. This immediate online customer input should be used to fine-tune communications and marketing efforts before the final results are set in stone. Given the new tools developed this year, listening platforms should be broadened to include Sidewiki and real-time search. And because real time is truly REAL TIME, you need to build a social media crisis plan into every campaign and ensure you’ve committed appropriate resources to handle a 24/7 world.
The New Coffee Break is a Social Media Break
The growing practice of workplaces restricting non-business related social networking and the growth of smart phones and mobile Internet access means more and more working women will feed their online and social media addictions via their mobile devices. Free time at work is now being devoted to checking personal email, updating Facebook and tweeting about the latest adorable things your kids are doing.
Marketers should take advantage of womens’ increasing dependence on their cell phones to talk to them closer to the point of purchase, providing instant gratification with couponing and reviews while making purchase decisions in the store.
How can you integrate your social media efforts at point of sale? Engage your consumers at every touchpoint by integrating social media participation (Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) into all of your communications efforts, including PR and advertising, event management, product packaging and direct-to-consumer initiatives. With 300,000 iPhone Apps expected to be available by late 2010, give yourself a competitive advantage by ensuring your App facilitates product purchase or provides a conduit to the brand experience.
When I grow up, I want to be a… blogger
Bloggers and micro-bloggers are becoming both more professional and commercially driven. So much so that they are now subject to FTC guidelines, with more expected in 2010.
Many are partnering with other like-minded bloggers to create more commercial muscle, providing marketers with more opportunities to advertise and create paid-for integrations with a community that has larger reach than ever before.
Marketers who respect a blogger’s desire to be treated with the same attention paid to traditional journalists will win friends who are, indeed, quite influential not only online but as experts in mainstream media. Now is the time to develop relationships with up-and-coming bloggers. How can you assess who’s going to make it big? Think like a talent scout. Bloggers who are developing great content will eventually find their audience. Supporting them on the way up could pay off big when they’re ready for their close-up.
