This week, I’ll be reporting from the Cannes Lions 57th International Advertising Festival. It is one of the most exciting industry events of the year, where corporate and agency leaders come together to learn, debate, celebrate success and consider “what’s next?”
In thinking about how the industry is evolving, nothing makes us happier than CMOs who fully embrace PR as an integral part of holistic brand building – a norm rather than an exception these days. To read more, click here.
Technorati Tags: Cannes Lions, PRWeek, Brand Marketing, PR, public relations, marketing to women, Marina Maher Communications, MMC
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There is a great xkcd comic that says, “I’m happy to grow up. But I won’t pretend that fun things aren’t still fun out of fear of looking silly.” As a newcomer to NYC living – check out my previous post on life as a commuter – I’ve found the Big Apple provides many opportunities to embrace this motto.
Most recently, a flock of young-at-hearters descended upon Union Square for a pillow fight flash mob, with thousands of people participating. And if you’re looking to grab a drink in a place more reminiscent of your childhood friend’s basement than a bar, look no further than Fat Cat in the West Village, which offers rows of ping pong and foosball tables, among other games.
But my favorite childlike exploit in the big city so far infuses my life with a weekly dose of youthful glee – Skee-Ball. Last month, I joined Brewskee-Ball, the first ever league of its kind, and every Monday night my team rolls at Williamsburg’s Full Circle Bar, whose parody of the Old Spice Superbowl commercial was a recent hit on YouTube.
With more than 400 teams in NYC, San Francisco, Austin, Charlotte and Wilmington, NC, Skee-Ball is quickly becoming the next great American bar sport. It’s even caught the attention of mainstream media: NPR’s All Things Considered covered the past “skeeson” championship, ESPN.com posted a video tutorial from one Brewskee-Ball star roller, and The New York Times was rumored to be mulling about at this past Wednesday’s match.
If you can’t make it out to Brooklyn to watch an official league match, Manhattan plays host to two great Skee-Ball bars as well – Ace Bar in the East Village and Crocodile Lounge on East 14th Street, where you can get in touch with your inner child while earning a free slice of pizza with each beer you purchase. And, if all else fails, you can always download the iPhone app.
When it came my turn to post again, I decided to take the lead from several of my MMC colleagues who have recently reflected on a variety of topics – Danae Danta on her New Year’s Resolution; Sarah Pfeiffer on what makes her a New Yorker; Anne Court on turning 30.
Two years ago my brother TJ moved to Vietnam. His motives were multifacited but most notably he embraced the opportunity to live and gain journalistic experience abroad. As Managing Editor of AsiaLIFE magazine, there is a lot to learn from him and his amazing journey.
- Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump – TJ applied for a visa, packed three bags and bought a plane ticket…to a place where he knew only one person, didn’t speak the language, didn’t have a job and didn’t have an apartment. While this is an extreme for the majority of us, taking a plunge (even a small one!) can be absolutely exhilerating.
- Commitment and passion will always get you to where you want to be- His passions may have evolved over the years but TJ’s dedication has never faltered. Know what you are passionate about and stay committed to getting where you want to be. Accept that there are bound to be detours along the way – who knows though, they might turn out to be a little refreshing.
- During life’s happiest moments it is somewhat unbelivable how much champagne you can consume – The unscheduled but impecable timing of TJ’s first trip home and my engagement proved this point beyond a reasonable doubt. I think we can all agree that whether you are toasting a success, a milestone or just a good day, life is definitely better with champagne!
- There are times in life when you have to try really, really hard not to cry – It may be a cliché; however I’ve never been great with good-byes and they get a lot harder when your brother lives almost 9000 miles away. Sometimes you have to suck it up in a tough situation – they are usually difficult for a reason. More often than not they will prove a critical piece to your long-term success…and in hindsight you’ll probably wonder why you thought they were so difficult to begin with anyway!
- It doesn’t matter how old you get, your parents will always worry about you – And for some reason, when they can’t get a hold of you, they’ll assume your sister Kate has a secret bat phone she can contact you with. So call your parents. Regularly.
- Miles will never truly separate you – But when they try, thank god for social media!
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”
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.
As someone who prides herself on being savvy regarding all things Digital Age, I am embarrassingly stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to technology. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been dialing up and logging on since 1994 and have even been known to troubleshoot an error or two, but when it comes to gizmos and gadgets, I’ll pick a paperback over a Kindle any day. My last large technology splurge was when I saved up $50 in the third grade to purchase a My Magic Diary. That is, until I woke up one month ago and took a giant leap into the 3G world.
After forty days of courtship, I am head-over-heels in love with my iPhone. If I weren’t categorically against Facebook relationships, I would make a profile for my iPhone and describe us as “Engaged.” Because it’s got me 100% engaged.
For the first time in my life, I own a piece of technology that actually makes my world easier. My last phone had Scotch tape holding together what pieces of the keyboard still remained, the menu touted a radio feature that never seemed to work, and I could count the number of pixels in a photo with my naked eye.
These days, StationStops tells me what track to head to when catching my train home to Connecticut, Scramble 2 is so challenging that I’m memorizing vocabulary words for the first time since SAT prep, and DoodleBuddy has helped me discover an inner Picasso.
In my pre-3G days, I didn’t see what purpose a smartphone served; all I needed was a metal box that could send and receive messages and calls. Purchasing an iPhone has opened me to a whole new world of simplicity and enabled me to learn more about myself and my own interests. In short, it’s been the best boyfriend I’ve ever had!
(Note: The image above is an original work by me, made on my iPhone.)
This past weekend I experienced an exciting milestone my 25th high school reunion in Ridgewood, NJ. Now, most of you are probably thinking WOW 25 years! That is OLD. But be forewarned: it’ll happen to you some day and it will seem like yesterday that you went to your 10th.
I started getting excited about this one right after my 20th reunion b/c I was 9 months pregnant with my son Griffin at that one. Which meant that I was very big and very sober. Two qualities I prefer not to have at any type of reunion. So this time I prepared well: hair and nails done, new outfits laid out and champagne chilling!
Our reunion was a weekend extravaganza starting with a casual event at a local bar on Friday night, a school tour, football game and finally, the big Saturday evening soiree a restaurant. I met my best friends at my parents house in Ridgewood on Friday. Mom and dad graciously offered to put us up for the night (I’m one of the few lucky ones whose parents still live in the house I grew up in). Mom took a few pix (a la the prom) and we were off. The evening started a bit slow because initially you’re overwhelmed with the prospect of seeing all of these people a quarter of a century later. You find yourself trying to keep a poker face as you read their name tags and try to remember what they looked like in 1984. But eventually I got in the groove: Oh that’s Maureen! She wore pantyhose in 4th grade and I thought she was so sophisticated. “OMG: That’s Kathy? She looks way better than I remember!” Or “I had a huge crush on that guy! He used to be a life guard yikes not any more!” We danced, laughed, reminisced and basically acting like crazy teenagers for 48 hours.
Key learnings and observations:
Make a real effort to look mahvelous. There’s no better phrase than “MB, you look fantastic, you haven’t aged at all!”
Be sure to attend with your closest HS friends rather than your significant other. Its way more fun to reminisce, assist eachother in recognizing faces and dish like crazy at the end of the evening.
Prepare ahead. If high school is a bit fuzzy to you, it will help to read through your yearbook and photo albums before attending so you have stuff to talk about.
Work the room. Don’t get stuck talking to one dud for 30 mintues. The evening will be over before you know it and you’ll be upset that you didn’t get to chat it up with some key people (like Stan, former football star, who made our jaws drop when he walked in!)
Take a lot of pictures. Me and my friends were up until 3 am looking at the pictures and laughing hysterically over who knows what!
Keep in touch via LinkedIn and FB. These people could be great business (and personal) connections for you.
And finally, don’t be self conscious. Whatever you were known for in high school: a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case – is history. This is your chance to show off the incredible person that you’ve become!
For my birthday, my husband Jake surprised me with a twelve week French course at NYU. I am looking forward to my fourth class this evening. Once upon a time I spoke French fairly well. I was able to carry on lengthy conversations and read simple written materials but my French has lapsed. I was always “planning” to get back into classes but with my busy schedule it just never happened.
Recently I received the push I needed when Jake accepted a new position at L’Oreal. In his role he will be taking many business trips to France, so he has a renewed interest in studying French himself. He will be taking beginning classes while I will be in the accelerated course. Honestly, I think he just wants help with his homework!
Here are my top 10 reasons pour etude française:
1. I will properly be able to order a pain au chocolat at Claude, an amazing West Village bakery
2. I will be able to watch Breathless without subtitles
3. In case I find myself at La Grenouille I will be able to handle the dessert selections
4. When I finally meet Christian Louboutin I will be able to discuss his latest collection
5. Once I have children I will be able to teach them my favorite French nursery rhyme, Il Ya Un Rat Dans Le Grenier
6. I won’t miss my stop on the metro in Paris (this has happened many times)
7. I will be able to understand the snarky comments made by the shop girls at Collette
8. I will read French Vogue by the Seine
9. I will haggle over the price of copper pots at E. Dehillerin
10. While I don’t know much about wine if I order in French people will assume I know what I am talking about
.and all that after 12 weeks I better get started!
This past weekend, my best friend, Caitlin came to visit. It all started in first grade; Caitlin had the coolest hot air balloon clip-on earrings and I was so JEALOUS. In seventh grade, I broke a NYC knock-off watch while opening my locker, and was corrected with; “Lisa, its Chanel, not channel.” The following year, she invited me to my first concert: THE BACKSTREET BOYS. I had never screamed so loud I spoke in my raspy tone the next day with school-girl pride.
We’ve gone from first grade to college together and yes, we were roommates all four years.
Caitlin is a pop-culture WIZARDI look to her for style and trend advice and even now that I live in the capital of such, I still call and ask her what restaurant or new boutique I should check out. You would think I would be nervous to have the expert stay with me, but instead, I couldn’t have been more excited!
Here is a snapshot of our itinerary for the weekend:
*New (Anthropologie-adorable) Upper East Side spot – Gina La Fornarina for lunch
*Cabbed it to Mulberry Street to hunt for unique accessories at The Young Designer’s Market
*Shopped the streets of Soho, making sure to cover every square inch of TopShop
*Margaritas and quesadillas at Boca Chica
*Lower East Side gallivanting to our favorite spots on Rivington
*Brunch at the best neighborhood diner: The Mansion
In between our activities were a lot of laughs and plans for next time
what are some of your favorite spots to take your best friends?
