Mexican Food...for the Soul

The original title of this post was supposed to be HOLY GUACAMOLE but then due to a change of events, I was forced to alter its tone. The initial reason I felt the need to include such a title was due to my utter shock and awe at how well the Xmas eve celebrations went with the fam! I can genuinely say we all had a great time- there was lots of laughter, smiles, and delicious red wine accompanied with the typical Italian feast. I was relived going to bed happy and full. Come Xmas morning, things changed when we found out a relative had become ill over night. Rushing out to their house to ensure all parties involved were AOK, we certainly experienced a Christmas day we had not expected to. After a long trivial day...my grandmother and I (I am staring to feel like we are Quail man and Quail Dog from Nickeloden's 'Doug') raced to the nearest open Mexican restaurant for a Pina Colada and some Tamales- la comida Mexicana does the soul some good. This 48 hour mixed bag of emotions got me to thinking- why is it that such a great day can become so tarnish by a bad one? I know I have addressed focusing on the negative vs. the positive in a previous post- but I am going somewhere else with this one. In times of family struggle, it seems as though my family has somehow always been brought together at the moment of an unfortunate situation. Although we all had a great time on the 24th, the real emotions, the 'fight or flight' inside of our crew was ignited once again. I am talking about my immediate family here- and I sometimes consider us the crisis crew that flies in to try and remedy most family debacles regarding health. The point here is that although by the end of the 25th I was exhausted, tired (yes I meant to use both of those words here), and confused- sitting here today on the 27th I realize that for the moment, going through trials and tribulations as a family may have actually brought us together. My hope is that as long as we are able to get other family members through a hard time, that it will teach us as an immediate family to be able to get through our own trials together. In the end, I know everything happens for a reason- and now back in my city with a big smile on my face and those damn city lights/noises igniting my soul again...I am grateful for my whole holiday experience :)
xoxo AA

It's All a Matter of Perspective

As we begin to creep into the holiday weekend some of you may be scared of the idea of another full day (wait, like more than an hour?!) spent with family. I am sure many of you don't have this feeling and kudos to you. In an effort to not repeat my Thanksgiving posts- I've decided to get a little perspective here. Many times in life we exert zero if not negative expectations on a situation. In fact it is sometimes the situations that we put the highest expectations on that can let us down. Instead of having any sort of preconceived notions about this Christmas (try as I might) I am taking a step back. My grandmother- bless her heart- has again made me realize something...Christmas is not about the gifts. I already agree with her there, so much so that I didn't ask for anything this year. But what about the shopping and spending and long drawn out dinners? Nope not that either- it's about the birth of Jesus. And even if your not religious, realize that the spirit of this holiday lies in the essence of giving- Jesus was born, died, and GAVE up his life for our sins. In modern day, I don't mean giving as in expensive extravagant gifts, I mean in giving yourself to others. Whether that means giving a smile to a struggling stranger, or giving a listening ear to a family member that just wants to chat- giving of yourself is one of life's most sometimes challenging, but rewarding experiences. In a matter of perspective- so many of us are grateful to be alive let alone are lucky enough to be happy, healthy, and employed this year. But having family, friends, and loved ones in your life is something extra special. Giving just a little bit of yourself to those who are not as fortunate (and many times it is those who seem like they need it least but are actually crying out for it most) a little love and kindness. Tomorrow, I plan to sit back in front of the ole' Yuletide gas burning fire and GIVE myself in to some simple laughter and smiles :)
- xoxo AA

The Male Ego

Listen boys, I have been giving you a lot of credit in the past few posts, with your general positive character traits and broad range of problem solving abilities. But this week- I'm seeing some of you in a funk. Let it be known that this blog will most definitely NOT turn into my accounts in the "battle of the sexes" many folks in my generation tend to do. To that point- the male ego never ceases to amaze me. This week I have seen it both in my professional and personal lives. As I sat (more what felt like a fly on a wall) in a meeting the other day, I observed on the sidelines as 2 fairly successful men in my company hashed it out. Mind you, this meeting was to be a brainstorm for one of my clients, but 5 minutes in somehow turned into 1 male trying to prove to the other how each was more validated in the media world. I listened to both of them express how much experience they had, and how they knew more because they had "been in this game for so long." I couldn't get a word in edge wise...but it was so funny for me to see how each of them were trying to 1 up another- and not for the sake of a lady in the room, but for themselves. The more I interact with men in a business setting, the more I see their need to prove their manhood. It's like this crazy feat for a man to make sure all the men around him know he's THE MAN (did you get that one?). Even in my personal life, I watched as my group of friends hashed it out over email- it was like missiles flying into my gmail inbox, each message screamed "I AM A BIGGER MAN THAN YOU ARE!!" and in fact I believe one of the messages actually called another dude out for not being 'man enough.' So what is it guys? Do you have this innate primitive desire to divide and conquer, hunt and capture? If you are doing it for us ladies- we appreciate the gesture, but keep in mind we prefer it in a more classy, less obvious manner. If you are doing it for other men- I think you should stop now- it seems like an impossible task to prove to another man that you are THE MAN. And if you are doing it for yourself- to prove to the person deep down inside of you who strives for excellence, then I commend your efforts. Fighting for something you so badly want, or believe in- is beyond honorable in my book. This one is dedicated to my little bro- Semper Fidelis :)
xoxo AA

Challenges as Mental Foreplay

Yesterday, my feline friend Kitty and I (she is a real person- but nicknames only here) took on the feat of finishing the Jingle Jog. To most, a 3.7 mile race is nothing. But to Kitty and I- this was kind of a big deal. As we rolled up to Prospect Park in BK, which is beautiful by the way, I started to realize that I had never in fact done a long distance race. For this run, I did 2 weeks of light training and figured I would be fine. But as we approached the START I remembered that the only type of racing I had ever done in my life was short distance- skiing racing. If you weren't down the hill in 30 secs (depending upon the course) then there was something severely wrong. As we stood there at 9:00 AM freezing our tushes off, I had a sort of "Oh-crap-what-did-I-get-myself-into" moment. Awesome. The race began and as I started running to my blasting techno beats I become conscious of the fact that this race was all about mental foreplay. Granted, for a more physically intensive race one would need to be dedicated to training, but for the most part- it is all in your head. When we approached mile 2, to my shock as what seemed not long after the race began, I started to worry if I would make it. Then I literally said to myself in my head "are you serious? you're being a huge baby." That lit a fire under my rear-end and got me easily to mile 3. By that time, I just wanted to finish the damn thing but was naturally (?) beginning to feel fatigued. Again, I said in my head "are you serious? you're going to be a quitter now?" I sprinted the last .7 miles and with ease made it through the FINISH line! Point being here that my physical fatigue was all mentally induced and the more I convinced myself I could do it the easier it became. Presenting yourself with a challenge every now and then allows you to prove to yourself that you can in fact accomplish goals you thought you may never be able to reach. I'll have to get back to you on that 1/2 marathon I'm starting to train for...if of course I am still alive after ;)
xoxo AA

The Male Perspective

I have always found that being friends/spending time with the men is generally easier than doing such with their female counterparts. Recently, I started to realize that men and women are so different from one another mainly because of the way in which they communicate and process thoughts. This past weekend/week I was a lucky gal in that my man in uniform ;) and then my little brother came to visit! Maybe it is because he is younger and of the male species, but just spending time with my brother, I was able to see how much more carefree and SOMETIMES more logical (gotta keep those pride enhancing comments spread out) his approach was to inter-family affairs and situations. From the male perspective, conflict offers a challenge to most, so it seems to me that men remove emotions from a situation to reach the main goal, which is to solve the problem. After a night of emotionless problem solving and white kid jamming out at the Wiz and Snoops concert- my brother and I shared McDonald's at 1:00 AM on a Monday night- worry free. In regards to my visit with my man in uniform, I like to keep most of those details off the blog and to myself- but for the purposes of this post- all you need to know is that if you put the 2 of us in a white room with nothing- we would enjoy endless carefree fun just being around one other. And yes folks, I have yet another relevant cab driver experience that speaks to my point here (I'm sorry these guys are teaching me a lot!!). As I hoped in a cab after another coffee drop to a few "needle-in-a-haystack" clients my male driver offered me a new perspective on attitude. Per the usual and without even realizing, I so rudely shouted my desired destination to which he replied "hello ma'am, how are you doing today?" I instantly stopped myself and explained to the cabbie that I was so used to the angry rushed drivers of NYC that I just unfairly assumed he was one of them. He went on to tell me that many of the drivers express such an attitude because of how hard NYC traffic cops have come down on cabbies during the holiday season. But he said regardless of it all, he was happy to be healthy, alive, and have a job. The point in all of this is that after some of my experiences with the men this week- I think us ladies can all learn a little something. Taking your emotion out of a situation and utilizing logic, being grateful and unassuming about even the smallest things, and just have a damn good time in general- can make life all the more fun, and maybe even a little more stress free ;)
xoxo AA

A Mentor with your Saturday afternoon Starbucks!

A little late- I know, but as promised my "before the weekend" (come on folks, we're only a few hours into it) post! This past Tuesday I met with Pepper Evans, the VP of Digital Marketing and Social Media Development. Going into the meeting I wasn't sure what to expect- and I got a lot more than I imaged...a new mentor! I already have an amazing male mentor in my arsenal, but I am excited to tell you about my new female mentor (as long as she OK with that)! Pepper's journey began Travel Holiday where she lead the company in putting all of their assets online for the 1st time. As a young 25 year old living in the city, this was an amazing feat in my eyes- getting a then largely male business scene to agree to a new aged and out of the box idea. From there, she moved around from start-up to start-up working in what she called the "Silicon Alley." Ending up at USQ Ventures sometime around the new millennium Pepper focused again on convincing venture capitalists that online was where it's at- and that's where they needed to be. When 9/11 struck the big city, and all of us around the country, Pepper explained a concept to me I had never realized existed at the time. Working for a venture capitalist prior to 9/11 meant she was out of a job post attacks. Applying and searching for jobs became an almost impossible task due to the fact that jobs were slim, and innovative positions were shunned. Meaning- all things digital sort of came to a halt. We have to remember that with the new millennium, the digital age was still only years old and such a fresh/new concept to the "boys club," for lack of a better term, seemed like a threat after our country had been hit so hard. Pepper shared with me that through her journey in digital, someone actually told her they thought online was a "fad." I wonder where that person is now- after we just had a record day for Cyber Monday with over $1.25 billion spent online. Now at Amex, Pepper plays a huge role in the company's social media efforts from a branding standpoint. She has done everything from start online content communities for the golf enthusiast card holder, to new product launches such as Serve (similar to Google Wallet). Through the hour I spent with Pepper I get a glimpse of who she was a business woman and a person. Towards the end of our chat we touched on unearthly concepts. In regards to the soul- she explained that if someone is meant to do something, they can't be without it- because it is apart of them (such is true with what we do in both our personal and professional lives). But I was most happy to hear her belief about Karma- in that if you inherently feel blessed as a result of all your hard work- the most important part is to give back. My lesson in all of this is that sometimes- no matter how hard it is to do the right thing, it will pay off in the end. And come close of day, only you will know how much GOOD you've done for the soul :)
xoxo AA

Grateful- I'll take a large w/ great please!

I have another post that I've been meaning to get around to- which you'll see come through before the weekend. A little mystery to keep you guessing! But I am sitting in a cab right now and thought of something I had to share. Think about being grateful- we all say we are, but are we really? Getting a cab in NYC is hassle enough- and I know most of you would agree we often complain about its impossibility. Now that I am actually sitting in the back of a cab (politely engaging with my driver as we jam out to Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'- ironic?) I caught myself complaining about the traffic. Did I leave my gratefulness on the street corner when I so luckily got a cab? Or what about at work- most of us are either fighting to keep our jobs or desperately searching for one. So why is it that we complain about our never ending to-do lists or are anxiously waiting for the clock to hit 5:00? So my message tonight- is fill yourself with great. Fill your life with great people, great thoughts and most importantly, great friends. I have a feeling you may get a lite great back...this one is for a member of my amazing NYC family- love you M :)
Xoxo AA

"Blondie- nice legs; a little skinny though"

...Is the winning comment of the day I received at 7:51 AM this morning heading into the 72nd St. subway station. It's comments like these that, as a New Yorker, generally make your day due to their quirkiness- and humor for the most part. Obviously, at times they can be scary or even alarming to the unsuspecting passerby- but living in a city as crazy as ours, one has to be light heart-ed about these sorts of things. The clearly smooth homeless dude's comment got me thinking about a topic that's been on my mind for quite sometime: homeless people in NYC. Miguel, my friend from the last post- was one of them. But I notice more everyday that as city dwellers, we tend to pass by homeless folks on the streets without noticing they are even there anymore (with the exception of this morning's comment which did not allow me to do that). But why is it that so many of us can so easily walk past a homeless person sleeping on the ground in a subway station, as if they have become apart of the floor they now consider their bed? NYC is known for that moment- that feeling you get when you 1st arrive and are blinded by the massive buildings and glistening lights. Our city is known for being comprised of the unique stories each person brings to it- every neighborhood and person that lives here has a different story. So why is is that we dismiss the people living here that don't have an address to call their own? Many times, just recognizing their existence once in a while makes their day (consider this: how often do you think homeless people engage in conversation, besides when asking for money/food?). And the same goes for cab drivers- though they are not poor, many of them have come to the US far from their country of origin to make a living. Have you ever taken the time during your 6.75 minute ride from Grand Central to home to ask them about their story? I'll admit I certainly need to work on my communication skills with cabbies- but for the hell of it I chatted with a cabbie a few months back- and now I can't stop lol. Their stories of struggles and cultural battles in our country are moving. I'm not suggesting engaging in a convo with the homeless dude on your corner- but what I am talking about here is compassion. Take a second to look at what and WHO is around you- you might be surprised...you might even make someone's day but just smiling or asking them their NYC story :)
xoxo AA

Thanksgiving...the after math

Well folks- after giving this experiment my all, here are the results. To avoid any sort of negative spin, I will say that I at least did learn a thing or 2 over this Thanksgiving break- but as suspected, they were not the "things" that were the goal of the experiment. Try as I might, I did not learn 1 new thing that was important to any of the folk gathered round the turkey. The usual niceties and quick update conversations occurred- but nothing that seemed relatively important or meaningful was shared with one another. Getting to the POSITIVE results of my experiment- are the things that I learned about someone I had never met before. I wasn't really surprised by this because meeting new people seems easier to me than bonding with those that you are related to (more exciting? who knows!). Thursday morning before the eating extravaganza began- I volunteered with 'God's Love We Deliver,' an organization here in NYC that delivers meals to the needy, sick, or incapable cookers in all 5 boroughs. This year- I assisted 1 of the truck drivers as we delivered meals for a local church to distribute. Having never met my driver, Miguel and I became fast friends as we cruised up the West Side Highway. I am not sure what it was- maybe he sensed he could trust me? But the flood gates opened...he explained to me that he had been homeless 2 times in his life and that was why he felt the need to give back- it was these very meals he used to rely on. Now, with a full time job and a full time son he loves so dearly- he actually thanks God for where he is at in his life. And it's not just now that he is thanking Him- he explained that when he was so beaten down and lost, he never gave up his faith. He keep speaking to God and saying "I know I am in a ditch right now because You are trying to teach me something- and I know You will get me out of it eventually." It was shocking to me that this man who had been through so many struggles- had such a strong faith in God. Miguel and I made it to the church and successfully delivered all of our meals- but I was most grateful for the time we spent together and hearing his story. In the end of this experiment- I learned that no matter how hard you try to have a friendship, relationship, or acquaintance with someone- it is the conversations and connections that you least expect that will affect you and your perception of the world around you. Does that mean I am giving up on the old fam? Heck no! But does focusing your energies on the most positive people, things, and ideas around you ultimately make one happier in life? I am certainty a proponent of that idea :) Glad to be back and writing again in the big city...
xoxo AA

Family- a holiday science experiment

With Thanksgiving coming up in 3 days...is everyone as excited as I am for the fun, awkward, slightly drunk holiday season?! I've decided now is the perfect opportunity for a little experiment- mainly because I have some non-traditional views on the idea of family. According to our gal Merriam-Webster, FAMILY is defined as "A group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head." Now- I know I am not alone in disagreeing with that tight (like a pair of hipster skinny jeans) definition, and in fact many people believe otherwise. One of my favorite bloggers from gizmodo.com even describes the holidays as "a day full of siblings squabbling, dad getting drunk and insulting everyone over dinner, and the looniness of my mother after a sleepless night of present wrapping." I am constantly reminded that family is what you define it as; family is not as defined. I cherish many of my friends who I consider family because we force one another to see things about ourselves that we may not want to but know will only help us to improve in the future. All of that said- here is the experiment. I am spending Thanksgiving, like many of you, with extended family who I only see on the holidays. Due to the crazy busy schedules of life- I don't think my "family" and I know each other on the same personal level as my friends who I consider to be family. In an effort to change that, my mission is to see if I can find out AND remember 3 things that are important to them currently in their lives (over 3 mandatory glasses of wine of course). Afterwards, I will report back on whether or not my definition of FAMILY has changed (mind you- we are working with an aunt, uncle, 2 cousins, grandmother, dad, and brother here- I am excluding the family animals for my own sanity). As I promised my grandmother, I will be attending the turkey feast with an "open mind, kind heart, and sweetness on my lips" so here goes nothing! I may need to blog live from the dinner table in order to remember all these facts ;) but just think- is that something you would ever have to do with a good friend or someone your dating? Maybe my forced efforts will genuinely change our relationships? We shall see...I'll be back before the big day!
xoxo AA

Pride- 99% of us have it

I've been thinking about occupy wall street lately, mainly because the movement decided to occupy the subways at 3:00 PM on Thursday. But instead of getting all political on your asses (and many of you know I am bursting at the seams) I've decided instead to focus on something else. I struggled in the later part of the week with understanding the 99%-ers mission- why are they doing it? What is their main cause (still unclear to me after scouring their site)? What is getting accomplished? As I sit here this morning on a 707 AM train with my friend and his old fashion donuts on our way to New Haven for the Harvard/Yale game (neither school of which I attended) I realize it's about pride. The occupiers, honing in on a 2 month anniversary- march, shout, and quite frankly squat because they are fighting for something they take pride in. And for that- I give them credit- similar to the alumni that are surrounding me bright eyed and bushy tailed up at the crack of dawn ready for the game. Most of us, guilty for complaining about the 6AM wake up for work, were easily up at 6AM to catch this train- and the pride is definitely apparent (as is the smell of beer and everything bagels toasted with cream cheese). So after days of struggling- I'd like to wish the occupiers good luck because like the vast majority of us- they are just showin' some pride. Go Yale!!
xoxo AA

Montoursville vs. Mountville

The 2 words in the title of this post are clearly very different- but they certainly seem similar, right?! I wasn't going to put this one out there, but sacrificing my own dignity I've decided to share this now that I can laugh about it. On a business trip down to PA this week, I had a meeting in MONTOURSVILLE. Starbucks in hand and ready for the trip, I brought along printed directions with me...just in case. Plugging what I thought was the same address into the GPS, I was on my way. About 30 minutes before meeting time, I began to realize that the printed version and the GPS had 2 very different street names and directions. Upon back tracking the GPS I came to realize I had selected Mountville as my city destination- not Montoursville!! More great news- they are 3 HOURS apart from each other (who the hell knew the state of PA was so large?!). Needless to say, that meeting became a conference call in the car as I sat in a run down gas station parking lot in Lancaster, PA discussing iPad rates and positioning (have I mentioned that I love sales?). Besides this ridiculous story, there is a point here. After my call, I had the chance to 'parooz' around Lancaster before another meeting. Obviously, the culture is very different than it is here in NYC (though they do still have 'Occupy Lancaster' including about 4 tents). But, it got me thinking- why is it that when city types head to more rural areas they tend to automatically assume that their lifestyle is superior to those living outside the city? I for one, tend to wonder if maybe their lifestyle choice may be better than ours. Sure, rural types may not have the opportunity to eat at new trendy restaurants or shop in Soho all the time but from my observations, they seem to have more genuine time to give to others. Maybe because they aren't so stressed over the calories in a soy latte- it seems as though rural folk are able to take the time to have a real conversation. And in that case- do we as New Yorker's just act the way we do because everyone perceives us that way? You all know I love my city and everything it has to offer- all I am saying is sometimes its nice to head to the outskirts and get a glimpse- or maybe enjoy my soy latte- over some genuine conversation :)
xoxo AA

Veteran's Day...for a day or 2!

This weekend, I realized what being an American meant again on a trip down to Annapolis to see my man in uniform. Being a New Yorker, leaving the city can be a daunting experience when you haven't been "outside the city walls" in quite sometime. But for most of us, traveling is apart of who we are as NYers- and for me especially, experiencing new cultures. At times, many of us forget that there is great culture here within our own country that we have not yet explored! From the start of my trip, I began to realiz that the armed services is a culture within itself. After a canceled flight out of Laguardia (shocking, I know) I sprinted in my new heels with suitcase in toe, over to customer relations. There, I began to tell the woman that I was dating someone in the armed services and because it was Veteran's day weekend- I needed to be on the next flight out to DC. Her demeanor was instantly changed by my statement and my tush was on the next flight out to Reagan airport leaving in 20 minutes. Once I made it to Annapolis- I got the chance to see some of the men and women that attended the Marine Ball on Thursday night that was hosted at the Naval Academy. All dolled up in their dress blues (wrong term here I know, I stand corrected) with their wives in floor length ball gowns, I was exposed even more to a world I knew not much about. As a group, everyone was so happy to be around each other, cheering, chanting, and having a general sense of pride for who they were and what they did. Talking with one Commander (again, I am new to the terms here!) I felt his sense of directed communication, as his eyes did not unlock mine while we spoke. You could feel his honest intention for listening, as well as the sense of respect he had for himself and those around him. As my truly wonderful weekend went on, I learned from each person that I spoke with- the amount of physical time and hard work that goes into just being a student at the Naval Academy. When many of us find ourselves complaining about not wanting to go to the gym, or taking a cab because of a far walk- these men and women are running, swimming, and quite frankly busting ass hours a day. It gave me a great new perspective on success. In anything, mental toughness and preparedness are the key to success (along with hard work and organization of course). But having a true heart for what you do and believing in your cause makes the rewards that much greater :)
xoxo AA

Today I love my job

In a recent post I spoke about the highs and lows in sales. I know that I am not supposed to get too 'high' or too 'low' but come on people, today was a great day- and definitely one worth writing about. With one of my clients (an automotive advertiser), I have been encountering some 'roadblocks' in getting touch with the team. So, with the brilliance of the marketing team, and my own creativity, we headed to said client's car dealership and quite literally scared the staff. Upon walking in, we requested to sit in one of the cars to record a short film- the car salesman looked at us like we had 3 heads- but finally agreed as long as we promised to make it quick. We got in the car, latest issue of PopSci in hand, and recorded a short video outlining 3 reasons "Why I was in XYZ car with my PopSci and why XYZ car needed to be in my PopSci." The video ended with me asking my clients to hop in the vehicle with me for a ride. THIS IS MY JOB- and today I loved it. Luckily I did finally receive a response (!!) and some positive feedback from the client. At this point, they either think I am a total freak, or maybe they will actually advertise with us...until that time, I am going to continue to try and "Sell Something." :)
xoxo AA

Who is your Social Self?

Today was certainly a day of learning at the office. Armed with my iPad (for fear of boredom) a banana (for fear of hunger) and tea (for fear of sleep deprivation getting to me) I made my way to Digital Sales Training 101. Enduring 3.5 hours of digital training at 1st seemed like a bore to me because I come from the digital world- but this was my 1st ever formal sales training, so I was sparked with a hint of excitement. As with most publications, we spoke a lot about social media as it is a clear hot topic. Did you know that when sharing things in the social spectrum, our serotonin levels actually increase giving us some sort of high. I can feel mine increasing right now as I write this post and prepare to hit 'Publish'...kidding, I am sitting in my bed about to turn in. Anyways, I found it quite interesting as we continued to discuss social media in the realm of categorization. Increasingly, we are seeing sites and brand awareness campaigns develop 'badges' where users are able to take a short quiz or submit some information about themselves to see (and share of course) what kind of badge they would fall under. I admit I am guilty of this seamless exercise, and according to Amex's Facebook page- I am a Poshaholic (whatever that means). I started to think about how we are forced to join these interest groups within the social world- can we really be locked into one? Is it fair that we are sharing this information with our "friends" when it really doesn't describe us a whole person? I even learned today that there is such thing called trypophobia- the fear of sharing things (also one of the top 3 non-branded things searched on PopSci.com, just in case you were wondering). Hitting share can be scary! I mean you are essentially spreading all of your cards out on a table to the universe to say 'HEY WORLD LOOK AT ME- feel free to comment and like." Later in the day, after seeing the head of the FCC speak at the Ad Tech convention at the Javits Center- I remembered that once you put data out there, it lives online FOREVER. And so organizations such as the FCC are working hard to develop regulations on content sharing and user information gathering. When it comes down to it...do we find ourselves molding our real identities based on our Social Selves? The FCC would like to say no- but on that note, I am going to hit the 'Publish' button :)
xoxo AA

Waiting in line for God

With a whole extra hour to enjoy the weekend I decided to actually get out of bed today! Starting off with Saturday, I volunteered at Free Arts in the morning (an organization I've worked with before- basically 4 hours, kids, volunteers, art projects and pizza) and traveled up to Harlem for only my 2nd time since living in NYC. Upon getting off the train I immediately noticed the overwhelming amount of churches in the area. For a hood with a not so good rep, I wondered why there was a plethora of churches. A lot of churches must mean there are a lot of spiritual people living in the area. And if everyone's so spiritual and going to church all the time- why is the crime rate historically so much higher there? Could it be that some people just have a higher level of passion that spills into all aspects of their lives? Back in my hood today I experienced the complete opposite scenario. Waiting in line for my church, Hillsong (check it sometime- it's FUN) located in Union Square, a passer-by asked "What is everyone waiting in line for" to which we responded "Church." The passer-by could not be more confused, asking "What do you mean, I don't understand?" I wondered, have we really reached the point that waiting in line for God seems like such an odd activity? Another gentlemen walked by and asked what concert we were waiting to see, to which I so badly wanted to say "God is playing tonight- Jesus is the opening act." Has religion become so uncool that it seems almost unbelievable to most that we would actually be waiting for it? And how is it that 100 blocks up a neighborhood of people who get a bad rap are so much more accepting of the presence of God in their daily lives. Yet in Union Square (an area of the city where I can almost guarantee you will see at least 5 people dressed like all of Lady Gaga's different personalities) people are so much less accepting of God? When you think about it- God (or whomever you believe in) is always waiting for you. He/she is waiting for you to realize that they've always been there. And as confusing at it may seem sometimes- their door is always open. With my extra hour today- I was lucky enough to realize that no matter where you are or where you come from- accepting faith in your life is just a matter of timing, and maybe a little waiting :)

xoxo AA

Dirty Vodka Martinis...4 Olives Please!

You can blame the dirty vodka martinis for my lack of a post last night. Did you know that martinis are traditionally made with gin? Because it was so cheap before & after Prohibition, gin was the poison of choice. It wasn't until 1964 when Sean Connery uttered the famous words "Shaken, not stirred" in Goldfinger, that this fantastic cocktail became a true menu selection. 

There is a real point to this post...I promise. Sometimes we find ourselves taking life too seriously- lamenting over situations that will eventually work themselves out. It is not until a good friend and a few strong dirties that you realize, life will go on. Today being Friday may have something to do with brightening everyone's attitude but when you really take take a step back and look around, you begin to understand that it is all apart of the bigger plan. So I just wanted to say thank you, to every person that has ever told me I could not do something or said no- I appreciate the invaluable lessons you have taught me and the drive you have given me to keep pushing past you. I cheers my delicious dirty to you :)

- xoxo AA

Wins vs. Losses

In the world of sales, I am quickly learning that wins and losses become a matter of daily hygiene. You may be high 1 moment waiting for a huge order to come in,  and completely lose everything the next.
Today I encountered an odd experience worth sharing. I lost 2 orders that I worked my ass off on- in fact may have poured a little sweat and possibly some tears into. Hours later, out of the blue- 2 completely different orders came in. I am perplexed at how my day continued to be drawn down by the losses and not uplifted by the wins. I asked myself- how is it that we work so hard on a project with no results, and put nearly no time and effort into another to get a win? Most will say it was a matter of luck- being in the right place at the right time. But as a professional in any field, not just sales- how do you know when your success is a direct outcome of your hard work...or is it all just dumb luck? Do we find ourselves continually "taking the $ and running" or are we trying to make ourselves better- not only in the work place but at home. That then, makes me think it is the universe giving back to us. I truly believe that if you continue to make a conscious effort every day to get better- you will eventually be reward...maybe just not in the way you had imagined. :)
- xoxo AA

A little Inspiration...

Hello world! Through my disappearance, I have jumped into a new job role at my company. I am now an Integrated Account Manager at the Bonnier Tech Group- still loving digital, but selling it all and so grateful for the opportunity to do so :)
After a mani/lunch with some clients yesterday- I was inspired to start writing again. As my new found friend proclaimed over pressed sandwiches and freshly painted pointers, "I'll read a paragraph on someone's blog and think to myself- that was great! And I'm sure it only took 10 minutes to write- why can't I do that?" Well- we both can! And now is the time more than ever...
Reading a quick sales caffeine article today, I got a double dose of inspiration when the author spoke about 'creating your own brand.' And then she quote the infamous DVF in saying "When I was young I didn't know what I wanted to be, but I always knew the kind of woman I wanted to become." That one tugged right at the heart strings- and so here I am world! 10 minutes and hopefully a paragraph that has inspired you as well :)
- xoxo AA