PSA: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Consider this my personal Public Service Announcement because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is near and dear to my heart.

Millions of women have been diagnosed with breast cancer. There were over 207,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in 2010 alone...2010 alone! That means practically everyone knows someone who has fought this battle.  The American Cancer Society estimates that the chance of women getting breast cancer is 1 in 8...1 in 8! It is the most common cancer in women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death in women.

Early detection is everything. That means, if you do it no other time except for right now, please make sure you remind your mother/sisters/daughters/aunts/cousins/grandmothers/friends/co-workers/in-laws/girlfriend/wife/neighbors/etc. to schedule their annual mammograms. 

These precautionary measures save lives. It saved my mother's...

My mom and dad, the weekend they told me she had breast cancer.

Mom in her cute wig during Thanksgiving 2007

During a routine annual mammogram in 2007, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. After three major surgeries and multiple chemo treatments with the most amazing strength and an inspirational attitude, she was able to beat this dreaded disease.

So please, make your appointments and remind every woman in your life to talk with their doctor. 

Spread the word so we can stop the spread of this disease in its tracks!

Sometimes there are no words...

You know when something devastating happens to someone you know and you literally don't know what to say? You want to do or say the right thing so bad, but you can't. You're literally speechless.

That's how I feel right now. A friend of mine is so broken-hearted that it breaks my own heart. The kind of broken heart that there's no way anyone else could understand. The kind where she's probably slightly embarrassed, completely overwhelmed, and there's so much to do, she probably doesn't even know where to start. They kind where she probably wants to disappear for a while but is afraid to leave everything behind. I want to say that we all know that type of pain, but I honestly don't think we all possibly can. 

Then there's my heartache, which could never match hers right now. It's the kind where you would put your life on hold to help her get through it, if only you knew what to do when you got there (besides provide the shoulder to cry on and copious amounts of ice cream and alcohol, but even that won't scratch the surface). When literally, nothing you say can make a difference. When you wish you could stop the pain, but you can't. And trust me, the last thing a person with a broken heart wants to hear is "I know how you're feeling." -Or- "This is just like the time [something not quite the same] happened to me." Because to that person, at that time, no one could ever understand.

And for that, there is my next revelation. Sometimes there are no words and that's okay. Sometimes there is nothing you can say. Sometimes actions really do speak louder than words. And sometimes, you just have to let that person know you are there for them and then let time take its toll and be patient. 

And to my dear friend: you're allowed to hurt right now but remember that there's always that silver lining; that everything happens for a reason; and trust me, it won't hurt forever...it just takes time to get there. xoxo

Busy Season

Every job has one. And for my job in advertising (you know, that thing that I do to pay my rent...and because I love it), September begins my busy season. It's when all the next year's campaign planning begins. That means extra client meetings, extra brainstorm sessions, extra concepting, extra pre-pro and that means extra late nights....which in turn, always puts a slight wrench in my oh-so-fun social abilities...which of course means from here on out, I'll have to tone down the amount of blog posts for the utter lack of time to go out and enjoy the fabulous restaurants here. I assure you, there will be lots of ordering in for the team (which, if it's good enough, will warrant a post) and plenty of revelations, so stay tuned!

Just Say No

This isn't about what they taught us in health class...When's the last time someone asked you to do something and you said no? I'm not talking about being rude. I'm talking about saying no to something you physically, mentally or emotionally could not do for your own well being, or the well being of your team.  

- Can you write that 150 page report and get it on my desk in 3 hours? 
- No. (That's physically not possible)  

- Can we push back this meeting? 
- No. (That would cut the timeline too close)  

- Can you work late tonight? 
- No. (You already have plans and the work can wait until tomorrow)


I've recently discovered that it's okay to say no. And that not only is it okay, but sometimes it's necessary.  

- No, this is not urgent so I will not be spending the night here working on it.
- No, you cannot treat me like that. 
- No, I will not let this affect me. 
- No, I will not be accessible while I'm on vacation. 
- No, you cannot call me at 11pm, I will be in the office by 9am and we can talk then. 
- No, we cannot do xyz by 123 deadline, but we can do abc by 123 deadline or xyz by 567 deadline. 


Saying no is not just a personal revelation, either. It's also a professional one. 

- You want to push up the presentation by a day? I'm sorry, but my team will not be ready and we want to make sure what you see is at 100%. 
- No, I will not be calling you on vacation. You relax, and if we need anything, we'll get someone to fill in. 


Saying no is about determining what the priorities are, and sifting through the crap to make sure those priorities are taken care of. Stephen Covey, in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People says it very well:

"...you have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage-- pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically-- to say "no" to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger "yes" burning inside...you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent, urgent things in your life, it is probably to the more fundamental, highly important things..."

Think about it...sometimes you need some time to unwind and work on your personal life and have to say no to certain things at work. Sometimes you give up things in your personal life to get ahead at work (the key word here is sometimes). It all depends on what your priorities are, what your goals are in life and what your physical, mental and emotional needs are. And it's not all about giving things up or saying no. It's about rearranging your priorities, recognizing your own needs, making compromises and figuring out alternatives to the choices at hand.


The power of "no" is quite liberating. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do...or not do, for that matter. So next time someone asks you to do something you really can't or don't want to do, say no ("pleasantly, smilingly, apologetically").

Secrets

A friend of mine today asked if I could keep a secret. Now, don't get your hopes up because I can keep a secret and this post is not about blabbing some juicy secret for the masses to hear. If you want that, I suggest you visit postsecret.com. Anyway, so when this friend asked if I could keep a secret, it got me thinking...has anyone actually said "no" to this question? 


"Can you keep a secret?"
- "No. As a matter of fact, I can't so you better not tell me..."


I don't think so! Who doesn't want to hear some juicy secret that supposedly no one else (or very few people) knows about? 


Then I started thinking about those people who start a sentence with, "Don't tell anyone but...[insert someone else's secret here]..." I mean honestly, how many times have you been on the receiving end of that statement? Or maybe you said that to someone? Multiple people, even? And then suddenly everybody knows! It's a nasty habit that some people have. Those are the people that should answer "no" to the aforementioned question, but they don't. It's scary when you think about it. No one's secrets are safe when they are shared with anyone but themselves...and quite frankly, some people are bad at keeping their own secrets. 


A friend of mine in high school and I started a mini social experience back in the day. It was stupid, but it proved a point. We started a perfectly harmless, but apparently totally juicy rumor (at least to the immature high schoolers) to see how long it would take to spread around the school. So my friend and I in first period told three different people: "Did you hear? Sarah K***** got stuck in a locker!" Well even though this little piece of untrue information was totally petty (and barely believable), those three people we told looked back at us with eyes wide in amazement as they said, "Really?! No way! How did that happen?!" So, we made up an ellaborate story about how someone bet her "five thou" (a.k.a. five thousand yen...it was my high school in Japan...which was roughly $46 dollars at the time) that she couldn't fit in a locker, but she was determined to do it and when she did, she got stuck and three people had to try to pull her out, and then we had to get a cafeteria worker to bring out the butter... Well when we got to the part about the butter, that's when people were hooked! We barely got out of second period before other people came circling back to us saying, "Hey! Did you hear Sarah K***** got stuck in a locker?!" and by lunch time, Sarah was running around trying to figure out who started this false rumor. We did fess up to Sarah about starting the rumor and set the record straight (which of course took longer to circulate than the initial rumor because it wasn't as juicy so we had to tell more people ourselves).


As stupid as this may have been, it proved something. People are always looking to be the first to know something and secrets are never sacred when it comes to juicy gossip. 

So if you have a secret, be careful who you tell. And if you are the receiver of said secret, keep it to yourself (unless, of course, that secret is going to affect or hurt someone physically, mentally or emotionally...but that's a whole other blog post).

Raising the Stake on Steak

It's amazing how things usually find a way to work out for the better in the end. I could talk a lot about this subject, but really what I am referring to right now is steak. Yes...Steak.

I picked up some steaks on Sunday to have with a friend of mine on Monday. I decided I was going to use my dad's theory on marinading (combine a bunch of sauces and spices you like together to make something better), since I didn't really have anything in mind. So that night, I combined Worcestershire sauce, a splash of soy sauce, and rice vinegar, with freshly chopped garlic, thyme and sage (fresh from my parent's garden that they sent me), a little salt and pepper, rubbed it into the two NY strip steaks I had, packed it in the leftover marinade, and put it in the refrigerator overnight. 

I couldn't wait to get home on Monday to throw it on the grill with the fresh asparagus I had. Unfortunately, my friend ended up not being able to make it. And fortunately, what I thought was an unfortunate circumstance, ended up being a very fortunate circumstance because after over 48 hours marinating, that steak was amazingly seasoned, extremely tender, and perfectly delicious! 

So take this lesson how you'd like. It's another way to show you that there's always a silver lining, everything happens for a reason (no matter how small or life-changing), and it always works out in the end. Now that's something you can literally apply to food, or take this metaphor and apply it to life!

Bags and Baggage

As I was on my way home from work today, I saw this girl. I've seen this girl before. Well, not this particular girl, but the type. She's the one you always see carrying at least four different bags strapped over both shoulders, doing to stop-n-shrug while hurrying to her car because she's so uncomfortable under the weight and awkwardnes. I've definitely seen this type of girl before (and guys too, for that matter). 

So I'm looking at her, and I'm wondering what on earth could she actually need all those bags for? I mean, does she really need that backpack and that messenger bag and that purse, and that tote bag? So then I start making up her story in my mind (as I often do when I catch a quick glimpse into someone's life)...Maybe she is a student and an intern, she has her backpack because she came straight from class, then she has her purse for her wallet, keys and phone (which is conveniently always packed and ready to go), the messenger bag is for her gym clothes and that tote bag holds her lunch leftovers and maybe a notebook. But does she really need to be carrying all that stuff? Can't it be consolidated somehow?

Then I start thinking about my own bag that I take back and forth to work every day. Nowadays, it's pretty heavy. In fact, I hardly know what's in it because I never go through it (except when I'm trying to find that darn chapstick or a piece of gum or my keys!). It holds my wallet and keys, a little umbrella, some chapstick, and a bunch of other crap that just weighs me down. Then there are times I have to bring home my computer. But with all that extra crap in my bag, my computer doesn't fit, which means I have to bring home my chunky computer bag. And if I bring my lunch in a Pyrex dish that day, I have to bring that home in another bag. Then there I am, that poor girl I saw today, with all those bags, rushing to my car in the heat, trying not to do the stop-n-shrug too many times on the way! It's madness! I mean, honestly, what do I really have in my bag that I actually need every day? Why do I feel the need to carry all of it with me every single day? It's more than just a "you never know..." or "just in case..." type of bag packing. It's just that it's convenient to leave things in there and not worry about them, let them build up, and not even realize how much it's weighing me down until I can't take it anymore, or I am questioning someone else who's doing the same thing! Why not downsize? Why not get rid of all that extra baggage? I mean, honestly, if you don't make room for it, there's no place to put it!

And here's the part where the revelation comes...as I'm thinking about this, on my drive home, I also realize that this simple principle can be applied to life. Think about it. Instead of dealing with or dismissing certain things, we just let them pile up and become clutter in our lives. We let things build up because it's convenient to ignore them for the moment. We let all the little "crap" build up and weigh down on us. It just doesn't make sense. We should deal with it and move on or dismiss it from our lives altogether. Then, as I'm driving, I laugh as I realize...I just gave my own, new meaning to the term "baggage". 


So that's it! I'm cleaning out my bag tonight. I already feel that weight lifted off my shoulders (both literally and figuratively). I'm getting rid of all that crap that I don't need in my life anymore and moving on to a lighter bag and an ever lighter look on life! Go empty your own bags and get rid of all that extra weight!

The Importance of Customer Service

I write this as I sit waiting for the cable technician from Time Warner Cable to arrive...for the second time in two days. Not to bash TWC, but I think they are a great example of some of the worst customer service...and I say that from (way too much) experience. 

After perfecting your service or product (which would reduce, but not absolve, the need for customer service altogether), and of course, determining a marketing/advertising plan (I have to say that. I'm in advertising!), I think it's really important to have a good customer service department (or depending on your product/service/company size), make sure all employees are trained in and really embrace the concept of good customer service. 

Why is it so important? Because it affects not only the person with the concern, but their whole entire network. There are people like me that when I have an amazing customer service experience, I tell everyone I know. Take a restaurant, for example; if I have a bad meal at a restaurant, but the service was phenomenal, suddenly I want to give them another chance in the food arena and I'm telling everyone I know about how wonderful the overall experience was (the keyword is chance there because if the food is bad the second time, I'm done. "Fool me once...", as they say). And of course, the opposite is also true (and potentially more common for some). If the customer service is bad, I also tell everyone I know.

How hard is it to just "give them the pickle"? I think in every role I've ever been in where there was some aspect of customer service and how they made me watch that video (you know what I'm talking about? Where the new waiter at a restaurant is about to charge customers to get an extra pickle with their meal and the owner says "just give them the pickle!"). It makes sense! Those little things that may or may not have some monetary expense to the company, can turn around even larger income when the customer is happy and they are referring everyone they know to that company because of it! It's a simple concept that every company is obsessed with in all other aspects of their business: Return on Investment.

You can really save a business just through good customer service. I'm not suggesting that you live by the literal meaning of "the customer is always right," because they aren't. But seeming like you care, and going above and beyond (even if it's just a little bit) to not only appease the situation, but make it better, and make sure you keep that customer (and their friends). After all, you can't have a business without customers, right?


Well, that is of course, if you are TWC and have very little competition in the Raleigh, NC area. So I can see why they feel they can make me call month after month when they over charge me, tell me it's fixed, then overcharge me again. Or how they press some buttons on their end to make my TV restart, then tell me it's fixed only to have my call back that same day to tell them it's not. Or how they schedule a technician to come out on a Thursday night, then have an annoyed technician call me at work on a Tuesday morning asking why I'm not at home. Or how they reschedule a technician to come Wednesday morning "between 7 and 9am" and at 9:20 I call to say "I am already late to work, why didn't anyone show up when scheduled?" I don't think I've ever had a good customer service experience from them. But let me tell you something, TWC...I will not hesitate to cancel this service. I would rather go TV and internet-less (or switch to another provider) than keep rewarding your bad behavior.

And look at that...23 minutes later, there's that knock at my door! Better late than never...I guess?

The Brown Ones...

We may need to watch out for them! I say that because I'm "a Brown" but what I'm really talking about are brown M&Ms (I don't really think we need to watch out for them, but keep reading to see where I'm going with this). Have you ever seen the movie The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey? Remember the scene where he throws away all the different colored M&Ms (which should be a crime in itself) saying the brown ones have "less artificial coloring because chocolate's already brown"? Well I beg to differ! In my extensive research of M&Ms (sarcasm intended), I have come to realize that while yes, chocolate is in fact brown (surprise surprise....unless of course, you are eating white chocolate...but I didn't need to tell you that), the M&Ms candy coating is actually a white candy (which you will see if you just bite one in half). And considering that in order to get a rich brown color, you need to mix blue, red, and yellow together (I think you see where I'm going with this but I'll say it anyway)...doesn't that mean that the brown ones would actually have the most artificial colors? It's food for thought...

"Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

Winston Churchill said those words, which I think are words to live by. Some might see a person who fails time and time again as somewhat of a loser, but let me tell you why this is an important lesson to learn.


As stated before, I believe everything happens for a reason. Therefore "failure" is not really a failure at all, but something you had to go through to get where you are going. Therefore, can you ever really fail at something? Sure, you can fail a test, but what does that truly mean? Does it mean you failed at learning the subject matter? Does it mean you failed at mastering the art of test-taking? Or does it simply mean you are not meant to fully understand that subject but there are plenty of other things you are great at? Let me give you a real life example of what some might see as failure, but it was just the path I needed to go on. But first, a little background...

An old intern of mine, Kristen (who is absolutely fabulous, by the way, and I can't wait to see where her path takes her), asked if we could go out for dinner to talk about how I got where I am. I was honored by this request and of course obliged. As a recent graduate, she was stressing about finding the right job and knowing whether to take the first thing that came along or holding out for something better (I do not envy her for graduating in this economy). After hearing her concerns, it was clear that students these days have misconceptions about their path. Looking back, I had the same fears when I graduated. Think about it, your whole life up until that point, you knew exactly what was coming next...You start school, you go up through the grades, after high school, there's college, in college there are internships, but after college....who knows! That's the beauty of it and also the terror of it...These students believe that before they graduate they should know exactly what they are going to do, have that job lined up, and that's where you are going to be for an undetermined long period of time. I don't blame them. And when graduation nears, and that job has not been solidified yet, that's about the time when people start to freak out! What am I going to do? Where am I going to live? Please don't make me live with my parents again! That is how society has brought us up.


Now, I wish I knew someone like me when I was in school to tell me what I told Kristen. And if someone from the future, told the 21 year-old version of myself what my life would be like even a year after graduating, I would not have believed it. But everything happens for a reason...


The first thing I told Kristen was this: "Your first job is not going to be your last..." It's true! And as simple as it may seem, it's not something that really hits home for students nowadays. In my first year outside of school, I worked at four different agencies...yes, I said FOUR! If anyone told me that my first agency would have gone bankrupt and closed 4 months after I was hired, I probably wouldn't have accepted the job. But it turned out to be a great stepping stone to where I am today. I learned so much in that first job (including what not to do and what kind of things to watch out for in a company) and made so many great life-long connections, that I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. My second agency was a freelance gig. Again, I got so much out of my few months working beyond what I thought were my limits and honing my skills, that it was another great stepping stone. My third agency was a learning experience of what I do not want in life. To put it in the smallest nutshell I can possibly squeeze it into, I quote one of the Partners of this particular organization, "...Sounds to me like you're working for 'The Devil Wears Prada'..." But luckily, after all my hard work and determination, the very day I had a meltdown in the office and decided I could no longer go on that way, I got the best phone call ever...the agency I aspired to work at "one day" wanted to interview me for a position...Now if that's not a sign that I've got greater powers looking over me, I don't know what is! So here I am, working at a place a love, with wonderful people, inspirational managers, and awesome accounts, loving what I do every day. 


The second piece of advice I gave Kristen was this, "Do what you love or make sure it's a learning experience..." This is important. Now, the end goal is to have both of these in the equation (as I do, which is why I'm so happy), but think about it... If you don't love going to work every day, it's going to be miserable (trust me, I know)...and if you are miserable, it's not good for yourself or the people you work for/with. Dreading going to work everyday takes a physical, mental and emotional toll on someone! It's horrible. Now here's the kicker, if you can't get to where you love your job yet (which is the case for many people so you're in good company), start going along the stepping stones of learning the things you need to get there. Everything and everyday should be a learning experience. It's like dating. If you get nothing else from dating a bunch of duds except knowing exactly what you don't want in a relationship, then that's a huge success! You're not a failure because of "failed" relationships. You're learning about what you do and don't want in life.


And finally, I told Kristen, "Don't be afraid to be aggressive in getting what you want..." Go for it! No one got anywhere by playing it safe. If you don't go out full steam ahead, trying to grab your dreams, you won't find them. If your dream job right out of school is to be an account executive at a specific ad agency, then you reach out to every person you know, expand your network, think outside the box and strive for it. Heck, go ahead and call up the president of the company! The worst they can say is "No." And if every time someone thought receiving a "no" was a failure, most of us wouldn't be where we are today. 

Famous Failures is a great video that shows some of the most successful people who didn't take "no" or little "failures" to hold them back.


The word "failure" is very subjective. So turn your "failures" into successes by looking at them as learning experiences, if nothing else...

Adding "blogging" to my long list of things I do...

Blogging. As if I needed anything else to fill what little free time I actually have. Actually, that's a lie, I do have free time but I choose to pack it with the things I love doing which includes eating great food with great friends, reading interesting and inspirational books (I'm all about constant learning and expanding the mind), starting an event (which at this point will remain nameless as it is still in the fetal stages of event planning), staying up to date on the latest ads (I'm in advertising so I'm an ad junkie) and going to the gym (which allows me to eat as much of that "great food" I referenced earlier). (Did I mention I like parenthesis to take a thought a little deeper?)

But back to blogging, I decided to start one based on two non-related happenings with one common thread that I wanted to bring together:

1. As you can tell by the name of my blog, I'm a huge foodie. And as I said in my previous post, I will try anything once, and when I find something amazing, I tell the world (literally)! I'm always seeking out the newest, best restaurants and suddenly I became the girl everyone went to when they needed a good restaurant recommendation. So I started posting now and then on Yelp, when I found something that was truly amazing. I immediately started getting "Yelp compliments" from people like Felecia B. who saw my review and loved it. Felecia wrote, "Wow-your review makes me want to try this place out...Definitely write more reviews!" That made me consider writing a food blog, because who doesn't love to learn about the latest and greatest restaurants (and the best things to get there).
2. The "revelations" part of the blog came from the fact that my brain is always busy. To the point that I wish I could have an on-off switch because it can keep me up at night! I'm constantly thinking about things in different ways and always joke that I have too many thoughts and I need to start writing them down. I love learning about different sides of one situation and thinking outside the box. This has lead me to many great revelations in life. 

And that common thread? Well it's passion. Passion about food; passion about living life to the fullest; passion about sharing experiences with friends. 

So congratulations! You made it through my second blog post of ramblings. They won't all be like this, I promise. I just wanted to let you know where I'm coming from and what this blog is all about. Thanks for reading!