The Weighting Game - November 2012 Article

Dying to know if I hit my 80 pound goal by October 1? No, I didn’t!!! I’m currently at a loss of 78. It’s time to really kick it in gear with the holidays around the corner. My goal by December 30 (my 45^th birthday) is 100 pounds and the holidays won’t make it too easy for me (or any of you in the same boat). For those who don’t know my whole story, I set my goals last December so that I could enjoy the holidays and then commit 100% on January 2. I truly pre-planned the whole process to set myself up for success. So far, so good!

Now let’s talk about some of my other successes and challenges for the past month …

Exercising without a gym: At the end of September I went to San Francisco for an improvisation conference. My motel did NOT have an exercise room. I used to be one of those people who said, “Oh, I’m so busy traveling; there’s just no time to work out.” That’s just a bad excuse! The old me would have really used the excuse of no exercise room to not work out, but not this time. Once again, I pre-planned (see the planning trend going on here?). Before arriving in San Francisco I researched nearby health clubs and found the closest one a mile away for $15 a day. But when I realized how early I had to be at the conference every day, I knew distance might be a challenge. So, what did I do? I turned the motel parking lot and second floor into my own personal gym. I always bring a jump rope with me when I travel, so I used the parking lot for jumping rope in between doing a series of exercises including sit ups, push ups, tricep dips and squats (on a bath towel). I turned the second floor into a running track and ran for 18 minutes each day, mixing in running up and down the stairs. And yes, people looked at me like I was crazy, especially the smokers who didn’t know how to do their morning smoking with me in their space.

New wedding pictures: So, one of my goals was to have new wedding photos taken as I clearly was not happy with how I looked in my original ones. I had been so busy that I completely forgot to work on this project until my very creative friend Sara Wise (owner of The Bride’s Maid) convinced me that I could make it happen in 48 HOURS and she was right. Within 48 hours with the help of amazing friends, I had my wedding dress taken in by Ursula. I forget how many inches she removed; I think she said nine or 10. Photographer and friend Michele Smith (of Silver Charm Photography) changed her Sunday plans to help me surprise my husband with a surprise photo shoot on our anniversary. I’m so excited with how the photos turned out and have shared one with you today. Following the photo shoot Sara created a very romantic dinner ambiance for us on our patio, utilizing a few items from our wedding day. A perfect one year anniversary!

Lifestyle Change Award: Another highlight in October was being awarded the Lifestyle Change Award by the American Heart Association at their Heart Walk. What an honor and what a blessing to have a new lifestyle and new habits that have stuck.

Other approaches and goals: In the past week I’ve been adding a second work out to my day (when possible) to get me out of my weight loss slump and it helped almost instantly. I’ll continue to do this, especially with 10 days of travel in November on my schedule. On Thanksgiving I’m running in the Turkey Trot at Market Common; this will be my second 5K. I’m hoping to break my 36:57 running time. It continues to amaze me how my habits have changed. I used to feel guilty about eating bad food and now I feel guilty if I don’t work out TWICE in one day. UPDATE: I ran the 5K trot in 36 minutes and broke my record!

This blog was originally published as an article in the November issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

The Weight Game - October 2012 Article

Who am I? When I look in the mirror I see the same person I was 75 pounds ago in January. And then a very good friend of mine took a picture of me to send to one of her friends after exclaiming, “You look so small. I need to send this to Kim.” Sometimes I think people are just being nice by saying these things because I really don’t see it, even though I feel it. So, I looked at the picture on her cell phone and said, “Oh my goodness I look so small!” It’s weird how I see it in a photo but not in the mirror.

The lifestyle change journey continues successfully even with its challenges and temptations. I continue to view it as a series of learning experiences and experiments to incorporate into my life permanently. It’s actually kind of fun, like an adventure or a puzzle to solve.

The day my friend took the photo I was feeling pretty good in some new wardrobe – size 12! I can’t believe it but I was a size 20 in January and now a size 12. Now, not all size 12s fit me but according to my good friend Eileen, “if you fit into anything size 12, you’re a 12.” My original goal was a 12 because I always thought I looked good at a 12. I’ve always be comfortable in my skin, no matter what size, but I especially liked the way I looked at a 12. And here I am at my original goal and I want more. It dawned on me that I’m enjoying the adventure and don’t want it to end, so why not reach for a size 10 and tighter muscles?! It’s also rewarding to see my muscles become more defined and my strength improve. I really understand the meaning of adrenaline rush. There’s nothing like it. Oh, and I’m really excited about seeing my collar bone again!!!

In September I had many challenges to face. For one, my weight loss slowed down, so I decided to do another three-week detox that basically eliminates everything except lean chicken, turkey, beef and fish (no shell fish) and vegetables. At the time of this writing I’m still on the detox and have lost 5 pounds. The detox ends while I’m in San Francisco on business in which alcohol consumption will be tempting me. Additionally the motel we’re staying at doesn’t have an exercise room and since I’m there for five days I had to spend time pre-planning how I plan on eating, drinking and working out. Thank goodness for the internet as I was able to find a nearby gym with visitor passes. Just in case I don’t make it to that gym during my tight conference schedule, I’m bringing a jump rope and resistance band. I’ll also have the option of running. I’ve also plotted out the nearest grocery store so I can visit it as soon as we arrive to stock up on healthy snacks.

Another revelation I’ve had is that I love inspiring other women and sometimes it can be overwhelming, while flattering. Everyone wants my advice, which I’m happy to give. Unfortunately I don’t always have time for this and now refer everyone to the “expert”, my trainer Molly. I want to continue to inspire others and I also want to keep myself focused on me so that inspiring others doesn’t feel like a job.

My original end goal was to lose 80 pounds by my one year wedding anniversary on October 1? Will I do it? Read next month’s issue to find out!!! Happy Health! 

This blog was originally published in the October 2012 issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

The Weighting Game - September 2012 Article

I'm 70 pounds lighter since January! Yes! My goal was to lose 80 by my one year wedding anniversary of October 1 and I’m on track. Of course leave it Molly The Trainer to push me by telling me I can lose more. Everyone needs a Molly. Someone recently asked me if I still plan on using Molly when I’ve complete my goal and my gut reaction was “Leave Molly? I don’t think I can do that.” Molly is now a habit that may be hard to break.

Last month I mentioned that it’s just as easy to form a good habit as it is to form a bad habit and now I can attest to this being so true for me personally. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the fact that I’m easily bored and need constant stimuli to keep myself interested in things be it personally or professionally. I told Molly I was getting bored of my nutrition routine of two shakes and a meal a day and that I wanted a new structure – I thrive with new projects so I thought it might be good to change things up. So, Molly gave me a new diet to follow. I won’t tell you too much about it only because some of you will think it’s a little crazy (and some of you have already told me that). Let’s just say that this diet includes a “cheat day” every five days. I was a bit excited because I really haven’t had one of those since January. Cool, right? No!!! It was awful. I hated it. I felt like a recovering addict being tempted back to the dark side and it made me so uncomfortable. I’ve spent so much time re-training my brain to eat healthy that I really had no desire for the pasta lunch and all of the starches and dairy at dinner. It felt so weird. Being dairy and sugar free has been awesome. So, when it comes to cheating I wasn’t really sure what or how to eat and I can’t even believe I’m saying that. I immediately returned to my previous plan of two Body By ViSalus shakes (I’m a distributor) and a meal. 

That is a habit I’m enjoying and keeping for now. As Molly says, “It’s working.”

My exercise habit is still in place as well. Variation is the key to keeping this habit in place. I really can’t imagine not working with Molly at least once week after I’ve reached my goal. The leaner and stronger I get, the more addicted I become. I’m competitive. I need to be challenged and pushed and while I’ve learned to push myself more than I ever thought I would, it’s good to have someone on the sidelines to push you harder when you get tired or bored. It’s rejuvenating.

Let me stress that my progress is based on a concerted effort to make a lifestyle change and I equate this to starting up a new business or taking on a new job. It is definitely a part-time job that requires an investment of time and money. Starting up Carolina Improv Company and UptownTheater were both exhaustive efforts of time, money and dedication. To keep the businesses running successfully I’ve needed to be disciplined, visionary and resilient through the tough times. It’s no different with my health now.

Some have said, “How can you afford it?” My response “I think I’m actually saving money with my new lifestyle.” How do I figure this? Here’s some simple math:

Pre-Lifestyle Change:

Meals & Drinking Out - $500 a month

Prescriptions for blood pressure and acid reflux - $100 per month

Total: $600 per month

Post Lifestyle Change:

YMCA Membership: $40 per month

Personal Trainer: $275 per month average

ViSalus Shakes: $50 per month average (most of my shakes are free now)

Total: $365

The monthly savings does not account for the long term health benefits; however, I must mention that I recently tried to change my health care plan now that I’m off medication and was denied coverage for losing too much weight!!! True story! The other costs that are not factored in are all of the failed attempts to lose weight – the unused gym memberships, home exercise equipment, diet pills and other diet fads. How much money have all of us wasted for no true and sustainable results, in hopes for a quick fix? Something to think about the next time you say that you can’t invest in your health.

This blog was originally published as an article in the September issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

The Weighting Game - August 2012 Article

Ah, summertime and dieting. The two are not very good friends. Most of us start a new diet program in January. The health and nutrition industries capitalize on this – just take notice to the increased advertising for health club memberships, diet shakes, etc. every January. And most of us quit our health resolutions by March and by June, well, some of us our gaining the weight we lost between January through March. It’s a horrible cycle and often referred to as “yo-yo” dieting. That used to me. This is the longest I’ve lasted without a “relapse” in my quest to lose weight and be healthy. I often surprise myself with this small miracle.

What is the magic answer, you wonder? If I had to sum it up in a simple phrase I’d say “commitment to a lifestyle change.”  I never truly understand what this meant until I tried it. Choosing a new lifestyle requires many changes in habits. If we can form bad habits, we can form good habits. It requires constant thinking and re-conditioning of the way we think. In the world of improv we call this “re-training the brain.”

So, at this writing it’s the middle of July and I’ve only lost five pounds since last month’s article. The old me would have gotten frustrated and went on an eating binge. The new me learned to be patient as well as self-aware of what I’m really doing (or not doing). Some of you are quick to say “you’ve hit a plateau – that happens.” Molly (my trainer) has convinced me that plateaus are a bit of a myth.  I do think our bodies get accustomed to the same food and exercise routines but the truth is if we eat less and burn more calories, we will lose weight. If we’re not losing weight it’s because we’ve messed with that simple formula. Molly often asks me “Have you been perfect?” in regards to my eating. In the beginning it was easy to be perfect because the diet was like a new toy. Results motivated me to continue to be perfect. But I’m not as “perfect” as I could be, especially in the summer and double especially when I travel on business. Social drinking during these times is my weakness that prevents me from losing more weight at a faster rate. Great food in other cities is also a huge temptation. But the small victory here (and something new for me) is that I’m not gaining weight because I continue to exercise at least five times a week and I eat completely differently.  My new way of over indulging is eating too much trail mix instead of cookies.  Being bad with my exercise routine is exercising four times instead of of not exercising at all. It’s official – I have truly changed my lifestyle. I’ve set the foundation to continuously lose weight and improve my health, maybe not at the speed I want but that doesn’t matter anymore to me because I feel and look better than ever.

My biggest highlight in the past month has been having my trainer back on the job after giving birth to her beautiful baby. She really pushes me hard and while I haven’t lost a lot of weight this month I can really see a change in my body in the past month. My body is getting tighter and toner and I’m wearing smaller clothes. And I’m physically stronger. There’s something about building muscles and producing endorphins that’s truly addictive. I feel amazing after a good sweat and feel even better when I hear “You look amazing.” I just don’t want to hear that phrase too often because I don’t want to get complacent. Yet, I also don’t like hearing “Great job. Keep it up.” My gut reaction is “How much more do you think I need to lose?” Ha! How ridiculous, right?  Next time you run into me just say “Hey, you’re perfect the way you are.” At the end of the day we need to be happy with who we are and others will be too. Love yourself no matter your size … as long as you’re healthy. 

This blog was originally published in the August issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

The Weighting Game - July 2012 Article

This blog was originally published in the July issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

Six months into my health journey I’m down 60 pounds and three sizes! I look in the mirror and I actually see a different PHYSICAL person, which is echoed often by my husband and others around me. This journey is so rewarding and at a price of hard work and dedication. The more I lose the harder it gets. The old me would have given up by now. Can you relate? I know many of you can. Recently a friend said, “I’m not losing anything anymore. I might as well enjoy myself and eat.” Ah, warning, this is the danger zone. This is where it all goes wrong. Don’t listen to that inner, evil voice! This is, for me, the hardest point where you need to maintain will power, confidence and endurance to keep going. Don’t give up. Trust me and step away from the ice cream.

May and June were not the easiest months for me because Molly, my trainer, went on maternity leave at my most vulnerable point. I told her that in the past I usually gave up three or four months into a weight loss plan. I did not remind her of this when she went on leave because I didn’t want her to worry about me. Despite the fact that she would be consumed with having a baby, Molly is so dedicated to her clients that I knew she’d worry at least a little if I told her I was scared to be without her. So, I worked that much harder to at least not gain weight in her absence. She had made a work out plan for me to follow but I got confused with it and hated trying to do it alone, so I pulled out the YMCA group exercise schedule and literally scheduled on my calendar all of the classes I would be taking each month. Once something is on my calendar, I’ll do it. I had fun exploring new classes and new teachers. I checked out Shanti Yoga Studio and started taking yoga for a new challenge. I ran more in preparation for the Run Like A Diva 5K. Bottom line, I kept going with both exercise and diet, even when traveling on business.

Some Suggestions To Keep Going:

-          Introduce new exercise options to stay challenged and to prevent boredom; vary your exercise with weights and cardio and include interval work outs.

-          Keep a journal of what you’re eating and drinking, including your water intake. Don’t like to journal? Try one of the many free online options or phone apps, such as myfitnesspal.com

-          Join or start a Facebook group where others share their daily accomplishments – it will inspire and guilt you at the same time, while holding you accountable to the world.

-          Schedule exercise with friends so that you have to show up since they’re waiting for you.

-          Eat out a lot, be it preference or no choice? Don’t feel bad to ask for what you want (as long as it’s healthy), such as “Salmon, dry, no butter and steam the vegetables.” Today restaurants seem to expect these requests and it makes dieting so much easier.

-          If you like to drink (alcohol) like I did (do), stop it! Well, at least modify it. I didn’t believe Molly when she said that drinking would slow down my weight loss until I stopped it and watched four pounds disappear in a week. Sounds crazy, but try scheduling your “drinking” night to one night a week and look forward to it like a special day.

-          Do not let summer be an excuse for over indulging. Instead, visit a farmers market and buy fresh vegetables and fruits to put in containers to snack on.

-          Set mini-goals and celebrate the small successes. It doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing approach”. For several months I was addicted to the scale and it drove me crazy. I’ve been much calmer by not weighing myself constantly and instead focusing on following the path to a healthier life.

Some of my recent successes:

-          Hearing my husband constantly telling me how good I look.

-          Ran my first 5K without stopping! Didn’t think I would actually run it, but I did and then I cried for accomplishing such a feat for me.

-          Lost weight while on a business trip because I worked out every day in the hotel gym and watched my diet.

-          Cheating by eating chips and French onion dip to discover I no longer like the way it tasted!

-          Saying “Oh my goodness, I haven’t worked out in two days and couldn’t wait to work out today.”

-          Blood pressure continuing to remain at 120/75 WITHOUT medication.

-          Went down another size and threw away more clothes.

-          Being called “skinny”… often!

-          Having my mother pick me up from the airport and not being able to recognize me.

-          Was hit on by a gorgeous 20-something man and felt like a sexy “cougar”.

The Weighting Game - June 2012 Article

Ah, my weight loss secrets. What all y’all been waiting for, yes? That’s the first thing I hear about my weight loss – “What are you doing?” There’s no magic. And for some, it’s disappointing to hear that success has come from good, old fashioned hard work of reducing calories and exercise. Yes, some people get disappointed. I used to be one of those people. We would all love a quick fix. “If I could only lose x amount of pounds first, I promise I’ll follow the rules later.” I have had this talk with myself a million times over the past 20 years. The true motivation for me has been to improve my overall health so I can live a longer life. The fear of dying like my father (of a heart attack) woke me up. Most of my family dies of heart disease and heart attacks have been known to occur in our family in the 40s.

I approached this journey like I approach a project for work or for a client. I needed a process to follow. As I mentioned last month, I started by drinking meal replacement shakes by Body By ViSalus. I became a “passive” distributor of the shakes and figured that if I was actually going to sell the shakes I should show that they work. Shakes are a great way to lose weight because they help you manage your caloric intake, which is key. I knew I’d lose weight this way but for the first time I accepted the fact that to increase the speed and retention of weight loss I would have to exercise as well. Along came Molly!

Many of us have said it before: “If I had a celebrity’s money I could get thin too with a personal trainer.” It’s clear that people have lost weight with the help of a trainer. Just watch The Biggest Loser. I didn’t really pursue this route initially but Molly was a friend and a previous improv student. She had started her weight loss journey while a student of mine. I think I may have mentioned something about the shakes on Facebook and she emailed me and said, “Hey, if you need a trainer …” It was a sign. In the theme of an improv philosophy of “yes, and”, I emailed her back, “Tell me more.” I was at my thinnest at 20 when I had a body builder/coach boyfriend and while I hated him for it I now realized that in some sick way his toughness worked on me being in amazing shape. And that’s what I needed now – a tough coach, but an understanding one I could trust. I trusted my Molly enough to at least hear what she had to say and I instantly felt comfortable with her approach and style. I think deep down inside I felt so helpless and here was a lifeline. Literally, a line that could actually save my life. All I had to do was commit and find the money, both which can be difficult for most of us. I’m a true believer that people value what they pay for. When you get something for free you don’t really commit to or appreciate it. There was a part of me that knew I had to pay someone to help keep me accountable. For those of you wondering how I found the money, it was pretty easy to sit down and look at how much I had been spending on eating out, buying wine to drink at home every night and going out in general. So, instead of spending money on gaining weight, I shifted that same money to losing weight. Pretty simple. Sometimes it’s even harder to face our financial fitness plans by looking at how we’re spending our money.

And so it began. I signed up with Molly in addition to becoming a member of the YMCA. The first thing Molly did was put me on a three-week detox (without shakes) to eliminate toxins from my body and give my body a foundation nutrition-wise. Molly is not a nutritionist, I should mention. She has literally researched and tested a variety of methods and diets. The detox was pretty simple and gave me a lot of food options. I wasn’t starving but I was learning how to eat healthy. In three weeks I lost 14 pounds which gave me such a boost of confidence. More importantly I was feeling amazing from the loss of things like sugar, dairy and caffeine. In conjunction with the detox we started an exercise plan of working with Molly three times a week for an hour, plus two additional days of cardio on my own. The working out is what scared me the most – would I be able to do it without dying?! The answer is YES because Molly showed me I could do it in baby steps. 

This blog was an article published in the June issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

The Weighting Game - May 2012 article

Welcome to my first “The Weighting Game” column! First, let me start by saying I am NOT an expert in health and fitness. I’m merely an active participant with plenty of help from other people to improve my health. Most specifically, kudos must go to my personal trainer Molly Piercy who has been an amazing coach and source of motivation. Anyone who has experienced any weight loss at all knows that at some you start to hear “what are you doing?” or “how did you do it?” Translation: “I want to lose weight too. Tell me how.” And it’s those questions that inspired this column from a “real woman’s” perspective.

There are two reasons for this column. First and foremost I want to be able to share my struggles and successes to educate and inspire other women who are fighting the weight loss battle. Second, I started my health and wellness journey this year by being very public about it as a way to hold myself accountable. There’s no turning back once you post “I’m on a diet” on Facebook. Everyone starts to watch you and they really watch you once success sets in. I figured since I am already so public about it I might as well write a column too. This column is more of journal which chronicles my experience. Hopefully it inspires and educates others. If you’re looking for the “silver bullet” of weight loss, this column isn’t for you. This is about committing to hard work.

As of the end of April, I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds since January 2, 2012. Like many women, my weight has fluctuated all of my life. And for the first time in my life, at age 44, I feel like I truly understand what works and what doesn’t work for me. I’ve made a conscious commitment to make a “lifestyle change” versus “go on a diet” and that mentality has made a world of difference. In late 2011 I was dealing with an extremely stressful and bad experience that affected me emotionally and mentally. Already overweight, I gained more and my blood pressure started to skyrocket. I was overwhelmed with feeling like I had no control over this bad experience, which I truly had no control over.  Aside from my physical health concerns I was motivated for the opportunity to have control over something, anything. The light bulb went off and I said to myself, “I have full control over health. No one can mess with that.” And so the journey began.

One thing that kick-started me were Body by ViSalus shakes, a meal replacement shake. My friend and hair stylist Brittney was selling them for extra money and made one for me. They were delicious and I saw an opportunity to start my health campaign. Not only did I like the shakes, but I liked the company and the opportunity to also sell these shakes. Not that I had time to start a full-time job selling shakes since I already own a business, but I thought “What the heck? If others buy shakes from me, it couldn’t hurt.” Quickly I realized that if I expected others to buy shakes I would really need to hunker down and truly commit to losing weight to show that the shakes work and that’s when I hired a personal trainer. 

I know what some of you are thinking, “Personal trainer? I can’t afford a personal trainer.” Well, neither can I. But if you want something bad enough you find a way to pay for it. I knew myself well enough to know I couldn’t do this without help. I knew I needed to change everything about my health and thinking. Drinking two shakes a day and eating one meal wasn’t going to be enough. Maybe initially it would be, but I knew I needed to change my behavior and thought process. As president of my own company I really wanted someone to tell me what to do since I spend most of my day making all of the decisions at work. I wanted to be managed and coached by someone else instead of having to coach myself!


This blog is a re-published article from the May issue of South Carolina Woman Magazine.

Get Out of the Home – the Home Office, that is!

Carolina Improv Company's remote office at Collins + Company

I haven’t blogged in nearly seven months! I’m not exactly sure why but I have some ideas. Perhaps I feel guilty about blogging. It takes time to do and it steals time from what I perceive (or perceive that others perceive) to be a more productive and efficient use of my time. I’m trying to successfully run two businesses (Carolina Improv Company and Uptown Theater) with limited resources and assistance in the loneliness of my home. In addition I have a little thing called a wedding coming up in October that I should also be working on and feel guilty about. With so many priorities, how could I possibly find time to write a blog? And yes, I know, I find time to Facebook and Twitter, but that’s like walking to the water cooler to find someone to talk to for a few minutes while the boss isn’t looking. And if you work from home you understand what I’m talking about. It gets lonely, even with “Law & Order” reruns running in the background as white noise. The dogs are sweet and cute but not helpful  … and they are demanding of my attention (like high maintenance employees) “take me out”, “feed me”, “look at that cat across the street”, “Lola won’t share her treat”.

When you own a business you are supposed to revisit your business plan every year. I’m two years behind in revisiting one and six months behind in revisiting the other. I’ve realized that I’ve been hiding behind the “urgent” things (marketing, admin, operations) instead of attending to the “important” things (strategy, vision, sales, financial). So, I started delegating to and asking for help from those in our organizations and that’s been amazingly helpful on the “urgent” side of things. Awesome, I made room for the “important” and then I hit a wall. The “important” things take deep thought, brainstorming, visioning and other activities that require creativity and innovative thinking. No problem – I’m thoughtful, creative and have vision. Piece of cake, right? Stale, hard-to-eat cake, more like, and maybe because the "important" still wasn’t happening.

And then I went to a conference in my industry. The The Applied Improv Network (AIN) Conference in June 2011 and it slowly became clear to me. All of a sudden I was surrounded by 100+ applied improv practitioners who do what I’m trying to do and the creativity and energy was both inspirational and motivational … not to mention satisfying to my need for empathy from others. We all need people to relate to – it gives us a sense of belonging and helps justify and/or support our needs and goals in our personal and professional lives. More importantly I work in an industry that centers around applying improv techniques to collaboration, teamwork, leadership, etc. Talk about an oxymoron – I spend my days alone WITHOUT a team or group dynamic to bounce off of. OH MY GOODNESS! I’ve become a fish-out-of-water and didn’t realize it. I’ve been gasping for the oxygen of others. And note that I still didn’t even realize this core emotion until now as I write this.

Prior to this epiphany, at this very moment, one of my biggest take-aways from the conference came from a panel of veteran improv practitioners who gave advice about our industry. And this man Bard (pronounced “bored”) said, “Do not start your business out of your home. Find a coffee club of other entrepreneurs. Find an ad agency with creative types that can inspire you. Just don’t work at home.” Oops – “too late” is what I inwardly cried to myself. Ah, but I’m an improviser. It’s NOT too late! “Explore and heighten” is our mantra. Just because I started working from home doesn’t mean I have to STAY working at home. I can still get out. I also need to share that I DO actually have a real office at our theater (Uptown), but there’s no one there but me and I said to myself “If I’m going to be alone, I might as well be comfortable at home, save money on gas, save money on lunch ….” and every other justification I could come up with.

The bottom-line was that working alone has stifled my creative self. I thrive on human interaction and collaboration. I NEED ideas and suggestions from others to build upon and I need this more than ever or my collaboration muscle will continue to atrophy. I need the oxygen of others. So, as soon as I returned from the conference I sought out the very short list of ad agencies in our area and I simply asked, “Can I hang out at your office if you have any spare space?” And without hesitation (or too much), someone said “yes” to me later that day. It was just that easy. Another ironic thing is that in the world of improv we practice and preach the concept of “yes, and”. I had almost forgotten how to “yes, and” myself and put out offers for others to “yes, and”. The chances of someone saying yes are at least 50%, but if you have no one to ask for a yes, the chances increase to 100%. Basic math. We need people around us to improve the odds of getting a “yes” – of moving forward and progressing to the next level in life and work.

This week I started working from my remote office of Collins + Company. I knew I would love it the second I walked in to visit. The music playing, the sunny colors, the sound of people talking and laughing, the energy … and at least five more people to add to my network who don’t really know me yet, but let me in without reservation. I had planned on going only once this week, but the energy was so great that I re-arranged my schedule to be there twice. There I sit in the conference room and every now and then someone pops in to chat about something … my business, their business, personal things like “why do we procrastinate?” or “do you know what the theme of this playlist (on the IPOD) is?” I even reviewed an intern’s resume and gave advice. My collaboration and creative muscles are stronger already this week. AND, while one could think that one could become distracted by others throughout the day, I welcome these types of distractions instead of being distracted by the laundry, the dogs, the retired neighbors knocking on my door because they see my car in the drive way.

The biggest benefit so far is the mere exposure to idea people. And while I’ve often become irritated when people say “you know what you should do?”, I welcome it in this environment. I used to take that as a judgment from others that I didn’t know what I was doing. And the “yes, and” technique helps me at least listen to what others have to say because maybe I don’t know everything OR maybe I forgot about something so basic, such as putting video clips from our show on Facebook every day to continue to educate people about our business. Many new ideas have come out of this week and the "new office"! The dogs, nor the neighbors, have ever given me such good ideas!

And oh yeah, I’m blogging again! Welcome back creative muscle!

Success Through Attitude & Environment

William Clement Stone (May 4, 1902 – September 3, 2002), business man, philanthropist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and co-author of “Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude” is the guy who said:

“You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?”

I'm a huge advocate of this and have been since my teens when my father (Carmen Trimarco, 1920-1990) retired after a heart attack. My father lived by a philosophy of "don't be a cry baby" and "work hard to get where you want to get." Being a daddy's girl, I lived to please my dad because I admired him so much. I'm so much like him and proud of that (with the exception of the cry baby thing - I still do that occasionally). My father was much older, as I've mentioned in other blogs, and this affected us financially when he got sick. At 14 I went out and got a job because I felt guilty asking my parents for money they didn't have to pay for things I wanted. At that point we only my father's social security, pension and my mom's tip money from waiting tables to live on ... plus anything that might have "fallen off a truck". More about that later.


My father, Carmen Trimarco (1920-1990)


I was no stranger to working at 14. That wasn't my first job. My first job was working in a flea market at 11 or 12 (or younger?). My father was what I call a "hustler" - he hustled to put food on the table. He drove a truck from 9-5 Monday through Friday and on the weekends he had a booth at a flea market where he sold all kinds of things, from used appliances to things that might have "fallen off a truck." PLUS, he had become a locksmith by mail!!! So, he also made keys at the flea market and ultimately taught my brother and me how to use a key machine. Imagine seeing a 10 and 12 year old making keys for adults who were in disbelief that we were capable of this! We also became very versed at negotiation through this experienced. In a flea market setting, there are no set prices. People are there to bargain for the best price. My best training was watching my father haggle with a guy who wanted to buy a toaster for $3, but it was $5. He walked away angry when he didn't get the toaster for $3. The man came back 10 minutes later to buy it for $5. And father said: "It's now $10". The man was so angry and stomped off. My father laughed. He enjoyed the art of negotiation. It was a game to him. This was the quickest lesson ever in "supply and demand" economics!

My father was street smart, not book smart. He didn't finish 8th grade. Not because he was stupid. From what I understand my dad and his siblings had to also work at young ages because their parents died young during the Depression. There were 8 kids, including a toddler left behind to survive as a family. Being Italian and living in Chicago during the Depression it was pretty normal to do "odd jobs" for the mob. My grandfather was a bootlegger during prohibition before he died. Italian immigrants in Chicago were not first in line for legitimate jobs since the Irish got there first. Growing up, my dad and his siblings had some colorful situations as a result of growing up in this environment. I've heard many stories and I've heard there are many other stories that my father didn't want me to hear. My parents were pretty protective about what really happened "back in the day", but I can make some assumptions.

As a result of my father's "colorful" life there were things that happened in my childhood that affected my behavior as an adult, and no, I don't have things falling off trucks going on, in case that's what you're thinking! However, I do miss the designer clothes I had as a teen that never came from a store! Back to being "product of environment". Growing up we were not allowed to answer the door if someone rang the doorbell UNLESS we were expecting someone to come over. Today I'm guessing that's pretty normal with so much more crime, but still til this day I will not answer the door if I'm not expecting someone. It was ingrained in me. As was not accepting certified mail. And as child my father did not approve of my friends sleeping over. As a kid you just don't question those things. You just do as you're told. But then you continue that behavior as an adult without thinking twice while others look at you like you're crazy. Why did we do these things? Later in my teens I found out that we couldn't answer the door because it could be the "feds" or someone to serve my father a subpoena, we couldn't sign for certified mail in case of legal documents being served, we couldn't have sleep-overs because someone might be "casing us." So imagine this, my college degree came by certified mail, but I didn't know it since I wouldn't sign for it! For many years I was paranoid if my roommates had strangers come over because they might be "casing" me and I'm still paranoid about answering the door! How funny is this? It's just a natural reaction based on how I was raised. I'm certainly not in trouble with the "feds" (not that I know of)!

That stuff sounds silly, but again, I'm product of my environment, which also includes my father's ability to entertain people with his storytelling and his dry sense of humor, his huge heart to help others in bigger need than himself when he didn't have enough money help himself, his work ethic and passion for staying busy, his loyalty to people who were loyal to him, his stubborness, his creativity to have big ideas, his constant "scheming" on how to make money, and his never-ending supportive and encouraging spirit. When I told him that I wanted to go to college, he questioned it and said "Why go to college when you'll end up getting married and having kids?" And my response: "What if my husband loses his job and we can't feed the kids?" And his response: "Good point, but you'll have to find a way to pay for it yourself" and I did because that's what he trained me to do, without knowing it.

I would never trade my life experiences with something different. The environment I grew up in prepared me for the success I have today and for how to deal with life when there's no success. My environment taught me how to switch environments when needed. We have the power to change our environments and situations to whatever we see fit for our personal and professional success. There's no room for "cry babies" and that's a topic for another blog (how my father taught me how NOT to cry).

Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?

The Platinum Rule To Living

This turtle at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC was relentless at poking at this crocodile, but the croc didn't seem to mind and clearly the turtle had established a good enough relationship that he could get away with being annoying.

Recently after an improv show, during a show debrief session, a player said, "Don't we all want to be a player that others want to play with?" For those in improv, you instantly understand what this means. But this question is a universal truth. Doesn't this translate to "Don't we all want people to like us, be with us, work with us, love us, marry us, tolerate us, learn from us, admire us?" No one wants to be "that guy" (or girl) - the office jerk who stabs you in the back, the spouse that cheats on you, the best friend who betrays you. I believe that the majority of us want to be someone who makes a contribution to the world and other people's lives, but sometimes we get lost in our own ego-centric needs and really those ego-centric needs lead back to the universal truths above. Unfortunately we don't always treat people the way they want or need to be treated and thus they no longer want to "play" with us. No one wants to be "on stage" with the guy or girl who cares too much about how they look and feel. We all want to be on stage with the person who makes us not just feel safe, but awesome about ourselves. We want to work and be with people who will support our ideas and feelings, saying "yes and" to us the whole way through.

How can we be better "players" in life, work, improv? Try the "Platinum Rule", something heavily emphasized in customer service training by my friend Eileen of The Meeting Institute. If you don't know what the Platinum Rule is, think of the Golden Rule with a twist.

• The Golden Rule: Treat others the way YOU want to be treated.
• The Platinum Rule: Treat others the way THEY want to be treated.

Now you ask, "How do I know how they want to be treated? I'm not a mind reader." Ah, we're better mind readers than we realize. To do this we have to actively listen to what people say and be hyperaware of their non-verbal communication (subtext, body language, emotions). And sometimes it couldn't hurt to just ask them what they need.

Re-train your brain and you too can be a better "player"!

Paying For Your Tire's Blow Job

Today I'm keeping it short and sweet even though what I'm talking about might sound like "hot air".

When's the last time you put air in your car tires? I'm a capitalist by all means. I have to be to survive as a small business owner. So, I totally appreciate great business ideas and opportunities to make a living. But I'm still baffled by the concept of paying for AIR. To fill your tires with air will cost at minimum $1.00 (in quarters) from one of those machines at the gas station. And it costs $2.00 for air to vacuum your car. I can understand the vacuum costs. Someone has to clean out that machine, so technically the operating costs to do so justify the expense. But blowing of air shouldn't cost so much and maybe that's why it's cheaper to get blown air than sucked air. Okay, I'm being a bit facetious. I clearly understand that the machine itself cost money for the gas station to purchase, thus shoving all those quarters into the machine helps cover the machine's overall operating costs. But maybe gas stations should thinking about giving away free blowing and sucking air as an amenity to their customers. Let's face it, we spent more than a dollar to put air in the tires because then I went into the gas station, bought a cup of coffee, a pack of gum and some candy. So technically that air cost $5.00. Maybe I would have spent more money if the air was free. Ya think? Next thing you know we'll be getting charged for friendly service with a smile. :-)

What have you paid for lately that you think should be free?

Experiential Treatment

Today's blog is inspired by Flying Fish Public Market & Grill, a restaurant in Myrtle Beach. We had dinner there last night before our improv show for Carolina Improv Company. As an entertainer and as someone who has worked in entertainment marketing for many years, I've been trained to "provide the consumer with an experience". It's not just about attending an event. It's about creating an emotion that creates lifelong memories which ultimately can positively affect a company's bottom line (or negatively if the experience was bad).

Come to think of it, my life as it is today (and has been since I was a teen) has been based on my first experience as an audience member at Second City in Chicago. I saw my first improv show as a teenager and fell in love with it because of how the players made me feel by engaging me. From there I took improv classes, changed my major from accounting to communications and started a career in radio/television/film. And today I own two companies that revolve around improv ... and all from that experience that "moved" me as a teenager. And the word "move" comes from the latin word "emovere", which means to create an emotion. As human beings we make more decisions based on emotions than we care to admit. We hunger for positive emotional experiences to connect us, to create meaning and purpose.

Back to Flying Fish Public Market & Grill, some of you may have seen videos about fish markets that throw fish around while singing. It's what brings customers into the market - it's entertaining, it makes the mundane activity of shopping for fish a fun activity. It's added value to the purchase. At this Flying Fish restaurant, I watched the same type of thing going on. The manager was showing a more seniored customer how to throw a large fish at one of the guys in the kitchen. She was adorable, perfectly dressed for a classy night out and there she was with latex gloves on, getting ready to throw a fish, all while her husband and another couple were taking pictures and other restaurant guests were watching. While this may sound silly to some, I watched the husband gratefully thank the manager for this. There was something in his eye that was emotional about the experience his wife was having. Call me a romantic, but he was touched to see his wife experience this moment. They will always remember that restaurant and better yet will probably return.

We try to do the same thing in Uptown with Carolina Improv Company, especially with children. When kids make suggestions that get used in the show, the look of delight on their faces is overwhelming. There is nothing more exciting to them. And the parents are more thrilled to see their children so happy. We've had parents tell us that their kids said the highlight of their vacation was seeing our show. Isn't that what it's all about? Parents wanting to give the best experiences to their children AND look like rockstars to their kids? We all have that emotional need to be loved by children, parents, spouses, etc.

If you're a business owner or work for a company that strives to retain repeat business, what are YOU doing to create an experience for your customers/clients? What are you doing to create an emotion or "move" them to love you?

Customer with manager at Flying Fish in Myrtle Beach

Improv From The Mall - A life changing experience

Today another Improv 301 (Characters) class ended, also ending a series of Saturday mornings of me teaching. This group of students started out with 101 in June and stuck together as a group throughout the classes. What I never expected about teaching was how much I was going to love it. The true pleasure comes from watching people grow, evolve and make new relationships. It was kind of sad seeing it end today. The other awesome thing about teaching, especially 301, is our theater's location in a mall, especially on Saturdays. Yes, a mall. A mall with a Bass Pro Shop! Yes, a Bass Pro Shop, amongst a golf shop, peanut store, Victoria's Secret, phone kiosks and more! We keep our curtains open during the day. Call it shameless marketing if you must. I call it an opportunity to sit in fish bowl and watch others while they watch us. I never intended to teach with the curtains open. It just happened that way when our curtains weren't ready when we opened the theater. Another fine example of "yes, and". We had to open without those curtains and as a result we learned that there are so many advantages to keeping them open. Besides the obvious marketing advantages, it has taught students to quickly get over their fear of people watching them. People stop and stare in at us like we're animals in a zoo. This isn't always so comfortable for 101 students, but 301 students evolve to a place of egging it on, by waving at people and taking on even bolder initiations for the attention of the stranger at the window. In character development specifically, the mall has become my biggest teaching resource for students to study people for character ideas. I have even gotten so bold as a teacher to send students off into the food court in character as a group, pushing them to interact with each other and strangers as the characters they developed in an exercise called "character walk."

Even now as I sit here writing, I'm watching the many people in camoflage walking to and from Bass Pro, some with fishing poles, some with gun bags, some without teeth, some with mullets. I can't make this stuff up! If I got a nickel for every piece of camo that walked by, I'd be doing improv for free every day instead of most days. I swear people have walked into our theater and said (imagine the voice of someone in "Deliverance"), "What is this place here?" And I respond with the standard "Comedy Club" response. (I used to say "Improv Comedy Club") and I'd hear, "What is this IMPROVE place? What things do you improve?" Anyway, once when I gave the standard "comedy club" response, these guys in camo said, "What's a comedy club? We're not from around here." True story.

Again, I can't make this stuff up and I so appreciate the many walks of life that pass our door, especially when one of them takes a chance to jump into the improv pool and see a show and watch that experience change their life. And while I momentarily mock some of these stereotypical folks, I'm grateful for the opportunity, with the help of  DSI Comedy Theater, to bring an artform to a community that never knew it until Carolina Improv Company and Uptown Theater were born here in what we affectionately call "The Redneck Riviera" or "Mayberry at the Beach." Hmmm...sounds like titles for new improv shows!

Being from Chicago where improv is as popular as Starbucks on every corner, I was starving to have improv back in my life since it was the foundation of my career in entertainment marketing. I knew at the young age of 19 that I would never get rich from it but it always found a way back to me as a source of comfort, creativity, attitude re-adjustment and so much more. And now, it's a source of gratification to share it with others ... even if it's from the confines of a mall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Give me some sweet tea, a gun rack, some grits and I'll call you darlin' while mumbling "bless your heart" under my breath. Now what I need is more than 3 Starbuck's in one town

(and 1 is in the Tar-zhay)!

Improv 301 students "finding the game"



Uptown Theater @ Myrtle Beach Mall



Customer Service is King ... or Queen

Last night we (Eileen Soisson of The Meeting Institute and I) held our first "Martini Meeting LIVE" event at TGIFridays. For those not familiar with the "Martini Meeting", we use to produce and host an internet radio show by the same name. The premise of this show was based on our real lives as women in business who get together to talk about every day small business challenges and successes while drinking martinis and yes, we drank on the show.  It was a blast. Due to our busy schedules we had to stop the shows, but we still have followers who wanted to get together in person to continue the concept, thus Martini Meeting LIVE.

Since we originally started these meetings at TGIFridays, we found it fitting to bring our new meetings back to where it all started. As per tradition, I started with my usual "Pink Punk" martini which is some sweet martini poured over cotton candy. So decadent!!! After one I switch to my usual chardonnay. I'm not going to say how many glasses of chardonnay I had, but let's just say that on my second glass the server brought me what looked like a wine sampling. There was barely any wine in this glass and before I could utter a word the server said, "I'm so sorry. We lost our wine opener and I poured you what we have until we find the opener." My first thought was "You have only one opener???" but I got distracted in conversation and didn't think too much about it. And then I noticed the server behind the bar, removing her coat, followed by pouring a glass of wine. She brought me that glass of wine and I said: "Did you go out to buy an opener?" And she said, "Yes, sorry again for the wait." That's what I call customer service! No excuses. No hassle. Just pure empowerment by management and good service. This might not seem like a big deal to most but as customer service trainers for Carolina Improv Company and TMI, Eileen and I look for these things to happen because we use them as examples in training presentations.

This situation is very different from my recent experience at Costco when I tried to buy a nutrition book. When the cashier tried to ring up my purchase she couldn't get the book to scan. The message on her register was "Not For Sale". So she had to call over a supervisor. The supervisor then informed me that they could not sell the book until the following Tuesday (four days later) and that I would have to return then. I was in such disbelief. I literally said to him: "So, I can't give you money today for this item?" and he said "No." Not even a sorry. No solution. No alternative (like an older publication). Nothing. I wasn't going to die without this book, but boy how many times has Costco lost money for an error like this? Clearly I didn't return to buy the book and not out of retailiation, but because my purchase was an impulse purchase, something that retailers thrive on for profitability. My impulse disappeared when I walked out. It would have probably been a different story if the product was chardonnay!!!

Thank you to our server Senaida and TGIFridays for awesome service!

From Zumba to Bingo. How Old Am I?

My father used to always say "Age is a state of mind." I loved that about him because didn't act his age. He didn't let age hold him back. The only time I saw him get irritated about age is when people would call him my grandfather. He was much older than my mother (25 years older) and he died at the age of 70 when I was only 22. It was THE hardest experience of my life, but I carry his characteristics with me every day -- those of always moving or doing something. In his words he liked to keep his mind active. Though he retired earlier than he wanted to because of his heart he always created little jobs for himself to keep that mind active. And if it wasn't for his heart I think he'd still be alive today.

Yesterday was a day of ironic activities or maybe I should say of activities that you would expect of more seniored individuals and I'm only 42.

The day ended with bingo. Not your average bingo one would expect, but bingo in a bar setting where people play bingo in teams, similar to a trivia night. Of course drinking is encouraged. What's really great is that bingo is far easier than trivia while drinking. And as crazy as this sounds, playing bingo really keeps one's brain active to have to keep track of all those cards and listen for the numbers and play the correct game of the moment. I never realized the value of bingo for brain activity. It's not that I've never played bingo before. I think maybe I just wasn't as hyperaware then. Improv has made me far more hyperaware of everything in my life.

Just prior to bingo, my friend Eileen came by for a business meeting which turned into a technology melt down of her computer and laptop and the ironic conversation about paper vs computer-based calendars. She has sworn by the Daytimer book calendar forever and announced she is going to ditch the calendar and rely strictly on the computer based calendars for planning. I announced I'm doing just the opposite since my Blackberry won't sync anymore. We laughed as we quickly became aware that we sounded like "old" people who couldn't adjust to technological changes!!!

And finally you should know that my day started with Zumba. Not any Zumba. It was Senior Zumba. My friend and colleague Marilou has been pushing me to go with her and I finally put it on my schedule. Since opening a theater, I hadn't worked out in 13 months and the time has come to get back in the exercise game. I LOVED this Zumba class. For one, I could keep up with this one after a 13 month hiatus. It was like Zumba Light or Zumba for Beginners. I've been in other classes where I thought I was going to have heart failure. This couldn't be more perfect. But what was even more invigorating was seeing all of these seniors in the class. It was inspiring. I want to be them, kind of like I want to be Betty White. However, the most inspiring to me is Marilou. I'm sure she won't like me mentioning her age, but I have to because I think she's amazing and inspirational. She's 66, gorgeous, a retired school teacher, Airforce wife, and busier than most CEOs. I've never met someone more active. She's an improviser, improv teacher and improv director for Carolina Improv Company, she sings with a singing group, she volunteers for her church, she has her own one-woman comedy show, is married and has grand children. Sitting still is NOT in her vocabulary. Then I look at my mother who is one month older than Marilou and see someone who appears 20 years older (thank goodness my mother doesn't read blogs).

I've often heard people say that it keeps one young to hang out with younger people and I agree with that, but yesterday I learned that it keeps one young to hang out with older people who refuse to get old and to hang out with young people who embrace new ideas!

Treat People Like Superheros and They Could Become Superstars!

One of the first things we facilitate in Improv 101 at Carolina Improv Company is an exercise called "Superheros" in which the students come up with their own superhero names that personify them and for the other students to call them by (thank you Zach Ward and DSI Comedy Theater for this exercise). I l LOVE this exercise because I still see students who still call me by my name and referred to others by their names. Pretty cool! Treating each other like superheros and rockstarts is a major philosophy to be successful in improv when performing together but also when working together with others in general. If we treat others like they're awesome, there's a chance they'll start behaving awesome. I obviously know this since I teach it, but sometimes I forget to apply this fundamental in the rest of my life. I recently became frustrated when hearing "through the grapevine" about others talking negatively about me both behind my back and to my face in public forum. The public forum stuff is what really frustrates me. I'm human. My natural reaction is "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" Of course this often leads to thoughts like, "Oh, just wait. They'll get theirs one day."

But I was snapped back into place this past Sunday when our pastor's sermon was "Evil For Evil". In summary, it's not our jobs to rectify or even worry about the "evil" that has been done to us by others. Just because someone does something wrong to us doesn't mean we can justify doing something wrong to them. Nothing positive comes from that. Common sense right? Instead if we do something positive to someone being negative, something positive just might come from it ... EVENTUALLY. My friend Radha tried to explain this me scientifically over martinis (imagine that conversation) ... it's about protons and neutrons and both needing each other for balance ... something like that. Or you can also look at that concept of "Law of Attraction" - what you put out, you attract back. So, if you want to attract good, be good.

And then I received an email from my friend Eileen (who was also present for the proton/neutron/martini conversation) and she followed up with this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Treat a man as he is, as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be."

It all comes back to being Superheros & Rockstars!

Coffee and Cream flavored Cream for Your Coffee

Raindrops on rooftops and whiskers on kittens just may be a few of my favorite things, but GROCERY SHOPPING does NOT fall into this category at all. Actually I'm not a big fan of any type of shopping. Either I don't have the patience or maybe I'm a spoiled brat who would rather have someone else do it for me. OR there are many other things I'd rather be doing on a day off, like resting or seeing a movie or hanging out with friends. Anyway, grocery shopping is inevitable and that was Sunday's activity. The highlight of this most recent shopping experience was the visit to the the coffee creamer area. Not the powder creamer on the shelf, but the creamer in the refrigerated area. I was overwhelmed by the options in creamers. Let me first say that I don't use creamer. I drink my coffee black, the way I watched by father do so when I was a child (and I'm a daddy's girl). The only exception is if I go to Starbuck's, which used to be my guilty pleasure, and I'll order a "venti non-fat, sugar free carmel macchiato with an extra shot". I used to visit Starbuck's once (sometimes twice) a day until I started my own business and realized I needed that money to pay utilities and rent and other silly business expenses. Do the math at $5.00 a drink every day. Black coffee out of my home coffee pot has been working out just fine. Back to the creamer section, I stumbled onto it because I was really looking for the controversial alcohol-injected whip cream that people have been talking about, but no, it wasn't at this grocery store. So, I started going through these creamers thinking maybe I could find a substitute for my Starbuck's addiction. Not only did I find a "carmel macchiato" flavor creamer, but a "cafe latte" flavor. CAFE LATTE? Really? Unless I'm mistaken, the flavor of Cafe Latte is basically the flavor of coffee with cream. So, I could either buy this creamer, pour it into a coffee cup, microwave it and drink a whole cup of it OR I could just add a little milk to my black coffee and call it a day. What kind of coffee do you drink?

Just One More Thing To Do - Blogging!

I feel like I have finally arrived to modern times. Facebook. Check. Twitter. Check. YouTube. Check. Two websites to manage. Check and check. This blogging thing has been following me like a black cloud over my head. Why has it taken me so long, one might wonder. Oh, it probably has something to do with starting up not one, but two companies since November 2008 (Carolina Improv Company and Uptown Theater). And yes I know how important having a blog is for a business as I've quickly learned the value of SEO for my websites, which ultimately affects profitability when marketing dollars are limited. But I became paralyzed over what this blog should be because frankly I didn't want it to feel like a job for me to update it. I want it to be my creative writing outlet. The truth is that my biggest passion is writing and I never seem to find time to do it. Forcing myself to create a blog will ultimately push me to write more. But more importantly, I'm inspired to blog because Facebook is constantly telling me that my updates are too long, forcing me to edit my thoughts. This blog is a work in progress with an attempt to reflect all parts of my life, both business and personal, which seem to be the same! Welcome to my blog!