November 26, 2008

Food for Thought

It's the day before Thanksgiving and, if I'm not mistaken, it's the #1 travel day in the U.S. So, first off, I'm thankful I don't have to travel today. Dealing with the frantic crowds just isn't my cup of tea. I'm going to my parents' house tomorrow, where I'll immediately throw on an apron and join my mom in the kitchen. So much for taking the day off and being a couch potato! I'm also amazingly thankful for the opportunity to work with dear friends to try to build our two businesses: The NY International Latino Film Festival & Cinedulce. Calixto, Lyndon and I just got out of a 'working' holiday lunch that lasted for literally 3+ hours. We have so much going on - I can't spill the beans, but, in a nutshell, we're crazy busy. Success is a hard nut to crack, so you never want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Despite the challenges, uncertainties, financial pressures and general stresses associated with entrepreneurialism, I wouldn't trade my career choice for anything. Some people may think I'm nutty as a fruitcake, but the experience has provided me a great feeling of empowerment, pride and satisfaction. I mean, we're taking our careers in our own hands, using our noodles and trying to make something unique and exciting happen because no one is going to hand us success on a silver platter. Obviously, it's no piece of cake; you can only try your hardest and hope, at some point, you find your gravy train. As the saying goes, you never regret what you do, only what you don't. I'm thankful for what I am doing; hopefully, I won't have to eat my words.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones and, remember, you can have your cake and eat it too!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 25, 2008

Paciencia

I just got back from a super-duper meeting with the veep of multicultural and segment marketing for the entertainment division of one of the major media conglomerates. It was one of those meetings where you enter the room with one partnership model in mind and exit with a totally different approach -- one that, if it all comes together, may prove to be more beneficial in the long run. The strategy is consistent with how I believe we can work with media co's; it just didn't occur to me it might apply to this guy, whom Calixto and I first met earlier this year at the NALIP (Nat'l Assoc. Latino Independent Producers) conference in Cali. Then, at the NYC Latino Convergence Conf., I reconnected with his publicist, whom I already knew, and another major marketing exec from the same company. They both recommended I reach back out to him b/c his division is evolving in a direction that is complementary to Cinedulce. That just goes to show how long these things can take and how convoluted the process can be. It's all about networking and opening your mouth - you need to communicate what you're doing to everyone b/c you just never know where there may be a connection. Don't ever assume anything b/c, again, you don't know what's being discussed behind conference room doors. Moreover, seeking partnerships of any kind - promotional, sponsorship, strategic, investment - is a long-term proposition that requires an almost unbearable level of patience and persistence. It took me literally 3+ years of pestering to land Verizon as a sponsor of the NYILFF - 3 years! That's not nothin', kids. Of course, right when I gave up is when they called me and said they wanted in. Figures... And, since partnerships are key to the success of any business - large or small - it helps explain why the process of starting a business is such an extensive, unpredictable, topsy-turvy, wavy-gravy, rollercoaster of a journey. You just need to hold on tight to your vision, integrity and confidence and believe in your heart you have an idea with value and the resources to make it happen.
~Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 24, 2008

Write, Call, Write, Call...

Today is one of those days where I literally sit at my desk all day, getting up exclusively to grab some food (yes, I made a salad for lunch) and take care of personal business. ;) I have so much writing to do and so many calls to make that I just need to sit here and bust it all out. It's bizarre how varied my days can be, from Thursday's near-chaotic meeting schedule (controlled chaos, of course!) to a day like today, where I calmly but intensely pass the time at my desk. Oh! This AM, I checked out the almost-final cut of our 2008 NY Int'l Latino Film Festival video recap; as usual, Lyndon is genius. It's so super-fastastic! What sponsor could say no to us after seeing this?? No one, I tell you, no one! That's just silly talk. Just a few more minor tweaks and we're good to go. Can you believe I'm still working on recapping 2008, but have been working on 2009 for 2+ months? Bienvenido a mi mundo. AND, I scheduled a dinner for next week with a good friend who works at a major agency and is trying to push through both the NYILFF and Cinedulce to two of his major multicultural clients (hint: one is a credit card and the other an insurance co.). Talk to me... Random side note: "Feliz Navidad" is currently playing on the radio. How funny and cute is this song? Cracks me up every time. But, I do wonder how the hell it got to be the holiday season already. Time flies...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 21, 2008

Insane Day Recap

Moving forward, remind me not to book back-to-back-to-back meetings in any given day. Literally insanity. That said, I had GREAT meetings. Yahoo! The HBO part dos meeting was excellent. We spent most of the time talking about that event opportunity we're debating and recent updates on Cinedulce. They're just really supportive and, yesterday in particular, gave some very interesting recommendations. So, that was great. Then, Time Warner Cable was also really encouraging. They seem to get the whole Cinedulce concept. Because we are an upstart, there are some complications we'll have to work through, but they seem interested in doing so...which is ridiculous! I mean, this is Time Warner Cable we're talking about. I literally don't think they've ever dealt with a company like ours before. The programming group traditionally works with this one major aggregator or the major studios and cable networks, such as HBO and Showtime. So, for them even to meet with me much less seriously consider working with us is mind-blowing to me. After that, I met with a good friend at a top Latino agency. These guys are doing some of the best work out there for some of the biggest clients. We spent a good 2 hours discussing potential partnerships between some of their clients and both the festival and Cinedulce. All good stuff. Needless to say, I now have a bunch of recaps and, what else??, PROPOSALS to write. I'm telling you, the day I can have someone else write a proposal or two will be a satisfying one. That aside, I would never complain about proposals - especially those that result from meetings - b/c it's a good sign. So, keep the proposals rollin'...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 20, 2008

Total Insanity

Today is ridiculously over-scheduled so I'm literally going to be out of the office all day with meetings. Deep breath... I have part dos of my meeting with HBO b/c we didn't get to finish on Tuesday; then I have a big one with Time Warner Cable (fingers crossed!) re:a potential Cinedulce VOD partnership, followed by another big one with a Latino agency re:Cinedulce. THEN, if I have time to run to the office and catch up for a bit, I will. If not, I need to head straight to the Union Square Stadium 14 theater to check on tonight's sneak-peek screening of "Nothing Like the Holidays", which is totally booked (in fact, it's over-booked, which is a good thing b/c there's always a % drop-off rate). THEN, my friend's husband, who's an incredibly talented photographer, has some of his work featured in a gallery show that's opening tonight. I have to support mi amigo. Ay dios mio! What a day. Wish me luck!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 19, 2008

Getting closer to decisions, decisions...

We had a follow-up call this afternoon with the two board directors of that event I mentioned on Monday. As a reminder, this is the established event with the long history and strong brand equity but also a fair bit of not-so-great baggage; they have offered us the opportunity to take over the board and own the event, which is structured as a not-for-profit. Interesting convo. They (these 2 board directors) feel it should be scaled back to a much greater degree than I expected (major relief!) - MUCH more manageable and viable. Essentially, they feel the current programming schedule should be more than halved, including reducing the number of theaters from 6 to 3. Considering each of those theaters is located in a different local market within one umbrella region, let us all now say, "Amen!". It's current format is WAAAAYYYY too sprawling. The new concept we're kicking around is to 'travel' the identical mini-festival (10-15 films) to the three most relevant local markets over the course of 3 successive weekends. I still believe we need to take a 2009 hiatus b/c it's just too late to start sponsorship for a second event and I literally don't think I have the time to deal with it. Plus, there is a ton that needs to be massaged, reviewed, reorganized, restructured, etc. before we can even consider fundraising. And, even if I could slide it in under the sponsor radar now, it most certainly will be a challenge if we wait for what I anticipate will be at least 2 months during this development period. Looking forward, it seems unrealistic and somewhat foolish to try to make this happen next year. If we proceed with this opportunity, however, we believe the way to try to maintain a degree of continuity and buzz is to issue a press release announcing our take-over. We may also consider a single screening event in the fall '09 to formally introduce ourselves in that market and keep the momentum humming. It's auspicious timing because 2009 is the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival's 10th anniversary. If all goes well, we may have a roll-out of press releases, including Cinedulce, which we've never formally announced, the DVD release(s), potentially this new event, a strategic partnership with a prod. company (more on that another time) and, of course, the usual set of festival-related releases (i.e., call for entries, HBO contest call for entries, sponsor line-up, programming line-up, etc.). One would hope this onslaught will catch the eye of some major local and national outlets, which, of course, continues to drive the profile of the organization. Anyway, next steps are I need to write the recap (what else is new?) and they need to send us some detailed info we requested, including financials from previous years, so we have a better sense of what's happening. One fairly big outstanding issue is how we're going to pay for the few visits we'll definitely have to make. They feel there should be limited net assets after 2009, but we don't yet know that number and it also may have to be applied to local overhead expenses. The deliberations continue...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 18, 2008

SNEAK-PEEK SCREENING INVITE - THIS WEEK!


YOU’RE INVITED!

Overture Films & the New York International Latino Film Festival invite you to a special advance screening of Alfredo De Villa’s new star-studded film, “Nothing Like the Holidays”.

Thursday, November 20
7:30 p.m.
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
(850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003)

On December 12, Overture Films will proudly present NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS, an endearing Holiday comedy for the entire family. If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that family time isn’t always a walk in the park. In Nothing Like the Holidays, two of today’s most talented actors, John Leguizamo (The Happening, The Take) and Freddy Rodriguez (“Six Feet Under,” Bobby), join Debra Messing (“Will & Grace,” “The Starter Wife”), Jay Hernandez (Quarantine, Friday Night Lights), Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code, Spider-Man 2), and director Alfredo de Villa (the award-winning Washington Heights) to tell the humorous and heartwarming story of one unforgettable family holiday.

It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas. For Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), coming home has rekindled feelings for an old flame, although she can’t seem to forgive him for leaving. His older sister Roxanna, a struggling actress, has been chasing her Hollywood dreams for years with little to show for it. And much to the dismay of their mother Anna (Elizabeth Peña), eldest brother Mauricio (John Leguizamo) brings home a high-powered executive wife (Debra Messing) who would rather raise capital than a child.

RSVP is mandatory by emailing Jenifer Golden at (jenifer@hm-com.com ) by no later than Tuesday, November 18. Please include your full name and contact info in the email, as well as whether you’ll be attending with a guest (guest’s name not required). This invitation does not guarantee seating as admission will be handled on a first come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to ensure capacity. All attendees are encouraged to arrive early (30 minutes prior).

For more information on NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS, please visit www.nothingliketheholidays.com

ENJOY. :)

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 17, 2008

Decisions, Decisions...

An interesting opportunity came our way last week and, I tell you, it's not an easy decision. A Latino film event in another city has asked us to take over its organization. At first glance, that's an insanely great (and flattering) offer. But, like everything in business (and life), it's not as simple as it sounds, i.e., how do their financials look? What is the status of key staff members? Are there any multi-year sponsorships that are still in play? What is the general sponsor/partner feedback (we've heard not great)? If we take off a year for rebuilding, will that make their brand less relevant and diminish its equity? How difficult will it be for us to run this from NYC, even though there will be a local director with support staff and volunteers? And, that's just the beginning. Moreover, we need to make this decision with a degree of haste b/c the org. is incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit, so, for legal and tax purposes, they must opt to dissolve or move forward b/f 12/31/08. Ay dios - the pressure! It's difficult to turn down an offer that falls in your lap and is part of your longer-term strategy, i.e., this will further cement us as the Latino film organization. It also even further expands our filmmaker database (particularly internationally) and provides us the opportunity to bundle sponsorship with dual market programming. The flip side: we need to stay focused on the bigger picture of growing NYC and building Cinedulce. This may be a significant drain on already thin resources. And, what if we decide to take it, shelve it for a year ('rebuilding year') and then rebrand it with a totally new name (for consistency's sake)? Does that even make sense? If so, maybe it's wiser to let it dissolve and ask key board members to help us enter the market in a year or two, when we have the resources to do so. Basically, we need to figure out which makes more sense: take an established event with a long history but a good deal of baggage, shelve it and reintroduce it in 1.5 +/- years, or let it fade away now and then enter the newly freed market in that same time frame as a fresh property (associated with the NYILFF) with more robust resources and no baggage, but also no local brand equity? Decisions, decisions...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 14, 2008

MIA for 007

A friend and fellow entrepreneur just wrote me the following email: "I am thinking of playing hooky this afternoon and going to see the new Bond film. One of the benefits of being your own boss :)". Fun! And, he's totally right...IF you're already established and successful, in the traditional sense of the word (meaning the definition of success can be pretty personal and diverse). I, on the other hand, have been sitting here all day writing proposals (I know - shocking) to follow up on the various meetings and conference calls I had earlier this week. Clearly, my friend and I reside in two different points along our entrepreneurial journeys. But, that's a good thing because it shows this is, in fact, a journey and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think it's always better to look up and ahead than down and behind. Gotta keep trucking onward and upward so one day I can play hooky to see the new Bond film...
~ Liz

(PLHH)

November 13, 2008

Sponsorship 101, Part 2: Media Partners

I just returned from a meeting with the NY Daily News, the official English-language newspaper of the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival. Yowsers, is it a rainy mess outside. Regardless, here's the cool thing about having a good relationship with your media partners: you can work together to approach sponsors as a combined event + media opportunity. Basically, the media partner approaches its advertisers on your behalf and brings you in for the pitch and negotiation. So, in effect, the media partner serves as your sales agent to clients with whom you don't have contacts (or, strong enough contacts). It's a big corporate world out there and, hopefully, your database grows every day. But, quite frankly, it's nearly impossible to know everyone at every company. So, if your media partner wants to pick up some of that slack for a potentially mutually beneficial opportunity, rock on! The general concept is the following: in exchange for paying a sum of money, the sponsor receives a customized event sponsorship package + advertising inventory from the media partner, which the sponsor then uses to promote its sponsorship of the event. So, the event property (in this case, the NY Int'l Latino Film Festival) receives not only the cash but also the additional media exposure. The media partner (in this case, the NY Daily News) takes a percentage of that sponsor payment to justify the media contribution, so it's a happy camper, too. And, of course, assuming it's a strong event opportunity, which in this case - come on, don't make me say it...the sponsor is thrilled because its brand is now associated with a high profile event that includes dedicated media and all sorts of sales drivers and promotional activation against a key target demo. So, you see, it's a win-win-win for all involved. We've identified three specific auto companies and two financial services companies we will collectively approach. Let's see if we can make some magic. In the meantime, I'm off to customize these proposals. Are you seeing a trend, here... ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 12, 2008

Agency Talk

What a day! Here's the highlight: I connected with a guy at an agency I had contacted a few weeks ago but he was slammed with a huge NYC event, so we agreed to reconnect post-event. As it turns out, his agency is owned by one of the MAJOR umbrella advertising conglomerates and, as a result, has strategic relationships with a number of other member agencies; I have strong relationships with some of those sister agencies and weaker ones at others. His agency is primarily, though not exclusively, an event production company so these other agencies engage him to execute their clients' events and promotions. You still with me? Okay, good. So, the point is he offered to forward along the festival's sponsorship proposal to some of those strategic partners - very cool of him (but, of course, remember the real value to him is potential new work if any clients bite). The bigger news, however, is he offered to forward the proposal to a couple of executives who sit at the very top of the umbrella corporation overseeing ALL multicultural efforts on behalf of ALL member agencies. I mean...are you kidding me?? Jackpot! So, I immediately switch gears and start talking about Cinedulce because, quite frankly, if one of our proposals is going to be put on the desk of top agency executives, it should be the one that speaks to our larger corporate strategy. So, I do my best impromptu pitch about what Cinedulce is all about and how we want to work with agencies and, shazam!, he digs it. Suddenly, we're on the same page and, together, we decide he will forward the Cinedulce proposal to the top executives and the NYILFF proposal to select agencies with potential sponsorship clients. I literally then spent the next 4 +/- hours tweaking the Cinedulce proposal - editing it down, tightening the language and driving home the key points. In the end, I think it's strong and I hope he agrees. I guess we'll find out soon enough, right? Cross your fingers for me...this could be BIG!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 11, 2008

Sponsorship 101, Part 1

Here's the thing about sponsorship: it's hard. I could be all euphemistic and say it's challenging, but let's be real: it's hard. It's stressful. And, it's a pressure cooker because more often than not the program for which you're seeking sponsorship survives on that corporate support. And, unfortunately, you're not alone: almost every company -- small, mid-size and large -- is bombarded daily by national/regional/local events and organizations seeking product, cash, media, support and/or bartered services. It's madness. Many companies are so overwhelmed, they no longer directly accept sponsorship proposals; you have to go through their agencies, which act as filters, or, worst case scenario, submit online through Sponsorwise or other similar online system. From an industry standpoint, sponsors are grouped into categories (automotive, spirits, beauty, QSR - quick service restaurant, financial services, etc.); each category has industry-wide standards for sponsorship success that directly relate to revenue channels, and each individual brand has its own specific benchmarks for success. If you're dealing with a parent that has sub-brands, each of those sub-brands has its own positioning, strategy, budget, contacts and performance yardsticks. So, any time you make a call to a prospective sponsor, you want to keep in mind the general goals of that category (e.g., drive retail traffic, drive qualified leads, drive new subscribers, sample product, etc.) and also the specific positioning of that brand. If an apparel company is positioned as a hard-core athletic brand, don't call with a jazz fest. Big duh, I know...but, I swear, you'd be surprised! And, all is well and good until you get down to brass tacks and start talking activation. The devil is in the details, mi amigo, the devil is in the details. Sometimes, sponsor expectations (Can you guarantee 10 A-list celebs at the indie screening?? Can you provide me a 50'x50' space right outside the theater on that main Manhattan avenue? WTF!?!) are so unrealistic, you just have to laugh...and then figure out how to deliver. But! But! When you get a sponsor that really gets it, you know 'it' -- what you're trying to do, who you are as a brand, what your audience is all about, how to think outside that itty-bitty box -- well, then, sponsorship can be a blast because that's when you get creative, collaborative and constructive (don't ya just love alliteration?). That's when the magic happens, partnership is fun and you feel a huge sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. THEN the real work begins...
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 10, 2008

Choice of a New Generation?

You thought I was talking about Obama, didn't you?? Nope. Though, the sentiment applies, don'tcha think? In fact, I'm talking about Pepsi, the owner of that now defunct tag line and one of the film festival's 2008 sponsors. I'm hoping to bring them back in 2009 and (fingers crossed!) grow that partnership into a larger deal with the fest and/or tie-in Cinedulce. Wouldn't that be divine? My original contact recently left the company (ay dios!), so today I connected with his replacement, who actually worked on his team; so, hopefully, that will work in our favor. She seems super cool, but that doesn't mean she wants to spend her precious marketing dollars with us. Ah yes, the sponsorship sales process is so lovely. Regardless, the proposal is out the door and now we wait...

On a different, unrelated note, Lyndon, our editing/producing/directing genius, just sent us the first cut of our video recap of the 2008 film festival and damn was it good!
Calix and I will send notes for some tweaking & tightening, but it's a super first-pass and I can't wait to show you (and prospective sponsors)! For now, you'll just have to take my word for it. Ewww, such a tease... ;)
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 7, 2008

Panic button? Nah!

I can't believe how Zen Calixto and I have become. We, Bryan from Spoon + Fork, our kick-ass creative agency, and Lyndon had a meeting this afternoon to discuss video players, storage space and other back-end miscellany that may not sound all that sexy but is the technical foundation of our company. So, um, yeah, it's pretty important. Anyhoodles, we had already planned to upgrade our player and add some new, cool functionality to the site, but the process has been greatly and unexpectedly expedited because of circumstances beyond our control. Awesome! In the "PCD" era (a.k.a. pre-Cinedulce), this may have caused near-panic mode. Code Red! Eject, eject! Now? (yawn) I don't know...we've been through too much both with Cinedulce and, even more so, with the festival. I mean, you can't imagine what ridiculousness we've experienced over the years - honestly, pure insanity. It's comical, really. At this point, we both realize there really is a solution for everything. You just have to stay calm, be creative and figure it out. And, in fact, we are now well on our way to finding that solution. It's going to cost us some money we don't necessarily feel all that comfortable spending, but that's part of the gig. Sometimes, you have to take a risk, a leap of faith, and hope it all sort of works itself out in the end. On a different note, last night I had a delicious (although slightly warm, which I hate) dirty martini and that really helped relax me and put things in perspective. ;)
Cheers.

~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 6, 2008

Subway OD

Honestly, I've had enough of the subway today. I've been in and out of the subway about 8 times. I've been to Williamsburg, the UWS and midtown east (I'm west). I've taken the 2/3, L and Shuttle (and a bus!) all multiple times...enough! But, the good news is I had a very positive meeting with an insurance company that is interested in partnering with the festival and a second meeting with my friend, Andrew, who runs Remezlca - very cool site. We have some interesting partnership ideas brewing. Stay tuned...!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 5, 2008

Holy crap! YES WE DID!

There's likely not all that much I can add to what you've already read, discussed, heard, watched and/or thought about the historic revelation that was last night's election - the results, the speeches, the widespread elation and unbridled celebration. Suffice it to say, a new era has begun. But, what I think is worth noting is the shift, the 'transformation' if you will, was not so much that Barak Obama inspired a nation (though, he certainly did that and more), but rather that the already pluralized American cultural landscape is what enabled the rise of Barak Obama: the perfect candidate with the perfect campaign at the perfect time in history. And, furthermore, the Hispanic vote, of course along with the African-American vote, was one of the key determining factors. Finally, FINALLY, the mainstream is beginning to acknowledge the power of the combined Latino and Urban communities. Maybe it's not even the mainstream that didn't recognize this; maybe it's just the conservative right Republicans (do they really think Joe the Plumber, Joe Sixpack and small-town white soccer moms are the American archetypes? What about everyone else??). Either way, the cat's out of the bag and I, for one, look forward to watching and experiencing how Barak Obama's presidency breaks wide open those barriers - race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion - and, at the very least, puts a megaphone to the dialogue. From my perspective, I hope this experience inspires more filmmakers to tell their stories about diversity, acculturation, assimilation, individuality - whatever, whatever it is they want to say, express, share. Now is the time because the nation, if not the world, is paying close attention and listening to what we all have to say. So speak up, mis amigos. This is just the beginning.
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 4, 2008

Get Your Vote On

Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time working today b/c I'm totally preoccupied with the election. I just voted and damn do I feel patriotic. I mean, we stand at the precipice of what could be one of the most significant moments in our lifetime, if not this country's history. When you consider the potential impact of this election, it's mind blowing. The United States is a diverse, colorful quilt of cultures, colors, languages, sexual preferences, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds and political orientations. It's immense, aspirational, complex, expansive, powerful and beautiful. But, it also can be frustrating, unfair, prejudiced and imbalanced. When I consider the fact that I, a Jewish woman, have the opportunity to vote for a brilliant African-American to be president... well, let's just say, it's awesome. I mean, African-Americans couldn't vote until 1870 (and are still dealing with discrimination within the polling system), women not until 1920, and, basically, no one feels Bloomberg could ever be president because he's Jewish and the conservative, religious right would never allow it. So, there's a lot happening, right here, right now. But, the thing is, despite the sundry differences that exist 'from sea to shining sea', we hopefully all share one resounding similarity - the desire to live in a nation that not only allows, but actually celebrates individualism, uniqueness and heterogeneity. One that grants the freedom to pursue your dreams, be who you are and express yourself. As a female entrepreneur, who is the co-executive director of a film festival and president of a distribution platform for the Latino and urban communities, I feel a particular sense of pride, but also concern, for this nation's future. As I mentioned above, I believe we stand at a precipice; what we do at this historic moment is our CHOICE. So, be mindful and think carefully about your definition of democracy. What story do you want to tell the world? Use your voice and vote.
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 3, 2008

Happy Hulaween, y'all!








Holy smokes - Bette Midler's Hulaween benefit on Friday night for her NYC Restoration Project was INSANE! Check out some of these pix (can you guess who is the goth woman and who is in the giant red wig?). As I mentioned on Friday, I decided to go simple and somewhat wing my costume as a cowgirl. I certainly didn't win any awards for creativity, but it worked and was cheap: mission accomplished. All I know is this was not your average bear party so Calixto (uh, I mean, Dr. C) and I really tried to soak it all in and enjoy the moment. Tons of celebs, including host Bette Midler, MC Kathy Griffin, Pink, John McEnroe, Jimmy Buffett, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (gigantic man!) and Gloria Estefan, who's an amazing, energetic live performer and whose teen daughter is a great electric guitarist - who knew?? Plus, it occurred to me, in all my years in NYC, I had never been to the Waldorf Astoria. Check that off my list! Big, huge, gigantic thanks to our friends at American Airlines for inviting us to join them at this awesome event. Happy Halloween to all!
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)

November 2, 2008

School Daze


My 'cameo appearance' yesterday at my friend's (Rachel - 2nd from left) multicultural marketing class at Brooklyn College was great! I loved the experience and according to Rachel, I 'killed it'. Hey, what'd you expect?? ;) No, really - I think it's awesome to work with students and I'm a tad jealous of Rachel. It's just incredibly cool to have the opportunity to help shape someone's future...inspire, encourage, motivate. One young woman even asked if I mentor. Plus, many of them took my card, so hopefully, they'll stay in touch. Here's a picture of the class. They're a great group of students and I wish them the best of luck.
~ Liz
(P.L.H.H.)