#191: Classroom to Life (Friday, August 27)

I met some good people this summer. People who have interesting passions and are putting them into action. One of them is Diana Blain. I met her on a night out in Brooklyn at one of those events only Brooklyn can have. She's actually the cousin of a dear friend of mine.

So we got to talking about things we like to do, and I mentioned my love of volunteering and traveling. As luck would have it, she founded a non-profit organization that would allow me to do both things at once: Classroom to Life aims to provide educational travel opportunities to inner city youth 9-13 years old who typically don't have the chance to travel outside of their local communities.

How awesome is that? Check out her site at http://www.classroomtolife.org and if you have wanderlust and love to volunteer, complete an application form while you're there. There's nothing more phenomenal than watching a child discover the world.

Be excellent!

#190: Malene B (Friday, August 20)

The other day I was jogging through my neighborhood. A block from my house, I walked past a house with a bold, bright door. It's color was different from anything I'd ever seen in the neighborhood. In fact, I've only ever seen that color on a house in the Caribbean and Brazil. I remember thinking to myself, "The person who lives here is very creative and they have a wonderful spirit." You just can't be boring and plain if you paint your front door in a vibrant color. It's impossible. For a few days following, I altered my jogging route just so I could see the door that reminded me of home.

Two weeks later, I met the "owner of the door" at an event for a mutual friend (see how fate works?). Her name is Malene Barnett, and she is a carpet designer. We connected instantly; her personality is just wonderful. Aside from being gorgeous, she's very talented: her work has been featured in tons of magazines and she's also designed for private labels like Nicole Miller and Martha Stewart.

And, best of all, she's a socially responsible designer who supports Aid to Artisans and Goodweave.

So check out Malene's website at www.maleneb.com and get one of her amazing area rugs for your home.

Be excellent!

#189: Confessions of an Academic (Friday, August 13)

I first met Emma Benn a couple years ago at what was supposed to be a book club gathering. They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but immediately I could tell that she was artistic and she was smart. Very smart. She didn't say much, but her comments were informed and thought-provoking. I like people like that; people you can have a good discussion with. Plus, I don't know many people who would've left from upper Manhattan and trek all the way to Brooklyn--in the summer--for a book club. A party, maybe, but certainly not a book club.

But Emma's today's Good Friday for her poetry. She's a spoken word artist who's performed in Philadelphia and NYC’s poetry circuit, including the infamous Nuyorican Poetry Café. She's just released her sophomore album, Confessions of an Academic, which is really about her personal journey as a young, black, talented lesbian living in America.

So, you should listen to her album. Because she writes from the heart, because she's following her dream, and because I said so. LOL. To order a copy via PayPal, email PoetAcademic@gmail.com.

And if you're in New York City, come to Emma's album release party this evening at 8pm at Billies Black Lounge/Restaurant. 271 W119TH Street in Manhattan (www.billiesblack.com)

Be excellent!

#188: Billy's Light (Friday, August 6)

A year and a half ago when I organized a Museum Crawl, it was a balmy 32 degrees Farenheit. But with the wind chill, it felt colder, much colder. When we stopped in Union Square to refresh, I ran into one of my friends who was out doing an event marketing promotion. We spent about 5 minutes talking before I decided it was too cold to stand around. I didn't understand how she could be out there, so long, let alone be happy and smiling.

But that's the passion Erica Thomas brings to her marketing events, and what drove her to start her own company, Billy's Light. Whether it's free product distribution in Union Square, helping to organize the big New Year's Eve Party in Times Square, or securing a venue for your next event, Erica & Billy's Light can help.

Check out her site (www.billyslight.com) and be sure to call her if you need event marketing or production.