Reaching For The Stars

When marketing a product, company, or in my case a non-profit organization, there comes a time when you might want to leverage the power of a celebrity. Whether its through strategic and prime product placement in a film (such that any viewer will want to run to the nearest store to purchase whatever it was that Robert Pattinson was drinking instead of human blood in the latest Twilight movie); or scouting out that perfect celebrity spokesperson whose appeal spans the general and ethnic consumer markets, who actually loves your brand, and is 100% willing to develop an ad campaign with you without compensation; star power can move the masses.
[Sigh]
If it was only as easy as writing this paragraph. Celebrities are a rare breed and getting them to work and speak well on behalf of your product or company can be a daunting task.

I just spent three days in Los Angeles for work. I was there for an event that involved many moving pieces and targets, but whether it was the preparation before, the managing during, or the celebrating after, each step involved shielding my eyes from the blinding aura of the twinkling stars of Hollywood.

On Thursday night we went to dinner at a steakhouse called The Palm. The pre-event networking dinner involved multiple agencies and some of the Mommy bloggers who would be writing about the Charity the next day. The restaurant was located next door to Laker stadium, which was hosting one of the first games of the season. As I sat there, shifting and balancing conversations between diapers, access to healthcare and Big Macs, I kept sneaking glances of the big screen TV next to me, which pinpointed the bevy of celebrities present at the game. Heather Locklear, Zack Efron, and Jack Nicholson were all in attendance, all right next door. Oh, the potential excitement of actually running into the ranks of the glitteratti.

The next day the excitement increased when I actually came in contact with a set of minor celebrities. The following day, my work event involved three celebrities: Billy Bush, Dayanara Torres, and the one and only Ronald McDonald. Mustering up and managing these three people took several PR agencies, nannies, scripts, and security, all of which ultimately ended in minor chaos. My claim to fame that day, I got to help watch Billy Bush's children.

That night as the sun set over the Hollywood Hills, I woke up from a power nap and attended a "networking meeting" between the people I traveled with and a local event management company at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. I kind of rolled my eyes when I passed through the man with a clipboard, the garage full of the most expensive cars I had ever seen, and the lobby filled with strung out, super skinny, model-type figures. But when we went outside to the courtyard, the atmosphere became more relaxed and normal. That is, until I removed my focus from ordering a glass of wine and consuming it quickly, to looking around. To my right was John Legend and Nicky Hilton, in front of me Amy Pohler, Megan Mullaley, Rashida Jones, and other SNL cast members, catty-corner to them some Gossip Girls, and then to my left (my ultimate celebrity siting), Lindsey Lohan getting cozy next to Jason Segal (big tall comedian from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Man's Best Friend, and Knocked Up.)

Everyone around me remained pretty cool, casual and focused on their beverages. I, on the other hand, was star STRUCK. I think I actually wiped away a tear when I did a double take of Lindsey Lohan. What the heck?! Why was I so inspired, awe-struck, in-heaven?! This was ridiculous and actually with the exception of John Legend, I really wasn't that big of a fan of these people's work on or off the screen. I also don't think ANY of them would have made stellar celebrity spokespeople, especially for a Charity. However, as Lindsey walked by in her shimmery spandex revealing her stick thin legs, mile high booties, skull cap hiding her stringy blond hair, and leather jacket I suddenly felt like I had to have every piece of the ensemble.

When I got home I couldn't wait to tell my boyfriend about my amazing evening. As I rattled off the names, reliving the sheer bliss of seeing the celebrities at play, I realized that I was going to be greeted with the response, "I have no idea who any of those people are."
Yep.
Fact.
That is the person that I love.
He got a bigger kick out of my tweeny-bopper excitement than out of the celeb sitings. Alas, I had became a name-dropper, hoping to achieve some sort of recognition from being associated with the A-listers.

This sense of celebrity and name dropping can infect the work place just as much as it has my dreams the past couple of nights. Business can largely be a game of who's who and who you know. We also currently place an equal amount of celebrity status on corporate officers as we do on personalities like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Branjenlina. (A for instance: when a certain CEO said "hello ladies" in my general direction during a recent gala, I almost swooned.) In business school, I was literally encouraged to pencil off every Friday as time for building key business relationships.

We live in a culture that will always be fascinated by the rich, famous, talented and troublesome; where success is aligned with celebrity status, and where we are encouraged to network to move into the upper echelons of society. We also praise those who have relationships with a celebrity, an officer, a politician, or an inside informant from the competition, as our unique gateway into an exclusive world. So, how as confident professionals who want to avoid the syrupy suck-up to the stars game, do we make our presence known in business decisions? Do we hope that someone will miraculously take notice of our talent? Probably not, because most likely you'll be waiting forever and be stuck in the rut of B playerdom for the rest of your corporate career.

Not all of us are bound for celebrity status in this world, and that's okay, because the B players are equally important in the fabric of corporate America as the A players. However, for those who have identified a differentiating quality in the way you work or what you produce, I encourage you to self-promote, rather than to rely on the associative properties of the stars. Individuals and products that work their way up without a celebrity spokesperson or corporate escort have a greater chance of making a lasting impact. Celebrities come in and out of favor; We applaud and boo them, dig into their scandalous behavior, and listen attentively only until their messages become irrelevant. When one comes into the limelight, another one's fifteen minutes of fame dwindles. (Trust me, you don't want to be on that ship when it is quietly forced out of the company.) Networking in business should be about education - we should learn from a leader's successes and failures, and take heed when navigating our own career trajectory.

On Friday evening, Jason Segal whispered to Megan Mullaley, "Don't judge me because I'm with Lindsey." (I overheard because they were standing right behind me.) This mistake in Segal's networking, especially when while running in such high-profile circles, could be devastating. And the last thing he or anyone wants is to fall out of favor with the funny people - because there will always be a place within the in-crowd for them. http://www.people.com/people/videos/whatyoumissedovertheweekend/


Lo

Mother May I

The other night over a very interesting dinner with 3 bloggers and 5 communications professionals, we started talking about regulations within our respective industries. The FTC recently published a new, half thought-through set of regulations for pushing products through social media channels. For instance, if you are tweeting, posting, and writing about a product on your site, you have to disclose whether or not a company compensated you to write about your experience with their good. The bloggers have a direct relationship with these new rules and were explaining the complexities.

I thought to myself while the conversation progressed, here lies yet another addition to the list of rules that we are asked to play by. Everyday the papers are littered with stories about bills, proposals, and requests for more regulation. From the banking system and the private insurance companies, to immigration and education, the FDA, EPA, ABA, PTA, NCAA ... all want tighter rules, heavier sanctions, and more control.

I have always played by the rules and am honestly afraid to go against them. When authority figures tell me to do something, I do it, and for the most part, no questions asked. I grew up in a household (the daughter of a lawyer mind you) where there were codes of conduct and certain sanctions for not abiding by the house rules. There was room for interpretation amongst my siblings and I; and there became various strains of tolerance from the parental unit for deviating from the rules; but on the whole, my siblings and I grew up following by the system. From my perspective here are seven rules that I thought to be unbreakable in the Fischer household:

Rule #1: Everyone pitches in around the house
Rule #2: Everyone is nice to each other
Rule #3: Everyone is clear about where they are going, who they are going with, and when they will return
Rule #4: Everyone goes to church together
Rule #5: Everyone partakes in the family activity and doesn't fuss about it
Rule #6: Whatever the parent says, goes
Rule #7: If mom or dad had a stressful day at work, take heed of bad mood and suck up as much as possible

I held these guidelines as the law and was petrified of repurcussions had I not followed them. I always did whatever chore I needed to do without complaint. I told my parents exactly where I was going and with whom ( I even had a self-imposed curfew so my parents wouldn't be able to find any fault in my weekend activities.) If my parents wanted to attend 8 AM mass on Sunday, I was there by their side. I lauded whatever family outing we chose, jovially sauntering through flower shows, art museums, folk festivals, and grocery stores as my siblings scoffed at my syrupy enthusiasm.

My siblings had a different take on the rules though. My elder sister had her own opinion and wasn't afraid to share it. She took many long bathroom breaks after dinner aleviating her from dish duty. Despite getting in trouble for it, she continued to go on Eat N' Park outings with Midnight Mary Anne in our Transport van. My brother threw out some of these rules in high school when his sense of reasoning developed. He used to tell my parents he would no longer field their intrusive questions, that he was leaving to go out with an undisclosed group of friends, and that he would go to mass later alone. From my perspective such risky behaviors were unthought of. Looking back on it, what possessed me to be so law abiding and for lack of a better word, such a dork?!

I don't know why I am so into following the rules. It wasn't just my parents rules either. I used to become extremely nervous (and actually start crying) as the "We will be closing in 30 ... 10 ... 5 minutes" announcement echoed through the Home Goods section of Kaufmanns while late night shopping with my mother. I was afraid that we would break the rules, get locked in the store, and then my life would be over. Again, looking back on it, how exciting would it have been to get locked in a department store at night?! The ultimate slumber party with my Mom and sister would have unfolded complete with giant beds dressed with perfect bedspreads, new PJs and robes, makeovers, televiewing on giant screens, and eating our way through displays of rich Godiva chocolate.

Today we face debate after debate in our country about stricter rules and heavier sanctions. And though it may be a stretch, I want to compare the different perspectives of rules in the smaller governed body of my family to a larger governed body like America.

Though I have always been creative and have a unique personality, I get anxious when asked to break a rule. I can think outside the box, but I am often afraid to work and play outside the box. My siblings on the other hand were never afraid to test boundaries with authority figures. Their reasoning and confidence led them to believe that, perhaps, at times, the way the authority wants us to do things isn't the best way. Perhaps there is another way, a better way. My parents managed both sides very well - gathering new sets of information from my elder sister who was actually reading books during those "bathroom breaks", getting chores done around the house through me, and getting endless amounts of laughter from my brother whose comedic routines took the place of sweeping the floor.

We live in a country where these two camps (rule abiders and breakers) exist, and I ask you this - - if the rule breakers weren't there, would we have the level of technological, financial, artistic, and athletic successes that we do today? If we impose more regulation, will individuals and groups still push, innovate, and progress? It is the rule breakers that advance the system, but the rule abiders that keep the current system productive and running smoothly. You need both and you need to manage both. However, the more we try to impose strict regulations on the entirety of the population, the less our society will grow. My parents were able to manage both camps. Some companies also manage the rule breakers and abiders very successfully. However, I think the nation's government is getting to the point, that might prove stifling to our collective progress. I ask though, how do you manage effectively on that grand of a scale?

My thoughts are exhausted at this point, but I would appreciate your comments and perspectives. Post away! For now, court adjourned!

Lo

Cooking for One

Today I am in Los Angeles. I am here for work, and will be here for the next couple of days to celebrate McHappy Day with good friends of Ronald McDonald House Charities like Billy Bush, Dayanara Torres, a host of mommy bloggers from Southern California, and representation from McDonald's. Some good posting ideas will definitely emerge.

However, in the mean time I wanted to write about the movie that I saw last night en route to LA. I was planning to curl up in the steerage section of the United plane with my latest volume of Penny Vincenzi's London-based novels. However, I called an audible and put on the germ-infested ear phones to watch the Westbound feature film, Julie and Julia. (Which I had been meaning to watch for awhile.) I had heard good things - that it was adorable, that the viewer would want to go back home and cook up a storm afterward, that Meryl Streep delivered an amazing performance yet again. You can blame it on my fatigue, my irritability due to the elbow bumping neighbor of mine, or the slightly muffled sound, but I found the movie only half good. That is, the half with Julia Childs was great, the half with Julie (I forget her last name), not so much.

The sections of the movie focused on Julia Childs were sweet, melodic and inspirational. (Although that voice became rather annoying.) Julia was a true original. She wanted to enable and equip the servantless housewives of America with excellent French recipes. She wanted to free them of the marshmellow fluff and jello molds, and give them the gift of butter based emulsions, aspics, and canard!! I absolutely appreciate her decades of hard work, perseverence and professionalism. She gave a unique gift and provided profound inspiration to generations of cooks and chefs.

It was the millenial version of her that really botherd me. Women of the 21st century have reverted back to meal solutions. They are too busy to follow the detailed procedures found in Mastering French Cooking and instead want five ingredients or less, 30 minute meals, and semi-homemade. Blah. The character of Julie is supposed to represent the alternative of this modern cook. She seeks out fresh and exotic ingredients, finds comfort in her cookware, and isn't afraid to increase the butter content. She is experiencing life in a different, more innovative way, than her self-absorbed success driven faux friends, and the viewer is asked to hold her up as an ideal. I had a hard time with that request. I saw her as whiny, uncreative and ultimately just as selfish as the friends she hated. Her lack luster quality lies in the fact that it was her husband's idea of writing and cooking, that they were Julia's recipes, not her own, and that she spent a measly year working on this project, whereas Julia spent a lifetime. I would top that all off with her bizaare idolistic relationship with her imaginary version of Julia Childs.

I have written about my love of food and cooking in the past, so this film seemed like a natural fit. Or, the cooking and blogging character of Julie, might at first glance seem to be someone I would admire. However, the purpose behind her pursuits and mine are quite different. To me, cooking is a gift that I want to share with others. Thinking of and preparing a meal is all about who it is for in the end. That is the way Julia Child approached a recipe, and not the way Julie did. At the end Julie is sad because she finds out that Julia Child is on record saying "I hate her." Julia, I don't blame you. As the daughter of a tireless female leader, who could do it all and still make a mean red sauce for her ravenous children at the end of the day, it takes a lot more to impress me as well.

This weekend, I encourage you to try a new recipe, slave away all day in the kitchen, but do it as a gift for your friends and family. It makes the meal that much sweeter!

Lo

Staying Sane

In a post recessionary economy that experts in the industry claim is on the rebound, it is easy to chart when, where and possible point figures at how we went into a slump. Economists can look at graphs and chart when the bubbles burst, the GDP stopped growing, consumer confidence started to shift toward panic, and we all started stressing out about the 2nd great depression and how it was going to affect the lifestyles we have come to know and love.

In one's life, though, it is harder to chart the expansions and recessions. Looking back at my mid 20s (which are just about coming to an end) I think I can pinpoint a secular bear market or what I more fondly like to call my quarter-life crisis. It was definitely a point of contraction in my growth cycle - - a point where I reassessed priorities and mind set and when my capital to asset ratio shifted drastically toward the latter (which today would shut down any bank.) It was above all a time when stress reigned supreme in my life as I debated what non-risky investment I should make next. Looking back, I can definitely say that I had entered a slump, which included me, a couch, re-runs of Sex and the City, and way too many bowls of cereal. I remember talks with my mother who always had suggestions on how to cope and how to get get back into the market. She named such solutions as always finding something to look forward to, like vacations (this had always worked for such influential figures as Aunt Dee Dee), reading a lot, making a list of goals, becoming the independent entrepreneur of the week (foraying into the lucrative markets of greeting card illustrator and creative caterer), and of course saying some prayers.

In the Wall Street Journal alone today, there were 4 articles focused on solutions to stress and insanity given the recessionary aftermath. The articles depicted our nation as one composed of a bunch of mental cases on the verge of break down, self destruction and panic. Mentions of remedies such as reading, prayer, and regular exercise would have made my mother proud. However, the general consensus is that these methods aren't working, people either don't have time, don't want to give an alternate lifestyle a try, or they just want the magic cure-all like the one found for pets in the form of pheromone therapy. The nation marches on in the elaborate search for (and composes many opinion pieces on) a solution for a return to normalcy.

My favorite article this morning was one about a woman who was laid off about 6 months ago and was quickly burning through her severance and savings to maintain a lifestyle that she felt kept her sane. She stated that if she didn't go to Starbucks everyday, have expensive networking luncheons, and drink flirty cocktails in the evening with girlfriends, she would go crazy. I mean really?! The amazing thing is though, during my crisis years, I used to do the same sort of thing while working the night shift in the restaurant. I used to wake up at 6:30 AM (after closing the restaurant at 3:00 AM) and rush to the coffee shop so I could be part of the morning ritual like all the normal people. Even though I wasn't burning through cash in the process, my goal was to be part of the system again, part of the regularity.

I ask myself this though, why? Why do I, why do most of us just want to fit in and have a comforting sense of routine. As part of the get up and go machine of corporate America, I should be looking back on those moments of irregularity in my life with fondness, but I'm not. I wonder though if these moments, when we cease to grow the way we always have, walk the same straight line, have the same sense of confidence, are really moments of opportunity. I raised my hand proudly in my innovation class last year and made the suggestion that perhaps the great recession was actually a good thing - - that there could be some tremendous societal, economic, or technological innovation that derived from it. My comment was scoffed at by the conservative set, but my ever encouraging professor said that perhaps I was dead on.

Instead of seeking out ways to stay sane, stay normal, stay afloat ... leverage that bit of craziness and confusion to catapult your career, your attitude, your personage to a new height. Maybe in order to expand sometimes, we have to take a step back. Maybe there is a need to experience crisis in order to prune ourselves and reassess our strategy for the next growth phase. Let's make my professor proud, and innovate in our time of crisis, even if that innovation is the cure-all for our overwhelming stress levels.

Lo

A Fresh Start!

The latest addition to my job description is blogger outreach. I am working alongside the PR and Marketing manager to research and engage mommy bloggers with the goal of enlisting them as Ronald McDonald House Charities ambassadors. Combined with my regular allotment of time for social networking in the form of tweeting, facebooking, and flickring, I have spent the majority of my work days over the past week becoming more familiar with the tone of our target market online. (Social media is a fascinating landscape, and in my opinion, one that every company needs to play in strategically.)

With this inundation of social media came a new appreciation for the blog that I created last March, and a renewed dedication to contributing on this site. So herein lies my commitment (by the way, I used to do this through high school when I ceased writing in my pen and paper journal that resided in my nightstand) to post on this site regularly. In my relatively new position in corporate America, now part of the System!, I have garnered a fresh perspective of being a young professional and I need a place to form and filter thoughts, and hopefully gain some feedback from readers.

Stay tuned - I'm planning to write again this evening. In the meantime, and throughout the day, feel free to follow me, as the "voice" of RMHC online on Twitter (@RMHC) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/rmhcglobal)

Happy Tuesday!

Lo