My Thanksgiving Line

This weekend, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to watch an undefeated football team get crushed. This was no ordinary football team. It had won the championships two years going, and was attempting the “never been done before” in league history, a “three-peat”. Combined with the fact they were playing a neighboring town, this was set to be somethin’. Did I mention the players were in 8th grade?

We adults sat watching nervously, victory so close. But as the game wore on, it soon became evident the thrill of victory was careening into the agony of defeat. Player injuries piled up. When the team returned to school Monday, my son shared with me that a teacher who had had a son playing on the other team commented that our line looked like “swiss cheese” with holes so big they plowed right through.

It got me to thinking. Like football, in life, you’ll never be at the top of your game without a really good line. You can be the best damn quarterback in the world, at work, raising kids, whatever it is you do. But without those people who defend your blind side, who block and tackle for you and make sure the guy gunning for you does not get through to you, you’re toast. So during this holiday week where we are thinking of things to be thankful for as the turkey is sliced, I am thankful for all of you on my line. You know who you are.

Ciao,

Jules

The Company We Keep

I found myself on a plane last week with a man I’d met barely two weeks ago. Having recently taken a Board position, it was business. I found him intriguing. Young, brash, charming, intense…and he had a South African accent. What more do you need in a traveling companion? Did I mention he’s half my age? So stop thinking what you’re thinking. But we had a ball…Went to a dive for dinner and had an Arrogant Bastard (sorry, yet again less exciting than it sounds…a slightly bitter beer), we presented together the next morning– had a great time, and were on our way back home, even landed early at the airport Friday night at 5. Most refreshing thing I’ve done in ages despite my original complaint over the dreaded business trip.

Flash forward to last night, having a late night conversation with a dear friend over drinks. We were discussing Linked In – whether it was an improvement when it came to networking. He objected on principal alone, pointing out that there’s more value to a small network where you know everything about the people in your network – where they work, what their kids names are, where they went to school. His attitude was that a “velvet rope” around your life creates demand and intrigue. Does anyone really want what everyone else can get?

Which got me to thinking about my South African friend. While I don’t disagree there is value in a small, tight knit group of friends you know would come bail you out in the middle of the night, I’m not sure I want to rope off others. Had I stayed behind my velvet rope, I certainly never would have gotten on the plane and flown halfway across the country with my new friend. It’s not so much about the quantity of friends behind the rope, it’s about the quality. Do they inspire us? Intrigue us? Charm us? Bring out in us qualities that force us to discover new frontiers and try new experiences?

Life’s short. I think it will be far more fun to fill the space behind the velvet rope with more and more intriguing folks than focus on keeping them out. Maybe Linked In isn’t the way to do it, but I do love the idea of filling my life with interesting new faces from new places…and new accents. So disregard the velvet rope and enter at your own risk. There’s lots of us back here.

Ciao, Jules

The Benefits of Soup

There’s nothing like a bowl of soup to make the world seem just a little more manageable. My friend Laura is an amazing cook and the other day I was feeling rather miserable as I walked into her kitchen. She’s one of those people who always knows just what you need at your lowest moment without making a big deal of it. She looked at me and announced I needed soup, as she pulled the lid off of a delicious, tuscan bean concoction. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, warmed from the inside, I was feeling like I might survive my life for the next 24 hours.

So in the spirit of sharing the tools I find helpful to navigate life, below is my favorite soup recipe (thank you Wendy via Mom). I have high standards for a “favorite recipe” as it has to serve many masters. First, it has to be filling (twin 14 year old boys inhale food like air). Second, it cannot be full of cream and fat…gotta (at least try) to keep a girlish figure. Third, between work, kids, dogs, life in general, it needs to be simple. Martha Stewart be damned…if I can’t find the ingredients at the grocery store in less than 10 minutes, it’s just not happening. Fourth, it can’t be too spicy or too bland according to a 14 year old palate. Fifth, it must smell heavenly as it is cooking. Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup

 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
 2 c. slivered onions
 2 1/2 c. celery, diced
 1 lb. 14 oz. Canned tomatoes, diced
 1 46 oz. V-8 juice
 1/2 c. barley, boiled til swollen
 1-2 Cloves garlic, crushed
 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
 2 c. water
 2 raw potatoes, diced
 1 bag frozen, mixed vegetables

Brown ground beef. Mix all other ingredients. Simmer 2 hours and enjoy the smell!

Ciao,

Jules

Getting to "No"

I invited a legend in my industry to dinner today. He’s quite possibly the smartest person I’ve met in my business, and simply the act of picking up the phone to call him with a question made me shake in my boots. I was absolutely sure I’d bumble and crumble and he’d end up dismissing my juvenile questions with a polite but firm “I have a hard stop.” He didn’t. In fact, this gracious gentleman gave me 45 minutes of his time and at the end, I blurted out “Can I take you to dinner next time you’re in NYC?” (Of course I was mortified in the awkward silence that followed.) Except then this lion of a man said “Why I’d love that…I’m usually dressed up and have no place to go when I visit.”

Now you might ask why I even dared to call him? Well it’s because of my friend Lisa and this “program” she’s put me on. She dared me to “get 10 no’s.” It’s a long story, but essentially she thought I wasn’t pushing the envelope far enough in my career. So she “double dared me” to go get 10 “No’s.” She didn’t tell me how. She didn’t tell me where, or when. Just 10 No’s. She didn’t even tell me they all had to be about my job search. It stuck with me.

So for the last few months, I’ve dared. To say what I think. Do what I think. All in the name of getting to “No”. What’s really ironic? I haven’t gotten one “no” yet. Turns out I was the one saying “no.” Who knew?

Ciao,

Jules

Less Blah Blah, More Boom Boom!

I had the distinct pleasure today of meeting with a friend who is one of those women...you know the kind...leaps tall buildings in a single bound and looks great doing it, all while managing family, friends and work. She's the kind of girl you'd hate if she weren't so damned nice. We were discussing all the things you do with your girlfriends, and I was telling her about my ongoing job search (yes I'm in the middle of one...welcome to the new world.) I was describing the type of place I wanted to find when she said, "Oh, I know what you mean...you want less blah blah and more boom boom!" Omigod did she just say that? Hysterical right? But yes..that's EXACTLY what I want. Not only in my job...IN MY LIFE!

How many of us talk and talk and talk about what we want, yet never do it? How many people do we know who blah blah but never boom boom! In fact, let's face it...much of corporate America, American politics and life itself is blah blah. But boy do we know boom boom when we see it. Steve Jobs boom booms! Oprah Winfrey boom booms! Warren Buffet boom booms! When you meet that special someone, you don't say my heart went "blah blah", you say it goes "boom boom"!

From now on, I'm embracing boom boom, and brooming blah blah. Life's too short not to boom.

Ciao, Jules