DRIVEN Blog
What I’m Drinking: Obscure Gems of Italy’s Piedmont
The usual suspects? You know that’s not what I’m all about. Sure, with cuisine, I’m always excited to try a different take on a classic (it’s seldom I’ll turn down a meatball simply because I’ve had a million of ‘em). But with wine, there are just too many options these…
The Restaurant Wine Ritual: A Host’s Perspective
As a frequent business dining host, you will be taking part in the age-old honor of ordering a bottle of wine for the table. For some, the very thought of such a responsibility is intimidating, even panic-inducing, and rightly so; without a professional wine background, it is natural to feel at a loss when flipping through a comprehensive restaurant…
Networking Realities, Part One: The “Follow-Up”
“I shall maintain my network.” So easy to say, so seemingly hard to do! Business network maintenance may be the most important way to focus our career energy, yet so often we place our network-related tasks on the back burner, expecting the…
In A New York Minute: How “Manhattan” Are You?
Having spent most of my life as a New Yorker, so many of the ins and outs of navigating this dense and diverse city have long since become second nature to me. So much has changed over the decades, yet there are those aspects of NYC…
Checking The Mirror: An Exploration Into Clearer Communication
Our latest Women’s Advancement Compact workshop featured the welcomed return of WAC specialist Kathleen Brady for a highly interactive session exploring the art of non-verbal communication skills. February 18th’s YOU ARE THE MESSAGE: Powerful…
Transcending Insecurity: The Anti-Gravity Yoga Edge
Welcome to the first in a series of WAC posts inviting you to rediscover the concept of the weekend getaway! If there’s one thing we’ve become pretty good at, it’s finding ways to unplug and treat ourselves to little adventures that enrich our lives. Our part of the…
Honk if You Drink Franc!
Michael and I have been fixated on New York State wines for quite some time, but never so acutely as we have been since 2008, when, as synchronicity would have it, while we toured the wines regions on Long Island’s east end and the Finger Lakes for the first time…
They Came, They Learned, They Bought: The C.Wonder Effect
thank you to all the ladies who attended last Wednesday’s C.Wonder wardrobe tutorial and discounted shopping opportunity, hosted by WAC Specialist Caroline Sill, the fashion retailer’s Manager of…
Restaurant Watch: Tapas, Anyone?
Running a business in NYC involves tons of fine restaurant dining (no complaints here). But once in a while, I have the chance to dine out just for the joy of eating. Recently, Michael and a dear friend from the west coast joined me at…
Anger vs EQ: Which “You” is in Control?
If you were one of the participants at January 29th’s WAC community event Corporate Emotional Intelligence: Anger in the Workplace, presented by WAC specialist Ginny Brown, you might have found yourself with a peculiar question bouncing around in your…
The Dining Diva: A Real Dish
In one sense, I talk about a “Dining Diva” as a professional woman who is an experienced, seasoned business diner— the master of her domain in the business meal setting (this is what I transform NYC women into with my periodical Strategic Dining℠…
EQ Times Seventy: Anger Sure Draws a Crowd
Anchin, Block & Anchin, LLC made their WAC event sponsoring debut last Wednesday, for a community event that I have been eagerly anticipating since the topical conversation between Ginny Brown and Deborah began a couple of months…
Pesto Reinterpreted: Five-Minutes to Bliss
I’m having a love affair with an old darling of mine: spinach pesto! I used to always have it on hand when I cooked at my old restaurant, Goldie’s by the Bridge, where it was handy in countless ways. Recently, I made a batch utilizing the modern conveniences…
Mindful Change: The Habit-Forming Practice of Forming Habits
Growing up, the concept of a habit to me always assumed a negative connotation (smoking, swearing, cracking one’s knuckles). Now at age 40, I’m finally realizing the reason: in my experience, the word “habit” was, more often than not, preceded by “bad”— conceivably a…
Choose Your Hard
A few weeks ago I was struck by a quote I saw on a fitness website that I often visit. It said, “Losing weight is hard. Staying the same weight is hard. Gaining weight is hard. Choose your hard.” I’ve been thinking about that ever since…
Diva-fied: The Takeaway from our Strategic Dining Workshop
There is a theory that the most organized people are always buying books on organization. Last Thursday’s Dining Divas participants might have given this theory legs. These women have oodles of emotional intelligence and are rising stars in their fields, yet…
Staying on the Wagon: The Virtues of Dieting
When asked to write this post, I enthusiastically agreed, feeling a bit virtuous having cleansed my diet of both sugar andKristiMcKee2 wheat almost entirely for six months. Early last May, I woke up one morning and decided to eliminate sugar and cut way back on…
Cold, Rain & Snow: Utilizing Down Time
The middle of last week saw bitter cold weather like New York hasn’t experienced in decades; you know what else it saw?….Me, making my way into the city from my toasty-warm suburban home, only to find Manhattan’s streets practically abandoned, and most of my…
Self-Compassion: My Word Of The Year
I’m savoring Olivia Fox Cabane’s book, The Charisma Myth. It’s like preaching to the converted. We totally see eye-to-eye on so many practices. My favorite: being present is a key to executive presence. Non-verbal communication is SO important…
Corporate Matchmaking: Polishing the E-Introduction
Aside from its convenience factor, email can be a substantial networking device. But the “substantial” part depends upon how thoughtful your strategy is. Think of how often you’ve used email…