Alison Levine: Her Dare Devil Strategies Brought Me Back to Base Camp

My alarm went on at 5am and I couldn’t remember why in the world the night owl in me would set my alarm to such an ungodly hour! Then I remembered…today is one of my favorite events of the year: Leadership Breakfast 2009!  Held in the Gold Coast Room of the beautiful Drake Hotel, it was the perfect setting to catch up with old friends in anticipation of honoring Chris Kennedy as the recipient of this year’s Chicago leadership award, and to hear the much anticipated guest speaker, Alison Levine.   And let me tell you – she rocked my world and totally altered my perspective on several counts.

Having overcome a rare neurological disease that rendered the circulation in her fingers and toes completely defenseless, and after having survived not one, but TWO major  heart surgeries at a very young age, she STILL managed to lead the first american women’s Everest expedition!  Her tails today were extraordinarily insightful, slightly intimidating, very comical and completely inspirational. Her message permeated the business world more so than ever before as she passed along some key wisdom to get us through some tough economic hardships and catapult us to the top. I’ll leave you with these tidbits and encourage you to check out her website at Daredevil strategies which I’ve referenced below:

A few of my key notes:

• Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top! It’s all about your team.
• Ask the right questions and KEEP asking questions using your resources until you finally get to YES!
• Sometimes looking at the big picture can be too daunting. Take a massive task and break it down to tiny steps.
• Ask yourself: What has to happen to get you to base camp?  Then Camp 1…
• On route to the top, you have to keep returning to base camp or the altitude at the top will kill you!
• Progress sometimes means going backwards to get to where you want to be! 
• Fear is OKAY!!! It’s the complacency that will KILL you!!! (whoa)
• Networking isn’t about being “social.” It’s about having people there to help you when you need it! You can bet that someday you’ll need a little help outside of your team, and having people already in place within your network might just save you.
• Tragedy on your team will either split you up – or pull you together – so know your team mates! You don’t need everyone on your team to be an expert. You need everyone on your team to be a team player!
• Climb to the Peak. That’s where the view is!

24 hours ago I thought I was on a roller coaster, but now I’m clearly  just hiking back to base camp. So while I settle into my new digs, I encourage you to please check her out. You won’t be disappointed!       http://www.daredevilstrategies.com    http://www.daredevilstrategies.com/pdf/NG_0506.pdf

Should Customer Service emphasize The Service or the Customer?

This is a very good question and one that business owners have to think about constantly; or at least they should be! I’ve been in the customer service industry my entire life. and guess what people, so have you! As a customer, you’ve made the decision to spend your hard earned dollar at a certain location with loyalty and repetition; or in some cases you’ve vowed never to return. Whether you’re vocal in your praise or dissatisfaction, your decision to return is based on the service you receive each and every time you’re there.

As a service provider, we ask ourselves:  is the customer always right? Maybe not, but the answer is still an unequivocal YES! There’s a delicate way to handle the customer who’s simply impossible to please. In most cases, they just want someone to listen, and validate their frustration. Oftentimes, they had a very bad day, and you’re at the helm of turning that day around. Is everyone cut out for this task? Absolutely not! But with an economy in the dumps, it’s a no brainer that phenomenal customer service can create rock solid loyalty and long term profitability. So why is it that I constantly see customer service that’s practically shameful? I’m going to blame it on technology. With instant gratification available on our blackberries, I think we’ve created a generation of service providers that have absolutely no patience to think things through when solutions aren’t at their finger tips. Unfortunately these individuals are often the ones who’ve been empowered to make decisions in the “best interest” of your organization. Rest assured, that one bad judgment call by your service provider can send ripples through your customer’s network, and you have no control once the damage is done because you have no idea how far their network reaches. 

This is precisely why “word of mouth” marketing will always be the most powerful marketing tool you can invest in.  I’m not saying that glossy hand outs and catchy graphics aren’t hugely successful, but not all graphics appeal to all people, whereas100% of the time, it’s the people behind the service, and the mentors that lead them, that can make or break you.  Even the most service oriented companies can drop the ball at some point down the line, and most often its in the end, when the solution is thought to have been resolved, and follow through is flat. Where do you fall with your company? I’ve been hired by several friends and acquaintances to “silent shop” their businesses, and even when they thought they would get the most stellar of reviews, the ball was dropped at some point along the line and I failed to understand the business owners amazement.  Are my standards too high? Not if it means that you lost an opportunity to increase your profits!

To that point,  let’s talk about the people who go above and beyond. Name the business, or the person who always remembers your name, turned your bad experience to good, or you simply can’t praise enough. Let’s give them the kudos’ they deserve!

My Favorite High Energy Green Drink…per your request!

I was at a seminar about a year ago - you know – one of those  “high performance in the work place” seminars, and as a precursor to the meat of the schpeel, we were asked to declare one particular thing that we’d like to improve about ourselves.  People raised their hands and threw out a variety of answers, but in the end, the speaker had an answer of her own. She asked everyone who wanted more energy to raise ‘em high. When I didn’t raise my hand, she pointed to me as if I was asleep at the wheel….”what about you?” she asked. “Do you think you have all the energy you need? and with that, my good friend Erika Carey spoke up….”you don’t have to worry about this one, she has enough energy for all of us!”  Some of you already know my secret, but for those of you who don’t, it’s all about my Morning Meal!  Unfortunately I can’t take credit for the scientific looking, green concoction.  It’s the magic of Karyn Calabrese of Karyn’s located at 1901 N. Halsted just south of Armitage (http://www.karynraw.com/).  I’m not here to sell you on the health benefits of this seriosuly delicious libation (like faster cell turnover, higher metabolism, quicker nutrient absorption and an overall increased energy). Nor do I want to convince you to sign up for her totally life altering 4 week detox class. Nope.  I’m just here to respond to your request! And so here it goes, the recipe for the shake that keeps me tickin:  

one whole frozen banana (which I break in half for easier blending),

8 oz unfiltered apple juice,

8 oz rejuvilac (aka: fermented wheat berries available at Karyn’s),

2 TBSP lecithin granules, 2 TBSP flax oil,

2TBSP vegan green meal powder,

optional: 1 tsp powdered enzymes. 

Blend all ingredients thoroughly and place into a glass jar. Yes – the color is hard to get over at first, but after one week of drinking this, you’ll see increased energy and a healthier glow to your skin. I promise! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and  ENJOY!

Hints: Peel your bananas before you freeze them. I freeze a weeks worth in advance. I reuse Kambucha bottles to hold my green shake because they’re the perfect size. (if you haven’t tried Kambucha I recommend you dewitt! They’re addicting and VERY good for you. Gingerbery is my favorite! yum. All ingredients can be purchased at Karyn’s.  http://www.karynraw.com .  Some can be purchased at Whole Foods. Go to the new one on Sheffield and Kingsbury where they’re now carrying a few of Karyn’s pre-packaged vegan meals.  The place is huge, the customer service is fabulous and the singles that hang out there are plentiful! You won’t be disappointed.

Part 4, Tour Guide in Chi-Town: Y Bar on Wednesday

We arrived at Y-Bar around 11:30pm, which is slightly early by Chicago standards.  The line was only about a dozen deep and mostly men. As we approached the line we were waved to come forward and escorted in without hesitation.  The energy inside was fabulous! Not to crowded, but far from empty, we bellied up to the bar to survey the goods. Just as we were about to place our order, the Manager – an impressively polite young gentleman who goes by the name of Benjamin – informed us that there was a table on reserve for us in VIP – and once again – drinks on the house! “What’s going on here?” – my cousin proclaimed like a giddy little school girl. And within that very same moment, she turned to get her first glimpse of scantily clad dancers taking their position on stage. Her jaw dropped. While I was still pondering  (with much appreciation), the mystery of our good fortune, I noticed my cousin in a state of hypnosis. Let me explain. The dancers are professional. VERY professional. There bodies are finely tuned musical instruments, which they play very well indeed! Their outfits – or costumes rather,  sparkly and white, barely cover more than a bikini; and when they shake their grove thing, let me tell you….the earth shatters. We watched in amazement as they did things with their lower extremities that I’ve only seen on an episode of the Animal Planet!  When they stopped to take a break we couldn’t help ourselves. We approached. Wanting to play it cool, I tried to slow my cousin down….but to no avail. With a fast and furious pace, she walked right up to the dancers and proclaimed her fascination.  Not really sure how they would respond, we were very pleasantly surprised by their appreciation for OUR appreciation, and we proceeded to praise them as we continued to ask them a myriad of questions:  how long have you been dancing? What was it like the first time you got on stage? how many hours can you keep dancing like that? how many calories do you burn doing this? how exactly DO you shake like that? and finally….the most important question of all: can you teach us?  The dancers were as sweet as can be and we enjoyed talking with them for the duration of their break. In fact, we stayed well past our bedtime dancing, laughing, and having the time of our lives.  It was the perfect way to end our Chi Town tour, and I’m not saying whether or not they actually taught us any of their moves, but I think it’s safe to say that all of us were hurtin in the days that followed. http://www.ychicago.com/

Part 3, Tour Guide in Chi-Town: Rosebud on Rush-Drinks on the House

After a long and successful day of shopping we were looking forward to a relaxing dinner at one of Chicago’s famous landmark restaurants, Rosebud on Rush.  http://rosebudrestaurants.com/rest3.php?s=menu&sec_id=46.  Dressed to impress but not too flashy, we felt like Chicago’s rendition of Sex and the City; each with our own sense of style and of course, a fabulous pair of shoes! We jumped in a taxi to make our 9:00 pm reservation, and after having had the most unusually rainy summer in years,  the temperature was a gorgeous 70 degrees with a sky clear enough to be seated outside.  Sitting at the corner of Rush and Superior, we were enjoying the perfect balance of great conversation and even better people watching when we were suddenly interrupted by the very distinct purr of a hot little Lamborghini.  Pulling up near our table, all eyes were on the high performance, canary yellow sports car as we watched a middle aged man climb out of the drivers side while an extremely attractive, silicone enhanced twenty something  crawled out the passenger door.  People stared and whispered inappropriately as the Brazilian looking beauty took the arm of the 50 something, midwestern driver.  Afraid to make inappropriate judgments, we managed to observe in silence while my cousin discretely snapped a shot of the car to send to her husband, a diehard Lamborghini enthusiast. The spectacle settled and we returned to our menus when we were approached by Joe Scalzo, the restaurant manager, who very graciously offered us a round of drinks, compliments of the house. The thoughtful gesture made us feel extra special, setting the tone for a particularly fabulous night in Chi-Town. Sipping  our Pomegranate Martini’s, we proceeded with our order which began with the Rotolo di Melezane,  a pan-fried eggplant rolled with imported cheeses and baked in a rich marinara sauce. I honestly believe this may have been the most sensuous food I’ve ever tasted. In no way a standard eggplant dish, the typically seedy little vegetable had been pressed, lightly pan fried, then rolled and stuffed with a ricotta like mixture that melted in our mouth and lingered delightfully. Split in three, the portions were perfect, but it was so delicious we seriously considered a second round! Somehow fighting the urge, we followed our extraordinary Antipasti with a main entrée, the Rigatoni alla Vodka: a penne pasta tossed with a  light tomato and mascarpone cheese sauce laced with vodka, which somehow seemed appropriate given our unanimous affinity for the distilled Russian beverage.  Once again, the meal did not disappoint, and given the very generous portions that surrounded us, our decision to split the entree in three was perfectly satisfying. Relaxed and hydrated, it was 11:00 pm and we were ready for the next leg of our evening…Wednesday night at Y-Bar, where my cousins first glimpse of scantily clad, hip shaking dancers left us with no choice but to ask them how they do it!  http://www.ychicago.com/ …stay tuned for Part 4 of Playing Tour Guide in the Chi…

Part 2, Tour Guide in Chi-Town: Akira and The Church

Since all three of us are fashion obsessed, it made sense that we start off the next morning with a stroll down the Magnificent Mile.  In search of beautiful window displays and “economically friendly” shops like Forever 21 and H&M, what started out as a shopping spree quickly turned into a garden walk as the city’s 50 plus garden beds along North Michigan Avenue captured our attention with hundreds of species of plants interspersed with highly engaging artwork and sculptures. Do we live in an incredible city, or what? Stopping to smell the roses along the way, we eventually made it to Water Tower Place where I introduced them to one of Chicago’s popular fashionista favorites: Akira.  With price tags affordable enough to enjoy yourself immensely, the drop dead gorgeous colors will temp you to try on one of everything! Be careful not to spread too much love among the staff, as the friendly and hard working sales people are commissioned. Additional locations include Lakeview and the original location in Bucktown. If you’re like me and you need a little assistance when it comes to buying jeans, you’ll want to go to the Bucktown store where their denim specialist will help you find perfect fitting jeans with the patience of a goddess. Oh and don’t forget to ask for some coupons which they hand out to local business and devout regulars.  Gotta love it!

After having dropped only a fraction of our budget on well priced clothing and accessories, our next destination was for my very favorite spot on the North Michigan Avenue – the courtyard of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Except for the Old Water Tower, Fourth Church is the oldest building on Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River. No matter what your religious affiliation, if you haven’t experienced the sheer tranquility of this spot, I urge you to do so immediately. As you move from the bustling city streets and under the carved stone tympanum into the courtyard, the serenity is palpable and immediate. The Tudor-style structures surrounding the courtyard were built at the same time as the two Gothic style churches flanking each end and the interior and exterior are almost as identical today as the time they were built in 1914. I make it a point to visit every year with our first Chicago snowfall when it turns to dusk and the trees along the perimeter twinkle with tiny white lights and the glow from the interior transcends through the stained glass windows.

Stay tuned for part 3 of our Chi-Town tour…dinner at a famous Chicago landmark and nightlife at the Y…

Part I, Tour Guide in Chi-Town: Rockit Bar & Grill

On a recent visit to Chicago by my cousin and her girlfriend, I had an opportunity to play tour guide that reminded me of what a fabulous city we live in! The food, the fashion, the architecture, you  name it, and we have some of the best the world has to offer.  With so much to do and so little time, I decided to start their visit with a little fuel from one of my favorite restaurants, Rockit Bar & Grill on Hubbard http://www.rockitbarandgrill.com. As always, the service is just as fabulous as the food, and the diversity of the menu left us with no choice but to order several dishes that we could share.  Though they’ve gained fame for their phenomenal Rockit  Burger, my personal favorite is their Tuna Burger served with their delicious sweet potato fries. We also ordered the Lobster Burger which is so extraordinary it had me devouring every last bite. As if that wasn’t enough, we overindulged with their 4 cheese, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, which is so out of this world it brought my cousin very close to exhibiting inappropriate restaurant behavior!  Satiated and satisfied, we ended our night with a walk over the Dearborn bridge past the House of Blues and on to Wacker Drive. Brightly lit with flood lights, we could see the Wrigley Building with its’ French Renaissance details and glazed terra cotta surface.  As we paused to take in the nighttime cityscape, the  lights glistening off the water and the sky scrapers illuminating the night left us speechless, full filled and ready to catch some sleep in preparation for day 2…

I woke up with wrinkles…how do I get rid of ‘m?

Okay, I get it. We’re all under a bit of stress lately. And yes, it’s more important than ever to eat right , drink plenty of water and exercise when stress is taking its toll. Aside from the occasional overindulgence, I’m a particularly healthy eater, I never leave home without a bottle of water, and as for exercise, come on people - I work at a health club! So when I woke up the other day with a brand new set of wrinkles…I wasn’t going to stop until I had some answers. Where did these nasty little devils come from and how can I get rid of them (without a needle)? After a little bit of research, here’s what I found: YES! You can actually get wrinkles practically overnight. Here’s how it happens: Collagen, the substance in our skin that keeps it fresh and healthy is a  protein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen).   When the body becomes stressed, it releases adrenalin, and our body responds by releasing cortisol in preparation to “fight or flight!”  (http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm) . In doing so,  cortisol tells the body’s cells to dump a little sugar into the bloodstream for energy! Well….if you don’t sweat out this stress induced sugar dump, the sugars will bind to the proteins and stick around, impairing their function- and the collagen’s ability to do the job it was meant to do. The body places healing itself as a priority over regenerating new cells, and fresh, young looking skin is no longer on the agenda! Stress also increases dryness, making wrinkles more prominent. Wow. good to know.  BUT NOW WHAT? The healthiest way to reverse the wrinkles is to exercise more, meditate often, take deep breaths throughout the day and drink plenty of water. For an over the counter remedy, Allure magazine’s March 09 issue recommends the following products: Olay Regenerist line and Kinerase Night cream. Another option is to ask your dermatologist for a prescription for a Retin-A or Tazorac, both which have short chain peptides proven to turnover cells and plump up the skin. My personal plan is to get more sleep, breathe deeply more often and  increase my time on the treadmill. I also plan to eat an avocado a day, because I believe that the natural fat and chlorophyll will help the skin immensely. This begs the question: can I get a margarita with that guacamole?

Good vs Evil in the Garden of Greed

I was very saddened to read about the recent malicious behavior toward one of Chicago’s most prominent nightlife entrepreneurs, and overall good guy, Billy Dec.  Apparently while he and his partners were working around the clock to open Rockit’s new Wrigley location, (www.rockitbarandgrill.com) a greedy villain was working behind the scenes to unravel their endeavors. According to Billy Dec’s blog, the Rockit Bar & Grill website address came up for renewal, the notice came as an email that went straight to junk mail, it expired, and someone  bought it that second for $29, saying that they could have it back for $40,000. To read this very disheartening story in its entirety, please go to: http://www.billydec.com/blog/?p=333#more-333.  Indeed times are tough, having been unemployed since January, I’ve done things to earn a buck that I never thought I would do (more on that later). But to prey on those who are actually using their success to create new jobs which will clearly benefit our entire Chicago community is far more than disheartening, it’s gut wrenching. Our country is in the middle of an economic crisis that most of us never thought we would see. And much to my dismay, it seems now, more than ever, that the division between right vs. wrong, black vs. white,  integrity vs. greed is becoming far more apparent. As we watch our friends and neighbors foreclose on their homes, abandon their apartments and give up their family pets, we see others who are more fortunate come forward to help. Yet at the same time, we’re having to be more careful than ever to watch our backs from fraud, identity theft and evil villains who spend their days looking for opportunities to destroy the lives of innocent victims. As if Greed were an ugly Marvel villain, who single handedly brought our country to it’s knees, we have risen like a Phoenix, ready to fight back and prevail! And yet there are people out there who cannot see the obvious road to Greed’s self demise. So to those of you who are doing what you can to help those less fortunate, I extend my sincerest appreciation and gratitude. And to those of you who participate in greed and deception, or for those of you who turn your cheek to those around you that do, I feel badly that you will never know the joy of what it’s like to give and receive in sincere, genuine kindness. May karma knock at your door.

Economically Friendly Lifestyle Design

I recently visited a friends house who needed a little help making her phenominal Old Town pad into a super cozy retreat. Her biggest fear was that I would talk her into spending a small fortune on new furnishings and accessories when in fact, all we did was move her furniture around!  In little over an hour we relocated artwork, created conversation nooks, and embraced her spectacular city view simply by turning the sofa around. At the end of our adventure, I created a shopping list for her that consisted of only ONE item to polish off her new retreat: natural, chunky, ivory colored potpouri to fill a big bowl that now sits on her fabulous old world style coffee table. If you would like some help transforming your pad into your special retreat, contact me and we’ll make it happen!