Month: December 2007

innovation, trend, work

Want to be a hunter of all things cool?

Christa Avampato

When I tell people that I work in the trend and innovation space, the follow-up question is always “what does that mean and how do you do that?” For a long-time, trend was seen as something that a few far-out people did by peering into a crystal ball. And these people were happy to have the public believe that. No more…

Trends, their tracking, watching, and even creating, are now accessible is everyone, much to the dismay of many fashionistas who prefer to see themselves as the most forward thinking people around. One of my favorite sites that I view regularly is The Cool Hunter – http://www.thecoolhunter.net/. They follow a number of product categories, interior design, as well as track event planning and design from all over the world. There is a weekly e-newsletter you can sign-up for. The visuals are stunning and I promise that no matter what business you are in, these photos will get your creative juices flowing.

Another site that I visit quite often is Faith Popcorn’s Brainreserve. http://www.faithpopcorn.com/. I had the great pleasure of meeting Faith at a business meeting a few months ago. She’s been in this business of trend for a longtime and she’s very honest about how she does her work. She pays attention to what’s happening out in the world. Trend is very much a matter of awareness and connecting the dots between seemingly disparate populations.

As with all trends, whether or not they take off in a business has as much to do with brilliant execution as they have to do with the quality of the products or services being offered. The name of the game is still differentiation, effective communication, and helping the guest get the joke through presentation.

New York, trend

The yogurt war is on…

Christa Avampato

There’s an interesting new battle being waged in the world of frozen yogurt. It’s been around for a long time – TCBY was always a treat when I was a kid. Now though, frozen yogurt has become high fashion.

Several newcomers to New York City are planning major nationwide roll-outs and garnering PE funding at an alarming rate. And this yogurt has a new twist – no preservatives, additives or excessive sugar. It’s a little tart and a little sweet. Most have a groupie group, as well as events and free newsletters they will email to you if you sign up. Here’s the skinny on the two front-runners:

Fast Company, my favorite business magazine, recently featured the ladies of Pinkberry. As a business model, I would liken them to the Starbucks of frozen yogurt. They seek to be a third place. Their idea is simple – they want to sell people a $5 dessert that they can eat in a $500 chair. Hollywood types are singing its praises, as is Howard Schultz, the Chairman of Starbucks, who has provided the company with a sizable amount of funding. In New York, there are a five locations. In California, there are over two dozen. In short, I think their experience goal is to be a place to be seen.

Red Mango is also going for the coffee house feel, yet they seem to be a bit more for the everyday guest. They go for chic and modern but also comfy and relaxing. They really bill their experience as an escape from the pressures of life. They aren’t into promotion through Hollywood. They also put much more emphasis on the health benefits of yogurt. Their experience goal is to be a place to escape. They have locations in 7 states.
green, trend

Get your Vital Juice

Christa Avampato

One of the great benefits of my job is that it requires me to be tremendously well-read, and allows me time to do that. I spend hours a day trolling around on blogs and on on-line publications, as well as burying my nose into dozens of magazines a week. This is the perfect job for me!

One of my recent fabulous finds is a website called Vital Juice Daily. http://www.vitaljuicedaily.com/ It is a wellness site that is a go-to source for living a happy and healthy life. What I love most about the site is its easy and clean navigation, as well as its holistic view of wellness. They appreciate the fact that we are all busy and want to take care of ourselves and those we love as best we can. Their tips are entertaining as well as practical.

Posts are short and sweet and fall into the following categories:
Nutrition
Fitness
Healing
Beauty
Green Living
Social Responsibility
They also have a free daily newsletter that they will send that is very concise and very helpful. This juice is definitely worth the squeeze! Sign up here: http://www.vitaljuicedaily.com/signup-page/
New York, travel

Where to travel in 2008

Christa Avampato

Before moving back to New York, I was pretty much a nomad. I get to one place, settle in, and start dreaming of where to go next. I’ve done quite a bit of travel in the last few years, especially out of the country. So much in fact that I received a notice from the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia stating that I was due a refund for all of my foreign expenditures because I was charged unfairly on my foreign credit card purchases. Who knew my nomadic life could lead to some extra cash?!

So now that I’ve been in New York 6 months almost to the day, I am considering where to travel in 2008. No worries about a return to my life as a gypsy – I am here in New York to stay. But as my friend, Rob, often says, wanderlust is a hard habit to shake.

I will be the first to admit that I have had my issues with the New York Times – mostly because they have always been incapable of executing my home delivery properly. However, I do love that paper, particularly the travel section. When I was little, my father bought that paper everyday. One summer as I was dreaming of how to escape my tiny hometown. Dozens of these things poured into our mailbox, addressed to me and I coveted them. I kept them in a large stack under my bed and would look through them, wishing so much to see these far flung places like the Galapagos and Easter Island.

Today, The Times published a list of the top 53 places to consider traveling in 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/20071209_WHERE_GRAPHIC.html?th&emc=th# I am entranced by the suggestions and possible adventures to be had in this diverse list. – some I’ve never even heard of! Old habits die hard…

Mac, technology

Going Mac

Christa Avampato

Recently I’ve found myself considering the switch to a Mac. I am a PC person through and through. Though when I think about what I use my computer for – writing, blogging, pictures, music – and what I’d like to use it for – design – it doesn’t make sense to not be on a Mac.

The trouble with PCs is that they are not intuitive and lack an ease of usability for those of us who are not computer geeks. I need platforms that let me create without knowing how to code. I’m not interested in code; I am interested in expressing myself.

There’s something frightening about switching platforms. I’m feeling as much anxiety about it as I did about moving to New York. I know it’s the right thing to do, it’s just that making the leap into the unknown is tough to conceptualize.

So I’ve been hunting around on-line for articles that help easy my anxiety; ones that ultimately will help me make a better choice. Today, an article in USA Today’s Technology section was a big help on both fronts. If you’re making the switch, you may find it helpful, too. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2007-12-05-mac_N.htm

I also learned that something called Mac World happens in January and it is possible that the price of a Mac may drop shortly thereafter, or be significantly upgraded at the same price.
hokey pokey, humor

The Hokey Pokey

Christa Avampato

This post is just for laughs…

It is helpful to explain that my family is a bit like Everybody Loves Raymond. I adore my mother who has the mysterious ability to vacillate between being Edith Bunker and Doris Roberts. I don’t know how she does this. Truly, she is a kind, loving, wonderful person and lord knows she has made umpteen sacrifices as she raised me, my sister, and my brother on her own. She truly is one of those people who does the best she can with what she’s got.

That said, my family has a sense of humor that is rather warped and there’s not much we can do about it. It’s in our genes. Below is an email my mom forwarded to me. I can guarantee that she laughed out loud when sending this, as did I when reading it. The original message is from a while back, though the laughter lives on. Larry LaPrise, may he be shaking it all about in peace.

And now, a word from my mother:
“Thought everyone should know……
Sad News With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week. Larry LaPrise, the man that wrote “The Hokie Pokey” died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started. Shut up. You know it’s funny. Now send it on to someone else and make them smile.”

The picture above can be found at http://www.rach.com.au/wp-content/hokeypokey1.jpg
Africa, green

On Green: Can the sun save Africa?

Christa Avampato

I have long felt that Africa was an economic giant who has laid sleeping too long. It’s a continent that much of the world has written off as a charity case, a place that has too many tribes, too many dictators, and not enough resources save the few pockets of oil and diamonds.

And I could never understand this mentality. How is it that the continent where human life began has been rendered useless? The whole world that has doubted Africa’s ability to save itself from itself may finally be proved wrong. And the sun itself may be the protagonist.

There is a concentrated solar project now being conducted in the African desert that has the ability to create enough power to supply 1/6 of Europe with all of its electricity, drastically cutting emissions and providing many African nations with a consistent stream of income. It’s about time we let this giant rise and shine.

The above picture can be found at http://www.xemedia.com/africa/p_images/sun_lg.jpg
green, happiness

On Happiness: Together for the environment?

Christa Avampato

I am an environmentalist. I think about how my daily choices effect the planet, and I make sacrifices for the sake of future generations. I will pay more for eco-friendly products. I am the quintessential green customer.

And even I think that a story I read today goes too far. A scientist has actually conducted research and received money to arrive at the conclusion that marriages should stay together, even if unhappy, for the sake of the environment because people who live independently consume more.

I have never been married. I am not an advocate for the institution, and I am not an enemy of it either. I’d love to find a terrific guy to share my life with. And if I do, great. And if I don’t, I think I’ll be able to make it through. I believe that when most people get married they believe they have found the love of their lives, and before ever getting divorced, most people try very hard to work it out. At heart, I am an advocate of happiness and personal freedom. And if marriages lets you have those things, go for it! And if your marriage is ruining those two things for you, get out.

With all of the things to conduct research on, I have a hard time understanding how anyone can knowingly take funding to do a study that makes people feel obligated to stay in a bad situation. And with all the ways that all of us can contribute to a healthy planet, my should our happiness and daily fulfillment be compromised? That is one sacrifice I will never be willing to make.

Read the news release at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/04/divorce.resources

career, dreams, happiness, innovation, work

On Innovation: Bring the edge to the core

Christa Avampato

John Hagel and John Seely Brown wrote a terrific blog post this morning on one of Business Week’s innovation blogs. In the article, they argue that ideas and products on the edge are critical to reinventing the core of a business. They site the ipod, early social networks on-line, and China as an economic center. You can read the full article at: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2007/id20071128_162890.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_top+stories

I would also say that this idea can be extended to our own personal core. When I consider where I am now, many of the ideas of how I wanted to shape my life grew up out on the edge of my imagination, far out ideas that maybe I’d get around to eventually. And then something remarkable happened – those ideas on the edge grew to such a size that they demanded more attention. It was a snowball effect – the more attention they were given, the more refining I could do, and the more plausible they seemed despite the fact that originally they seemed impossible to achieve.

This is the wonderful thing about imagination and the belief that even the at-first impossible tasks or dreams take on the glow of possibility if tended to long enough. They somehow sprout a life of their own. It’s as if in time they grow legs and walk themselves to the middle of your existence so you can better see them and consider them. So pay attention to the edges; they are slowly marching to center stage to have their day.

The above picture can be found at: http://www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/tuts/o2/glow-onCircle.jpg

happiness

On happiness: dancing or surviving?

Christa Avampato

The number of forwards we get on email is astounding. To be honest, I delete most of them – especially those that say something horrible will befall me if I don’t forward the message immediately to 10 people I know. It drives me a little nuts.

Today my mom sent me a message that I have to post here. I didn’t write it. I don’t even know who wrote it, though I wish I did. At the end of the story, the author put two quotes that I think are so incredibly poignant that they deserve to be called out before I paste the story in here.

“The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.”

“Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.”

And now…the story.

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is”.

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.” True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.