LPGA Cognizant Founders’ Cup 2023 ReCap

To my surprise after working the event I actually found a picture of Ashleigh Buhai putting with me in the background as her score bearer (I stood where I wouldn’t be in her putting site-line).

The LPGA’s Cognizant Founders’ Cup was an incredible experience. I was a standard bearer for 2 days, and 3 separate pairings. The Third Round: Ryan O’Toole & Gemma Dryburgh were both spectacular. For the Fourth (Final) Round Pairings I worked with: Yu-Sang Hou & Annie Park, then Ashleigh Buhai & Hae Ran Ryu, I had the opportunity to witness some of the world’s best golfers in action.

The event was held at The Upper Montclair Country Club, in Clifton, NJ. The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish. The tournament was played over four days, and the level of competition was intense. The golfers were all focused on winning the tournament, and it was clear that every shot mattered.

As a standard bearer, my job was to carry a sign displaying the players’ scores and walk with them around the golf course. It was an honor to be so close to the action, and I was amazed by the skill and precision of the golfers.

All are/were fantastic players, but Ashleigh Buhai and Hae Ran Ryu both finished in the top 4.  It was a privilege to be a standard bearer for all 6 players.  They were gracious and kind.  I was truly moved at how much time they all gave to the young ladies’ golfing “clinic” held right there on the grounds. 

The event production was well done.   Was it perfect?  – no, there were many pain points, but the attendees did not seem to notice. The organizers had put much effort into making sure that everything ran relatively smoothly, and it showed. The course was in great condition, and the facilities were top-notch. There were plenty of food and drink options available, and the staff were all friendly and helpful.

One of the highlights of the tournament was the Pro-Am event, which took place on the Wednesday before the tournament started. This gave amateur players the chance to play with the professionals and experience what it’s like to compete at the highest level. It was great to see so many people getting involved and enjoying the game of golf.

Another highlight was the closing ceremony, which of course took place on the final day of the tournament. The atmosphere was electric as the golfers made their way to the 18th hole, and the crowd cheered them on every step of the way.

In the end, it was Jin Young Ko who came out on top in a sudden death round with the amazing Minjee Lee. An impressive match-up to say the least.

Ashleigh Buhai finished in third place, and Hae Ran Ryu in fourth, both with strong performances throughout the tournament. Both “burned” many of the hole rims throughout the competition.  Those misses were so so close, it could break your heart.

Overall, the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup was an amazing experience. It was a honor and a privilege to be so close to the action to the end.  I witnessed some of the world’s best golfers live in action. 

Thank you Ladies!

Tips on Promoting, Creating, & Encouraging A Safe, Mindful, Creative Work-Space

A widely spoken about topic. Let’s get Specific! Vagueness & Ambiguity lead to uneasiness, and doubt. DeBunk the mystery starting now. We are in this together.

Foster an open and inclusive culture where everyone’s ideas and perspectives are valued and respected.

• How is this implemented?

To foster an open and inclusive culture where everyone’s ideas and perspectives are valued and respected, one can try implementing the following:

1. Encourage open and transparent communication channels within the organization, such as regular meetings, online forums, or suggestion boxes, to allow employees to express their ideas and opinions freely.

2. Actively listen to and consider each person’s input, regardless of their experience or rank in the organization.

3. Establish a code of conduct that promotes respect, dignity, and autonomy for all employees and stakeholders.

4. Provide ongoing training and education about diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that everyone understands the importance of respecting different perspectives and experiences.

5. Celebrate and acknowledge the diversity of employees’ backgrounds, experiences, and opinions to create a sense of belonging for everyone within the organization.

6. Encourage collaboration between employees at different levels of the organization, across departments, or even across organizations to promote knowledge-sharing and teamwork.

By fostering an open and inclusive culture, you can create an environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and problem-solving.

Organize regular brainstorming and ideation sessions where everyone in the team can freely express their ideas and opinions on a given topic.

• Guidelines on how this is implemented:

To successfully implement regular brainstorming and ideation sessions in where everyone in the team can freely express their ideas and opinions on a given topic, one can follow these steps:

1. Choose a facilitator who can guide the brainstorming session effectively and ensure everyone has the chance to participate equally.

2. Define the topic or problem you want to solve and provide background and context to the team.

3. Set clear goals and objectives for the brainstorming session and communicate them to the team.

4. Ensure that everyone is aware of the brainstorming session in advance and has time to prepare their ideas and thoughts.

5. Establish rules of engagement, such as no criticism or judgment during the session, and encourage all participants to listen actively and respect others’ opinions.

6. Provide tools such as whiteboards, sticky notes or online collaboration software to help organize and capture everyone’s ideas.

7. Continuously iterate the ideas on the whiteboard, grouping similar ideas and discussing potential solutions to the problem.

8. After the brainstorming session, follow up with the team to provide feedback and insights on the ideas generated during the session.

By implementing these steps, you can effectively organize regular brainstorming and ideation sessions that foster open communication, encourage creative thinking, and generate innovative solutions.

Encourage cross-functional collaboration between different teams and departments to promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

How is this implemented?

To successfully encourage cross-functional collaboration between different teams and departments, one can follow these steps:

1. Identify the key teams and departments that can benefit from collaboration, and define specific projects or initiatives where collaboration is needed.

2. Develop clear objectives and requirements for the project and communicate them to all teams and departments involved.

3. Assign clear roles and responsibilities to each team and establish clear channels for communication and collaboration.

4. Encourage regular check-ins and progress reports between teams to ensure everyone is on the same page and to identify and address any potential issues that may arise.

5. Provide opportunities for team members to socialize and interact outside of work hours, such as team-building activities or events, to build relationships and trust.

6. Provide training and resources to help team members develop the skills necessary for successful collaboration, such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.

7. Recognize and reward successful collaboration by acknowledging individual and team contributions, celebrating successes, and sharing best practices within the organization.

By implementing these steps, one can foster cross-functional collaboration between different teams and departments, promoting knowledge-sharing, and collaboration that can lead to increased creativity and innovation in the workplace.

Provide opportunities for professional development and training to help build skills and knowledge in collaborative thinking and problem-solving.

Set clear goals and objectives for collaboration and reward team members for their contributions to the collaborative process.

• How is this done?

To set clear goals and objectives for collaboration and reward team members for their contributions to the collaborative process, one can follow these steps:

1. Define the scope and purpose of the collaboration project and ensure that it aligns with the overall goals and objectives of the organization.

2. Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives for the collaboration project, and communicate them to all team members involved.

3. Break down the project into specific tasks and assign clear responsibilities to team members, providing them with the necessary resources, support, and training to achieve their goals.

4. Set up regular progress update meetings or check-ins to track progress against the established timeline, goals, and objectives.

5. Celebrate individual and team achievements, acknowledging and rewarding team members’ contributions to the collaborative process.

6. Allocate resources, such as funding, time, and technology, to ensure the collaboration project’s success and encourage team members to think creatively and innovatively.

7. Recognize and reward successful collaboration by acknowledging individual and team contributions, celebrating successes, and sharing best practices within the organization.

By implementing these steps, one can set clear goals and objectives for collaboration and motivate team members to collaborate effectively, leading to increased productivity and success for the collaborative project and broadcasting organization.

Establish protocols and guidelines for effective communication and decision-making to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

• How are protocols and guidelines established ?

To establish protocols and guidelines for effective communication and decision-making, follow the steps below:

1. Establish a communication plan: Determine the communication channels, frequency, and methods to be used during the project. Ensure that everyone on the team is aware of the communication plan.

2. Define decision-making processes: Establish clear decision-making processes, including who has the decision-making authority, how decisions will be made, and what happens after the decision is made.

3. Develop a code of conduct: Establish a code of conduct that outlines expected behaviors for project team members, including respect for colleagues, professionalism, and promptness in responding to communications.

4. Set clear expectations: Clearly define the responsibilities of each team member, including when and how to report progress or raise concerns.

5. Provide training: Provide training on effective communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, and decision-making.

6. Use collaborative tools: Use collaborative tools, such as virtual meeting software and project management software, to facilitate communication and decision-making.

7. Monitor and evaluate: Monitor and evaluate the communication and decision-making processes throughout the project to identify areas for improvement.

By adopting these strategies, one can create a collaborative and open-minded culture that fosters creative thinking, innovation, and collaboration, establish protocols and guidelines for effective communication and decision-making, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This will promote a successful project outcome.

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Rescued Right Back

Peter Parker 12.27.22

I love to help people and animals. One of my rescues is Peter Parker (aka Spidey). He’s a jumper 😊 I adopted him when he was a few weeks old, and now he’s almost 15 years old.

Same day 12.27.22

This year, a few months after moving into a new place he ate something – I still dunno what. But he went from a playful carefree cat to practically not moving in a day.

I brought him to the vet immediately. His kidneys and liver were failing. Overnight, I picked him up gently, but he was inanimate. The vet was grim. “He’s stage 4 and won’t get better”. No more jumping, no more belly rubs, no more knocking everything off my home desk while playing.

That was the prognosis not the reality.

We brought him home with an IV bag that I learned how to administer to him. We were giving him a few days, and processing what was going on. The next day, he was a little better, and every day for weeks we gave him IV, other medication to entice his appetite, and he slowly became his playful self again.

The vet said, “he won’t make it to thanksgiving”, he did – in fact he’s back to stage 2, thriving, playful, flips over for belly rubs, and playing, he runs to eat food without medication or IV, although it’s standing by if need be. So, don’t accept the worst, better can happen.

Lola left, and Peter Parker right 12.27.22

But here he and his sister are waiting to be fed 16 & 14 years later. Everyday is a gift. They stay by me when I’m sick, they run to the door to greet me when I come home, they nudge their heads into mine when playing – we are family

I may have gone to the animal rescues to adopt them both, but in turn they have rescued me. All these years later I consider every moment good or bad, a gift from the universe.

As this year is coming to a close, I want to acknowledge how much they mean to me. They are part of my family, and as I’m writing this, the boy (old boy now) has situated himself on my lap.

They rescued me right back.

Lessons Learned: My First Golf Experience

I’ve learned to Face Everything And Recover (facing one’s fears)

When I was young we had a couple of golf irons (I just called them clubs back then) among a garage bin-full of other sporting equipment. One day my brother and sisters decided to try “golfing” in our front yard for the first time.

I couldn’t tell you the brand of the 2-3 irons, or the golf balls we had acquired from a garage sale, but since it was something we were “trying out” for fun, they did the job for a group of kids ages 7-19 years old just trying something out.

Our corner property was long and large enough to play many sports on. We didn’t have an actual hole or pin, just a target we competed to get within range of. We did this with many activities and sports, it was a lot of fun.

At 7 years old (I was the youngest), I didn’t know anything about golf, but I had watched Wide World of Sports on TV, so I tried to emulate what I saw. Big swing, aim for the ball, and off it went – in at least the smallest of coincidences – it did so in the right direction. But, not for everyone in the group of course.

Here’s where a massive problem arose. It was my third turn up to swing (we started each “round” in order of oldest to youngest at the same place in the yard from the target at the end of the property). I blithely set-up the ball and positioned the shared club (fearless, and unaware at that time). Started on my BIG back-swing. Aaaaaand Whammm – my sister was sneaking up behind me to break my concentration. She succeeded. Aaaaaaand, I accidentally hit her hard with the club just above her left eyebrow. It was a gash, (lucky it wasn’t her eye), but with that back swing, I had given her not just a welt, but a bloody gash, aaaand turns out – a concussion.

She was rushed to the hospital. It took decades for the guilt to go away, and seeing the scar to this day, brings the whole episode to the forefront of my memory. Yes, I do realize that it wasn’t my fault, but I was involved, I was holding the club, I still hold myself responsible even though ultimately my sister was and is ok.

But, I was so traumatized, I didn’t pick up a golf club again until last year. I still to this day look around me before ever thinking of striking a ball (whether a softball, or golf ball, a good idea no matter what).

Later in life, I worked at ABC’s Wide World of Sports – in fact I told my mom earlier that same summer when I was 7, yes 7 that I was going to “work there someday”, and I did. Out of the mouths of children comes truth. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, luckily I do now.

I never was told that was a big dream back then, I wasn’t told it wouldn’t be attainable, I just received the gift reply of “ok honey”. My parents had no idea what it meant either, so there was no reason to not believe it was true.

I worked on many different sporting events including golf – I studied the players for each event I worked so I could recognize them if and when needed. From Golf, College & Monday Night Football, Horse Racing, Auto Racing, Bowling, Ice Skating, and Gymnastics. It was a great time. Thing is, I worked out all the, but stopped playing sports. I didn’t really even realize that until right this moment when I wrote that.

I played sports, did running events, did gymnastics, and dance class in grade & middle school, then went to performing arts high school for dance, but with that stopped “competitive sports”.

After college, I took to physical volunteering for different causes: cycling events, running events, swimming events, then began triathlons, just last year I participated in tough mudders too (and I love doing all of them).

Last year I started playing softball again. I’m relearning everything, I also have set aside my predisposition regarding golf, have taken lessons, and love the entire process. I regret not getting out of my own way mentally about the game. I’m still cognizant of my surroundings, where people, animals, and things are in relation to what I’m doing, not just in golf, but in life as well.

My Personal Take Away:

It’s wise to always know my surroundings, the fear has left, but the good practice of ensuring my and others safety prior to taking any swing (in sports, personally, and business opportunity), is just good sense. Don’t let fear stop you, let it inform you to be careful, but not hinder you action.

Keep Moving Forward, and Enjoy the Journey.

Your Big Break

It’s not a puzzle to be solved

You’ve worked and worked. Shown up, gone above and beyond at work, with friends and family too. You’ve volunteered for the food bank, and local toy drive, helped neighbors with packages, and driven them to appointments they forgot about, and they didn’t want to take a car service.

You’ve gone to holiday gatherings for over a month for work and with friends. You’ve networked with your business contacts, sent notes, emails, well wishes done everything possible to bring good will to others.

Work is great, your friends and family are great, you’ve taken care of your significant other. Now what ?

It’s YOU time, that’s what!

Don’t forget about Yourself. I learned 12 years ago (on my yoga mat) that taking time for yourself is Not selfish, it’s actually one of many self-less things you can do for yourself and others. Ummm hmhmmm – it’s true.

Say what now?

Take one hour for yourself Today in anyway you’d like. A walk, meditate, if you want movement involved – work out (today I worked out, then did yoga, later I’ll play a little golf), listen to music, take a bath, swim, read, write, play an instrument, play /practice a sport, but do it. Yes Today!

You should set aside time everyday for yourself. It doesn’t always need to be an hour, just set aside some “boundary time” (time you will not be disturbed). No kids, no family, no friends, no texting, no social media – just where you’re doing You, unplugged to reset. No bills, no cooking, no cleaning, no kids (even for 5 minutes), breathe…..

This brings you back to you, the best version of you gets to emerge from this practice because not only your wants are met, an intrinsic Need of Re-connecting with yourself occurs.

You don’t know what to pick? It doesn’t HAVE to be any one thing. Pick one thing a day to try. Try something new. I chose yoga, it was the single greatest thing I did, because I didn’t even know at that moment how much I needed it yet. I just wanted to get out of the house, be with people – and try a class at my new gym. This year, learning golf and its process has me in the same zone. It’s amazing.

After the new year I’m taking a 4 day completely unplugged break. No phone, no email, no phone calls (except for emergencies only). I haven’t had a break since COVID began. Working and living at home has crossed some serious time boundaries, every day seemed to run into the next until I set some boundaries.

Exception: In an emergency, “me” time can be interrupted – but the house better be on fire! Ok, maybe not literally on fire, but I think I’ve made my point.

And, if I haven’t made my point. My point is take a break before you do!

Everyone needs even a quick reset, make it a 5 minute a day practice to start (and build from there), I guarantee others will see a positive change in you before you do. You’ll be healthier and much happier.

You’re worth it, believe it, own it, be it. You have permission to just think of yourself for at least 5 minutes a day – for the rest of your life. Then, you can return to your job, following up on tasks, the carpool, doing the dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning up after your pets and loved ones.

This is not a New Year’s resolution. Leave all your worries and things to do outside a virtual or physical door. When I step onto my yoga mat or write, nothing else exists at that moment in time. I can compartmentalize with such focus that nothing else exists, it’s almost like being in a trance. There are hours I’ve easily written through, and stepped onto my yoga mat hundreds of times, hearing just the voice of the instructor, going through the entire class, moving through each Asana, and found myself at the end not even realizing that someone else was in the room with me. It’s transcendent. It’s transformative.

It’s what I didn’t even know that I needed. Permission. Permission to think of just that for that moment in time.

You have permission to break from the task filled universe and be selfish for yourself, then you can be of service and more of yourself with the world.

Do it, you have Permission.

The Broadcast Engineer Unicorn

#Offering Help: #Mentoring, #Writing, & #Engineering Services

I’ve been fortunate throughout my 33 year career to have found many mentors. I now happily find myself still working, but also mentoring the next generations of broadcast employees. Not only to have had such a diverse career So Far – it’s certainly far from over, but a female engineer in the world of broadcasting I have been termed a Unicorn. Who me? Yup!

Indeed, for many many years I have found myself to be the only female in the room. The only adult in the room, but that’s another story. I’d be promoted into a full room of men and me. If there was another women, she was an assistant or secretary, so I’d do my best to be inclusive and share insight. Paying back the kindness that was so graciously bestowed upon me along the way.

Although, I have to say, I was underestimated along the way as well. I didn’t spout or boast my knowledge, pat myself on the back for a job well done, I just kept my mouth shut and did my job, and did everything I could think of to “move the needle forward” for women in broadcasting.

Unfortunately, back then the loudest person in the room was thought to be “right” or the most knowledgeable, I certainly wasn’t loud, so I took the brunt of a lot of wrongs. Should I have spoken up? Looking back, absolutely yes, I just didn’t have those tools in my toolkit – YET.

Finally one day, I started a new job in the control room. I had not only one woman boss, I had two! I felt lucky. I was in certain respects, in other respects – uh, not so much.

I won’t distinguish which was which, but one superior was never satisfied. If I took care of every single aspect of my job, went beyond what was expected, took initiative to do more, it still wasn’t enough. More was thrown at me (sometimes literally) and I would scramble to “figure it out”. I could ask the other superior clarifying questions, but mostly I was on my own, they were both busy, and that’s why I was there right? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Finally about 3 months in, the superior who was never satisfied went on a 2 week vacation. I was elated, and for good reason. The other “boss”, would check in with me, and on my 2nd day with just her in-charge, she physically came into the control room. I showed her all I did, what I was watching for, what I still needed to finish, and of course asked if I could help her with anything. A simple “Nope, I’ll be in my office, if you need anything, call. You’re smart, I trust you, and I know you won’t wait until you get into trouble to call me”. Then she left. Wow! What a feeling of empowerment.

To this day I do not know that that boss knows what she gave me. Autonomy for one thing, but also confidence. She gave me an example of how I wanted to be when I was in a position like that, respectful, inclusive, giving, everything I needed summed up in a short sentence. Not only did I learn what I wanted to be like, I learned something even more important, what I didn’t want to be like. I didn’t want to create/rule by fear every time I walked into a room, I didn’t want to make anyone feel less than, no matter who they were, I didn’t want to make anyone feel like they were only as good as their last mistake. And so, I’ve taken that goal and hopefully not only successfully achieved it, but surpassed it.

I knew what I wanted, so then I sought out through positive leaders/achievers in and outside of the company. Learned from their vast historical knowledge and applied it to new ways of developing standards. All the men and women of my past have made me who I am today.

Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. Really big ones? That’s an even bigger Absolutely. Have I learned and grown from them? Absolutely. Do I regret some? Absolutely. I don’t regret learning from my mistakes, I regret how I handled my failures sometimes. We all fail sometimes, or a lot of the time, but it’s how we get back up, how we recover that matters. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

I cannot change the past though, I can only move forward with integrity and perseverance in the future. I can pass on my knowledge to usher in the new generations. And, I do.

In 2019 I took a seasonal broadcast streaming engineer position at MLB Advanced Media. I was fortunate to work with a newly assembled group of engineers. All men and me (a Re-occurring theme throughout my career). Not only was I the only woman, I was also the oldest person in the room by far. The youngest wasn’t even born when I graduated college, he wasn’t even of drinking age yet. But he was/is brilliant. The takeaway is to remain open, accepting, giving, and teachable. And, check your ego at the door.

It was a new system that we all rolled out in only 3 months, so we All were learning something literally brand new together. It was extraordinary. I had as much to learn, and unlearn as they did, but we did it all together. To this day it was hands down one of the best teams I was ever a part of. We all worked together in this small closet of a room, and we successfully streamed out 32 minor league team’s games for the season, ending in an all time high of adding in some major league games too. We all helped each other through processes and SOPs, it was amazing.

The season ended, some found other full time jobs, the rest of us stayed on part-time to work on Major League ballpark infrastructure upgrades in the off-season. Another great experience. But we did it together. I’ve gone back as a part-time employee season after season with great anticipation and openness to learning all the new tech forward innovation each year. I am truly grateful to have found MLB, and many others along my Broadcasting journey. I was asked once, “What will you do when or if they hire another girl/ woman for this office?”, my response was simple, “I’d throw a parade first, then make sure you all treated her with the same respect you’ve shown me (which was a lot, and it never waivered), or you’ll have to answer to me!” That was said with a somewhat joking lilt, but it was true then, and true now. That was verbatim comment recollection. Very smart, accomplished women were hired, and the respect was given, I was proud of this group of fine men and now women.

It’s not over yet – not by a long shot!

If you’d like to chat please feel free to contact me. I can learn just as much from you as you can hopefully from me.

The Green Room in the Cloud

Beginning a new position at a new company, working with a new team is exciting, maybe a little scary, but full of potential. Broadcast production is changing at a breakneck pace with cloud streaming, SMPTE2110, bandwidth constraints, NDI, RTMP, RTSP, SRT, HLS streams, SFPs, CDNs, and a mountain of other technology devices, and Software as a Service (SaaS) growing exponentially everyday.

Doing more with less has always been the trend. Now that is the rule rather than the exception. Not only do we need to do more with less, we need to automate systems, and have automated notification systems to let us know what may be going wrong.

This does not absolve us from manually checking -in, usually remotely though. Bots are now not a luxury, they are a necessity, but they still do not override the humans who run them. Remember, you come first, people come first. We need to take the sailing saying “one hand for yourself, one hand for the boat (to hold on). This is the epitome of taking care of yourself and whatever your “boat” is, and being safe.

You can’t give away what you don’t have. If you’re not ok, you cannot help or be of service to someone else. Remember self care? Give yourself a minute or five for meditation, a walk, a phone break to connect to another human (especially if you’re working completely remotely).

Speaking to that end, make sure you stay connected with your boss, and work team. If YOU are the sole team member, reach out to others outside of your group to interact with them, take a class, join a business volunteer group – stay connected, and communicate. Communication is key.

Luckily in production, even technical fully remote production, I HAVE to communicate with colleagues daily. It is very satisfying to me when I’m solving problems – fixing issues is how I work. Find out what excites you, and go after it. It may not happen overnight, but it is possible. The journey is not always easy. That maybe just for me though. I do feel that if I’ve worked for something and the “result” isn’t what I wanted, maybe I wasn’t specific enough as to what my intention was. So, I drill down to more details of what I want (which is always to be challenged to fix something).

This applies not only to work. I love fixing things in the house. Whether it’s spackling and painting a hole or spot on wall, changing out the broken igniter on the heater, reinstalling the screen on the front door, or cutting the hedges in the yard. This is also the basis on how I approach sports.

Take golf for instance. Recently a good friend bought a brand new set of highly technically advanced Callaway clubs. Now, there are many choices out there, and her “old set” of Callaway Rogues are in perfect condition. I’m a newer golfer, but have found a great love for the game and its process (even on a bad day), but I bought the “old” set of Rogues for a deal. I took my golf lesson with them, and then played a round with them the next day. Today I’ll goto the driving range, chip out of sand bunker, and putting green to continue my process.

“New” used Callaway clubs, my old bag, but it all works

The point is, we never know when or where an opportunity will pop up. I in turn gave away my old set to someone just starting out like I had last year. Yes, I bought the set, but watching someone have a true love and interest in growing themselves made me want to pay it forward and give to them in turn. I do a lot of volunteering as well, there are many ways to give back. Your time and attention to someone in need is invaluable!

Pay it forward in all aspects of your life, whether in-business, health, friendship, volunteering, being a good neighbor. We are here for more than ourselves. It’s a great-big world out there, be apart of it, you’ll be better all around for it. I call that being IN the green room.

My new job is completely remote, it’s a great team, and we learn everyday. We “live” our work-lives virtually in the cloud, but we are together in the production “green room”.

Going Big…Comic Relief

Radio City Music Hall, NYC. Bill Crystal, Robin William, Whoopi Goldberg (when she swore she’d never wear anything but a pantsuit) hosted, and teems of other A list actors and entertainers, including Jason Alexander, Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr, Bob Einstein, En Vogue, George Foreman, Babcat Goldthwait (he cut his hair off on-stage), Robert Klein, LL Cool J, Dennis Miller, Mary Tyler Moore, as well as other less known actors looking to get their name out there too. Louie Anderson, Jim Carey, and Allan Blye were the main writers and cast too – what a time! What an experience!

I did NOT name the actor I was assigned to above. And by assigned to I mean, ensure that he made it to the green room and staging area for his scheduled portion of the show. He had just done a movie with Robin Williams, and was and is with a very A list Actress, that I adore. She was incredibly down to earth, and remains so today. The actor was not “well” known yet, but held himself well, I could see he was not “always” sure of himself though. I wouldn’t be either going out on that stage to make conversational jokes. But it was certainly a go-to event to see and be-seen at, and I was grateful to just be a part of it (unpaid) all, even a minute one as a production assistant. I have kept up with it over the years, and contributed to many causes over the years.

The hosts were with mostly solitary with their kluge behind the scenes, but exploded with energy on the stage, it was truly something to witness, especially Robin Williams. I was literally standing next to them all at different points in the program.

Later, I heard my actor’s name called in the line-up, and I made sure he was in place for his bit on-stage. All went on-time, and he returned to the same place, so I didn’t even have to run over to the other side of the stage, which was not just running in a hallway behind the stage, it was very convoluted back then. I took him to the press area where he stood for pictures and statements, he then joined his significant other, and off they went. I was able to watch the remainder of the program from the opulent green room, then we broke it all down and went home.

The breakdown again taking just a fraction of the time that it took to set it all up, test all the equipment from lavs, hand mics, wired mics, confidence monitors, audio, lights, blocking, cameras, resetting for the next artist on the different colored tape markings on the stage (blocking), all of was a great training ground. It was a group of fabulous people leading the way to success! Set yourself up for success, and it will follow.

I hold everyone on the crew in high esteem to this day, and mourn the loss of all who have passed. A great memory I cherish to this day.

Thank you Universe!

The Michael J. Fox Effect

No one knows the amazing effect a simple act of kindness can have. It is why I try to pay it forward all the time.

I was very sick as a young teenager. I was in the ICU, and pediatric ward more than I can even remember. I couldn’t walk most of the time, my eyes were so blurry I couldn’t see, the days ran into each other I was there so long. But there are a few things I do remember…….

I was in the pediatric ICU with an underweight baby I was allowed to feed. The nurses watched me, I loved doing it, and I could be in bed and contributing to something at least. We really weren’t sure if I was going to make it then, I did not know that at the time. They were trying to cure my very advanced Lyme Disease back then with penicillin and the course of treatment only had a 25% cure rate, but they also knew that I couldn’t infect anyone else either. So, if I could stand and walk, they let me, I even did the stairs if I felt up to it. Not many kids in the ICU could walk, or breathe on their own at all.

There was also young boy, Michael, he had a severe brain tumor, and Michael J. Fox was his “Make A Wish” guardian. Young Michael was not going to last very long. Everyday MJF called young Michael and they spoke on the speaker phone, I asked if I was allowed to say “hello”, and of course they let me. The very next day packages arrived. A few for young Michael and one hand delivered to me, by MJF himself – a Teddy Bear that I still have today.

I truly do not know if he already suspected that he had Parkinson’s disease, but I will say that he was and is generous in spirit and his time he gives to others, I cannot gush enough about him.

There was also a young doctor, who came a couple of Sunday’s on his day off to play the guitar for all of us. He played happy songs that we all knew, it certainly raised our spirits. About 8 months and thousands of tests and LPs (spinal taps) later, I finally was able to leave the hospital. I was weak, I was behind on schoolwork, even though teachers came in with lesson plans, they let a lot go, they pointed to answers for verbal tests (when I could see). Everyone played a part in helping me get better, and I did get better. Not only did I walk again, I danced in Performing Arts HS again, it was the greatest and worst time of my life.

Update on young Michael. He lived, and still lives, and is a brilliant brain surgeon. It’s an incredible story of courage and grit. It propels me to move forward and do better each day. I may not be a brain surgeon, but I know I can help people.

Be kind, be generous with your time, show up, helping someone also helps YOU, also know asking for help doesn’t make you weak, it makes you stronger and self aware.

I can never repay the kindness that all the doctors, nurses, aides, and physical therapists, and their assistants, teachers, my parents, my siblings, and friends but, I can pay it forward to the next person, and I endeavor to do that everyday.

Thank you Michael J. Fox for all of you kindness and giving even through all of your trials and tribulations. The world is better because you’re in it.

Gratefully yours to eternity and back,

Nicole Gabriel

The Journey Begins

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

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“They” say it’s not the destination it’s the journey that matters. My journey has started and stopped so many times, it’s time to not just jump, but leap in, All-In. No shortcuts, taking one step, one minute, one day at a time to climb the mountain that is life. Step by step, one by one, after each 30 days of going through the journey of pivoting, I will write about the journey, and how far I’ve come. The good, the bad, the great, and the ugly, it will all be shared. Please share your triumphs, and tribulations, and your solutions to get through and make a bad situation better. We are striving for positive solutions for even the worst situation.

Today is day one all over again 11.26.22. Let’s do it together. You will never be alone. Chime in, agree, disagree, voice your opinion – respectfully. I want to hear and see it all. It’s time to create the life I want, and YOU can be on this journey with me. My hope is to inspire others to take that first step forward. Always forward, never back.

Come with me friends, feel free to email me, I’ve shared that information, or just leave a comment, I will respond. I have 33 years of Broadcast Television, Production, Operations, Producer, Writer, Engineer, and Technical Production Assistant experience. I started at the bottom and worked my way up. I haven’t always liked where I landed, and if you don’t you don’t have to stay stuck, you can pivot too, I will help show you how.

Join Me Friends on this Journey to Fullfillment, Happiness, Freedom, Balance, Food, Friends, (yes Work too), Pitfalls, Set-backs, Taking Risks, Victories, and Dumpster fires (it will happen), it’s all apart of life.

You can only fail if you do not try. And if you try and fail, get up and try again a different way, there’s always another path, we just have to unearth it. Learn from your failures, celebrate your successes.

We’ll do it together. #BetterTogether #Pivot #Career #Health #Wealth #Technology #Food #Friends #Family