Trend it Up!

Trendsetting

by Sheila R. Rose

So I have a bit of a spunky DIVA-like persona. (If you couldn’t already tell!) It’s why my radio personality name at Radio Disney Phoenix 1580 AM was “Sassy Sheila,” yo!

To live up to my own hype, I like to start and end my own trends. Like this past week I decided to end random sentences and thoughts with the word “yo.” I felt it gave my dialect a bit of an urban flare and sass that seemed to be missing as of late.

The best way to start a faux trend is to declare it right away. Basically, I told everyone I came into contact with about the grooviness of ending sentences with yo. Itslikeifyouwanttobecoolyoubetterstarteddoinitorelseyourafoolyo. Pretty soon people started following suit. I had yo’ers everywhere.

Yet, to really be a trendsetter, you have to end the trend almost as soon as you begin it. Therefore, as of 8 PM (PST) on August 26th, 2008, the whole YO thing will become so last week.

If you want to become a verbal trendsetter like moi, then you need to drop everything you are doing right now and head straight over to UrBAn DiCTiOnaRy, yo. All of us cool kids hang out there. Go ahead, click on over.

Note to Tim & Sasha: Where are the posts? I feel like a lone LifeStyler. Back a girl up, yo!

Live It!

Living Out A LifeStyle

by Sheila R. Rose

As LifeStylers, we don’t just talk about the kind of life we want to live. We actually Strive for it. Attain it. Live it.

But it’s not always easy.

Despite fair warning, I naively imagined that living outside the confines of a 9 to 5 corporate job would feel wonderful all the time. As a fledgling entrepreneur, I would float through my days working on ideas and doing things I loved. However, when the opportunity presented itself, I felt paralyzed. Fear, anxiety, doubt and worry became the kind of emotions that hung out all the time. The monkey in my head would just not shut up.

Yet recently something in me clicked. I realized the voices would never go away, but I could combat them by strengthening my thoughts and actions in a way that better served me.

Here are 5 ways I’m learning to THRIVE.

1. Focus.
It’s so important to dream big, yet focus small. If I get an idea in my head, I can take it from ground zero to international phenomenon in two seconds flat. I love the dreamer girl in me, but dreaming big can hinder functioning well. I get so wrapped up in the enormity of the dream that the steps to get there seem impossible. So now I focus on small steps I can take today to get me to where I need to be tomorrow. It’s so much easier to do what I can actually see ahead.

2. Work hard.
Nothing replaces good honest hard work. When you give 110% of yourself to a project, you walk away from it a better person than when you started. I’m also realizing hard work is addictive. Once you get in the groove, you want to keep on going. This proves that good habits are as easily picked up as bad ones.

3. Be bold.
Take risks and don’t be afraid to make bold moves. The first time we do anything it feels uncomfortable. I, highly doubt, any of us just jumped on a bike for the first time and felt fearless going down the street. As I start my own business, sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing. Like not a clue. So I have to be bold enough to raise my hand and ask questions. I have to be bold enough to approach clients and ask for the job. I have to be bold. Period.

4. Evolve.
Face it. Our desires change overtime. The things we thought we wanted or the things that seemed so important sometimes no longer do. Living a rigid a LifeStyle (even if it is always to live a carefree one) can stifle and suffocate a person. That’s why it’s important for me to see my LifeStyle as dynamic and constantly changing. Evolution requires us to remain flexible.

5. Believe.
There will be times when I’m up and times when I’m down. Sometimes others will praise me and sometimes they won’t. I will face hurdles and stumbling blocks. It’s part of the game and the reality of living life outside the comfort zone. So I have to have an unwavering belief in myself. Stay humble when I’m up and confident when I’m down. Dreams do come true. They happen around us every day. People do live out the LifeStyles of their dreams. You and I can too.

Living out a purposeful LifeStlye is possible. We just have to stop thinking about it and start doing something about it.

Music - A Universal Language

Since its definitely one of my favorite topics, I wanted to continue a topic that Tim had kind of started - Music.

Music has always been one of my passions and a big part of my daily existence. If I could have chosen a profession while I was still in my mother's womb, I would have chosen to be a professional musician (er, rock star preferably and not a starving professional musician, playing one in a set of two pianos, dueling in a bar attended by rowdy underage college freshman). However, despite the occasional 'mean' jam session on my battered 6 string and my somewhat feeble attempts to put together a song on music composition software, I couldn't really say that I'm a gifted musician. But I can say that I have exceptional musical taste. Or at least my ears feel I do.

Besides listening to music constantly at work, from time to time, I declare it a music day and spend at least half of my 9 to 5 work day searching for new music while being paid by the Man. My goal as far as music and this blog is concerned is to occasionally review an album that most people haven't heard. And you may occasionally reap the benefits, or of course, the detriments, depending upon your musical taste.

But I could go on and on. The real reason for this entry is really to talk about how music is a common connection, a kind of universal langauge. The kind of connection and language that Lifestyle Group is all about and was partly founded upon. It is a commonality found among all people and all cultures. It is a language that transcends boundaries of religion, race, or creed.

I'm going to steal this from Tim because I feel it is a great way to start a good conversation that can lead to a real connection with someone. He often uses this question to start a conversation with random people that we meet. The question is, "What's playing on your Ipod." We all know it can be hard to make it past the courtesies of general conversation (hi, how are you?, my name is: (insert name), the weather has been really hot in Bangkok, blah, blah, blah.) and get past the exterior shell that keeps us from really getting to know one another. 

If you are a music lover, and I would hope that you are, try to start a conversation with this question.  Generally, if a passionate conversation about music ensues, then at least the first step to a positive connection is made. The worst that could happen is that someone might say Brittany Spears or someone of the same ilk, but at least if they are passionate about it, then good conversation could still ensue and a connection could still be made (unlikely, but possible).

What's in my current rotation: The National - The Virginia EP, The Verve - Forth, MGMT - Oracular Spectacular, The Faint - Fasciination, City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love

Sometimes you gotta survey

August Currents

by Sheila R. Rose

current book: Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger

current music: Ben Harper

current guilty pleasure: incessant cleaning of my pad.

current drink: Kombucha, of course!

current wish-list: Bebe clothes, Gucci purse, Dior sunglasses, Cartier watch (it's a wish list people)

current needs: Windex, Nail Polish Remover and a shower (in no particular order)

current favorite film: Taxi Driver

current favorite tv show: sunset tan (did I just type that outloud? -- I've only seen it once. I swear.)

current #1 blessing: mama bear and papa bear -- always

current bane of my existence: figuring it out, the economy

current color: teal

current news flash: Oh My Gosh!

current confusion: my purpose

M.I.A. Remix

Sasha and I got together on a whim this past weekend and remixed 'Bucky Done Gun' by M.I.A.. I had a DJ gig that night at a bar in Fullerton called Fender and was going through some tunes on the laptop getting prepared.

It's been a while since I sat down and produced. In college I DJed and produced under the name Neosoul with my partner Scott Allen. We played all over the country and concerts, clubs and raves alongside the Dr. Freeclouds crew with the likes of Simply Jeff, DJ Dan, etc. Eventually we began to produce music and put out several records and remixes. The DJ and club scene is so different these days but the making music continues to be an incredible inspiration to me.

So I sat down with Sasha on Garageband and we just clicked instantly, not that it surprised me in the least. When Sasha and I first met I sensed an instant connection with him. I could tell right away that he wanted the same things I did and thought in many of the same ways. We share the same view on music, fashion and business which is a huge reason why The LifeStyle Group began.

Here's the track. Enjoy.

Let's Kombucha

Do you Kombucha?

Part of living a kick-ass lifestyle is through treating our body temples with the utmost care. There is a direct correlation between our success in business and how we maintain our health. With all the information we have at our disposal, there is no excuse for us not to take our health seriously. I mean, come on (pause, pause, pause), seriously.

So every Sunday I shop at Sprouts. Sometimes I like to try new things, and I feel kinda hip and cool when I try a product in what I label the "new agey" category. Last Sunday, I bought what I thought was iced tea. It was $2.89 a bottle. Honestly, it was one of those impulse buy decisions I feel obligated to make as a marketer. It's my "do as I do" philosophy in marketing. If I want others to buy products and/or services based on impulsive decision making, then I should at least do the same.

Monday morning rolls around. I wake up and grab this iced tea concoction from my frig as I'm running out the door.

Snap, I open the bottle. I didn't really realize my iced tea was carbonated. Sip. Ahhh. Tastes surprisingly refreshing. Even a bit sweet, so I check the label to make sure there is no added sugar. Nope. Then I look closely into the bottle and this gooey stuff is floating around. Ewww.

Finally, I start to read the packaging. I realize I am Kombucha'ing. Kombucha is basically a tea made by fermented cultures. The drink dates back to 250 B.C. in China where it was referred to as an "Immortal Health Elixir." It has recently become popular with cancer patients because it has been known to help the body heal. The fermentation process produces traces of alcohol in the drink (0.5 to 1.5%).

While I was impressed to read about its potential health benefits, I actually found this low calorie drink to be quite tasty and refreshing. Way tastier than a Diet Coke.

So I am on a personal mission to make Kombucha this hippest drink around.

The LifeStyle Group : Creating Connections

The LifeStyle Group
by Sheila R. Rose

In my dictionary, “networking” is a bad word. I cringe at the thought of attending a business related function where conversations feel contrived and relationships are formed out of tit-for-tat obligations.

This being said, I revel in “connecting” to people. To me, a true connection is formed when strangers relate to one another based on ideas, beliefs, backgrounds, interests and/or experiences. For a brief moment, life makes sense when you’re talking to someone and you think, “Wow, I get that.”

The LifeStyle Group is about connecting smart, creative, fun and genuine individuals who have an appetite for living life outside of what they know.

Several years ago when I lived in Arizona, I read about an avant-garde artist who saw life as his ultimate art project. Something in me knew I had to connect to him, so I did the unthinkable and e-mailed him. We started a string of e-mails back and forth until we agreed to take our virtual connection and physically meet at a hip coffeehouse called The Willow House in downtown Phoenix.

In many ways, Pete and I were completely different in how we lived life, yet we connected on how we saw life as art. Pete asked if I would like to attend a First Friday Art Walk with him, and I agreed. A few days before the event, Pete e-mailed me to tell me Friday would be my first performance art piece. He instructed me to show up to the event dressed in homeless attire. “He must be kidding,” I thought to myself. But he wasn’t, and I was willing to live out art.

That night two mere strangers walked through various art galleries to see life through the spectacles of “bums.” An open house art night is open to the public. The public includes people of all socio-economic backgrounds, including those who live on the streets. As a girl who has lived life in the upper middle class echelon, I was amazed at how people treated me that night. I was shoved around, avoided, ignored, ridiculed and mistrusted not because of my actions but all because of how I appeared.I learned something that night I will carry with me forever. All because I was willing to connect to someone based on a common interest and take a risk.

As a marketer, I am constantly looking for ways to take myself out of my box and experience life through other lenses. I feel it makes me a better marketer.

I can’t wait to meet you. Hopefully, we will “connect” on some level.