Focus June 2019

B E V E R LY H I L L S | B R E N T W O O D | M A L I B U | W E S T H O L LY W O O D | S A N T A M O N I C A

COMMUNITY POWERED

ALLI WEBB BEAUTY & WELLNESS PIONEER DRYBAR FOUNDER AND SQUEEZE CO-FOUNDER

MELLISA NIELSEN THE CHARITY ANGEL

JUNE 2019 | FOCUSMAG.US

RON ROBINSON

FOUR DECADES OF ICONIC FASHION AND WORLD-CLASS STYLE

THE PASTA PRINCE

GRANDSON OF THE LAST KING OF ITALY

INNOVATION ISSUE

ROBBY HAYES

REALITY AND SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

COURTNEY LOPEZ

MEDIA PERSONALITY focusmag.us 1

CONTRIBUTORS

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Jezlan Moyet Jezlan Moyet is as an entertainment correspondent based in LA. A Michigan girl at heart, she has brought her MidWestern charm from runways around the world to the red carpet.

Her passion is to create and tell unforgettable stories. Jezlan is a Co-Producer/Host of Good Morning LaLa Land.

Tambi Saffran (Stollman) Tambi grew up in NY. She left a producer job at MTV to start a family. Returning to her passion of producing and music, Tambi is currently producing a documentary called She Rocks! about female guitarists. In her spare time she enjoys being a mom, hiking, boxing and live music. instagram.com/just_tambi

Wendy Brokaw Kretchmer Wendy is an editorial producer at CNN but considers her most important job to be raising her 2 girls. Her rare spare time is spent on a multitude of passions including fundraising, cancer awareness, fitness, and her guilty pleasure – Pinterest. instagram.com/wendbrokaw

Suzan Brittan A Southern California resident, but forever native New Yorker, started in Los Angeles as a singer/songwriter/ actress. However, to pay for luxuries like rent, a car and food, she climbed many corporate ladders and climbed right back down. She finally found her niche and outlet as a creative and non-fiction writer. imdb.com/name/nm1483913

Janet Gunn a Texas gal, born and raised, currently soaking up the sun in Southern California and day dreaming of life in Italy. I love jazz, scarves, Diane Keaton movies, fitness, flowers and creating in my kitchen. gratefulgardenia.com

Michelle Gillette Certified Martha Beck Life Coach Owner of Thrive + Fly Coaching Over 10 years experience in personal growth, health & wellness. thriveandfly.com

Melissa Meyers As a tastemaker and lifestyle blogger, Melissa’s passion is to share her best-kept beauty, style and wellness secrets with other women to enhance and simplify their lives. Through her experience as Founder of AskMelissa, PageDaily and now her personal blog Melissa Meyers Glow Girl, Melissa has spent over 15 years sharing valuable tips and product picks to help women with everything from selecting the best skincare lines to chic activewear, street style and healthy eats. melissameyers.net

Samara Zelniker Samara Zelniker is dedicated to creating a platform for leaders to reach their infinite potential. With over a decade of experience in yoga, meditation and mindfulness, her focus lies in applying these age old concepts to modern day life. Samara works with individuals and businesses, highlighting their innate talents, guiding them with ease to the practical application of their strengths. She helps them make a shift from a life of burnout and stress to one of fulfillment and ease. She focuses on mindset, health (diet and exercise) relationships and career. mindfulnessmatters.ca

Shirin Yadegar Shirin Yadegar is the Founder of LA Mom Magazine. The mission of the magazine is to empower moms to feel self-confident about the decisions they make for their families. lamommagazine.com aims to help thousands of moms find the products and services they need to make motherhood easy and fun. lamommagazine.com

Community powered.

Editor in Chief Andrew Waldman andy@focusmag.us Managing Editor Jezlan Moyet Assistant Editor + Designer Sabrina Bohbot Emma Merryman Focus TV Editor/Hosts Tambi Saffran Alex Wehrley Janet Gunn Tanya Memme Michelle Gillette Wendy Brokaw Kretchmer Staff Writers Felicia Waldman Suzan Brittan Photographers Gerald Lerner Dalen Muster Ben Shani Dana Adams Videographers Dalen Muster Racquel Levin Ben Shani Focus TV Production Gina Moreno Evan Waldman Sally Colón Winston Moore Publisher + Creative Director Mark Castellino Copyright 2019 by Focus Media Agency.

Focus (ISSN 2328-1359) is published 4 times per year. Please do not to reproduce any of the content without permission.

Subscription and distribution inquiries: promo@focusmag.us

EDITOR’S LETTER

Dear Readers, We are always in awe of the many inspiring and innovative Los Angelenos and businesses we come in contact with at FOCUS. As summer approaches we feel the change in the air and the mood of the city, and take pause to feel lucky to live in such a beautiful and vibrant town. Living and working in Los Angeles seems to drive the creative juices of so many innovators. We are honored to share the stories of some of these inspiring souls in our special summer INNOVATION issue.

When Alli Webb opened the now infamous and trailblazing Drybar, she was absolutely floored by the instant success and popularity of the chain. Ms. Webb and her team have taken their winning formula and resources, and they have created a gorgeous new massage haven in Studio City called SQUEEZE. This adorable baby blue shop on Ventura Boulevard immediately draws you in, and their user-friendly SQUEEZE APP allows you an easy user experience, much like the booking and tipping of Uber and Lyft! We are so thrilled that Alli Webb graced our studio for an inspiring interview, and as our cover feature, we are excited to share her story.

As you head out to enjoy the sunshine, throw this issue in your bag and check out a couple of great foodie articles... The Prince of Venice – a popular pasta food truck, as well as a chat with the creator or Mister O’s, our personal new favorite restaurant in Studio City [the Brussels sprouts are a must!]...and a conversation with an authentic Italian chef at LA’s Eataly. Planning to visit some colleges this summer with your teen? Check out our LA college tour road trip. Enjoy a chat with Filmmaker Jordan Taylor Wright on completion of his first book, and see how reality star and influencer Robby Hayes [of Bachelor fame] is helping others follow suit. Also, just in time for summer, we have a special profile of the Santa Monica Pier through the eyes of our 13-year-old guest writer.

This and much more, and as always, please visit our enormous video library online to get up close and personal to all of our features at https:// focustvnetwork.com and on social media: @focustvnetwork Happy Summer – may you be inspired to INNOVATE! The Focus Team

ISSUE 30

CONTACT US Write: 149 South Barrington Place #178, Los Angeles CA 90049 Email:

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From Angel To Auctioneer:

Mellisa Nielsen, Charity Angels Founder, is Benefit Auctioneering’s New Face

BY SHARON W. HOUSE freelance writer,CO YOGA + Life,Live Naturally

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ove over men, Charity Benefit Auctioneering has a new face. Mellisa Nielsen has become a shining light in a profession dominated by men. Expanding the reach of her highly successful Charity Angels, Nielsen is one of the nation’s most sought-after Charity Benefit Auctioneers — a feat that is especially significant in a profession that is 90% male. This entrepreneur’s services as a top-tier Auctioneer are now part of the menu of options at Charity Angels, the turnkey event enhancement and consulting firm Nielsen founded in 2003.

Serving exclusively as a non-profit Benefit Auctioneer for 501 C (3) charities, Nielsen’s 2018 schedule as a benefit auctioneer is packed with 50 auctions on the calendar. Through her work, Nielsen has raised over $500 million for charities around the country, often in partnership with the Charity Angels. Charity partners, including the Tyler Robison Foundation, Jewish National Fund, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters Los Angeles, and UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, among many others, call on Nielsen to give them the competitive edge.

Booked for as many as five auctions per week during peak season, this entrepreneur credits much of her success to her scrupulous pre-event planning. No two events are the same and Nielsen, a stickler for details, spends hours preparing for each auction, to fully understand each nonprofit’s mission, tone and its audience.

As an organic next chapter following the success of Charity Angels, Nielsen has become a force in a field that has traditionally been a man’s world.

With auctions booked through 2019, it’s no wonder that many clients call her one of the best auctioneers in the industry. “Mellisa is the best auctioneer in the country,” according to Dave Chappelle. Adds Jill Govan Bauman, President & CEO of Imagine LA, “Mellisa and her Charity Angels team are beyond fantastic! First, they professionally guided us through the process and helped us create the optimum auction packages and fund-aneed format / visuals. Then, during the auction Mellisa has an amazing sense of the audience and creatively urges them to give with immense generosity. The results are nothing short of miraculous!”

A rarity in the auctioneer world, Nielsen sees her gender as a plus and says, “As a woman, I can appeal to emotions while having the ability to connect

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stated Nielsen. Many of Nielsen’s donors pledge at multiple giving levels in one auction breaking records time and time again!

It’s Nielsen’s experience that if you rely solely on technology without the bidder paddles, you lose your audience. When donors are asked to pull out their cell phones during the live auction and appeal, they are now checking their emails/ texts, maybe their battery is dead, they find a photo of their grandchild to share with their friend, browse social media, etc. By eliminating that distraction, she is able to take the audience on a journey of whatever it is the auction is selling the audience.

Whatever the mission of the non-profit, a capital campaign for a new wing at the hospital, a suite the Lakers, or a walkon role in your favorite show, donors just need to raise their hand, and technology will take care of the rest Certified by the esteemed Missouri Auction School, deemed “the Harvard of auctioneering” by Newsweek, Nielsen surprises and delights audiences with a gift for charming high bids out of patrons with her distinctive and charismatic approach.

with donors.” Nielsen’s talent for staying connected to her audience and donors contributes to her tremendous rate of success and repeat performances. She also relishes seeing the engaged and smiling faces of her audience, dressed to the nines, when she breaks into her auctioneer chant. No two events are the same, and Nielsen, a stickler for details, spends hours preparing for each auction, including personally visiting the venue and charity so that she understands its culture, mindset and donor audience.

A philanthropist at heart, Mellisa performs one gratis auction per month for organizations that might not be able to afford her services. She also practices personal philanthropy with donations to such organizations as ALS, The First Tee, Weingart Foundation, St Judes Children’s Hospital and Last Chance for Animals.

Men in suits are taking notice: Auctioneer Mellisa Nielsen and the Angels are multiplying donations.

A hybrid, Nielsen’s auction strategy incorporates software technology, yet maintains a traditional auction feel. Each donor pre-registers as they walk in the door and are given a bidder number. Utilizing the impulse buy theory, all that her donors need is their bidder numbers so that when they feel inspired at any giving level, they simply raise their hand. The technology piece she has implemented is the real time feed of all donors who raise their bid paddle. As Nielsen calls out bidder numbers, donor names are displayed in real time on the jumbo screen. “Donors love to see their company name, wife and children’s name displayed to show their support”,

mellisanielsen.com

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Life Stories

A Talk Show Hosted By Joanna Garzilli

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ife Stories with Joanna Garzilli gives you an intimate look at the life journey of her talk show guests who include actors, authors, athletes and those notable in their respective industry. During the interview, Joanna’s main questioning is focused upon what their childhood was like, lessons learned from the past, turning adversity into strength, the unfoldment of career path, primary relationships, their most useful spiritual tools, who is the wind beneath their wings and what they want to be remembered for.

Joanna Garzilli is America’s Intuition Coach™, a global authority in the field of intuition, conscious business growth and spiritual leadership. Her most recent book “Big Miracles: The 11 Spiritual Rules for Ultimate Success,” published by Harper Collins has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly to, “Help readers remember the love, power, and strength of the soul”.

Joanna is a spiritual guide for business leaders, entrepreneurs and celebrities including some notable names: Ellen Burstyn, Goldie Hawn, Monica Lewinsky and Jenna Dewan. This led to Joanna writing her first book, “Unleash The Psychic In You: How To Trust Your Intuition for Success”. Joanna has been featured in media nationally and internationally including: BBC News, BBC Radio, Fox News, NPR, Coast To Coast, Well + Good, Hay House Radio, Entrepreneur, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Sun and The Independent. joannagarzilli.com @joannagarzilli

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E.G. Daily As a singer/songwriter, Daily has composed music and performed on a number of soundtracks, including Scarface and The Breakfast Club. Several of E.G.’s songs soared to the top of Billboard’s dance charts and became popular music videos, including “Say It, Say It” which was a #1 hit. EG performed on NBC’s The Voice Season 5, on Team Blake, embracing the competition with her gritty, powerful and emotional vocals. She can be heard singing the iconic theme song for ‘Two and a Half Men’. E.G. Daily has starred in over 40 feature films including ‘Pee Wee’s Big Adventure’ as Dotty. She guest starred on ‘Friends’ as Phoebes ex song writing partner. She is known as “the voice of your childhood”, Buttercup from the ‘Powerpuff Girls’, ‘Babe’, academy award winning, ‘Happy Feet’ as the lead character Baby Mumbles and Tommy Pickles in the long-running Emmy-award winning Nickelodeon Rugrats TV series.

E.G. grew up in West Hollywood. When she was 5 years old, she watched the movie, “Lady and The Tramp,” and fell in love with singing the song, “We Are Siamese if you please.” E.G. said, “Pay attention to what you do when you’re a little kid because those are the seeds of what you can do when you grow up.”

In her teenage years, E.G. was playing in bands all over the Sunset Strip. Around that time, a friend of E.G.’s who was a producer of the Broadway production of “Teaneck Tanzi,” that starred Debbie Harry then brought the play about professional wrestling to Los Angeles. She asked E.G. to star as Tanzi, which entailed her training with the female world champion. She only took the role because it was a musical. Ironically, that led to her dream of a major record deal. “You don’t know where things are going to take you,” E.G. said. “The greatest things have come to me when I said ‘Yes’. I won all these awards when I did the play, but I was thinking to myself I just want to sing in a band.” Stay open for the offshoots, is a powerful lesson she learned.

When performing in Tanzi, E.G. fell in love with Jon-Erik Hexum, who died tragically on the TV set of “Cover Up”. On the day of his fatal accident, E.G. had a strong intuition to visit JonErik. She said, “We hugged had a sweet exchange in his dressing room just 30 mins before.” Then she got the call he’d been shot.

“Everything was so strange after. I moved home. I didn’t know how to just get on with life. We were only in our twenties.”

Howard Fine

When I first stepped inside The Howard Fine Acting Studio I felt as if it was an extension of home. I’d watched Meryl Streep on camera and naively assumed, “I can do that,” but at that time I didn’t understand that she made acting look easy. Having completed Howard’s Foundation Class and being accepted to his Master Class, I discovered The wind beneath E.G.’s wings are her daughters, Hunter and to be a professional in front of the camera Tyson, “I’ve learned so much from them.” Oprah Winfrey for her requires deep inner work. The techniques that love, kindness and caring for people and her mom, Helen.

Howard teaches in his book, “Fine on Acting: E.G.’s legacy is her voice, I communicate messages that are A Vision of The Craft,” have become a must important and speak up for people and animals who don’t have read for anyone aspiring to act professionally. a voice.”

At the point I began training at the studio, I’d E.G. has built a powerful movement with her song, “So Pretty.” already been teaching spiritual development “Why are we trying to look a certain way? People are attracted for 15+ years and I’m a Scorpio so I thought to you when you’re being your real self and connected to each I’d already accessed my other. We need to validate the inside more.” deepest emotions. One of my most eye-opening E.G. focuses on giving more than she gets. “As I get older, it’s not experiences was Howard about me anymore, it’s about helping people feel better. I like gave us an exercise in class that my roles of Buttercup of The Powerpuff Girls and Tommy where we had to get up on Pickles work together in a tribe as little super heroes.” Moving stage, look at a photo of forward, her desire is to be a great mother, put out a lot of music someone we loved and tune and inspire change and betterment. E.G. is living all of that. You in deep to the underlying can watch E.G.’s full interview at https://focustvnetwork.com/ emotions. I thought, “That’s lifestories easy,” and immediately volunteered to demonstrate Egdaily.com on stage. @realegdaily However, as I went through this process, I learned I was only touching the surface of my emotions. I was disconnected and numb. One of the many things Howard taught me is to be present, fully engaged in the moment. This isn’t easy to do when you’re on camera and have to memorize lines but as Howard kept reminding us, “You must do the work,” and “All characters live inside of you.” Without Howard’s guidance, there is no way I’d be able to effectively host my talk show “Life Stories”. One of the most valuable lessons Howard taught me is even when you’re not speaking in a scene, you’re still acting. When I interview a guest, I speak about 20 percent of the time and when I’m not talking, I hear Howard in my head, guiding me on how to Amy Rose hold space and trust the moment. I was beyond excited when My first ever guest on talk show “Life Stories” was Amy Rose, a Howard accepted an invitation to be on my show. I then became yoga teacher who specializes in Kundalini teachings of Gurmukh extremely nervous too! Howard has trained some of the biggest Kaur Khalsa. We originally met at Mystic Journey Yoga, a names in Hollywood including Bradley Cooper, Will Smith, beautiful meditation and art space in Venice, CA. The best way Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Michelle Williams are just a I can describe Amy is she embodies grace and has a big heart. few of the talent that have studied at his studio. Tune in https:// A mother of two, Amy has used yoga as a tool to overcome focustvnetwork.com/lifestories and watch his interview to learn personal tragedy and now she helps women from all walks of life how to overcome fear and be present in life. find their inner power, guiding them to bring the pieces of their soul into alignment and wholeness through her signature sound Howardfine.com @howard_l_fine bath. Confidence is built from the inside out. Amy Rose’s most notable clients are The Kardashians. You can see her in action on, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” on E! or take one of her classes at The Beverly Hills Hotel, CA. Amyrosefitness.com @amyroseyoga

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Kimberly Friedmutter

Stephen Handisides

Author of the must-read book, “Subconscious Power: Use Your Inner Mind To Create The Life You’ve Always Wanted,” Mike Tyson said, “For anyone that needs to ignite the champion within, I urge you to read Kimberly’s words of wisdom.” The world-renowned hypnotherapist flew in from Las Vegas on her private jet for a UCLA Health Systems board meeting and joined me at Focus TV Network for, “Life Stories”. On the show she shared how she found her soul mate Brad Friedmutter, the architect of The Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas and her personal mindset on how to create your ideal life.

The dashing and debonair Stephen Handisides is an international TV host and world leading expert on Aesthetic Beauty and Male Grooming. Stephen grew up in Auckland, New Zealand close to the beach and attended public school.

His dad from Auckland and mom from Hamilton. Stephen said, “This gave me a good a mix of city and farming life. Mum was always there for me. She worked with my auntie in the career’s department and phoned them to complain when the computer recommended I become a stuntman. I’ve always been a bit of a daredevil.” Stephen’s myth buster stunt on exploding boobs at high altitude went viral globally on TV and in major Kimberly is a master at teaching others how to manage newspapers. Stephen got the biggest breast implants he could stress, normalize sleep habits and achieve fitness goals in a find, strapped them to his chest and jumped out of a plane to harmonious way. She worked diligently from a young age and see if they would explode. Watch his interview on “Life Stories,” distilled the journey to her life’s fulfillment into 6 principles that to find out what happened! Stephen always knew he wanted to reveal how you can be a high performer. Watch her life story have a business of his own and went into the medical side of @focustvnetwork beauty. He founded MyFaceMyBody. “My biggest achievement was creating my own TV show rather than waiting for a TV kimberlyfriedmutter.com network.” The irony is Stephen’s show got picked up by Sky TV @kimfriedmutter and has been appearing frequently on ITV in the UK. His main mission is education for those interested in aesthetic beauty. “I ventured into male grooming and brought back the old school gentleman with a modern twist,” he said.

Stephen is changing people’s lives through his stage presence.

He advises, “Go out and travel because it will help you through life’s challenges.” Although Stephen’s focus is male grooming, it’s no surprise women have been approaching him too. The way Stephen gets ready to MC in front of large audiences is take 30 minutes of mental rehearsal and visualize the whole event unfolding. He starts with a bit of humor and is a natural showman. The wind beneath Stephen’s wings are his mother, father and sisters. “They always have time for me, even though my sisters are busy mums.” When asked about how to create a legacy he said, “Enjoy the journey instead of wanting more and more. If I die tomorrow, I’ll be a happy man because I’ve done a lot, but I’ve got so much more to give.”

Stephenhandisides.com @shandisides

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Hannah Kat Jones Actress, model and fashion designer, Hannah Kat Jones is best known for, “America’s Next Top Model”. The most memorable episode was a photo shoot where Hannah had bees swarming around her, yet she maintained poise and grace. Hannah has had numerous roles on the Disney Channel and been featured in many national commercials. Hannah is also an ambassador for conscious lifestyle brands. Her most recent accomplishment is designing the versatile “Metamorphosis” dress under Speechless Dresses fashion house. Everything that Hannah does in the arts is driven by an underlying intention to help others live authentically. “On a show like ‘America’s Next Top Model’, where you’re pitted against each other, having a feminine support team was rewarding and helped me keep in balance, Hannah said in her “Life Stories” interview. Her mission is to inspire people to go for their dreams. hannahkatjones.com @hannahkatjones @speechlessdresses #leavethemspeechless

Beate Sophia Scholz Yoga teacher, retreat leader and entrepreneur Beate came to America with no track record and established herself as a successful business owner in the world of fashion. During that time, she successfully raised two children as a single mom.

Although she loved working in fashion, the fast pace and big workload was a blessing in disguise as the stress led her to her first yoga class in Los Angeles. This was life changing for Beate as she experienced a deep sense of peace like never before.

It was there the seed was planted for Beate to build a strong yoga practice that has led her to teaching at some of the top yoga studios in the world including Tantris, Bhakti Yoga Shala and Core Power Yoga. In addition Beate is a Yoga Gives Back Ambassador, teaching yoga and fundraising for the @yogagivesback organization to assist women and children in India to create a sustainable living.

One of Beate’s greatest gifts is creating a nurturing environment that awakens the soul and allows one to heal at a core level with a balanced vegan diet, devotional practice through chanting mantras, lifting anxiety and connecting you to your inner wisdom. Her latest retreat is at a beautiful center called ZIN in Vught, Noordbrabant in Southern Holland. @dutchyoginifashionista

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Landon Pryor

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andon Pryor, MD, FACS, is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive training and experience in cosmetic surgery of the face, breasts, and body. Dr. Pryor is also the President and CEO of Transformations Plastic Surgery & MedSpa, which offers a wide array of non-surgical and minimally invasive services. Combining the best of surgical precision with an artistic balance, Dr. Pryor skillfully improves his patients’ natural appearance and helps them boost their self-confidence. “Patients experience immediate results and significant improvements in self-confidence and quality of life,” Dr. Pryor emphasizes.

“It’s an extremely rewarding transformation to witness.” Dr. Pryor is triple fellowship trained and Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Other professional associations include the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, the Rhinoplasty Society, the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, the Illinois Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Pryor’s goal is to provide individualized aesthetic treatment recommendations, customized for each patients’ unique priorities and goals. In addition to the many surgical procedures that Dr. Pryor performs, Transformations Plastic Surgery & MedSpa - supervised by the talented Nurse Practitioner, Susie Artale-Fritz - is designed as a state-of-the-art facility that has many complementary treatments and technologies for both men and women, including SmartLipo™ in-office laser liposuction, NeoGraft™ hair restoration, FemiLift™ vaginal rejuvenation, CoolSculpting™ noninvasive permanent body contouring, and Bellafill™ the longest-lasting and only FDA approved filler on the market for acne scars. When patients visit Transformations Plastic Surgery & MedSpa, they can expect a friendly and courteous staff, as well as a relaxed and comfortable environment. Dr. Pryor and his talented staff share a passion and vision for excellence, ensuring an exceptional patient experience every time.

drpryor.com

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Robby Hayes Launches Rebella Influencer Driven Creative Media

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ouldn’t you love it if your brand was assured of being seen by millions of people around the world?

As a marketer, it’s our job to identify the most appropriate channels for our clients and leverage them at the highest level. This is a great addition to our service offerings and allows us to bring more value to our clients.”

Welcome to Rebella, a Los Angeles based, influencer-driven, Rebella plans monthly trips to creative marketing agency that places products and services incredible destinations with top in the hands of the top social media influencers. influencers to showcase brands and flagship products in a way that Robby Hayes, an actor and model who has appeared on “The amplifies exposure across several Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” recently launched social media platforms. “Our launch Rebella as a result of the following he generated from being trip to Saint Thomas will on reality television shows. He has a half-million social media be the first of many”, followers.

Hayes said.

Hayes has formed a strategic partnership with Ryan Monson, “But it won’t all be fun founder of Social Network MD, a marketing agency, who in the sun”, he added. “At played a large role in the initial launch of Rebella and will Rebella, every project we continue to assist in the expansion and support of Rebella’s do involves giving back service offerings. to the local community.

According to a recent article in Adweek, influencer marketing is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2020. Some believe that estimate is too low as influencer marketing continues to explode.

Whether it’s in the states or around the world, our goal is to be more than influencers on social media. We believe in influence into action. We plan to make a lasting impact in the communities we service.”

For the company’s official launch, Hayes, business partners Jake Petersen, Ken Peterson, Monson and ten influencers, including Charly Jordan, who has more than 1 million social media followers, went to Saint Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands promoting brands such as Anyday Rosé, Lenny & Larry’s cookies, and Cura Global Health Inc.’s Aspiron™ Natural Koji Iron dietary supplement.

For the Saint Thomas trip, Rebella’s influencers provided over 100+ hours of service to All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the immediate and long-term needs of natural disasters. The nonprofit has been active in the Caribbean following the hurricanes that struck that region in 2017.

“What we want to do at Rebella is help brands evolve and expand their social outreach,” said Hayes. “We can help brands highlight their online presence and thus, increase their social equity.”

“Working with Rebella has been great and we are excited about what it means for our clients,” said Monson, “Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere and currently is the fastest growing method for customer acquisition online.

To join Rebella on their next epic adventure to the islands of Thailand this January, please visit the Rebella website or send your inquiries to Robby@ Rebella.com. Reserve your spot TODAY!

rebellacom INSTAGRAM: @rebella

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LIVE 9am Weekdays

gmla.tv

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intentOn

with Filmmaker & Creative Director, Jordan Taylor Wright

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e recently had the pleasure of having Filmmaker and Content Creator to the Stars, Jordan Taylor Wright on FOCUS TV’s GOOD MORNING LALA LAND. What struck me most when meeting him, was how without ego Jordan was, given the fact that he’s created content for some of the biggest names in entertainment including Usher, Justin Bieber, J. Lo, The Chainsmokers and more.

In addition, he’s been hired by brands like Tiffany & Co, Ferragamo, Audi, ALoft Hotels, and American Express, to name a few, to create compelling visual content (both photography and videography.) So, how can a creator with so much success and over half a million followers stay grounded?

Jordan attributes this to his personal journey with mindful meditation. While touring for Usher for more than three years, Jordan had the privilege of traveling and experiencing the world at one of the highest levels. This experience also opened up his mind to the realization that having money or fame, does not alone equate happiness. He found himself exploring what it means to truly live in the present and express love and oneness through storytelling.

Jordan tells FOCUS, “With so many projects in the works and fans asking me how I create my visual effects, I wanted a place to share everything with my fans.

Not everyone can afford to go to a film school, but I didn’t want that to stop them from creating. Our courses are affordable and accessible. We’re also developing the IntenOn app which will allow fans to access this same great content on the go!”

The platform and app will also be the place where Jordan releases his upcoming original content. Jordan is currently set to debut his first streaming TV series called Self-Expression which will feature interviews with celebrities, content creators and more.

The series will kick off with an exclusive interview with Author and Public Speaker, Deepak Chopra, and feature other notable guests and content creators.

However, Jordan hasn’t stepped away from the music scene. He recently created content for Trevor Hall’s new music video for his song MOON/SUN which is an upbeat, fan-favorite off his recently released album, The Fruitful Darkness. The song hit number 4 on the iTunes Alternative Album chart. Trevor and Jordan met through “I got to experience these amazing places at such a high level, but social media and decided to collaborate on the music video, which was shot over I also saw how chasing money doesn’t make you truly fulfilled. the course of one day in Santa Barbara, Once we, as humans, realize that we are all nothing and by nothing, I mean no thing, we are freed to realize that we are also California. And if you haven’t checked it all everything. When we operate without ego, we are able to find out yet, we suggest you do! He also has a video for artist SYML due out Fall/ Winter what is truly fulfilling.”

2019.

During this time, Jordan wrote down his experiences in a journal which eventually became his latest project, his first book, Forever As if he wasn’t busy enough, this year Jordan also tackled filming his first feature, Discovery of the Divine Consciousness, which in the Infinite Now, which shares the lessons Jordan has learned was shot in Tokyo, Alaska, New Zealand and Los Angeles. The through meditation techniques. The book serves as a tool to film also incorporates themes of mindfulness and explores his help readers learn to meditate and features custom illustrations personal relationship as a boy with his own grandfather. It is by local artist, Rebecca Reitz. It officially debuted on National set to debut in 2019 and uses the same visual effects as the films Meditation Day. Avatar and Life of Pi and was shot on the new RED Monstro, filming in 8K to digitally create the Northern Lights using a 4D In addition to the book, Jordan recently launched a content render. We can’t wait to check this out! platform called IntentOn – which stands for removing the ‘i’ from intention so you’re operating without ego. You can purchase his book on the platform, as well as access Taylor Cut University that offers courses in filmmaking and photography. taylorcutfilms.com These courses allow Jordan’s fans to have access to his favorite intenton.io techniques for creating video and photography content. @TaylorCutFilms (IG/Twitter/Facebook) focusmag.us 21

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Courtney Lopez

Keeping it Real as a Housewife of Hollywood FOCUS INTERVIEW BY ERIN ZIERING WRITTEN BY JEZLAN MOYET

C

ourtney Lopez is keeping it real as a real housewife of Hollywood.

“You might think you know the housewives, but we are not rose all day, Pilates, and finding the best housekeepers.

We are women supporting women,” FOCUS host and creator of The Real Housewives of Hollywood, Erin Ziering, states when she had the opportunity to sit down with Courtney Lopez to share what her life is like on and off camera.

Courtney is an actress, producer, and host; but first and foremost, she is a wife and mother. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, she was ‘bitten by the bug’ to pursue the arts at a very young age. She started performing in theatre at 5yrs old. Attending a performing arts middle school, high school, and college, she was preparing for the main stage. Then Courtney moved to New York in pursuit of her Broadway dreams.

Rejoining the cast of A Chorus Line on Broadway in 2008, Courtney didn’t expect to meet the man she would marry when the fates introduced her to co-star, Mario Lopez, the former heartthrob of pop culture classic, Saved by the Bell.

Naturally, FOCUS wanted to know if she had been a fan and watched the show, “Yes, I did… And I am completely honest when I tell him that I had a crush on Zack [Morris]… but not anymore. It's just crazy, growing up watching that show on Saturday morning… That [Mario] would be my baby daddy.”

His charm and persistence finally won over Courtney’s heart, and the two have been at each other’s side ever since.

In support the love of her life, Courtney moved to the West Coast and this Pittsburgh girl’s transition to Hollywood was effortless. “Being on Broadway you get to be around a lot of celebrities that come in and do your show. I wasn't a stranger to being around those types of folks but I never in a million

years thought I would be where I'm sitting today.” She still glows at the thought, recognizing that she is “blessed and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As their story unfolded, American audiences were smitten as the watched their family grow in the docu-series, Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby, following Courtney’s pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Gia in 2010 (Wedding Insider).

"Oh BABY!! Here we go again... #LopezPartyOfFive” Courtney announced the couple is expecting their third child this summer. She shares how she feels raising her kids in L.A., “I still raise them Pittsburgh… We are not L.A. at all. I mean we are very low key. We go to events and we do stuff like that.

But I don't really take them to a ton of places. I show them where we grew up and how fortunate they are. And I really expose them to what the reality is of the world out there.

I don't send them to hoity toity schools. They go near our house. So everything is very normal.”

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So how does this busy momma stay balanced, “I'm trying to figure that out. I just I take one day at a time … I have my mom there, which I'm so blessed to have her with me. She's kind of my partner in crime.”

Maintaining the romance and a healthy marriage is a priority for the couple, Courtney shares with FOCUS, “It's so important for us to carve out time for ourselves…I think some people think it's selfish but you have to do that to show your kids that you have a great foundation. Mario’s always being affectionate with me in front of the kids and it's just important for them to see you know because I want my daughter to want that in whoever she chooses to be her partner, and my goodness, I want my son to see that as well.”

Mario and Courtney have mastered the art of being a Hollywood power couple. “Mario and I have our radio show, that's on all over the country. It's [based] here in L.A. on 104.3 FM every night from 7:00 to 11:00pm. It's called On with Mario. …We play today's hits and in between commercials we talk about what's going on in the world.” The two also share marriage advice on-air, “I just I speak from the heart and I speak from my experience.”

While Courtney has a ‘bun in the oven,’ she also in the kitchen for a new show on Food Network called Food Quest.

“We are on this quest to find all these delicious foods around the world. So we tell you about all these wonderful places and all the delicious places to eat. Then we also cook some things in our kitchen together. People like to see us as a couple. They like to see that it’s not really scripted. We kind of just say what we want. We're just being ourselves.”

The full interview featuring Erin Ziering and Courtney Lopez can be seen on The Real Housewives of Hollywood. Be sure to follow Courtney’s journey as a Hollywood mogul, wife and mother as she welcomes baby Lopez this summer @ courtney_lopez

@courtney_lopez

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Courtney Lopez and Erin Ziering in the Focus TV studio.

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Natalie Sady

N

atalie Sady is an Australian model turned TV Host and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her as part of our Focus family. Making the move to Los Angeles in 2017, with her love of life and warm Aussie charm Natalie wasted no time making an impact on our viewers.

Growing up in Melbourne, the fashion capital of Australia, Natalie began modelling at a very young age and was able to make that her full time career. She walked in Melbourne Fashion Week; starred in countless national commercials and appeared on The Price is Right Australia along with news programs Today Tonight and A Current Affair. She was also a key player on Australia’s first season of The Bachelor Australia.

Natalie’s beauty runs more than surface deep, working with charities Palm Oil Investigations, Bully Zero Australia and the Melbourne Period Project. She sees the importance of making a difference in this world and tries to lead by example.

Hosting 3 shows on Focus Network – Sady Says, Sassy & Single and Pathways there is something for everyone.

Whether you enjoy thought provoking conversation, a discussion about dating, single life and sex or hearing other people’s inspirational stories, Natalie covers it all.

nataliesady.com @natalie_sady

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Louis Lombardi Southern California Real Estate Expert Serving Beverly Hills to Long Beach and Beyond.

T: 424 256-8430

http://louislombardi.kw.com

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Alli Webb

Beauty & Wellness Pioneer, Founder of Drybar & Co-Founder of Squeeze

BY JEZLAN MOYET

A

lli Webb, founder of Drybar and the cofounder of Squeeze, has quickly become a notable entrepreneur. She is an icon among stylists, a hero among fempreneurs, and an innovator of beauty and wellness. She proved it was possible to make the world a more beautiful place from the inside out and the outside in. Recognized

by Fortune magazine as Top 40 Under 40, Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, among many other accolades, she turned blowouts into a $100M business. A master of transformation, she has revolutionized the beauty industry and now this acclaimed female entrepreneur is pioneering in the wellness space with the launch of Squeeze.

In the past ten years, her life has done a self-proclaimed complete 180. From stay at home mom to running a onewoman show side business to highly accomplished mogul.

It is by no accident that she built a business that has become an empire. Recognizing that there was something missing in the marketplace, this blow dry maven knew that service, experience and style was something she could provide. Alli tells FOCUS, “I think that’s how a lot of great businesses are born… out of this personal necessity and something that I just wish existed… And you know, that innovation for me was just – there’s nothing out there like Drybar. And women would love this.”

Alli’s intuition, resilience, and determination helped guide her in learning how to build a successful business and like many established founders she believes that mindset is key to success. “I didn’t want to look back and regret having not done something. So it’s just about taking a risk and going for it. I’m such a believer in that. I think that we’re all scared. I think we can make it look good on social media. But there’s always that pit in your stomach before you do anything big and especially something that you’ve never done before. But I think it’s worth going for it. “

With unshakable confidence in herself and her vision, Alli admits that the most difficult part for her as a woman starting a business was gaining that same confidence from prospective investors. Despite those hurdles, she opened her first brick and mortar location in Brentwood, CA. It was a massive success almost before the doors even opened. “We opened our business in 2010, it was the middle of a recession.

So many people were like, what are you doing? This is crazy!

How are you going to make this business work?”

“I remember, we were busy immediately and it was like the most overwhelming thing I’d ever experienced. Because as a hairstylist, and someone who’s been in this world for so long, you don’t open a salon and people just come in. We were so busy so fast … I remember we were all on the phone the first week and we were crying. It worked! We were just so blown away by the response and how much women loved it. And it really was everything. It was the experience!”

From board meetings, red carpets, the birth of a child, or even a funeral, Alli and the Drybar experience has impacted women’s lives in a way that many didn’t fully anticipate. “I wish I could sit here and say I knew that and why we did this.

I knew that getting a blowout and having great hair always made me feel really great but I didn’t realize the impact it would have so far and wide and how much women would be affected by this. It has become a part of their daily routine.”

Alli now has 100+ Drybar locations throughout the US and Canada with a growing product line available in store as well as in Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and Bloomingdale’s.

Not only is she providing an unforgettable experience, but Drybar is also creating opportunities for over 4000 employees, empowering the stylists and the creative team that helped build this beauty empire. Alli tells FOCUS that has been the biggest reward. “If you’re an inventor, you’re a visionary really and above all, you’re just bringing value.”

“I have a great team around me… I think it’s also a great tip if you are out there and you’re thinking about starting

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a business. Get those great people in a room together and figure out what you want, what they want and all the things that you could think of that make an experience great.”

Armed with the success of Drybar and the talent of her team, Alli recognized another need in the wellness market. To make this new vision a reality she teamed up with Brittany Driscoll.

Brittany had served as Drybar’s VP of Marketing and is now the Co-Founder & CEO for the launch of a new venture that aims to transform the wellness industry – Squeeze, a way better massage experience.

When FOCUS asked about her collaboration with Brittany, Alli said, “She’s amazing and doing such a great job. We’re really excited. It’s a really beautiful different concept that has never been done in the massage space.”

This power duo opened the doors to the first Squeeze location in Studio City, CA. Brittany shares with FOCUS what is truly unique about Squeeze, “With Squeeze, what we’ve done is we’ve used the same brainchild behind Drybar.

We used the same architect and the same branding team in creating a beautiful space. It’s our technology that is really the biggest thing that makes us different. What it allows you to do is look at all your personalized preferences online, everything from areas of the body you want [massaged], and focus on what you want to be avoided…. If you want oil or lotion? Do you want your bed heated? All of that information is saved to your profile so that your therapist is reviewing it prior to you walking in. This avoids a lot of the awkward inperson exchanges. And then when you’re done, you literally float out, and like Uber and Postmates, you rate and tip on your phone.”

“If you build a great brand and build a great experience, if you’re creating a tone and a voice and a look that people aspire to but also can connect to you, I just think, that’s where the power is. That really is the magic.”

Alli adds, “With Drybar it was about making women feel good and look good through a great blow out. Squeeze is very similar because we’re making people feel good from the inside out as opposed to the outside in.”

This beauty icon, industry mogul, and best selling author is continuing to create and inspire. Recently Alli and her brother, Michael Landau, launched the podcast “Raising the Bar” from Dear Media, a show for entrepreneurs, or anyone who wants to know about business or how to have a life while having a business. New episodes are released on iTunes every Friday. Alli is also sharing her wealth of wisdom as the latest Guest Shark on Shark Tank. FOCUS is honored to feature Alli Webb on the cover of our special Innovation issue.

For more information and to continue to follow Alli’s journey of innovation, visit @alliwebb, @drybar, and @squeeze. *The full interview with Alli Webb & Brittany Driscoll can be seen on Good Morning LaLa Land.

Squeeze squeezemassage.com

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Curating Cool Los Angeles Legend Celebrates 40 Years of “Curating Cool�.

Ron Robinson toasts four decades of iconic fashion and world-class style, shares secrets to his remarkable success

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R

on Robinson celebrates 40 years in the retail fashion business with the release of some special capsule collections and celebratory events at the brand’s flagship Santa Monica location and their original location on Melrose Avenue.

In an era when online storefronts are hailed as the wave of the future, Ron Robinson proves that brick and mortar retail is far from obsolete. After four decades, Robinson has built a global brand that serves as a solid benchmark for quality and style, with stores that offer a carefully curated collection of personal and lifestyle fashion for men, women and children, home and beauty. With a different featured local artist dressing the walls of their gallery every two months, one-of-a-kind gifts, custom-made jewelry, interior aromatics and fragrances from hand-picked vendors you won’t find anywhere else, it’s no wonder Ron Robinson stores have withstood the test of time!

Recognized as one of the original pioneers involved in the Fred Segal brand’s growth, Robinson’s characteristic community focus and often-imitated, cultivating approach to building his own unique brand shaped four decades of Los Angeles fashion and changed the face of West Coast retail. When most store owners are worried about selling, Robinson’s visionary process stems from a focus on the bigger picture: “I enjoy the passion that is designed into the product,” he explains, “I like to source new vendors, look at what each person is doing and why, then help position them in a retail setting that can serve as a launching platform for their career.” And at the same time offer our consumer something unique.

Having built and cultivated his collection of hard-to-find labels through the severe highs and lows of the last 40 years including the 2008 recession and the meteoric rise of online shopping - Robinson views each challenge as an opportunity to reinvent his brand and the vendors it represents. While location has certainly played a role in his success, with stores

in Santa Monica and on Melrose Avenue, Robinson attributes his continued progress to a “new-world vision” coupled with “old-world values.” Relying on a close-knit, dedicated and talented team, some of whom have been involved with the brand for 24 years, Robinson enjoys a strong following of loyal customers who return not just for the curated fashion, but for the experience of recreating themselves. “I see fashion as a form of communication and expression,” Robinson explains, “For me, being a retailer means giving people the platform to express who they are through fashion. We are innovators and we breed creators.” This perspective has grown Ron Robinson into a globally known brand that offers a true experience in-store and continues to change the face of shopping and fashion. With an eye for presenting a worldclass southern California lifestyle and an iconic reputation for innovation that’s spanned 40 successful years.

Ron Robinson vendors are also supporting this iconic celebration with the release of limited capsule collections.

NIXON watches designed two watches with the Ron Robinson 40th logo on them and are custom signed by etching. In addition, the trending apparel brand, COTTON CITIZEN, has designated a collection of 5 pieces to earmark the occasion. Shop these exclusives at the Ron Robinson flagship location on 5th Street in Santa Monica and the original Ron Robinson boutique on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles at Fred Segal.

ronrobinson.com instagram: @ronrobinson

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The Pasta Prince

BY TAMBI SAFFRAN FOCUS FOOD EDITOR

W

hile the LA food truck scene is chockfull of pizza and pasta dishes, the team behind the Prince of Venice Food Truck aims to kick it up a few notches serving homemade and authentic Italian pasta.

With the truck’s on-board deluxe fresh-pasta machine, Prince of Venice not only delivers quality, but on some days, your order can be served to you by a real Prince! That doesn’t even happen in the finest of Italian restaurants! Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy is the grandson of Umberto II, the last King of Italy and founder of the Prince of Venice Food Truck. This may be the most royal rigatoni you’ll ever eat!

On “Team Italy” with Prince Emanuele is Chef Generoso Celentano who was a chef in his hometown of Salerno, Italy.

He also was formerly a chef working with Neal Fraser at Red Bird in DTLA. The Prince and Chef Generoso come up with dishes using some ingredients imported from Italy such as flour, olive oil or truffles. Prince of Venice sources most from local Southern California farms, focusing on organic produce, cage-free eggs and free-range meat. According to their website, the menu regularly rotates based on the availability of fresh and seasonal items from produce such as zucchini to luxury ingredients like black or white truffles.

The menu, which is quite vast, changes seasonally to offer the freshest recipes representing the various regions of Italy, all prepared per patron. “We want the customer to discover the many different regions of Italy through our dishes,” states Prince Emanuele. Crowd favorites include Tartufo made with fresh black truffles and house-made truffle butter, and the refreshingly lite Spaghetti de Limone with lemon and spicy red pepper flakes for the perfect finish. Meat lovers get their comfort-food fill with the Maccheroni alla Bolognese, while vegetarians nosh on Conchiglie alla Norma made with farm-fresh eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, basil and shaved ricotta cheese. Staying true to the convenience of fast-casual food truck cuisine, these lightweight pastas cook in minutes.

Are you salivating yet? I sampled the Maccheroni alla Bolognese and can tell you that that not even a drop of sauce was left over.

The Prince of Venice Food Truck has become so successful that next on the game plan is a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Venice (California, not Italy!), slated to open winter 2019 at 202 Main Street that will offer a broader menu and include a visible pasta lab, delivery and food truck services. In the meantime, the truck can be found daily roaming around the streets of Los Angeles, serving hungry crowds from Santa Monica to Burbank to Orange County and beyond.

For the full list of stops visit PrinceofVeniceFoodTruck.com.

princeofvenicefoodtruck.com Instagram: @princeofvenicefoodtruck

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Prince of Venice Crowd favorites include Tartufo made with fresh black truffles and housemade truffle butter, and the refreshingly lite Spaghetti de Limone with lemon and spicy red pepper flakes for the perfect finish. Meat lovers get their comfort-food fill with the Maccheroni alla Bolognese, while vegetarians nosh on Conchiglie alla Norma made with farm-fresh eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, basil and shaved ricotta cheese.

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Photo Credit: Eataly

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At La Scuola di Eataly, It’s OK To Play With Your Food!

An Interview with Chef Denis Dello Stritto

BY TAMBI SAFFRAN FOCUS FOOD EDITOR

I

had the opportunity to make homemade semolina pasta at La Scuola di Eataly, the cooking school located on the lower level of the three story Italian superstore in Century City. Guided by resident Chef Denis Dello Stritto, and along with a class of twenty other foodies, we first learned about the origins of pasta while nibbling on tasty appetizers and drinking prosecco. Tingling from the bubbles and dreaming of being an italian culinary master, I donned my apron, rolled up my sleeves and was more than ready to prepare my own authentic semolina pasta dough. We learned how to roll it and shape it into ziti, rotini and orecchiette… just like you would imagine an Italian grandmother would do. This was so much fun…

I felt like I was molding edible Play-Doh grown ups! It did give me a deeper appreciation of the time and effort that goes into homemade rolled pasta (as opposed to pasta made with a machine) Chef Denis' instruction was “magnifico” and his effervescent personality is nothing short of engaging. He has been with the La Scuola di Eataly for the past two years and is one of a number of chefs who teaches various classes such as pasta making, pizza workshops and even crafting the perfect cannoli.

(Sign me up!)

Chef Dello Stritto is passionate about authentic Italian cuisine and the traditions from which it evolved. The roots of Dello Stritto’s culinary ardor were planted during his childhood in a small farming village north of Naples, Italy. The village, Caiazzo, has historically been famed for the quality of its olives and more, and nearly everyone is engaged in food production. “The smell, the taste and the honest culture were part of my upbringing,” he says. “Simplicity and respect for the ingredients are what I need to give guests the essence of my land.” Pursuit of quality product is a big priority for Dello Stritto, who personally combs farmers markets and fish markets for the best ingredients from local purveyors. While the significance of such ingredients can’t be minimized, Dello Stritto says it can be quantified: “60 percent of what makes a professional Italian chef is the chef, and 40 percent is the quality of the product.” What percentage is passion for the Italian chef, then? “Passion is 120%!” he says. Dello Stritto’s dream is for a restaurant where people don’t even need to see the menu - instead, they just feel a connection with the food. I hope Dello Stritto will let me know when this restaurant opens…. I’ll be the first to make a reservation!

TAMBI SAFFRAN: When did you get interested in cooking?

CHEF DELLO STRITTO: Since I was 14. Cooking in our culture is something we get exposed to pretty young because as cultural root, food is one of the main bricks of our tradition and culture. I am also the 4th generation of butchers in my family.

TS: When did you start working at Eataly LA? CHEF: I started to work at Eataly USA in January 2017. I traveled around to a few locations to get a better understanding of the philosophy of the company and its mission. I spent a few months at the Boston location, then spent four months at the Flagship store in New York Flatiron managing the La Scuola di Eataly program there before bringing it to Los Angeles.

TS: Where did you work previously?

CHEF: I arrived from Brazil four years ago where I was the Executive Chef of two restaurants. Before that, I spent over 10 years working and learning all over Europe and Italy. My previous job in Los Angeles was that the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, where I was Executive Chef of the restaurant “Culina” and the wine bar “Vinoteca”.

TS: Tell me about the cooking school at Eataly…

CHEF: The cooking school at Eataly is a place where we really can give voice to the mission that is the Eataly brand.

Basically, we want to start to share our roots, the history, and the knowledge about Italian food with the local community.

Opening a restaurant and cooking Italian food is not enough anymore in our opinion. We want to share with the community all the aspects that allow us to cook and bring around the world regional Italian dishes, like the value of the producer, the importance of the quality behind our producers and products, how important it is to recognize a real “San Marzano tomato“, learn about “Pasta di Gragnano” or “aceto balsamico di Modena”.

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La Scuola di Eataly for us is a place where we want to spend time together and let you enjoy the flavors during a meal paired of course with wine. In addition, we have a deep immersion into all aspects behind the food we are serving and making, because we offer several formats, like hands-on classes, where our guests are able to make pasta from scratch and enjoy a full 2-course meal paired with wine where everything is very regional. We also offer pastry classes, bakery classes, pizza Napoletana classes, and more.

The other format is the Chef ’s Table Dinner, where guests are able to join a very special experience at Eataly where we serve a tasting menu dinner with 5 courses paired with wine. Guests have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of each course and each ingredient and feel like you are at seat in a kitchen of a restaurant and have the chef cooking only for you.

The most important part of La Scuola is to try to build a connection with our guests and let them really feel like they’re in Italy having dinner in some traditional regional place without leaving Los Angeles. We must be doing a good job, because people love discovering new flavors and preparations which most of the time they have never seen or had before.

TS: If you had a last request meal, what would it be?

CHEF: How many courses it can be?

Broccoli e salsiccia Spaghetti vongole e bottarga Tamagoyaki Mozzarella di Bufala caprese Sfogliatella Napoletana

TS: What is your favorite dish to make?

CHEF: Spaghetto di Gragnano al Pomodoro. I always say making a very well executed plate of pasta (semolina extruded or TS: What do you do during your free time?

Gragnano) is a “Religion.”

CHEF: I like to be outside and enjoy nature. I like to go around Southern California with my bike and discover food producers TS: What is your favorite dish to eat? in California.

CHEF: My favorite is something that is never made in the kitchen, “Mozzarella di Bufala”! I come from the capital of the TS: Any funny or memorable stories about being a chef that Water Buffalo and mozzarella is like a blood connection with my you’d like to share? people, my flavor, my food. My favorite dish to eat is “Spaghetto CHEF: I have a lot of them but one I always like is when I start al Pomodoro”, the same thing I love to cook for my guests. to work on some huge cut of meat and I start to use my knife TS: What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

CHEF: Bimby, it’s a thermomixer.

As tool I like my “forchettone”, a big fork we use in Italy to serve and cook pasta. It’s hard to find it here. I had to bring one with me from Italy.

TS: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 5 ingredients would you bring and why?

CHEF: • Extra virgin olive oil because for me it is like a water, being a very big supporter of the Mediterranean diet it is a very healthy and useful ingredient.

• Mozzarella di Bufala, because for me it’s a very important item in my life. It’s a bridge that keeps me connected with home.

• Cured sausage preserved in pork lard, it’s a familiar tradition we have and my family to still preserve it in a natural way like it was done years and years ago.

• Wine, of course! As Italian as I am, I consider it an ingredient.

• Za’atar, which is an ingredient I am very in love lately.

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people are surprisingly impressed, because a lot of time if you are a chef it doesn’t mean you have good skills butchering a whole cow and knowing all the cuts. This is always fun for me because it is just a knowledge I carry from my dad and my family… It is something I know and I do naturally.

TS: What advice do you have for young chefs starting out in the business?

CHEF: Stay focused on what you are doing and be ready to keep learning every day until the last day of your profession. Food is an infinity world, never stop learning new things, you need to stay open and focus. Never stop to study all the aspect of the food.

Explore Eataly’s full calendar of classes and events at: www.Eataly.com

Eataly.com

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Mister O’s Brings Retro Charm to Studio City

BY TAMBI SAFFRAN FOCUS FOOD EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN TANAKA

M

ister O’s is a new American restaurant and lounge in Studio City from serial restaurateur Michael Cardenas of Innovative Dining Group, Chef Mario Alberto, and master mixologist Rafael Barba. The modern lounge and dining room ensconced in a mid-century, Palm Springs inspired cinder block facade (think The Parker Hotel) makes you feel like you just stepped onto a set of Mad Men complete with cool 60’s attitude. Can someone hand me a martini, please!

The restaurant features dinner seven days a week and weekday happy hour. Chef Alberto, the sous chef of Michael’s former Lazy Ox, and former Executive Chef at Laurel Hardware, Ysabel, and Tallula’s, creates modern Angeleno cuisine with lots of beautiful locally sourced ingredients.

Some of the standout dishes include Fierce Avocado (salt cod, lemon balm, tomato vinaigrette, masa cracker), Fried Turmeric Bread (farmers cheese, mushroom escabeche, mustard frill), Mr. O’s Burger (grand cru swiss, arugula, spelt bun) and Pork Can Can (baked potato, thai chili mortar sauce) These dishes are presented as beautifully as they sound and taste even better!

I had a chance to sit down with the owner of Mister O’s, Restauranter, Michael Cardenis: How did you get involved in the restaurant business?

In 1981, I was working as a kitchen helper, at Benihana San Diego. The head chef recommended me to the Benihana Chef School in New Orleans, which was a national program at the time. My knife skills were good. I was selected to go there. I was 19 at the time. I was one of 8 guys selected.

Tell me about the other restaurants you own and where they are located…

I own Sushi Roku in Santa Monica, Pasadena and Las Vegas.

Also, Katana on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, and Boa and Robata Bar in Santa Monica. Previously, I owned Lazy Ox and the original Sushi Roku in Hollywood.

What inspired you to open Mister O’s? Is there a Mister O? Tell me about him.. One of my original Sushi Roku investors, Jordan Ostrow, past away from Pancreatic cancer 6 years ago.

He was very dear to me and I wanted to do something for him, so I opened Mister O’s as an homage to him.

Why did you decide to open Mister O’s in Studio City?

Jordan’s son Chris suggested Studio City. It’s a great location… a great hub.

What is your favorite item on the menu?

Fried Tumeric Bread, I also like the Cote de Boeuf, the Fried Brussels Sprouts and Fried Cauliflower.

How did you select Chef Mario for Mister O’s?

He was my former sous chef at Lazy Ox. I understand there is an incredible cocktail bar at Mister O’s. Tell me about that…

I was introduced to Rafael Barba by a friend. He worked at Meadowood Inn in Napa and was relocating to LA. He had food-centric thinking and is a good craft bartender.

What do you think is the key to a successful restaurant?

There are three parts to that answer: Food and beverage, service, vibe/ambiance and music. Not necessarily in that order, but 33% across board. focusmag.us 51

How did you come up with the interior and exterior design for the restaurant?

My friend Ryk Maverick from Portland (Star Linger Gear) came up with the inspiration and template to do a midcentury vibe. I’ve worked with him on my other restaurants.

He’s very savvy and up to date.

What do you do for fun when are you are not working? i live in Malibu and I enjoy the beach and hiking.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 and 10 years from now?

Still doing what i am doing. I enjoy it. It’s my hobby. I want to coach guys that work for me to be successful in their own restaurant endeavors and prosper in the biz.

Do you have any advice for young people who want to go into the restaurant business?

It’s not an instant gratification business. It’s long hours, it’s a minimum wage rock and roll biz. You need to work hard, be sincere and have passion and good things will happen.

I also had a chance to chat with Chef Mario Alberto: Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the eastside of LA... Boyle Heights, Huntington Park.

When did you know you wanted to become a chef? Is there a memorable experience that inspired you?

I never expected to become a chef, I kind of fell upon it

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by accident. I always figured I would be an underground director in Japan. I had always worked in restaurants and had an opportunity to work in a Japanese kitchen that was too tempting to pass up. Before I knew it, I had the cooking bug.

How long have you been a chef professionally and did you train anywhere?

I’ve been a chef for 14 years. I was fortunate to work under some amazing chefs - Christopher Eagle, Ricardo Zarate, Travis Lett, Charlie Parker, Jeremy Fox. Where did you work as a chef before Mister O’s?

Tallula’s in Pacific Palisades What is the most ordered item on the menu?

The fried potato flatbread with persimmon, delicata squash, zucchini mousse, and fried sage.

What are your signature dishes?

It changes from place to place. I try to not revisit past dishes unless it was unfinished.

How often do you change the menu and what inspires you to come up with new dishes?

Quite often. I always get inspired by the ingredient first. I may not know what to do with it when I purchase it, but I work very intuitively.

What do you think is the key to a successful restaurant?

Consistency

What is your favorite ingredient?

At the moment, Juniper berries… Something about the scent and flavor.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget and why?

So mundane, but my Vitamix. So many of my sauces and vinaigrettes are made with it. I couldn’t survive without it.

What do you do for fun when are you are not working?

I like to hike, films and go to art exhibits. You would more than likely see me reading a sci-fi or higher consciousness book with a coffee in hand on the metro.

Do you have a favorite chef or cookbook that’s your go-to for inspiration?

My favorite chef is Charlie Trotter. Kitchen Sessions always brings me back.

If you had a last request meal, what would it be?

Always a cigarette. I don’t smoke anymore. But I still have a romance with it.

If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead?

I would love to have dinner with William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Jodorowsky, or Orson Welles.

Mister O’s 11838 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-358 3839 Instagram: @misterosla

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Locations 109 North La Cienega Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310 855-1059

2924 Beverly Glen Circle Los Angeles, CA 90077 424 832 3056

But Why, Rock to Recovery?

BY WES GEER, RENOWNED GUITARIST,INNOVATOR AND FOUNDER OF ROCK TO RECOVERY

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hen I was growing up in school it seemed all we were taught about addiction and mental health was that you’d wear a dirty green army trench coat and sleep in the gutter drinking your life away. They never mentioned the world leaders addicted to whiskey, The prima-ballerina with an eating disorder, the soccer mom addicted to Xanax and Aderol, the rock star, who despite massive fame and success being so miserable from depression he takes his own life, the professor addicted to porn, or the NBA champion addicted to crack. Finally these hidden alleys of our society are coming to light. No longer do we ignore Uncle Ted, and look the other way as he withers away due to his drinking…At least not as much.

But it can’t stop just there. It can’t stop at the level of conversations. It can’t stop at the level of finger pointing and ultimatums. We, as a society need to invite our deadly friend to dinner, openly, lovingly, and have conversations of depth and weight. But that seems a bit serious, doesn’t it? Well then, what if we have these conversations at a party, openly, with a message of hope, recovery, and unity- bringing together the suffering and sober, the supporting and the searching, through music. Enter Rock to Recovery®.

In the humble beginnings for anyone journeying into recovery, the days are exceedingly dark filled with shame and guilt and large doses of defeated, lonely, hopelessness. Rock to Recovery® endeavors to change that. Our core service is a music therapy program, that gets non-musicians accessing the magic, healing, transformative, powers of playing music, endeavoring to show the suffering that bright, hopeful, loving, child-like spirit is still alive in each of them. And the annual Rock to Recovery Benefit Concert was designed not only as a fundraiser to support the work of our nonprofit, but also to be dare I say, to be the coolest sober event around.

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Being sober and having gone through a rehab myself, I remember those early days of sobriety. You feel like you lost your best friend, your identity, like life is going to be this muted, dull experience. Regardless of how bad it was, for some reason few walk excitedly into the realm of recovery. It‘s scary and often a painful transition.

At our annual fundraiser we honor incredible humans--rock stars that have done amazing things with their sober life, and the recovery community as a whole. As a sober event about half our crowd is actively in a treatment program, and get to witness iconic people like Mike Ness (Social Distortion), Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) Wayne Kramer (MC5), Tommy Vext (Bad Wolves) and Moby sharing their experience, strength and hope from the podium, speaking to how they recovered from that hopeless state so many fall into. The local community gets to join together to express vulnerably the realities of America’s most deadly killers, and also celebrate the reality of just how bright and wonderful recovery ends up being. The concert is attended by your average local music lovers, and A-list celebrities and models as well, like Emmy award winning Jaime Pressly, Academy Award winner, Bryan Fogel, SI Swimsuit supermodel, Genevieve Morton, and comedian Drew Carey, to name just a few. Through the years the stage has featured performances by musicians from Guns n Roses, Stone Temple Pilots, Billy Idol, and even my dear friend, the late Chester Bennington (Linkin Park).

Every year I walk the crowd afterwards hearing responses from people that were bussed from local rehabs with just days sober, or even wounded veterans that had lost connection with society. But I remember one from last year that stood out in particular. His name was Jeff, who said ‘That was incredible, Im only 17 days sober! I cant believe you can have this much fun sober, that there is such an amazing, supportive world out there waiting for me when I get out of treatment. Now I truly know that my life is just beginning!!!’

Rock to Recovery IV will be at the Fonda Theatre Aug 24th, 2019. For more info please follow Rock to Recovery© on Facebook or Instagram @rocktorecovery

@rocktorecovery

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Brooke Mason: A Pioneer for Women in the Creative Industry

BY EMMA FORD PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROOKE MASON CREATIVE STUDIO

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ustralian-born Brooke Mason is so much more than just a photographer. Unafraid and not intimidated by change and breaking the rules, she is everything the creative industry aspires to be. Brooke prides herself on running a creative agency with a single mission: to help women succeed. Already this year, Brooke Mason Creative became a Certified Woman Owned Business.

Since being in Los Angeles, Brooke has immersed herself in the entertainment world and has photographed known artists and actors for magazines like Glamor, InStyle, and Angeleno.

We sat down with Brooke to find out a little more about how she got to where she is today, what inspires her, and what she years of directing on set as a photographer has given me the confidence to work as a team, art direct and have a project wants to do in the future. come to life. That’s the most exciting part of my job, seeing a seed of an idea come to fruition.

What inspired you to become a photographer?

I was inspired by wanting to capture my environment, the What does it take to be an entrepreneur? way I saw things as an artist. I started at a very young age, Dedication! A lot of this is probably a natural inclination so at the time, it wasn’t deep thoughts of a career. In fact, and I find people asking me if I’m scared about not having a my parents are professional business people and being an regular paycheck or knowing how much is going to come in. artist was not a career path that they supported. It was just a Yes, it can be daunting; however, you have to be a risk taker passion that I never gave up on and the point I was making and most entrepreneurs thrive on that. I like the pressure money and didn’t need to do other things, I realized, “Hey, it brings, I thrive on the deadline and after some time you this is my career!” learn to overcome your own self-doubts, fears and strive for your best. There is nothing else like it. I will say, I do work How did you transition from being a photographer to much longer hours and days than most of my friends who owning a creative agency? aren’t, but the reward for me is much higher.

As a photographer I wasn’t just capturing images. I was hired to art direct, manage projects, castings and aligning What are the most important qualities that have been with brands. It was 15 years of background that lead to this, most beneficial on your journey? however I did study communication at University. My most Working hard is by far the most important thing when memorable work experience was with one of the largest you have your own business. Sometimes you have to say advertising agencies in Sydney, Australia. I was in awe of no to fabulous social events, but keeping clients happy and the complexities of how it ran. I naturally hung out with the delivering work on time is crucial. creative department more than any other, however my 15

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What is the best advice you could give to someone starting out as an entrepreneur?

It’s important to have big goals and dreams so I wouldn’t want to ever squash those for somebody starting out. Be prepared to put in the work, turn down party offers from friends. Stay up late into the evening fulfilling your dreams and up early to conquer the day.

What are the biggest challenges that you have faced as a female in the business world?

Not being taken seriously. I find the main challenge, as a woman in this male-centric world is that men think we may not be as capable or as intelligent. It’s a fine balance to prove your self without doing it in a way that is forceful and contrived. It’s important to not give up and let prejudices get in your way.

What motivates you in business?

I’m motivated by creating beautiful masterpieces, even if that’s just a stunning website, it’s awesome!

What differentiates you from your business peers?

Everyone has their unique talents and I adore some of the other creative agencies who do similar work to us. I guess the main difference I see is my background is heavily in art directing and visual curation, so we are heavily focused on branding and the end result. We are small, so clients get to talk with all of us and we are all very engaged in every project that happens.

Do you have a secret to your success?

Focusing on being the best at what you do and being honest with yourself - if it’s not your forte, being okay with finding someone else for that task. There is no ego in my business, we all collaborate and if there’s a better idea we run with that.

“Ego’s” gets in people’s way, it stiffens your creativity, your success and your opportunities.

Do you have a motto that you stand by?

Being authentic. I make an effort to keep strong ethics, stay honest and be as real as I can.

Tell us a little more about yourself…

These days, I’m a combination of an Aussie at heart and an American day to day. I’m proud to have grown up with my roots firmly planted in Australia, you can’t have an inflated ego living there and it keeps me grounded. My family also helps with that!

When I first lived in NYC, I was in awe of what an incredible country this is, a driven country with goals of exceeding your expectations. I’m proud to be both American and Australian now.

Keep up with Brooke’s beautiful photographs and busy life on Instagram @Brookemasonphoto

What is your ultimate goal?

I believe in striving and moving forward with continual growth. I don’t have an ultimate goal, but I am looking forward to growing my team and bringing in bigger projects for 2019. I already feel blessed with so much we have done this past year.

What are you most passionate about?

When it comes to life… art, aesthetics and beauty. When it’s my work; I love to see people happy. Pleasing our clients is my number one driving factor.

What are your proudest achievements?

It’s always one you haven’t had yet!

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brookemasonphotography.com Instagram @Brookemasonphoto

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My Playboy Story: Hopping from Richmond to Hollywood Malorie Mackey Gives Readers A VIP Pass To The Playboy Mansion In Her New Memoir

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ave you ever imagined living in a small town, being the girl next door, and dreaming of making a cross-country trip to Hollywood to become a star? From living in Richmond, Virginia (population 200,000) to being thrust into the limelight in Los Angeles, the 2nd largest media market in the U.S.? In the blink of an eye, you are being photographed on exclusive red carpets, signing autographs, and hanging out at the Playboy Mansion with the world’s most recognizable international models, actors, and actresses. Well, she did it!

Meet former Modelogic/Wilhelmina model and actress Malorie Mackey who gives readers a VIP pass to the Playboy Mansion and Playboy lifestyle in her new tell-all memoir explaining how she did it. My Playboy Story: Hopping from Richmond to Hollywood, is available via Kindle, Amazon, iBook, and in select book stores.

In My Playboy Story, Mackey highlights how she, a selfdescribed tomboy and prude, finds herself immersed in the world of pageantry in Los Angeles and then subsequently how she is adopted into the high life, the Playboy world!

receiving her BFA in Theatre Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Upon arriving in LA, Malorie participated in the Miss California USA 2011 Pageant where she won the “Friend’s Choice” Award (by popular vote) and received a beautiful award for it.

Since being on the West Coast, Malorie has accumulated over 25 acting credits working on a variety of television shows, web series, and indie films, such as the sci-fi movie “Dracano,” the Biography Channel show “My Haunted House,” the tv pilot “Model Citizen” with Angie Everhart, and the awardwinning indie film “Amelia 2.0.”

Throughout her experiences, Malorie found a love for After having a successful career as a model in Richmond, Mackey made the cross-country trip to Hollywood risking it travel and adventure, having journeyed to over a dozen all for a chance at a career in Hollywood. She found herself countries experiencing competing in the Miss California USA pageant. A big fan of unique locations. From the TV Series Girl Next Door, she longed for the chance to the lush jungles of the one day visit the Mansion. In her memoir, Mackey not only Sierra Madre mountain range to the Arctic Circle in Finnish explains how she got to the Mansion, but also the cast of Lapland, Malorie began adventuring and writing about her odd, interesting, and bizarre characters she’s encountered in unique travels. These travel excerpts can be found on VIVA Hollywood and in the Playboyverse.

GLAM Magazine, in Malorie’s Adventure Blog, and in the works for Malorie’s adventure show and full-length travel Malorie grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she loved sports, the outdoors, animals, and all forms of art. She took to book. acting at a young age, so it was no surprise when she decided to go to college for theatre. While in college, Malorie studied Stay tuned as Malorie travels the world bringing its beauty and wonder to you. body movement with the DAH Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia, voice in Herefordshire, England with Frankie Armstrong, and the business of theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Malorie moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles after Instagram: @maloriemackey

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Cali College Tour meets Mini Vacay Road Trip

From LA, Along the Coast to Berkeley and Back.

BY WENDY BROKAW KRETCHMER FOCUS TRAVEL EDITOR

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don’t know about you, but in the 1980’s when I was applying to colleges, we talked to our high school college counselors to learn about the colleges that made sense for us to attend, and then we called teach one to request their brochures which we received the good old-fashioned way, by mail. If the school appealed to us, we applied. And then, like it is today, we waited for what seemed like forever to get the acceptances or rejection letters. And maybe, just maybe, we would take a trip to the college we thought was our first choice.

Times have changed! The college tour has become an expectation, a rite of passage, at least for those families that can afford it. Touring colleges as early as 10th and 11th grade has blossomed into quite an industry with many schools and companies offering college tour packages. No way, however, was I sending my daughter off to see these schools with someone else. I am a travel editor for a magazine, after all.

I wanted to go, too! For families like us that have specific colleges in mind, we create our own itinerary in search of the perfect school for our child. I know this because I started the search for colleges with my older daughter over spring break of her junior year of high school. She was only interested in Boston, NYC and DC. Having landed in DC this fall for her freshman year at one of those schools we visited, it was time for me to start this whole process over again with daughter #2, who is currently a junior in high school.

Daughter #2 has a different idea of what she wants out of her college experience and education, so our itinerary was going to look quite different. The biggest difference is she wants to stay closer to home. So our game plan was to take a road-trip and turn it into a mini-vacation to look at a few California colleges, and the opportunity to spend quality alone time with her.

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Here’s a look at how we tackled 4 colleges in 5 days, where we stayed and how we filled our bellies! The colleges on our list were UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and Cal State San Luis Obispo.

Our prep for the trip started with an online search and signups for presentations and campus tours at every school on our list. And the fun part was deciding where we wanted to stay. We ended up with an eclectic array of accommodations and an adventure we will never forget!

Monday, Day 1 - Santa Barbara

Starting from Los Angeles, we headed to our first destination a day before our first scheduled tour. It took us a little over 2 hours because I let my daughter drive to get in some much needed hours behind the wheel before getting her driver’s license. We chose The Kimpton Goodland because we’re fans of the Kimpton Brand which tends to edgy, cool and moderately priced. We also liked its proximity to the UC Santa Barbara campus. We arrived and were so happy with

this fun and quirky mid-century hotel with its retro vibe.

It’s an eclectic, upscale motel where every room encircles the hip & happening scene at the pool with music blasting during the day. Each room has their own private patio. Inside the room you can tune out the music by the pool because each room has their own vinyl record player. There is an uber cool “record room” in the hotel lobby so you can pick your own music play in your room.

Having arrived in the afternoon we ended up eating at their restaurant called Outpost. Although we had planned to go out to dinner, we loved our lunch so much, that we ate dinner there too. After dinner, we sat around the outdoor fire pit and roasted marshmallows – a special treat!

When the tour ended, we had a 4 hour drive to Santa Cruz, so we found the closest Chipotle so we could get on the road quickly.

We decided to change things up with our accommodations in Santa Cruz because we found something very cool on AirBnb, a Luxury Treehouse in the Redwoods in the Happy Valley neighborhood, just 15 minutes from the UCSC campus. We loved this unique experience! With the long drive from Santa Barbara, we arrived in the evening and ended up post-mating food so we could settle in for the night. We ate and relaxed with the fireplace ablaze, in our cozy treehome!

Some other great perks about staying at this hotel, (if your kid ends up going to UCSB), is they hold luggage and boxes for students moving across the country, and they have a nightly wine hour every evening from 5pm-6pm so parents can unwind after getting their kids all set up.

Tuesday, Day 2 - Tour UC Santa Barbara then drive to Santa Cruz

After grabbing a quick to-go breakfast at Outpost, we set out for our morning tour/presentation of UCSB. It’s impossible to not be impressed with the beautiful location of this school. I imagine that this is what Mid-West and East-Coasters dreams are made of with the weather being unbeatable and the campus location literally overlooking the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Here is what we got out of the tour: UCSB provides a very traditional college experience with students passionate about their studies, and with a social scene that is vibrant and fun. The academics sound amazing, professors seem interested in their teachings, and the internship opportunities are incredible. The quarter system keeps things interesting and fast paced. The student body, known as “The Gauchos”, have such a strong sense of community and school pride.

Wednesday, Day 3 - UC Santa Cruz Tour and drive to Berkeley

The most amazing part of our treehouse experience was waking up to the most glorious view of giant redwoods through the skylights above the bed. This was a memorable experience and we would love to come back and stay there again! We loved our host, Lindsay Clayman, who lives on the main property with her family. To book this property you can

just google: Luxury Treehouse in the Redwoods AirBnB.

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On our way to the UC Santa Cruz campus we stopped for breakfast at Crow’s Nest. Our close friend who is a Santa Cruz native, gave us perfect restaurant suggestions!

Crow’s Nest has your ideal breakfast menu and panoramic views of the Harbor. After breakfast, we were off to the campus.

As we arrived at UC Santa Cruz, we thought we were pulling up to a summer camp in the mountains. The entire campus is a Redwood Forest and it’s absolutely beautiful. The campus is a nature lover’s dream; Complete with many deer roaming all over campus.

Known for its engineering and sciences, UCSC is made up of ten domestic colleges. Each college has its own theme, which tends to attract students with those specific interests.

After the tour, we drove 15 minutes away to the picturesque village of Capitola for lunch at Paradise Beach Grille Cafe followed by ice cream at Suzanne’s. Then we hit the road for Berkeley. and then breakfast before departing the next morning for our Berkeley tour. Whether or not my daughter goes to UC Berkeley, we have to come back to this very special hotel.

Thursday, Day 4 - UC Berkeley Tour and drive to San Luis Obispo

The drive was 1 ½ hours to one of the most iconic hotels in Northern California, The Claremont Club & Spa. This grand and majestic hotel sits in the midst of the Oakland/ Berkeley hills with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay. This historic hotel is old world luxury mixed with modern amenities and was recently refurbished. It is absolute perfection and I now consider it a bucket list destination. The Claremont has a stellar staff. I only wish we had more time to enjoy the property and explore the 22 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. Claremont offers tennis, swimming, fitness classes, a spa, and amazing dining options. We did get to experience the exceptional food and stunning views at The Limewood Bar & Restaurant where we had both dinner

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After having the best night’s sleep and a quick breakfast, we were off to visit UC Berkeley which is the flagship of all the University of California schools and is considered to be the best public university in the country. When we arrived,

recommend walking this avenue if you are considering Berkeley, as it will be your kid’s closest go-to close-to-campus college town for their quick bites or errands and they should see how they fit in.

we instantly felt the richness of the school’s history and the spirit of freedom, self-expression, and protest. We loved the diversity of the student body, the stunning beauty of this vast campus, and the impressive faculty that the University attracts. It’s not surprising that it’s one of the top learning institutions in the world.

When the tour was over, we walked down Telegraph Avenue to get lunch. We just chose a random cafe from the many offbeat options on this walkable strip. It’s a funky mix of places to eat, cool shops, diverse people & odors and, of course, college students. It’s definitely a bit seedy; a combo of Melrose meets Hollywood, but more hippy chill. I highly

After lunch, we headed south, driving to our final destination, San Luis Obispo, otherwise known as SLO. We had never been and I would definitely go back! It’s an absolutely adorable town midway between Santa Barbara and Big Sur with an abundance of good restaurants and cute

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shops. Ten minutes down the road is ia the charming coastal city of Pismo Beach. We chose to stay at Granada Hotel located in the center of town. This hipster chic boutique hotel is housed in a 1920’s brick building that was once a brothel!

All seventeen guest rooms have hardwood floors, the coolest vintage furnishings, exposed brick walls and cozy bedding.

We got lucky because every Thursday night in SLO is a Farmer's market, where the main downtown street, Higuera, is closed off and lots of food vendors fill the street selling yummy food with the sounds of live entertainment filling the air. So dinner turned into a smorgasbord of treats from the various food vendors! Everything was so good! We had a fun night of eating, shopping and music.

Friday, Day 5 - Cal State San Luis Obispo tour and homebound

After a restful night in our comfy bed, we started the day with a healthy breakfast right next door to our hotel, at a little cafe called Nourish before our Cal State San Luis Obispo tour, also called Cal Poly. It’s known to have one of the top engineering and agricultural related schools on the West Coast, but we got the impression that Cal Poly puts a lot of energy into providing something for everyone. It’s a big place with a small school feel. The curriculum is based on the saying “learn by doing,” so there is a big emphasis on hands-on learning.

When this tour ended, so did this unexpectedly fabulous trip.

We got back in the car with a 3 ½ hour drive in front of us.

This gave us time to sort out our thoughts together on all the schools we visited. This trip was a great starting point, but it’s only the beginning of our journey. My advice: Enjoy this time with your child, and if you are interested in a school, put your feet on the campus and its surrounding town to really get a real sense of if it’s a fit for them. We still have many more school visits which ahead which we will make day trips to or turn into other mini vacations! What’s next: UC San Diego, Pomona, Pitzer, USC, UCLA and perhaps we will take flight and visit a few out of state! Stay tuned!

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More than just a Pier

View of the Santa Monica Pier from the south. In the movie Forest Gump, the main character, Forest, passes by the Santa Monica pier as he went on his epic run across the country.

BY ASHLEY YAMAGUCHI

I NT RODU C T ION

Imagine the sounds of people screaming with joy, equally mixed with terror, while strolling along the beach. This is not a shark attack but an indication that you are nearing the Santa Monica Pier. Besides the thrilling sounds traveling through the air, the pier brings each visitor a feeling of happiness and nostalgia.

Did you know that each year there are about 8 million people who visit the Santa Monica Pier? Compared to the 8 million visitors, Santa Monica has a sheer population of 92,472 people. Santa Monica has so many visitors that it can be compared to the population in Bangkok, Thailand and Chicago, Illinois. Beyond its visitors, many people simply pass by the Santa Monica Pier, but they might not know much about its history and realize the events that have taken place there.

H I STORY

The Santa Monica pier first opened in 1909 when the city built the structure to cover the city’s sewage new line. Many people came to enjoy all the festivities the pier had to offer.

There were running, swimming, and boating events that took place in addition to the games and fun. It wasn’t until 1915 when Charles Looff, a carousel carver and amusement park businessman, came and created the first amusement rides and called it Looff Pleasure Pier. By the next year, a roller coaster and the iconic carousel was added, both which still stand today as historical landmarks. Within that time, the pier was very popular and thousands of people enjoyed the rides. There was even live music to entertain the crowds.

Over the next few decades, the Santa Monica Pier experienced many ups and downs. In 1919 rusting concrete piles caused the pier to collapse. The concrete was then replaced with creosote treated wood. From 1929 - 1939 the 80 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 1 9

Great Depression occurred causing the rides and The La Monica Ballroom to close. During this time, a sailor named Olaf C. Olsen donated a percentage of his catch to families in need due to the Great Depression. Moreover, a fun fact about Olaf C. Olsen is that he is the inspiration behind the famous comic character Popeye! Even though the Great Depression caused hardships, people were still able to enjoy water sports at the Santa Monica Pier. From 1934 - 1950, paddle boarding clubs thrived at the pier.

There was still hope for the pier rides to be brought back to life.

A man named Walter Newcomb purchased the pier in 1943 and he revitalized the pier’s amusement park history. It then The Santa Monica Pier Businessmen's became known as Association installed the popular neon sign on the Newcomb Pier. the pier ramp in 1940.

Newcomb’s family owned the pier for 40 more years until they sold it to the city in the early 1970’s.

In 1975 the iconic carousel and the Hippodrome building was made a historical landmark in Los Angeles County by the U.S. government. During 1983, half of the pier was destroyed by a storm; some swells were reported to have risen up to 10 feet! The reconstruction of the pier ended in 1990. In 1996 there was an addition of an amusement park, Pacific Pier, and this drew in many families to enjoy an even more entertaining environment. Today, there is much that the Santa Monica Pier has to offer, such as exciting rides, an educational aquarium, and even outdoor movies!

EV E N T S

I remember the excitement riding around and around on the carousel with all my friends and family surrounding me. The carnival music filled the air making me feel like I wanted to jump around and play. I was celebrating my 5th birthday party in the carousel building at the Santa Monica Pier. Did you know there are places available to rent at the Santa Monica Pier?

Reservations can be made for birthday parties, baby showers, and many more types of private gatherings. There are many events that take place at the pier, like concerts, movies, beer gardens, and more. One of the pier’s main events is a music festival called, “Twilight on the Pier”, which takes place September through October each year. This festival has taken place on the pier for 34 years!

Another event is outdoor movies at the pier, which attracts hundreds, sometimes thousands of viewers. For four days during the fall, the pier offers free movie viewings to people who reserve a spot.

as Sea Star Feedings and Shark Sunday, you can check out their calendar online at: healthebay.org. In addition to all of these great things, the aquarium holds many sea creatures such red octopuses, sea horses, and sea anemones. You could even have the chance to hold a sea cucumber in the aquarium touch tanks!

C ONCLUSION

The Santa Monica pier is an iconic part of West Los Angeles that has many events and activities that everyone can enjoy! The pier also has a very rich history and historical landmarks that still exist today from over a century ago. Next time you visit or pass by the Santa Monica pier, take into mind all it has to offer and its colorful history.

The Pacific Park Ferris Wheel first opened in early 1996. At night, when the ferris wheel is lit up, it can be seen from miles away.

Ashley Yamaguchi is a 13 year old student being homeschooled in English Literature through Dream Academe. dreamacademe.com

E N T E RTA I NM E NT

Entertainment at the pier comes in the form of amusement rides, which include a roller coaster and the landmark ferris wheel, which can be seen from miles around, especially when it lights up the night sky. There is an arcade hall with classic games such as claw machines, pinball, skeeball, genie fortune tellers, and pacman, not to mention the modern interactive games. The pier also offers free historical walking tours Saturday and Sunday at 11am and noon. While you’re there, make sure you check out the aquarium hidden underneath the carousel building, sponsored by the non-profit organization called, Heal the Bay. Through its volunteers Heal the Bay does many great things for beaches all around Santa Monica. By 2016 Heal the Bay had cumulatively picked up over two million pounds of trash from neighboring beaches as a result of all their volunteer events over the years.

Heal the Bay holds many activities at the aquarium for people to enjoy such focusmag.us 81

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Happenings 4OTH ANNIVERSAY OF RON ROBINSON In 1978, Ron Robinson, Inc. opened its doors at Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue. Armed with a decade of experience working directly for Fred Segal as a salesman, buyer and Vice President, Robinson took his hard-earned knowledge and expertise and built a global brand that continues to change the face of shopping and fashion today. The RON ROBINSON brand offers uniquely curated personal and lifestyle fashion and includes the APOTHIA beauty boutique - home of the IF signature fragrance and award-winning interior aromatics - as well as RON ROBINSON men’s, women’s and kids apparel and home design, all of which embody the brand’s long-standing tradition of quality and style.

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Happenings MARIE WESTWOOD MAGAZINE – SPRING ISSUE RELEASE FEATURING GOOD MORNING LALA LAND “The Bold and Gorgeous Spring/Summer Edition” launched in Beverly Hills. The party was hosted by cover star, Hana Noka, at The Royals Paris. Guests included some of the most iconic and fashionable Angelinos including Nicole Muj (founder of Kultura PR), Larry Namer (Co-Founder E! Entertainment), Ivan Von Bitton (Designer), Christine Devine (TV Personality), Angela Madden (Thought Leader), and many more. The cast of Good Morning LaLa Land (Dr. Erin, Rob Mack, & Jezlan Moyet) was also there to celebrate the release of the latest issue that includes a feature on the rising trio.

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Happenings WOMEN ON THE RISE AWARDS BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP ALLIANCE NETWORK BRA-Network, the Business Relationship Alliance, was founded in Los Angeles in 2015 by Carrie Murray to provide female entrepreneurs and solopreneurs a sense of community, collaboration and empowerment to grow their businesses. The 3rd annual awards luncheon celebrated a ‘Visionary Entrepreneur’ who has paved the way for other women’s success, a ‘Women on The Rise’ who is an up-and-comer successfully following in others’ footsteps, and an ‘Empowerment Leader’ who has exemplified positive leadership among her peers. They also gave ‘Special Recognition’ to Good Morning LaLa Land as leaders in Media, Innovation and Technology for using its platform for good, and its hosts for their commitment to positivity and empowerment. bra-network.com

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Happenings HANRO – BEVERLY HILLS OPENING & BENEFIT WITH ONE WORLD ONE OCEAN On October 4. 2018, Beverly Hills welcomed Hanro, the luxury lingerie brand to the neighborhood. This is the second shop in the United States for the Swiss based brand. The grand opening was a collaborative benefit with One World One Ocean a multi-platform campaign using the power of film, television and new media to inspire, educate and connect millions of people worldwide in a common purpose to protect and restore the health of the ocean. Celebrities attendees included Jared Harris (The Crown/The Terror) with his wife Allegra Riggio, Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl), Kelley Jakie (Pitch Perfect), Sarah Armstrong (The Royals), Kate Linder (Young & The Restless), Jenni Pulos (Flipping Out), Edy Ganem (El Tonto) and Lady Victoria Hervey (British aristocracy & TV personality) along with Hanro President Jan Snodgrass and store manager Debra Rogers. Organized by Denise Weaver/Pistol & Stamen, the event was sponsored by wine company Good Luck Have Fun in Temecula. www.hanro.com Instagram @Hanro_Official

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Happenings ROCK N WOOF Afundraiser concert presented by K9 Lives Plus savingk9livesplus.org

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Happenings PPLA FOOD FARE Barker Hangar, Santa Monica This year marked the 40th anniversary of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ (PPLA) highly anticipated culinary event and largest annual fundraiser, the PPLA Food Fare. More than 2000 supporters joined Sue Dunlop, PPLA CEO & President, to raise $1.3 million in support of PPLA. Also honored at the event was Chef Helene An of House of An featuring Crustacean Beverly Hills as PPLA Food Fare’s 2019 Chef of the Year. Attendees enjoyed hundreds of gourmet food and drink samples from some of Southern California‘s best restaurants, caterers and libation purveyors, all in support of PPLA. Focus Magazine’s Food Editor, Tambi Saffran attended the event.

Photos: Aurelia D’Amore Photography for PPLA Food Fare All photos courtesy of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ 40th Anniversary Food Fare Event & Fundraiser.

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It’s our craveable food that keeps our regulars coming back for more. From simple, but always satisfying, smashed avocado toast to delicate roasted branzino, The Henry menu has something tempting for every palate. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s always a good time to drop by and discover a new favorite.

THE HENRY 120 North Robertson Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90048 thehenryrestaurant.com 92 FOCUS | J U N E 2 0 1 9

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