Austin Woman MAGAZINE | march 2016
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
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16
Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology ENDOCRINOLOGY
is the science of hormones, substances released by glands that regulate every cell in your body, for both men and women. Examples of endocrine diseases: thyroid disease, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and obesity, hirsutism, menopause, pituitary and adrenal pathology, low testosterone in males, andropause and impotence, polycystic ovaries, recurrent kidney stones, irregular or lack of menstrual periods, high and low calcium, diabetes. We provide a comprehensive assessment of your hormone balance, in-house hormone testing, thryoid ultrasound, and bone density testing.
THYROID DISEASE affects thirty million Americans, half of which do not know they have the disease. Examples: hypo and hyperthyroidism, Graves and Hashimoto disease, goiter, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Each person has a different genetic set point for TSH. Thyroid problems require lifelong attention. We are the premiere thryoid clinic in Austin, and offer the latest treatment for thyroid disease, aggressive management of thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine and second opinion consults for thyroid surgery.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR TSH?
HAVE YOU SEEN AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST?
OPTIMAL HEALTH BIOLOGICAL AGE
deals with your health before disease prevention or treatment.
OSTEOPOROSIS
is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in four men over 50 and is generally missed. Bone fracture is the “heart attack” of the bone. New treatments reduce the risk of fracture and build new bone. A bone density test is the only way to test for osteoporosis. We have the latest bone density testing equipment in Texas, and provide instant bone metabolism, medical consultation, and treatment options.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR BONE DENSITY?
Optimal health is the ideal, yet achievable, health of your body as you reach middle age and beyond. Your biological age is a measure of how well your body functions, compared to your actual calendar age. Our specialized equipment allows us to measure and evaluate your biological age, a composite of your brain age, bone age, heart age, and vessel age. We help you achieve your optimal health, a major factor in the quality of your life as you age.
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60
On the cover
MELLIE PRICE By steve uhler
68
feature
shay Boom!
Photo by Rudy Arocha.
By John T. Davis
Contents
Photo by Greg Noire.
march
44 on the scene
style + Home
23 KRISTY’S TOP 10
48 trends Vintage Vixen 54 beauty Smoky Siren 56 what’s in store South By Southwestern
March’s To-do List
savvy women 27 Real Texas Women Janis Joplin 28 c ount us in Women in Numbers 30 P rofile Girl Guitar 32 l et’s taco ’bout it 10,000 Small Businesses
34 a sk the experts
Entrepreneurs
MUST LIST 39 M ust travel
Out on the Range
GOURMET 75 recipe reveal Gourmet By Numbers 80 FOOD NEWS Backbeat 82 girl walks into a bar Secret Hideaways
wellness 86 h ealth Cleansing for Colonoscopies 88 f itness + Nutrition Coach Karen Aston
42 M ust GIVE
POINT OF VIEW
44 M ust hear
94 m emo from JB Battle of the Bands 96 i am austin woman Southern Roots
South Texas Money Management Austin’s Music Lineup
on the cover Photo by Rudy Arocha rudyarochaphotography.com Styled by Ashley Hargrove dtkaustinstyling.com Makeup by April Downs, hair by Kiley Mitchell avantsalon.com
12 | Austin Woman | MARCH 2016
Bobeau gray cardigan, $68, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com; angle stacked medium earrings, $55, available at limbojewelry.com.
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Volume 14, issue 7
Co-Founder and Publisher Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher Christopher Garvey associate publisher Cynthia Guajardo Shafer COO/GenerAL MANAGER Shawnee McClanahan
EDITORIAL Editor Emily C. Laskowski associate Editor April Cumming copy editor Chantal Rice contributing writers
Sarah E. Ashlock, Jill Case, Gina Chavez, John T. Davis, Andy East, JB Hager, Kristy Owen, Rachel Rascoe, Shelly Seale, Grace Snively, Katie Taylor, Steve Uhler
ART CREATIVE Director Niki Jones ART DIRECTOR Lucy Froemmling CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Rudy Arocha, April Downs, Jim Flynn, Jeff Hammerton, Ashley Hargrove, Zuzu Kelly, Daniel Kramer, Robert Lerma, Laura Martinez, Dustin Meyer, Kiley Mitchell, Nicole Mlakar, Jordan Moser, Greg Noire, Sarah Reid, Keith Rizzo, Lauren Schneider, Katie Taylor, Jessica Wetterer, Todd Wolfson, David Zacek
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Katie Paschall, Jessica Price
operations and marketing Operations and Marketing manager
Maggie Rester Interns
Marisa Charpentier, Daniela Covian, Emily Henry, Maddy Hill, Brianna Peters, Rachel Rascoe, Grace Snively, Maddie Walling
Emeritus Co-Founder Samantha Stevens Editors
Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Mary Anne Connolly, Elizabeth Eckstein Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,250 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. For submission requirements, visit awmediainc.com/contribute. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission. Visit us online at austinwomanmagazine.com. Email us at info@awmediainc.com. 512.328.2421 • 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759
From the Editor
Join the conversation @eclaskowski @austinwoman #IAmAustinWoman
16 | Austin Woman | MARCH 2016
Congress Avenue Bridge, waiting to take off. Soaring to new or unchartered or higher heights isn’t exclusive to entrepreneurs though. In so many ways, we all want to take flight. Of course, I’m impatient, so I’m always looking for that direct, non-stop option with a couple of drink tickets in hand. But that’s not always possible (both metaphorically and literally. It turns out Charleston, S.C., isn’t as easy to get to from Austin as I would like.) and that’s just fine. The trip might take longer. There might be a few detours. But here’s the thing: Are you going to cancel or postpone just because it’s not easy? No. Why? Because there’s a reason you’re going where you’re going. Entrepreneurs, musicians, filmmakers, writers, athletes, artists, philanthropists, parents, teachers, students, doctors, leaders and Austinites everywhere share this rationale. Whether it’s a plan for the next five minutes or the next five years, we all think about how to get where we’re going. As for me, in the next five minutes, I plan on gliding to and fro in the vintage roller skates Creative Director Niki Jones acquired during the making of this issue, and which you can see in their full glory in our stunning Style section. After that, I’ll take my cues from Mellie Price and Shayna Brown and the other women who grace the pages of this, our Entrepreneur Issue. After all, they know a thing or two about getting started. Sincerely,
EMILY C. LASKOWSKI Editor
Photo by Dustin Meyer.
K
eep Austin Weird. The Live Music Capital of the World. Silicon Hills. The Capital of Texas: These monikers and mottos for the little blue dot on the map of the Lone Star State have long endeared Austin’s eclectic collection of cultures to natives and outsiders alike. First christened Waterloo in the 1830s, Austin, with its Hill Country surroundings and the Colorado River coursing through it, struck an independent chord with settlers early on that continues to reverberate through the innovators, lawmakers, academics, musicians, collegians and taco enthusiasts that currently cluster together within its city limits. Today, that pioneering spirit breeds creativity. It attracts talent. It cultivates ideas. It makes Austin an entrepreneur’s paradise. This magazine itself was an entrepreneurial venture hatched a little more than 13 years ago. From startup to small business to stock options, there are challenges and opportunities in every entrepreneur’s journey. In this city, entrepreneurs discover they are more than just entrepreneurs; they are also mountain bikers, songwriters and craft brewers. They are Austin-preneurs. This crossover mentality converges in Austin every March, when worlds collide under the collaborative umbrella of South By Southwest. Movers meet with thinkers, shakers cavort with artisans and fans search for celebrities on the streets. It is a time when the next big thing could be hanging out nearby, like the bats under the Ann W. Richards
MIAMI’S TOP DOCTOR IS NOW IN AUSTIN JOHNNY FRANCO, MD, PLASTIC SURGEON
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contributors
Austin Symphony Orchestra
This month, we asked our contributors: If you could follow one band or musician from the past or present on tour for one year, who would it be?
RUDY AROCHA
Cover Photographer, “Mellie Price,” Page 60 Photographer Rudy Arocha is a native Texan who moved to Austin to pursue his education in fine arts as a sculptor. He later rediscovered his passion for photography when his grandfather gave him a camera as a gift. Rudy graduated from the Art Institute of Austin and specializes in portrait photography. When not photographing, Rudy enjoys music, the outdoors and spending time with his wife, Maggie. “The band I would follow around would be Motley Crew in the ’80s. After reading their book, The Dirt, I would go on tour for one year with them. I would be exhausted and probably age about 10 years, but I’m sure it would be awesome!”
Steve Uhler
COVER Writer, “Mellie Price,” Page 60 Steve Uhler appreciates creativity and innovation, so he was gratified to profile award-winning entrepreneur, mentor and startup facilitator Mellie Price in this month’s issue. Steve’s work has appeared in such diverse publications as Texas Music Magazine, Filmfax, Rolling Stone, Cat Fancy and Austin Woman. “I’d have to say Bob Dylan’s turbulent 1966 tour of the U.K., when audiences booed him for playing rock ’n’ roll instead of folk. The moment when someone yells, ‘Judas!’ and Dylan explodes into ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ was the quintessential musical middle finger to the past and a harbinger of the revolution to come. Transcendent, spontaneous, interactive theater. I’d love to have been there!”
Perfect date nights start here.
LAURA MARTINEZ
U p c o m i n g e v e n t: APRIL 8 & 9, 8:00 P.m. Masterworks Series at Long center’s dell Hall Lior, vocalist Music of Verdi, Schubert, Westlake/attar StAy ConneCted! download the aSo’s free app to your mobile device to interact with musicians and other audience members
Lior
co n c e r t S ponS or
Se a S o n S ponS or
Tickets/Info (512) 476-6064 or austinsymphony.org
M e d i a S ponS or S All artists, programs, and dates subject to change.
Hair and makeup artist, “vintage vixen,” Page 48 Laura Martinez is a freelance makeup artist from Austin. She specializes in makeup for print, commercial and lifestyle shoots. Laura is cultivating a new team of artists called Immix Theory that will focus primarily on local weddings and events. She recently worked with L’Oréal, Marie Claire and Entertainment Weekly, to name a few. Follow her for beauty tips on Instagram: @bylauramartinez. “If I had the chance to go on tour with a musician, it would have to be Beyoncé because she is a native Texan, philanthropist and a true artist. To follow her on tour for a year would be exciting, crazy and there would be a lot of singing and dancing!”
John T. Davis
writer, “Shay Boom!” Page 68 John T. Davis has lived in Austin for more than three decades, writing about the music, personalities and the culture of Texas and the Southwest for a variety of regional, state and national publications. His byline has appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, Billboard and more. He is also the author of the book Austin City Limits: 25 Years of American Music. “If I could shadow one musician for a year, I think it would have to be Willie Nelson, circa 1973 to ’74. Watching his evolution from a beer-joint balladeer to a hit maker, A-list country star and all-around Texas icon was fascinating to experience as a fan. I’d love to know how the pivotal evolution looked from his perspective.”
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Connect with us! Can’t get enough of this issue? Check us out at austinwomanmagazine.com. bling. What do you get when you combine Austin’s hipster style with boots, ➥ More bling, Frito pies and funnel cakes? Austin Rodeo fashion. They say an image is worth a thousand words, so we’re making you a slideshow.
➥ More insta-taneous gratification. Find out which Instagram accounts run by local photographers, ranging from foodies to pet lovers to fashion stylists, are rising to the top of the Austin social-media photo chain.
turner. In this literature roundup, we selected some of the best female-authored books written in the past century that are worthy of a cover dusting.
➥ More behind the scenes. Swivel your attention to the less-exposed side of the
music industry as we take a sound check with three females involved in the Live Music Capital of the World’s inner workings.
entrepreneur events. Keeping track of all the meet ups and social events this ➥ More fine city has to offer can be a challenge in and of itself. No need to fear. We did some legwork and created an entrepreneur events calendar. Now you can focus on what matters most: whom you’re going to meet next. rituals. Step into the home studio where Austin artisan Oren Porterfield, ➥ More founder of Ritual Goods, handcrafts her olfactory soaps, oils and perfumes. street art. Graffiti doesn’t have to be an eyesore. In fact, when a can is in the ➥ More right hands, spray paint can actually transform an eyesore into an artistic space. To help keep us on our creative toes, we chatted with Spratx Founder Molly Maroney to learn what motivates her to keep the street-art scene alive in Austin.
Don’t miss
Win This!
Luxury Manicure and Pedicure from Lacquer Treat yourself to a luxurious mani/pedi just in time for spring. Win a classic gel manicure with nail art and a classic pedicure from Lacquer Nail Salon in Austin’s stylish Second Street District. Modern and upscale, Lacquer offers the latest trends in polishes, as well as organic and vegan-friendly options, not to mention, it is a socially conscious nail salon that practices ethical employment.
@austinwoman
20 | Austin Woman | MARCH 2016
Austin Women in Technology Networking Fundraiser for Girlstart March 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Girlstart Headquarters, 1400 W. Anderson Lane awtaustin.org
Amplify Austin Day March 8 at 6 p.m. through March 9 at 6 p.m. amplifyatx.org
Austin Classical Guitar: Vicente Amigo March 23, 8 p.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive austinclassicalguitar.org
Blue Sky Luncheon March 10, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Four Seasons Hotel Austin, 98 San Jacinto Blvd. alegacyofgiving.org/events/ blue-sky
To enter to win, show @AustinWoman your prettiest, picture-worthy manicures and pedicures on Instagram using the hashtag #AWNailedIt during the month of March. A winner will be chosen at the end of the month and we’ll put our favorites in the April issue!
Follow us
Austin Gives Generous Business Awards With Keynote Speaker Andy Roddick March 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Four Seasons Hotel Austin, 98 San Jacinto Blvd. austin.gives/annual-awards
like us
Texas Women in Business Luncheon March 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Estância Churrascaria, 10000 Research Blvd. texaswomeninbusiness.org
facebook.com/austinwoman
Celebration of Life Luncheon March 29, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. JW Marriott Austin, 110 E. Second St. celebration.austin.zetataualpha.org
FOLLOW us
@ austinwoman
Mrs. Dalloway image courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Oren Porterfield photo by Jordan Moser. Spratx photo by Zuzu Kelly. Lacquer photo by Silove Photography.
historic heroines. March is National Reading Month, and we can’t think of a ➥ More better way to celebrate than by curling up with some hot tea and a good page-
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ON THE SCENE kristy’s top 10
March’s to-do list from 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas. By kristy owen
Rodeo Austin
1
Photo courtesy of Rodeo Austin.
March 12 through 26 Travis County Expo Center, 9100 Decker Lane rodeoaustin.com Is there a better time of year for Texans than rodeo season? Slip on your boots, whet your devil-may-care appetite and head to Rodeo Austin to find out. The fairgrounds will be bustling day and night with carnival rides, games and vendors. This year’s star-studded concert lineup includes Willie Nelson, Gary Allan, Josh Turner, the Josh Abbott Band, the Eli Young Band and more. But what I’m most looking forward to is a new food competition event, BBQ Austin, taking place March 4 and 5, when teams from throughout Texas will compete for the title of BBQ Austin Grand Champion, and free barbecue samples will be handed out to festivalgoers. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Parking is $10 at the gate. Certain shows require additional admission. austinwomanmagazine.com | 23
O
n the scene
2
3
kristy’s top 10
South by Southwest Film Festival
Explore UT
March 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. University of Texas, 2400 Inner Campus Drive exploreut.utexas.edu Known as “the biggest open house in Texas,” Explore UT is a wonderful opportunity for prospective students and their parents to spend time getting to know the 40 Acres. Take part in a campus-wide scavenger hunt or one of the many hands-on engineering demonstrations, march with the Longhorn Band or go on a free self-guided tour of the Texas Memorial Museum, Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Admission is free.
March 11 through 19 Multiple locations, downtown Austin sxsw.com/film
This year’s South By Southwest Film Festival includes a jaw-dropping lineup of 137 feature films and 89 world premieres in 12 genres, with 52 of those films produced by first-time filmmakers. Noteworthy showings include Todd Bieber’s Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon, Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition. The first-time screening of the film Everybody Wants Some by Austinite Richard Linklater is sure to make this year’s SXSW opening night one to remember.
Mighty Texas Dog Walk Round up your pups and head to the Austin dog event of the season. The Mighty Texas Dog Walk is a 1-mile morning walk with your pooch, followed by shopping and snacking. This year’s theme is Texas pride. Think cowboy hats, guitars, bluebonnets and the Lone Star flag. Proceeds from the event benefit service dogs in the Austin area. Trophies will be awarded to the team that raises the most money, the team with the most dogs and the team with the best T-shirts. Admission is $30 per dog when preregistering online and $40 per dog the day of the event. Humans walk for free.
Kristy Owen is the event mastermind and blogger behind 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas. To stay up to date on the best Austin has to offer, visit her blog, 365thingsaustin.com.
4
Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival
March 5, noon to 8 p.m. 120 Landa St., New Braunfels, Texas wurstfest.com/craftbeerfestival
24 | Austin Woman | MARCH 2016
5
A day spent drinking great craft beers and soaking up some lively camaraderie? You had me at day drinking. In addition to live-music performances by the Zack Walther Band, Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros, Tom Gillam & the Kosmic Messengers, and more, there will be more than 80 beers on tap for tasting. The Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival is located right alongside the Comal River, and I have it on good authority that food trucks will also be on the scene. Admission is $35 in advance online or $50 at the gate.
2. Photo by Lauren Schneider. 4. Photo by Nicole Mlakar. 5. Photo by Jim Flynn.
March 5, 10 a.m. to noon Austin American-Statesman parking lot, 305 S. Congress Ave. servicedogs.org/2016-mighty-texas-dog-walk
Illuminate Austin Walk March 6, 5 to 8 p.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive safeaustin.org/get-involved/events/illuminateatx Join others from the Austin community in an evening stroll alongside a glowing, luminary-lit path at The Long Center. Event proceeds benefit SafePlace Austin, an organization that provides shelter and services to local individuals who have survived domestic and sexual abuse. Admission is donation-based.
6. Photo courtesy of SafePlace Austin. 7. Photo courtesy of Geraldine’s. 9. Photo courtesy of David King. 10. Photo by Keith Rizzo.
Jazz Brunch at Geraldine’s
Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hotel Van Zandt, 605 Davis St. geraldinesaustin.com
6
8
Free Sunset Yoga
Mondays and Wednesdays in March, 7 to 8 p.m. Whole Foods Plaza, 525 N. Lamar Blvd. facebook.com/events/1547861322191395
7
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time at Hotel Van Zandt, and for good reason. Once I find something I like, I can’t get enough of it. The dimly lit dining room is perfect for a night out for drinks with the girls, which is how I discovered this little gem of a restaurant, but it’s also perfect come Sunday morning. Not only is it one of the most charming new hotels in the city, but the fourth-floor poolside restaurant, Geraldine’s, serves a killer brunch. Sundays, brunch is accompanied by a live jazz performance from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Not that you needed any more incentive to book a reservation.
A few of a true Austinite’s favorite things: yoga, sunsets and Whole Foods. Join Black Swan Yoga as it returns to Whole Foods Monday and Wednesday evenings to host free sunset yoga on the terrace. After a long workday, this is a surefire way to reward yourself with some deep breaths and restore your physical and mental balance. All you need to bring is a mat and a water bottle. Tip: Make sure to arrive early to secure a spot.
MotoAmerica Preseason Test March 23 and 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd. facebook.com/events/996561517080979 If you haven’t made your way to the Circuit of the Americas racetrack yet, now’s your chance. Watch as professional motorcycle racers from throughout the country descend on COTA to test out the course in preparation for the 2016 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, set for April 8 through 10. The paddock and garage areas will be open to fans from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, and will be filled with top teams and riders from the series, including 2015 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier. On test days, there will be a race-weekend giveaway to enter and you’ll also have the opportunity to meet with professional Grand Prix racers during an autograph and Q&A session in the COTA garage. Admission is free.
10
Zilker Kite Festival March 6, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road abckitefestival.org
9
Zilker Park, also known as Austin’s backyard, will be booming with activity and color for the Zilker Kite Festival. The annual event has taken place at the park since 1936, and is the longest continuously running kite festival in the U.S. While you can fly a kite just for fun, there are also various contests to enter, such as the 50-yard dash and the most unusual kite competition, if you’re feeling extra ambitious this year. This is one of Austin’s best-kept traditions and it’s a great way to kick off spring. Be wary of parking, as nearby lots tend to fill up quickly. Go by carpool, bike or catch a shuttle bus instead. Admission is free.
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savvy women “
Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.
”
Janis Joplin Singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of FameR Born Jan. 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, texas Died Oct. 4, 1970
Photo by Daniel Kramer.
in Hollywood, Calif.
austinwomanmagazine.com austinwomanmagazine.com | 27 | 27
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avvy Women
count us in
women in numbers
Facts and figures on females from throughout the world. By AW staff, illustrations by jessica wetterer
5,000 The number of tips received by fairygodboss.com, an online community being hailed as the Yelp for maternity leave. Started by a working expectant mother and her co-worker, Fairy Godboss provides a searchable database of maternity-leave policies for at least 550 companies. Through the website, female employees can anonymously share experiences and specific information about a company’s maternityleave policy, which is often undisclosed or uncomfortable to ask about during a job search. The site provides additional resources, employer reviews and compensation data, and continues to grow. Thanks, fairy godmothers!
4 50 percent How much less capital female entrepreneurs start with, compared with their male counterparts, according to the National Women’s Business Council. Despite that gap in funding, women are growing in the entrepreneurial sector. In 2012, women owned 36 percent of all businesses, a 30 percent jump since 2007. Additionally, women-owned or -led businesses currently account for 13 percent of middle-market companies (revenues between $10 million and $1 billion), and continue to enter that market at a fast pace. From 2008 to 2014, middle-market firms grew by only 4 percent, while those firms run by women grew by 32 percent in the same time. It looks like the entrepreneurial force is growing stronger with women.
13 years old The age of a young Mongolian girl preserving her culture’s heritage. In Mongolia, eagle hunting has been a skill passed on from fathers to sons for generations. The practice, in which eagles are tamed and used for hunting smaller animals, is dwindling, in part, because of the absence of young men. Thirteen-year-old Ashol Pan is the daughter of an experienced eagle hunter and learned the skill after her brother was drafted into the army. Captured by photographer Asher Svidensky, Pan’s first training session took place in the presence of the majestic Mongolian mountains and, of course, included a grand eagle perched on her arm.
28 | Austin Woman | march 2016
The number of filters used to identify the objectification of women in advertising by an awareness campaign called #WomenNotObjects. Launched by Madonna Badger of advertising agency Badger & Winters in New York City, the #WomenNotObjects movement illustrates the harmful ways in which women are portrayed in advertising and how this negatively impacts self-esteem and self-confidence in young girls. Discover the four filters at womennotobjects. tumblr.com.
12 seasons The time in football years that Kathryn Smith worked for the New York Jets before becoming the National Football League’s first full-time female coach. Smith, who worked under Head Coach Rex Ryan for seven years (six years at the New York Jets and last year at the Buffalo Bills), was promoted to special teams quality-control coach for the Bills in January. Praise has come in from Ryan, Bills players and other members of the Bills organization, including co-owner Kim Pegula, who noted Smith “earned this position because she has shown she is qualified, dedicated and puts in the work needed for this role.” We know who we’ll be rooting for next football season.
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Musically Inclined
Girl Guitar Owner Mandy Rowden turns her passion into a business. By Sarah E. Ashlock
It Started With Music
No Boys Allowed
Balancing Act
Rowden has Texas roots and learned to play music as a kid. “That’s the good thing about being home-schooled; everyone plays music. You’ve got a lot of time to practice,” Rowden says, laughing, “because you’re not burdened with things like friends or a social life.” After a stint in New York City, she settled in Austin. The creation of Girl Guitar almost a decade ago was happenstance. “I never masterminded wanting to own a women’s guitar school. It has been very, very organic,” she says, noting that with a need for some cash, she created a page on MySpace called Girl Guitar and started friending women who marked music as an interest. “I was pretty diligent. Granted, I had no job and no money to go out and do anything.” Her guerilla marketing paid off, and eight women showed up to the first class. “Somebody showed up with a bottle of wine, and I thought, ‘Sure. Why not?’ So it became a social thing,” Rowden says. “Every night after class, we’d go out and do stuff together, like listen to music or just go drink margaritas.” As the class came to a close, the ladies weren’t ready to say goodbye. So one class turned into one more, and so on. “Their friends wanted to join,” Rowden says. “Then we had too many people, and we had to make it into two classes. Then we wanted to do songwriting, so we split off and did that.” Now, Girl Guitar offers dozens of classes to women 21 and older, ranging from how to play in a rock band to mastering the art of songwriting. Rowden is proof that women can grow in their careers while remaining true to themselves and kind to others. “Songwriting is a discipline, and it’s about the accountability of bringing your stuff each week and the support group of everyone sharing together,” she says. “I will never tear someone down about their art, their writing. It would be nonproductive.”
Why does Rowden solely offer womenonly classes? “You make yourself so vulnerable,” she says. “When you’re new at it, having a really supportive and gentle group around you is huge for a lot of people.” Rowden didn’t just build a business; she built a community. She met her best friend through Girl Guitar, and Rowden’s mom, a pianist, has played in many of the bands. This embracing space can be a major bonus for students new to Austin or new to music. Rowden possesses a certain magic. She’s talented and funny yet also sensitive and perceptive. It’s no wonder women are hooked on Girl Guitar. “In the songwriting classes, we joke that it doubles as therapy,” she says. “You write this stuff and go to this weird part of yourself and make yourself vulnerable and read it off to strangers. It’s terrifying to people.”
Talent mixed with persistence is at the heart of Rowden’s success. While her musical endeavors and Girl Guitar complement each other, she also has the support of a built-in fan base. “When I’m touring, I can have other teachers cover my classes and still have income when I’m out on the road,” Rowden says. She has co-produced both of her albums, and her most recent release, These Bad Habits, has what she describes as an “Americana sound.” While creating music independently means Rowden pays for it all, it also has its benefits. “The brilliant side of it is that I get complete creative control, and I have time on my side,” Rowden says. Being a boss lady isn’t always easy. While she says it’s a dream, Rowden has a refreshingly real outlook on her career as a business owner and musician, a relatable struggle for those who work in the realm of their passion. “When you do music all day long, you don’t want to come home and start writing,” Rowden says. “I have to crack the whip on myself to get stuff done when I’m feeling just lazy. It’s that thing all artists complain about: We want to make our passion our living, but then your passion is your living.”
30 | Austin Woman | march 2016
“In the songwriting classes, we joke that [Girl Guitar] doubles as therapy.”
Mandy Rowden (far right) and the Girl Guitar Band perform during a Girl Guitar Showcase at Antone’s Nightclub. Sign up for Girl Guitar classes at girlguitaraustin.com.
Photo by FauxToes Studio.
Mandy Rowden is a singer-songwriter with two albums under her belt. She’s also the owner of Girl Guitar, a business that offers music classes and workshops for women in Austin. As she casually takes a seat at Opa Coffee and Wine Bar, it’s clear she’s more than a talented musician, teacher and entrepreneur. She’s just plain cool.
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Let’s Taco ’Bout It
The Small Business Engines that Could
Listen in on a candid conversation with Austin Woman Publisher Melinda Garvey and Patti Greene of the 10,000 Small Businesses program. photos by dustin meyer In 2009, Goldman Sachs launched an initiative aimed at helping entrepreneurs grow their small businesses. Now a $500 million investment, the 10,000 Small Businesses program gives entrepreneurs in cities throughout the country the resources they need to expand their companies’ economic impact. Austin Woman’s own Melinda Garvey participated in the program in 2015 through Babson College near Boston, where she met Patti Greene, the program’s director and now an Austinite. Overlooking Austin, with skinny margaritas in hand, the teacher and the student talked about two things of vital importance to small businesses in Austin: growth and guacamole. Melinda Garvey: What was the catalyst for the 10,000 Small Businesses program? Patti Greene: First, Goldman Sachs started the 10,000 Women program based on research they had done that showed the potential for empowerment of women around the world through entrepreneurship, but also [showed] a lot of missed opportunities. In trying to figure out why that was and what they could do, they saw that it wasn’t just about startups. Frankly, it’s not that hard to start up; it’s actually making something grow and last that is the hard part. MG: I love that somebody actually focused on women first. And so ultimately, 10,000 Small Businesses became a program that invests in entrepreneurs at a certain point in their businesses. PG: In order to get into the program, you have to be growth-oriented. We were shocked actually back when we started the program to find out the average age of the companies that we were attracting. It was a forgotten group. You know, 11-, 14-year-old companies that absolutely still wanted to grow but were just stuck.
32 | Austin Woman | march 2016
MG: That’s interesting because I’ve been in business 13 years and have definitely felt that. So how does the program help companies find that growth? PG: The thing that gets me is that people write those companies off like not high growth or not fast growth, but there are a lot of different ways to grow a business. We grow through the ability to identify opportunities, organize resources and provide the leadership to create something of value, and there’s multiple types of value. We recognize that nobody has the time to do case studies and things, but if you’re working on your own business, if you can come in and put that time into it, that’s a big one. It’s definitely hitting a chord with people. MG: And it seems like women who create and grow their own companies reinvest more, not just in their own businesses. Do you see differences like that between male and female entrepreneurs? PG: I could talk for hours about that. One of the numbers I love is that women in the 10,000 Women program tend to become mentors and mentor an average of eight women each. So, if you go 10,000 times eight, we’re talking a lot of mentors. However, I think we have to get out of this model that if women only did more just like the guys, they would have bigger businesses and this and that. I think it’s an unfair assumption to think that all women should work businesses the same as guys. Also, with all due respect, who says the guys are doing it right? MG: What could female entrepreneurs and business leaders do right now to make a difference? PG: It’s an election year, and women-led businesses should pull a lot of attention to the policies and regulations that impact their businesses, talk to their candidates about it, really bring it to the forefront that small businesses are the big engine of the country. Let’s legislate from our perspective and make a difference in that.
MG: What advice would you give a female entrepreneur in Austin? PG: Reach out. Talk to everybody, talk to anybody, a lot, especially in the early stages of starting up. Be open. People love to help. Recognize specific things you’re not confident about and come up with your own plan to practice that. If it’s public speaking, it could be Toastmasters. If it’s your financials, talk to somebody who understands your financials. No matter what it is, pinpoint it and nail it. Learn how to apply to the 10,000 Small Businesses program at goldmansachs.com/citizenship/10000-small-businesses/US/index.html. Snapshot Who: Patti Greene, Paul T. Babson Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Academic Director, 10,000 Small Businesses and 10,000 Women, Babson College Austinite since: “The first time, from 1989 to 1993. It took us 20 years to get back, but we’ve been back just over a year.” Number of times she hits snooze in the morning: “Never. Well, almost never. I’m usually eager to get up and at the day.” How she takes her coffee: “Also, never. I’m a coldcaffeine person and want my Diet Coke.” Her #socialmedia scene: “I’m surprised to say that increasingly, it’s Twitter. I’m @PGGreene and welcome your thoughts.” On her nightstand: “Stacks of books. I’m usually reading something I want to learn more about and something for fun. To be exact, right now, I’m on a biography of Virginia Woolf and I just finished Robert Galbraith’s (aka J.K. Rowling) Cormoran Strike Novels.” Words to live by: “If you asked anyone in the 10,000 Small Businesses program, they’d say my word is ‘onward.’ I like the idea of always advancing on goals.”
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ASK THE EXPERTS
Entrepreneurial Essentials
Start your business venture off right with advice from women who know. By Andy East Do you want to start your own business? You’re in the right place. Last year, the Austin/Round Rock metropolitan area was ranked 22nd-best in the nation for female entrepreneurs, according to personal finance website NerdWallet. Whether starting a business has been your lifelong dream or a recent inspiration, the journey can be a long and winding road with a steep learning curve. To help you make your business idea a reality, Austin Woman asked some of Austin’s top entrepreneurs and businesswomen for tips on how to avoid the common pitfalls that can plague new businesses.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
“
Kerry Hall
From my perspective as a banker, what
I see as the main mistakes that businesses
make is that people only plan for the bestcase scenario and maybe 10 percent [less than] the best-case scenario. In actuality, there are so many things that can go
Get a mentor. Ingrid Vanderveldt
“Get a mentor, and there are lots of [mentors] in town. That would be the first thing. But along with that, learn how to secure the right mentor. How is what you are trying to do going to be in service of a person you would like to mentor you? And then surround yourself with a support group of women.” Ingrid Vanderveldt is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. She is also the founder of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020, an initiative that seeks to equip women with the tools and expertise to become successful entrepreneurs. Vanderveldt also served as the first entrepreneur-in-residence at Dell Inc.
wrong along the path that they cannot even conceive of…[and] they don’t build enough cushion financially for not-a-greatcase scenarios. That is, to me, probably the biggest mistake that businesses make: They don’t plan enough cushion financially for things not working out as well as they hoped. Be sure you raise enough money. If something bad happens, you’re going
Surround yourself with talent. Rochelle Rae
“[One of the greatest misconceptions is] that being an entrepreneur means being in business for yourself or that you can do it by yourself. You may have a great idea or be great doing something, but there are so many other things you are terrible at doing, and that is OK. You need help. You need to find people who are really awesome at the skills you do not have, and there are a lot of them, whether you want to admit it or not.” Rochelle Rae is the CEO and creator of Rae Cosmetics, a makeup line for active women and athletes.
to need more money. If something good happens, you’re going to need more money. And when you run out of money and it’s [due to] poor planning, it’s hard to get additional money.
”
Kerry Hall is president of the Austin region of Texas Capital . Bank. She has worked in commercial banking and lending for more than 30 years, helping businesses that are expanding and in need of additional capital.
34 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Communicate the value of your company. Jan Ryan
“Entrepreneurs often underestimate how hard it is to rise above the noise in an early market. It’s essential you communicate your value and how your product is unique at every touch point with the customer.” Jan Ryan is an entrepreneur and founder of Woman@Austin, an organization of female entrepreneurs dedicated to making Austin the best place in the country for women-led businesses.
Special Promotion
is right around the corner
Have you made plans for your kids yet? Find a summer camp tailored to the interests of your child & your schedule.
Tucked away in the piney woods of Montgomery, Texas, Camp Lantern Creek is a unique girls sleep away summer camp that was created so girls can create their art, find their voice, try new skills, be cheered on whether they succeed or fail, get dirty, push boundaries, love nature and so much more. We encourage our girls to try new things and help develop their self esteem and leadership skills. This experience builds friendships and new found confidence that campers take back home to bolster them for the rest of the year.
camplanterncreek.com 936.597.8225 4045 N. FM 1486, Montgomery, TX 77356
Experience a summer of fun and a lifetime of memories at the NEW OVERNIGHT CAMP at YMCA Camp Twin Lakes. For the first time ever, YMCA Camp Twin Lakes is offering week-long overnight sessions (five in total for grades 3–8) in addition to our regular day camp schedule. This is a whole new experience complete with brand new air-conditioned cabins and a new dining facility. Conveniently located in Cedar Park near U.S. 183 and Avery Ranch Blvd. All Y Camps are designed to make summer fun, exciting and safe for all. Registration is now open.
camptwinlakes.ymcagwc.org 512-246-9622 help@ymcagwc.org 204 E Little Elm Trail Cedar Park, TX 78613
Camp Summit is a year-round overnight camp for children and adults with disabilities ages 6-99. Campers are offered a wide variety of traditional camp activities in our barrier-free environment, all of which are adapted for our campers’ abilities. Come see our brand new, fully renovated camp! campsummittx.org 972.484.8900 270 Private Road 3475 Paradise, TX 76073 camp@campsummittx.org
Quest ATX offers a summer water sports camp for children ages 7 to 17 where your child will learn to wakeboard, kneeboard and water-ski in a fun, supportive environment from our experienced and professional staff. Whether your child is a beginner, or on their way to becoming a pro, our staff will give each camper the attention and encouragement they need to ensure a great camp experience. questatx.com/camps 512.298.9370 10815 FM 1625, Austin, TX 77356
Rock&Roll Summer Camps School of Rock is the nation’s premier performance-based music school. Whether you are already a seasoned rockstar or a beginner, we have a Summer Camp that is right for you. We offer a range of camps for ages 6 to 18, featuring music from classic rock favorites. We even have a face melting Metal camp for the shredders! austin.schoolofrock.com • 512.670.2360 2525 W. Anderson Ln., #138, Austin, TX 78757
Special Promotion
Camp Coyote is an exciting interdenominational Christian residential sports and adventure camp for children ages 7 to 17 where cabin mates become pen pals, best friends, and college roommates. We turn off the T.V. and turn on the fun with activities such as archery, riflery, horseback riding, and water skiing! Swing through the trees, zip down the zip line or scurry up the climbing wall on our 12 element challenge course! There is something for everyone at Camp Coyote!
ARA aims to excite and motivate children about the importance of robotics technology. Our hands-on classes offer an introduction to engineering design, helping children understand “how things work.” Students work in ageappropriate teams and learn how to design, build and test remote-controlled miniature robots, all made from LEGO®!
campcoyote.com • 1-800-677-CAMP 80 Rose Ranch Rd., Huntsville, TX 77320
roboticsacademy.com/schedules-austin_summer.html Multiple Austin Area Locations • 512.844.2724
Camp Jump is a fun-filled, action packed experience offering a variety of unique activities each day. Our theme-based curriculum is always full of fun surprises. Voted “Austin’s Most Fun Camp” in Austin Family Magazine Readers’ Poll in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
The Camp Champions Advantage: our campers succeed in college, career and life*
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This summer,
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Experience the excitement of our Summer Adventure Club where primrosesummer.com • run 512.795.9101 imaginations are free to wild. Get ready for engineering design 6606 Sitiochallenges, Del Rio Blvd., Austin, TX 78730 and more. discoveries, outdoor exploration It’s going to be one epic summer. Fun for ages 5 - 10*.
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Be prepared for adventure on 382 acres of the beautiful hill country! Swim in our spring-fed lake, hike, ride horses, or challenge yourself on the zip-line. We believe that every week of camp should be a life changing experience because of the extreme fun experienced and the rock solid Bible training received. camppeniel.com • 830.693.2182 6716 E. FM 1431, Marble Falls, TX 78654
EVERY SUMMER HAS A STORY YMCA OF AUSTIN
Austin YMCA Summer Camps offer children & teens, ages 4-14, a safe, exciting, and memorable day camp experience at 20 area locations in three counties. Kids have the opportunity to build self-confidence, independence, and creativity, and parents have peace of mind knowing your kids are in a safe and enriching place. At YMCA day camps, kids make friends and create stories they’ll share for a lifetime. What will your child’s summer story be?
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MUST LIST Out on the Range
Chill out and channel your inner cowgirl with a trip to the North Texas plains. by april cumming Drive a couple hours northwest of town and you’ll begin to notice, if you haven’t already made the connection, that there’s a big difference between telling people you’re from Texas and telling them you’re from Austin.
Photo courtesy of Wildcatter Ranch Resort and Spa.
This land out here—barren prairies sparsely peppered with droughtresistant plants like Mexican heather, cacti, sage bushes, agarita shrubs and the occasional juniper-dotted hill outcropping—well, this is Texas. Most who drive through have one mission in mind: to do just that, drive through. While settling here was a highly attractive option to oilboom profiteers in the early 20th century, most of today’s modern city dwellers would find it out of character to look at this land and decide to stay. But for those with an inclination to slow down and stop the car, you’re bound to find there’s more to be seen and experienced out here than meets the eye. A four-hour drive north of Austin and an hour drive west of Fort Worth lies the charming town of Graham, Texas. Pioneers were quick to plant roots here when oil was discovered in 1917. Fifty years later, in 1966, Graham had more to offer than an average Austin suburb does today;
there were 17 churches, seven schoolhouses, a hospital, a radio station, two libraries, three parks and two newspapers. It’s claim to fame now, outside of holding the designation for the largest town square in Texas, lies just a few minutes south of Main Street at the 1,500-acre Wildcatter Ranch Resort and Spa, an ideal weekend retreat for those wanting to step away from the meetings, deadlines and frenetic pace of the city without having to leave too many creature comforts behind. A mile-long limestone driveway, flanked on each side by the ranch’s prized herd of longhorns, is your winding welcome mat to the ranch. Follow the path as it gradually plateaus at the top of a steep and rocky mesa, arriving at the property’s headquarters, a hotel structure that looks like it was plucked right off a John Wayne movie set. Pick up the keys to your cabin (We recommend staying in the modernly rustic Buffalo Cabin. Think flagstone fireplace, wood-beam-framed beds, plush linens and stained concrete floors.), and go check out the infinity pool. You’ll want to spend at least one of your light-pollution-free evenings here getting entranced in a staring contest with the stars.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 39
Must travel
Photos courtesy of Wildcatter Ranch Resort and Spa.
on Conner Creek, or schedule a In the morning, arrange fishing outing to the far reaches for breakfast to be delivered of the property, where the to your cabin and let yourself ranch abuts the Brazos River. recline in the comfort of your Not much of a thrill seeker personal porch rocking chair, or outdoorswoman? Wildcatter watching the sunrise as it has those looking to keep a slowly unveils the undulating low profile covered. Let your spread of ranchland stretching worries be whisked away as out to the horizon. you revel in a rejuvenating When you’ve finished your therapeutic massage. second cup of coffee, put your Cap off your day with a newfound energy to good use chicken-fried steak dinner at and take a stroll down to the the Dinner barn to meet up with Bell, the the ranch wranglers. Think flagstone ranch’s onsite They’ll get you all fireplace, wood-beamsteakhouse. saddled up for a framed beds, plush The menu guided morning linens and stained and inviting horseback ride or concrete floors. atmosphere join you on a fourattract both wheel-drive Jeep tourists and area locals, which tour that serpentines through means you’re promised to see the resort property’s 25-mile a few cowboy hats scattered in trail system. the crowd. In the afternoon, score some Before you hit the road, be pointers from the ranch hands sure to join the wranglers for as you practice perfecting your a morning longhorn feeding. archery aim and sport-clayAfter all, you are in Texas and, shooting skills. If the weather as a Texan, that’s something allows, take one of the resort’s you don’t want to miss out on. canoes out for a tranquil paddle
austinwomanmagazine.com | 41
M
ust List
must give
Austin Gives With South Texas Money Management Jeanie Wyatt makes giving back a Texas-wide office tradition. By Shelley Seale
Jeanie Wyatt (third from left) and team at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Philanthropy Day.
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South Texas Money Management is a member of Austin Gives, an organization dedicated to highlighting businesses for doing good. In its four-year existence, Austin Gives has aggregated almost 400 Austin-area companies that have made the commitment to donate at least 1 percent of their annual earnings to charity. To learn more about Austin Gives, visit austin.gives.
42 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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Wildflower Center are some of the cultural organizations STMM supports. It also gives back through The Seton Fund, Impact Austin and Girl Scouts of Central Texas, to name a few. STMM developed a unique program for its nonprofit clients called Give Back, through which 25 percent of the annual investment-management fee is donated back to the client, up to $5,000 per year. The firm also features a STMM client in its quarterly nonprofit spotlight. “Our clients appreciate learning about our nonprofit clients that employ the same philosophy of money management and the valuable and much-needed services they provide in their communities,” Wyatt says. Along with a quarterly newsletter just for nonprofit clients that offers valuable information and advice, STMM hosts an annual luncheon that highlights speakers and topics relevant to nonprofit organizations and offers networking opportunities. The luncheon is free for those in the nonprofit community. One of Wyatt’s favorite community-giving events was when her Austin staff cooked lunch and provided food for guests staying at the Ronald McDonald House while their children received treatment at local hospitals. “It was a wonderful experience for all involved,” she says. “I was proud of our Austin team for taking time out of their weekend to provide this service for parents and children staying at the Ronald McDonald House. It was deeply rewarding to watch as everyone made their plates, with obvious appreciation for our efforts.” Wyatt says this commitment in the world outside of work registers with STMM’s clients and prospects. “It gives everyone a perspective on the world and how blessed we all are to be able to be a part of a great firm,” she says, “and to help our clients make a better place for them personally and in the world.”
TUNE IN
Austin Woman Publisher Melinda Garvey and South Texas Money Management Founder and CEO Jeanie Wyatt talk about the importance of women in business and Austin businesses giving back. When: March 1, 9 a.m. Station: KEYE-TV Segment: We Are Austin Website: keyetv.com/features/we-are-austin
Photo by InDebth Photography.
Giving back to the community in which she works is just good business, says Jeanie Wyatt, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of South Texas Money Management. “It puts the firm in touch with that community and its needs, and provides to our employees a sense of ownership in each of the five communities where we do business,” Wyatt says. Since founding the money-management and investment-advisory firm in 2000, Wyatt has grown teams in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Corpus Christi that manage funds for 100 nonprofit organizations nationwide, allowing them to focus on achieving their missions. This working relationship has naturally led to community involvement through these nonprofit clients, with STMM donating monetary resources, as well as educational and volunteer support. “Many of our employees serve on nonprofit boards and foundations where we give not only time, but talent and treasure as well,” Wyatt says. As a woman-owned and -operated business, STMM supports philanthropic efforts that, in turn, support women, an outcome Wyatt says she and her employees enjoy. An artist at heart, Wyatt also thrives on giving back to the arts and humanities. The Long Center, Conspirare, Austin Chamber Music Center and the Lady Bird Johnson
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M
ust list
Must hear
Please, Don’t Stop the Music
Here are the festivals, tour dates and highly anticipated performances you need on your listening radar this year. By Grace Snively
Long before receiving its official designation as Live Music Capital of the World in 1991, Austin was a place known for drawing diverse crowds hoping to hear some of the world’s best musicians, many of whom already called this city home. Remaining true to its reputation, Austin continues to resonate with sound checks, guitar strums, drum thumping and piano tuning from small, gritty bars and modern, industrial coffeehouses alike. Tune in to the biggest events hitting Austin’s music scene this year.
South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival March 15 through 20, sxsw.com/music Featuring performances from more than 2,000 artists, South By Southwest hosts one of the most fantastically chaotic weeks in Austin. The only challenge you’ll face during the five-day music extravaganza, besides the obvious lack of convenient parking, is tracking down where your favorite artist is performing. While
having a SXSW music badge or wristband guarantees you access to the shows of your choosing, some spots provide unofficial free shows during SXSW, filling the streets with crazed music lovers on the prowl. Music badges start at $895.
Looking for: Folk Alternative Listen to: Leo James Conroy Currently based in LA, Leo James Conroy is a British singer-songwriter known for his talent as a multi-instrumentalist. His influences stem from a combination of folk, soul, jazz and blues. With a soulful and raspy vocal range, Conroy has successfully won over the hearts of audiences throughout the world, captivating their attention with his electric guitar and vintage jazz trumpet.
44 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Looking for: Hip-hop Listen to: DJ Chose Hailing from Brookshire, Texas, Norman Payne (aka DJ Chose) is high on the list of hip-hop shows to see. After landing a record deal with Artist Publishing Group in 2015, Payne has collaborated with famed artists Akon, Trey Songz and more. His single “Everywhere I Go” peaked at No. 32 on the Hip Hop/R&B Songs Billboard Chart, helping establish a stronger presence for him in the hip-hop music world.
Looking for: Electronic Listen to: Zeds Dead This isn’t Zeds Dead’s first time to the rodeo. A renowned Canadian electronicdance-music (EDM) group, Zeds Dead has taken the stage in Austin multiple times before. The group is best known for its ability to capture three sounds in one: house, electronic, and drum and bass. If you are an EDM fan, tracking down this performance just moved to the top of your SXSW to-do list.
Photo by Jeff Hammerton.
Leo James Conroy
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Must hear
Urban Music Festival April 1 and 2 urbanmusicfest.com Set to take place during the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays this year, the Urban Music Festival is a national celebration of urban music at Austin’s Auditorium Shores. The festival will feature a variety of genres, ranging from rhythm and blues and hiphop to neo soul and gospel. Tickets are $65 for both days or $30 for a single day.
Euphoria Music Festival April 7 through 10 euphoriafest.com For those who love both camping and music, the Euphoria Music Festival allows you to simultaneously share in the joy of both. With an impressive lineup of renowned DJs, famed rappers and highly acclaimed electronic artists, this three-day outdoor event at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin is all about experiencing the transformative effects of music and community. Tickets start at $129.
Levitation April 29 through May 1 levitation-austin.com It’s time to get groovy. Levitation (formerly Austin Psych Fest) is a weekend-long music festival inspired by the creative musicand-art scene that erupted during the 1960s. This year’s headliners include Animal Collective and Flying Lotus. Weekend passes start at $165.
Sklar Brothers photo courtesy of Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival. Austin City Limits Music Festival photo by Greg Noire.
Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival April 20 through 23 austintheatre.org/moontower-comedy Need some comedic relief? With more than 80 performers spread across eight venues, this four-day comedy event, presented by the Paramount Theatre, is something you don’t want to miss. Performers include Martin Short, Janeane Garofalo, Leslie Jones and Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live, and many more. Four-day passes start at $129. The Cure May 13 uterwincenter.com/events/2016/the-cure If you’re a big fan of The Cure, this Friday the 13th isn’t so unlucky after all. The English rock band is known for many catchy tunes, including “Friday I’m In Love,” that have become part of the modern musical lexicon in the group’s nearly 40 years together. Tickets for the show start at $30.
The Sklar Brothers
Austin City Limits Music Festival Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 and Oct. 7 through 9 aclfestival.com Founded in 2002, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is one of Austin’s biggest music extravaganzas and most anticipated spectacles. Each year, the city welcomes more than 400,000 locals and out-oftowners. For 10 years, the festival was a one-weekend event. Then, in 2013, a second weekend was added to the schedule. With past performances by legends such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lionel Richie, the Eagles, Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Florence + the Machine, Beck and Stevie Wonder, it’s no wonder so many people attend the festival each year. An added bonus to the festival’s lust-worthy music lineup: Your taste buds get to experience some of the best bites and food trucks in town. As of press date, the official 2016 lineup had not been announced. Keep an eye out for the announcement sometime this spring, and go to aclfestival.com for more information about ticket pricing and how to get your hands on early bird specials and VIP passes.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 47
S
tyle
trends
Vintage Vixen Revamped retro meets the modern age. Photos by rudy arocha styled by Ashley Hargrove Hair and makeup by Laura martinez modeled by Maddie Teeuws shot on location at hotel van zandt 48 |  Austin Woman |  march 2016
austinwomanmagazine.com |  49
Previous page: vintage Moschino gold leather skirt, $325; vintage Todd Oldham orange shirt, $225, available at Archive Vintage, 1708 S. Congress Ave., 214.546.0284, archivevintage.com; faux ostrich satchel, stylist's own; medium open forged 14-karat-gold hoops, $1,325, shaesby.com; gold sunglasses, $9.95, available at Austin Rocks, 301 W. Second St., 512.983.0929, austinrockstexas.com. This page: army-green Topshop romper, $85, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com; MMS Studio honeycomb clutch, stylist's own; sterling-silver large free-form bangle, $165; sterling-silver planished cuff, $490, available at shaesby.com. Next page: Topshop Sharon floral-print shirt, $80; David & Young floppy wool hat, $32, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com; Glamorous flare-leg jeans, $49.95, available at Austin Rocks, 301 W. Second St., 512. 983.0929, austinrockstexas.com; vintage roller skates, stylist's own.
50 |  Austin Woman |  march 2016
HOTEL VAN ZANDT Hotel Van Zandt is a refined riff on Austin's world-famous music scene and your front-row seat to all the action on Rainey Street. It's a perfect base camp, whether you crash hard or chill out. It's a leader among Austin hotels, with signature happenings and exclusive hideouts geared for music tastemakers. From the much talked about restaurant and live-music venue, Geraldine's, to the fourth-floor pool
terrace, you can bet there's a shot of creativity and a hot streak of independence roped in that only boutique hotels like Kimpton can muster. Hotel Van Zandt is distinguished, laid-back and designed from the ground up to be an allaccess pass to an authentic Austin experience. 605 Davis St., 512.542.5300, hotelvanzandt.com
austinwomanmagazine.com |  51
52 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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54 |  Austin Woman |  march 2016
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South By Southwestern
Amplify your home décor with help from Austin’s hippest stores. By Katie Taylor
Austin is home to all types of people, from musicians and politicians to execs at tech startups and media moguls, and its eclectic and welcoming vibe influences how we style our homes. By mixing more modern pieces with vintage finds, you can easily emulate Austin’s laid-back, come-as-you-are atmosphere, making all your guests feel like they can come in, kick up their feet and crack open a Lone Star. Carnegie Caldwell Loveseat Aged leather pieces are timeless and complement almost every interior style. Whether your aesthetic lends itself toward classic country or Boho-chic, you can never go wrong with distressed leather. The Khazana Home Furnishings 900 N. Lamar Blvd. 512.320.9905 thekhazana.net Price: $2,847
Kyle Bunting Hide Pillows Designed by local hide connoisseur Kyle Bunting, these brightly hued pillows are undeniably luxurious and available in almost any color you can imagine. Prize Austin 202 Colorado St. 512.814.0339 shop.prizeaustin.com Price: $349
Vintage Skulls Natural elements like cow skulls or deer antlers add a rustic, Southern touch to any space. Uncommon Objects 1512 S. Congress Ave. 512.442.4000 uncommonobjects.com Price: $265
The Americans by Robert Frank
Stacked or displayed individually, books like Robert Frank’s The Americans, which features stunning photographs of 20th-century American life and icons, are great for styling coffee tables, side tables and barren shelves. Stag Provisions 1423 S. Congress Ave. 512.373.7824 stagprovisions.com Price: $40
Hacienda Mexican Juice Drinking Glasses These authentic, hand-blown glasses are sure to brighten up any dining table. Mix and match your collection and make happy hours at home just a little bit more colorful. Hacienda Collection 204 Colorado St. 512.436.8870 haciendaaustin.com Price: $6 to $10 each
56 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Loveseat photo courtesy of The Khazana Home Furnishings. Kyle Bunting pillow photo courtesy of Kyle Bunting. The Americans photo courtesy of Stag Provisions. All other photos by Katie Taylor.
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Lite+Cycle Sage Candle This earthy sage candle is the perfect aromatic touch to any room. Dylan Wylde 2324 S. Lamar Blvd. 512.840.0900 facebook.com/dylanwyldeatx Price: $48
Don’t Mess With Texas Needlepoint Pillow
Vintage Peacock Chair Channel your inner Bohemian queen with this regal rattan beauty. Love Ding 10516 Manchaca Road 512.981.7367 withlovefromding.com Price: $380
Turkish Kilim cushion photo courtesy of Love Ding. Wall hanging photo courtesy of Mockingbird Domestics. All other photos by Katie Taylor.
This pillow serves as a stylish reminder not to mess with our great state. Gypsy Wagon 1204 S. Congress Ave. 512.887.8010 the-gypsy-wagon.com Price: $54
Turkish Kilim Cushions Turkish cushions provide the perfect pop of color to any room and add just the right amount of vintage charm. Love Ding 10516 Manchaca Road 512.981.7367 withlovefromding.com Price: $135 to $140
Howdy! Wall Hanging Locally designed and made by DSN MGF from the 6th Street Mural Project, this rustic wall hanging is the perfect way to give your guests a good ol’ Southern welcome. Mockingbird Domestics 2151 S. Lamar Blvd. 512.677.4004 mockingbirddomestics.com Price: 29" x 15.5": $350 18.5" x 15.5": $150
austinwomanmagazine.com | 59
Mellie Price Meet Austin’s accidental entrepreneur. Accidents can happen. And sometimes, that’s a good thing. Just ask Mellie Price. “I call myself an accidental entrepreneur because it’s literally who I am,” she says, sipping a glass of merlot after lunch in the deserted lobby cafe of the Omni Hotel. “I love problem solving, and I’m really good at it. Give me a problem—a big one, a small one, a curious one. I love puzzles.” Her mischievous grin across the table is the giveaway; the delivery is part challenge, part playful insouciance. Price’s eyes brighten, emanating equal parts confidence, energy and fun.
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Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, trust us, you know Mellie Price. If you’ve ever bought a ticket to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, you have her to thank. If you’ve found yourself surfing the South By Southwest website, or pretty much any website, for that matter, you’ve seen the legacy of her labors. Have you launched a successful Austin-based startup within the last few years? Her fingerprints are likely imprinted there. She’s helped create and refine the template of entrepreneurship and e-commerce as we know it, changing the face of Austin and, by extension, the world. And she’s far from finished.
story By STEVE UHLER Photos by RUDY AROCHA Styled by Ashley Hargrove Makeup by April downs hair by kiley mitchell
While attending classes, she also worked for the Texas Forestry Service, analyzing In outward appearance, Price doesn’t fit the tree samples in a lab. stereotypical image of a crisply attired business “I loved the research and science of it,” she admits. “I did not like standing in a lab for sharpie. Preferring earth-toned casual wear 10 hours a day whittling sticks.” versus power suits and designer dresses, she Restless to relieve herself from the monotony of lab work, Price found an outlet for exudes an air of nonchalant ease and affable her energy in music, and Austin provided an ideal playing field. approachability. Her face, adorned with a virtual “I played bass in several bands, mostly indie and alternative. Back then, it was like bouquet of curls that frames her features in a Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge,” she says. “We certainly weren’t good enough to tour!” russet-hued halo, is warm and welcoming. Her Price’s early music connections would prove handy later. fiercely high-definition blue eyes—the first thing “I was at that pivotal point where I hadn’t picked a path yet,” she recalls. “I was anyone notices upon meeting her—command teaching myself computers, which were not ubiquitous at that point. I was learning to attention, even in repose. program as a means to help pay for school.” Then there’s the matter of that distinctively Her self-taught skills began attracting attention. While at UT, Price found herself in buoyant name, Mellie. demand from peers for her intuitive computer expertise, particularly consolidating and “My given name is Melinda,” she explains. storing data. “I was Mindy when I was growing up, and I’m “All of a sudden, people were saying, ‘Hey, can you do this?’ Then this thing called the still Mindy to my parents. Somewhere in middle Internet starts bubbling around, and I taught myself to be a system administrator,” she says. school, I didn’t want to be called Mindy anymore, Price began accruing a tidy profit with her side business. so I went back to Melinda. Then around high “I bought my first CD-ROM printer—I think it was $5,000 or something absurd—and school, a friend who’s an artist said, ‘Melinda’s so started charging people $100 a disc to burn their data onto a permanent CD,” she says. serious. I’m going to call you Mellie.’ When we Business took off, and she paid off the printer within two months. She had almost both moved to Austin to go to UT, we made new inadvertently manifested a lucrative vocation for herself. friends and they all knew me as Mellie.” “I was like, ‘Oh, this works!’ I made $40,000 [or] $50,000 burning CD-ROMs for She smiles with the contentment of a longtime people,” she says. wanderer who’s found a home. After graduating from UT with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Price began focusing “I’ve always been Mellie here,” she says. on her rapidly expanding business, acquiring new skills like bookkeeping, data entry, An old adage says it’s not the destination that managing business inputs and accounting. She began building websites, modest and counts, but the journey. Price may uproot that rudimentary at first, incrementally expanding in scope, design and functionality. She axiom by proving it’s not so much the journey, christened her new company Monsterbit, and immediately set about procuring clients. but improving the road on which you take it. Or, Price’s ebullient personality and unwavering persistence served her well. better yet, building a whole new road. “I went and begged people to build websites because nobody knew what they were,” Price’s own journey began nearly 1,000 miles Price says. north of her current home in Austin. As the She soon found herself with a growing reputation for building an effective online younger of two siblings, she was raised amid the presence for a diverse array of businesses, organizations and people: artists, musicians, mountains and trees of Colorado, the daughter of designers, magazines with low circulations. Not surprisingly, the budding web guru a mining engineer and businessman father and a found herself particularly drawn to the stay-at-home mother. “My mom is an artistic, spirited, life-loving person, and my dad music industry. “My mom is an “I’d go in and say, ‘There’s this thing artistic, spirited, is this methodical engineer who worked in heavy equipment called the Internet, and it’s going to be life-loving person, all his life. I’m the perfect complement of both my parents.” really big. Can I have a crack at doing and my dad is your first website?’ ” she remembers. this methodical engineer who worked in One of her early successes was constructing the website for Daemon Records, the heavy equipment all his life. I’m the perfect Georgia-based indie label created by Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls. Today, Ray can’t complement of both my parents,” she says. quite recall the details of how they met, but she vividly remembers the effects of Price’s As a child, Price was equal parts outgoing impact on her company. tomboy and precocious science geek. “She came in with a lot of great ideas about how to move us into the modern age,” Ray “I was always sort of meandering between recalls. “I was a bit of a Luddite, and Mellie already had a grasp on the importance of the physical things like tennis and racing BMX what was happening out there in the Internet and why Daemon needed to be promoting bikes, creative things like photography and the its music in a more forward-thinking way. The label would come up with stuff we academic side of math and science. I’ve always wanted to achieve, usually ignorant of the ingredients needed in the recipe, and she had to have that balance in my life, which I would just make it happen, like folks I know in Cuba that could use the craziest things think ties into my story of entrepreneurship,” to fix things and make them work. She was very creative like that, a MacGyver in the Price says. world of music and club promotion. She’s in it for the right reasons, I think, and really When she was 12, her family moved to Irving, into the sheer joy of solving problems and being inventive. She’s charming, enthusiastic, Texas. generous and wicked smart.” Moving to Austin to attend the University Price built dozens of websites for local venues like Stubb’s, The Backyard, La Zona of Texas, Price was drawn to marine biology, Rosa, as well as for various artists, nonprofit organizations and political causes. In but found the nature of the work repetitive and those days, Austin was at a crest of technology innovation, and Price was riding the constraining. wave with profitable aplomb, creating the first website for SXSW and managing it for “I wanted to study medicine, but I did not five years. She also built and served as Internet editor for one of the first Internetwant to be a doctor,” she says. “I wanted to based indie-music magazines, Pop Culture Press, spawning an entire new generation study aquatic beings, but I didn’t want to work of online music e-zines. in an aquarium.” 62 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Previous photo: Vince Camuto Glacier Dreams top, $89, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com; turquoise necklace, $9.90, available at Forever 21, 3409 Esperanza Crossing, 512.719.3988, forever21.com. This page: Harper & Liv Riviera Rally sleeveless top, $69; Chelsea & Theodore beige cardigan, $84, available at Dillard’s, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.327.6100, dillards.com; jeans, model’s own. Next page: Vince Camuto Retro Riviera top, $109, available at Dillard’s, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.327.6100, dillards.com; Beaded by W tassel necklace, $48, available at beadedbyw.com.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 63
Michael Kors striped top, $99; Hinge navy jacket, $88, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com; jeans and boots, model’s own.
“I know when I’m onto a good idea as an entrepreneur. It’s visceral, you know. My intuition has been very good to me.”
64 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Mellie Price’s Top Five
Tips for Entrepreneurs 1.
“Be authentic. Human nature responds to authenticity, so bring that to every relationship you have. It creates the foundation for trust that you must have with your partners, employees and customers.”
distinguished myself as able to take on diverse projects, and rise, Price had a significant self-realization built relationships in the creative as well. industry, from design firms to music “I’d just graduated, and by that point in venues and artists and all that.” time, I knew I was gay,” she says. With fortuitous timing, a friend The issue wasn’t the proverbial elephant 2. in management at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in the room. It simply was what it was, not so “Get uncomfortable. Solving hard called her, posing exactly the kind much an epiphany as a gradual recognition. problems, taking risks and facing rejecof challenge Price found irresistible. “When I told my parents, I didn’t know tion comes with the territory. SuccessThe popular restaurant-cumhow they’d receive it,” she reflects. “The ful entrepreneurs have a tremendous music venue was having problems irony is that I thought my mom, who’s sort tolerance for ambiguity and are comwith its ticketing company. Its of artistic, would be like, ‘Oh, honey, I’m so fortable with being uncomfortable.” patrons were complaining, and the happy for you!’ and that my dad, who’s the owners were desperately seeking hard, engineering, black-and-white kind 3. a solution. At that time, there was “Listen. The truth is always right in of mentality, would be really upset. But front of you. You just have to listen to it. pretty much only one ticketing initially when I told them, my mom was the Be selfless in your pursuit of the truth, company in town, and its reputation one who was most uncomfortable, and my and take action on what you hear.” was less than scrupulous. Price dad was the one who seemed sort of secretly proposed a typically visionary and relieved that I wasn’t going to get pregnant 4. audacious idea: Why not build a and marry too early. “Be humble. The best teams have whole new ticketing platform and “Being gay is the same thing anybody else always included the right capabilities paradigm that would cater to clients’ goes through: ‘Oh, the relationship’s almost and personalities to accomplish the task specific needs and venues? After right but not quite right.’ ‘Did I stay too at hand. This requires humility and the nearly a year of stealth research, long?’ ‘Did I leave too early?’ ‘Did I handle it acceptance that others may be better development and working under well?’ But you know when you know. That’s suited for certain roles than you are. the radar, Front Gate Tickets was how my relationships have been, and that’s Surround yourself with people smarter, officially launched in 2003, with how business has been for me. I know when better, faster than you and that inspire Stubb’s becoming its first client. I’m onto a good idea as an entrepreneur. It’s you to your greatest potential.” Venue by venue, region by visceral, you know. My intuition has been region, Front Gate began acquiring very good to me.” 5. an impressive roster of notable By 1997, Monsterbit had grown from a “Have fun. Nobody enjoys venues and clients nationwide, one-woman band to a staff of seven, and doing business with a stick-in-the-mud building a formidable alternative personality, especially if your business was partially acquired by outside software requires regular interaction. A culture to Ticketmaster’s monopoly. Once company Human Code. Price went on to of high integrity, productivity and again, Price found herself an become senior vice president at Human authenticity mixed with fun will inspire accidental entrepreneur, and Front Code, which was subsequently acquired by others to want to be your client, work Gate Tickets became, literally and Sapient Corporation three years later. Price with you, invest in you and be a part figuratively, the hottest ticket in accepted a job at Sapient handling businessof what you’re growing. Plus, it’s the business. Within a year, Front to-business web development, but, ever just more, well, fun!” Gate landed its largest client yet, restless, found the experience unfulfilling, becoming a strategic partner with leaving in 2001. C3 Presents. Front Gate took on the For the first time, Price found herself gargantuan task of ticket sales for such iconic events as ACL Fest adrift and at loose ends. And things were about to get worse. and Lollapalooza. In 2011, the system generated more than $70 “I’d just sold my company. I was making buckets of money for a million in ticket sales in more than 800 cities throughout North 31-year-old. The Internet was booming. Suddenly, my 37-year-old America. In 2012, Price sold Front Gate to Live Nation. brother, my only sibling, died of a heart attack. My relationship ended. The market began to fumble. I had disengaged from my family because I was gay. It was a perfect storm of personal change, and the first real moment of self-awareness in my life. In spring 2007, Price met Josh Baer, an Austin-based up-andI’d done what I was supposed to do. I was moderately successful. coming entrepreneur with an intuitive knack for successful startBut there was a sort of,” she pauses a moment, staring into her ups. Baer had previously co-founded several prosperous companies, wineglass, trying to cherry-pick an appropriate word, “emptiness including Buzzmgr, UnsubCentral and Sky List, and had already to that life. When my brother died, that sort of put a wrapper developed a reputation as an “Austin-preneur.” around everything. I didn’t know where to go. I was kind of in a “I was introduced to Mellie by a mutual friend who immediately rabbit hole. It was definitely dark times.” recognized our shared passion for entrepreneurship,” Baer recalls. Though Price was in a personal tailspin, her professional profile “Our first reaction was to merge our two companies, but instead, still had a five-star rating. we ended up creating Capital Factory together from scratch.” “I had a good culmination of skills,” she says. “I had enough Capital Factory became one of the first incubator programs for technical ability and aptitude in programming skills that I’d
In the midst of her meteoric professional
austinwomanmagazine.com | 65
small startups. With a collective of like-minded, Currently, these are good days for Price. She’s still with her partner of three experienced entrepreneurs, investors and volunteer years, and is the proud stepmom of a 5-year-old daughter. mentors, the company raised enough resources in its “It wasn’t until I was 40 that I met somebody that I felt true equanimity with that first year to fund, mentor and launch an initial group has all the ease and grace you want in a relationship,” she says. of five separate startup ventures. Each startup was She also devotes much of her increasingly rare spare time to serving on the board given $20,000 and 10 weeks of intensive hands-on of directors for such diverse nonprofits as Animal Trustees of Austin, the Austin mentoring in exchange for providing Capital Factory Music Foundation, the Sustainable Food Center and others. In 2015, she was awarded 2 percent equity in the company. the Austin Business Journal’s prestigious Profiles in Power award, as well as the “For the next three years, we did five companies a publication’s Tech Titans award in 2014. year,” Price says. “It was like boot camp. I always say Never one to let the dust settle on her accomplishments, Price has her eyes on a Capital Factory is a startup in itself. We created it veritable potpourri of future ventures, many for nonprofit projects she believes in. and learned from it too.” She’s renowned for her passion for community service, particularly health care and “Mellie isn’t afraid to speak up for what she education. In addition to her myriad duties and projects, Price serves as innovation believes in, or to call bulls--t on me,” Baer notes. initiatives advisor for the groundbreaking Dell Medical School, a natural extension “She brings candor to every entrepreneur she of her early love for medicine and science, and tailor-made for her forward-thinking mentors, and they thank her for it. She does it with skills as an innovator. a smile and self-deprecating humor that makes you “It’s clear that Mellie aligns with our mission to bring better health to all through want to hug her, even though she may have just smarter ways of delivering care,” says Mini Kahlon, vice dean for strategy and given you some tough love.” partnerships at Dell Medical School. “Her own background in technology and Now in its seventh year, Capital Factory’s own finance brings key talents we need. And her understanding and love of Austin adds growth and influence have been explosive. From its to the mix. Mellie’s passion for this community, her authentic desire to be engaged 16th-floor penthouse enclosing 50,000 square feet, in mission-driven work and, frankly, her love of life and work all add to her skills the entrepreneurial center of gravity in Austin now and experience to make her a driver of this community and a great partner to help us boasts more than 850 members and 400 companies. make Austin a hub for health innovation.” Its programs are offered year-round, with the Price is deeply committed to Dell’s future. company accepting applications on a monthly basis, “What I love about Dell Medical School and their mission is their commitment some 50 to 100 per month, many from Austin, from to look into the community to find solutions that will change health care and move which the company accepts three to five projects. it towards a value-based model,” Price says. “If I can help place Austin on the map Price has also offered her talents to countless other when it comes to health-care-technology innovation, then that’s a life well spent. entrepreneurial and investment organizations That’s a meaningful next chapter to my professional career. throughout the years, including The Magpie Group, “I’m interested in what they’re doing because, in the story of Austin, this could be Umbel and Source Spring. the single biggest thing to happen in this city in 20 years. I don’t just mean revenueLast year, Price made the next logical quantum generating; I mean job creation, the quality of care. The entire national health-care leap in her entrepreneurial evolution, founding ecosystem is looking at who is going to prove the value-based care model. We’ve got and serving as CEO of SoftMatch, a revolutionary an extraordinary institution with amazing resources through UT, with money that collective of diverse businesses and advisers taxpayers approved. How rare is that? How exciting is that?” representing more than 20,000 The Dell Medical “ ‘Do you even understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneur? startups worldwide, for the School announced purpose of strategic investment, Your board of directors is your boss. Your investors are Price as its executive merger and acquisition director of technology your boss. Your staff, your client, everybody’s got a say.’ ” opportunities, and forging new innovation Feb. 29. and innovative partnerships. Price will work with the local startup community and national technology “SoftMatch is really driven around my desire to partners to design and implement a unique co-innovation model of investment find new economic models for co-innovation,” she and product development. says. “Co-innovation means you have somebody Looking back at the arc of her life so far, Price is still bemused by how people view with the capacity and capability to produce a her life as a successful entrepreneur. product, a technical solution, a meaningful process “A lot of people get attracted to the I-want-to-work-for-myself syndrome,” she improvement, and you have a co-innovation partner says. “I had someone say to me once, ‘Oh, gosh, it must be so nice to work for yourself. that has a channel to distribute that. Looking back, You don’t have to put up with people telling you what to do.’ And I’m like, ‘Do you that’s how I built Front Gate. I built a ticketing even understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneur? Your board of directors is your platform, and my partners in the music industry boss. Your investors are your boss. Your staff, your client, everybody’s got a say.’ ” helped me get clients that would use it. But Mellie Price wouldn’t have it any other way, and she wouldn’t have it “We offer innovation services. The old model of anywhere else. brokerage—a Goldman Sachs that comes in and says, “I really do believe that the DNA of Austin is pretty innovative,” she says, savoring ‘We’re selling this portfolio of companies. Would you a final sip of wine. “What really feeds me is watching people’s lives change, creating like to buy one? If you buy, we get paid.’—that’s an products and companies that change the lives of the founders. It gives me great joy old model. Our job is different. We call it SoftMatch that Front Gate and some of the other businesses have created meaningful wealth because we literally make a soft match. We say, and change in the lives of people I care about. How cool is that?” ‘OK, company X, you’re looking for companies It’s pretty cool for a self-confessed accidental entrepreneur. But, as a wise man revolutionizing home services. Here’s 50, globally.’ ” once observed, there is no such thing as an accident; it is fate misnamed. To date, SoftMatch has built a network of more Fortunately for us, there is such a thing as Mellie Price. And she made her name than 40 Capital Factory-type hubs worldwide. for herself. 66 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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SHAY
BOOM! 68 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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Shayna Brown is a woman in the man’s world of audio engineering. But that hasn’t stopped her company, Chez Boom Audio, from quickly becoming the preferred audio studio for some of film and television’s biggest names. By John T. Davis photos by Dustin Meyer
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70 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, you’re Daniel Craig. You’re Daniel Craig in an immaculate tuxedo, and you’re on a movie set fashioned to look like the casino in Monte Carlo. Martini in hand, you coolly eye what writer Dan Jenkins used to call a “shapely adorable” in a clingy gown. The director calls “Action,” and you’re all set to deliver the line moviegoers throughout the world yearn to hear. “The name is Bond,” you intone, “Ja…” whereupon the actor dressed as the croupier belches. Bad pastrami sandwich for lunch. Take two. “The name is…” and a grip knocks over a spotlight. Really? OK, let’s go again. “The name is Bond. James…” and your leading lady’s cellphone rings. Son of a … . What you really want at this moment is to trade in the prop martini you’re holding for a real one, maybe two. But what you really need is Shayna Brown. Brown is the founder, owner and chief cook and bottle washer at Chez Boom Audio, where she excels in the arcane and exacting art of audio (aka automated) dialogue replacement, or ADR. Besides being devilishly good at an indispensible part of filmmaking, she is also one of the few women in a corner of the industry that is often dominated by male egos and testosterone. ADR is what, in the old days, was known as looping, or dubbing, which means basically replacing spoken dialogue in a movie or television show. As with the example of poor Mr. Craig, — Giancarlo sometimes external noise or other audio clutter can ruin a take. Other times, profanity might be replaced with a milder oath to suit broadcast standards. Or a director might decide after the fact he wants a different emotional tone in a piece of dialogue. This is when Chez Boom gets a phone call. “Maybe 50 to 80 percent of dialogue in any movie or TV show is redubbed,” Brown explains. “And that’s what I do.” In the old days, dubbing was accomplished with analog tape and actual film. These days—surprise!—the wizardry is accomplished with computers and digital magic. “The actors come in and watch video of their lips, and they have to match that tone,” she continues. “I record it all, match it to the picture and send it off, usually to LA, where they mix it together [for a finished product]. The actors are here, but the director is usually in Los Angeles. But I can patch to them, and my computer can run their computer. Or the actors might be in LA, and the director is here. So we patch in to them, they run our screen and we listen and record on this end—the other way around.” The digital world in which Brown works makes the real world irrelevant. “I had one day with [Director] Robert Rodriguez, who was here, and we patched in with actors in LA, New York, Canada and Spain, and some place in London,” she says.
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s Brown is explaining ADR for dummies, she is seated at the Argosy Dual 15 Workstation console in the sleek, acoustically neutral control room that is her pride and joy. Located in the nondescript building that houses the Tequila Mockingbird recording studio and production complex, Brown’s fiefdom is hers from the ground up. After a long tenure as TM’s audio engineer, she founded Chez Boom with her own savings. “I didn’t want to owe people,” she says of her pivotal decision to strike out on her own. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I maxed out a couple of credit cards. [But] I think my work quality is next-level and the people coming in are expecting good quality and a beautiful space.” Oh, yeah, the people. People like Al Pacino, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Giancarlo Esposito, Dennis Quaid, Brooklyn Decker: Those people and many more have crossed the Chez Boom threshold. Since creating Chez Boom as a standalone entity about three years ago, Brown and her two-person staff have worked on films such as 12 Years a Slave, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Danny Collins, True Grit, Fantastic Four, and TV series, including Supernatural, True Detective, Revolution, Once Upon a Time, The Newsroom, American Crime and many more, totaling more than 100 television and movie projects to date, according to the Chez Boom website. That’s in addition to the audio books, with politico Karl Rove and English author Neil Gaiman, to name but two, as well as radio and TV spots, and post-production jobs that account for the balance of Chez Boom’s workload. Brown is, as Will Ferrell might say, kind of a big deal. “I find myself in the ADR studio constantly,” says Esposito Esposito, perhaps best known for his role as Gustavo Fring on Breaking Bad. “I choose always to record at Chez Boom when I’m in Austin. I feel comfortable there and never have to worry about my ability to drop into character. Shay is an original at what she does, a woman that embodies grace and professionalism.” Her professional chops are only part of the story, of course. She’s also a wife (Last fall, she married Sam Decker, an entrepreneur who’s overseen several tech startups.) and a mom to a 7-year-old son and Decker’s two children from a previous union. And, like any working mom, balance can be an elusive priority. Her twin Facebook pages—one for herself, one for Chez Boom—show a personal life and a professional life running on parallel tracks. “All the moms I know have these double lives. Our society is not set up to let women be productive in the workplace and be great moms, [so] I’m grateful I get to do this around my son’s schedule,” she says. “I didn’t think my clients would be as respectful of my boundaries with time, but they are. I may tell them I can’t do a session on Tuesday at 3 because I have to be out. I don’t tell them it’s because my son has piano, but that’s what it is. I want to be present.” “She’s been independent for a long time,” Decker says. “She started college when she was 15. She’s an interesting cross between independent and so loving. Her empathy is off the charts.”
Shay is an original at what she does, a woman that embodies grace and professionalism.
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The two met via Facebook, and the first time Decker had a “Pro Tools [the industry-standard digital audio workstation] chance to spend one-on-one time with her, Brown was doing a had just come out,” she recalls. She and Levin sat together in the studio and puzzled out how the new software worked. “It was session at Chez Boom in her pajamas. “When I met her for the first time, I was blown away by how bonding for us. It was fun.” Brown took to it intuitively in the way kids absorb new fast she was on the computer,” he says. “I would venture to say she’s the fastest audio engineer in Austin, if not nationwide. Plus, technology, and she saw a way to indulge her musical instincts her wit is quick. What makes her great is she’s thinking about without having to go onstage. Brown worked as an intern or assistant in any studio that would the experience the client is having. That drive matched to that have her, making connections and learning all the while. The oldempathy, that combination is unique.” school engineers and recording artists began to turn to her. Perhaps it’s unique, but not always appreciated. “They’d say, ‘We have this Pro Tools thing. Do you know how to Brown is a rare entity. She says she has only met one other female audio engineer in her time. And she is, on occasion, work it?’ Dad’s friends would say, ‘I’ll pay you $100 to come teach me.’ confronted with clients or colleagues who can’t or won’t concede It became my little trick that I could use this thing,” Brown says. A couple years later, when she was 17, Director Robert Rodriguez that a woman can know her way around an audio console. “It’s just a very male-dominated field,” she says with a shrug. set up a fledgling ADR operation at Tequila Mockingbird, and “The stereotype is men with long hair smoking pot and wearing Brown got on board. “His people showed me how to set up a session and do ADR,” torn jeans, and that’s the engineer type. And I’m not that, and proudly not that. One time, I patched to somebody and I said, she told a reporter for an audio blog. “He referred other people to ‘Hello, this is Austin. How’s it going?’ And they said, ‘Going well. me, and that’s how I got into post-production.” Brown eventually got her college degree—in philosophy, no less. I’d like to talk to the engineer.’ ” She recounts one session recording Matthew McConaughey for Brown told the other party that, well, she was indeed the a commercial, a Don’t Mess With Texas spot. engineer. There was a certain exasperation on the other end “I remember saying, ‘I am so sorry, guys, but I have an of the line. ethics class in 15 minutes, so I’m going to run to UT “No, I’d like to talk to the person running the and be right back.’ For the rest of the session,” session,” the caller said. she says, “Matthew would say, ‘All right, “Um, that would be me,” Brown reasserted. Shay. What would Nietzsche say about Exasperation yielded to that patronizing that take? What would Plato think of our tone that women just can’t get enough of: commercial?’ ” ‘Hey, look around. “Sweetie, do I need to walk you through Now, after 20 years in the business, how to do this?” We need more women banter with the stars has become “By the end of the session, he was second nature. Brown is more focused in this industry. falling all over himself,” Brown says. on growing her business, cramming as “He realized I knew what I was doing.” much family life as she can manage into We need you One name-brand actor (“a famous every day, pursuing yoga. (She has been guy” is all she’ll say) simply refused to to step up!’ a devout practitioner of the Mysore style look Brown in the eye at all or address — Shayna Brown of Ashtanga yoga for 15 years. “It helps me her directly. quiet my mind and prep for the day,” she says.) “After the first day, I told my assistant, ‘He’s And she wants to mentor and encourage young your job from now on,’ ” she says. “I can’t deal with girls to join her in the industry. this amount of rudeness. It just hurts.” “Occasionally, there’s a group of high-school students That, she acknowledges, was an extreme example. Pacino, on that come through on a field trip and I’ll single out the girls,” the other hand, who was in town to do ADR for his movie Danny Brown says. “ ‘Hey, look around. We need more women in this Collins, was, by Brown’s account, a pro and a gent. industry. We need you to step up!’ ” “People here were freaking out,” she says of when Pacino walked through the door. “But he was wonderful. Afterwards, I said, ‘This is totally unprofessional, but do you mind taking ut to a gorgeous afternoon in mid-February. Brown is at a picture? It’s an honor to have you here.’ And he said, ‘It’s an her console, clad all in black, waiting for a young actor named honor to work with someone so good at their job.’ That was nice.” Matthew Rudd. Rudd is coming in to dub a fragment of dialogue, literally one line (“Nobody controls the digital space!”) for the TV series American Crime. rown gained her expertise from the ground up. She’s the Brown welcomes him in, sets him up in the studio and begins daughter of Austin multi-instrumental stalwart Danny Levin, to do her digital thing with a post-production coordinator in who has played for decades in town with everyone from Asleep Los Angeles. Rudd knocks out a dozen quick takes with varying at the Wheel to Dale Watson, Eliza Gilkyson, Bob Schneider and degrees of emphasis. It takes just a few minutes and the process many more. Levin home-schooled Brown, her brother and sister appears seamless to an observer. Like her husband noted, Brown (who plays for the Houston Symphony), and Brown grew up as is very quick indeed. Rudd hardly has time to finish his Diet Dr a studio brat, hanging around her father’s sessions. Though she Pepper. “All good. I think you’re done,” says someone on the line from learned piano, she loathed the idea of performing herself. She began to intern at Tequila Mockingbird and attend the Los Angeles. “Wow,” Rudd says with a smile. “Let me catch my breath.” University of Texas at the tender age of 15, and she developed an Daniel Craig, Shayna Brown is waiting for your call. early affinity for the emerging digital technology of recording.
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72 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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The stereotype is men with long hair smoking pot and wearing torn jeans, and that’s the engineer type. And I’m not that, and proudly not that. — Shayna Brown
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Meal-kit delivery service Gourmet By Numbers is out to show food lovers that if you can read, you can cook. story by april cumming
Photo by David Zacek.
The Guest-Chef Program Heather Amalaha, founder and CEO of meal-kit delivery service Gourmet By Numbers, partners with one personal or restaurant chef in the Austin community once a month to add diversity to her menu. So far, she has worked with chefs like Terry Wilson of Sala & Betty, who contributed a recipe for Moroccan lamb meatloaf with couscous and green beans. “What’s great about that dish is that it’s also something [Wilson serves] at the restaurant,” Amalaha says. It’s a trend Mary Scala, Gourmet By Numbers’ chief marketing officer, calls “the un-restaurant experience.” “People want an experience, they want this really awesome food, but they don’t want to actually have to go to a restaurant,” Scala explains. “So, [Gourmet By Numbers] gives them a way to have a restaurant experience at home.” Try these recipes from Gourmet By Numbers on your own or visit gourmetbynumbers.com to sign up for meals delivered straight to you.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 75
G
OURMET
Recipe Reveal
76 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Wraps W tuce ith t e L Pe n an ke c i ut Ch Sa n a i s
Ingredients: For filling: 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil 1/2 cup red onion, diced 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced Small pinch crushed red pepper 3/4 pound (12 ounces) ground chicken thighs 1/3 cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2 sliced scallions, divided For serving: 4 to 6 romaine or butter lettuce leaves 1/4 cup carrots, shredded 1/4 cup cabbage, finely shredded 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted 4 lime wedges For peanut sauce: 1/2 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and minced 1/4 cup canned coconut milk 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 tablespoons water, or more if needed Sriracha hot sauce, to taste (optional) 2 tablespoons peanuts, roasted, for garnish Directions: 1. To cook the filling, heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the onions and bell pepper. Cook for one to two minutes,
stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add the ground chicken. Cook the chicken for about eight minutes, breaking it up occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula to cook evenly. 2. While the filling cooks, start on the peanut sauce. Heat the cooking oil in a medium pot. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and ginger, and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. 3. Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar, then let the mixture come to a simmer. When it starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and start adding in the peanut butter. As it begins to melt, whisk the peanut butter to help the mixture emulsify. Whisk in the soy sauce, lime juice and water, adding more water to thin out the sauce if needed. Note: If the peanut butter isn’t melting, put the pot back over very low heat, being careful not to let it get too hot, as it will break, separating the oil. If it breaks, whisk in a little more water. 4. Season with Sriracha sauce if desired and immediately pour the sauce into a serving dish. Garnish with roasted peanuts. 5. When the chicken filling is cooked through, stir in the hoisin, soy sauce and sesame oil, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and half of the sliced scallions, reserving the rest for garnish. 6. To serve, scoop a few tablespoons of the filling into each of the lettuce leaves. Top with shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with peanut sauce and lime wedges on the side.
Photo by David Zacek.
(Gluten-free if gluten-free soy sauce is used) Serves two
ce u
Amalaha, the founder and CEO of Gourmet By Numbers, started her meal-kit delivery company two years ago, in February 2014. For technicality’s sake, though, the company was first conceptualized when she was an undergrad majoring in nutrition and food studies. After finishing undergrad and graduate school, she returned to Austin five years ago—married and with two kids in tow—and started working as a financial analyst at Dell. As any working mom can sympathize, it didn’t take long for Amalaha to realize how hard it was to work a 9-to-5 job only to come home and have to work a second job, taking care of her kids and getting a home-cooked meal on the table before they were off to bed. After two years of working at Dell, she thought, “Maybe corporate America isn’t for me and I just need to go pursue what I actually want to do.” Fortunately, she already had an idea and a business plan sitting in her back pocket. She had done a lot of research on food trends during her undergrad studies. It was a time when companies were creating new business concepts for people to go into a store, prep a bunch of meals and then freeze them for the rest of the month. Amalaha envisioned something more promising. “I really thought there had to be a better way to get fresh food—less casserole-type stuff you may get sick of— and not spend an entire Sunday doing that. That’s really where the idea came from,” she says. To get her plan off the ground, she turned to crowdfunding. It was, in her words, a way to “get social proof” that the meal-kit service was a concept people were interested in. By May 2014, she had exceeded her Indiegogo campaign goal of $22,000, and was awarded a $50,000 startup grant from the Business and Community Lenders of Texas, a Keep Austin Funded partner. Amalaha got to prepping and partnering with seasonal-produce providers Johnson’s Backyard Garden and Farm to Table. Each Gourmet By Numbers meal kit is created to serve as many as four people and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Included in the insulated tote bag is a recipe and all the pre-chopped and pre-measured ingredients, taking any planning, shopping and food prep off the table. Amalaha comfortably admits she is not a chef, which is why she wanted to make sure all the recipes and directions were explained in a way that was easy enough for a beginner to understand. “For a lot of people who weren’t taught how to cook,” she says, “this is a great way for them to be able to participate.” Since her store opened, Amalaha has seen her subscriber base grow tenfold, with the majority of customers consisting of young professionals on one or two meal-serving plans. Meal-kit subscribers have access to a menu of 30 standby recipes and six new rotating recipes each month. While her long-term goal is to open more stores and provide more locally sourced food to more people, Amalaha is currently focused on hiring her first delivery driver, someone to take over her Tuesday shift.
A
On any given Tuesday, you can most likely find Heather Amalaha motoring through the Austin metropolis, dropping off insulated tote bags on people’s doorsteps.
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Recipe Reveal
oconut Soup C y w rr i u
p rim Sh
Thai Re d
th
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons neutral-flavored, high-heat cooking oil 1/3 cup white or yellow onion, sliced 1/2 cup bell pepper, sliced 1/3 cup carrots, sliced in quarter-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 1 cup vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups full-fat canned coconut milk 1 cup snap peas or snow peas 4 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped Black pepper, to taste Lime wedges for garnish
C
(Vegan if no shrimp is used) Serves two
Directions: 1. Heat a medium pot over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, stir in the onion, bell pepper and carrots. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring only occasionally, until the onions and bell pepper start to soften. Stir in the garlic, fresh ginger and curry paste, and cook for one minute, stirring frequently. 2. Stir in the red pepper flakes (if using) and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once it’s boiling, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and let it simmer for eight to 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in the coconut milk and let it simmer another five minutes. Add in the shrimp and peas, simmer for another five minutes, then stir in the soy sauce and brown sugar. 3. Remove from the heat and season to taste with lime juice, black pepper and more soy sauce if desired. Stir in the fresh basil and cilantro, and serve immediately, accompanied with lime wedges.
Serves two
tle Vege o p ta i Ch
Photos by David Zacek.
Posole e bl
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 1 cup zucchini, diced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 chipotle chili with adobo sauce, chopped 3 cups vegetable broth 15 ounces hominy, rinsed and drained 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes, drained 1 cup corn, off the cob 1 lime, cut into wedges 1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled 1/4 cup cabbage, shredded 6 each, cilantro stems and leaves Directions: 1. Heat a medium pot over medium heat and add the cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and let them cook, stirring occasionally for about five minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. 2. Add the oregano and cumin, stirring to combine, then add the zucchini. Let it all cook for one to two minutes. 3. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and chipotle in adobo. Let it cook for about two minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not burn. The vegetables should be coated in the paste and adobo. 4. Stir in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the drained tomatoes and hominy, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the corn and let the soup simmer uncovered for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. 5. Garnish. Before serving, season to taste with salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve with crumbled queso fresco, cabbage and cilantro garnishes on top or on the side. Note: Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for as long as five days. Reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.
austinwomanmagazine.com |  79
G
OURMET
food news
Get in the Groove
Meet Backbeat, the newest cocktail bar to hit South Lamar. By Grace Snively
The interior aesthetic of Backbeat includes large steel-framed windows mixed with walnut paneling and marble countertops. The 1,900-square-foot contemporary space is filled with an abundance of natural light, and lounge and banquette seating. What makes this concept truly unique, though, is the 400-square-foot rooftop bar, where patrons can take in spectacular views of the Austin skyline. The architect behind the project, Jamie Chioco of Chioco Design, is responsible for the design of Austin hangout spots Star Bar, Winflo Osteria and Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Backbeat is scheduled to open in March.
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Rendering courtesy of Giant Noise.
The dynamic duo behind intimate North Austin cocktail bar and kitchen drink.well. is starting a new cocktail-bar concept on South Lamar Boulevard. Michael and Jessica Sanders’ goal for Backbeat, named for the second and fourth beats that give rock ’n’ roll and rhythm and blues their signature styles, is to “maintain the feeling of a neighborhood bar” while offering a variety of cocktail concoctions, as well as beer and wine options.
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G
OURMET
Girl Walks into a Bar
Secret hideaways
We explore two cocktail spots tucked away in the heart of the city. by April Cumming In a city where it’s becoming less simple to find a crevice to call your own, there’s an ongoing quest to discover a sense of place, preferably one that serves alcohol. Out there, lining the streets of Austin’s burgeoning downtown, somewhere in the midst of pedicab drivers, stumbling Sixth Street dwellers and late-night dog walkers are bars that feel undiscovered. The characteristics of these tucked The Townsend thetownsendaustin.com
What to eat: With the arrival of Chef Justin Huffman, formerly the bar manager at Qui, in November, the menu at The Townsend hasn’t stopped short of serving up mouthwatering creations. For a main course, try the house-made pappardelle with fried prosciutto, English peas and truffle oil. Cap off the evening with a caramel pot de creme made with single-malt whisky and topped with candied pecans.
What to hear: Open-to-thepublic performances in March include BP Fallon and The Bluebonnets March 20, and Dead Love Club March 25.
Photo by Sarah Reid.
There are multiple stages of appreciation that must be met when stepping foot into The Townsend. First, look up. Located a hurried jaywalk away from the Paramount Theatre, the bar is housed in a two-story Italianate Victorian building that dates back to the 19th century. Inside, shimmering chandeliers fixate patrons as they dangle from the bar’s elevated 17-foot-high ceilings. Second, try to steal a seat on the indigo-hued, velvet-tufted Victorian settee positioned in strategic alignment with a window looking out on Congress Avenue. You’re welcome. Unlike other bars in town, the music selection at The Townsend is a subtle melody to be carried on secondary only to a duo’s lively conversation. In the flurry of passing glances and seamless delivery of charcuterie boards, it’s easy to overlook the recessed black screens interrupting the bookcases that line the back walls. On a night when there’s live music to be heard, the bar utilizes the screens to stream performances from its intimate and soundproof 120-personcapacity studio in the back. For a 3,400-square-foot landmark, The Townsend masquerades effortlessly as a small speakeasy-like space, straying from the overhyped and overcrowded energy of its more mainstream cocktailbar counterparts.
What to drink: La Linea. It’s a genius mix of aquavit, mezcal, lemon and chartreuse worth coming back to once and again. Or try the Single Engine Plane, a mix of rum, lime, orgeat (a sweet syrup) and aromatic bitters.
away spots sound a lot like old friends: humble and unpresuming on the outside yet brimming with subtle beauty, brilliance and purpose on the inside. First impressions are important, and these two cocktail bars know how to make their mark. Situated less than a block from each other, The Townsend and Small Victory offer a sense of place to those who seek it.
82 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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When you choose Catholic School for your children, you surround them with a community that shares your faith and your values. Here, your children will learn to shine with a light that they will carry with them into the world. Learn About Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin
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Girl Walks into a Bar
Small Victory smallvictory.bar
What to drink: Create your own cocktail, stick with a classic daiquiri or dry martini, or choose from an impressive selection of wines. What to eat: Create your own charcuterie plate, which includes a selection of two meats and two cheeses paired with jelly, bread and crackers.
Photos by Robert Lerma.
Through the glass edifice of a terribly nondescript building that sits across an alley from the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin hotel, a door swings open, brandishing a small sticker with the letter S overlaid with the letter V. This is Small Victory. The space’s interior shows off an architectural mix of industrial concrete beams, modern woodpaneled walls and trippy black-and-white wallpaper ordained in raised flowers and fire-hydrant stencils. The narrow 800-square-foot windowless space replaces an old dive, Mike’s Pub, and was started by Brian Stubbs and Josh Loving, who has an extensive bar background, previously serving as the beverage director of Jeffrey’s and Josephine House and operating Half Step’s ice program. The music selection, which leans more toward the lyrical side and is characteristic of classic songs one might have played while driving a date home in the ’80s or ’90s, makes for a solid conversation starter. Swift-moving bartenders know just the thing to offer Small Victory’s patrons, each having memorized a bevy of handcrafted concoctions inspired by passed-down cocktail recipes. Take time to chat to the staff and you might hear about the in-house ice program or catch a glimpse of the hand-crank-operated charcuterie-carving machine imported from Italy. Glass-backed bar shelves stocked with imported wines, liquors and bitters also boast an array of Erlenmeyer flasks and beakers used by the bartenders to measure and mix cocktails. The aroma of savory, locally sourced goat cheeses and imported, melt-in-your mouth Spanish meats fills the intimate room. Like the tea-light candles flickering in the center of every table, every patron in this bar seems to glow.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 85
W
ellness
health
Game Changer
Cleansing for colonoscopies just got a lot easier. By Jill Case Although colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths that affect both women and men, according to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 60 percent of colon-cancer deaths could be avoided if everyone age 50 and older received regular screening tests. March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and a new, less intensive option for colonoscopy prep based in Austin could play an important role in fighting this highly preventable disease. Austin Gastroenterology, one of the largest gastroenterology groups in the state of Texas, partnered with HyGIeaCare Inc. to develop the Austin HyGIeaCare Center, a facility where patients can go on the same day as their scheduled colonoscopy to experience a simple, easy bowel prep in a safe, clean and comfortable environment. The center in Austin is the first of its kind in the United States, and there are similar centers opening in Dallas, Phoenix and Norfolk, Va. Traditionally, patients who are scheduled for a colonoscopy will be asked to go on a liquid diet one to three days prior to the test. They are asked to drink a laxative powder or take a pill to cleanse the bowels, which causes diarrhea, making it necessary to stay close to a bathroom during this time. Same-day prep avoids these steps. For this method, the patient simply takes a prescription the night before the procedure and limits herself to liquids starting at noon on the day before the test. “You don’t have to miss work like you might on traditional prep days. You don’t have to drink a large volume of liquids. You don’t have to lose sleep or stay up all night going to the bathroom,” says Dr. Bruce Levy, chief executive officer of Austin Gastroenterology and Austin Endoscopy Centers.
All these things make this method very attractive to many patients. During HyGIeaCare same-day prep, a patient goes to a private room, where a trained prep-tech walks her through the procedure. The entire prep usually takes about 40 minutes, after which the patient has her colonoscopy procedure. Levy says he believes this procedure may encourage people who have avoided colonoscopies in the past because they did not want to undergo the traditional prep to go ahead with this life-saving procedure. “About 40 percent of people who need a colonoscopy refuse to get them,” Levy says. “We want people to get colonoscopies because we really believe we can effectively fight colon cancer. Colon cancer is the one form of cancer that can be cured before it even begins if you remove the polyps.” Currently, insurance does not cover this new type of prep, but the center is offering the service at a reasonable price: $245. “We are not doing this to get rich. This is for us to provide care and a service for patients,” Levy says. For more information, call HyGIeaCare Inc. at 512.717.0772, or visit hygieacare.com or austingastro.com.
Risk Factors for Colon Cancer Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force state people age 50 and older with average risk factors should receive an initial colonoscopy followed by additional colonoscopies every 10 years or more, depending on the findings from the initial screening. Patients who are considered at high risk for colon cancer should talk to a doctor to determine if they may need to be screened earlier than age 50.
86 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Certain factors increase your risk for colon cancer, including: • being age 50 or older • a family history of colon or rectal cancer •a personal history of any of the following: colon, rectal, ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer, or having a history of colon polyps • history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease •h ereditary conditions such as adenomatous polyposis or hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer, or Lynch syndrome
The Importance of Colonoscopies A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure performed by a trained specialist who uses a colonoscope (a narrow, flexible, lit tube that has a tiny camera attached to one end) to view the inside of the rectum and colon. This allows the physician to see colon polyps, or growths, on the surface of the colon. Colon polyps may be benign, or they may be precancerous or cancerous growths. During the colonoscopy, the polyps can be removed and sent for laboratory testing to determine if they are malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). In addition, the doctor can find and remove any colon tissue that has an abnormal appearance and have it tested. When a patient has precancerous polyps or early stage colorectal cancer, she usually will not have symptoms. The good news is that colon cancer is a slow-growing cancer, and 90 percent of cases that are found in the early stages are curable, which demonstrates the absolute importance of screening.
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W
ellness
Fitness + Nutrition
Mediocrity No More
Karen Aston positions Texas women’s basketball for greatness. By Emily C. Laskowski undefeated season. (Texas is still one of only four schools to have achieved this.) As the pressure builds for the 2016 tournament, which begins March 18 and ends with the finals April 5, Coach Aston and her top-ranked squad are staying focused on one goal at a time. Following Conradt’s retirement in 2007 and an unfortunate slump of mediocre performances in the years that followed, Texas hired Aston in 2012 as only its fourth
women’s head basketball coach. With enormous expectations sitting squarely on her shoulders, Aston, who served as an assistant coach under Conradt from 1998 to 2006, has molded a team with Texas-sized potential. At the Frank Erwin Center Feb. 1, the team earned the program its 1,000th win, ranking Texas fifth in all-time wins for Division I Women’s College Basketball, and gave Longhorn fans reason to believe that a new, glorious era of Texas women’s basketball is a-comin’ down the court.
Photo courtesy of the University of Texas.
Thirty years after the University of Texas women’s basketball program won its first National Championship, Head Coach Karen Aston and her team are shooting for a second. In 1986, when the team led by legendary coach and former Austin Woman cover woman Jody Conradt defeated the University of Southern California in that victorious National Championship game, they accomplished a rare feat: a perfect,
88 | Austin Woman | march 2016
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Rebound the misses. “If we lose a game, we still have to treat the next one the same, and not have the mindset that one day is bigger than the other because they’re all the same. Complacency is something that you have to be cautious of. It’s a long season and you go through ups and downs, and so, the challenge is trying to stay sharp.”
Coach Aston, or “Kick Aston,” as she is known to her staff and team, gave Austin Woman a few pointers on finding success on and off the court, and why women’s basketball is worth watching. Add goals to the game plan. “I’ve taken the one-day-at-a-time, one-year-at-a-time approach. As we’ve gone along each year, we’ve set higher goals, but then we’ve also kept these core goals, what I would call core values. It’s the same thing our [men’s basketball team] has and that [Head Football Coach] Charlie Strong is so well known for. That’s the basis of what we’re building the foundation on.” Learn life lessons. “Everything’s not going to go your way, and sometimes, you lose, and sometimes, the breaks don’t happen right, but that’s life. Teaching young women, in particular, how to forge ahead when things aren’t great and how to be strong and opinionated and well-spoken—all of those things are what they learn in athletics. But I think the biggest thing they learn is self-confidence and self-worth, which transfers over to whatever it is they decide to do after sports.” Basketball brackets aren’t exclusive to the men’s game. “The thing that I think is unique about our sport is that it’s played below the rim. We don’t have the high-flying dunking, but what we do have is more fundamentals, better shooting and a camaraderie that has to happen.”
Nutrition
At least three to four hours before a big game or workout, eat a meal that includes highoctane carbohydrates, like whole grains, lean protein and fruits and vegetables. Try this:
t
t
Like the lessons Aston teaches her players on the court, fitness and nutrition off the court build a solid foundation for the future. With these tips from the Texas coaching staff, ramp up your routine and take your training to the next level.
Fitness
Score sculpted, basketball-strong arms with these exercises straight from the weight room. Complete this plan as a circuit workout by moving from bent row to pushup plank with little to no rest in between, at least four times through.
2 cups brown rice 1 cup green beans 1/2 cup roasted carrots 1 side salad with vinaigrette 1 cup fresh fruit 1 cup 100 percent orange juice
Bent Row 1. S tand with slightly bent knees and bend forward at the waist, keeping your back flat and shifting your body weight to your heels. 2. L et your hands, each holding a dumbbell, hang toward the floor, palms facing each other. 3. P ull the dumbbells toward your hips, handles touching at the top. Keep your elbows close in enough to brush the sides of your body. 4. Holding that body position, lower the dumbbells back toward the floor.
Within an hour after a big game or workout, eat a meal that includes lean protein to repair muscles, replenishing carbohydrates and lots of healthy fats to decrease inflammation. Since the game is done, allow yourself some fun foods. Try this: 1 large baked potato 6 ounces salmon 1.5 cups cooked broccoli with cheese
Complete 10 repetitions. Pushup Planks 1. L ying on your belly, place your hands slightly wider than your chest, with your fingertips in-line with the top of your shoulders. 2. P ush your body off the floor in one motion, contracting your core. 3. A fter your arms are fully extended, lower your body without touching the floor. Your elbows should make a 90-degree angle.
1 small smoothie
4. A fter the final rep, remain at the top of the pushup and hold the plank position for 30 seconds.
1 chocolate-chip cookie
Complete 10 repetitions.
90 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Photo courtesy of the University of Texas.
6 ounces roasted chicken
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Join us! Saturday, April 16, 2016 | Four Seasons Hotel | Austin, TX Cocktail Hour | Dinner | Casino | Live & Silent Auction Special Performance by Dale Watson & His Lone Stars! For sponsorship opportunities, ticket sales, and more information visit www.capitalareadentalfoundation.org/gala
Fitness + Nutrition
March Madness Division I Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament First and second rounds: March 18 through 21, various locations and times Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight: March 25 through 28, various locations and times Final Four semifinals: April 3, Indianapolis, Ind., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., ESPN National Championship: April 5, Indianapolis, Ind., 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Coach Aston’s Three Pointers About Her Team 1. “This is a fun-loving team. They genuinely care about each other. That’s why you see them cheering for the last player that comes off the bench or the first.” 2. “ They have really grabbed on to wanting to have a legacy, and the seniors have led the way with that because this is their last opportunity to make a valid mark on our program. They want to get people’s attention and they know that the only way to do that is to do it together.”
Photo courtesy of the University of Texas.
3. “At the end of the day, they will put aside anything they have for the good of the team, and that’s hard to find.”
Get the latest updates on Coach Aston and the Texas women’s basketball team at texassports.com.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 93
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memo from JB
Battle of the Bands
How I used a turntable to turn my daughter onto the classics. By JB Hager, photo by rudy arocha March is my absolute favorite month in Austin. The weather is perfect, the NCAA basketball tournament gets underway and then there’s St. Patrick’s Day. But my absolute favorite part is the five days when South By Southwest Music consumes the city. To me, Austin is still a small town. I’ve lived here so long, I still recall $8 SXSW wristbands and the city-population sign cracking the 400,000 mark, but during South By, Austin feels like the center of the universe. The opportunity for discovery is overwhelming and wonderful. This may come across as pretentious, but I’m that guy, even in his 40s, who still judges people by the music they listen to. Yes, I was that music snob growing up, and I never really outgrew it. I actually decided whether I liked someone based on his or her musical taste. I haven’t changed much. Judge me if you want to, but it’s still a pretty accurate measure of compatibility with other humans. Until about a year ago, I had musical reign of my house. I was the lone decision maker procuring the playlist that echoed throughout our abode. I could blare Band of Skulls, Silversun Pickups or The Raconteurs. If I felt nostalgic, you might hear Bowie, The Police or The Jam. My wife would even allow me to be more obscure at times, which means I might blast some The The, Hoodoo Gurus or XTC, that is, if I weren’t binging on some local favorites like Alpha Rev, Wiretree or Whiskey Shivers. And then my daughter hit middle school and took control of my entire universe. Suddenly, the air was filled with “F#@k that bit#$” and “Back that a#@ up.” There was a lot of anger and reference to genitalia for no specific reason. I tried my best to be understanding and not be part of that older generation that doesn’t “get it.” I completely understand that I am sounding no different than parents in the ’50s who complained about Elvis, or those in the ’60s with The Beatles. I’m not so narrow-minded to clump all hip-hop together. Some of it, I actually like. However, my daughter’s artists of choice are horrific. I’ll just say this: One or more of them were “Yeezy” to hate. (Psst, that’s code for Kanye.) It was time to take back the house, but I had to be tactful. If I flat out banned certain music in the house, I would be writing a modern script for Footloose. The next thing you know, Kevin Bacon would be swinging from the rafters in my living room. Instead, I surprised my daughter with a ’70s-era console stereo and turntable with gigantic speakers, just like I wanted when I was her age. At first, it was perplexing. She didn’t know what to do with it. It was about as exciting for her as touring a cotton gin in Georgia would have been for me at her age. I would carefully check out what she was listening to, whether it was from the soundtrack of a TV show she likes or from a video she liked on Vine. Any time I heard something remotely palatable, I would order her the entire album of that artist. I slowly heard music coming from her room that wasn’t just the single from that artist, but deeper cuts, a concept lost on youth. I didn’t push it, but slowly, a couple things started to happen. When I was flipping through my own vinyl, I couldn’t find certain records. They had made their way up to my daughter’s
94 | Austin Woman | march 2016
room. When I went up to assess the situation, I found more hijacked from my collection: The National, MGMT, Ray LaMontagne, Arctic Monkeys, The Avett Brothers. Yes! I’m making progress. As time passed, great music was flowing through the house and originating from my daughter’s bedroom. It got to the point that she was introducing me to new artists I loved, a proud moment for a father. Then, one day, as I was chauffeuring her and her friends across town, one of her friends asked her if she had the new single from ________. She replied, “I heard that almost a year ago. I have the album.” I just wanted to pull over and cry. There she was, a music snob, just like her old man. I felt like I had won the definitive music battle, not just for me, but for parents everywhere. You’re welcome.
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I Am Austin Woman
Southern Roots
Austin’s 2015 Musician of the Year reflects on resisting South By Southwest. SXSW: four letters that signify make it or break it for musicians throughout the world. But for those of us born and raised in Austin, those four letters mean spring-break getaway, time for family vacations to Arches National Park, youth-group mission trips to Mexico and parties in Padre with the high-school besties. They also spell get away, as in, whatever you do, get out of town, lest you be overrun by the traffic-inducing stench and squall of leather and rock ’n’ roll. It was never really my scene. So, even as a young college songwriter, I went my separate way every time March music madness rolled into town. In fact, I feel silly admitting this, but it was only about eight years ago that I realized missing South By Southwest might not be the smartest career choice. I dipped my foot in. I spent my first SXSW as part of a stage crew at the now-defunct Copa Bar & Grill on Congress Avenue. I was drop-jawed as the entire world came to serenade me. ChocQuibTown, now Latin Grammy winners, tore up the stage with Afro-Colombian hiphop. Alash transported me to the ancient plains of Siberia with eerie Tuvan throat harmonies. Delhi 2 Dublin meshed Indian bhangra beats with Celtic fiddle tunes. There were Brazilian folk singers, LA-Spanish fusion, Argentine electronic tango. My heart and hips were inspired. Fast-forward to March 2014. I was hanging at the Palm Door on Sixth Street for a Latin-music showcase when I saw Jasmine
Garsd, co-host of my favorite NPR show, Alt.Latino. She and I had met in New York during another über important music week—which I now prioritize (wink, wink)—the Latin Alternative Music Conference. I handed her a copy of my newly pressed album, Up.Rooted, when the woman next to her leaned in and whispered, “I thought that was you. I love your album! In fact, I’d love to have you on my show. I’m the director of All Things Considered.” ’Scuse me? Que?! My brain screamed at my face, “Just stay cool!” while my voice attempted to ask for her business card. A month later, I was sitting behind a mic at the NPR mothership in D.C., recording a feature spot that would take my bilingual indie album to the top of the iTunes and Amazon Latin charts in mere hours. Wow! Oddly enough, my musical journey to discover my lost Latin roots began when I left Austin to study in Argentina. Since then, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for all that our beautiful city has to offer, from international music festivals to boutique ones like Pachanga, with support from music lovers in all areas, from health organizations like HAAM and the Sims Foundation, to communities like Black Fret and Women in Music Professional Society, educational entities like the Austin Music Foundation, to the City of Austin and the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. They’re all here for us. But, as I’ve learned, nothing happens unless we jump into the mix. It may be hard to put yourself out there, but there’s no action on the sidelines. It’s go time!
Austin Woman features a reader-submitted essay every month in the I Am Austin Woman column. To be considered for May’s I Am Austin Woman, email a 500-word submission on a topic of your choice by April 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com with the subject line “I Am Austin Woman.”
96 | Austin Woman | march 2016
Photo by Todd Wolfson.
by Gina Chavez
Here’s to the life we love. And the lives we care for. At St. David’s, our goal is simple. To be the best. Which means delivering care based on your needs. Your life is our passion. And that passion drives our purpose. Because you deserve the best.
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Austin Woman MAGAZINE | march 2016
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