04
Chispa!
magazine
Si ng. Si ng. Si ng. Al so At t ack i ng Toxi c Habi t s, I s Nurt uri ng t he New Sexy?
Think, Swing, Act #LikeAGir l Cr istina Gutier r ez Yanina Faour Chef Isa Souza Cor a Tucker
Ther e's No Stopping Maggie What's Lurking In Your Boar d Room?
ThalĂa Wonder
&
Th e L-O-V -E I ssue Lov eYour Hear t , Lov eOt her s, Lov eYour Season
Fresh of f t he Runways The Best Look s for Spr ing
I N THI S I SSUE Editor's Letter 06 Your St rat egy Professional 08 Mompreneur 12 Windy Artist 16 SENIORita 18
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Relat ionships Sing. Sing. Sing. 20 Conversat ions Is Nurturing the New Sexy? 24 She's Got Chispa Cristina Gutierrez 26 Chef Isa Souza 28 Yanina Faour 32
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Feat ures The Eight Early Warning Signs of Dating Abuse 38 The Cora Tucker Story 42 Cover St ory Wonder Woman?s Real Name is ThalĂa 48 A Bet t er You Fashion + Style | A Walk in the Clouds 56 Health + Beauty | The Romina Files 68 Smart + Homey | Girly Spaces, Pretty Places 72 Travel + Culture | Where to Speak? 74
Through The Lens What is Love? 78 Bookworm Sharif K. Rasheed 98 Must Haves 102 Mi Chispa 105
Chispa! magazine
Edit or-in-Chief Mavian Arocha-Rowe
Lif est yl e Direct or Romina Nabhen
Execut ive Edit or Mia Guerra
Managing Edit ors Paola Ramirez and Milo SenallĂŠ
Associat e Edit or Lucia Rodriguez
Edit orial Coordinat ors Marlee Archer and Tanasia Kenney
Creat ive Direct or Christian Ruben
Direct or of Sal es Scott Rowe
Writ ers Mike Crouch Ginny Grimsley Catlin Kelly Daniel Henderson Aryn Quinn Maggie Sabatier-Smith Robin Wilson
Phot ographers
Advisory Board Johnny Arocha Pam Black Mario Luis
Erika Banks Christian Battaglia Anais Benoudiz Breather Rodrigo Cruz Caleb Ekeroth Gabriel Garcia Marengo Aundre Larrow Leeroy Gerard Moonen Peter Rudwall Morgan Sessions
Advisory Board Paola Ramirez Vivian Reina Maggie Sabatier-Smith
For information on advertising and/ or subscriptions, call 404.717.5400 or email sales@chispamagazine.com. Editorial questions, submissions, and/ or pitches, email editor@chispamagazine.com. Vol. 1, Issue 4 Š Chispa Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Photo credits are not given to improperly identified photos.
Chispa Magazine
EDITOR'S LETTER
o D s e y Who ?s E ? e v a H Yo u
Brown-hazel, with a slight hint of yellow, only when sunlight hits my eye, or you?ll find dark brown raisins at night. Wanting blue sky eyes or green meadow as the color was my wish, my constant dream. As I would sing to the highest with Amy Grant [as I heard her over the radio, of course] or with my sister as she played the piano, the lyrics to the song Father?s Eyes was a very far away dream. You see, Papi has those blue sky eyes and there was no way I could pull out my eye balls and stick his into my socket. At age eight, how could I ever have my Father?s eyes? Today? I can. No, I am not getting colored contact lenses or undergoing the Str?ma procedure to lighten my eye color. Instead, I am beaming and finally understanding what Grant was singing all along. I can have my Father?s Eyes.
Eyes t hat f i nd t he good i n t hi ngs When good i s not ar ound Eyes t hat f i nd t he sour ce of hel p When hel p j ust can' t be f ound Eyes f ul l of compassi on, seei ng ever y pai n Knowi n' what you' r e goi ng t hr ough, and f eel same: Just l i ke my Fat her ' s eyes My Fat her ' s eyes My Fat her ' s eyes Just l i ke my Fat her ' s eyes And on t hat day when we wi l l pay f or al we have done Good and bad t hey' l l al l be had t o see And when you' r e cal l ed t o st and and t el you saw i n me Mor e t han anyt hi ng I know, I want your She?s Got Her Fat her ?s Eyes.
i ng i t t he
l t he deeds by ever yone l j ust what wor ds t o be:
Mavian
Chispa Magazine
Editor's Letter 7
Fi v e I nnov ati on
K i l l ers That Lurk Wit hin Businesses
Chispa Magazine
Your Strategy| Professional 9
The work of innovative thinkers is why the world has smartphones, laptop computers, toaster ovens, and numerous other gadgets and creative approaches to problem solving. Yet groundbreaking ideas aren?t always welcome in the corporate world or within other institutions. Instead, those who suggest a different approach often find their ideas shot down by co-workers or blocked by an organizational system that is unwelcoming to change, says international speaker and innovation consultant Dr. Neal Thornberry. That doesn?t mean innovation can?t happen, though. ?The innovator needs to know how to operate in these less than friendly cultures without waiting for some miraculous transformation in corporate policy,? says Thornberry, author of the book Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks and Blockheads on the Way to Creativity. He believes there are five innovation ?killers? within organizations that a person with ideas can expect to confront. For example: People. Sometime it?s an individual, sometimes it?s a group. Regardless, people often resist innovation, and many times for illogical reasons.
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?The more rigid people reject innovation simply because they are uncomfortable with the new or don?t want to spend the energy to try something different,? Thornberry says. They may be quick to point out flaws in your ideas. One way to counteract that, Thornberry says, is to be your own worst critic. Discover those flaws first and highlight them yourself. Then you can address how you plan to mitigate them, thus stealing the critics?thunder, he says. Politics. You can usually get around one or two individuals who try to block your idea, but it?s more challenging when the organization is rife with politics. ?I hate working in highly politicized organizations,? Thornberry says. ?They make work a lot harder and make you spend considerable time on non-value-adding activities.? In fact, Thornberry devotes an entire chapter in his book to ?Right Mindedness? so that innovators practicing his seven secret judo skills are not seen as innovating for personal gain or exploitation, but as enablers of company success. Organizational design. An out-of-whack organizational design usually is not generated on purpose or with malice, Thornberry says. Instead it develops over time, with one well-intentioned move after another leading to
unintended consequences. Often the result is a proliferation of controls, along with structures and processes that create barriers to innovation. When an idea is blocked by layers of decision-making, one solution is to use leverage, Thornberry says. Enlist the aid of a customer who would benefit from the innovation, he says, because paying customers have huge leverage. Company values. Here the innovator has both a challenge and an opportunity. Many companies articulate their values, but don?t always live by them. ?The upside for innovators is that values can be used as leverage for innovation even if they aren?t true,? Thornberry says. For example, if the company declares, ?The customer is No. 1,? then it becomes difficult to ignore an innovation that is positioned as being for the customer. Corporate culture. The corporate culture essentially is how the people, politics, organizational design and values interact. ?The greatest challenge to any innovator, and to embedding and sustaining innovation over the long term, is culture,? Thornberry says. To make it even more challenging, often organizations have micro-cultures within the culture. That means, he says, you will need to adapt the use of innovation judo principles depending on which micro-culture you are dealing with at any given moment.
?I nnov ators th rough out h i story h av e f aced both roadb l ock s and bl ock h eads on th ei r path to creati v i ty,? Th ornb erry says. ?A nd so w i l l you.? But w i th a l i ttl e courage and some counterbal anci ng sk i l l s, h e says, th ese ch al l enges can be ov ercome.
C
Text by Ginny Grimsley
Your Strategy| Professional 11
M ar t h a, M ar y&M Y EV ERYDA Y CHOI CES
Chispa Magazine
We?ve all heard some pretty convictions on the story found in Luke 10:38-42 about Jesus visiting the home of His friends Martha and Mary. Typically, we readily identify with Martha, who sprang into action to make preparations for Jesus and His group. Her eager service turned to stress, then downgraded to a demanding spirit toward others. As conviction sets in, we are challenged to aspire to the model of Mary, who sat stress-free at the feet of Jesus, listening to His word. Clearly, she made the best decision. While there are many extrapolated explanations and challenging applications that are drawn from this account, let?s take another focused look at the real issues of the scene. An Issue of Priorit y, Not Personal it y. Often we are told that a key factor in the contrasting responses of the sisters to the presence of Jesus in their home was their personality differences. I?ve spun it this way and have heard others do the same. Admittedly, this is just speculation, as the text never refers to their personality types. It might make sense to cast Martha as a ?Type-A? driven leader and Mary as a ?Type-B? low-key adaptable sibling. Yes, Martha was older, perhaps feeling more responsible. Maybe she owned the home so felt compelled to take charge. We are not sure. What we do know is they operated from different grids of priorities. Martha felt it was more important to serve Jesus in the moment. Mary wanted to seek Jesus. Martha wanted to do something for Him. Mary wanted to learn
something from Him. The danger in painting this picture as a ?personality difference? is that aggressive, task-oriented people somehow justify their neglect of their relationship with Jesus based on their emotional make-up. This may make us feel better but dodges the real issue. Simply put, we all need to make time with Jesus a clear priority and then live accordingly, regardless of our personality traits. A Mat t er of Choice, Not Convenience. Sometimes we may think that it was easy for Mary to sit at Jesus' feet, taking on the real posture and heart of a disciple, simply because it seemed convenient. After all, Martha was handling the arrangements, so why not? Yet, Jesus described the real issue in this way: ?But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.? Her clear sense of the right priorities led her to a choice. We all know that life is always about choices. We are responsible for our choices and must remember that much is at stake with each responsible decision. We all can choose, like Mary. A Cont rast of Trust vs. Trying. Mary seemed to understand that Jesus valued her demonstrated discipleship. It is clear that she trusted Jesus. Perhaps she knew that He knew the meal could wait. She knew He had the power to produce a meal of any scope. Perhaps she had heard and remembered His salient words from His message on the mountain side, ?But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you? (Matthew 6:33). Her actions
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demonstrate that she trusted the truth of Jesus' words. In contrast, Martha was ?trying? so hard to do everything right for Jesus (as if He needed obsessive activity). She apparently did not even trust that He cared for her or knew how to handle the situation. She groused, ?Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." He corrected her, ?Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.?? In our daily walks, our faith can also falter. We begin to think that Jesus needs us to ?do things" for Him, in our energy and determination. Rather, He calls us to abide in Him, and allow Him to bear the fruit of His life and power through us in transformational expression. A Pursuit of Reward vs. Resul t s. The story portrays Martha wanting to produce the immediate and temporary result of a great meal and an impressive expression of hospitality. Mary, according to Jesus, embraced an approach that would ?not be taken away from her." When our living and service begins with the empowerment of His presence, it is marked by spiritual purity and power. The impact may be immediate and measurable. One thing is sure? the reward will be eternal. In our business-minded approach, we risk the danger of ?management by results? that may be easily attributed to our clever planning and superb execution. Sadly, our efforts may have
nothing to with the direction and empowerment of the Spirit, experienced in humble dependence and relentless surrender. Eternity?s scoreboard is always accurate in exposing the difference. A Demonst rat ion of Spirit ual Responsibil it y vs. Sel f -Right eousness Simply put, Mary embraced the spiritual responsibility of a true disciple. Martha slipped into a self-righteous religious performance that led her to harsh judgment toward her sister who did not perform accordingly. External standards of spirituality based on performance always leave us exhausted and exercising a prideful comparison with others. Speaking to the crowds who were following Him with skewed motives and wanted Him to do great works, Jesus declared, ?Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you... This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:27-29). Jesus' words to His followers are simply, ?Follow Me.? He did not tell us to ?figure it all out? or ?force things to happen.? Time spent in His presence, feasting on His life-giving truth, is the answer to busy-bees, troubled teens, moms running a business or home; in other words, He is the answer for all. The life of His Spirit in us is the secret to real spiritual responsibility. We can embrace this priority, make the best choices, trust Him for the results, and seek eternity?s reward? every day. C Text by Daniel Henderson Photo by Caleb Ekeroth
Your Strategy| Mompreneur 15
h ouse by Yani na Faour Chispa Magazine
She t eaches how t o gr ab a hol d of a ci t y and wear i t f or ever .
Designer Yanina Faour is Argentina?s ?enfant terrible? of luxury jewelry, injecting new life into the conventions of fine jewelry. She creates bold, understated handcrafted jewels that tell a story. ?When it?s time for me to design, my reference points are the European couture jewelry houses, architecture, contemporary art, and my beloved Buenos Aires is always a fountain of inspiration,? says Faour. At Chispa we believe to take home a jewel from Oleana is to own a piece of Buenos Aires, a city world-renowned for its sophistication, European colonial architecture, and cutting-edge design. Faour began her career on a very different path, working in finance in Boston. After a few years, she was struck with the desire to return to her roots in Buenos Aires and pursue her true vocation and passion in life: jewelry design. Coming from a family of jewelers that goes back to her great grandfather, a traditional metal smith who came to Argentina from Austria, she followed in his footsteps and dedicated herself to creating one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces. She launched her own brand Oleanain 2003, combining the artisanal craftsmanship of her ancestors with a fresh, modern aesthetic. What sets Oleana apart is the choice of six distinctive jewelry lines for different moments of the day? Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Mandalas, Galaxy, Crystals, and Liturgy.
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She's Got Chispa 35
Wonder Woman's Real Name is
ThalĂa
Chispa Magazine
Cover Story 49
Chispa Magazine
Singer, songwriter, published author, actress and entrepreneur, who has sung in various languages including Spanish, English, Portuguese, French and Filipino, Thalía has done so much. However, her most important roles are married to music executive Tommy Mottola, and being the mother of their two children, daughter Sabrina Sakae and son Matthew Alejandro. Recognized as the most successful female solo Mexican singer by Univision, Televisa, and Azteca, and is often referred to as the "Queen of Latin Pop" by international media for her legacy within the Latin pop music scene of the last 25 years. As a solo artist, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, being considered one of the best-selling Latin musicians of all time. With 28 Top 10 singles, 16 of which went to No.1 it?s no wonder Thalía has received numerous accolades including five Latin Billboard awards, several Premios Juventud awards, and various Latin Grammy nominations. The beginning of last year was a very exciting year, yet different as Thalía released her first children?s album VIVA KIDS Vol.1. The album has 11 songs and received one nomination to the 2014 Latin Grammy Awards. Vamos A Jugar, the single to the album is full of joy and contagious beats; surely we are all looking forward to the next volumes. But that?s not all, last year Italian global superstar Laura Pausini released a special version of her Greatest Hits album to the Hispanic market, which contains a new duet with Thalía in Sino a ti. And later Thalía released the lead single of Amore Mio, making it her third album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Top Albums chart. While unveiling a star with her name on it on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, that same day Macy's announced it had signed a multiyear contract for a new clothes and accessories line inspired by her personality, which we all know is full of chispa. During this month of February, the Thalía Sodi brand will debut in more than 300 Macy's stores across the United States and on its website. Initially they will sell dresses, shirts, pants, shoes, and jewelry before it hopes to incorporate others products down the line. Despite her action-packed non-stop entertainment moves and her savvy business-filled itinerary, Thalía still has heart and passion toward many humanitarian projects, this includes the March of Dimes, St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and ALAS Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that strives to launch a new social movement that will generate a collective commitment to comprehensive Early Childhood Development programs for the children in Latin America.
What is ther e left to say about Thalía? Cer tainly Thalía her self has plenty to say. Always taking contr ol of her agenda, Thalía schedules time to speak with Chispa editor -in-chief, Mavian Ar ocha-Rowe on her r oles, latest clothing collection, blessings, and mor e.
Cover Story 51
w a l k
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s d u o l C Chispa Magazine
Designing three collections for Spring 2015, Cynthia Rowley is a busy woman. Each tailored to a different aspect of her life, this issue we discover Arty. Filled with artful sixties-inspired oversized, graphic prints, and clean tailored separates we welcome spring with old silhouettes and jumbo lace, which adds to her modish-sportif. Chispa Magazine
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She's Got Chispa 47
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She's Got Chispa 49
M UST HA V ES, ETC. STRONG + SAVVY Det ox f or Al l The Master Cleanse Made Easy is a new book in town that will fully prepare anyone for the celebrity-approved detox with details of the challenges, strategies to stay the course, and techniques to ease out with grace once the 10 days come to a close. With this no-fail guide, women will lose weight, reset their system, feel rejuvenated, and boost their energy. Author Robin Westen also offers tips and tricks to power through hunger, maintain mental clarity, and keep a positive attitude through the cleanse, as well as follow-up recipes to stay detoxed while maintaining weight loss.
Say No t o Coot ies GermBloc is unlike common antibacterial solutions found on the market. It creates a barrier that physically breaks down the germ molecules, and keeps doing so for up to 90 days. By now we have all heard about the dangers of alcohol based hand sanitizers? from drying out our skin to poisoning our kids, to flammability, and more. GermBloc on the other hand is alcohol-free and protects hands from germs and bacteria without harmful, adverse effects.
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M UST HA V ES, STRONG + SAVVY ETC.
Yoga St rong Body Sculpting with Yoga presents an innovative new approach to strength building which combines unique resistance exercises with traditional yoga practices and we must agree it?s the next step forward in one's quest to increase strength and conditioning through yoga. Author and expert Gwen Lawrence?s revolutionary program empowers individuals to achieve defined arms and shoulders, lean sexy abs, and a strong, sculpted body. Even those who have never tried a yoga workout can still feel comfortable with this dynamic approach to training. The book also includes nutritional guidelines, warm-up routines, and motivated guidance and more.
Got Vit amins? Nature?s Bounty Optimal Solutions Extra Strength Hair, Skin & Nails formula with Argan Oil contains just the right balance of nutrients to support lustrous hair, healthy nails, and vibrant skin. Their innovative formula provides the vital nutrients and latest ingredients in beauty care to support natural beauty from within. High potency B Vitamins help with energy metabolism and Biotin helps to maintain healthy hair and promotes healthy nails by acting at the nail matrix, the base of the nail. Vitamin E is the antioxidant that also contributes to skin health, and Vitamin C is involved in collagen production and formation, which forms the basis for vibrant skin. Vitamin A assists with skin maintenance and overall health. C
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WONDER WITH CHISPA. Mi Chispa 105