Fall Issue of Exhale Lifestyle Magazine for Women by Banner Publications Inc.

Exhale Lifestyle Magazine Fall 2012

A Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MAGAZINE

FALL 2012

Arts

Joyce kulhawik with

Kennedy

DIANE PAULUS expanding the theater experience

Elsey DJ and Adventurer Women

entrepreneurs

in food, fashion, and more...

Fall

CONTENTS

FEATURE

DIANE PAULUS

STYLE GEN X ENTREPRENEURS

Young innovators capitalize on style trends and defy stereotypes.

ALISON BARNARD

Twilight and in-jean-ius owner approaches business with style.

Aubrie Pagano

Creator of Zoorafashion.com expands and adds Bow & Drape.

Imani McFarlane

Creative headwraps bring style, culture and hope to women.

Get the Look

Mariolga Pantazopoulos offers makeup tips to change your look.

Entrepreneurs MassChallenge 2012

Third annual startup competition highlights business ideas with social impact.

Susan Cabana

A widow and mother of four heals herself and others with Nourish Your Soul.

Cover Story

The artistic director of American Repertory Theater shakes thing up on and off stage. Photograph by Ian Justice: www.ianjustice.com | Clothing provided by Twilight, Louis Boston and Saks Fifth Avenue | Styling by Erica Corsano | Hair and makeup by Mariolga Pantazopoulos

Bettina Hein

Young entrepreneur sold her first company at 27 for $125 million. Now she heads her new company Pixability.

Toya Farrar

Local Edible Arrangements owner makes the transition from school teacher to entrepreneur.

Fall

CONTENTS

Professional Development Women Entrepreneurs resources Start-Up Leadership

33 16

Dr. Sally Ourieff provides helpful information about starting a new business.

How to be here, now: Making time in the digital age

Camille Preston, PhD, provides solutions for being present in your life.

Health & WeLL-BEING Move it!

American Heart Association offers up helpful ways to work fitness into every day.

FOOD Recipes

Boston Ballet exercise

Learn how to get a ballet dancerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body.

ADVENTURE

Catherine Cooper Flatbread with sweet potato Herb-crusted haddock Grilled clams

DJ Kennedy walks on fire.

BOOKS

Worlds Apart Bosnian Lessons for Global Securities Swanee Hunt answers questions about Bosnia and the costly delays in foreign military intervention.

36 44 56

Women Save the World

Boston Homegrown Cookbook 68

Inspiring real-life examples of strong women making a difference.

Leigh Belanger, a local foodie and writer, promotes Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local food scene in her new cookbook.

FEATURES Diane Paulus

From disco Shakespeare to a circus-infused Pippin, Diane Paulus aims to expand the theater experience.

Vivien Li

President of the Boston Harbor Association is instrumental in the development of the Boston Seaport District.

Elizabeth Warren

Consumer advocate has her sights set on a US senate seat.

Rosie’s Place

Local shelter offers an urban haven for Boston’s homeless women.

ARTS Genki Spark

An all-female Asian taiko troupe is smashing stereotypes and building bonds of sisterhood for Asian women in Boston.

Professor to Painter

A mother of three transitions from academia to art.

Joyce Kulhawik

The fall season offers an array of plays and movies.

Cultural Calendar

Publisher Sandra Casagrand Executive Editor Howard Manly Art Director Marissa Giambrone Graphic Design Intern Sarah Rabinovich Copy Editors Edie Ravenelle Jacquinn Williams Contributing Writers Fran Cronin Cheryl Fenton Kendra Graves Abby Kurzman Sandy Larson Astrid Lium Heatherjean MacNeil Brian W. O’Connor Kathleen Pierce Edie Ravenelle Jacquinn Williams Proofreaders Lauren Carter Fran Cronin Kendra Graves Rachel Reardon Photographer Ian Justice For advertising opportunities

Please contact Sandra Casagrand at (617) 261-4600 ext. 111 or sandra@exhalelifestyle.com. Visit our website to download the media kit — www.exhalelifestyle.com. Send letters to the publisher to sandra@exhalelifestyle.com.

Errata 1. In the summer issue of Exhale the article about Sweet Cupcakes indicated that Sweet was recognized for having the best cupcakes for the last four years by Boston Phoenix, when it was actually the last three years by Improper Bostonian. 2. In the summer issue of Exhale the article about Colette Philips Communications reported that Colette had been fired by Sonesta Hotel, which is incorrect. 3. In the summer issue of Exhale it was reported that Marlo Fogelman had the Starbucks account in 1999. Marlo in fact started her public relations firm in 1999 and had the Starbucks account in 2005. We regret these errors.

exhalelifestyle.com

Publisher’s Note

A Time for Change – A New Chapter This issue of Exhale is chock full of amazing stories of women who are contributing so much to our region. Some are creating new business opportunities like our fashion entrepreneurs. Others are running organizations such as the American Repertory Theater (Diane Paulus, our cover story) and the Boston Harbor Association (Vivien Li). And still others like Elizabeth Warren are running for political office. One of the challenges I’ve faced in publishing a quarterly magazine is that there are too many stories and topics to cover and not enough space. After spending the last three years bootstrapping Exhale and working with a hard working but small team we are about to embark on a new chapter. We have been working with a team

of women advisors this summer on a new business model that will expand our product in many ways for next year. With the help of angel investors and a group of very smart advisors, we are launching our new version of Exhale next spring. Follow us on exhalelifestyle’s Facebook and Twitter for the updates. The reason for our tireless work on behalf of Exhale is clear. Women make up 51 percent of our country’s population but according to Global Media Monitoring Project 2010, only 13 percent of stories in mainstream broadcast and print news focused specifically on women. We are creating a new space for the numerous untold stories and we cannot wait to share our journey with you.

A look back

Exhale Lifestyle Magazine is printed by Cummings Printing 4 Peter Brook Drive, P.O. Box 16495 • Hooksett, N.H. 03106-6495 • 603-625-6901 • cummingsprinting.com

Sandra Casagrand Publisher

exhalelifestyle.com

Style

Gen X Entrepreneurs Make Their

Mark

on Boston’s Fashion Industry

Lucie Wicke

r photo

by Heatherjean MacNeil

Boston is a hotbed of women entrepreneurs launching ventures in technology, food and consumer products. The latest launchpad? Fashion. A new generation of Boston entrepreneurs is capitalizing on style trends while defying the stereotype that fashion is only about the bottom line. These three “fashionpreneurs” are turning fashion on its head and making Boston proud.

10 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Style

The Swapaholics

g is the New Shopping n i p p a w S The Swapaholics’ success didn’t happen overnight. Melissa shares some of her start-up secrets:

Beg, Borrow and Steal

“Amy and I harness the resources and support of our networks, often sleeping on a friend’s couch as we travel for swaps. We’re constantly calling in favors to make it work.”

Diversify Revenue Streams Melissa Massello is creating a world where fashion and the green economy meet in style. Co-founder of The Swapaholics (theswapaholics.com), Melissa and business partner Amy Chase are changing shopping rules for acquiring fashion. In a “swapaholic” world, trend-driven fashion no longer translates into high credit card bills. Instead, the no longer desired but still in style pieces of your wardrobe are swapped at a girls night out style event. Putting clothing swaps on the map since 2009, Melissa and Amy have hosted hundreds of swapping events across the country, drawing up to 500 women at a time. To further change the world through swapping, Melissa serves on the marketing committee for Goodwill’s annual fundraiser, “The Good Party.” Goodwill aligns with Melissa’s passion for secondhand style and giving back to the community. She asks: “Did you know Goodwill put 9,000 people in Massachusetts back to work in 2011 through their job training program? It makes me so happy to know that by dropping a bag of clothing off at a supermarket parking lot collection center I can help some single mother get another chance at success in life. Goodwill makes philanthropy accessible to anyone, on any budget.” Go to theswapaholics.com to sign up for their upcoming swap events at the courtyard of 40 Berkeley St. in Boston’s South End.

“When we launched, we knew we needed a diversified revenue model (swap tickets average $10/person) in order to make swapping affordable. We work with a large array of companies and sponsors that resonate with our target market of women in their 20s and 30s. Through these key relationships we offer complementary wine and merchandise to swappers.”

Divide and Conquer

“My strong partnership with Amy has made The Swapaholics thrive. We very quickly learned to divide and conquer. Having come from the food and entertainment industry, we saw things in terms of ‘the front of the house’ and ‘the back of the house.’ I manage the back–business operations and marketing, and Amy manages the front—community, promotion and day-of logistics during the swaps. We’re a great team.”

Adam Towner photos

Style • exhalelifestyle.com 11

Pansy Maiden

Cruelty-free fashion with style Laura Collins, the designer and seamstress behind Pansy Maiden, is a hobbyist turned entrepreneur. She designed and sewed her own bags in college. “Everyone complimented my bags and I started to consider making bags for sale,” she says. After graduating and working as an executive assistant, she craved a creative outlet and ramped up her sewing to “open the creative doors in my brain.” Through those doors walked Pansy Maiden. Laura shared some of her brand’s secret sauce with Exhale.

Trend-Driven & Sustainable

Pansy Maiden is a “cruelty-free” bag company. As a passionate vegan, Laura only uses materials derived from renewable plant sources. All bags are designed and sewn in Laura’s Medford, Mass. home studio. While Laura’s bags embrace socially-conscious fashion, they are trend-driven, unique and high quality.

Sourced Close to Home

As a designer, Laura draws her inspiration from materials and fabrics she works with. Her newest love is waxed canvas, a product made in the United States since the late 1800s, which she uses as a leather alternative. “Waxed canvas is produced by a single factory in New Jersey. I’m proud to source so close to home,” she adds.

Listen to Customers

As a hobbyist, Laura learned that she has to love her own designs: “First, I design bags that satisfy my own aesthetic. If I’m not excited about wearing the bags, why should [customers] be?” Then she considers customer feedback: “Many embellishments or style versions are inspired by listening to my customers.”

Lucie Wicker photo

Check out www.pansymaiden.com and stay tuned for the launch of a brand new men’s line: Alva DoRight.

Jared Graves photo 12 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Style

Open Runway

Sparking the

DYO fashion revolution

Monika Desai photo

Monika Desai founded Open Runway after working with a local shoemaker in Western Massachusetts to produce her wedding shoes. “It was great having custom shoes to wear on my wedding day, but what I really fell in love with was the design experience,” says Monika. “I saw that there was a market opportunity for women to design their own fashion.” With a background in corporate marketing, Monika realized that to launch a design-your-own (DYO) fashion company, she first needed to learn about fashion design and manufacturing. Starting with shoes, she went to New York City to take a course in shoe-making and was hooked. To make her dream a reality, Monika worked with her husband to build an online platform—www. openrunway.com—where customers design both shoes and handbags, choosing from various styles, colors and materials.

Creating shoes and handbags that customers have designed is no easy feat. Here’s how Monika made her DYO dream happen:

Go the Distance

A struggling footwear industry in the United States meant Monika had to look abroad for factories that could accommodate Open Runway’s madeto-order business model and travel to countries where she didn’t speak the language. This arduous process was critical to her success and she encourages entrepreneurs to: “Explore every option, spend time meeting partners in person, and build trusting relationships.” Open Runway handbags are currently available on www. openrunway.com. The company is launching its first line of custom shoes this fall. Check it out and take fashion design into your own hands!

Keep It Simple

No matter how complicated your business, Monika advises, “Don’t try to do too many things at once, and don’t worry about being perfect and pleasing everyone. That comes later. It’s okay to have a big vision, but sometimes you have to take baby steps to get there.”

Be Unstoppable

Like most entrepreneurs, Monika’s inner drive keeps everything moving: “I have this insatiable desire to prove that I can be a success and that this business will work. This is what keeps me going even when everything looks bleak. And the more people say it can’t be done, the more I want to prove them wrong.”

Style • exhalelifestyle.com 13

Alison Barnard:

A passion for style turned into a successful business by Cheryl Fenton

photos courtesy of Alison Barnard

Life is not a catwalk, but you should enjoy what you wear and try new things. Your wardrobe is an extension of you. Pre-beach season panic is a fashion given. We worry about what will fit, what won’t, what’s too droopy here or too tight there. With those pieces finally put away, another fashion matter waits in the wings for fall: jeans. All self-respecting fashionistas must own a pair (or eight). So we do the up-and-down, buttonclosing jump dance that only results in disappointment—too tight in the thighs, too low in the rise, wide enough in the waist to make plumbers blush. Because not all of us are Giselle, we leave the store empty-handed and heavy-hearted. Enter a place with so many choices in fit, color and cut that buying jeans actually turns into a pleasure. That would be genius, right? Actually it’s in-jean-ius. This beloved boutique has been outfitting Boston in denim since July 2005. When Alison Barnard opened in her

14 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Style

North End neighborhood, she had a goal of making jean shopping easy and painless. A self-proclaimed style chameleon, Barnard knew finding the right fit for jeans was a trauma all women shared. The in-jean-ius atmosphere is trendy yet relaxed. The main focus is on fit. With 30-plus brands, along with tops and tees, there’s no way you’re leaving the store without your perfect pair. The boutique was even tapped by TLC’s What Not to Wear as one of country’s top 10 most fashionable boutiques. It wasn’t long before an elegant sister store came along in March 2007. Named after the magical time between day and night, Twilight Boutique boasts a different vibe, a sophisticated yet edgy sanctuary of pieces that go from day to night for any occasion. The Fleet Street shop was recog-

nized as having the Best Dress Selection in Boston by the Improper Bostonian and Boston Magazine. The boutique also has fabulous accessories, tops, skirts, pants and jackets—think BCBGeneration, Free People, Max & Cleo, to name a few. Barnard also just launched an online shopping boutique at twilightboutique.com. Barnard herself is more than a jean genie. Her accomplishments earned her a spot on Inc. magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30” and granted her one of five Winning Women awards at the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards hosted by Ernst & Young. Her fashion instinct earned her one of Boston’s 25 Most Stylish according to The Boston Globe and put her on Fashion Boston’s 100 Best Dressed Bostonians list. Here’s what Barnard told us about her approach to success in both life and style.

nard

When did your fashion love affair begin? My mom’s friends called me Cindy’s Doll, because I was always dressed perfectly. As I became a teenager, I rebelled against her matchy-matchy style and embraced the grunge look. My mom used to tell me that I looked like a fisherman [because] I was obsessed with plaid shirts and wore my dad’s. She still threatens to show customers those pictures of me.

How should a woman approach fashion? Life is not a catwalk, but you should enjoy what you wear and try new things. Your wardrobe is an extension of you. Make it distinctly yours, whether you’re in a little black dress, mixing patterns or adding bold accessories. Learn what looks good on your shape and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

in-jean-ius and Twilight have enjoyed success in a bumpy economy. What’s the secret? Staying relevant and listening to your customers’ wants and needs. We talked to customers and adjusted accordingly. Adaptability is so important to the success of any company. We have worked really hard and will continue to do so.

When you break from your biz, where can we find you? Life is all about trying new things and having fun experiences. I love to go out and try new spots in and around Boston. I love to travel, see new places and meet new people. This summer I discovered paddle boarding. It’s a great way to trick yourself into exercising. For comic relief and fun I have been taking improv classes. It’s a great way to get out of your head and let loose a little.

Fill in the blank: “If I wasn’t a businesswoman, I would be___.” An interior designer or trying to save the dolphins around the world!

What do you say about GQ consistently voting Boston the Worst Dressed City in America? Boston gets a bad rap. I want to know how they decide these things! I know a lot of very fashionable people in this city. I stress this the most: Wear what you want and do it with confidence. Dress for yourself because it makes you feel good!

Style • exhalelifestyle.com 15

Aubrie Pagano

Bow & Drape Offering control through the clutter by Cheryl Fenton

16 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Style

eacon Hill resident Aubrie Pagano has always known what she wanted to wear. Her fashion independence started on her first day of kindergarten when she refused to don the outfit her mom had laid out. After a trip to the mall, a thoughtfully chosen replacement outfit was purchased and the school year began. And a mother’s control over her daughter’s outfits ended. Pagano had a similar experience not too long ago. After years of walking into boutiques and thinking “this dress is perfect, except this hemline doesn’t fall right on me” and “I wish there was a way to make this shirt unique,” Pagano realized that she needed to take control of her wardrobe yet again. Armed with a degree in history and literature from Harvard, a corporate strategy career in investments, and an apprenticeship with local Boston designer Emily Muller, Pagano recently found a way to make each piece in her closet literally her own. In February 2012, she launched Zoorafashion.com, where customers have their say in small details that might endear a style to their own likes and tastes. Up-andcoming designers like Lily & Migs, Nirva and Selahdor provided the pieces, shoppers customized the fit, from a simple shortened hem to full made-to-measure experiences. Zoorafashion.com has recently morphed into its fully realized vision this September with its own singular clothing line and a new name, Bow & Drape, which boasts its own trendy and timeless dresses and separates. No longer does it reach out to designers for collections. Designed by Sarah Parrott, a noted face on Season 1 of NBC’s Fashion Star, Bow & Drape puts shoppers in control. At bowanddrape.com, customers can tweak pieces as if they’re the designers. With 19 patterns, customers can create more than 3,000 variations, most priced under $200. Their first season offers three dress choices (a shift, sheath and wrap), two skirts and a jacket. From there, customers can modify fabric, trim, collars, hemlines, necklines and sleeves with just a few clicks. We talked to Pagano about her style sense, when to take charge and when to let go.

What was your first fashion encounter? I have always been enamored with fabrics and fashion. My grandmother was from Italy, and had a wonderful sense of style. She loved bright colors and jewels to show off her big blue eyes. She was also 5’10”, so she designed a lot of her own clothing. My little sister and I would raid her closet and play dress up for hours, envisioning ourselves in little fantasy vignettes.

What does Bow & Drape bring to the table? It provides control through the clutter. The key to providing women what they want is putting control back into their hands. We guide women to flattering designs and then allow them to say, “I want this. I don’t want that.”

Do you think women have a tendency to “settle?” We all settle. The average women has 22 garments in her closet that she never wears due to problems with fit, quality and lack of de-

sign originality. Designers deem what’s good enough to go into the stores. You can’t reinvent the wheel, but you can have some control over how a product is finished. Those small details are what look great on you and are flattering to your unique body.

How is a woman empowered by fine tuning an outfit? Style is like a fingerprint. It’s unequivocal proof of your unique identity. To take control over the design is empowering women quite literally. They become part designer, part wearer.

What empowers you? The fearlessness my mother taught me. That process of reaching out past your comfort zone and just going for it engenders power. You get smarter every time you fail, and gain confidence every time you overcome.

What’s your personal style? I love to feel colorful and eclectic. I take de-

light in mixing old with new, couture with Salvation Army, irony with serious.

Were there challenges in beginning Zoora/ Bow & Drape? Starting a business in a new industry is an uphill climb. But creative people are at their best in a new industry. They can break the mold, challenge the stasis and shine new light. I believe I was able to develop more creative solutions not having grown up in fashion/retail.

You’re clearly a takecharge woman. Do you ever just let yourself go? I’m the one that spends time getting together a game plan for everyone. It’s an amazing change of pace to have someone say, “This is what we’re doing today.” When I’m not mapping out the day’s attack strategy, that letting go is relaxing.

Style • exhalelifestyle.com 17

HEALING through headwraps by Kendra Graves

Fashion designer Imani McFarlane brings history, style, hope and culture to the community

“I

’ve always felt an outfit is not complete until you top it off with a gorgeous headwrap,” says Imani McFarlane. The headwrapping guru and fashion designer’s twisted, sometimes towering, cloth creations crown coifs with a touch of class and culture unmatched by a hat or hair clip. The granddaughter of a master Jamaican seamstress, McFarlane is a single mother of three who took her first art classes, beginning at age 10, at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. She studied fashion merchandising at Fisher College before starting her design studio, House of Tafari Collection, with $20, six yards of fabric and a vision to create clothing and accessories that celebrate African heritage and culture. Her aesthetic honors her Afro-Caribbean ancestry, but she’s quick to point out that headwraps aren’t culturally specific: “Headwraps are worn in so many different countries for different reasons— in India, in Europe, on the runway. It’s a fashionable accessory. And, once people know how to create them, it becomes second nature, like putting on a t-shirt or a pair of jeans.” McFarlane is on a mission to encourage women to incorporate headwrapping into their everyday lives. For the past five years, she’s hosted her “History of Headwrapping” workshop at public libraries and retail stores and partnered with the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good... Feel Better” program to hold “Wrapping for a Cause” workshops at area hospitals.

18 Exhale • Fall 2012

At a recent workshop at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the crowd was rapt as McFarlane talked and tucked, folded and knotted her trademark headwraps with laid-back energy and ease. She’s taken her headwrap artistry to new heights with a just-launched line of patchwork, hand-painted, one-of-kind headwraps. She will be presenting a series of headwrapping workshops in the Bronx, sponsored by the New York Public Library. Here, she talks about her craft and vision.

What sparked your interest in headwraps?

My ancestral background, for one. Growing up in Boston, attending reggae concerts, seeing Bob Marley and the I-Threes, I was inspired by the way they dressed. I wanted to look like them; I wanted to dress like them. I started wearing headwraps at around age 13, and continued into my journey as a fashion designer.

What’s your process for designing headwraps?

I never went to school to become a designer. It’s just something I’ve been blessed to do. My artistry is about spirit. Once I go into a deep meditation and I feel it, I know what I’m supposed to bring forward. I don’t know how to sketch. If you ask me to sketch a bird, I’ll be totally lost. But when I see the fabric, something just tells me that’s what you need and this is how you need to do it. It’s spirit-led.

When did you begin hosting headwrapping workshops?

They began from a very negative experience I had in corporate America. I worked as an interior decorator for a company here in Boston, and I was getting a lot of negative response about my headwraps from a few coworkers. I was deeply hurt. I was traumatized and needed a way to heal myself. So I looked into myself and asked, “What’s brought me this far?” The answer was my sense of who I am, including my sense of style and my artistry. I decided not to do interior decorating, to instead create headwraps —since that’s what gave me a negative experience—to take that negative experience and make it a positive. I decided to create a program to educate people on headwraps so they’ll know there’s a history to headwrapping. There are different reasons why people wear headwraps; they are a sacred garmet.

How did “Wrapping for a Cause” come about?

Women in the audience at my workshops would pull me aside and say, “Oh my God, thank you so much! I’ve been going through chemo and these headwraps make me feel so good.” So I thought that I should donate my time to hospitals to show women how they can change their lives, restore their dignity and uplift their spirits with beautiful, soft, comfortable headwraps instead of wearing uncomfortable wigs that sometimes irritate.

Despite their prevalence in societies around the world, headwraps are still deemed strange by some. What would you say to those who may encounter negative responses to their personal style?

On the whole, it was very difficult for me at school and in corporate America. But wearing and designing headwraps is something that I love, and if I believe in something, I hold on to it. Be true to yourself; express yourself externally how you feel internally.

Robert Studio photos

Style • exhalelifestyle.com 19

Get the Look We don’t wear the same clothes everyday, so why does our makeup have to be the same? This fall, select one feature and sample one of these simple fall looks. Play up your lips with a sultry black cherry or a matte blood-red lipstick. Try a traditional smoky or a youthful multi-colored eyelid. Options are limitless when you are ready to have fun with makeup! Mariolga Pantazopoulos Makeup Artist define:beauty, inc.

Make up by Mariolga/mari@db-cosmetics.com Hair by Stacey Kuehn for staceykuehn.com Model: Tarah Rogers at One (Photos courtesy of Quentin DiDonna Photography www.quentindidonna.com)

It’s not fall without a classic smoky eye. The key to a smoky eye is to be able to create a rich, diffused look. I love lining the inner rim of the eye with a black eyeliner. Keep the lash line as dark as possible and add at least three layers of black mascara. If you have mastered the classic smoky eye, then explore beyond charcoals and blacks. One of my favorites is to create a saturated color lid with a combination of bronze and chocolate brown. This combination is nearly universal and it works on most skin tones.

For Hair: Do not prep hair with a smooth blow dry. Instead, use fingers at the root while blow drying with head upside down to give hair a rough texture.

Try: L’Oreal Smoldering Eye Liner, $9.79. Lancôme Color Design Eye Shadow in It List, $18. Dior Dior Show in Black Out, $25.

The key to carrying off this deep lip color is to keep it romantic and feminine. We paired these lips with a wash of gold eye shadow, a defined brow and soft cheek color. When applying a bold shade on your lips, it is important to make sure your lips are hydrated and smooth. 1. Prep lips Exfoliate your lips to get rid of any dry spots where the pigment of the lip color could collect and look uneven. 2. Apply color If this is the first time you are trying a bold lip color, start by applying it with a brush using a tiny bit of color at a time. You can keep it matte or add a swipe of gloss. 3. Seal It To prevent the lipstick from bleeding onto your skin, dust some translucent powder around the edges of your lips with a fluffy brush. Do this before adding a gloss or just to create a matte lip.

For Hair: Section hair into three-inch

by three-inch square sections. Smooth each section around a large barrel curling iron. I used a two-inch. Remove each section from the iron carefully and pin it in place at the scalp to cool. Mist with Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray and brush hair into glam curls.

Try: Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo, $7.39, or Benefit Pot O Gold cream eye shadow, $19. Fashion Fair Beauty Blush in Plum Rich, $17, or db cosmetics Limitless Lip & Blush Cream in 1883, $26. The Lip Scrub Peppermint Lip Exfoliator by Sara Happ, $24, or my favorite . . . mix some sugar and milk into a paste and massage it in a circular motion onto your lips. The sugar beads lift dry skin and the milk will hydrate the skin. Rimmel Lasting Finish Shade 04, $5.29. Revlon Lip Stain 005 Crush, $9.79. YSL Roughe Pur Couture Vernis a Levers Glossy Stain in No. 1, $32. Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder, $28.

There are many ways to wear color this season. An easy, fun way is by using a bold hue as your eye liner or mascara. Give the classic cat eye a little more graphic shape and a new look by using cobalt blue, teal or jade this fall.

Try:

First: Prep your skin and apply a creamy foundation to even out your skin color and to achieve a glow finish.

Cover Girl Liquiline Blast in Blue Boom or Green Glow, $10.49.

Then: Make sure to keep the lids clean and free of foundation or just apply a primer to help the eyeliner stay in place longer. After: Add a soft shade of pink to cheeks and lips.

For Hair: Using a flat iron and two-inch sections, smooth

hair from approximately two inches away from the scalp to the ends. Avoid the scalp area to prevent losing the body and bounce already in place from the prep blow dry. Brush out and add clip-on extension pieces for a splash of color.

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation, $66.

Make Up For Ever Eye Primer, $22. Maybeline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum, $8.39. Dior Addict in Garden Party Ultra Gloss, $28.

Get the Look

Bring a little light to your eyes with this multi-colored look. Be as creative as you want, but when using a few shades, it is important not to over blend. If you do, the eye shadows can look muddy and will lose the effect of a multi-toned eye makeup. I prefer to create these looks with shimmers and metallics. For this reason, I always do the eyes first and clean up any extra eye makeup on the skin under the eye that could have shifted during the application. Add some black eyeliner to the rim of the eyes to pull the look together. Some companies have created palettes to make combinations easier, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to create your own palette. Finish with a pretty shade of peach or pink blush.

For Hair: Using a tapered hairstyling wand, wind one-inch sections at an

angle toward the face. Pin in place at the scalp to cool. Lightly separate curls at the ends with fingers, being careful to avoid the top so it can remain smooth. Mist with Elnett Extra Strong Hold Hairspray.

Try: Milani Runway Eyes, $9.49. Make Up For Ever Eye Shadow, $20. Almay Wake Up Blush and Highlighter in 010 Pink, $10.49. Revlon Cream Blush in 300 Coral Reef, $13.79.

exhalelifestyle.com

24 Exhale â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2012

Entrepreneurs

MassChallenge by Astrid Lium

Caitria O’Neill,

founder/CEO of

recovers.org

2012

adds social impact startups to the competition

“I’m always quitting my full-time job and doing something crazy!” says Anna Callahan, one of MassChallenge’s 2012 participating entrepreneurs. She joins several other like-minded individuals who are equally committed to their respective business ideas. In its third year of competitions and mentoring, MassChallenge, the Boston-based startup for startups, has attracted another diverse group of international entrepreneurs. In this round, as in the past two, women participants feature prominently in the group. Ranging from fine arts and social media to medicine and disaster relief, many of their business ideas focus on positive social impact. Callahan’s startup, ZoomTilt, aims to help independent filmmakers earn a sustainable income and distribute their work across the web. “We want to democratize television,” she says. “Hollywood is an old-fashioned, hierarchical organization.” By

26 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Entrepreneurs

holding contests among artists, ZoomTilt promotes and funds the best artistic ideas and matches artists with resources necessary for exposure. A former jazz trumpet player, Callahan became a software developer and made short films in her spare time. “I wanted to be ‘discovered’ [as a musician], but I got burned out,” she says. “Film is the one creative outlet that remains 100 percent fun!” She wants to help other filmmakers make a living off their art and continue to enjoy it, preventing the burnout that she experienced. Other MassChallenge entrepreneurs like Callahan left stable, full-time jobs and cushy careers to pursue their startups with the help of MassChallenge. Some have proven their dedication in more personal ways. Fernanda Vidal and Carla Leite, co-founders of E-POL, moved to Boston from Brazil when accepted into the MassChallenge program. An engineer and a chemist, respectively, the duo are launching an eco-friendly business that transforms biodiesel waste into usable products. The one-step glycerol polymerization process is now an all-encompassing venture for Vidal and Leite, who plan to launch their business plan in Brazil after completing the four-month MassChallenge process. Leite left her family at home while working in the United States. “I’m married!” she chuckles, noting that she has counted down the days she is away from her husband. Kelly Sherman, co-founder of New Art Love,

has also made personal sacrifices to focus on her startup. Sherman started the business with Liora Beer in April, and applied to compete at the behest of her then-fiancé, Daniel. The couple married June 23, two days before MassChallenge started. According to Beer, “Kelly and Daniel got married and then spent their honeymoon at the MassChallenge boot camp!” New Art Love is designed to connect local artists with art lovers, starting in the Boston area and eventually expanding to other cities. “We are bringing the social world of art into the internet world,” says Sherman. “In many ways, we’re helping artists who are looking to find an audience.” The ages and business experiences of the participants range from college students and business neophytes to seasoned entrepreneurs with several startups on their resumé. All of them have benefited from the mentorship, guidance and sense of community provided by MassChallenge. “I feel like we hit the lottery!” exclaims Ezzy Guerreo-Languzzi, founding member of PhotOral, a life science startup. “We have mind-boggling access to this group of highintegrity people who are in it for the startups, not for the money or publicity.” Her company is developing technology that can whiten teeth while maintaining healthy bacteria, which Guerreo-Languzzi likens to Activia yogurt. “Our technology is at the intersection of consumer and clinical devices,” she says. The business is moving at a faster rate than the team expected and Guerreo-Languzzi emphasizes the importance of remaining humble during the process. Some of the MassChallenge participants, like Alexa Nguyen, are college undergraduates. A student of psychology and chemistry at McGill University, Nguyen is working with the team behind Yosko, a mobile app that helps physicians access patient records more efficiently. Originally a pre-med student, Nguyen changed her focus because of unproductive practices and excessive paperwork. Such frustrations led her to Yosko, which aims to simplify a system that she deems “old-fashioned.” Nguyen admits to have initially felt intimidated at MassChallenge. “Being a female here is daunting,” she says. “I expected to be surrounded by white men in business suits. It seemed scary at first, but we all talk like equals with the mentors.”

Sarah Biller (R), president of Capital Market Exchange, shakes hands with Paul Swartz, business development manager, American Airlines. (Photos courtesy of Jodi-Tatiana Charles, La Capoise Galerie.)

Two of the entrepreneurs, Breanna Berry and Anna Stork, developed their respective business ideas for recent university class projects. Berry and her team founded HelmetHub Corporation, which provides convenient helmet rental kiosks for city bike sharing stations like Boston’s Hubway. She helped work on the initial project for an engineering class at MIT in December 2011. Three months later, the company was incorporated. Stork got her idea for LuminAID, a solar-powered lighting aid, in an architecture class at Columbia University in 2010. Originally designed for post-earthquake relief in Haiti, LuminAID launched in 2011 and is now Stork’s full-time business. The lanterns, powered by miniature solar panels and rechargeable batteries, are used primarily for disaster relief and outdoor recreational use. Another startup inspired by disaster relief efforts is Recovers.org. PhD student Morgan O’Neill co-founded the company with her sister, Caitria, to help communities recover after natural disasters. “The Red Cross and The United Way come in, but then they go home,” explains O’Neill, who studies atmospheric science. “We’re helping communities become more self-sufficient.”

When their hometown of Springfield, Mass., was ravaged by a tornado, the sisters took charge and helped their own community recover. Using the Internet, they spent long days connecting people with the necessary resources. O’Neill was in Boston at the time of the tornado when she received the call about the damage. “I didn’t believe my sister when she told me,” she recalls. “At the time, I was actually at the tornado exhibit at the Museum of Science!” While MassChallenge is a new experience for most of the entrepreneurs, other participants, like Jacqueline Thong, are competing for the second time. Representing the company Ubiqi Health––which helps people with chronic conditions share health information and engage in dialogue––Thong discovered MassChallenge in 2010. Her team made it as far as the semi-finals. “We have come a long way since then,” she says. Rather than applying in 2011, Thong opted instead to focus on developing the company more. She says that her team has since moved the business forward. “We knocked it out of the park this time around!” she exclaims. “The judges see that we’re a feasible company.”

Entrepreneurs • exhalelifestyle.com 27

28 Exhale â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2012

Susan Cabana

Nourish Your Soul by Astrid Lium

After the loss of her husband and her job, Susan Cabana changed her life with yoga, juicing and the recent launch of her own holistic business.

Susan Cabana at her store Nourish Your Soul in West Medford. (Astrid Lium photo)

“Juice is such a life changer,” says holistic health counselor Susan Cabana. A diet trend for some and a weight loss aid for others, juicing has become a passion and purpose for Cabana, who now builds her lifestyle and livelihood around it. On June 9, the vivacious 45-year-old entrepreneur opened her shop, Nourish Your Soul, in West Medford, Mass. The business features fresh juices, smoothies and cleanses, and emerged in the wake of what Cabana refers to as “life challenges.” In November 2004, her husband, Christopher, died unexpectedly at the age of 37. Cabana was suddenly a widow and single mother of three girls, then aged 5, 3 and 1. Less than five years later, in February 2009, she was laid off from her long-term financial job at Putnam Investments. “I was in a dark place for a while,” Cabana recalls. “It was like losing Chris all over again.” She eventually began to make positive changes for herself and her family. Cabana, a longtime resident of Winchester, Mass., started to run more regularly, practice yoga daily and make healthier food choices. “I kind of woke up and decided to live,” she says. “Chris would want me to.” While working in finance, convenience influenced many of her decisions. Relying on “whatever got me through the day” meals often consisted of quick, easy and processed foods. Those habits changed after she lost her

job and examined her life more closely. With the help of yoga, Cabana took more time for introspection. She eventually saw the layoff as an opportunity to take her life in a different direction. “I never thought it would happen, but it was truly a gift,” she says. “I’m not sure I would have been able to leave something so stable.” Cabana enrolled in Natalia Rose’s Intensive Teacher Training program as well as the holistic Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She also completed the Prana teacher-training program and became a certified yoga instructor. Since going into business for herself, she has not looked back. As a holistic consultant, Cabana has attracted several clients, many of whom joined friends and family as juicing experimenters. “My clients often made excuses about why they wouldn’t juice,” Cabana says. “But they told me that if I made the juice, they would drink it.” Less than four months old, Nourish Your Soul has already attracted regular customers and local press, including a nod from Stuff Magazine’s Top 100 list in July. Relying on word-of-mouth advertising thus far, Cabana has not promoted the business in more traditional ways. “There is no need to advertise just yet!” she says with a chuckle. The next step for Nourish Your Soul is to add more edible treats to the liquid menu. Cabana also hopes to expand to more locations and add a delivery service in the near future. “I want to provide a healthy alternative to what is out there,” she says. “The standard American diet is lacking on so many levels.” A believer in balance, Cabana says that deprivation is not sustainable. One to indulge on occasion—especially in dark chocolate— she views juicing as a lifestyle, not a diet. “Yoga

is about combining the mind, body and soul,” says the holistic health consultant. “Juice does the same thing.” Still juicing everyday, Cabana also recommends her favorite elixirs to loved ones. “My kids all love something different,” she says of her daughters, now 13, 11 and 9. Her 20-month-old son, George, from a recent relationship that was short-lived, regularly drinks a version of her green lemonade. “The sippy-cup age is a good time to start incorporating juice into the diet,” Cabana explains. “It isn’t too taxing because there is no fiber to digest.” Her mother has also integrated fresh juice into her diet after battling two bouts of cancer. According to Cabana, the nutrients have helped boost her mother’s immune system. “Juicing has helped with the healing process,” she says. “And sharing it with others helps me heal, too.”

Nourish Your Soul’s juice and smoothie produce comes from Russo’s market in Watertown, Mass. Cabana opts for local and organic ingredients when she can, emphasizing the need for large quantities. Focusing more on seasonal options, she introduced Watermelon Mint juice in the summer and plans to add a carrot and root vegetablebased juice/soup for autumn. To view the entire Nourish Your Soul menu, visit nourishyoursoul.com.

Entrepreneurs • exhalelifestyle.com 29

Bettina Hein

Entrepreneur lives by her own rules by Abby Kurzman

ntrepreneur Bettina Hein, age 37, with her dancing blue eyes, freckles, casual, long ponytail and requisite I-meanbusiness suit jacket jokes, “I’ve never had a real job.” That’s because she’s always worked for herself. Fresh out of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, where she earned a graduate degree in business administration, Hein was presented with an opportunity to join college friends in a new venture. She grabbed it, co-founding SVOX, a text-to-speech software company, in 2001. Bettina was just 27 at the time. Her now-husband, Andreas Goeldi, was a board member. They sold the company for $125 million in 2011.

30 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Entrepreneurs

Hein now heads up Pixability, an innovative company in Kendall Square that helps businesses create marketing videos. She started the company in 2008, and has a staff of 20. Hein’s childhood was spent mostly in Bad Nauheim, Germany, where one of its claims to fame is that Elvis Presley was stationed there. She also lived in the United States from ages six to 11, spent one year at a high school in Dallas, and worked at internships in both US Congress and the German Parliament. She also has a law degree from the University of Constance. Hein says she gets her entrepreneurial spirit from her German grandfather, who began his career as a coal miner at the age of 15. He saved money and bought a house when he was 19. Then, he tried one business after another, finally finding success at the age of 50 with a wholesale coal company that sold directly to energy suppliers. “He didn’t need a fancy degree,” says Hein. So, what does it take to start your own business? According to Hein, it takes a combination of naïveté, chutzpah, perseverance and flexibility. “Women always feel like they need more education or experience before they can attempt something big, like beginning their own company,” explains Hein. “But it’s not true. Men don’t think like that.” And that’s where the naïveté comes in. You have to suspend your disbelief and not focus too much on everything that could go wrong. While having an MBA is helpful—Hein says she uses things she learned while she was a Sloan fellow at MIT—it is not required. But chutzpah, which means having the guts or gumption to jump in and do something new, is. And you have to be determined. It could take years to build a business, working lots of hours and living on a tight budget, to see an idea through to success. It’s all-consuming. Bettina says that often in interviews people ask her about her hobbies. She can come up with some responses, but really, “my company is my hobby.” Hein loves it. “It’s fun, exhilarating . . . like riding a roller coaster every day. I feel the joy of signing new customers, and the depression of los-

ing an account. It’s like a high-speed car chase everyday.” You have to be ready to negotiate the curves, and to make detours along the way. That’s why you have to be flexible, adaptable, ready to roll with the punches, to reevaluate and make changes as needed, and be open to new ideas. In fact, Hein says, “the idea that makes you money

photo courtesy of Garnick Moore Photographers

“Women always feel like they need more education or experience before they can attempt something big, like beginning their own company,” explains Hein. “But it’s not true. Men don’t think like that.” is almost never the idea you started with. Ninetynine percent of businesses eventually change to another product of focus. “That’s why I don’t fear competition,” Hein explains. “And I’m not afraid that people will copy me. If you can do it better, then more power to you. I’ll move on to the next idea. There are so many things that deserve attention. By the time you copy me, I will have moved on to something new.” So many women in America need to work. As an entrepreneur, your job is on your own terms. “You make the choices. You can be opinionated,” explains Hein. “I’ve often had to make ethical choices about who to [do] business with. So far, I’ve been able to stick to [the] choice that I believed was the right one. I choose how to build my own company. “ But very few women head their own businesses. That’s why, in 2009, Hein, along with Zipcar founder Robin Chase, started SheEOs, an organization for women entrepreneurs. Now with 130 members, the women get together to share their experiences. While there are plans to start chapters in New York and San Francisco, so far they don’t have a website. “We’re all too busy,” says Hein. Hein concludes, “Pixability embodies my enthusiasm and values. It’s like a [new] life in a sense; it’s my child. I can determine the kind of behavior I want in my company. By running my own company I can breathe life into something and give it a soul.”

Entrepreneurs • exhalelifestyle.com 31

South Boston Business Woman

s r e i r r a B Beats Back by Fran Cronin

Toya Farrar, Edible Arrangements franchisee in South Boston since 2007 (Fran Cronin photo)

oya Farrar appears as fresh as the crisp colorful fruit cut, prepped and arranged daily in her stainless steel kitchen. But don’t let her well-groomed femininity fool you. As a businesswoman, Farrar is tough as nails. And she learned her business acumen the old-fashioned way–– through hard work. Farrar owns a successful Edible Arrangements franchise in South Boston. Her storefront on a tidy section of West Broadway often ranks in the top 10 out of 49 for the state. She is also the only African American woman franchisee in Massachusetts. A self-described entrepreneur, Farrar, 42, has not always basked in her current success. Seventeen years ago, when she gave birth to her son, Farrar was homeless and living in a Framingham shelter. Her child was planned,

32 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Entrepreneurs

but her ill health was not. She lost her job, she couldn’t pay her rent and her mother wouldn’t let her live at home. “We were in love,” says Farrar about her son’s father, whom she married and had another child with. “I hold no grudges, but it did make me who I am.” She went on to learn about money and assets and knew she’d never be homeless again. Farrar also learned valuable lessons from her mother, who raised five children on her own. Farrar’s mother was 57 years old when she was laid off from the bank job she’d held for 25 years, and given a retirement package, which she put aside for later use. She prematurely died the next year from cancer. Farrar says her mother never got to fulfill her dream of travel. “From that moment on I knew I didn’t want to teach,” says Farrar, who, with a scholarship, went on to earn her master’s degree in elementary education from Regis College. “I knew I couldn’t depend on a paycheck and I couldn’t depend on retirement.” Stepping out on faith, Farrar was determined to run her own business. “I’ve never been afraid of failure. Like most entrepreneurs, I’m willing to take on the risk other people won’t. It’s how you learn.” Her first venture was in real estate properties, which she still maintains. Farrar’s introduction to Edible Arrangements was through gifts sent by her fireman husband. With a passion for healthy foods, mangoes and other summer fruits, Farrar says becoming an Edible Arrangements franchisee was like a “match made in heaven.” Her interest in the business coincided with a franchise opening in her geographic area. In 2007, when she bought her franchise, she was store number 769. Edible Arrangements now has more than 1100 stores in 14 countries around the world.

Farrar says she faced dark times and many roadblocks to getting her business located and started. She originally wanted to be in Dorchester, but the community’s response was unwelcoming despite her strong financial backing. Once in South Boston, she had to move from East to West Broadway. These barriers, says Farrar, “I now know were opportunities to achieve more.” She carries this ethic into the volunteer work she does at Goodwill’s BNY Mellon Academy for Girls in Roxbury. One hundred girls, grades 4 -12, attend this after school program each year. “I want to help other women be self-sufficient,” says Farrar, who teaches finance. “I’m amazed at what these middle and high school students absorb. If I had known what they are learning, I would have been in a much better position. It’s so empowering.” Her ultimate goal is to own three Edible Arrangements stores. Her personal success has been well recognized. In 2010, Farrar received the Women of Courage and Conviction Award. She has been elected to the board of directors for the Crittenton Women’s Union. Farrar also supports young women in her South Boston business community and seeks summer volunteers from area youth shelters. She has learned her own lessons well. As the sole black businesswoman in South Boston, there is a lot riding on her success. But, says Farrar, “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve learned so much about people and business, finance and fruit.”

Visit Toya Farrar’s Edible Arrangements store at 327 W. Broadway, South Boston or www.ediblearrangements.com

Women entrepreneurs Here’s a list of resources that Exhale has found useful if you’re starting a business or want to grow your business. www.greenhornconnect.com Boston entrepreneur hub for jobs, events, news, resources and organizations for anyone in the start-up phase.

www.thecapitalnetwork.org A non-profit organization that provides extensive financial education alongside an engaged community to help early-stage entrepreneurs in Boston. The Capital Network strives to help entrepreneurs master the entire funding process to successfully raise seed capital for their high-growth startup.

SheEO Group The SheEO’s are an amazing group of women who are creating and running high impact, high-growth companies in the Boston area. They meet every last Wednesday of the month in person to share experiences around the challenges of growth companies, hiring, marketing, financing and more. You are welcome to join if you are the founder, co-founder, CEO or a very significant shareholder of a growth company. For more information contact info@sheeos.org

www.springboardenterprises.org Venture catalyst Springboard Enterprises is the premier platform where entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts meet to build great women-led businesses. Springboard educates, sources, coaches, showcases and supports high-growth companies seeking equity capital for expansion.

www.women-wave.org Women’s Association of Venture and Equity (WAVE) is a membership-based association of professional women who work in or are affiliated with the private equity and venture capital industry.

www.astia.org Astia offers programs for high-growth start-ups, provides access to capital, ensures sustainable high growth and develops the executive leadership of the women on the founding team.

www.ladieswholaunch.com/Boston Ladies Who Launch helps with everything you need to launch your dream, grow your business and connect with other women entrepreneurs.

www.netsaw.com The Network for South Asian American Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals is a volunteer-based organization that promotes career advancement and leadership development of South Asian American women entrepreneurs and professionals in all fields through professional development, networking, mentorship, community service and social events.

www.goldenseeds.com Golden Seeds is an angel investment organization that invests in high-growth, women-led businesses across all industry sectors. Golden Seeds defines a woman-led business as one where there is at least one woman on the executive team holding a 10 percent or greater equity stake.

www.cweboston.org Center for Women in Enterprise (CWE), a national leader among women’s business development agencies, is dedicated to helping women start and grow their own businesses.

Entrepreneurs • exhalelifestyle.com 33

Professional Development

Start-Up Leadership Whether you just have an idea or have jumped right into the deep end of starting a business, in the beginning there is only you. With a standout team in place, you are embarking on the wild ride of entrepreneurship. Those who succeed possess a distinct blend of vision, passion and focus, as well as a hearty sense of humor and a willingness to sacrifice sleep. While you concentrate on getby Dr. Sally ting things off the ground, this early phase Ourieff also offers the perfect opportunity to learn how to become a truly effective leader. All too often, entrepreneurs are so busy “doing” that they don’t take the time to stop and reflect on the process, how well they are executing, and what kind of leadership skills will drive their business forward most successfully. As the company grows, founders suddenly find themselves adrift as they manage complicated relationships with board members, venture capitalists, employees and even outspoken customers. Business fundamentals create many challenges for new leaders, but it is usually the people and process issues that cause the greatest grief. As you build your company, learn to lead well. Though successful, Atilla the Hun and Machiavelli would not likely have fostered a very caring work environment. Don’t follow in the footsteps of awful bosses. From the very beginning, remind yourself to CARE. Stay focused on what matters most: Communication, Accountability, Relationships and Energy.

Communication Communication, communication, communication—like location, location, location—is absolutely critical. Disaster ensues when you make assumptions about what others think or understand. Don’t assume—ask, clarify and create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable doing the same. Every team member is instrumental to the company’s success, and as such, you need to hear what they have to say. Being open and transparent helps employees rally behind the company’s mission and shows that it is safe for them to contribute their own smart ideas and creative solutions. Communication starts with how patiently and how well you listen. When you do speak, remember the words you say have much less impact than how you say them. Studies show that influence depends much more on vocal quality (tone, projection, pace) and your nonverbal body movements and facial expressions than on the brilliance of your words. The more your verbal, vocal and non-verbal communication is aligned, the greater your impact. Building strong communication skills is crucial and goes hand in hand with the creation of an environment that values trust and openness. 34 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Professional Development

Accountability Accountability is all about setting clear expectations and processes for decision making, follow-through and feedback. From the start, whether you create the expectations or you allow the team to establish them together, they must be clear. As the CEO, you need to think about which processes, policies and business culture will best allow your employees to meet those expectations and will encourage self-sustaining accountability throughout the organization. In order to be adaptive and able to problem solve, which are both central aspects of startups, your growing team needs to feel safe taking risks while understanding the boundaries of risk taking. It’s up to you to make sure expectations and lines of responsibility are loud and clear, and to determine a company structure that best maximizes both engagement and execution.

Relationships Relationships and people are your business. You have nothing without them. Like romance, work relationships cannot be ignored. Leaders expect everyone to be professional and prioritize the good of the company above all else. In reality, people are messy and often difficult. People are your greatest strength, yet they can also be insecure, overly competitive and territorial. With the strain of the current economy and less than 30 percent of American workers feeling engaged in their work, you can expect challenging behavior and conflict. When there is a crisis, ask yourself how well you and your team manage. Learn what went wrong and why, and be willing to take a hard look at yourself as well as your team. Value and prioritize building and nurturing your relationships. Despite many leaders complaining that they shouldn’t have to “babysit” adults, it is not babysitting. Time is never lost when it is spent mentoring and encouraging those you serve and who work for and with you. Your leadership is only as good as their performance and contributions.

Energy Energy drives the bus. Starting up a company is a Herculean effort: long days and nights propelled by an obsessive desire to make it happen. This intensity is necessary and hard to avoid, but think carefully before you drive yourself and your employees into the ground. You will get the best out of people by keeping work a happy place. It doesn’t have to be as wild and irreverent as Zappos or as perk-laden as Google, but both companies are onto something. Hire carefully, but then commit to the excellent people you have. Protect everyone’s energy and make sure massive efforts are paired with time for recovery. Create a culture where people don’t have to choose between work and their family, health or emotional well-being.

How to be here, now: Making time in the digital age

Problem: You’re plowing through your to-do list, but you feel like you’re not even present in your own life. Solution: Build better fences. Make better schedules. Shut it down. Finding time for yourself in the digital age is difficult, and it’s one of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients. This “time crunch” is ironic, as one of the great promises of technology by Camille is that its efficiencies will Preston, PhD free us and give us more time. Instead, many people find themselves overwhelmed, overworked, and overwired. We are “on” 24/7, with a never-ending to-do list, never-ending demands and never enough time for ourselves. We are physically present, but we aren’t purposefully present. I recently helped a client who was in real pain over this issue. A top executive in a For-

tune 500 company, she was very successful. She felt accomplished at work and she felt that her home and family life were well-organized and operating smoothly. Everyone got where they needed to be when they needed to be there. Nothing was falling through the cracks. In many ways, she felt like she was at the top her game personally and professionally, but something was gnawing at her. Her husband complained that she was never “present.” She felt it herself, almost like there was no “here” in the now of her life. I asked her what mattered most to her, and she replied, without hesitation, “My family and my career.” I asked her how that manifests itself and she rattled off a typical day’s itinerary, which was dizzying in its detail and demands. I asked her when she takes time for

herself and she said, “I schedule a 30-minute run every other day at 6 a.m., that way I get it out of the way and can get back home and hit the ground running.” I asked,“Beyond your morning runs, when do you take time for yourself? When do you take time to simply be with your family?” She paused and said, “What do you mean?” I said, “Time to do something absolutely pleasurable, something you love that fills you with joy, or just time simply to be.” Tears welled in her eyes as she said, “There is no time for that.” My client is typical of many people today. With so many demands on our time, our attention is a scarce resource. We rarely take time for perspective and enjoying what is around us. We are always connected, we are always on, but we aren’t really present.

Finding time in the digital age is still possible; we just have to make better choices. Here are three simple things I had my client do to take charge of her time: 1. Build better fences. The first thing I had my client do was to build better fences around her top priority—her family —by setting stronger boundaries. It’s hard to be present when you make yourself available 24/7 to your colleagues and other people who seek your time. If you want to be present at home, make it clear that you will not take or make work calls or do work after a certain time. Build in time to be present by building a better fence around that time.

2. Schedule more wisely. In the very same way, you must be sure to schedule wisely, giving priority to the things that mean the most. Want to be present with your family? Schedule family meals. Want to have lunch with a friend you love? Schedule it. Want more time to be alone and just think? Block it out in your day. It’s your time. Make sure you are using it the way you want to.

3. Shut it off. Literally. The best way to be present in your life and the lives of those you love is to offer your full attention. That means shutting off the screens and gadgets. Have screen-free evenings and outings. Make the dinner table a screenfree zone. You can’t be present if you’re distracted.

These strategies are simple, but they work. When we understand that time is what we make it, that it is within our power to make different choices, we can live with greater purpose and productivity. It’s easy to get caught up in the doing, but we need to start focusing more on the being. And we can start by better controlling the time we have and how we use it. Professional Development • exhalelifestyle.com 35

Adventure

FIREWALKING by

Kennedy Elsey

36 Exhale â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2012

Kennedy Elsey, from Karson and Kennedy on Mix 104.1 likes to climb tall buildings, walk on fire, perform acrobatics with the circus and so much more. Why does she do this?? She wants to get out of her comfort zone and confront her fears head on. Kennedy shares with us her tales of derring-do and how you can add adventure to your life.

It all started on a chairlift. About four years ago, while riding to the top of the bunny hill at Cannon Mountain to take a beginner lesson (I was 38), I watched kids ski under me. With smiles on their faces and laughter filling the chilly air, they didn’t have a care in the world. As I made my way down that first run, my face did not match theirs. But with each chairlift-ride back to the top of the bunny hill, I took comfort in watching those little fearless faces. And I decided I wanted to look like that, all the time. So I made the decision to do something that scared me every once in a while. Something outside my comfort zone that would make butterflies beat at the edges of my stomach. Something that made me laugh like those little skiers. In the years that followed, I went skydiving and shot machine guns. I ran a 5K, then a half marathon, then the Boston Marathon. I drove a car worth six figures, just for fun. I swam with dolphins, rappelled down a 22-story building, and sang in front of thousands of Red Sox fans at Fenway. Why did I do these things and why do I continue to engage in risk-taking behaviors? I do it because it puts that giddy look on my face and it makes me feel alive. So, what’s a thrill-seeking girl to do next? Why not walk on fire? As I pondered the possibility, it seemed to embody everything I was looking for. It would scare me, but it would also enable me to find inner strength to do something that everything inside me said I shouldn’t be doing. My first step—no pun intended—was to find an expert “firewalker” who would let me “come and play.” Enter Dan Glynn, a practicing yogi and a recognized firewalking facilitator. Dan invited me to his home in Niantic, Conn., for a private firewalking session. After months of trying, we finally found a date that worked for both of us. I packed up my guts and my boyfriend and headed down to Connecticut. As we pulled into the driveway of his beautiful home, we saw Dan standing in front of a giant, log cabin-sized stack of wood. Apparently, after this pile of wood burned down to cinders, we were going to walk on it. I was filled with fear and exhilaration. I couldn’t wait to get started. To ready the fire pit, newspapers were placed in all the empty spots between logs and gallons of oil doused everything. Together, we lit the fire. It quickly became a genuine inferno. Dan stood at one end of the fire, using a garden hose to soak the grass on both sides. At times he looked like a snake charmer, willing the fire to go where he wanted. While he watched over the flames like a lifeguard, he brought us a notecard. He asked us to write “that which we will bring to the fire and that which we will leave behind.” We watched the fire crackle and burn, and—sitting far enough away so that the heat from the flames seemed distant—we wrote. Then we tossed the card into the flames, promising the fire we would bring and leave behind what we’d written on the card. Dan Glynn photo

Watching the fire burn down (it took a couple of hours), became almost hypnotic; nothing else seemed to matter. Time moved at its own pace. The sun sank, but we didn’t notice. There was no sound, only the crackling of the flames. A robin landed nearby and sounded as loud as a trumpet when it sang. Dan interrupted the quiet to say it was time for some practice. He took us on a nature walk along pathways in his yard that looked more like something out of the TV show Fear Factor than a nature walk. But, being all in, I started out with abandon. First, we crossed a board covered with shells, seed pods from a Sweet Gum tree (Google it: they are frightening), nettle leaves, and rocks. We walked forward and backward. It hurt, a lot. I started to doubt my abilities because I kept falling off the pods. Dan suggested we take a break, to which my significant other remarked, “She might come back with bloody stumps, but she’ll do it.” The next task was walking on a board full of tack nails. I stepped up and stood firmly on the nails. I felt energy shoot from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head like an electric current and it felt amazing. I was getting very excited. Finally, it was time for our last practice feat. We walked across 10 feet of broken glass. It sounds awful, but this, surprisingly, was the easiest of all. The dress rehearsal was over. Dan did a few practice laps across and, when he felt the embers were ready, he told us it was time to cross. By that time the sun had set and there was a bit of a chill in the air, but the ground was glowing like a Las Vegas skyline at night. I couldn’t believe I was about to place my bare feet on it. My first pass across was quick. And I felt the fire. I thought: “What the hell am I doing here and why am I not feeling this great spiritual awakening?” So, I decided to give it another go. I stepped to the edge of the fire and stopped. I closed my eyes. I slowed my breathing. I pictured my walk across the embers. I asked the fire for permission to cross and I took my first step. I walked down to the end of the 10 feet of coals, turned, and walked back. I felt like I was floating, walking on soft warm pillows, and that I was part of the fire, if just for a moment. I feel changed by the experience. I was a welcomed guest, for a short time, in the embrace of the fire, and my feet felt like magic for days after. Having walked barefoot across hot coals makes me believe that anything is possible, that I can do anything I put my mind and spirit to. And I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Adventure • exhalelifestyle.com 37

! t i e v o Easy ways to M build fitness into

Health Matters

every day

It’s no surprise that most Americans today find themselves stressed out and busy with a jam-packed daily schedule. With balancing work, a relationship, children, appointments and more, it can be hard to find time to hit the gym and include significant physical activity each day. Unfortunately, the consequence of living an inactive lifestyle often results in weight gain and other health problems. Sixty-five percent of adults are reportedly overweight or obese, and the number continues to climb. Children can also be negatively affected by inactivity due, in part, to expanding technology use and the lack of sufficient physical fitness programs in many schools. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity daily. In addition to reducing health risks, physical activity offers additional benefits including: boosting energy levels, releasing tension, anxiety, depression and improving overall mental wellness as well as preventing bone loss. Getting in shape isn’t as hard as it looks. You don’t have to be a marathon runner to be physically fit. The little things you do in your routine can build up to a larger impact on your well-being. After all, something is always better than nothing. Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories, such as raking leaves, walking or playing sports. Try our easy tips for boosting your daily activity!

Combine work life with physical activity: • If you live close enough to the office, try biking there once a week

Make physical activity fun: • Get your family involved by planning times to get moving together • Ride bikes

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator

• Go swimming

• Park farther away from the office to add extra steps to your day

• Play hide-and-seek in your backyard

• Go for a 15-minute walk around your building for a morning and afternoon break

• Dance

Add more exercise to your day with simple activities: • Household chores • Playing with children and pets • Walking up stairs

Health Matters • exhalelifestyle.com 39

Get a Ballet Dancer’s body by Jacquinn Williams Women everywhere are preoccupied with toning flabby arms, tightening up derrières and attaining washboard abs. With the adult open ballet classes offered by the Boston Ballet, getting a leaner body could be a few pirouettes and relevés away in their Boston and Newton studios. One of the most respected institutions in the area, the Boston Ballet’s open adult classes offer skill level choices without strict time commitments that can deter the less experienced ballet hopeful. No pre-registration is required, but there are programs offered with registration for the committed. Women and men of all shapes, sizes and experience levels attended the beginner level Monday night class I dropped in on. The instructor that evening was Company Dancer Sarah Wroth, from Poolesville, MD, who started assistant teaching as a teenager. She encouraged and guided the class through a series of

controlled ballet movements that worked the entire body. As the pianist tapped out beautiful music for the dancers to follow, some of us visibly struggled with the movements. But with our wet brows and backs, we trudged on gracefully and made it through the 90minute class. At the end, our muscles were tight from the control required in ballet. The next time you’re looking to work out, instead of opting for yoga, kickboxing or taebo, try a beginner class to see if ballet is the right workout for you. Check bostonballet.org for the open adult class schedule. No time to take a class? Try ballet at home. Company Dancer Brittany Summer, whose Boston Ballet repertoire includes Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, James Kudelka’s Cinderella, and Balanchine’s Four Temperaments gives Exhale a step-by-step guide on how to get started.

Why is ballet good for the body? Director of Physical Therapy at the Boston Ballet, Heather Southwick answers a few questions about why ballet is a good workout:

Why is ballet a good workout and what muscles are you working? Ballet works on controlling the body as it lowers against gravity. It works the abs, hip flexors, back and pelvis to control movement. There’s a lot of controlled lifting and lowering of the legs that helps create long, lean and beautiful muscles.

How can people interested in doing ballet at home make sure they don’t get hurt?

What’s most important is that people do everything in their own alignment. People tend to think in extreme ranges of motion. They often feel that they have to push too far. But the best way [to exercise] is to do it in a healthy way. By working that way, you’re working your muscles correctly. You will improve strength and flexibility safely.

What can I do for slouching?

Most people find themselves at a computer all day. If you’re slouching, Heather suggests trying port de bras, which is an exercise where you lean to the left and then to right while outstretching one arm at a time. It encourages good posture. This exercise can be done standing, or sitting at your desk.

Photos courtesy of Jordan Jennings 40 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Health Matters

Step 1. Grand plié position to relevé

Starting in a wide, outwardly rotated position in the legs, begin to bend your knees while maintaining your turn out, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. To complete the grand plié, slowly begin to straighten your legs and return to your original upright position.

Step 2. Relevé

Once your legs are straight, you can begin to relevé by lifting your heels three to four inches off the floor and holding the position for five to seven seconds. To finish the exercise, lower your heels back to the floor, returning to the starting position. During the entire exercise, focus on engaging your core and keeping a straight line through your back, from the base of your skull to your tail bone. You should feel the exercise targeting your hamstrings, gluteus muscles and calves. If needed, lean on something that’s slightly higher than hip level for balance.

Step 3. Port de bras

Next, spread legs apart with your feet turned outward and carefully lower your weight down until your feet are flat on the ground and continue to lower yourself until you are in grand plié. Then lean your body to the right side, while your left arm is extended. You should feel a stretch in the muscles on your left side. Then repeat the same movement on your left side with your right arm extended. Slowly lift up, with feet still spread apart and repeat port de bras standing. This exercise works the obliques and back.

Step 4. Arabesque

Now, turn to an open position. While keeping your weight on your supporting leg, lift your right leg up and back and carefully until it’s slightly lower than hip level. A full 90˚ lift is an arabesque. Lift the leg six to eight times. Then switch to your left leg and repeat. Don’t lift your leg too far. If you do, you may feel a pinch in your back. This exercise works your legs, back and derrière.

How to use ballet to build muscles. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, to gain health benefits, muscle-strengthening activities need to be done to the point where it’s hard to do another repetition without help. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing a sit-up. Try to do eight to 12 repetitions per activity that count as one set. Try to do at least one set of musclestrengthening activities, but to gain even more benefits, do two or three sets.

Before you take a class, here’s a quick French lesson: • Plié - to bend • Tendu - to stretch • Battematte - to beat • Port de bras - movement of the arms • Rond de jambe - a circular movement of the leg *These definitions were gathered from the American Ballet Theatre’s online ballet dictionary. http://www.abt.org/education/ dictionary/index.html

To sign up for classes, visit

bostonballet.org

Complete this step-by step guide eight to twelve times. Look for more detailed photos on our website, exhalelifestyle.com Health Matters • exhalelifestyle.com 41

Recipes

Put family time back into your meals We lead busy lives and cooking healthy meals throughout the week is a challenge. To involve your kids in cooking family meals, all it takes is a little planning. With just one day of shopping and cooking you’ll be eating healthy family meals together all week long!

Shopping with the kids With your children, choose three to five basic entreé recipes you all love. From your recipes, take inventory of items you already have and build a shopping list of items you need. Go to the grocery store once a week, and organize your list by store layout. Kids love fresh fall produce, so build in family trips to your local farm stand or farmer’s market whenever you can, and let them pick out fruits and veggies to prepare and eat together.

Cooking & storing Prepare and cook several meals at once, leaving three to four nights of meals ready to heat ‘n’ eat in the fridge and freezing the rest to have on hand. If you prepare grains, cook them in bulk to use throughout the week and freeze some in labeled and dated plastic or glass storage containers for future meals. Pasta can also be pre-cooked, tossed with a bit of olive oil or red sauce, and frozen. Double the recipe if it’s freezer friendly and photocopy recipes, if possible, to have on hand for writing a shopping list to use when cooking. Toss thawed pasta in a saucepan with some warmed garlic-flavored olive oil, leftover roast chicken, steamed or roasted vegetables, a few fresh herbs (such as basil or thyme) and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and cracked pepper for a meal in minutes.

42 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Recipes

Catherine Cooper, the Meal Maven, pursued her passion for cooking after working in public relations on food accounts. She completed professional cuisine training at École Ferrandi in Paris. She is an advocate of children learning to cook and holds two master degrees in education.

Baked Apple Slices These apple slices are low in added sugar but high in kid-friendly taste! Toss dry ingredients together, add apples and lemon juice and bake in a non-stick shallow baking dish (or spray pan with cooking spray) for 30 minutes at 375°F until soft and golden. 4-5 Medium to large baking apples (such as Cortland), peeled, cored and sliced 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon) ½ Teaspoon cinnamon ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg 1 Teaspoon sugar 1 Teaspoon brown sugar ½ Teaspoon cornstarch ¼ Cup dried cranberries (optional)

Flatbread topped with sweet potato, fennel and sage

by Janel Funk

Ingredients: 1 Pound store-bought whole wheat pizza dough, brought to room temperature

Turn basic flatbread into a nutrient-packed crowd pleaser with sweet potato, fennel, sage, olive oil and whole wheat dough. Enjoy it for lunch or dinner, paired with a peppery arugula salad and grilled salmon. Or, serve it as a finger food at your next cocktail party.

Flour for dusting the dough 1 Small sweet potato, washed and sliced into thin quarter-inch rounds, then cut into half circles 1 Fennel bulb, stalks removed and sliced horizontally into thin strips 3 Tablespoons olive oil 10-15 Fresh sage leaves, torn in half Sea salt to taste

Janel Funk, MS RD LDN, is a Boston-based registered dietitian who enjoys experimenting with plant-based recipes. Follow her food blog at eatwellwithjanelblog.com and follow her on Twitter @DietitianJanel.

Directions: Heat oven to 400oF. Flour a flat surface and roll out dough into a large, thin oval. Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough and brush to coat. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato slices, fennel, and sage leaves with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Scatter over the dough and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. When slightly cooled, cut into square pieces using a pizza cutter.

Recipes â&#x20AC;˘ exhalelifestyle.com 43

Leigh

Belanger by Astrid Lium

A local foodie and writer promotes Boston’s local food scene in her new cookbook Boston is joining the ranks of New York and California as a major local food hub. In addition to growing farmers’ markets, community gardens and restaurants featuring locally sourced foods, the city now boasts its own entry in the Homegrown Cookbook series. Local foodie and writer Leigh Belanger authored The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes, which was published in May. Belanger is a former freelance food writer for The Boston Globe and Edible Boston. She now works as the program director for Chefs Collaborative, a local nonprofit network of chefs that promotes local food and sustainability. A new mother at the time, Belanger worked full-time and cared for her newborn while writing the book. She scaled back on exercise and social outings during the writing and editing process, which took more than a year to complete. “My husband came in handy,” Belanger, who is pregnant with her second child, says with a smile. She explains that her involvement on the project was a matter of “being at the right place at the right time.” Aaron French, who penned The Bay Area Homegrown Cookbook, recommended Belanger as the writer for the Boston branch publication. Her cousin, Margaret Belanger, is a local photographer whose photos accompany the interviews with Boston chefs and business owners. The writer always had a passion for food, she says, despite a

44 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Recipes

childhood full of processed meals. Belanger claims that her dayto-day food experience growing up was “nothing special,” citing frozen pizza and occasional trips to Burger King as the norm. In the introduction of her book, she recalls, “My mom cooked to feed us, not to express herself.” As a teenager, though, Belanger would read cookbooks as a leisure activity. “The Silver Palate Cookbook was the bible of ’80s cooking,” she recalls. “I didn’t use it much for cooking, but I loved the voices and tone in it.” Her understanding of fresh food changed when she attended college in Washington in the 1990s. Belanger’s education involved years of hands-on restaurant cooking experience, where she realized that cuisine was integral to the region’s identity. She received a “big education” working in the Pacific Northwest, like nothing she had seen in New England. “That was when it clicked for me,” she says. “I realized that cooking was better when seasonal.” She has witnessed the culinary identity in Boston develop over the years and sees a range of possibilities. “Local food used to be more for fine dining,” Belanger notes. “But now it’s more accessible, from a $5 sandwich to a $500 multi-course meal.” For Homegrown Boston, Belanger chose an array of local chefs, farmers and restaurant owners, illustrating how the local food community has developed over 30 years. “I wanted to find those stories and I already knew some of them,” she says. “I like books that tell a story of culture, cuisine and society.”

Herb-Crusted Haddock with red kuri squash purée

Serves 4 1 Red kuri squash (butternut or sugar pumpkin will also work for this preparation) 4–8 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature Apple cider to taste Apple cider vinegar to taste 2 Pounds haddock fillet 4 Tablespoons homemade aioli (you can substitute high-quality mayonnaise like Cain’s or Duke’s) 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary ½ Tablespoon fresh thyme ½ Tablespoon fresh sage 2 Tablespoons of chives Breadcrumbs toasted with extra virgin olive oil (sometimes known as Sicilian Parmesan) Cooking spray Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub the inside with melted butter, salt, and pepper and bake, cut side down, so the squash steams and roasts at the same time. Cook for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer effortlessly pierces the flesh of the squash. Remove from the oven and turn the squash over to cool. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and purée in a food processor. When smooth, add butter, salt, pepper, a splash each of cider and cider vinegar, all to taste. When the purée is finished, it should have a rich, satiny texture and a strong flavor of the squash enhanced by the cider. Pass the purée through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan and set aside. For the fish: Have the squash purée ready so you can concentrate on the fish cookery. Leave 25 minutes to prepare the fish (although it could be done in as soon as 10). Reduce oven heat to 325°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Portion the fish fillet into four 8 oz. portions. If you have thin tail pieces, fold the thin part under the thicker portion of the fillet. Place the fish on the sprayed baking sheet. Season fish with salt and pepper. Spread each with aioli. Chop the strong herbs separately. Note: Rosemary needs more chopping than sage and thyme. Sprinkle them liberally on the fish. Cover the herbs and aioli with the toasted breadcrumbs and place them in the heated oven. You want to cook the fish until a cake tester, carving fork or other metal skewer passes through the fish effortlessly. If there is any resistance, let the fish bake longer. As soon as it is soft, remove it from the oven and plate your dishes. You can pass the fish under the broiler if you need to reheat it or feel the topping isn’t crispy enough, but be careful! It will burn quickly. Warm the purée over low heat, and when warmed through, place on the plate and top with the baked fish. Garnish the fish with chives sliced with a very sharp knife or cut with scissors to retain their flavor. Serve immediately.

Margaret Belanger photos

Recipes • exhalelifestyle.com 45

Grilled Clams

Serves 4–6 as a first course 4 Ounces of thinly sliced country-style Virginia ham, julienned

with country ham, pickled

24 Middle- or topneck-sized clams, scrubbed and cleaned of any sand (no need to purge)

butternut squash and Tabasco mayonnaise

½ Cup Tabasco mayonnaise (recipe follows) ¼ Cup pickled butternut squash, thinly sliced or minced (recipe follows) Chopped fresh chives, for garnish Prepare a hot grill, preferably charcoal, to help impart some smokiness to the clams. Place a heavybottomed sauté pan over medium heat and add the ham. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to help the ham cook evenly (this will also help the ham separate as it cooks). Continue cooking until ham is browned and crispy (about 3 minutes). Remove immediately with a slotted spoon to a paper towel and allow to drain and cool. This can be done well in advance. Place clams flat on the hot side of the grill, directly on the grill grate. Cover and cook until they pop open (3–5 minutes). Be careful to pull the clams off before all the juice is lost to the grill. Use tongs to transfer clams and their juices to a plate or platter. Discard any that do not open. You may remove the top half of the opened clam shell at this point for easier eating. Top with a dollop of Tabasco mayonnaise, bits of crispy country ham and slices of pickled butternut squash. Garnish with fresh-cut chives. Serve while still warm.

TABASCO MAYONNAISE (Yield: Approximately 1 ½ cups) 1 ½ 1 ¾

Egg yolk Tablespoon Dijon mustard Tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice Tablespoon of rice wine or cider vinegar ½ Teaspoon fine sea salt 1 ¼ Cups canola or safflower oil 2 Teaspoons Tabasco sauce Combine egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and sea salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a slow, thin, steady stream until it is completely incorporated. The mayonnaise should look creamy and emulsified at this point. Whisk in the Tabasco. Refrigerate until ready to use.

46 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Recipes

PICKLED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

(Yield: 3–4 cups—much more than you will need) 1 Large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt 8 Fresh sage leaves 1 ²/3 Cups cider vinegar ²/3 Cup brown sugar ¾ Cup apple cider In a large bowl, toss peeled and cubed squash with salt and let sit for 4 hours. Strain and discard liquid from squash. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add squash to hot pickle liquid, and continue to simmer until squash is just tender (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate.

Community

Rosie’s Place: An urban haven for boston’s homeless women by Fran Cronin

20 women sleep safely and soundly in the Overnight program.

Images of the self-portrait quilt squares created by women as part of the art@rosie’splace program.

midst a long stretch of asphalt and brick on Harrison Avenue sits a haven for poor and homeless women. An urban sanctuary, Rosie’s Place provides a safe shelter, a home-cooked meal and some much-needed dignity and hope to women who have run out of options. Founder Kip Tiernan opened the doors to Rosie’s Place 38 years ago on Easter Sunday with a $250 donation from friends. Originally housed in the abandoned Rozen’s Supermarket, Rosie’s Place was the first emergency shelter for women in the country. Tiernan embraced the shelter’s non-institutional origins and gave it a name more reminiscent of a friendly neighborhood coffee shop than a refuge from desperation. “These women are our guests,” says Executive Director Sue Marsh, who, for the past 14 years, has been a faithful steward of the vision and mission instilled by Tiernan in 1974. During the end of July, I toured Rosie’s Place with Marsh. A consummate professional, she guided me through the many vital service areas of Rosie’s Place including the intake and Wellness Center; the food pantry and dining area; the living quarters for women in need of temporary housing; the classrooms for language skills and resume writing; the crafts center and the drop-in center, which on this hot day, offered welcome relief from the treeless expanse of this hard-edged neighborhood.

In the Rosie’s Place’s food pantry, women can shop from the shelves like they would at a traditional grocery store to prepare meals that their families will enjoy. Community • exhalelifestyle.com 47

Until the time Tiernan died last year at age 85 from cancer, she remained an avid advocate for Rosie’s Place and Boston’s Emergency Shelter Commission, as well as for homelessness, hunger and access to justice programs she helped found. Given your long tenure at Rosie’s Place, you must have known Tiernan well. How would you describe her lasting legacy? Tiernan’s roots as an advocate are deep and go back to the late 1960s, when she worked as a volunteer at Warwick House, a Roman Catholic civil rights, anti-war and anti-poverty ministry in Boston. Tiernan said she was “dumbfounded” when she saw women disguising themselves as men to get a meal at Pine Street [a homeless shelter for men]. Tiernan’s response was to put herself in the center of the fight for economic and social justice. She liked to say, “We can change the world if we are willing to take the risk of being human.” That remark can be interpreted many ways. How has that played out at Rosie’s Place? To Tiernan, taking a risk at being human meant connecting with women on a level of acceptance. At Rosie’s Place we don’t offer a transactional, but rather a whole person, relationship. We think of ourselves as a community that is content with saying that friendship is important and we’re content with unconditional love. For many women, walking into Rosie’s Place is often the only time all day they will hear someone say hello to them. When Rosie’s Place opened as the first shelter for women, the focus was warmth and companionship—coffee, used clothing and a place for women to spend the night. There was no sense of the scope of need. All the social service emphasis was on men. But today, the needs of homeless women are well recognized. In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual assessment of homelessness reported 1.59 million homeless people in 2010, 38 percent of them women. How has Rosie’s Place responded to this surge in need? Rosie’s Place has grown in so many ways since opening its doors in 1974. Physically, we’ve grown from an abandoned storefront to our current multi-million dollar reconstructed facility, large enough to offer integrated services under our one roof. Along with coordinated onsite counseling, we serve 75,000 meals each year to women and their children; 1,800 women

48 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Community

take home 20-40 pounds of food each month; we can house up to 600 women in our emergency and short-term housing; and we’ve advanced the education of over 350 women. Last year, more than 10,000 women worked with our advocacy counselors and more than 6,300 women visited our Health and Wellness Center. Not only are these numbers staggering, but this is a huge undertaking. How does Rosie’s Place fund and support all of its services? Our operating mission is unique. Since opening, Rosie’s Place has relied heavily on our corps of volunteers. They are diverse, like our community, and we consider them our lifeblood. We estimate they provide 60,000 hours of service, which is the equivalent of 29 full-time employees. To maintain our independence and integrity to our mission, we do not accept funding from the United Way or any city, state or federal government agencies. We depend on the generosity of individuals, foundations and corporations. I also inherited a fabulous public policy initiative from my predecessor. Our core work is outreach and education on why homelessness exists and the solutions that should be advocated. Our mission is well known and we get referrals from a network of 65 family shelters controlled by the state from as far away as New Bedford and Lynn. Our staff advocate Sana Fadel is currently working on our “Strengthening Families Campaign” in co-

ordination with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Our goal is to restore families and keep mothers with their children. Given the current economic and political climate, what is your strategy for the future? To stay true to Kip’s vision that hope has an address, to maintain the dignity of choice for women and to continue to reach out to the newly homeless, many of whom are working women who can’t make ends meet. Every day I see the awesome strength of our guests and realize how much more joy and laughter there is than people would think. Our strength comes from them and we help them the best we can.

Volunteer teachers work with women as part of the free Women’s Education Program which provides free ESOL and Literacy classes to Rosie’s Place guests.

Volunteers serve healthy and nutritious meals to women and their children 365 days a year.

Swanee Hunt: Closing the gap between worlds apart During her posting as President Clinton’s Ambassador to Austria, Swanee Hunt found herself an eyewitness to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the neighboring Balkans. Eschewing diplomatic niceties, the Texas-born emissary plunged full force into efforts to bring the conflicting parties to the negotiating table. Her mission produced results but not enough to stave off such horrors as the 1995 slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims by Serbs in Srebrenica. Now living in Cambridge, Mass., and lecturing at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Hunt runs programs like the Institute for Inclusive Security

What were your thoughts when another 500 victims of the Srebrenica massacre were laid to rest on the anniversary of the July 1995 slaughter? I thought how imortant it is to remember these lives and to pass on our knowledge of how such a tragedy could have happened. If we have integrity, then “never again” is a call to action. We can honor the lives lost only by redoubling our efforts to prevent violent conflict. I had the opportunity to visit Srebrenica in March of this year and reconnected with Kada Hotic, a survivor who lost both her husband and son in the genocide and whom I interviewed for This Was Not Our War: Bosnian Women Reclaiming the Peace. Kada spoke of her pain, but also of her ability to move forward: “When the Serbs killed us, they killed themselves. I forgive, so I am alive.” In July, I reflected on Kada’s words, which are a testament to the restorative power of forgiveness. Just a few weeks after the anniversary, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a discussion at the Holocaust Museum on ways to avert modern threats of genocide. Do you think the Atrocity Prevention Board, one of the measures she discussed, can be effective? Secretary Clinton has seen the impact of genocide. She knows the horrors that took place in Bosnia, Rwanda and elsewhere. In July, she outlined how the Atrocity Prevention Board can be effective: Training officials to recognize signs of danger; bolstering civilian surge capacity to consult with local groups who can advise US officials; collaborating with women and implementing early warning systems to respond to sexual and gender-based violence; using technology to detect when governments are targeting protesters; and cutting off resources to those organizing atrocities. The board isn’t a panacea, but it’s an important step forward. Has the world learned the lessons of Srebrenica? These are lessons that have to be taught to every generation. For many of us in the international community, the word “Srebrenica” will always evoke a sense of tragedy and failure. But it’s easier for those who come after to think “that couldn’t happen here” or “we’d have understood sooner and acted more effectively.” So we need to apply the lessons learned from Srebrenica to current conflicts. As the war gathered steam in Bosnia, policymakers relied on information from those in power instead of consulting all affected

50 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Books

through her philanthropic Hunt Alternatives Fund. The goal is to increase the involvement of women in politics in order to nurture a new generation of leadership committed to peaceful change. In her latest book, Worlds Apart: Bosnian Lessons for Global Security, Hunt starkly describes the gap between the foreign policy establishment and everyday people and shows how it can lead to the waste of precious lives and resources. Profiled in Exhale in Spring 2011, the dynamic activist and author answered questions about the lessons of Bosnia and the costly delays in foreign military intervention.

groups. We need to gather critical information from diverse groups in order to develop effective solutions. Working across ethnic lines in Bosnia, women could have been a robust moderating force if we had utilized them. We’ve got to tap the power of the entire population, not simply warring leaders, to build peace.

What was your proudest and most-lasting accomplishment in Bosnia? Of course, hosting negotiations as a step to end the war is the most obvious. But in addition, my husband, Charles Ansbacher, encouraged me to write not just This Was Not Our War, but also Worlds Apart to share the lessons I learned during that time. In the latter, I tell the story of the war through 80 vignettes, alternating between the voices of those on the ground with those of foreign policy decision makers, because it’s imperative that we bridge the gap between the two. We have to connect head to heart. I think the international community will continue to stumble unless we build solid connections between on-the-ground realities and our policies. As a politically appointed ambassador, you had more freedom to act than career diplomats. How can we loosen the constraints that frustrated you in dealing with State Department bureaucrats? It’s true that I had more freedom to act than most career diplomats, but let’s not denigrate career Foreign Service officers. They’re smart, well-intentioned professionals, occasionally misguided, often heroic. As I explained in Worlds Apart, usually I agreed with my colleagues’ views and sometimes I didn’t—but that was true for both career and non-career diplomats. My abiding belief is that we have to correct a systemic flaw in our foreign affairs structure. In building peace, we need to connect the policies determined in logic-driven consultations and the pathos bred in brutalizing situations. Your book focuses on the gap between “the internationals” who determine policy and the people who bear its consequences on the ground. Has that gap closed at all in the last 17 years? You might think so, given the proliferation of on-the-ground information available from some countries’ blogs, Tweets, and YouTube videos of violence captured on cell phones. But having access to more information doesn’t mean policymakers have the context to understand its significance. To close the gap, they need to appreciate domestic dynamics—and for that, there’s no substitute for listening to people at the grassroots level. One positive trend I’ve seen over the past few years is a growing recognition—within the policy community—of the need to cooperate with non-governmental organizations, whose international personnel often have deeper regional expertise and wider-ranging contacts within a local population.

unpredictable directions, and an “inevitable” anti-American backlash. But we’re also deeply troubled—as we should be—by the moral implications of just standing by. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has leaned hard on the Russians to stop supplying Syria with weapons and agree that Assad must go. When she was asked why she’s spending so much capital on a diplomatic campaign, she said, “I want to be caught trying.” That’s the right attitude—but the military option remains on the table. By consensus, at the UN World Summit of 2005, member states affirmed the principle (enshrined in a UN resolution less than a year later) that the international community has the duty to step in when countries ignore harm to, or turn against, their own citizens. That’s a lesson I learned from the Bosnian war; we must not shirk this “responsibility to protect,” whether through peaceful or military intervention. Where do you foresee the next challenge arising that may require US military action to prevent mass killings? Many places in our world are insecure; I can’t see around corners. Instead, I’d urge that we think methodically about our actions in all the regions where violence threatens or is occurring. When the worst crimes are being committed, we must not be afraid to find fault. As part of your job, you met and negotiated with war criminals of both genders. What were the differences that you found between men and women in their tendency to support and even lead ethnic cleansing? Criminals are criminals, regardless of gender. But when the perpetrator in Bosnia was a woman, people were appalled—which makes the point that almost all the bad guys were, in fact, guys. That’s not to say, of course, that most guys are bad! The way I want to work is to focus on those willing to compromise in the search for a peaceful life for themselves and their families. Let’s face it, in any population, men tend toward conflict much more than women, which is why we ought to be raising women’s voices if we want to stop war. That’s why I founded The Institute for Inclusive Security. Our international network, begun in 1999, now numbers well over 1,000 women leaders from conflict regions around the globe. I have enormous faith in them to step forward with courage and clarity. They are our best hope for a much more livable world.

What’s your thumbnail guide on assessing whether military intervention is needed to prevent the kind of slaughter you write about? Policymakers, and those of us who support them, need to try all the non-military weapons in the toolbox to prevent such slaughter. In other words, diplomacy, sanctions and all other peaceful means should be employed first, until it’s reasonably clear that more lives will be saved than lost by a decision to use military force. Each choice has a trade off. How does that assessment apply to hotspots like Syria or the Congo? The current story in Syria sounds woefully familiar: snipers targeting civilians, mortars fired at buildings packed with families, refugee numbers swelling, villagers being massacred. We fear shifting the balance of power in

sidewalk. Their encla a crumbling Gorazde on r the ga n me wo A quartet of photo) Serbs. (Swanee Hunt Bosnia not to fall to

ee “safe havens” in

ve was one of only thr

Books • exhalelifestyle.com 51

“The world will be saved by the

Western ” woman.

Inspired by the above quote from the Dalai Lama, Women Will Save the World, by Caroline A. Shearer, is a series of essays from various women—each unique and powerful—who share their personal pain and triumphs. The essays are paired with profiles of historical women and original spiritual insights offered by Caroline. The book is categorized by seven qualities found within every woman: collaboration, creativity, intuition, nurturing, strength, trailblazing and wisdom. Caroline brings these inherent feminine traits to the forefront, and through the collection of stories, demonstrates how and why women have already begun saving the world. Women Will Save the World not only presents readers with inspiring real-life examples of strong women, but also provides strategies for readers to practice grounding themselves in the power of femininity. Positive affirmations close each section of the book, culminating in a list of specific actions readers may take to balance and celebrate the feminine. Caroline believes that by truly stepping into their natural femininity, women will fulfill the Dalai Lama’s prophecy. That’s not to say it has to happen overnight or in an extreme way. The message behind Women Will Save the World is that we are all capable of doing our own part, and our strength comes from the worlds in which we operate. Whether it is running a business from home, volunteering at a local animal shelter, or sending packages to relief victims, the action we take may start small and expand. The most important thing is to embrace who we are, and the rest comes naturally. To find out more about the book, visit womenwillsavetheworld.com. The book is available for purchase through shop.absolutelovepublishing.com/, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

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Betsy Myers is currently speaking and leading workshops around the world on the changing nature of leadership. In addition, she is on a nation-wide book tour to promote her book, Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You, which was released September 2011. After spending numerous years working in the Clinton Administration and at the Kennedy School of Government, Betsy Myers is the Founding Director of the Center for Women & Business at Bentley University. The center will focus on educating students about their leadership potential while conducting research about how and why companies should promote and retain women.

Books â&#x20AC;˘ exhalelifestyle.com 53

Profile

by Kathleen Pierce

Alternately an affable tour guide and a tough negotiatior, Vivien Li is the dynamic force behind the cleanup of Boston Harbor. On any given night, cadres of notables mingle over top-shelf tequila and tuna tartare on Liberty Wharf. Li could hold court in any of these swank new venues on the South Boston waterfront. But when the president of The Boston Harbor Association wants to show off the city’s main waterway, she’s more inclined to say “meet me in Maverick Square.” Exiting the Blue Line T stop, the vivacious woman in smart flats takes charge. Traversing a community garden that gives way to a greenway that meanders to the HarborWalk, Li is in her element. “Isn’t this wonderful?” she whispers. “You would never know you were right next to Logan Airport.”

Vivien Li with the captain of the Rowes Wharf water taxi on Boston Harbor in June, 2012. (Photo courtesy of The Boston Harbor Association) 54 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Profile

The advocacy group, founded by the League of Women Voters and the Boston Shipping Association in 1973 to promote a clean and accessible harbor, couldn’t have a more dynamic proponent. Whether taking school kids to Spectacle Island, orchestrating a beach cleanup or climbing aboard the high-speed boat ride Codzilla with a team of interns, Li has helped turn the city’s backyard into its front yard. “We want the waterfront to be democratic, with a lowercase ‘d,’ so that everyone can enjoy it,” says the 58-year-old. “It’s common ground.” In 1991, when Li took the helm of the nonprofit, that common ground was not so enchanting. Boston Harbor was dubbed a “harbor of shame” by then Vice President George H.W. Bush. Home to discarded washing machines and floating syringes, it exuded an acrid stench. “It was the dirtiest harbor in the country,” recalls Li. Cleaning up Boston’s signature sludge was her first priority. But, in those pre-green days, not everyone shared that vision. “Oh, for God’s sake, the clean-up of Boston Harbor? That will never be clean,” recalls Li, echoing the popular sentiment. During Gov. William Weld’s tenure, when water rates rose to pay for a new treatment plant on Deer Island, the chant grew louder. The New Jersey native found herself in the middle of a ratepayers revolt. Having worked on environmental issues for the city of Newark, while a student at Barnard College, she didn’t cave. To fend off the backlash, Li met privately with a noncommittal federal judge and urged him to stay the course to clean up the harbor. The revolt died down and today Deer Island is a sustainable attraction for tourists and students. In some ways, her work has just begun. “My biggest challenge is to make sure children of all neighborhoods are aware of what a resource the harbor is,” says Li.

Although The Boston Harbor Association is not a government or regulation agency, Li’s environmental expertise––she has been a member of the Boston Conservation Commission since 1992––has earned her eco-cred across the state. “I frequently rely on her wise counsel and am glad I have the chance to work with her on a wide range of issues,” says Kenneth L. Kimmell, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. He recently tapped Li to join a task force to keep the harbor’s public amenities free and accessible. Li’s environmental streak came early. In the 1970s, when classmates at Ridgewood High School were smoking pot and protesting the Vietnam War, she was reading “The Population Bomb” and visiting toxic waste sites. “There was a mistrust of government in the air,” recalls Li. “I wanted to be sure that we would be alive, that our earth would not be polluted for our generation.” At 17, she formed Students for Environmental Action. The group investigated pollution at nearby factories and urged towns to start recycling. “There are some who would say I was more impressive when I was in my teens than I am now,” says Li. Kimmell isn’t one of them. He admires Li’s “encyclopedic knowledge of the waterfront and connections with the city, the business community and the nonprofit world.” Kimmell calls Li “an outstanding leader with a unique blend of advocacy skills.” In a rapidly changing waterfront, those skills come into play almost daily. As companies like State Street Corp. move to the Seaport, luxury condos rise and developers lick their chops over buildable parcels, one of her biggest challenges is maintaining public access and keeping the coast clear for the shipping industry. The 40-mile HarborWalk— initiated by former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn to safeguard the South Boston Waterfront from gentrification—is the most visible sign of her diligence. While diners devour $18 lobster rolls at Legal Harborside’s rooftop bar, passersby enjoy the same stunning views along the boardwalk. “I have been very aggressive about putting in public amenities,” says Li. That sometimes means playing watchdog on her days off. If the 30-year Back Bay resident happens to walk by Atlantic or Independence Wharfs on the weekend, she’ll check that public restrooms, sitting areas and observation decks are open. If they’re not, she whips out her iPhone. “I’m constantly nagging and nagging them,” said Li, who will call a building manager on the spot. “We monitor them to make sure they follow the letter and the spirit of the regulation.”

Such vigilance has earned her the respect of city developers and key landowners. Joseph Laurano is a director at Berkeley Investments who has sought Li’s advice on residential and commercial projects in the Innovation District. “I always walk away having learned something from her,” says Laurano, who met Li during the development of luxury lofts FP3 on Congress Street. She’ll brief him on restaurant concepts coming to the waterfront or historical uses of available land that will help frame his next development. Li has impressive contacts and a command of Boston history, but is most impressed with her ties to waterfront power brokers John Hynes, John Drew and Joseph Fallon. To be held in high esteem by this triumvirate requires confidence and swagger. Li may have been born that way. When her mother, a Chinese immigrant, gave birth to Li, she George Vasquez photo was the first girl to be born in three generations. The die was cast for a propitious future. “Infant mortality rates were so high in China,” explains Li, that her birth was deemed fortuitous, and cause for a major bash in New York’s Chinatown. That feeling of festivity with which she entered the world has not hardened. Whether she is talking about trucking issues, marine life or the best pastries, in the case at Sportello, Li maintains a warm glow. But she can also be boardroom tough. “You are about to see me in action,” says Li walking through the doors of the Seaport Boston Hotel on a recent Friday afternoon. In the lobby, developer Lou Cabral and a team from Massachusetts Port Authority greet her warmly. Unfurling plans to build a hotel, residential and retail space near an industrial zone on the Seaport, Cabral, vice president of Conroy Development Corp., says, “you are the fourth person we’ve shown this to.” Taking in his pitch and studying the schematics, Li cuts to the chase: “Where are the trees? I know the mayor is big on this.” Next she turns to traffic issues. If approved, the project would usher in more than 400 guests and residents to this burgeoning district. “I want to know what the truckers have to say,” she says. Before the meeting adjourns, a green roof is penciled in and a traffic summit planned. “She’s been a dynamic force in making sure things work down there the way they are supposed to work,” says Cabral after the meeting. While few developers would think of putting forward a waterfront proposal without running it by Li, that’s not what makes her feel the most valued. Her biggest thrill comes from seeing people “that you wouldn’t exactly call tree huggers” enjoying Boston Harbor again. Profile • exhalelifestyle.com 55

Elizabeth Warren: Consumer Advocate now fighting for US Senate seat Elizabeth Warren’s career as a law professor, consumer advocate and public servant has been defined by her unrelenting defense of the beleaguered middle class. Warren’s study of bankruptcy in the late 1970s led to her laser-like focus on the eroding economic position of Middle America, its falling earning power, and its growing vulnerability to bait-and-switch credit card offers and subprime mortgages. Her chairmanship of the Congressional Oversight Panel to monitor the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector, formally known as the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), took her from the ivy walls of Harvard Law School to the marble corridors of Capitol Hill. Warren’s outspoken advocacy for the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under the Dodd-Frank financial services reform bill, upped the ante against Warren, drawing fire from lobbyists and politicians alike in the testosteronefueled Beltway climate. Her leadership at the bureau began as an interim appointee. But with little chance of winning confirmation, President Obama named someone else as the nation’s top consumer watchdog. As the 63-year-old Oklahoma native runs for the US Senate seat held by Scott Brown, she paused to answer questions about her textured career, the role of women in public life, and the issues at stake in the November 6 election.

It’s been quite a whirlwind going from Washington back to Harvard and now out on the campaign trail. Do you ever look around and say to yourself, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Oklahoma anymore.”

I never planned to run for public office, much less the US Senate. I wanted to go to college, become a teacher, get married, have kids, buy a house. Those were my dreams and I’m deeply grateful to have been able to live them.

I’m not a politician, but the issues at stake in this campaign are the same issues I’ve been working on my entire career. Working families in Massachusetts and across the country are in trouble and I’ve worked hard to be an advocate for them, to level the playing field, and to make sure the American Dream is within reach for everybody, not just the folks who can afford armies of lobbyists in Washington.

Your campaign has been an inspiration to many women to take up the challenge of public life. What advice do you give to young women who have admired your fight for TARP, accountability and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

“I’ve spent my whole life fighting for middle class families, to create a level playing field so everyone has a fair shot to get ahead.”

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But for decades, the dreams of millions of other kids have moved further out of reach. Here in Massachusetts and across the country, middle class families have been hammered for a generation now, while lobbyists run the show in Washington. I’m determined to fight for a level playing field and to get Washington’s priorities right so our middle class families and our kids and our small businesses get a fair shot at the future.

What’s the biggest difference between academia and politics?

Stand up and fight for what you believe in, even when everyone says it can’t be done. And work to bring people together around your ideas and goals. When I first proposed a new consumer agency to protect people from the tricks and traps of big banks and credit card companies, people said it would never happen because the Washington lobbyists would stop us. But we organized and brought together a broad coalition of groups and people, and won. If we hadn’t tried, we wouldn’t have changed anything, so this is a lesson in trying even against all the odds.

What issues affecting working women are you pushing in your campaign?

I believe in equal pay for equal work. At a time when the economy is still hurting, women are essential to making sure working families in this Commonwealth and across the country can get by. Unfair pay—especially for single-parent households—makes it even harder for these families to stay afloat. And it is just plain wrong. I believe in women’s access to health care, including health insurance coverage for birth control and other preventive services like mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. All these health care options have all been threatened in recent months by Republicans. I will stand up for the women of Massachusetts and their families to protect their access to health care.

As an advocate for the middle class, what sacrifices would you ask them to make to bring our budget closer to balance and move our country forward?

Middle class families are on the ropes, and we can’t begin budget negotiations by asking them to take more hits. We need to work together to reduce the deficit and move our country forward, but they shouldn’t be the first on the chopping block. We can reduce the deficit by cutting the billions of dollars in subsidies given to the largest oil companies and agriculture conglomerates, by cutting the military budget and by stopping the special breaks that let big corporations off the hook for their share of taxes. I’m serious about cutting the deficit. In fact, according to independent analysts, I’m 67 percent more effective at cutting the deficit than Scott Brown. My plan with all the details is on my website: www.elizabethwarren.com.

What’s the toughest job you’ve ever taken on?

No question, it was working to get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enacted. We went up against an unbelievable lobbying force, and the big financial institutions lined up to stop us. Even our supporters said we couldn’t win, but we got a strong consumer agency, and it’s already making a difference for working families.

How do you think the CFPB is doing now that it’s in place?

The consumer agency is cutting out a lot of the tricks and traps in mortgages, credit cards and student loans and making them easier to understand. It is also protecting groups that have been targeted for some of the riskiest and most costly financial products, including seniors, service members and veterans. Just recently, the agency discovered that one of the largest credit card companies in America had been tricking consumers into paying unnecessary fees. The new consumer agency got a refund for every customer and hit the company with fines of $210 million. That was a big victory for working families and a very strong move for such a young agency. Mitt Romney and the Republicans have said they want to repeal all of the Wall Street reform law, including the consumer agency. We need to fight to preserve the gains we have made protecting consumers.

So many people complain about the tone of political discourse these days. How do you propose increasing civility in the public arena?

Civility is important in politics. When I went to Washington during the financial crisis to try to bring some accountability to the system, I headed a bipartisan panel of Republicans and Democrats. We took on

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth for Massachusetts

some of the toughest and most contentious issues of the time, making reports and recommendations on a monthly basis. About half of all our reports were unanimous, and today I still work with some of the Republicans from that oversight committee. I have great respect for them. We need to be willing to reach out to others we disagree with to work together and find common ground. We need to focus now on how families are getting hammered. I’ve always been willing to work with anyone who is concerned about what’s happening to working families in America and I’ll be willing to do that in Washington.

What issue do you think will most determine the outcome of your race this November?

I believe this race is about whose side you stand on. I’ve spent my whole life fighting for middle class families, to create a level playing field so everyone has a fair shot to get ahead. Scott Brown has made it clear he stands with billionaires, big oil and Wall Street banks. We’ve got to get our economy moving and get people back to work. That’s not going to happen if Scott Brown and his Republican party set our nation on a course of more tax breaks for the rich and big corporations while saying no to investments in our kids or our future.

You’ve had an improbable career path. Is your success a testament to opportunity in America or just a unique set of circumstances?

I grew up in an America that invested in kids like me. I’ve got three grandkids now, and I want all our kids to have the same opportunities I did. We should be making the investments in our future to ensure that every kid willing to work hard has opportunity and a fair shot at success. That’s why I’m in this race.

(Above) Warren attended a fundraising event at the summer home of event Co-Chair Philip Evans, senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and his wife Margo Evans Ouellette. Pictured in photo (L to R) are Philip Evans, Margo, Co-Chair Abby Hirsch and Elizabeth Warren. The event raised over $30,000. (Left) Elizabeth Warren and supporters in Hyannis.

Profile • exhalelifestyle.com 57

Diane

Paulus

Expanding the

theater experience From disco Shakespeare to a circus-infused Pippin, Diane Paulus aims to expand the theater experience by Sandra Larson

Diane Paulus, artistic director of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, does not do small or timid or quiet. The director of Tony Awardwinning revivals of Hair (2009) and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (2012) is on a mission to make theater a “visceral, emotional experience” that engages audiences intensely and directly. “We need to be asking, ‘what is theater?’ Does it happen in a theater with seats bolted to the floor, or could it happen in a space that looks more like a nightclub?’ ” she says. “I’m a huge champion of expanding the definition of theater to include social celebration and ritual. Kind of a Dionysian bacchanal.” This philosophy helped propel her to direct the exuberant Hair in New York that brought actors into the aisles and audience members on stage, and to shake things up in Cambridge with The Donkey Show, a disco retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a Studio 54-like nightclub. Now, the 46-year-old director can add the thrill of the circus to her repertoire. Paulus works as a freelance director in addition to heading the A.R.T. Earlier this year, she directed a cast of 52 in Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna, an acrobatic homage to the female spirit. The show opened in Montreal in April

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and will reach Boston in 2014. For the new A.R.T. season, she is tapping another Montreal-based circus troupe, Les 7 Doigts de la Main (seven fingers of the hand), to add a circus element to the 1970s musical Pippin, which opens in December. At a season preview event for subscribers in July, Paulus gushes about the musical she is directing, in which Pippin explores war, hedonism, politics and art on a quest to find his true passion. Paulus loved the Broadway show as a child, she says. Now she’s discovering its sober side. “It’s a deep, profound journey about what matters in life, and how far we’ll go to be extraordinary,” she explains, standing like a modern Prospera onstage as thunder sounds outside and rain pelts the roof above her. “And circus is all about taking death-defying risks: ‘Will I walk a tight-wire? Will I jump through a hoop of fire?’ ” Speaking on a stage, conversing in an interview or mingling with theater patrons over wine and cheese, Paulus has an open, forthright manner. She invites questions and dialogue. She introduces A.R.T. staff as “family.” Her long brown hair is straight and loose, and she wears little jewelry or makeup. Her green-grey eyes grab your attention, shining as she speaks, and her speech is soft, articulate and intense. When she describes what she’s passionate about, you want to come along with her.

Photograph by Ian Justice: www.ianjustice.com Clothing provided by Twilight, Louis Boston and Saks Fifth Avenue Styling by Erica Corsano Hair and makeup by Mariolga Pantazopoulos

exhalelifestyle.com

60 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Profile

hen Paulus took the helm at A.R.T. in 2008, she was charged with revitalizing audience support, as ticket sales and subscriber numbers were falling. And she “started out gangbusters,” says A.R.T. Board Of Trustees member Michael Feinstein. In her first season, the hedonistic Donkey Show was followed by Sleep No More, in which masked audience members follow actors through the halls and rooms of an old school building, encountering out-of-sequence scenes based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. But some longtime supporters were dismayed with the new style, seeing it as overly commercial and going too far, even given the A.R.T.’s history of non-traditional new works and edgy stagings of classics. The transformation also swept out several actors who had long been part of the A.R.T.’s resident company. Several board members resigned. But other supporters stuck around. Feinstein, an A.R.T. subscriber since 1982, says he appreciated the work of founding Artistic Director Robert Brustein and his successor, Robert Woodruff. But with a waning audience change was necessary, and Paulus did what she needed to do. “She threw herself into the job 150 percent and made a lot of changes,” he says. “That bothered people. She has a different take on art. She didn’t do a standard Shakespeare play, but did a ‘Shakespeare Exploded’ festival. There were people who thought that was insulting to Shakespeare. But she knew she had the support of many people, and new audiences and critics. She’s very confident, and she knew these were very good works.” Paulus says she was not surprised when her method raised some hackles. At least from a four-year distance, she seems unshaken by the early tempest. “Some people hold on to a very specific definition of serious theater. I think the A.R.T.’s mission is to question that,” she says. And, she adds, the proof is in the work. Last year’s A.R.T. season began with a work more recognizable, yet still new, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Paulus worked with two African American women, playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and composer Diedre L. Murray, to instill new depth and dignity into the characters of the well-known opera, written by white men in the 1930s. After a sold-out run in Cambridge, the show went on to Broadway, where it was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and took home two.

Profile • exhalelifestyle.com 61

or some artists, overseeing the administration and marketing for an organization with a $12 million budget would be a necessary evil. As the character Pippin laments, who has time for menial chores while trying to be extraordinary? But it turns out Paulus relishes the business part. Perched on a sofa in her office (at Harvard University’s Loeb Drama Center), she warms up to this topic and slips easily into business vocabulary. “I actually enjoy marketing. Market-

ing is about the message, how we talk about what we’re doing, how we reach audiences. The consumer relationship is so important to me. That’s why I took this job—I was interested in not just being an artist, but talking about the delivery system of theater, how we produce theater, and where we’re spending our money.” Her firm belief that art and business can coexist happily seems to be paying off. Attendance numbers doubled in 2009-10, the first season she programmed, according to A.R.T. Producer Diane Borger. The Donkey Show is still a popular Saturday

“A life in [the] arts is not easy. The trial is, do you really love what you do? Because if you don’t, you won’t survive.”

Diane and Suzan-Lori Parks with the Tony Award (Michael Crea photo)

62 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Profile

night show, running for three years now in the former Zero Arrow second stage, refashioned as OBERON is a club theater. And, last season was the best year ever at the box office, Borger says, buoyed in part by Porgy and Bess.

aulus grew up in New York City. Her mother, an interior decorator who loved opera, and her father, an actorturned-TV producer, instilled in her a love of the arts and encouraged her to pursue her passion. Early on, she thought that would be politics. She had a vision, she says, of making the New York of the 1970s and ’80s a better place. But she was always involved in the arts, too. The young Diane studied piano and ballet, and nearby Lincoln Center was her playground. As an undergraduate at Harvard, Paulus concentrated in social studies, but soon after graduating in 1988, followed the call of the theater. She entered an actor training program, began producing plays with small avant-garde theater companies, and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in directing from Columbia University. “Coming out of college, I realized it’s not really politics where my passion lies, it’s making theater,” she says. “But my interest in theater is related to these feelings of wanting to touch people, to engage people, make them feel bonded and build community.” Audra McDonald, who earned the 2012 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Bess in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, worked closely with Paulus and can attest to the community and bonding. “One of Diane’s greatest capacities as a director is her ability to incorporate others’ ideas into her own conception of the work,” McDonald wrote in an email. Paulus is married to theater producer and playwright Randy Weiner. The two, who met while in high school, collaborate frequently on shows. They split their time between Cambridge and New York City, where their daughters Natalie, 8, and Katharine, 5, attend school. The whole family has been in Cambridge for the summer as Paulus prepares for the A.R.T. season.

For Paulus, theater has been a good place to combine a career with parenthood. “Fortunately, I’m in a business that allows family to be part of what we do,” she says. “My kids have been at technical rehearsals and recording sessions. I remember breastfeeding my second baby while I was at the microphone leading a technical rehearsal in an opera house.” Having a husband in the same business and in-laws who have been able to travel with them, she says, have also been vital parts of the mom support system. Paulus mentions she has four senior staff members who are either pregnant or on maternity leave. She wants these women, too, to find a parent-friendly world in the theater. “I hope I can be a role model that it’s possible to work out a way to be a mom, to have kids and still contribute actively to the life of the theater.”

s Paulus enters her fourth A.R.T. season, she is still basking in the glow of the Tony Awards. She is excited about the new season, which includes one surprisingly traditional piece, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Lest this imply a new, milder A.R.T. approach, note that her lineup also includes what she calls a “raucous, fabulous, irreverent” version of the epic Beowulf that casts the hero as a subversive rock and roll star. She has support where it counts—with subscribers, board members and new audiences. “Diane has been very strategic in broadening and enlarging the audience,” says Lori Gross, associate provost for arts and culture at Harvard University and a member of the A.R.T. board of trustees. “The board was interested in attracting students and a younger demographic to the theater. Diane has lectured on the campus and throughout the community; she has student interns working at A.R.T. She has brought the university into the theater and brought the theater into the university. I think everyone is thrilled.” The young Pippin sings achingly about searching for his “corner of the sky.” Paulus, not thwarted in her search as Pippin was, has surely found her corner. She memorized those lyrics as a young girl, but says she still finds that devotion to art means an almost daily trial by fire. “A life in [the] arts is not easy,” she says. “The trial is, do you really love what you do? Because if you don’t, you won’t survive. You

(Top) Diane with her daughters Natalie and Katharine. (Kati Mitchell photo) (Left) Diane at the A.R.T Season Introduction in July. (Gretjen Helene photo)

have to have an internal pilot light that you continue to relight when everything around you blows it out. Otherwise, it’s too hard. I am so grateful to my parents, who encouraged me to do what I love. I am completely driven by my passion in my work.”

Profile • exhalelifestyle.com 63

Arts

The Genki Spark: Taiko projects with attitude by Jacquinn Williams

Dave Kong photo

The Genki Spark—an all-female Asian taiko troupe—is smashing stereotypes and building bonds of sisterhood for Asian women in Boston. Taiko is the Japanese word for drum, and these women are not afraid to use it. “Asian women are taught to be quiet, to think of others first and not take up a lot of space . . . so I fight for space for others,” says The Genki Spark founder Karen Young. In rehearsal and while performing, Karen encourages the group to be genki. Genki is a Japanese word that means healthy, happy and energetic. And, it’s working. Their exuberant performances with dancing and spoken word pleases crowds in their videos posted on YouTube, but the ladies of the troupe are doing much more than just beating a drum. They’re listening to each other closely, on and off stage. “We’ve gotten comments like ‘Y’all don’t play for us, you play for each other,’ ” shares troupe member Trisha Mah. Their bond runs deep. “This is the first time in quite a few years that I have women I can talk to,” Trisha adds. “There’s a mob of women behind me to back me up. We’ve built this sisterhood. Internalized sexism and racism makes it hard [for women] to be close.” With initial funding from the Boston Women’s Fund and fiscal sponsorship from ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence), The Genki Spark was founded in 2010 as a result of a performance at the Boston Asian American Film Festival.

64 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Arts

They have since performed for various organizations, schools and corporations, including Boston Latin Academy, the Boston Children’s Museum and TEDxMassArt. Karen was a founding member of Odaiko New England (ONE), New England’s premier performing taiko group. She performed with ONE for more than 10 years and conducted dozens of educational programs in schools across the state. She helped launch advocacy projects such as Youth on Board at YouthBuild USA, The Corporation for National Service and MAP for Health. She received her BA in Human Ecol-

ogy at Humboldt State University in California and relocated to Boston in 1993. Karen uses her skills as a trainer, counselor and facilitator to shape the women of The Genki Spark. Here she chats with Exhale about why The Genki Spark is so special.

Why is The Genki Spark important to the Asian community?

I think we need more models of us taking leadership, being visible, telling our stories and sharing information. It’s misinformation that creates stereotypes. Lee Ann Teylan photo

Why taiko and not something else?

For me it was really about being introduced to it and having a visceral reaction to it. Twenty years ago I didn’t have the vocabulary to express how I felt. I didn’t know how to talk about issues of race or gender. I just knew when I saw people on stage that looked like me, I felt proud to be me. When I saw people playing taiko . . . it shattered something inside of me. Some mold I had been trying to fit into broke.

Anh Dao Kolbe photo

What are the things that you have done to ensure that women feel empowered and respected?

I’ve been really intentional about respect. Also, I’ve been very clear that as women we’re vulnerable to being catty toward one another and not treating ourselves or each other well as a result of societal mistreatment we’ve faced as women. I try to contradict the onslaught of negative messages by asking questions like: ‘What do you like about yourself today?’ . . . If someone is doing something well, I ask for some concrete appreciation.

What do you wish for The Genki Spark’s legacy?

That’s a good one. Ultimately, I want to leave behind a space where Asian women and girls can see who they are and who they can be.

What are some of the challenges you encounter as a PanAsian group and how can you be sensitive to other cultures?

I think we’re still learning how to do that. You have this honeymoon period in the beginning and then the hard stuff happens. The hurts and divisions between groups surface. It’s not just intercultural, it’s intergenerational too. So, I try to slow things down and address issues as they surface.

How do you share the mission with strangers who come in for one class?

Every performance, workshop or class, we talk about the genki spirit. Before we play taiko for the first time, we start with the genki attitude. When we invite members of the audience on stage, I ask them to say their name on the mic. You can jump, shout [or] explode! When you say your name, it has to be YOU times 10! That spirit shows in all of our work.

Can you pinpoint the moment you realized you created something special?

Oh gosh, our very first performance. The moment we finished, we hit the lobby, and there was such a feeling of: We did it! We were on fire. I had never led a group of Asian women before. I told them I didn’t care if they made a mistake, just be proud of yourself, be proud of what we’ve done. All of us held hands. I knew we couldn’t stop. For more information on The Genki Spark, visit www.thegenkispark.org. Arts • exhalelifestyle.com 65

Professor to

Painter:

How a mother of three transitioned from academia to art by Edie Ravenelle

The day she realized her babysitter was making more money than she was, Jeanne Rosier Smith quit teaching English Lit at Seton Hall University and turned her passion for painting into a successful second act. She’s now a nationally recognized pastel painter whose work sells in galleries from Nantucket to Newbury Street. Ever the instructor, Jeanne had just returned from teaching a workshop in Denver when Exhale talked to her in her Sudbury, Mass., home studio about what it takes to finesse success in the world of fine art. When you jumped ship from academia to art, you had no training as a professional artist. What made you think you could succeed? I’d begun painting portraits of my young children when a few parents saw my work and commissioned me to paint their children. I’d just had [my third child] Nicholas and was on maternity leave for the semester when I realized I was making more [money] painting portraits than I was teaching a 16-week college course. So I took a portraiture class and some of my fellow classmates asked if I would teach them privately. I thought, “Why not?” I spread drop cloths all over my three-bedroom, split-level home. Students set up their easels wherever they found space. They loved it and my classes grew. That’s when I knew I could do this—teach painting and paint professionally—and make a living at it. The best part is that teaching art has made me a better artist. Just like when I was teaching English, I finally understood semicolons when I had to teach my students how to use them.

Did you do anything early on to up your odds of financial success?

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I definitely recycled the time-management skills I’d used to get my doctorate, teach college courses and meet my family’s needs. I read everything I could to educate myself, and took a course on the business side of art. I also took some workshops with established pastel painters to learn technique and to network. And, I painted. A lot. Not everything you produce at the beginning is going to be saleable, but you need to paint constantly to get better.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out? I wish I’d taken some marketing courses in college. You need to have a business and marketing approach. Say ‘yes’ to everything when you are starting out because the more exposure you get, the better. I did free demos and posted one on YouTube. I talked enthusiastically to everyone, always had my business cards with me and looked for ways to add people to my e-mail list. Now I update my website and professional Facebook page frequently and publish an e-newsletter. I haven’t had time to get on Pinterest [an online pin-board], but I recommend it. And I get a lot of good information from Professional Artist magazine. Oh, and join professional associations to network with other artists.

Have you found other women artists to be supportive? Definitely! As long as you respect their work, other women artists are usually happy to share their experience and advice. For instance, the [business of art] course I took was taught by an artist who also taught national workshops. I was just beginning to offer them, so I asked her if I could take her out for lunch to learn more about the logistics of organizing workshops. She was very helpful and has become an important mentor to me.

Are there any professional challenges unique to women artists? Well [smiling], we don’t have wives. Most of us are juggling split loyalties. Also, I often notice a tendency among women artists to value their work less highly [pricing it lower] because they are getting such personal satisfaction from making it. Making art is expensive! It takes a lot of your time over years and years. Supplies, classes, framing, marketing all cost money, so you should charge to reflect those expenses. Creating a support network with other women artists is invaluable. I meet monthly with a few other women artists and we e-mail constantly to critique each

other’s work, suggest shows we should enter, gallery owners to meet, and strategize about our careers. Although making art is a solitary occupation, this connection means we aren’t working in a vacuum. We support each other practically too, like when several of us have work accepted to a show that’s a few hours away, we’ll share who drives the paintings up and back.

You recently received a top professional distinction for pastel artists, an induction into the Pastel Painters Society of America. How did you find your “sweet spot” of professional acclaim and commercial success?

I always paint what I love, but I’m also aware of what other people—buyers, gallery owners and other artists whose work I admire—respond to. I recently began a series of wave paintings. As I was unpacking my paintings at Sosebee [a Nantucket gallery that represents her] a buyer came in, bought one painting on the spot and the other two the next day. I had already become completely enthralled with waves—they have endless creative possibilities that I’ve just begun to explore—so that’s what I’m interested in painting currently, and what buyers and art professionals are viewing as my signature work.

As I look around at your gorgeous paintings, I wonder: Do you still buy art from other artists? I do. I have a limited art-buying budget, but whenever I attend another artist’s workshop, I buy their demo painting. It’s my way of collecting art and supporting another artist at the same time.

Check out Jeanne’s work and upcoming workshops at www.jeannesmithart.com

Arts • exhalelifestyle.com 67

the HOTTEST shows The silly season is over. Now it’s time for some serious of

fall

by Joyce Kulhawik

fun, which means fall movies with Oscar in mind, and theater openings ready to rock your world. I had the opportunity to interview Ben Affleck about his latest film “Argo” which is already generating great reviews.

He strode into a VIP Boston screening of his new film “Argo” to thunderous applause—Boston’s own Ben Affleck, Oscar-winning screenwriter (“Good Will Hunting”), actor, producer, and acclaimed director (“Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town”). After my introduction, he fielded questions from me and a packed audience of film students and Academy members– as in voting members of The Academy of Motion Pictures, as in Oscars, as in we might be seeing this film among the Best Pictures Nominees next year! “Argo” has already earned a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival and is clearly a turning point for the director. Ben stars in and directs this taut thriller about a little known chapter within the Iranian hostage crisis that finally buried the Carter administration. It seems that in addition to the American hostages who were known to be held captive for 444 days in Iran, there were six additional Americans who had secretly escaped from the American Embassy, but were holed up in the Canadian Embassy in Iran, with no way out. Ben plays a CIA “exfiltration” agent whose specialty is extricating people from politically explosive situations. The plan he hatches is “so crazy– it just might work.” His scheme? Disguise the six Americans as a Canadian film crew scouting locations in Iran for a science fiction movie called “Argo.” According to Affleck, it’s a good thing “this story is true because if it weren’t … it would be terrible”—too farfetched even for Hollywood. In fact, the astonishing tale was finally declassified under the Clinton administration. Ben—who joked about just turning 40—is married to actress

On screen PITCH PERFECT features the acerbic Anna Kendrick as a college freshman singing her way through the cutthroat world of competitive a cappella! Directed by Jason Moore, who pushed puppets to their kinky limits onstage in Avenue Q, Pitch Perfect promises to mash up those old tunes and leave you gleeful. (10/5) 68 Exhale • Fall 2012 • Arts

THE ORANGES stars the gorgeous Leighton Meester as a young woman who returns home after a five-year jaunt, and falls for her parents’ best friend: Hugh Laurie! Now that’ll shake up a house. (10/5) Then there’s BUTTER, which finds Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde up to their elbows in the slippery world of competitive butter carving. Yes, this exists. And yes, everything is better with butter. (10/5)

Jennifer Garner, has three children, and is as handsome, enthusiastic, and articulate as ever; he talked about the “power of narrative,” its relationship to the themes of “Argo,” and “story-telling” as even “more powerful than guns.” The “Argo” script apparently just landed in his lap “like magic”— and he jumped on it. Ben majored in Middle Eastern affairs and has always hovered around the political arena. Matthew Healey photo He raved about a “dream cast” which includes Alan Arkin—already being talked about as a Best Supporting Actor nominee—John Goodman and Bryan Cranston who all helped him find “the right balance between humor and seriousness” in the film. And once again Ben directed himself. But he noted he consulted director/actor Kevin Costner with whom he shot the underrated “The Company Men” in the Boston area a few years ago. Also consulted were George Clooney and Warren Beatty. They all warned him not to feel self-conscious about getting enough “good takes” of his own performance. In fact, Ben remarked that it was not only strategically important for him to appear as an actor in his films—“if they don’t see you” they forget—but also because his directorial projects are so interesting, he always thinks, “this is so good- I want to be in it.” So I can’t wait to see how he casts himself in the Whitey Bulger story. That’s right– Ben is now in development to shoot a film about the Boston bad guy and direct life-long pal Matt Damon as Whitey! His brother Casey Affleck will also co-star as Whitey’s brother Billy Bulger. But for now, it’s all about “Argo” that officially opens to the public October 12! Don’t miss it. I’ve already seen it twice.

ARGO features Boston’s own Ben Affleck, who co-stars with Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston in a political action thriller about the unbelievable but true behind-the-scenes story within a story of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. (10/12) THE MASTER stars Joaquin Phoenix as a lost war veteran who finds his way to Philip Seymour Hoffman as the charismatic leader of a faith-based cult. From the ever-startling filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, who delivered a frog

storm (Magnolia) and a milkshake (There Will Be Blood). I can’t wait to see what he’s cooked up here. (10/12) CLOUD ATLAS is a mystery, sci-fi, metaphysical, romantic adventure about how one little act can have limitless, unforeseen consequences across time and space. Halle Berry and Tom Hanks take us there. (10/26)

FLIGHT stars the eternally charismatic Denzel Washington as a pilot who becomes a hero, saving 98 lives by somehow landing an un-landable plane. But what he did the night before could change everything. (11/2) LINCOLN Daniel Day Lewis plays Abraham Lincoln, Spielberg directs and John Williams told me himself he’s just putting the finishing touches on the score. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals made me mad for Lincoln, and I’ve been crazy about Daniel Day Lewis since I saw him at the Academy Awards in a long frock coat the year he won for My Left Foot. My left brain has already cal-

culated the route to the theater. My right brain imagines another Oscar. (11/9) SKYFALL He’s the hottest James Bond since Sean Connery: Danny (I love to call him that) Craig stars in the 23rd installment of the longest running franchise in film history. This time, Judi Dench’s M deals with her haunted past while 007 jumps out of planes, trains, cars and boudoirs trying to save the world again. The trailer made me hyperventilate. (11/9) TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN, PART 2 Those frisky vampires are back for the last installment of

On stage

the blood and sex saga of teen vampires and werewolves in love and war. Though Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson’s real-life relationship has bitten the dust, I can’t wait to see how she looks as one of the glamorous undead. (11/16) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON Bill Murray as FDR. Are you kidding? Well, we know he can act. Just watch the Oscar-nominated Lost in Translation or WBZ anchorman Jack Williams’ favorite film, Caddyshack. So why not Bill Murray as our 32nd president hosting the King and Queen of England at his upstate New York manse as Britain

hovers on the brink of World War II? It’s so crazy, it just might work. Co-starring the divine Laura Linney, and opening on a date that will live in infamy. (12/7) LES MISERABLES Victor Hugo’s sweeping saga of war, romance, poverty, patriotism and one man’s obsession with another is about to hit the big screen with two hunky Australians taking the lead: Hugh Jackman as the thief Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert who relentlessly hunts him down. Co-starring the outrageously versatile Anne Hathaway, who, along with Jackman, can really sing! (12/14) Wyatt Cox s and Michael Grayson DeJesu nburg) ge Mö ff/ Brinkho (Photo courtesy of

WAR HORSE - I saw this in preview and I still can’t believe that three men, some sticks and a bunch of metal and fabric brought the animal to life before my very eyes. The stagecraft alone is worth the price of admission. It’s got to be better than Spielberg’s sappy movie. See the 2011 Tony Awardwinning Best Play about a pet who goes to war, and the boy who loved him. Presented by Broadway In Boston at the Boston Opera House. (10/10-21) GOOD PEOPLE - A comedy/drama set right here and now in Southie about a single mom, fired yet again, and seeking help from an old flame. I smell smoke. Starring wicked talented Boston veterans Karen MacDonald and Nancy E. Carroll and written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston native David Lindsay-Abaire, you can bet they’ve nailed the accents. Huntington Theatre Company’s season opener at the BU Theatre. (9/14-10/14) MACBETH - I scarcely dare to write its name. (Theater lore forbids its mention in-house for fear “The Scottish Play” bubbles up a cauldron of trouble on the enterprise.) But don’t be afraid to see it, presented by one of Boston’s best companies devoted to the bard, and directed by the divine Elliot Norton Award-winning actress Paula Plum. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at the Chevalier Theater, Medford. (10/3-11/4) BEAT GENERATION - Get on the road to Lowell,1955, and hang out for one day in the life of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and company in this world premiere staged reading, part of the UMass Lowell Jack Kerouac Literary Festival. Eight performances only in the counter-culture king’s hometown at the newly renovated Merrimack Repertory Theatre. (10/10-14) BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO - The New York production about the ghost of a tiger seeking redemption in war-torn Baghdad was called “visionary” by the New York Times and starred Robin Williams. Boston’s daring Company One can top that with its New England premiere at the Boston Center for the Arts. (10/19-11/17) 44 PLAYS FOR 44 PRESIDENTS - Just in time for the big November showdown, 44 Plays involves 44 theaters, colleges and high schools nationwide, collaborating on the play, an online composite video and simultaneous election night events! And I thought the electoral college was complicated. Presented by Bad Habit Productions at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. (10/27-11/11)

CHICAGO - Christie Brinkley, one of the world’s most successful supermodels, stars as Roxie Hart in the six-time Tony Award-winning Bob Fosse musical. But can she dance?? We only have four days to find out. Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. (11/1-4) TED HUGHES’ TALES FROM OVID - Trust me—I saw this adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses in a cramped basement space at the tiny Whistler in the Dark Theater two seasons ago—and my world doubled in size. These archetypal and transformative tales of gods and mortals, locked in love, jealousy, ambition, death and triumph were staged with a grace and inventiveness that took my breath away. You will be dazzled. In association with ArtsEmerson at the Paramount Center: The World Onstage. (11/8-18) CHINGLISH - All of the Asian actors speak Mandarin—but you don’t have to, to understand Tony-award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang’s “comedy of mistranslation and manners” about an American businessman looking to cash in on China. Venture capitalists welcome. At the Lyric Stage Company, Boston. (11/30-12/23) PIPPIN - I never thought I’d see a Bob Fosse musical onstage at the American Repertory Theater. But in the hands of their Tony Award-winning artistic director Diane Paulus, who brought us last year’s triumphantly For a complete list of events, visit: www.exhalelifestyle.com re-imagined Porgy and Bess, I can hardly wait. Newly staged in colKulhawik is the president of the Boston Theater Critics laboration with the mind and bodyAssociation, and serves on The bending theatrics of Montreal-based Boston Society of Film theater troupe Les 7 doights de la Critics. For more arts, news and reviews by Joyce visit main at the Loeb Drama Center, www.joycechoices.com. Cambridge. (12/5-1/20) Arts • exhalelifestyle.com 69

Fall 2012

Cultural October 4

October 6

October 7-14

Girls Night: The Musical

North End Wine Tour

Catch Me If You Can

7pm - 9pm

3pm - 5pm

A touching and hilarious tellit-like-it-is look at the lives of a group of female friends, Girls Night: The Musical promises to have audiences around the country laughing, crying and dancing in the aisles. Follow five friends as they re-live their past, celebrate their present and look to the future on a wild and hilarious night out. Wilbur Theatre 246 Tremont Street Boston (617) 248-9700 Tickets start at $47 www.thewilburtheatre.com

Ben Harper

City Wine Tours presents Boston’s North End! Learn about grapes, Italian food pairings and North End history while sampling Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Prosecco and Pinot Bianco. If you love wine and have a passion for history, our walking tour promises to entertain and inspire. This North End Wine Tour explores the wines of Tuscany, Piedmont, Abruzzo and more through a top-tier collection of North End establishments. Fairmont at Battery Wharf Three Battery Wharf Boston Tickets are $56 www.citywinetours.com/northend-wine-tour

7:30pm

October 6

October 5

An Acoustic Evening with Ben Harper. Boston Opera House 539 Washington Street Boston Tickets start at $37 www.benharper.com/tour/2012/ 2012-10-05-boston-opera-house

70 Exhale • Fall 2012

Ca l

The Donkey Show 7:30pm, 10:30pm The celebrated smash hit The Donkey Show now takes Boston by storm, bringing you the ultimate disco experience—a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, roller skaters and hustle queens. Come party on the dance floor to all the ’70s disco hits you know by heart as the show unfolds around you. The Oberon 2 Arrow Street Cambridge Tickets start at $25 www.americanrepertorytheater.org

Based on the hit DreamWorks film and the incredible true story that inspired it, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying, splashy new Broadway musical that tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale Jr., a teenager who runs away from home in search of the glamorous life. With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer, living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. But when Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Carl finds something he never expected. Providence Perfoming Arts Center 220 Weybosset St # 2 Providence Tickets start at $42 www.ppacri.org

@exhalelifestyle

October 7

October 13

October 18

Boston Local Food Festival

Bobby Collins

The Legend of Zelda™: Symphony of the Goddesses

7pm

11am - 5pm

8pm

The festival provides opportunities for local food-related businesses, initiatives and nonprofits to share their products, services and programs. More than 100 vendors and exhibitors and at least 20 stakeholder groups participate in the festival each year. Boston Local Food Festival attracts 30,000 people to participate. Rose Kennedy Greenway Wharf District Parks - from Atlantic Ave to Oliver Streets www.bostonlocalfoodfestival.com

October 12-28

The Lily’s Revenge

Featuring a 30+ person ensemble, The Lily’s Revenge weds dance, film, theater and music into five unique acts that shatter cultural expectations and social norms. The Oberon 2 Arrow Street Cambridge www.americanrepertorytheater.org

Bobby Collins is always the funniest guy in the room. With more than 200 stand-up performances around the country each year, he is a show business institution who has made millions laugh. Wilbur Theatre 246 Tremont Street Boston (617) 248-9700 Tickets start at $35

October 18

James Van Praagh 3pm

The Wilbur Theatre is proud to present James Van Praagh, America’s premiere Clairvoyant and Psychic. He’s able to bridge the gap between the living and the dead, communicating messages from ‘the world beyond.’ Many times he sees spirits and is able to describe not only their physical traits, but the messages they have for their loved ones here. Wilbur Theatre 246 Tremont Street Boston (617) 248-9700 Tickets start at $39.50 www.thewilburtheatre.com

Backed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and concert choir, The Legend of Zelda™: Symphony of the Goddesses brings the world’s most popular video game series to life on the big screen with dynamic and compelling music and video. Enjoy original music spanning 25 years of adventure from the celebrated Zelda franchise, uniting music and visuals in a way never before realized. Wang Theatre 270 Tremont Street Boston Purchase tickets at (866) 348-9738 or visit the Box Office Tickets are $34.75 - $107.75 www.citicenter.org/zelda

Fall 2012

a lendar

exhalelifestyle.com 71

Cultural

Fall 2012

Cultural Calendar October 19-20

November 2

November 4-10

Lar Lubovitch Dance Company

Madama Butterfly

Elf

The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company was created in 1968 to realize the artistic vision of Lar Lubovitch, one of this country’s foremost choreographers. Over the past 41 years, the company has gained a reputation as one of the world’s top-ranked modern dance companies, performing in virtually every state of the United States, as well more than 30 other countries. Lar Lubovitch has been cited by The New York Times as “one of the 10 best choreographers in the world,” and the company has been called a “national treasure” by Variety. Citi Performing Arts Center 270 Tremont Street Boston (617) 482-9393 www.citicenter.org/home

October 24-25

StyleFixx Boston 5pm - 10pm Join Boston’s most fashion forward women for two nights of dream shopping featuring more than 55 cutting-edge designers and brands. Boston Center for the Arts 539 Tremont Street Boston (617) 426-5000 Tickets are $16 www.stylefixx.com/cities/boston

72 Exhale • Fall 2012

Sung in Italian with projected English translation, Puccini fuses soaring musical lyricism with deep psychological and emotional depth in one of the most devastating love stories ever told on the opera stage. A young geisha turns her back on everything she has known and, in her marriage to an American naval officer, attempts to recreate herself. In the ensuing clash of cultures, the results are ultimately tragic. Her journey is evoked through music of compelling lyrical strength and devastating pathos that reveal her obsessions, fragility and endless capacity for love. Citi Performing Arts Center 270 Tremont Street Boston (617) 482-9393 Tickets start at $30 www.citicenter.org/home

November 2-3

Faye Driscoll’s You’re Me 7:30pm How do our fantasies about ourselves create new possibilities of being? Who do we want to be? Are we getting it right? In this eveninglength duet, Faye Driscoll’s You’re Me considers how our identity is not only made up and undone by those around us, but also portrays the impossible struggle to unhinge our identities from one another. Institute of Contemporary Art 100 Northern Avenue Boston (617) 478-3100 Tickets are $18 for members and students, $20 for nonmembers www.icaboston.org

ELF is an original musical that brings to life the heartwarming and hilarious tale of Buddy, an orphan who mistakenly believes he’s really one of Santa’s elves. Providence Perfoming Arts Center Providence (401) 421-2997 Tickets start at $41 www.ppacri.org

November 9

Mozart Jupiter 8pm Bernard Labadie returns to the Handel and Haydn Society to conduct Mozart’s towering Symphony No. 41, Jupiter—the composer’s final symphony. Considered one of the greatest works of the 18th century, Jupiter foreshadows the work of Beethoven. Boston Symphony Hall 301 Massachusetts Ave Boston (617) 266-1200 www.handelandhaydn.org/ concerts/2012-2013/ mozart-jupiter

Calendar December 5–9

16th Annual Boston International Fine Art Show

MummeNschanz, Leonard 40th Anniversary Cohen

Galleries from the United States and Europe will offer more than 3,000 original works of art at the 16th Annual Boston International Fine Art Show. The only show of its kind in New England, BIFAS features 40 traditional and contemporary galleries from the United States and Europe. Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama 539 Tremont Street Boston (617) 426-5000 Admission is $15 www.fineartboston.com

November 23 - December 30

The Nutcracker Boston’s no. 1 holiday tradition returns with all new sets and costumes! Boston Opera House 539 Washington Street Boston (617) 259-3400 Tickets start at $35 www.bostonballet.org

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For 40 years, audiences of all ages have been delighted by the incredible humor, versatility and pure imagination of Mummenschanz. The celebrated Swiss performance troupe has captivated the world with its groundbreaking nonverbal theatre of movement and transformation. Wang Theatre 270 Tremont Street Boston Purchase tickets at (866) 348-9738 or visit our Box Office Tickets are $30-$75 www.citicenter.org/mummen

December 5 - January 20

Pippin A bold new staging of the dark and existential musical you thought you knew. Pippin, on a deathdefying journey to find his “corner of the sky,” must choose between a life that’s ordinary or a flash of singular glory. Loeb Drama Center 64 Brattle St. Cambridge www.americanrepertorytheater.org

December 15–16

Fall 2012

November 15-18

Legendary singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen’s Old Ideas World Tour 2012 follows on the heels of his previously announced European concert dates. The tour celebrates Cohen’s highly acclaimed twelfth studio album, Old Ideas. The album debuted at no. 1 across the globe, making it the highest charting album of his career. Wang Theatre 270 Tremont Street Boston (617) 482-9393 Tickets start at $75 www.citicenter.org/theatres/wang

December 11-23

Memphis

From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tenn., comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is about a radio DJ who wants to change the world, and a club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n roll. Colonial Theatre 106 Boylston Street Boston (617) 482-9393 Tickets start at $76 www.citicenter.org/colonial

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