APRIL 2015
local business matter INSPIRATION IN ABUNDANCE
special section
RWMS ULTIMATE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS EXPO
Designing
platter chatter ROUX: VIVE LA FRANCE À ROCHESTER!
WITH PURPOSE:
THE NEXT GENERATION
F O R A L L T H E T H I N G S T H AT YO U A R E . . . R O C H E S T E R W O M A N
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ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM :: APRIL 2015
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spinmarketing.com © 2014, Spin Marketing Inc. This advertisement includes actual testimonials from current Spin Marketing clients including John Krueger, President and General Manager of HEP Sales and North Main Lumber, Rodney Bundschuh, New and Used Vehicle Manager of Best Volvo of Rochester and Allan M. Robbins, M.D., Board Certified Ophthalmologist and CEO of Robbins Eye.
april 8
OUT & ABOUT
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PLATTER CHATTER 8 FASHION FORWARD 10 SPECIAL APRIL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS INSERT 13 SNAP OUT OF IT 24
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LEADING WOMAN 26 SPECIAL FEATURE: THE SAFETY LADIES
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FITNESS 32 COVER STORY: DESIGNING WITH PURPOSE
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IN HER OWN WORDS
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TIPS FOR WOMEN 44 SPECIAL FEATURE: PUTTING HER BEST FOOT FORWARD 46 QUEEN OF ARTS 48 TALKING BACK WITH SHANNON JOY
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MENOPAUSE MOMENT 52 RW INSPIRES 55 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 58 POSITIVE MIND/POSITIVE LIFE
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LOCAL BUSINESS MATTERS 62 FOR A GOOD CAUSE
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LETTER FROM THE
OUR TEAM...
publishers For more than 40 years, Abundance CoOp has been providing a community based shopping experience for city residence. The co-op proudly supports local businesses by stocking its shelves with products from Coffee Connection, The Karma Sauce Company, Flour City Bread Co., Just Juice 4 Life and more. Read their story on page [62].
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart According to a study conducted by The Center for Women’s Business Research, majority-women-owned firms generate more than $2.8 trillion dollars annually. Add to that the fact that more than 23 million people are employed directly and indirectly by these companies and anyone can see that women-owned firms are not a small, niche market, but are a major contributor and player in the overall economy. The drive to be an entrepreneur sometimes develops at a very young age. Abby Riggs is a perfect example. The 13-year-old daughter of Gail Riggs, founder of The Abigail Riggs Collection (ARC) is following in her mom’s footsteps and has designed her own clothing line as a part of ARC. Turn to page [34] and find out how this young woman is making a name for herself on the local fashion scene. Vive la France à Rochester! If you’re looking for authentic French cuisine, look no further than Park Ave. Former Café Cibon owner Robin Banister has turned the business over to her daughters who decided to revamp the menu and create a French dining experience — Roux. Food writer Sofia Tokar and photographer Brandon Vick recently visited the restaurant to sample some of their cuisine. Turn to page [8] to read about the food and enjoy some mouth-watering photos.
All three of our inspiring women this month are successful entrepreneurs themselves. Turn to page [55] and meet Jordan Betts, owner of Mint Salon; Tracey Burgio, owner of Wants and Kneads Bakery; and Keri Festing, the creator of Healing Heart and Rebel Heart Jewelry. Three local women who had the courage and tenacity to follow their dreams and achieve success doing what they love. This month, for the first time ever, we are hosting our Ultimate Women’s Entrepreneur Expo on Thursday, April 23, at the Rochester Plaza. The event will showcase more than 150 local vendors, plus food and beverage sampling, a fashion show, music from David E and the Party Connection and much more. The event is free to attend so bring your friends and come down and meet a room full of incredible local women entrepreneurs. The first 1,000 attendees will receive a swag bag filled with products and coupons from our vendors. Thanks for reading Rochester Woman Magazine. Make sure you share your copy with a friend or, better yet, pick up an extra copy to share. We look forward to seeing everyone on April 23. Enjoy spring!
Kelly & Barb ON OUR COVER
Abigail Riggs and the ladies of the Abigail Riggs collection were photographed on location at the Riggs East Blvd home by Stephen Reardon Photography. Hair and make-up on all 5 of the our “covergirls” was done by the amazing artists of Body Spa & Salon in Victor including: Stacy Murch-owner, and artists Courtney Preston-Catalano, Ashley Birchler, and Alyssa Sellars.
OUR TEAM...
PUBLISHERS Kelly Breuer Barbara McSpadden EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Barbara McSpadden
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Margaret Madigan
CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Kelly Breuer
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tiffany Boula Stephen Reardon Chris Szulwach Sandra Shaffer Brandon Vick
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kim Bischoff Vanessa Cheeks Laura DiCaprio M.F. Commey Rebecca Ferguson Rose Holden Vacanti Gilroy Shannon Joy Cynthia Kolko Joan E. Lincoln Margaret Madigan Sraddha Prativadi, MD Kit Teresi Sofia Tokar Elizabeth Warner, MD Beth Winslow-D’Amico James Woods, MD
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Unlike any other publication in the Rochester area, our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, home matters, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local Rochester women. The print magazines are distributed locally in over 350 locations and will be in your inbox electronically by the first week of every month. The publication is available free of charge.
CONTACT OUR HOME OFFICE 585.727.9120 PO Box 90798 I Rochester, NY 14609 info@rochesterwomanmag.com DOWNLOAD OUR MEDIA KIT AT www.rochesterwomanmag.com The magazine is published 12 times a year by Rochester Woman Magazine, llc. PO Box 90798, Rochester NY 14609. Copyright © 2014 Rochester Woman Magazine, llc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without the consent of the publishers. Rochester Woman Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions become the property of Rochester Woman Magazine, llc. and will not be returned.
o&A
::OUT &
about
F OA
THE 14TH ANNUAL PINK RIBBON RUN & FAMILY FITNESS WALK, SUNDAY, MAY 10
The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester invites you to start your Mother’s Day celebration at Genesee Valley Park for the Pink Ribbon Run & Family Fitness Walk. The 5K Race is for women only while the Family Fitness Walk is open to all and includes two walk routes to accommodate all fitness levels. All routes provide scenic views of the Genesee River and Erie Canal. The walk starts at 9am and the race starts at 9:30am; registration starts at 7:15am at Roundhouse Pavilion. Cash and other prizes will be awarded. Enter a raffle to win a new iPad Air.
MOVIES The Longest Ride - April 10 Based on the bestselling novel by master storyteller Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride centers on the starcrossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City’s art world.
Child 44 – April 17 As an officer of the military police, Leo Demidov, is one of the most feared men in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Leo never questions his patriotic duty until the young son of his friend is found brutally killed and he must deny the accusation of murder despite the evidence. When his beloved wife is then accused of being a traitor, Leo is disgraced and fears for his life.
The Age of Adaline – April 24 Adaline (Blake Lively) ceases to age following an accident one icy night, but keeps her condition a closely-guarded secret while embarking on a number of incredible adventures throughout the 20th Century. After years of a solitary life, she finds the love and courage that enable her to fully begin living.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron – The Avengers must assemble to combat the threat of Ultron! When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance.
This event celebrates the lives of those who have been touched by breast cancer and is a premier fundraising event for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. All money raised stays in the Rochester community to benefit those impacted by breast cancer by providing free support and education as well as advocacy and research. Whether you run, walk, support a participant, or honor a loved one, you can join in the fight against breast cancer. Individuals, groups and teams are welcome. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are also available. Registering online is easy, fast and completely secure. You will also find more information about packet pickup, raffle details, parking, course maps and a schedule of events at www.bccr.org/ pink-ribbon-run-walk. There will be plenty of free parking adjacent to the park as well as free shuttle parking at Marketplace Mall, so you can beat the crowds and beat the traffic! You can also skip the registration line on Mother’s Day and pickup your packet (t-shirt, bib, bandana), May 6-9, at the Breast Cancer Coalition’s new location, 1048 University Avenue: Wednesday, 5/6 8AM - 7PM I Thursday, 5/7 8 AM - 7 PM Friday, 5/8 8 AM - 7 PM I Saturday, 5/9 8 AM - 12 Noon Questions? Call 585-473-8177 or email cindy@bccr.org
ROC EATS REAL CHALLENGE
A new community-focused nutrition challenge is kicking off in Rochester on May 3rd. The sixweek ROC Eats Real Challenge is designed to inspire participants to clean out the pantry for a fresh start - trading out the processed and convenient foods for local, wholesome, real food. The program includes online educational sessions, community events and interactive presentations all designed to help support challenge participants on their path to a healthier way of eating. Created by Amy Nadelen, founder of the nutrition private practice Tribe Wellness, Roc Eats Real is in partnership with numerous local real food experts and is supported by ESL Federal Credit Union and Lawley Insurance, two companies that are challenging their own employees to reap the benefits of Roc Eats Real. From April 1 – May 2, participants can visit www.roceatsreal.com to register for one of two program levels. The $19 Green Apple level includes weekly online classes, the Eat Real workbook, daily recipes, access to the private Facebook page, a motivational newsletter, coupon book and access to community events. The $39 Golden Apple level offers the same benefits of the Green Apple level, but also includes access to exclusive events and live Eat Real expert presentations, 10% off nutrition consulting with Tribe Wellness and a ROC Eats Real market bag. A percentage of proceeds from the challenge will be donated to Foodlink to support its nutrition education program. For more information on Roc Eats Real, visit www.roceatsreal.com, call 585.217.6308 or email info@RocEatsReal.com.
chatter ::PLATTER
Roux
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
::PLATTER BY SOFIA TOKAR | PHOTOS BY BRANDON VICK In 2007, the longstanding ban on absinthe in the United States was lifted. Still, there aren’t many places in Rochester where you can experience absinthe in all its glory— during l’heure vert (“the green hour”) and complete with fountain, ice water, sugar cubes, and slotted spoons.
chatter
PC
ROUX | 688 Park Avenue | Rochester, NY 14607 585-461-2960 | http://www.rouxparkave.com
Thankfully Rochester has ROUX, a bistro-style restaurant specializing in French food, craft cocktails, and yes, absinthe. Located on trendy Park Avenue, ROUX opened in February, replacing Cafe Cibon. To those lamenting the latter’s absence, rest assured: Robin Bannister, Cibon’s proprietor since 2004, owns the new restaurant. The big difference? She’s handed the reins over to her daughters, Ashley Swan-Abramson and Paulina Swan. “We had been adding French items to Cibon’s menu for some time,” explains Bannister. “After ten years, it felt like the right time for a revamp.” Bannister’s daughters took the lead, from deciding on the new name and menu, to selecting the interior decor and marketing outlets. Having grown up alongside their restaurateur mother, Ashley and Paulina embraced the challenge of evolving the family business. French food seemed the obvious choice to older sister—and avowed Francophile—Ashley. A graduate from the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, she “always admired the French and the way they live for simple, delicious food.” She also recognized a dearth of French restaurants in the Rochester area. “I knew that if we didn’t do it, someone else would.” As head chef, Ashley decided the menu would feature fresh and, whenever possible, locally sourced ingredients. Specific menu items change seasonally, but certain dishes remain year-round. These include the escargot, pommes frites (house-cut every day), steak frites, and bouillabaisse, a traditional Provençal fish stew. The food at ROUX is made from scratch. Care and thoughtfulness characterize every dish. The country pork terrine—handsomely plated—is accompanied by house-ground spicy mustard, pickled red onion, and cornichon (the French word for gherkin). The sautéed asparagus (satisfyingly crisp) with capers and lemon are served alongside a perfectly poached organic egg. Ashley also works to offer vegetarian options. Her tartine, a French open-faced sandwich, features hearty bread currently topped with an avocado and pink peppercorn spread. The beet salad, meanwhile, is rich in both color and flavor. All of the desserts are made in-house, and guests shouldn’t be surprised when something sweet arrives at their table as a treat from the chef. With Ashley in the kitchen, younger sister Paulina has found her niche as barkeep and resident mixologist. “I try to make my cocktails and her food go hand in hand,” she says. “If Ashley’s using certain herbs or flavors in her dishes, then I’ll do my best to use those same ingredients in the drinks.” One of Paulina’s latest concoctions even incorporates her sister’s homemade raspberry jam. The cocktails are as refreshing as the food is fresh. The Brasserie, for example, showcases gin, grapefruit, mint, and Blanche de Chambly, a Belgian-style white ale from Quebec. Paulina also recommends Give Me Shelter, comprising apple brandy, lemon, scorched rosemary, and a Bordeaux float. Plus, there’s the absinthe. ROUX offers seven different brands, each with its own virtues. “It’s a new age for absinthe,” explains Paulina. “Rather than just anise, there’s more subtly and complexity with the herbaceous and citrus flavors.” Not sure what you’d like? Let her expertise guide you. So what’s next for ROUX? The sisters anticipate hosting periodic private, reservationonly dinners pairing special foods and wines (the first such event is slated for sometime in May and will feature rosé wines). They’re also planning a prix fixe Mother’s Day brunch and a Bastille Day celebration. Ultimately, family and business are intertwined for the ladies of ROUX. Even the restaurant’s name—the French word for the substance created by cooking flour and fat together, often used in classical French cooking—is a play on Bannister’s nickname for her daughter as a child. “She used to call me ‘Roo,’” Ashley says, “as in ‘kangaroo,’ because I love being around my family and I never wanted to leave the pouch.” The family that works together also eats together. “We often dine in this restaurant,” says Bannister. “We know how fresh and high-quality the ingredients are and you can trust Ashley and Paulina to take as much care preparing their customers’ meals as they do ours.” Vive la France à Rochester!
ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM :: APRIL 2015
9
forward :FASHION
fashionentrepreneur
the
BY JOAN LINCOLN
When asked what my hobby is, I struggle to answer because my hobby is my business. All my “spare” time is spent planning, “gardening” ideas or gathering merchandise, marketing and attracting new clients for my Perfectly Panache Happy Corner at Brighton Commons. When asked to share my favorite TV show, that’s an easy one: Shark Tank!
In six seasons of ABC’s reality pitch show Shark Tank, we’ve seen some extraordinary ideas and some real doozies. Shark Tank investors’ favorite is the guy who produces gloves with programmable LED lights built into the fingertips or maybe it’s the guy who produces game day face paint masks for sporting events or the couple who designed lace top boot socks. Other hopefuls have pitched selling “pairs” of socks in threes (because you’re bound to lose one). With an average viewership of 8.5 million and airtime that’s worth about half a million dollars to the aspiring entrepreneurs who make it on, you’d think every pitch would be thoughtful, well-rehearsed, and airtight. But you’d be wrong. The nature of being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with being challenged regularly. Choosing this career path is completely irrational because the odds of succeeding are dismal, but most succeed because of their unwavering belief, laser focus on delivering and persistence. I recently was involved in a conversation with a very proud mom; she shared her daughter Baily Reed’s story. Baily was involved in developing her own small business and entrepreneurial idea. With the guidance The Young Entrepreneur Academy (YEA) in cooperation with Honeoye Falls-Lima High School (HFL) where her daughter goes to school, Baily has developed yoga pants with switchable color waistbands. As we all know, yoga pants have become a staple item in almost every female wardrobe. With the guidance of her mentor Jill Bates, a local designer and seamstress, and the recommendations offered during her YEA class, Baily, a junior at HFL, created her business idea—Button Bands. When asked how Button Bands came to be she says “I have always had this problem when I have a pair of yoga pants I wanted to wear to school but the colored band on top didn’t match with any of my shirts.”
Baily promotes her product through her website, www.buttonband.com and also through social media including Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Starting a company is a riveting roller coaster of emotions with tremendous highs and at times, difficult lows, but one thing that always helps me through the ups and downs is to connect with some of the greatest minds; other small business owners. Think big, stay small, is advice that I was offered by a NYC Attorney/Client. I remind myself of this daily.
If you build it they will come, I was told by a very close friend whose family owns a local very well established successful business. I listened, I prayed and jumped off that cliff ~ launching my first small business over four years ago and I never looked back. I never thought myself capable, but then again, the previous small businesses I had a hand in developing had become rather successful. Last spring I was awarded the first ever Brighton Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year Award. I was so surprised yet extremely honored by this recognition that I was almost embarrassed when the recipient was announced. I was raised in a small town in the Finger Lakes where everyone knows everyone. A fear of mine moving to the big city of Rochester in 1980 was that I would loose that sense of community. I couldn’t be living any further from that thought as you read this. The Greater Rochester area as embraced the concept of shop green~shop luxury resale ~shop small business with a vengeance. So when I had the idea of adding Panache Home & Design: a division of Panache Consignment Boutique I got the “go for it” support from my parents and family. As someone once said, “If you’re not afraid of your dreams then they aren’t big enough!” Keep your eyes open for our young (and not so young entrepreneurs like Baily Reed of HFL, designing, developing and launching new ideas that create small businesses and feed our local economy....live life with Panache! Joan Lincoln owns Panache Vintage and Finer Consignment in Brighton Commons. Her Fashion Forward segment can also be heard every Thursday morning during Wake Up With Tony on WARM 101.3 exploring all of the latest fashion trends and styles.
We’re here for you and your family. We promise. You and your family can depend on Lifespan for the information, guidance and services you need to take on the challenges and the opportunities of longer life. It’s a promise we made over 40 years ago, and we intend to keep it.
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it! ::SNAP OUT OF
I have a long list of things that don’t make any sense to me and actually the opposite of the thing that seems just like common sense to me.
Things BY MARGARET MADIGAN
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about people and how all of our thoughts can be so vastly different. How can all of our perceptions, tastes, and values all vary so greatly?
Ok there are the basic differences in a person’s character. You know the old good vs. evil. What makes one person Mother Theresa and another person Adolph Hitler. Where did they go wrong? Where did they go right? People even have differences of opinion on what is right or wrong. That leads me to the ever complex issue of common sense. What is common sense? Some people have it, some people don’t. Some people think they have it but their idea of common sense is vastly different from others. For instance, some people believe it is common sense to back into a parking space in a parking lot, so they can get out easier. Others think that defies common sense, since you are holding up a long line of cars in the parking lot as you try to back into your spot.
See?! See what I mean?! It’s little things like that! It’s driving me mad I tell ya’, mad! For instance I have a long list of things that don’t make any sense to me and actually the opposite of the thing that seems just like common sense to me. Shall we take a look? Okay, then…
1.
Wearing pantyhose/stockings with open toed shoes. What the hell? You might as well wear socks, then! The point of opened toed shoes is to see… your toes! Nobody wants to see your seemingly webbed toes with a big seam running across the top. Don’t even get me started if you’re wearing the reinforced toe kind. Lord, just go check yourself into the nearest nursing home if you’re doing that. The trend is to just simply not wear pantyhose anymore, but if you must, wear closed toe shoes.
2.
Driving in the left lane for an indefinite period of time on a highway. The left lane is for passing! Did you not read the manual in driver ed or perhaps that was the question you got wrong on the written portion of your driver test? Maybe you just missed the gigantic sign that says, “Slower Traffic Keep Right”? Oh was that too difficult to understand? Ya’ see, you stay to the right unless you come up behind somebody in front of you who is travelling at a slower rate of speed and then you pass them in the left lane. It doesn’t mean that maybe you fashion yourself a lively, nimble driver and you deserve a special slot in the left lane. No! Passing only! And move back to the right when you’re done.
3.
Not standing on top of someone in the checkout line. It’s called personal space… obey it! I have my business to conduct, I’m puttin’ my Shopper’s Club card in and all that, waiting for my total, you back the heck off me until I’m done. You clipping the back of my heels with your shopping car isn’t going to make the cashier check
it!
:SNAP OUT OF,
SIF SF
That Just DON’T Make Sense To Me me out any faster. And don’t worry, no one else is going to jump ahead of you in line and take your place… they couldn’t possibly as you haven’t even afforded enough room for the Holy Spirit to get between you and me. If I can tell what kind of detergent you’ve washed your clothes in then you’re too damn close!
4
. Yelling at people, particularly screaming. What is the point? I get it, sometimes we are in the moment and we’re a bit exasperated and you blurt something out. It happens a lot when I’m driving alone. (Whoopsie, my bad) But to have an argument where two people are screaming at each other, you’re just making noise, it’s nothing productive, and no one is hearing anyone’s debate points. And it just looks silly. I think some people think it’s like verbal arm wrestling, “I’m going to yell so loud over you yelling that you will just give up or go hoarse before I do”. Especially yelling at your child, I always thought my Mother was a lunatic when she yelled at me. I didn’t respect that (sorry, Mom) and I didn’t usually hear her point because I was so busy rolling my eyes in my head and thinking how embarrassing she was, I didn’t even listen to what she was saying. Again, sorry Mom, I know you’re not on Earth anymore but I know you are still reading this. Think about, when someone is yelling at you do you think, “Oh yes I fully understand your argument in favor of not eating genetically modified organisms as you are screaming at me.”
5.
Driving around with your handicap permit hanging from your rearview mirror. How can you see?! It’s not like it’s some little tag, it’s a huge card the size of a pamphlet. I’m thinking if you already have some sort of disability, you don’t want your driving further hampered by this big piece of cardstock obstructing your view. Furthermore I don’t think people need to know that you are handicapped while you are driving, only when you’re parked. Unless of course you are such a horrendous driver, you want them to feel bad and give you a break. Again, this is MY reality. These are my beliefs. Yours may be completely different. I respect that. I guess. Kind of. Unless they don’t make any sense whatsoever or are illegal. I guess my main point is it just baffles me how we can all think so differently. I’m not saying, you should all think like me… that would be a scary, scary world if you all did. My point is that I’m curious as to what are the things that lead people to think so differently, or perceive things so differently? Environment, upbringing, IQ, religion? It all adds up. Variety is the spice of life. Everyone being different is a beautiful thing. But it won’t stop me from lying awake at night wondering why pantyhose are still sold. *wink* Margaret “Madge” Madigan in the Associate Editor of Rochester Woman Magazine, and author of the best selling book, “When Life Gives You Lemons…At Least You Won’t Get Scurvy!”
ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM :: APRIL 2015
25
BY MARGARET MADIGAN
::SHIFT+CONTROL ::LEADING
woman
Amy White is a life coach from Rochester, NY. She explains, “In my coaching practice, I help people get unstuck in their personal and professional lives, working with people to heal their past beliefs that may be blocking their path and help them to find a way back to their own version of paradise. I use tools, processes, intuition and life lessons to pull back the layers and guide my clients to find their own truth.” A year ago, White took her own coaching advice. She looked at her career and passions and realized that things had not lined up the way she had imagined. She realized that her corporate career was no longer fulfilling and that the coaching and mental wellness advocacy work she was doing on the side, was what truly set her soul on fire, “I realized that for my health and for my own piece of mind, taking a leap into launching my own business was the best way for me to move forward and get myself unstuck.” At that time she walked away from a corporate senior leadership position and decided to see how things would unfold, If she just started saying ‘Yes’ to any opportunity that presented itself. From this decision, her life began to flow in ways she could have never imagined. Within a month, she found herself presented with an opportunity to co-author a business strategies book, which went on to become an international best seller. Her coaching practice launched, along with a new website, and her calendar is filled with coaching work each week. She also had the opportunity to pursue her dream of living and working on the West Coast. Saying “yes” to this opportunity took her in a matter of 11 weeks from putting her house on the market in Fairport to pulling up to her new condo in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Peter. “The more irrational my “Yes’s” seemed to be, the faster the doors of opportunity have blown open for me.” White also has a line of energy healing bracelets called “Prescripts Jewelry”. The jewelry became an organic extension and complement to her coaching work with clients. She used healing jewelry, made from semi-precious gemstones and crystals for many years personally, so she began to offer these bracelets to her clients as a way to support the personal work they were doing. Clients began to share the story of this jewelry with their friends and family and this product line took off from there. With focus on Stress Relief, Courage, Self-love, Empowerment and Personal Power, just to name a few, these bracelets provide the wearer with additional support as they do their work. As a Reiki Master, she infuses each piece with blessings and intentions to ignite healing properties of the jewelry that can be specific and customized to the wearer.
helping
people
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APRIL 2015 :: ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM
White also provides advocacy as part of her practice. She has written about mental health and wellness publicly on her blog, FarfromParadise.org, since supporting her son through a mental health crisis a couple of years ago. From this she recognized that caregivers often remain silent because the stigma, shame and blame are very real and risky for themselves and loved ones. She works with caregivers to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel, giving them a place to safely share their stories and provide guidance and support as they pull themselves out of the crisis mode and thrive in their lives. All of White’s coaching, products and services are available via her website and she serves clients throughout the United States. “Everyone has a different set of needs. This is very personal work, it takes having the desire to do the soul excavation necessary to get to the root of the stories and beliefs that hold us back”, White says. “A good coach helps a person chart their course.” More information can be found at AmyWhite’s website FarfromParadise. org and her Facebook www.facebook.com/farfromparadisepage.
Our founder’s vision:
IMAGINE THE INVESTMENT FIRM YOU’D CREATE FOR YOURSELF. Genesee Valley Trust is unique. By design. When our founder couldn’t find an investment firm that met his needs, he started one himself. One with all the principles he believed in—a sincere interest in the client, no proprietary funds, and a philanthropic focus on giving back to the community. Today, these principles are still the foundation of GVT. That’s why we offer a rare blend of highly personalized service, individualized investment management, and innovative strategies—along with genuine care and concern. Our goal is not merely to be your advisor, but your partner. And just like our founder, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Joy Ryen Plotnik Chief Executive Officer and President jp@geneseevalleytrust.com
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Investments are not bank deposits, are not obligations of, or guaranteed by Canandaigua National Corporation, or Genesee Valley Trust Company, and are not FDIC insured. Investments are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Other services may be offered through affiliate companies.
Where will you go? MCC’s community of successful women includes all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Sometimes it even includes mothers and daughters. MCC alum Lauren Bates juggled kids and classes on her way to earning a teaching degree. Her daughter Maggie, also an MCC grad, just landed her first job as an engineer with Procter and Gamble. With over 90 transfer and career programs, inspiring professors, and flexible scheduling, MCC has what you need to start your next chapter.
Became a teacher.
Call us at 585.292.2200. Or visit www.monroecc.edu today.
Lauren Bates ’02
Became an engineer. Maggie Bates ’12
feature ::SPECIAL
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Ladies feature
:SPECIAL,
the Safety BY M.F. COMMEY
Because every child deserves a safe childhood … Between them, Pam Weaver and Debra Ortiz-Pardi have 36 years of experience educating our area’s children on how to be safer every day. For both of them, working as Community Educators for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, New York Regional Office (NCMEC/NY), allows them to provide children with the tools to make safer choices on the Internet and in their everyday lives. It is not just a career for them; it is their passion, because they truly believe in NCMEC’s philosophy that every child deserves a safe childhood. Established in 1984, NCMEC is the leading nonprofit organization in the United States working with schools, law enforcement, families and other professionals in our community on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children. Weaver and Ortiz-Pardi both work in the greater Rochester area and the surrounding counties delivering educational programs based on NetSmartz – NCMEC’s flagship Internet safety program using the latest technology and age-appropriate interactive resources to empower children aged 5 to 17 to make responsible and safer decisions, both online and in the real world. It shouldn’t be any surprise that Pam Weaver, the Director of Community Education at NCMEC/NY, has her degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and that she always wanted to work in a job that would have a positive impact on the lives of children. After she graduated from Cornell, Weaver worked as a social therapist and parent liaison for children in residential treatment at Hillside Children’s Center. Weaver’s career changed direction, then, and she spent a number of years working in sales in the business world. In 1995, however, Weaver decided to return to her roots, and she joined NCMEC/NY, begun by Lou and Kathie Bivona in 1981 as the Adam Walsh Resource Center. With her background working with abused children and providing education, along with the presentation and training skills she gained in business, Weaver was the perfect candidate to become a community educator for NCMEC/NY. Debra Ortiz-Pardi, with degrees in Communications and English, began her career with NCMEC/NY in their Utica office. Her first position there was as office coordinator, managing the volunteers who produced the posters of missing children for which NCMEC is known. From February 1999, she managed the Utica office, where she began getting a lot of requests for education and outreach in the community. It was then that Ortiz-Pardi began providing programming about the agency to the Utica area, and, more specifically, educating children and their parents on the rules of safety. Ultimately, she administered a training program for a volunteer speaker’s bureau to share NCMEC resources and safety messages in the local community. Ortiz-Pardi was considering a return to school to become an elementary teacher, but when the opportunity to be a full-time NCMEC community educator in Rochester arose, she couldn’t pass it up, and she moved here late in 2000 to begin working with Ortiz-Pardi in the Rochester area.
THE SAFETY LADIES
In the beginning, Weaver and Ortiz-Pardi were teaching children basic realworld safety – the requests were more for general child protection, abduction prevention and personal safety. At that time, they were barely touching on internet safety; however, since then technology has grown and advanced so much that it has changed the knowledge and skills they need to teach the students. In today’s world, they have to talk about sensitive issues, like child sex trafficking, child pornography and online sexual solicitation of children.
SFF SF
Additionally, sexting and cyberbullying are new issues facing today’s children. Weaver and Ortiz-Pardi are now teaching students about good “digital citizenship.” Weaver and Ortiz-Pardi are in-demand NCMEC community educators, who spend most days in schools, teaching NetSmartz workshops on Internet safety and KidSmartz programs on real world safety. They educate teachers and parents as well as the students. Both women are at ease with children of all age ranges, and their presentations are impactful because they are engaging, entertaining, and gentle. For the younger kids, they have some videos with animated characters and for the older students, real teens telling their true stories about their experience with online solicitation or cyberbullying, for example. They get the kids talking … about what they do when they’re online, about how they might need to make some safer choices. “Knowledge is power,” Weaver says, “the message changes with the age of the child, but these messages must be constantly reinforced as our children grow … our teenagers need self-protecting strategies as much as our little ones do.”
TELL A TRUSTED ADULT
One of Weaver’s proudest moments in her 20 years of being a NCMEC educator was when, after giving a safety presentation to an elementary school, she received a phone call from the principal. She wanted to let her know that two different students had disclosed sexual abuse to their teachers based on what they had learned from the “safety lady.” They hadn’t realized that what a family member was doing to them was wrong. Ortiz-Pardi recalled a time when she did a real world safety assembly on abduction prevention in a local elementary school. Shortly thereafter, one of the students was approached by someone on her way to school, but she managed to keep safe by applying the NCMEC rules of safety to get away and tell a trusted adult. When she told her teacher, she said she knew what to do from learning NCMEC’s safety rules at the assembly. Ortiz-Pardi remarked, “One of the things that is challenging, when working in prevention, is how difficult it is to measure success. When we hear these kinds of stories, it’s very gratifying to know that a child was safe from a particular situation because of the knowledge we were able to impart to them.” Weaver remarked, “We help children to advocate for their own safety, and we encourage parents to be engaged in constant communication with their kids about these important safety issues. We provide materials to take home after our programs as well as online resources such as NetSmartz.org and KidSmartz.org, for parents to use to continue the conversation.”
KEEPING CHILDREN SAFER, ONE CHILD AT A TIME …
Rochester’s Ride for Missing Children is on May 15, 2015. A 100-mile bike ride, this awareness and fundraising event started with the Utica office 19 years ago as a way to honor and remember missing children and to raise money so NCMEC/NY educators can continue to offer free safety programs to the community. Now, there are also Rides in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Albany, as well as Rochester and Utica. Theirs is not just any “century” ride; the 300+ riders, along with about 100 volunteers, stop at more than 20 schools along the route to bring a high-energy safety message to the children, who line up outside the school, cheering for the riders as if they were rock stars! Weaver and Ortiz-Pardi encourage anyone who wants to “help keep children safer, one child at a time” to become a part of the Rochester Ride for Missing Children.
For information or to become a part of this event, visit ride.missingkids.com or call 242-0900. ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM :: APRIL 2015
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Woman
sup busin Â
The Mrs. New York America Pageant is held to give honor and tribute to the incredible married women across our state. For more information regarding participation in the Mrs. New York America Pageant or for appearances by our reigning Mrs. New York America, Jessica Lahr at your event, please contact us at
WWW.MRSNYAMERICA.COM www.facebook.com/mrsnyamerica
n Owned
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Go ahead, daydream. Sea-inspired art jewelry that makes you feel like you’re on vacation.
See the entire collection online www.kristy-jane.com
::FITNESS
My Love and Experience on This Thing Called “HIIT”
BY KIT TERESI What is HIIT (also known as HIT, HIIE, and SIT)? It is a training strategy with alternating periods of short intense anaerobic or weight exercises with less intense recovery periods. There is no specific formula for HIIT; it can be done either as a separate exercise regimen or added on to your regular workout. The great thing about HIIT is that depending on your goals, you can customize your exercises, choose to train with or without weights, and choose various time interval combinations for an optimal result. There are definite fat burning and muscle gaining benefits to HIIT. Why is HIIT one of the top trends these days? Probably one of the main factors is time efficiency. How convenient is it that you can maximize your workouts in such a limited time. Our time is such a precious commodity. How did I get Involved with HIIT type fitness? Well, I’ve always considered myself to be a very well-rounded athlete. In school I ran track, so my training consisted of running every day. I felt as though I was in pretty good shape. As the years went by, I met someone that introduced me to weight training. Although I still ran, I added weights to my training regimen. Later on, the gym I trained at offered a few types of aerobic classes, so I also added them into my training regimen (2 times a week). Of course with all of this going on, I took my rest days to help my body recover and repair for more fun! In 2007, I got back in contact with an old flame from my military days. He now ran his own martial arts & physical training facility. He told me about this high intensity interval training program he offered. I was very intrigued as I love a challenge. I showed up feeling pretty cocky and ready to kick this workout in its butt. Well, as the 30 minute workout ended, I knew I had found a weakness in what I thought was a well-rounded workout regimen. The feeling was amazing! This meant I had new challenges that lay ahead. 32
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HIIT has shown to improve athletic performance of already welltrained athletes. Improvements in well-trained athletes can become difficult to obtain at such a high level. An increase in training volume does not always show improvement. These athletes have the comfort of knowing that improvements in performance can be achieved through such high intensity interval training.
WELL-KNOWN TYPES OF HIIT.
• Peter Coe Regimen (1970s) - Sessions involving repeated 200 meter fast runs with 30 seconds recovery between each run • Tabata Regimen (1996 Study) - Professor Izumi Tabata performed a study involving Olympic speed skaters. The study used 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. This was repeated continuously for four minutes (eight rounds). • Gibala Regimen (2009 Study) - This regimen uses three minutes for warming up. The workout consists of 60 seconds of intense exercise followed by 75 seconds of rest. It is repeated for 8–12 cycles. When this study was done, subjects using this method trained three times per week, gained similar results to what would be expected from those who did steady rate training five times per week. • Timmons Regimen (2012) – This exercise bike regimen consists of three sets of about two minutes of gentle pedaling followed by 20 second bursts of pedaling at total maximum effort. This was done three times a week for a total of 21 minutes of exercise per week (three minutes of intense exercise), plus warm-up and recovery time. These days, HIIT is offered by all of your major fitness clubs and trainers around the world. They may go by different names, but they all have that similar type of training regimen. HIIT training should definitely be a part of anyone’s fitness regimen whether they are just trying to stay fit, or be a competitive athlete. The benefits are endless. On a side note……. That old flame and I have now been going eight years strong!
::COVER
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“My mom and dad are both amazing role models for my twin brother, John, and me. I can see both of us following in their footsteps.”
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WITH PURPOSE: THE NEXT GENERATION BY ROSE HOLDEN VACANTI GILROY | PHOTOS BY STEPHEN REARDON
On a sunny morning last July, the Abigail Riggs Collection (ARC) team was abuzz with excitement as it sat down to talk with Elaine Spaull and Meghan Mundy, the directors of Fashion Week of Rochester. When the meeting began all eyes turned to thirteen-year-old new designer Abby Riggs. With confidence and poise, Abby explained that she had recently sewn a series of shawls, dresses, and ponchos out of the ARC scarf collection, and would like to show her designs at Fashion Week of Rochester. She suggested the collection be named Shawls for Shelter, and donate the proceeds from the show to The Center for Youth’s new shelter for young men. Spaull and Mundy loved the idea, as well as Abby’s designs, and invited her to present the collection at Fashion Week of Rochester 2014’s family show, Fashion by the Books, at Rundell Library. Fast forward three months to October 2014, Abigail Riggs Collection founder Gail Riggs, and mother of the young designer, watched as models walked the runway in her daughter’s designs. At that point she realized her company had come full circle. Gail founded the Abigail Riggs Collection to teach her children to become the individuals they wanted to be, and with her Scarves for Shelter collection Abby had done just that--incorporating her desire to give back to others her own age with her passion for art and design, creating her own collection. Abby was now integral to the company Gail created to teach and empower her daughter. ARC’s mission is to create accessories that empower today’s women through stories of illustrious historical women. Gail Riggs, Ph.D., M.S.W. founded the Abigail Riggs Collection in 2003 less than two years after her twins Abigail and John were born, and the same
year she completed her Ph.D. from Tulane University yet she says, “I didn’t start out wanting to create a company.” Instead, Gail developed the ARC to teach her children about the importance of women’s history and giving back to their community, while following her own artistic and philanthropic passions. She explains, “I reinvented my self as my life goals started to shift from being a cognitive behavioral therapist to becoming the best mother I could be.” Gail believes in “being with purpose” and began sewing the ARC Purses with Purpose herself, taking fur coats her friends inherited from their grandmothers and sewing them into purses with inspiring quotes inside. The ARC branched out in 2010 and collaborated with the Susan B. Anthony house to create the Ms. Anthony purse—the proceeds from which help keep the Susan B. Anthony House open and sustainable for years to come. Soon after, in May of 2011 the Ms. Anthony handbag was featured in the Fashion and Style section of the New York Times, who referred to as an “It bag!” In 2012 Gail invited her sister-in-law, Catie Riggs, to join the ARC as President. Catie shares Gail’s belief in the importance of educating her children in women’s history and empowering her daughter through the stories of strong women. Catie says of their joint mission, “We want our daughters to know the stories of their stalwart foremothers. We want them to be empowered and inspired by the indomitable lives they led, so that they too have the opportunity to become strong influential women themselves one day.” Catie was living in New York City at the time she joined the ARC team, working as an actress and director. She has brought her experience of filmmaking to the company and produces the informative short documentaries for each of the company’s “Purses with a Purpose.”
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retail boutiq
Over the last few years the ARC has expanded exponentially, and now includes a vast line of handbags and 100% silk scarves that honor historically significant women. The collections are sold in over 50 retail boutiques across North and South America, Canada, as well as AbigailRiggs.com. In Rochester, the ARC can be purchased at A Different Point of View, Parkleigh, The Red Barn and The MAG Gallery Store. A jewelry line is currently in the works. The ARC purses and scarves are so much more than just accessories; since the beginning of the company Gail applied her PhD in psychology and social work and incorporated the biopsychosocial mode, an approach she uses as the foundation for her designs and company mission, recognizing the importance of social, psychological, and biological factors in people’s health and happiness. The pillars of Gail’s biopsychosocial model include: creating self-awareness and cultivating self-worth. She explains, “The smallest thing can aide in turning a moment of duress into a positive outcome; a pause, a breath, a quote of encouragement. This is the intention behind our designs, our quotes, and our honoring of great women while establishing them as role models.”
with the help of her other grandmother, Lauretta Riggs, who she affectionately calls, “Meme,” that Abby began designing and sewing dresses, shawls, and ponchos made out of the ARC scarves. While most middle school students headed off to camp or outside to relax in the sun, Abby spent her summer break designing and sewing the entire Shawls for Shelter collection. Abby’s collection was a huge success at Fashion week—not only did her shawls sell right off the models at the show, but her collection also had a remarkable impact on The Center for Youth.
Abby Riggs was inspired to create her Shawls for Shelter collection last summer after she received a sewing machine for her 13th birthday from her grandmother, Glorie Stonisch-Jimenez. It was
Abby aspires to be a vascular surgeon someday, just like her father; however, Shawls for Shelter is only the beginning of this young designer’s work with her namesake company. In fact, Abby hopes she
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The Center for Youth’s Executive Director, Elaine Spaull, said of Abby’s collection, “In 2014, the introduction of Shawls for Shelter was an integral feature of the family oriented show, featuring the designer, Abigail Riggs, and her family. The Center for Youth is deeply grateful to Gail Riggs and the designers of the Abigail Riggs Collection as we recognize their contributions to our entire community.” Abby has clearly learned “to be with purpose.” As a young designer, she’s followed her passion for art and fashion, creating a collection benefitting less fortunate Rochestarians her own age.
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can follow her interests in both medicine and fashion in the future. “My mom and dad are both amazing role models for my twin brother, John, and me. I can see both of us following in their footsteps.” Abby Riggs has certainly taken the ARC’s belief in following your passions to heart.
Abby plans to continue developing her work with the scarves, saying, “I plan to do more of the designing of the art that is printed onto the silk. I love to draw and paint and have a lot of ideas that I think will interest and connect with kids my age.” The Riggs family has always collaborated on the Collection; however, today Gail and Catie’s children are clearly becoming more involved than ever. In fact, Abby says she is excited to get the rest of her young family members involved in the company: “I look forward to the future of the Abigail Riggs Collection. I can see me and my brother, John, and our cousins, Luca and Millie, developing a new line together for younger generations. We’ll call it Riggs & Riggs.” Gail created the Abigail Riggs Collection for her children, and now Abby is looking for ways for the company to connect with people her own age. Joining Abby is her brother, John, who is designing neckties for the hip and youthful new line. Riggs & Riggs is sure to be a huge success.
Week of Rochester 2014 the ARC collaborated with Aquavation, a water bottle company focused on giving back to the Rochester community. The same abstract designs that appear on the scarves and shawls, also decorated Aquavation’s water bottles, the proceeds from which benefited The Center for Youth. Just as Abby has learned about philanthropy and fashion from her mother Gail, Aquavation founder Sarah Plasky-Sachdev, was inspired by her work with Gail as well. “I knew if I could partner with her company on a project, I would walk away a much better—not just business person— but person. It was an honor to have her design unique bottles and see her creative thought process lead to an entirely new offering for our clients. Gail showed me first-hand that good design is vital and that the philanthropic business models both of our companies pursue, to make products that are cool, generate buzz and benefit charitable causes, is absolutely achievable.” When asked what she thinks of her family’s company Abby replied, “I think it is really cool that my whole family is involved in the business. My mom and Aunt Catie run the day-today operations; however, we all have fun in helping it grow.” It is no surprise that she is excited to help expand the company her mother founded to teach her about being the best she could be. The Abigail Riggs Collection has grown along with Abby and her brother John, and now this next generation the will be company’s future.
designer
Abby’s successful use of the ARC’s scarves in the creation of her Shawls for Shelter collection inspired the team to find other uses for the scarves to continue benefitting The Center for Youth. In fact, for Fashion
To learn more about the Abigail Riggs Collection, visit www.AbigailRiggs.com.
::COVER
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DREAM BIG.
Highlands bedroom group by Stickley
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words ::IN HER OWN
The military is special because you know that you are part of something greater than yourself. 42
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words
::IN HER OWN
IW
entrepreneur
the Military
Kim Bischoff talks about the army, her new business & SU’s EBV Program BY KIM BISCHOFF I PHOTO BY CHRIS SZULWACH I found my dream job while I was still in high school.
Six years later, as our helicopter circled the dam at Mosul, Iraq, we could see the Kurdish fighters guarding the causeway. Reports suggested that the dam was in danger of a catastrophic failure, so I was traveling with my commander to inspect it and see if there was anything we could do to prevent a disaster. I knew that this was my calling. I enlisted in the Army Reserves on my 17th birthday. Most people wait until they are 18 to enlist, but I convinced my parents to emancipate me so that I could go to basic training the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. I was on my own to pay for college, and knew I wanted to be an Army Officer, so I decided to get a head start.
When I enlisted, I thought that I would serve in the Reserves, apply for ROTC scholarships, and serve my initial commitment before getting out. I didn’t expect to find my calling when I went to basic training. I was the youngest person in my basic training class and that summer catapulted me into adulthood. I knew then that I wanted to make the Army my career. So instead of accepting an ROTC scholarship, I accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy. After graduation, I served as an Engineer Officer, doing both construction and combat engineering, and deployed to Iraq in 2003. The military is special because you know that you are part of something greater than yourself. It’s not always easy — there are tough days in any job — but you can always take comfort in knowing that whatever you do is contributing to the mission and is part of a bigger picture. It means having a sense of purpose that will carry you through the good days and the bad. By far, the best part of the military is your fellow soldiers. It’s really special to be part of a community where sacrifice, honor and duty are a shared experience. And despite the stereotype of conformity, the military is also full of creative, independent thinkers. Soldiers have to be innovative to operate with constrained resources in harsh conditions — and to find ways to have fun at the same time. When times are good, it’s fun to celebrate together. And when times are tough, it’s the camaraderie, love of your fellow soldiers and shared commitment that sees you through. You build bonds with people that will always be there — no matter how much time passes without seeing each other. I was very blessed to work with such intelligent, ingenious, capable, and courageous men and women. But suddenly, my dream job was gone. I was medically retired from the Army because of a back injury. I spent just over 10 years in uniform, and the military had become a great part of who I was as a person — I felt like I was starting over from scratch.
When I left the Army, I struggled to find a new direction. I felt very lost and wrestled with sadness and grief. While I was figuring out my new path and trying to reinvent myself as a civilian, the hardest part was finding a new sense of purpose. I tried several industries, but I just couldn’t settle into a job. After a few months in a new position, I was bored. And frustrated. And I would beat myself up for not being able to fit in to civilian life. I realized that chasing someone else’s definition of success felt empty and unsatisfying. I needed a job that fit all my personal core values of integrity, curiosity, courage, healthy balance and freedom. I finally decided that it wasn’t a matter of finding the perfect job, but of creating it. It was time to start my own business. Once I decided to start my own business, it was a question of figuring out the how. So I turned to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) at Syracuse University. The EBV Program is a rigorous course designed to teach you the basics of creating and sustaining a business. It includes 30 days of instructor-led online learning, an intense 9-day residency to give you the skills and resources to launch, and 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship. The education provided is top-notch, but the real value of EBV is the relationships you build in the program. I expected to form friendships with my classmates, but I was blown away at the support from the EBV Foundation and the Syracuse community. I’m immensely grateful for everyone who donates their time and expertise to mentor veteran entrepreneurs. It was the generosity of people who support the program that gave me the boost I needed to finally start my business. Entrepreneurship is the right path for me, because not only do veterans have many of the skills it takes to be a good entrepreneur, but entrepreneurs have many of the same values: autonomy, creative thinking, and a desire to help others. We have the resiliency to take risks, make mistakes and bounce back to try again. Entrepreneurs also have an innate curiosity, a unique perspective and the desire to create change. I launched my company, The Bold Few, Inc., as a copywriting and strategic communications company. When I left the Army, I missed being part of a team. Now, I help entrepreneurs and small businesses market themselves so that they can achieve their own definitions of success. I get to form a partnership with each client and work as a team to reach their goals. I’ve created a business to help others succeed — and finally found my new purpose. Kim is a retired Army Captain. She earned a BS from the United States Military Academy and an MS in Public Relations and MA in International Relations from Syracuse University. She can be reached at theboldfew.com or kim@theboldfew.com.
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Make a SPECTACLE of Yourself women
At Eye 2 Eye Optical we help you make a spectacle of yourself. Today fashion designers design more than shoes and clothes eyewear has become an important accessory in everyone’s wardrobe. It’s a great time to update your style with fashionable eyewear with designers like Vera Wang, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, and so many fashion designers taking eyewear to the runways.
::TIPS FOR
In the past, eyewear was a necessity faced with dread. If there was ever a time to embrace needing glasses, now is the time! Of course, they are more than fashion. Sun wear is the most important factor in protecting eyes from cumulative sun damage as well as protecting the delicate skin around the eyes. In fashion sunglasses have been considered by many fashion icons as the ultimate in well dressed. Just think of Jackie O and her oversized stylish sunglasses. Sarah Palin, though an unsuccessful politician for the presidency, brought rimless frames into fashion. Elton John used eyewear to express his own personal style. Many teens are out buying clear non-prescription eyewear for fun. It is the most fantastic and amazing time for anyone who needs or wants spectacles to indulge in their own personal style. Ranging from the discreet to the sublime and maybe a little eccentric as well, nothing is out of style. Fantastic rimless eyewear disappears except for a pop of color or a few Swarovski gems, or even gold filigree fit for a bride. Oversize sun wear as beautiful as a hair ornament perched atop your head or over your baby blues! We have come to view eyewear as the best accessory both men and women can wear! Oh, did I forget to mention, you will see as clearly as you’ve always wanted and even better! After all, isn’t that what our spectacles are for? For more information, visit www.rochestereyecenter.com
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“Women are no longer defined by the size of a shoe. It is liberating to know that no matter the shape, if it is well tailored, you are going to look and feel great.”
APRIL 2015 :: SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM
true gault
::SPECIAL FEATURE
Forward
Putting Her Best Foot BY REBECCA L. FERGUSON SHAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY
SF
| PHOTO BY SANDRA
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs
After doing some research and then having the distinct pleasure of speaking with Sandra Gault, CEO and co-founder of True Gault Inc., I am excited to share how her love for technology, business and fashion have become a recipe in creating a shoe revolution. Formerly having worked with a few other startup companies, Gault put in those long days bouncing between meetings and networking events, finding she would be like many of us; counting the clock for the moment those heels could be kicked off! Having to compromise comfort for fashion? She thought to herself, “There has got to be a better way.” Until now technology had not found a place as the industrial revolution standardized fashion. Prior to the mass production of all footwear, one would go their local shoemaker where a last (mold) was made and kept. Learning that 98% of the population has a different size left foot from right foot, and not any one person is ever a true standard size, it made sense why her feet were so sore at the end of the day. There are narrow feet and wide feet, spacing of our toes and the arches in our foot. And all of these variables are different for each person.
Having earned degrees from both the Rochester Institute of Technology in an undergraduate program and an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, Gault formulated a concept on a blank sheet of paper. “I began to research the market, created a value proposition and women went crazy with the idea. The idea of a custom made high fashion heel, specifically tailored to a customer’s foot,” she says. The concept: using 3D imaging technology to scan feet and optimizing a mold that is contoured to the individual foot. A concept giving the customer creative control in choosing from the latest styles of shoes, right down to the color and texture of fabric used. Having the 3D imaging, each customer will have their own digital file on record to be used at their choosing. Passionate about creating the perfect heel, Gault says, “Women are no longer defined by the size of a shoe. It is liberating to know that no matter the shape, if it is well tailored, you are going to look and feel great.” Gault was able to take this concept and test it right here in Rochester, NY. She utilized both RIT and the University of Rochester to help get her company get off the ground, “Rochester is a great place to start a business.” In 2014 it was official. After finding the right investors both locally and internationally, securing a location for manufacturing in Spain and finding some of the finest material, True Gault Inc. began a journey that now has the company growing steadily across the Northeast with headquarters located in New York City. And the best part! Getting these heels is a process designed for the busy professional. Whether you are the CEO of your household or
bolting between conferences and board rooms, Gault has given every consideration to the demands we all face professionally and personally. True Gault Inc. creates high end social events for the fashion conscious woman. A few examples… events have been held for the Women’s Bar Association, Real Estate conferences, as well as prominent spas and boutiques. Every woman can expect to be greeted by knowledgeable and friendly shoeologists, ready to ask a few questions (never your shoe size), and get you started in creating your personal blueprint. Providing a fun and relaxing environment, women can take a moment for themselves while enjoying a glass of champagne, networking with other women and designing their very own high-fashion heel. “Our mission is to reach every woman out there. Regardless of age or size, you can have a beautiful pair of well fitting, high heeled shoes that will make you look and feel powerful,” shares Gault. The company offers a comfort fit guarantee. If for any reason your heel is not working for you, they will make it again. And they will make that pair of shoes as many times as they have to. What an amazing feeling, knowing that a company is there to provide an individualized service that also protects your investment. Currently women can choose from two or four inch heels as well as the ever stylish ankle boot. Looking into the near future True Gault Inc. will be adding flats, knee high boots and a bridal collection. Continuing to employ the companies’ 3D technology, we can all anticipate a fashionable knee high boot that will actually fit our calves the right way. Offering over 120 fabrics of leather and suede, True Gault Inc. continues to keep current with design trends, but really values the consumers’ feedback. Gault tells, “If there is a color or fabric or even a shoe design that we don’t offer, I want to know.” In addition to creating fabulous fashion, Sandra Gault feels deeply about empowering women. In her own words, she passionately expressed, “Women should embrace the hard technologies and know they can do this. Anyone with the aptitude and attitude can take a sophisticated business concept and apply it.” Remembering a saying, Gault continued, “The work will teach you the way. For me this means, the results of what you do will teach you the next steps. Mistakes will be made, but as long as you take incremental steps that start to build on one another, everything begins to add up and you apply it. You don’t need a business background or college degree…just the inspiration and passion.” Following through with her passion to inspire and empower women, Gault has opened opportunities within her business to train women as shoeologists. Providing a platform to learn about rapidly evolving technology, business, sales and networking; all while earning an extra income and having a lot of fun. Rochester area, be on the lookout for upcoming events. Gault and her staff are excited about the new additions coming to the line and as always, they can’t wait to get you in your perfect heel. For more information and to learn how to schedule an event, as well as business opportunities please visit: www.truegault.com
arts ::SHIFT+CONTROL ::QUEEN OF
love &
for the of youth BY MARGARET MADIGAN
arts
Kristen Rapp LMST (Licensed Master of Social Work) has always had a love of the arts and a love of helping children. She has managed to make a career out of doing both. Rapp is currently an art teacher at Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School but her true passion lies in bringing out the entrepreneurial spirit of teens involving the arts. Rapp first got an Associates Degree in Graphic Design from RIT before deciding she wanted to help others. She then received a BS in Psychology with a minor in Special Education from SUNY Geneseo. After earning a Masters in Social Work from Syracuse University, she went to work for what was then St. Joseph’s Villa, now Villa of Hope, as a social worker. She soon realized the “hard to reach” kids were underserved. “It was a pretty tough population, some in juvenile detention or foster care, a lot of emotional issues”, she says of the teens in her care. She realized the traditional way of social work wasn’t working, it hadn’t been very effective, and the kids were not making a lot of progress. Thus came her idea that another avenue was needed to reach these children. Rapp started Art Peace, a mural and public arts program in 2003. She realized the program couldn’t take off at the Villa because of interest and money. So without any non-profit experience whatsoever, she diligently did her homework and garnered $94,000 in grant funding before the ink was even dry on her 501(c )(3). She eventually pulled together other programs including a creative entrepreneur summer program for teens. “I was completely winging it”, she says. Winging it or no, it was a great success raising 3.5 million dollars of funding in subsequent years. Her efforts were so successful that the Rochester chapter of Young Audiences, (YA) a national arts non-profit approached her about joining forces. Rapp agreed to merge Art Peace with YA and act as Director of Arts and Learning. Art Peace was her baby, her labor of love and she thought she would see it flourish even more as a program under YA. But to no avail, everything changed when YA got a large bequest and the CEO at the time stepped down, the board decided it wanted a CEO with a more corporate background. Rapp was passed over for the position and under the new CEO the house was cleaned for its new direction, including Rapp. Abruptly ousted from the baby she created after being lured to entrust it to a larger organization. But the entrepreneurial spirit in her would not give up, it would triumph. Now going through a divorce and not having a job with two children to support, Rapp decided she had to start from scratch once again. She eventually attained a position as an art teacher at Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School. Not wanting to let her dream of a non-profit die, she created a dba called Sparq*Rochester, a social entrepreneurship program. This past summer through a grant from Rochester Works, Rapp employed forty youths in the summer entrepreneurship program. The youths produced a TV show, created murals, and formed a marketing and promotions team. They also created a documentary on “Urban Sustainability” which hopes to spark interest in solar power projects throughout the county. Rapp also published a book for The Search Institute called Keeping the Arts Alive, to support their research with 7,000 young people, showing that the arts was the number one “spark” for youth in engaging them. She received a “Women of Distinction” Award from the Professional Women of the Finger Lakes and was nominated to receive the “Farash Social Entrepreneur” and the “Champions of Change in Arts & Culture” Awards. “If there is a theme, it’s triumph of entrepreneurial spirit and love of youth and arts. In the city school district I see failure all around me. We need to find more creative ways to reach these kids, we’re losing them by the minute. If we don’t transform, we’re done”, states Rapp. Kristen lives in Upper Monroe neighborhood, supporting her love of our city. She lives with her daughter 17 year old Shealyn and 12 year old son Jesse. For more information on the summer program visit cityofrochester.gov/soop and to learn more about Sparq*Rochester visit www.facebook.com/sparqrochester.
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back ::TALKING 50
MARCH 2015 :: ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM
with shannon joy
::TALKING BACK
Am I At WAR BY SHANNON JOY I’ve been told that there is a ‘War Against Women’. Seriously. Beyonce and Lena Dunham told me so. When I watch Good Morning America, The View or any mainstream media venue I am informed that there is a battle raging to rid me of my reproductive rights and screw me out of fair pay. And by the way I’d better be ‘Ready For Hillary’, cause if I’m not – I clearly hate women. The perpetrators of this ‘War Against Women’? Well the list is long … society, men, conservatives, Christians, Republicans, The Patriarchy, stay-at-home moms, Sarah Palin and anyone who doesn’t want to pay for my condoms. They tell me that if this ‘War Against Women’ is lost then I will go back to being barefoot and pregnant, subjugated and unable to ‘get mine in a man’s world’. They tell me to be outraged by studies that ‘prove’ men still make more than women for the same job. (Which they don’t)
TB
?
They are worried that the dollar just doesn’t seem to go as far as it used to.
They are worried that their kids won’t be able to afford the 300% hike in college tuition. They are worried that college won’t even prepare their kids for the real world. They are worried that they can’t trust the media, or the government, or big businesses. They are worried that they can’t trust “experts” or “studies” anymore because there are so many of them and they always seem to be wrong, eventually. They are worried that their hard earned tax dollars are being wasted on welfare; corporate AND personal. They worry that huge corporations and big government politicians seem to be in bed together.
They tell me to divide women into categories like ‘Working Women’ and ‘Stay-At-Home Moms’ and then tell me to judge the ‘Stay-AtHomes’ as never working a day in their lives. They tell me that real feminists must be pro choice. Real feminists must be democrats. Real feminists must support gay marriage. Real feminists must support ‘Big Daddy Government’. Real feminists must vote for Hillary Clinton.
That power is being centralized quickly and without their consent. That Democrats and Republicans seem to be the same.
I’m sick of being told that I hate women because I don’t fall in lockstep with the political platform of the Democrat Party. I’m not ready for Hillary. Not because she is a woman but because I disagree with her world view. I don’t believe in top down, autocratic government control of any aspect of my life. I like small government, and local control and LOTS of personal liberty.
They are worried that their children will never experience the liberty and prosperity that past generations have had and that the American Dream will not be a reality for their children and grandchildren. There is a ‘War on Liberty’ and it is much bigger and more dangerous than any ‘War on Women’.
So I reject the tired old notion that Democrats are the only party that represents women, because it is simply not true. I have plenty of criticism for Republicans but the truth is that Democrats are not talking about the issues that I care about. All they want to talk about is birth control. And they just assume that women will always vote for them. The political class in Washington, DC is not addressing the concerns of women today. Women are worried about a lot more than their ‘reproductive health’ and it is demeaning and dismissive to assume that we only vote with our ovaries. So what are women really worried about today? • Energy prices skyrocketing in the past four years. • Grocery prices continually rising with no end in sight. • Insurance rates doubling and the loss of their doctor (who they thought they could keep) • Local schools being hijacked by the federal government and massive corporations.
That government seems to be the only thing in America that is growing. That government is too big, out of control and unresponsive to the American people.
I suspect that the ‘War on Women’ is just a slick marketing tool to scare women into voting for Democrats. I think we should stop with the labels and the scare tactics and take a fresh look at our politicians in Washington, DC. Neither party is reforming government or taking on the corruption. But we should stop giving Democrats a pass and start holding them accountable for the problems they’ve created. Hillary doesn’t automatically get my vote because she’s a girl. I want new leadership that will reform Washington, DC and bust up the corrupt power structures that have put our children’s future in jeopardy. I invite you to read this column each month as I offer insight and commentary on politics in America. And tune in to my radio show Talking Back every day at noon on WYSL 1040AM & 92.1FM. We discuss the issues that matter to you, break them down and offer solutions! It’s talk radio … for girls!
moment ::menoPAUSE
DOES ESTROGEN HELP SKIN AGE BETTER?
BY JAMES WOODS, MD & ELIZABETH WARNER, MD Our skin is not only our largest organ but also our protective shield and our most visible self. When Nora Ephron wrote I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts About Being A Woman (2008) she was highlighting with humor but compassion the challenges women face as they age. And skin becomes a very visible part of that conversation. Why does our skin thin and what causes wrinkles? Our skin consists of three important layers. The most superficial layer, the epidermis, contains skin pigmentation, offers protection, and retains moisture. The layer below the epidermis, the dermis, contains hair follicles, nerves, blood vessels, sweat glands, collagen and elastin (which is essential for tissue stretch and recoil). Below the dermis, the subcutaneous layer consists of loose connective tissue and fat. Hormones exert a significant effect on skin thickness as demonstrated by the skin changes that occur during the menstrual cycle. Skin is the thinnest at the onset of the menstrual cycle when estrogens are lowest, and thickens as estrogen levels rise. Aging contributes to these hormonal changes in skin health. As we age, there is a decrease in epidermal thickness and melanocyte (pigment producing cells) concentration. In the dermis, with aging, fibroblast activity , blood vessel content, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, all decline. These changes, coupled with an increase in metalloproteinases, (proteins that break down collagen) , contribute to skin thinness. Life style also contributes to skin aging. Smoking and ultraviolet light exposure release inflammatory proteins that can directly damage skin by altering blood vessels and breaking down collagen. 52 APRIL 2015 :: ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM
In menopause, as estradiol levels from the ovaries decline, skin thickness decreases by over 1% each year for the first 5 years, while collagen decreases yearly by 2%. Wrinkles are caused by a reduction in elasticity secondary to loss of connective tissue which decreases 1.5% each year. Why is the face preferentially involved? Estrogen receptors are higher in the face than breast or thigh. Are these skin changes reversible with estrogen supplimentation? In one study Premarin cream, applied to the face for 24 months, produced significant increases in skin thickness and decreases in wrinkles. In a different study, 0.01% estradiol versus 0.3% estriol for 6 months producing no changes in systemic hormone status but both increased skin elasticity, skin moisture, firmness, and reduced wrinkles. If estrogen is beneficial, can its actions be enhanced by other products? Of patients given either 0.01% estradiol, or 15% glycolic acid alone or in combination, epidermal thickness was increased 23% by estradiol alone , 27% by Glycolic Acid alone and 38% by both. Glycolic Acid, a weak acid with small molecules that penetrate the skin easily, dissolves sebum and other substances that glue the superficial skin cells together thus facilitating renewal of the skin surface. Menopause is a challenge for many women. Maintaining skin’s healthy appearance does not need to be part of that challenge. James Woods MD is a practicing gynecologist credentialed in Menopause Medicine and a regular contributor to Rochester Woman Magazine. Elizabeth Warner, MD, is a retired gynecologist. For questions regarding menopausal issues, please call him at (585) 271-7800. These issues are discussed in our BLOG entitled www.obgyn.urmc.edu/menopause.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Henry Hess, MD, PhD
Jim Woods, MD
We specialize in perimenopausal and menopausal care and welcome new patients. To make an appointment, please call 585.271.7800. Hess/Woods/Warshof Obstetrics and Gynecology 2255 South Clinton Avenue Rochester, NY14618 Kalin Warshof, MS, RN, FNP-BC
Find You Rhythm Overnight and Half-Day Programs Jazz and Classical Middle, High School, and Adults Eastman Campus or Keuka Lake summer.esm.rochester.edu Email: summer@esm.rochester.edu Call: (800) 246-4706 or (585) 274-1400
Inspire
ROCHESTER WOMEN
JORDAN BETTS Owner, Mint Salon
BY REBECCA L. FERGUSON | PHOTO BY SANDRA SHAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY
I just love those mornings when the sun commands our attention, forces our gaze down to experience the snow glistening beneath it; blinding us from the mundane repetitiveness of the daily grind. We get a moment to readjust our focus; a moment to experience something, or perhaps someone new. Jordan Betts, owner of Mint Salon, proves that embracing such moments can be magical.
Betts has a refreshingly effervescent personality combined with an authenticity that is both rare and sweetly enchanting. Her story is powerful, inspiring; a story where a young woman was forced to readjust her focus and in five short years has made it her mission to create an atmosphere for women to embrace their natural beauty. Six years ago, as a young single mother, Betts found herself in a state of worry and uncertainty. The declining economy had forced companies into downsizing and Betts recalls sitting quietly in her car sobbing after having been laid off from her sales and marketing job. “What was I going to do? It is my responsibility to provide for my child… I knew I didn’t want to become a statistic, where nearly eighty percent of single parents fall into poverty. I needed to make sure I could send my daughter to college.” Considering the things she enjoyed and the talents others saw in her, Betts took the advice of a friend and looked into Cosmetology school. With the rock solid support from her family, Betts was ready to plunge into a new adventure. Not to say that this was an easy transition, Betts explains, “It was winter and I had about a seventy minute commute from Naples, NY to school every day.” After making all of the appropriate arrangements for child care, she goes on to say, “I was so broke! The cost of child care left me with about fifty cents to spend on lunch, and that’s exactly how much a bagel costs.” In addition to the challenges of balancing motherhood, finances and school; Betts recalls being told hair dressing was not a legitimate career choice and statistically hairstylists will not make money for the first five years. This was enough to ignite an entrepreneurial fire that has blazed ever since.
“That’s when I knew I wanted to own a salon; I knew I would have to put in some time to build a client base and continue learning but I went home and wrote down my goals,” after putting pen to paper, Betts says, “I made a ton of copies and handed them out to everyone I knew. And on that list was to own a salon by the time I was twenty-six.” In 2010, Betts graduated from Shear Ego International School, where she absorbed every moment to learn and study under Peter Webb, world champion hairstylist. Her ability to remain open minded in conjunction with her natural tenacity, allowed Betts an opportunity to excel within her own creative and artistic talents. After an emotional encounter with a client who simply requested a trim for her mass of curly locks, Betts was taken aback by the tearful gratitude expressed, “thank you for just listening to me and doing what I asked.” (continued on page 58)
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inspire
“Both parts are really me. The Rebel Heart, is so odd and quirky, I just love it.”
:RW
KERI FESTING
Creator of Healing Heart and Rebel Heart Jewelry BY MARGARET MADIGAN | PHOTO BY SANDRA SHAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s hard to resist the friendly beaming smile of Keri Festing. It’s infectious and so is her unique, quirky style. She fills you with an energy that makes you want to let loose and be your true self. Festing is the creator of Healing Heart Jewelry and Rebel Heart Jewelry. She started making jewelry more than twenty years ago when she was attending Monroe Community College; nothing serious, just a hobby using Friendly Plastics. She received an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from MCC, then went on to St. John Fisher to earn a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in economics and Human Resources. Upon graduation from SJFC she went on to become a benefits administrator at Paychex. After a few years at Paychex, Festing began to feel this wasn’t quite what she wanted to do, so she went back to school part-time at Nazareth College. Three and a half years later she emerged with a dual Master Degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. After receiving her degree she accepted a position in 2000, teaching special education at State Road School in Webster, where she still teaches today, having moved to a literacy specialist two years ago. As successful as she has been in her teaching career, her creative side has never diminished. While she was working and going to school and raising a child, the jewelry kind of fell by the wayside as things often do when juggling life’s bigger priorities. But ten years ago Festing picked up beading, a past-time she shared with her beloved sister Arlene who passed away in recent years. She then also became a Reiki Master and wanted to combine that with her jewelry, so two years ago she created Healing Hearts Jewelry. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. It is believed those with a low “life force energy” are more likely to become sick, stressed or depressed. So the goal is to raise one’s energy to be happy and healthy. Festing started making jewelry for her Healing Hearts out of beads and crystals with the intent to heal. She took her wares to inexpensive craft shows and to school to show co-workers and friends. “The interest was all very word of mouth. I was pushed to next level recently because people were interested in the edgier stuff.” That “edgier stuff” became Rebel Heart Jewelry. Another line she created that stays true to her quirky side, her love of rockabilly music, 50’s pinup girl style, and her love of hearses. Yes, she drives a 1992 white Cadillac hearse. Rebel Heart Jewelry is created using upcycled materials of odds and ends and special items into wonderfully creative jewelry. She describes it as a combination of Steampunk and Rockabilly styles.
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“Both parts are really me. The Rebel Heart, is so odd and quirky, I just love it”, says Festing. A recent necklace she made that got wonderful feedback was made with Barbie doll arms and a larger doll eye that opens and closes. She states it was inspired by singer Melanie Martinez’s video for her song “Doll House”. “I grew up with records and Barbie (continued on page 58)
inspire
::RW
“I’ve always loved working with people, the people in the area have been so great to us, so supportive.”
TRACY BURGIO
Owner and Pastry Chef at Kneads and Wants
BY LAURA DICAPRIO | PHOTO BY SANDRA SHAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY
Tracy Burgio has worked in coveted positions around the world in renowned restaurants during her twenty-year career in the restaurant industry; Manger of The District Restaurant in Times Square, Pastry Chef at Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago, and Assistant to Chef Malu Simoes at The Country House Montali in Umbria, Italy. A native Rochesterian, Burgio returned to the area in 2010 to work as Pastry Chef at Artesano Bakery and Café at RIT. Always wanting to strike out on her own, Burgio fulfilled a longtime dream of opening her own bakery when she opened Kneads and Wants Kitchen and Bakeshop in July 2014. Feeling creatively restricted while working for other people, Burgio started to dream about opening her own bakery years ago and began chronicling her ideas in notebooks. “I have books and books of notes and sketches, everything from names, recipes, equipment I would need…anything possible needed for the planning stages” she shares. Burgio also participated in the Greater Rochester SCORE program, which offers counseling, mentoring, and workshops to small business owners in the area. Paired with a job coach who pushed her, assigned homework, and provided sound business advice, Burgio finalized her business plan and began scouting locations for her future bakery. When it came to choosing a location for her future business, Burgio knew that it had to be in Charlotte. “There’s so much going on in Charlotte,” she shares, “It’s a very strong community that needs more local businesses.” Kneads and Wants is located at 4464 Lake Avenue. Together with her partner Alexandra Jaffer, Burgio bakes a wide variety of sweet and savory treats each day; Sicilian cannoli tarts, bacon cheddar scones, and a variety of square-shaped cupcakes lovingly called “Sugarcubes™.” Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options are also available (advance order). Along with her passion for working with food, Burgio loves her customers and interacting with people in the Charlotte community. “I’ve always loved working with people,” she notes, “the people in the area have been so great to us, so supportive.” Burgio cares about her customers so much that she became concerned when she realized that a few customers from the nearby Charlotte Harbortown Homes were walking along dangerous icedover sidewalks to visit her during the winter months. She decided to set up a satellite pastry shop in the lobby of Harbortown every Tuesday morning to make freshly baked treats available to residents who are unable to venture outside in bad weather. Giving back to the Rochester community is also high on Burgio’s priority list. In November 2014 she helped sponsor and participated in Dish It Out, a gourmet celebrity chef competition that benefits the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Most recently Burgio volunteered at this year’s Polar Plunge, which (continued on page 58)
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JORDAN BETTS
inspire
TRACY BURGIO
Dolls. To dismember them (the Barbies) gives a little power because I’ve never liked what Barbie stood for.
helped to raise over $300,000 for Special Olympics New York. “We were there freezing, feeding the participants warm scones and hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun!”
(CONT)
(CONT)
(CONT)
::RW
KERI FESTING
A curiosity was born and Betts devoted her spare time to learning everything she could about curly hair. After stumbling upon DevaCurl, a company dedicated to the physiology and psychology of curly hair, Betts set off to NYC to participate in their academy, becoming one of the first DevaCurl specialists in Rochester. Within a year of completing her training, Betts was approached to become an educator with DevaCurl and was fast tracked into teaching for all of upstate New York. During this time she also amassed an impressive client base and it felt right to begin nurturing her goal of salon ownership. Inspired by all things curly, Betts opened the doors to Mint Salon in 2014, but this is not just a salon, Betts explains, “I was inspired to create a new vibe and give my curly girls a home; a place to sit with a client and have a curl conversation. I want every client to know I am with them in the moment and it’s not just your hair…this is about who you are.” Tenderly Betts continued, “So many people come in broken and immediately begin to apologize for the texture of their hair. My work is to help free the hearts of each client, empowering them in loving their natural curl. And I absolutely adore my straight hair lovelies too!”
Festing is a divorced mother of one. Her daughter, 10 year old Liana loves mom’s jewelry, and is very creative herself, playing cello, guitar, dancing, and is a talented artist. Festing enjoys sharing time making jewelry with her daughter as it “Keeps her focused on something positive and builds confidence.” Healing Heart and Rebel Heart Jewelry can be found on her Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/ RebelHealingHeart and on her Facebook pages for each www.facebook.com/rebelheartjewelry and www.facebook.com/HealingHeartJewelry. You may also visit her at her booth at the Rochester Erotic Arts Festival April 10-11 at the Radisson Riverside Hotel http://www.rochestereroticartfest.org/.
Burgio likes to use her storefront in ways that benefit and give back to the community also. She has an ongoing donation collection on her counter for Lollypop Farm and she displayed purple ribbons in her windows to show support for Amanda Conrow, a local 6-year-old girl who passed away on February 8th, 2015 from cancer. Kneads and Wants currently displays artwork from two local artist, award winning photographer Joanna Graham and Wall Therapy Artist, MR PRVRT, but Burgio has plans to feature local Charlotte artists in the near future. Her storefront used to be a former diner/sock hop and she’s scouring historical sites and asking local residents for help finding photos to display, to help keep the history of her location alive. Although the bakery is less than a year old, Burgio has lots of plans for the future. “I hope to remain in Charlotte and would like to spearhead future development in the area…encourage small businesses to give Charlotte a chance…it’s extremely important to the future of Charlotte.” To find out more about Tracy Burgio and Kneads and Wants, visit www.kneads-wants.com or email Tracy@kneads-wants.com.
For more information and a list of all services or how to schedule your curl conversation, please visit: www.getminty.com
april 2015 EVENTS CALENDAR
RWM APRIL LAUNCH PARTY
16 GRAND OPENING CANNONBALL CAFE
17 HEART WALK
25 AUTISM AWARENESS WALK
25 7TH ANNUAL SUMMIT ON CHILD ABUSE
30-may 1
Organization: Rochester Woman Magazine Time: 5:30 - 8:00pm Where: 453 East Blvd Website: www.rochesterwomanmag.com Organization: The Coffee Connection Time: 10:00am Where: The Cannonball Cafe Website: www.OurCoffeeConnection.org Organization: American Heart Association Time: 8:00 am Where: Blue Cross Arena Website: www.rochesterheartwalk.org Organization: Happiness House/Finger Lakes United Cerebral Palsy Association Time: 8:00 am Where: Eastview Mall Website: www.happinesshouse.org Organization: Bivona Child Advocacy Center Time: 8:30am04:30pm Price: $140-180 Where: Rochester Riverside Convention Center Website: www.bivonaCAC.org
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ipositive life ::POSITIVE MIND
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positive life
::POSITIVE MIND
the POWER of
PM
positive potential
in Business and Beyond: Success Principles for Entrepreneurs and Dreamers BY SRADDHA PRATIVADI, MD I was recently invited by a patient of mine to speak at her daughter’s Girl Scout troop meeting about what hold’s women back. I thought it was an interesting question. I reflected through my own life. The challenges met, the challenges not met. Dreams fulfilled and those yet to be. I combed back through my forest of thoughts from my childhood and wrote down what I had observed about myself and friends, family and colleagues. I came up with a list of twelve key points. I think they expected me to come up with a long list of the ills of society that hold women back, but no . . . my list assumes that everything that happens to us, we have manifested either through knowledge of or ignorance of the laws of the Universe that control how our thoughts manifest into things as faithfully as the laws of physics determine the success of a space shuttle landing. So here is the list I shared with the Girls Scouts- but really things I have observed to hold myself, women, well people in general, back from living the power of their positive potential. *Allow others to treat us poorly *Not getting up after a fall. *Not giving full volume to our voice. *Negative beliefs about ourselves. *Being unaware of our infinite potential *Giving up or Quitting. *Believing that we are not as strong or as brave as we really are. *Fear of Failure. *Fear of Success. *Thinking you are lesser or greater than someone else. *Not expressing your unique gifts. *Not knowing who you really are. I really don’t like paying attention to obstacles and things that are in my way. I focus on what I want, and keep working and walking towards it. The things that used to be in my way just disappear as I move forward towards my goals in belief. REMEMBER - what you pay attention to grows. So pay attention to what you want to be present in your current experience, your high thinking goals, not the problems or what you don’t want, whether they be in your life or your business. It’s all an inside job. Your heart and your mind are powerful forces to move you into greatness, your unique greatness and your gifts. Give expression to them through your voice, and your personal power and your business. This is the power of your positive potential. AND, the world needs YOU, the world needs your special gifts. Share them! “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” - Henry Ford
So instead of thinking about what holds us back, let’s focus on what moves us forward and put our energies into those thoughts and things. Let’s turn the above list on top of it’s head and see what we can learn. Here it goes! *Respect and honor yourself. *Others will treat you as you teach them to treat you. * Always get up and keep going. Nothing can keep you down. * Speak confidently and clearly and express your ideas. They are valuable! * Maintain positive ideas and beliefs about yourself. * Be aware of your infinite potential. * Be persistent and persevere. * Believe that you are incredibly strong and brave - you are. * Face both failure and success with calm and confidence. Both are temporary. * Be comfortable in your own skin where you are. This is your path. If there is something you don’t like, change it. * Express your unique gifts. * Know who you really are. Going from those thoughts to actual manifestation of your goals requires more than just “positive thinking” - it requires a knowledge of the laws that govern this manifestation process. These laws govern how things go from non-physical thought to physical form. This is not wishful thinking, or made-up non-sense. These are process that modern physics is discovering to actually be the inner workings of the Universe itself. We are part of the Universe as are our thoughts. Those who study and apply these principles in their business with the guidance of a skilled coach see results beyond their wildest imaginations. See your business grow this year. Master the power of your positive potential and think into results, health and wealth! It’s all here for you already! “Cultivate the Garden of your Mind with the seeds of great ideas, the rain shower of positive thoughts and the sunshine of the beauty in your heart.” - Doctor P Dr. Sraddha Prativadi, MD is a transformational coach, integrative holistic physician and founder of Doctor P: Power of Your Positive Potential. Go to www.YourDoctorP.com for Free Positive Notes from Doctor P. As a facilitator of the prestigious Thinking into Results program of the Proctor Gallagher Institute, she will skillfully guide you through 24 weeks of radical personal transformation to help you turn your dreams into reality, your business goals into achievements and your thinking into results. Start now with a free transformational consultation! 585-364-8018.
matters ::LOCAL BUSINESS
Inspiration in Abundance
BY BETH WINSLOW-D’AMICO | PHOTO BY TIFFANY BOULA
When the Genesee Co-op Natural Food Store closed after 30 years, its supporters wanted to continue to provide the Rochester community with access to natural products. They started a buying club on Caroline Street, which they ran for a year-and-a-half on an entirely volunteer basis. Their hard work paid off, and in 2001 they moved into their current space on Marshall Street under the name Abundance Cooperative Market. Kathy Peters has been an employee at the co-op since the days before it became Abundance.
“I grew up in a small town and when I came to Rochester, I felt a little lost,” she said. “Then I found the co-op, and it was this group of people who all seemed to know each other and they were friendly to me. Slowly over time I learned the business and became an employee.” Peters is now the Merchandising Manager of Abundance. When asked what she considers the most satisfying part of the business, she answered without hesitation: “The community.” That sense of community is a way of life at Abundance. Signs promoting cooperation and collaboration canvas the walls, and a giant peace sign hangs in the corner. Employees know many of the shoppers by name. “This is the most fun job I’ve ever had,” said Nada Eldehni, an Abundance employee. “I feel like I’ve met half of downtown Rochester working here.” Eldehni moved to Rochester from South Boston two years ago, and her job at Abundance made the transition a little smoother. “It’s very community-based, and I like that.” Abundance prides itself on supporting local businesses, including The Karma Sauce Company, Flour City Bread Co., Just Juice 4 Life, and The Coffee Connection, just to name a few. Green “Eat Local” stickers 62
APRIL 2015 :: ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM
can be found on many of the locally sourced items that are offered, such as meats, cheeses, honey, and health and wellness items. They also boast an impressive Bulk Goods section. Eliminating packaging costs allows for lower prices on items sold in bulk, like rolled oats, vanilla extract, nut butters, even shampoo and conditioner. You don’t have to be an owner to shop at Abundance, though the benefits of ownership are vast. With nearly 2,000 shareholders, Abundance is a true democracy. Each owner has a say in how the business is run by voting for its Board of Directors. Owners can also join Board committees or be voted onto the Board itself. Shareholders pay a one-time fee of $100; there are no annual fees or recurring costs. Owners also receive special discounts and possible dividend payouts. The biggest benefit to owners and non-owners alike lies in knowing that with each purchase you are strengthening our local economy. Abundance is looking to increase its number of shareholders by 300 in the next three months, a move that would help the co-op reach its goal of expanding to a bigger location. Though its surroundings may change, the co-op’s commitment to its customers won’t. As the natural food business in Rochester grows, the Abundance continues to focus on what distinguishes it from its competitors. “We continually work on being the best quality, having integrity, buying from local farmers, supporting our local co-ops, and all those things that make us who we are,” Peters said. “And, of course the competition just makes us dig deeper and get better.” Abundance Co-op is Rochester’s first and only cooperatively-owned natural products retail grocer. Although Abundance first opened to the public in 2001, their history spans more than forty years, beginning with the Genesee Co-op Natural Food Store in 1968. Shareholders and non-shareholders are provided a friendly meeting place, healthful food, and safe household products at reasonable prices. Abundance makes it a priority to buy local, organic, sustainable, and/or socially responsible products. For more information visit www.abundance.coop.
cause ::FOR A GOOD
helping
Families Through Tough Times BY VANESSA J. CHEEKS | PHOTO BY TIFFANY BOULA Debbie Evans knows what it’s like to go without. Describing her childhood neighborhood as “impoverished” and growing up “habitually poor” she’s no stranger to families facing hard times, and often needing a helping hand. “I remember food stamps and free lunch” Debbie recalled as she described what prompted her to begin working within her own community to help families that were going through those same difficulties. “I recognized that in our community and I wanted to help these children and there was nothing here!” Evans exclaimed. It was then that the spirited mother of two, along with several friends, worked together to begin what would ultimately turn into a community necessity. “When we first started we did it for Christmas. Just making sure every child, when they came back from the break, could tell their friends they too got gifts from Santa and had a nice meal for Christmas day” It didn’t take long for Debbie’s big heart to take over her entire house and she began looking to the town of Irondequoit to establish an official food pantry for the community. “I thought it was going to be this easy thing to work with the town... It was not easy and it wasn’t even well received by many people.” She explained. After receiving her education in Social Work and Criminal Justice, Debbie always planned on going back to work after raising her sons but, ultimately realized that her work with the Irondequoit Community Cupboard was exactly what she hadn’t planned for but, planned on continuing.
ebbie reflects on her decision to stick with it and take her desire to help others even further in the future. “I can’t imagine not doing something like this. I also can’t imagine leaving here. It is my baby and I love it, I am proud of it,” explained Evans who also considers helping others find APRIL 2015 :: ROCHESTERWOMANMAG.COM
After facing the obstacles of a chronic injury that limited her ability to do the things with the Cupboard that she used to, Debbie’s family, who have been there with her in this adventure every step of the way, rallied to help her continue her work without skipping a beat. “I have the most amazing family. They have always been supportive and help more than they would ever say” said Evans, boasting how her sons have carried on the family tradition of helping into their own personal lives which makes her proud. Going from fighting for government go-ahead to an Irondequoit staple has been exciting for Evans however the biggest payoff is still getting the community she loves to give to one another. “I really wanted this to be about community and I love it when clients get back on their feet and come in to help us” The Irondequoit Community Cupboard has produced 110 weekend backpacks for kids in need and as many as 109,000 meals last year. If you are an Irondequoit resident and need assistance or would like to help the ICC you can find more information on the organizations website at www. irondequoitcommunitycupboard.org or by phone at 585-336-9107.
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Now, twenty years later the Irondequoit community cupboard is nestled next to a quiet park near the small Sea breeze neighborhood. A modest building as well as a community garden housed at Vineyard Christian Fellowship that is making a huge impact for Irondequoit residence in need.
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a voice in the community she loves. “I’d really love to make an impact on the homeless, teen moms. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I would still be doing this I would have never thought,” said Evans.
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If you are interested in making a donation of non-perishable food items, please do so at one of the following locations:
Irondequoit Community Cupboard 4275 Culver Road, Rochester, NY 14622 Tuesday and Saturday 9:00AM-11:00AM
Cooper Road Library (during business hours)
Ridge Culver Fire Department (at the side door 24/7)
Pinegrove Senior Center (during business hours)
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