![]() While on tour last week I had the honor and privilege of watching the total solar Eclipse with disabled veterans at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. Through borrowed “eclipse glasses”, we were all able to look directly at the sun together and see the amazing occurrence. It was truly very beautiful. This of course got me thinking about life. To me, the most beautiful part about the solar eclipse was when the sun started to peek once again around the total darkness of the moon, and the rays of light peeked around the dark. I truly believe that this is our job, as humans on this earth. A while back, I was having a discussion with a few friends about our “practical” skills, and started feeling inadequate about my own. Though I’m a quick study at most anything, if we were to all have to go live in the jungle or desert at this moment, my business skills and performance skills would not be very useful! I couldn’t tap dance my way into tracking dinner down for my clan or sing my way into surviving in a hurricane with no shelter! Last year, it took the news of the terrible shooting in Orlando for me to realize what our purpose as entertainers is in the reality of the darkness that life sometimes brings. When the shooting happened, a friend in Orlando posted some amazing pictures of himself and all of his fellow entertainers not crying or angry, but instead making hearts with their hands. Everything clicked at that time as happy tears came to my face in realization of what our job is as humans…. Outshine the shadows. Find the beauty in everything that you do and see. If there is no beauty, create it. It doesn’t have to be onstage, it can be as simple as hugging someone, holding someone’s hand, calling an old friend out of the blue or making a genuine compliment to someone. It can be a smile to a stranger, a joke to someone who needed a laugh or a random act of anonymous kindness. But MOST of all, outshine the shadows in your own heart. If there is a moon passing over the sun that is your heart and making it dark and cold, open your heart to find the warmth again and outshine that shadow. Find new beauty and SHARE with others what you find…. Because happiness and love are BOTH contagious. I truly believe with all my heart that good will always outshine evil. And if we will all stop dwelling on the bad news, politics and unkind acts in this world and instead stand together to feel love without a hidden agenda, we will have peace on Earth.
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Lisa Jaroscak is our business partner and one pretty amazing individual. We met in North Carolina when Lisa was attending the School of the Arts for opera, and worked for a brief amount of time as a vocal teacher for my non-profit organization, Spring Theatre. Lisa’s mind is wired for business, and her determination and attitude have made us very close over the past few years. Two years ago, we brought Lisa in as a full partner in First in Flight Entertainment, and we couldn’t imagine our business life without her. One of my favorite quotes is from Audrey Hepburn, and goes, “Nothing is impossible, why the word itself says I’m-possible”! Truer words could not be spoken. Lisa had the idea for the Shore Club two years ago, and every single day since that idea, her perseverance has been tested time and time again. Shore Club Chicago is a design that came out of Lisa’s head because she is so passionate about great food experiences and wanted our company to bring a classy upscale dining adventure to folks on the Gold Coast of Chicago. Every detail of the place came out of her head, onto paper, and was built and made a reality. We had been told “no”, and “it can’t be done” dozens of times. There were literally hundreds of meetings she attended with our incredible partner Robbie with ChiIL Productions, and our manager and partner Nick to get hundreds of approvals that seemed “impossible”. But thanks to a team of amazing individuals that have joined the team along the way, last night we stood in the Shore Club with over 400 of our closest friends from Chicago and beyond in the space and celebrated. Shore Club Chicago is an experience that I am so proud to be a part of. The experience rivals those on the best beaches around the world. We offer truly World class food with our partners Inspired Catering who designed a truly amazing menu with food such as grilled baby octopus, tuna poke in an ice bowl, jackfruit sliders, the famous Shore Club sandwich and the best gelato for dessert that I’ve ever experienced. It’s truly a destination that I hope people will travel across the world to be a part of. We’ll be open May 1- November 1. This week we’re already offering special brunches, yoga classes, the best view of the Air & Water Show you can imagine and other special events! Next year we hope to have many special events such as weddings, corporate parties, brand activations, networking events and other lifetime moments. Last night at the grand opening gala, I was looking around the room at the smiling faces, laughs, beautiful displays, amazing food and special comradery that was happening in every corner and my breath was taken away. Don’t ever let anyone tell you “no”, because yet again I have seen the beauty of what this world has to offer if you open your mind and work your butt off. Being a daily part of this journey and watching the struggles, the ups-and-downs and the roller coaster that entrepreneurship is has made me love and respect Lisa even more than I did before (and that’s a lot)! Go make YOUR dreams come true TODAY. Don’t put it off because life is too short and there is no better feeling than living your full potential. For the past few weeks, I have had the honor of having a loving 7-year old granddaughter stay with me. (Yes, granddaughter, and no, I’m not old enough to have one, but my husband is)! When I was a kid, I used to tell my parents that I didn’t want to be a mom, but wanted to be a grandmother, as I do love kids, but don’t want to live with them. Everyone told me it wouldn’t work out that way, but it did!
Caleigh, (who calls me Grammy by the way), is a ball of energy. Since she arrived a couple of weeks ago, I have learned so much more about balance in life and owning several businesses. It’s amazing how you can make time for the important things while still accomplishing everything that you need to accomplish when you put your mind to it. See, I love what I do so much that it rarely FEELS like work. Everything about performing, booking entertainers, networking, directing, inspiring…. If I didn’t have to go to "work", I’d still do what I’m doing every single day because I love it so much. People ask me how I do all that I do sometimes, and I believe that answer is two-fold…. 1- I don’t need much sleep, and 2- I truly get passionate energy from what I do. In fact, I am more tired and feel more worn out when I have days where my schedule is not as full. Yesterday, Caleigh and Nelson and I watched “Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium”, and in that movie, Dustin Hoffman takes his young friend by the shoulders and says, “Your life is an occasion… rise to it”. I encourage YOU today to do just that. Life the life YOU want to live. If you make yourself happy- genuinely happy from the inside out, you will always have the energy, stamina and passion to make others happy and make a difference in this world. With that, I wish you all a VERY happy Monday- and challenge you to rise to YOUR occasion! xoxox It's one of those things that's been on my list for years... starting a blog. Since I was born, until a couple of years ago, every day of my life is recorded in some way, shape or form. My mom started journaling for me when I was a baby, and I took over when I was 10 years old. I think it became a habit when my dad offered to give me a dime every time I wrote in my journal, and I was never one to pass up an opportunity like that!
Today I'm in Chicago... we just arrived Thursday after a great trip to Ohio performing for the 83rd Infantry Division. These people are TRULY special, and do so much to honor veterans and their families! The 83rd Infantry Division established this Veterans Association right at the end of WWII. The 83rd Infantry Division that had seen action during World War 1 was reactivated in 1942 and a total of almost 15 000 young Americans were brought together from all over the country. The Association has met every year since 1947, and today it includes the veterans, the families and friends of the 83rd who continue the commitment to the original mission while adding the vision to preserve and promote the legacy of the 83rd as well. After the show, we were honored to have some fun with Tony Vaccaro, who was a WWII Photographer. This loving young man has an Emmy nominated HBO Documentary that you can see at THIS LINK. After the performance, Myra, one of the coordinators of the reunion took us out to a fabulous restaurant right in the heart of downtown, "Pickwick and Frolick". Over dinner, we got to know them all so well... what incredible hearts they have, and what a genuine LOVE for history! Excitingly.... it looks like we will be going to France to perform with them in 2019 as part of their tour for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day with tours lead by WWII Veterans! France is one place I've never been, and I can't imagine a better way to see it for the first time. I'll be planning some VERY fun entertainment (and new jokes!) for the trip to keep everyone entertained! I have such a love for our greatest generation. My heart is full. |