Tuesday's Treasure - Texas Couture

Being half-Texan (Mother's side) and a frequent traveler to the Lone Star state, I could not pass up an opportunity to highlight some of the fashion trendsetters that have their roots there.

Hearing about all the festivities surrounding the recent SXSW Event in Austin made me a bit homesick. While all the focus seems to be on the Capitol City's lightning rod as a High-Tech startup breeding ground, I have seen some remarkable talent emerge in Fashion.

One Austin native, Tom Ford, recently re-launched his line of flattering designs for women after abandoning the gender in 2004. Fast Company named him one of their 100 Most Creative People in 2010 and his spring collection 2011 shows he is back with a bang.

Sadly, another one of my favorite Austin designers, Susan Dell wife of Billionaire Michael Dell, shut down her Phi luxury collection last year. I remember when Susan opened her first store in the tony Tarrytown area of Austin in 2003. 85 Broads member Lauren Santo Domingo whose new venture Moda Operandi we featured here last week, was also a big fan of Susan's work as I recall. I hope we see more of her in the future.

Tuesday's Treasure - Event Alert "How Women-Owned Small Businesses Will Save The Economy"

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Tuesday's Treasure post to let you know about a "treasure" of another kind and a very special event she will be speaking at for those of you in the NY Metro Area.

Her name is Kathy McShane and we featured her in a Wednesday's Women of Courage post last year. This Wednesday, March 10, at 9:30am at Waveny House in New Canaan, CT, the American Association of University Women will host Kathy where she will discuss women entrepreneurs and how their growing ranks will change our economy and help lead us out of the financial crisis that continues to put women, their children, and generations to come, at risk.

This blog has been a strong advocate for Women's Empowerment and Women Entrepreneurship. In a blog last year we highlighted the events surrounding the Women's Forum in Deauville, France which has become the "Davos for Women". We have featured pioneering women entrepreneurs such as Shauna Mei, founder of AHA!Life and women, like Kathy McShane, and VC Cindy Padnos of Illuminate Ventures that target women-led ventures, and help them realize their dreams.

Please continue to support the efforts of Women Entrepreneurs and seek them out when next you are looking for goods or services. Your local chapter of 85 broads or Ladies Who Launch are a good starting point.

Tuesday's Treasure - Holiday Tips v.2 - Giving Back

In last Saturday's Lifestyle Lifter's post, I began a series of posts intended as "Holiday Tips for The Wise".

Today I'd like to introduce you to Meera Gandhi. Her work in tireless support of many charities, non-profit organizations, and for profit ventures are too numerous to list. For a detailed look at what she has done and where she is going, click here. Her latest passion is as Founder of The Giving Back Foundation.

In a article you may read in it's entirety by clicking here , Meera gives six tips for giving during this upcoming Holiday Season:

1. Write a check. The easiest way to make a difference is to donate money to people who are doing work that you believe in. Every bit counts from as little as $10 to a $10,000.

2. Reach out to people. The simple acts of being kind and helpful is truly a way of giving back. If someone asks for your assistance, help out as much as you can.

3. Commit your time. Everyone can spare a few hours during the month. Spend it at your local soup kitchen, working for a charity or mentoring another person.

4. Be kind to yourself. Most people are running around ragged from just their daily routine. Give yourself some time to relax and recuperate. If your own well is dry, you’ll have nothing to give others.

5. If you have to say no, say it in a kind way. It’s not possible to help everyone who asks, but if you refuse kindly and perhaps put the person in touch with someone who can help, you will keep the circle moving.

6. Open up your contact list and share knowledge and experiences. Sometimes, giving can be as simple as helping others through your own knowledge or personal contacts. It requires very little effort on your part, but it can help others immensely.

Her latest project is called Giving Back. Meera has produced a documentary of this initiative and I am privileged to have been invited to a private screening tonight. She has a special mission: "We are to the universe only as much as we give back to it."

I couldn't agree more!

Here is another Holiday Tip to all you smart, impact-full, and well-connected women in my Network:

Put the DVD of Giving Back on your Holiday Gift List! You may purchase a copy by clicking here. 100% of the proceeds go to the charitable activities of the Giving Back Foundation.

Tuesday's Treasure - Oct 19th,1987 could happen again!

My apology, in advance, to those of you who were logging in today hoping to find a post on a Treasure that I pass along, such as beautiful Wakaya Island.

Today marks the 13th anniversary of "Black Monday" when stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time. The crash began in Hong Kong, spread west through international time zones to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already declined by a significant margin. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped by 508 points to 1738.74 (22.61%).

The recent "flash crash" that caused a similar drop in stock prices, and the increasing number of Sovereign Nations on the brink of bankruptcy make the likelihood of another market meltdown occurring, very real.

I have a report, dated August 2005, written by a Canadian Asset Management firm that I keep handy whenever I talk to others about how our government has surreptitiously intervened into our stock market, and our entire financial system since the 1987 crash, largely through it's shadowy and privately owed Federal Reserve System.

Leave it to the Canadians (a bulwark of sensibility and straightforwardness) to tell the world the truth about what our leaders have been doing for over two decades of free market manipulation.

If any of you are interested in a copy, please contact me.

Although I no longer have a direct affiliation with a Private Wealth organization, I can certainly refer you to a trusted Financial Advisor who understands the risk of another meltdown and can help you prepare for the next shock wave that will inevitably occur.

Tuesday's Treasure - Deauville, France

This week, I am devoting most of this blog to coverage of "the Davos of Women" - the Women's Forum 2010 taking place in the seaside resort town of Deauville.

With only 4,500 residents, this is one of the world's only seaside resorts that can be enjoyed all year round, and thus has gained international repute as a result.

According to website Information France, "Through the years, the town has managed to develop harmoniously, preserving its historic, architectural and cultural heritage, while at the same time keeping step with an ever-changing tourist sector. Indeed, only two hours from Paris, this rendez-vous of elegance and art de vivre promises visitors a complete change of scenery, with its many turn-of-the-century villas, traditional half-timbered houses,colourful sun umbrellas on the beach and famous Promenade."

Because of it's beauty, several wealthy women, including Greek shipping heiress, Chyrss Goulandris, have homes there. Her villa is reputed to be where William The Conqueror planned his invasion of France.

French clothing designer, Yves St. Laurent had a home there which he shared with his succession of French Bulldogs always named Moujik.

Deauville is full of delightful restaurants, shops, and hotels. Later this week, I will bring you a few suggestions so that those of you in my network who are going there this week, can take time to "do up the town" with some of the other 1,200 + delegates attending this year's Forum.

Tuesday's Treasure - The AHA! Life

I recently joined a social network that truly speaks to my need for simplicity. It's actually not just a social network, it is more of an online community structured very much like my favorite activity in Kindergarten - "show-and-tell".

The brainchild of former Fashion Industry and Wall Street Executive, Shauna Mei, AHAlife.com is a place where I can see what I and others have curated (show) and learn how this item was conceived, manufactured or otherwise acquired (tell).

1 Product. 24 Hours. 100% Inspiring—that's what it's all about. AHAlife.com showcases and sells one hand-selected item each day and tells the story behind the making of the product, along with a designer profile and sometimes a video or audio slideshow that takes you inside the creative process.

Simply brilliant!

Recent offerings include a Canon G12 Camera embellished by Diane Von Furstenberg, a Crystal Clutch Handbag designed by Marchesa, creator of red carpet confections beloved by Hollywood style icons Blake Lively, Naomi Watts, and Demi Moore, and a Buy Her Bag Not Her Body bag, made of recycled rice sacks in Cambodia by survivors of human trafficking.

Certain product purchases receive "karma points" for supporting a brand that donates part of its profits to a good cause.

I get good Karma just being a part of the AHA life community. Try in on for size. It will surprise and delight you.

Tuesday's Treasure - Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara

You may have noticed two themes running through my posts over the last few weeks.

One is Sustainability. The other, Anti-Aging. These two topics are not dissimilar.

Sustainability relates to our ability to keep our natural resources from running out due to waste, overuse, or just plain neglect.

Anti-aging relates to our ability to sustain our lives over a longer period of time without the usual decline in physical or mental health. Here again, waste (toxic cell growth), overuse (eating too much, or the wrong kind of food.) and neglect (lack of exercise, proper diet) come into play.

Arguably one of the world's best known (and longest practicing) physicians is Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara.

This article about him comes courtesy of the Japan Times:

At the age of 98, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world’s longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara’s magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke’s College of Nursing.

After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation’s top medical facility and nursing school. Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations.

Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one Living Long, Living Good that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Here now, in his own words, is advice on this doctor of long life on how to live a long life.

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It’s best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

All people who live long – regardless of nationality, race or gender — share one thing in common: None are overweight. For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.

Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I’ll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100.

Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can’t cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery? I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.

My inspiration is Robert Browning’s poem “Abt Vogler.” My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke’s we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Don’t be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don’t know when your number is up, and you can’t take it with you to the next place.

Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. We designed St. Luke’s so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.

Science alone can’t cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.

Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at Duke University in North Carolina. He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.

It’s wonderful to live long. Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one’s family and to achieve one’s goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.

Treasure your body. Treasure your Planet. You will feel better, and live longer by doing both!

Tuesday's Treasure - If clothes make YOUR man, then Michael Reslan makes his clothes!

In yesterday's Monday Motivational Makeover post, I talked about how anti-aging is the new fashion statement, especially for men looking to regain their competitive edge vis-a-vis their younger colleagues. I also mentioned that the event drew a crowd of A-listers from around the globe, and a variety of fashionistas each making their statement and drawing from their local cultures and talented designers.

Among the fashion world's movers and shakers seated at our table was Michael Reslan. Reslan recently opened a 15th floor showroom at 689 Fifth Avenue with amazing artwork, hand-crafted Italian furnishings and spectacular views of Manhattan.

Within this elegant space he offers his "Who's Who" list of clients a private, discreet, yet sophisticated environment which he has learned from over 27 years experience in the High-End Clothing industry is what sets his offering apart from the rest .

As he so aptly puts it " space + privacy = luxury"

I encourage you to share some time with your BMF and go enjoy some wine and cheese in his Tuscan-inspired outdoor garden.

If you are both too busy, Reslan will bring his line to your home or office. He reiterates, “This is not a store, it’s a private shopping experience.”

And one well worth it, I might add!

Tuesday's Treasure - Networking 101

Many of you have accumulated wealth through the effort and determination required to succeed as a small business owner, entrepreneur, or by breaking through the glass ceiling at a Fortune 500 company.

My fellow 85 Broads Member, Hilary Eaton Pearl, is an internationally recognized success coach and founder of Hilary Pearl Associates. In her seminars, she emphasizes the need to create and maintain a "personal brand".

There are many ways to do this. One is to join one of the many women's networks that have been created within corporations that recognize the value, and cost saving, associated with fostering gender equality. Many employers like Deloitte, view it as part of their business strategy.

By viewing this blog, you are passively joining in to my global network. Each time you click through to another blog or website, you are taking part in what I call learn & apply involvement.

Another way to amp up your personal brand value is to join one of the many digital social networks, such as Facebook or LinkedIN. Be very careful here, however, because reputation management is much more difficult when you hang yourself out to an entire world via the World Wide Web.

If this is the way you want to go, I suggest you hire a good "social media trainer" such as Kathryn Rose who is part of the Ladies Who Launch network, and Founder of Supreme Social Media. They can coach you on how to tap into this incredibly powerful tool and become more effective with networking at all levels - professional and personal.

And finally, there is just plain, old fashioned face-to-face human interaction. Take time to strike up a conversation with a person next to you on the train, in a store, or restaurant. Janet Hanson, Founder of 85 Broads calls this "seeing the trade"

As Hilary says "It’s each of our responsibility to make introductions between two people you find interesting. Later, the gift will come back to you."

Tuesday's Treasure - Kashwere U

With the end of summer approaching, and many of our young returning to college, it's time to break out the warmer clothing as Fall slides in behind it.

And I cannot think of a better way to stay warm and show school spirit than to wear a half-zip hoodie with your team logo from Kashwere U.

Kashwere U was founded in 2009 by Kimberly Appelt, Kimberly Connors, Boyd Harden, Kerry O'Dea and Peter Seltzer. Their commitment as owners is to offer a more fashion-forward, aspirational and unique line of collegiate gear.

Kashwere's unique fabric is a favorite among Hollywood Celebrities, including Oprah, Dr. Phil, and sports figures such as Shaquille O'Neill.

Your corporate logo or that of a non-profit can be made into Kashwere U product, and is a great way to promote a cause or brand.

This business is yet another example of how a simple idea, combined with a new technology, can quickly grow into a multinational, multicultural phenomenon.

Once again, a women-conceived, women-led venture rises up to prove that anything is possible if you follow your dream and persevere.

Tuesday's Treasure - Scrumptious NYC

I am the first to admit that I have an addiction to food. Having grown up in a "Suite Life" scenario where eating in some of the finest restaurants around the globe was part of daily life, I developed an appreciation for what sets apart "cuisine" from mere "sustenance".

Many of you are fellow "foodies" and some of you have asked for my recommendation for Private Chef Services. If you are located in the NY Metro area, look no further than Scrumptious NYC, where "Chief Gourmette" Samantha McCuen creates food that can only be described as personal and luxurious.

Trading in her corporate suit for an apron several years ago, Sam creates individual menus tailored to the tastes and nutritional preferences of each client. She is also available to cater a private party or corporate affair with advanced notice.

I have had the pleasure of personally sampling her Culinary Art at a few private affairs. Inevitably, most of the guests set up camp in the kitchen, transfixed by her personality and anxiously awaiting the next "course".

Bon Appetit!

Tuesday's Treasure - Red Roses

You may notice a change in the look of the WWRG blogsite today. I have added a background featuring a bevy of red roses!

Few flowers are more recognizable and universally loved. The Catholic Rosary allegedly derives its name from the Latin term for rose garden, "Rosarium" and later, "garland of roses". Christian legend tells of a monk who made a garland of 150 roses each day as an offering to the Virgin Mary. Later, the monk substituted 150 prayers for the flowers. For his piety, he was presented with a rosary of 150 beads by a “beautiful glowing woman.”

What would be nicer than to have Red Roses delivered every day? A box of chocolates, perhaps.

I wish I had the ability to give all of you, my faithful viewers, a real box of chocolates and a dozen roses. After all, there is so much to treasure in a relationship, whether intimate or distant. I truly appreciate each and everyone that I know and look forward to meeting those who are " friends I know but have never met". Tess touched upon our need to act "civilized" toward each other in her blog yesterday. Slow down your pace and greet another with a genuine desire to understand them, not just with a glancing blow or a hollow "hello".

Take time today to smell my "virtual roses". Cherish the ones you love and do something special for them. Treasure the moments you spend with them.

Be respectful, be nice, be there for them in their hour of need.

But most of all, be true to thyself. Remember that to the world, you may be one person. but to one person, you may be the world.

Tuesday's Treasure (Island) - Paradise in Wakaya!

I am pre-empting today's usual post on Art & Collectibles to bring you a treasure of Mother Nature very few know about but many have dreamed about - Wakaya Private Island Resort. In the words of founders David and Jill Gilmour, " The more the world changes, the more we gravitate to places that don’t".

The Wakaya Club & Spa is situated on Wakaya Island, Fiji, a private 2,200 acre hideaway that is one of 333 islands that comprise the Fiji group. Wakaya Island is surrounded by a protected coral reef, and the island boasts serene lagoons, majestic cliffs and pristine white sand beaches.

Here, one needs no formal occasion—celebration is woven into the fabric of the day. It seems to be a Wakayan birth right.

The Wakaya Club & Spa offers an elegant yet casual backdrop for romance and celebration. Imagine an ecologically sensitive luxury resort offering unparalleled natural beauty in an intimate setting. The Wakaya Club & Spa extends a warm and gracious Fijian welcome on a privately owned 2,200-acre island with exceptional personal service and the finest cuisine in the South Pacific.

Romantic celebrations on Wakaya can include the following:

• Weddings on Wakaya
• Honeymoon
• Wedding Anniversaries & Vow Renewals
• Private Beach Picnics

As a Woman of Wealth, this venue may very well be just what you need to bring some Romance back into your life or undergo a personal transformation/motivational makeover. Please contact them if you need more information, or drop me an email and I will give you more insight into this exclusive destination.

Tuesday's Treasure

I have the good fortune of counting among my neighbors, Patricia Funt Oxman. You may recognize her maiden name as that of her father, Allen Funt, creator of the Candid Camera TV series which ran from 1948 up until a few years ago. A return of the show is in the works, I understand.

For over ten years she had Patricia Funt Gallery at 50 1/2 East 78th Street, off Madison Avenue in New York City. A fun and eclectic mix of antique objects, the shop was a favorite haunt of a number of celebrities, socialites and decorators.

After marrying an Englishman in the early 1990's, they moved, started a family and opened a new shop - Patricia Funt Antiques, on Main Street, New Canaan, in Connecticut.

Patricia still stocks her store with fun and interesting antiques. The shop is known for unusual objects for the collector, such as corkscrews, snuff boxes, matchsafes, Victorian jewelry and much more.Wood carvings are a favorite. There are always lots of Black Forest carvings and all sorts of objects in the form of animals. There are sporting collectibles, items for the table, including a large selection of napkin rings. There are military antiques, nautical antiques, royal commemoratives, children's pottery, miniature furniture and a wonderful, large collection of English Pond Yachts.

Patricia and I thought it might interest WWRG followers to dedicate Tuesday's blog post to the topic of collectors. Many of you are Art and Antique collectors, or have admired them.

So beginning next week, we will feature Patricia as guest blogger, who in addition to her business acumen, also has a knack for writing. She has graciously offered to share the many tales that only a woman growing up among the greatest celebrities, socialites, and dignitaries of the last century, can tell. She will also provide insight into what collectors may find interesting given the vast array of collectibles and collections available today.

I also encourage you to visit her website to view some of the items she has to offer.