Tag Archive for: New York City

Keynote Speech

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HefRFwypFz7Yh6MFlOoEzdeIf-GT12nkuBvfp208YBAI can check something off my bucket list — Keynote Speech!

I was so honored to speak at the New York Women in Communications Student Communications Career Conference at NYU this weekend.

I started the day off with a visit from the GlamSquad for hair and makeup.  If you haven’t used the service, you have to give it a try.  The artists are punctual, friendly and very talented.  I was super pleased and would use them again.  They show up right to your door and you can get beautified in the comfort of your own home!  Brilliant!

I spoke before a few hundred students about what it was like to be a producer, win an Emmy award and write Listful Thinking.  Some of them told me afterwards they were thankful I shared my experience with the  “F word” — failure.  I talked about the ups and downs of my own career and how it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows.  I failed too.  I took two jobs back to back that weren’t good fits for me and I was miserable.  It happens.

TV_EfOWCKPu495J8Gg5MdgZo1uhKEMZlEjSRzSI1SR4I shared that I had gone on a tour of the set of World News Tonight with Peter Jennings when I was about 14 years old thanks to a childhood friend’s dad who worked at ABC.  That Dad became a keystone in my keynote!  He’s the one who got me hooked on the news business and on TV just by opening up his world to me and showing me what he did for a living.  (PS Now we actually work together all these years later!)

His kindness though always stuck with me and I try to do the same for anyone who is interested in what I do.  That’s why being asked to do this Keynote was even more special.  I was able to tell young women who are aspiring journalists, publicists and marketers about my world.  Being able to give back that gift is priceless.

Here’s a small video clip from the event, where I talk about what I wish I had known when I was 21!

A List to Lift Your Spirits This Fall

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bench-560435_1280September is coming to an end and there’s definitely a chill in the air here in New York. It’s that “back to school” weather finally kicking in. My husband Jay hates winter! Around this time of year he starts getting sad about the colder weather and says we need to move to California for some sunshine!

The winter blues aren’t just a feeling – it’s a real problem called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it’s caused by a lack of vitamin d.  So what else can you do to lift your mood this fall? Short of moving to California? Read more

The Perfect Combo: Tea and Productivity

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IMG_6149Last week I held the very first ever ProductiviTEA event at Podunk tea shop in New York City. I’m still beaming from the amazing energy in the room. (Maybe it was the boozy tea too?) The group was a mix from all different backgrounds.  We had lawyers, fashion designers, personal trainers, financial services gurus, productivity coaches and branding experts.

Between sips of delicious tea and bites of yummy scones — it was clear that despite the differences in careers we all shared similar productivity issues.  Some of the problems that popped up included:
1. Focusing on one task at a time (I suggested trying the Pomodoro technique where you work on a IMG_0008given task for a set amount of time — like 25 minutes.)

2. Dealing with email overwhelm (I’ve been there too – I love to sign up for newsletters newsletters,PDFs and free gifts of all kinds.   If there’s a free promo code out there — I want it. All these goodies are delivered right to my inbox and I always have the best intentions to read them all but….the truth is I rarely do anything with that stuff.  I created a system to Take Back My Inbox! For some tips and tricks on that front check out my new course.

3. Stopping your brain from going 100 MPH before bed (Reading a fiction book is a great cure for this. I used to read non-fiction all the time because I’m just so curious and always want to be learning somethinglaura new.  But about a month ago I realized it wasn’t working and switched to fiction. It’s amazing how much it settles you down before bed.)

We also talked about productivity styles and how you have to find out what works for you. I had so much fun helping people with their list and productivity problems and cheer on their successes. I created ListProducer.com to help those who where struggling to get organized – it feels really good to see the effect the blog has on people.  Thanks so all who attended and hopefully we will have a repeat event sometime soon.  I’m even thinking of doing a virtual event so people from all over can participate.

 

Another App Bites the Dust — Wun Wun is Done

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wunwun

If you follow this blog you’ll know that I seem to be cursed when it comes to apps. As soon as I find an app I like, it closes down, or gets bought out. Remember Umano, Astrid, Orchestra SpringPad and CardMunch.

It’s happened again.

I very rarely eat Shake Shack, mainly because they don’t do delivery and aren’t available on Seamless. So for the odd times when I feel like a burger I normally order through Wun Wun.  That’s the delivery service that I’ve told you about in the past and it’s even in my book!  They’ll get whatever you need from a store or restaurant in under an hour.  Perfect.

So you can imagine how disappointed I was when I opened my Wun Wun app to find it had been closed down. Read more

Join Me For Tea!

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ProductiviTEA social media (1)People often assume that coffee is the most productive drink as it helps keeps you going. However while coffee makes you feel more awake, it doesn’t really help you think any better. If you want to get more out of your day I would recommend switching to tea. The lower caffeine content in tea keeps you alert but doesn’t make you jittery. Tea can really start off your whole day in the best way, there are so many different types out there for people to try such as black, green, herbal, matcha, the list is endless!

I also find that making a cup of tea perfectly fills a five-minute break, and gives you a chance to reflect on your work. There have even been studies that show drinking tea will make you more productive.

Join me for ProductiviTEA

To celebrate tea�s contribution to productivity – I am hosting a ProductiviTEA event in New York.

Get it? Tea plus productivity equals ProductiviTEA!

It will be held at Podunk Tea Room in the East Village. We will have a discussion and workshop on how to boost your efficiency, hone your own productivity style and harness the power of downtime.

There will also be a chance to relax and enjoy hot tea, iced tea and boozy tea with scones & jam too!

Tickets to the event are $25 each or $40 for two people. I�m excited to see you there and share a nice cup of tea!