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PR. Public Relations. What is it exactly? Getting yourself seen and heard on television, the radio, in print, and online. How easy is it? Not very, if you’re trying to do it on your own. That’s where Ronica Clearly, Founder/Owner of Clearly Strategies, can help. If you’re a thought leader who’s trying to get in front of a larger audience, or a brand with an intriguing backstory, you’ll want to read this interview...
Read moreTerri DiMatteo is a NJ Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in helping couples and individuals reduce conflict, tension, or disconnect in their relationships, via virtual online therapy sessions. If you’ve ever been curious about what a Licensed Professional Counselor does, how counseling can help you, and you want to learn some simple but effective techniques to…
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Newark Working Kitchens (NWK) was launched in an effort to keep Newark’s local restaurants open and Brick City residents fed. This initiative was powered by Audible, the major online audiobook and podcast service, which has its headquarters in Newark. Just last month, Audible launched a new meal delivery service app, called “NWK Delivers (NWKD).” The app was created to continue and expand the work of Newark Working Kitchens. Aisha Glover, VP of Urban Innovation at Audible…
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Inside Plainfield, NJ’s neighborhood workspace, “from HERE”
Plainfield, NJ entrepreneurs can now get the help they need to make their businesses grow and thrive, thanks to “The Queen City Innovation Hub: Accelerator Program” which will be providing free tools, resources, and other forms of assistance to accepted businesses. The program will run from September 2022 through August 2023…
Read moreBy Sonia Schnee | Posted Saturday, December 18, 2021
For those who don’t know Nancy Cook — you should. Whether she’s rocking out with her band Megasparkle, putting together art shows and events, making dresses by hand, or uncovering fabulous vintage items, one thing is for certain: Nancy is always on the go. Her vintage clothing and accessory business, Crash Doll Vintage, is the place to go if you’re looking for that rare, stylish vintage piece to add to your growing wardrobe. (If you’re in NYC, check out the Crash Doll Vintage pop-up at 340 E 64th Street, now through January 16, 2022.) Learn all about Nancy’s fashionable beginnings, what it was like to start a business during COVID, and how to shop Crash Doll Vintage online, in our interview below.
Nancy Cook, modeling a sweet 1940’s pink knit shirt sleeve top. Available on Etsy.
I started Crash Doll Vintage one week after COVID started, in March of 2020. What spurred me into starting a business was the fact that I couldn’t keep any of my jobs in small business or do event planning, and I've always loved vintage clothing.
I've been collecting vintage clothing since I was 15-years-old. I used to ask my mom to drive me to stores that I liked, and I used to be like, "There's this really great store in Montclair, I need to go check out the vintage clothes." I was also really fascinated with flea markets and estate sales, stuff like that when I was a kid, all the little treasures that you could find that all had a previous story. I think the first little antique things that I got were from my next-door neighbor, Mrs. Earl. When I was four-years-old, she invited me into her attic and she gave me a little tiny rubber ball and a little spider, and I was like, "Oh!" I kept that little rubber ball and spider forever. Recently, I learned that she did this numerous times and in fact gave me her diary. I wish I still had it.
I had decided to start the business one week into COVID because I wasn't going to be working at Maplewood Mercantile. I couldn't work there (due to the pandemic). I had gotten a job as an event assistant in floral design helping out at weddings, but I never actually got to do that because all the weddings got canceled. I put on music shows and I couldn't do that and all these pop-ups and event planning. I was like, "OK, what the heck am I going to do? I can't just sit around and do nothing." So I started Crash Doll Vintage seven days after the pandemic hit!
📣 Crash Doll Vintage now has a logo! Thank you to Kelly @studiopamplemousse for working with me to create this pop art logo! It’s come full circle now with my theme! ♥️ #design #graphicdesign #crashdollvintage #logodesigns #logo #style #vintageseller #chashama #nycexhibition #unionsquare #newyorkcity #textile #vintagestyle #studiopamplemousse
The name "Crash Doll" was actually something I considered for our band name, Megasparkle, but Thea (Kearney) really didn’t like Crash Doll, and so we didn't use it. We had a really hard time picking a band name. It's actually kind of humorous how much of a hard time we had picking a name that we all could agree on. So yeah, that's how it started.
I used to have these pajamas that had "Babydoll" embroidered by the heart, and I always liked the word "babydoll" and I love babydoll dresses and fashion, so "Doll" kind of came from that. I also had a baby doll when I was little, called Baby Tender Love. I just liked the word "doll.” I think of dolls as something you dress up and I liked the idea of, "I pick out these clothes to dress people up." And "crash", I don't know. "Crash" is just like... I liked the way it sounded together, and I guess it kind of made sense when the whole world sort of came to a halt in the beginning of COVID, so it was like "Crash Doll." It just came together like that.
In the beginning, I used a room divider and then I changed my mind shortly into it and decided to go with the Sonic Youth poster. I just love that album and I love the art behind it.
I like themes. Like, I have these black shorts and I wear the black shorts all the time with a top. Oftentimes, I'll wear the black shorts, which are part of Crash Doll's look. I just think it's really funny and cheeky. I do it seriously, but I also find it a little bit of a comedy/actress sort of thing. It's like I adopt a personality. I put on the sunglasses, which are made by this company called Crap Eyewear, and I'm just like, "OK. I'm Crash Doll now." My mom jokes that when I get famous, the sunglasses are going to be worth like a million dollars.
My logo was designed by Kelly Weiner in Montclair who works at Parcel, and she got it so spot on. I was like, "Holy shit! That's so good!" At first, I was like, "Oh, I'm not smiling" and then… No, I like that I'm not smiling. I look like a tough chick."
Yeah, and it fits in with the Pettibon, the artist who did the Sonic Youth poster was Raymond Pettibon, and so she made me into one of those characters. So it goes with the whole theme.
So I was doing that out of the house, and then in the spring I started doing markets in town, and then I went and did the Springfield Avenue Market in Maplewood. I did the Baker Street Market. I went out to Brooklyn and did the Greenpoint Terminal Market. I got an opportunity at this organization called ChaSaMa. I applied for this space, and I got a pop-up with my art and Crash Doll on 14th Street on December 8th through January 6th, and then they called me up and asked me if I was interested in popping up in Bryant Park, so I did that and I got "The Dolls."
The two girls that model for me, one is named Sophie. I met her at my market on Springfield Avenue. She came running up to me and she was like, "Oh, my God, I want to see if this dress is still here. It's still here! I'm so happy!" and we just started talking and I was like, "What are you doing later?" We became really good friends. She was an au pair in Maplewood for a year, and I was like the first person she met. She's from Manchester. She's the one with the long red hair.
The other girl, Charlotte, her and her mom have always shopped in all the small businesses I've worked out of, and I've always liked them. They're really cool. I asked her to model and she was like, "Yeah, I'll do it." I'm like, "Cool!" So, yeah, they're my dolls. They like being called "The Dolls." It's funny.
I try to get a month or two months ahead. I'm looking into some different places in the city. I think now that things seem to be improving as far as people going out, we feel comfortable going out and shopping. I think they'll be even better attended, and definitely the ones outside. I think that people are getting more comfortable going indoors, so it's good.
I think some people were nervous about coming into my kiosk, so I would say, "Oh, you know, I can step outside and you can go in by yourself if you feel more comfortable" and some people were like, "Oh, yeah, OK." It was kind of a smaller space, whereas 14th St was a 3,000 square feet.
💋Crash Doll Vintage tees $20, crystal necklaces, ice 🧊 blue and clear $40 each , murano glass cuff $95 with swirl and white floral brochure $25 plus 40s purse 👛 from previous post DM to purchase/details #crashdollvintage #crashdollvintagetshirts #muranoglasscuff #brooch #40sstyle logo #logodesigns #boots #gogoboots #loefferrandall
Clothing, jewelry, shoes, purses. The focus right now is the 1920s through the '90s. I probably have most of my pieces from the '60s to the '90s. There's a few things that will pop up from the '40s and '50s and the '20s and ‘30s.
I source it from all different places. I also have a few people who I consign with. There's a woman I met, Eileen. She came into my pop-up and she has a huge studio full of vintage, and she just lets me go in there and select whatever I want and if someone purchases it, then we split it. She's been a real asset to my business and she is just really wonderful.
I feel like I've had a lot of luck, and I feel really blessed with the opportunities that have come my way and the people who I've met along the way. It's been a lot of fun.
I think, "What if I didn't decide to do this, what would it have been like for me?" I think I really would have gotten down. I need to be active and out there and engaging with people and have projects. I tend to kind of be a multitasker. I guess I like to have my hands on a lot of creative things. It makes me happy. This has been a really great focus for me.
I sew and knit. So if I get a vintage piece that needs mending, I can mend it, so I can use my sewing skills that way. Sometimes when I do the markets, I'll bring my handmade items because I have handmade clothes and knitwear. I do that, too.
I'm doing a capsule collection for this company called Hearth in Australia, knitting sweaters and hats and scarves for her. Where do I find all the time to do that? I don't know. On the train. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, it'll be like four in the morning, I'm like, "I'll do a few stitches now."
I had another small business called Wool and Violets that was handmade kids clothes and women's and children's knitwear.
Usually, people are very excited and they're like, "Oh my God! I really like the stuff that you've curated!” People have told me that it's very "me" and that I have my own kind of approach to it.
At one point I was just like, "Oh, you know, there's so many people doing vintage clothes. I don't know how I'm going to compete with all them" and someone said “You don't have to compete with anybody. You bring your own style to it and your style is different than everyone else's." So that's absolutely 100 percent true. It's my brand and carefully curated. I would wear most of the pieces in my collection.
I've gotten some really, really glowing reviews. Like this one girl in NY told me, "You're the coolest girl I've ever met." I was like, "What?!" Haha.
I had another girl that bought a dress from me that she's going to wear for her wedding. So that was a big compliment, that she found to dress in my collection that she wanted to wear to get married. I was like, "Oh, my God, this is so exciting." She was telling me that and she doesn't really care that about the guy seeing the dress, this whole myth, like, "Oh, he shouldn't see the dress. That is bad luck." She brought the dress home and she had my business card, and her fiancé went and looked at the dress and texted me and he was like, "Hey, I couldn't help it. I peeked. I found the dress. I absolutely love it." I was like, "Oh, my God. You guys made my day! You have to send me a photo when you get married in May" and he's like, "I absolutely will." That was like a huge compliment.
Then there's people that keep coming back, the repeat customers, that just keep supporting me, the people that are every day showing up for me on Instagram. They're always liking my posts and being my cheerleaders and supporters. Some I know, some I don't know. Some are really good friends of mine, some acquaintances, some are strangers. So, I mean, it's really nice to see that and have that kind of support.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I used to go into these shops. Two of them were on Bloomfield Avenue and then there were a couple on a side street near the record shop. I forget the name of the street, but they were mostly in Montclair. Then in my college years, I started driving out to the Newark Salvation Army. I would go to Red, White and Blue in Paterson. I started going to flea markets more around that time. I've been thrifting and vintage shopping for years and I always loved clothes.
In fact, when I lived in my parents' house, I had two really huge closets, but then that wasn't enough. It's really a problem! So then I had my friend Arnold, who has passed away, but he built me a clothing rack because I needed more space for clothes.
Now, it's pretty much the same. My upstairs closets are filled to the brim and the attic, my bedroom closets are filled to the brim. I have an armoire and then I have four racks of vintage clothes. Two of them are at the store and two of them are in my hallway here. But, you know, everybody seems to roll with me, so no one's kicked me out of the house quite yet. Ha!
When I was in kindergarten in Bloomfield, I was adamant about what I would wear, and I would have little dresses and skirts on all the time, miniskirts and minidresses, and my tights would be falling down and I'd be pulling them, pulling and tugging at my tights and fixing my skirts and dresses and telling my mom that she had to walk, like, six feet behind me. She wasn't allowed to go with me. I had to do everything myself. It was going to be my way.
My mom likes to tell this story. On my first birthday, she had three different dresses that she put me on throughout the day, and one I ripped, crawling, and one I got chocolate cake on, but she said she was really happy that happened because then she got to change my outfit and I got to wear three pretty dresses. She's not into fashion, my mom, but she liked dressing me when I was little. But then she didn't have any say by the time I was, like, three probably.
I kind of curate for the individual pop-up. For Mada, it was the spring-summer capsule collection, so it was just pieces that would work for spring and summer, and there were bathing suits and cover-ups and a couple of vintage t-shirts.
Most of my pieces I think are on the dressier side because that's who I am. I don't do vintage jeans. I have like maybe two pairs of pants. I don't really do pants because I don't really wear pants myself that much. So the clothes that I pick and carry are representative of the style I am, for the most part. It's like skirts, dresses, tops, vintage bathing suits, jewelry, purses, the Crash Doll Vintage logo tees.
Another thing I like and this is sort of catching, I think more people are doing it, I like wearing slips out not under. You can take a vintage slip dress and wear it with a t-shirt or put a cardigan over it. I did that when I was in college. I used to wear a vintage slip with a blazer. So I haven't changed since I was 20, so. Haha.
It works! I mean, Marc Jacobs makes slip dresses, and the '90s were all about slip dresses. Courtney Love wore slip dresses. I think most people my age are kind of, like, stuck in that time period, in the '90s.
Yeah, and I love the '60s. I LOVE the ‘60s. Not like the hippie-dippy. I'm too much of a punk to accept the hippie. I can't. I like punk music and hardcore music and indie and new wave and all of that stuff, but no Grateful Dead. None of that. No, no. Ha!
Yeah, you're not going to find anything like that [at Crash Doll]. But I love Godard, you know, the French [filmmaker]. That style, like mid-'60s and Twiggy minidress and that kind of stuff. That's me. I love miniskirts and minidresses. That's never going to change. I think I'll like them when I'm 80. I don't know if I'll still be wearing them when I'm 80, but if I look good, I might be.
Everybody can laugh at me. Haha. You know, there's people who say, “You can't dress a certain way at a certain age.” I don't believe that. I think if you feel good and you look good in it, then you should wear it, absolutely.
It's important. It's important to me because I feel more comfortable dressed up. Like today, I was actually in my gym clothes for a long time, but I really hate being in gym clothes. I don't really like going out and doing things in gym clothes. That bothers me. Even when my kids were little, I was dropping them off at preschool and I would have my gym clothes underneath a nice outfit, and then I would like take it off when I got to the gym, [and then] put it back on. I just don't like it. I just don't feel comfortable, you know? But I won't wear a dress to the gym.
There used to be this guy at the gym that would wear his button-down shirt and fancy pants, and he'd exercise like that before he went to work and I was like, "Wow, my gosh." I was kind of like, "What a weirdo. I can't relate," but now that I think about it and what I'm saying to you right now, he really wasn't comfortable in that! Maybe he's not a weirdo after all! We should accept that guy.
He was just on the exercise bike, which was funny.
People are characters.
The more wacky a person... Like, I tend to gravitate towards other artsy types, and I have friends that aren't all my age, which I also think is really important, to keep life exciting. Like, if I only hung out with people my own age, I think I would go crazy.
When I was younger, I was in a poetry group and it was five of us and there were two 22-year-olds, two women in their 40s, and one 80-year-old, and out of everybody, the 80-year-old was the coolest. She was the best. She was cooler than any of us. For real.
With Crash Doll, I've sold to young kids and up to women in their 70s. One of my repeat customers, I don't actually know her age, but I am going to guess that she's in her 70s, early-70s, late-60s.
I have had models shop and buy my things in the city.
And then little kids will come up and buy a silk neck scarf and I think, "This is probably the first vintage piece they bought" and I just think, "Am I starting a whole new thing for them?" That's exciting, too.
I probably saw the store, was just really curious about it, and cinema may have had some part in it, just being drawn to movie actresses and looks. Probably fashion magazines, too, because I was always buying fashion magazines as a teenager. Music, too. Music and fashion kind of go together.
Finding unique pieces. It's like, you didn't just get this at the store and somebody else could be showing up for the same thing. It's something different that nobody else can get, unless they can, because sometimes you'll find the same vintage thing and sometimes you'll find it three times, which is really bizarre.
Yeah. People will connect with me about things that they have, that they want to see if I want to buy.
People do ask all the time, and it's cool. It's fun. I like hearing people's stories, and people are always telling me their stories, like, "Oh my God, I had a purse just like that and I lost it and it was just so sad. I'm so glad you have one because now I can have it again!"
I think I might bring in some sunglasses and some other kinds of accessories. I definitely do want to try and get my hands on some vintage sunglasses because they work really well for me, and I was thinking about trying to do a few more casual kinds of pieces because most of my stuff is really dressy. I noticed lately that skirts are selling really well. So I want to try and find some cute vintage skirts and tops and gauzy cotton dresses. I might try to do some jean shorts, too.
I think maybe it would be kind of cool if I designed something. I have t-shirts, but I was thinking maybe of taking the logo and doing something else with it, but I'm not quite sure yet.
I did my first vintage styling. That was a lot of fun. I turned this actress into a singer-songwriter that's really obscure from the 1950s. Her name is Connie Converse. My friend is a photographer and asked me to style her. So I did the wardrobe and props styling and it was really fun. I had to pick out all the outfits and everything fit her perfectly. It was amazing. She was just like, “I can't believe it. This fits me perfectly!” I'm like, “Yep. I know what I'm doing!”
I really enjoy it and I thought it was a lot of fun. I like the challenge of finding the pieces that would work to create this character. I had pretty much all the props. It was like the night before. “Do you have a suitcase from the 1960s?” I'm like, “Yeah.” “Do you have a telephone that would have been used in the ‘60s and ‘70s?” I'm like, “Yeah, yeah.”
We started in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and we went all the way up to Nyack to this guy who had all these Volkswagen Bugs, and we borrowed one of the Bugs for the last part of the shoot because she disappeared in 1974 and drove away in her Volkswagen Bug and nobody ever heard from her again. So that was the last thing we shot.
I have some selected items on Etsy under “Crash Doll Vintage” and on Facebook and Instagram.
If people have any questions for me, reach out. Even if it’s just about things like repairing vintage, because I do that, too. That’s part of the job, cleaning it or repairing it. I don't necessarily offer it [as part of my business], but I mean, as I collect pieces, sometimes they'll be missing a button, and sometimes I think that something will look better if it's hemmed or just tweaked a little bit. Mostly a lot of the alterations I've been doing are on my own pieces.
I’m also open to people if they have something in their mind that they can't find. Like, I have a little list going on. Michelle from Bone Pool Radio, she was like, “Oh, if you ever come across a red kimono with a dragon on the back, let me know.” I like knowing what people are looking out for.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2019
“Motherhood can be challenging” is an understatement. For those who are new moms themselves, or have friends who are new moms, empowerment, wellness, and mindfulness are important things to remember to embrace. That’s where Stephanie Sackerman comes in. Stephanie is a Certified Wellness Coach and Certified Mindfulness Teacher and Founder of LiveLoveBeWell Wellness Coaching, LLC, and she’s on a mission to help moms “reduce stress, practice self-care, increase their self-love, and live life mindfully.” Check out our interview with Stephanie, below, to learn about what inspired her journey and how she’s making the world a better place by helping one mom at a time.
My name is Stephanie Sackerman, and I am a proud Jersey girl, living in Morris Plains.
I became a Wellness Coach, focusing on Mom empowerment, after I became a mother and realized just how challenging motherhood can be. To be honest, I felt really alone-especially the first few months of motherhood. Everywhere I looked, it seemed like moms had it together, and I wondered if maybe I was the only one struggling. Turns out, we all struggle—at different times and about different things—but many of us feel like we’re the only one going through it. As you may have surmised, moms—oftentimes new moms but also veteran moms—are the people I love to work with! I provide one-on-one coaching sessions which are completely individualized and focused on whatever challenge that mom is facing and whatever goals she has for herself. Additionally, I co-lead a weekly MindfulMoms™ meet-up group at The Avalon Wellness Center in Morristown, and I also love teaching moms at my various workshops.
My background is actually in Education. I taught middle schoolers to read and write for ten years before having my son. After becoming a mom, I struggled with postpartum anxiety and had to go on my own journey to get healthy. It’s funny but at 32, I’m the healthiest and happiest that I’ve been, but my definitions of both have changed. Motherhood was the catalyst for me to learn some of the most difficult but also the most important lessons about life, happiness, and myself, and after I learned them, I wanted to teach others. We can’t change our past, but we can share our journeys and what we’ve learned in an effort to help others.
I think that what sets a Wellness Coach apart from other coaches is how we view overall well-being, which is 360. What I mean by that is that everything is connected. If we’re stressed, it’s impacting so many other areas of our lives: our relationships with others, our relationship with ourselves, how we’re sleeping, how we’re caring for ourselves, maybe our spirituality…the list goes on! When I was at my lowest, every part of myself and my life was impacted, and when I started to nurture myself and love myself, everything shifted. I love working with moms because we are literally connected to everyone. When we’re not at our best, everyone feels it, but when we’re flourishing, the whole house feels good.
Every Wellness Coach has their own niche. Mine is to empower moms to find a balance in their lives, so they can care for themselves, love themselves, believe in themselves, be their authentic selves, and ultimately enjoy their motherhood and their lives because they deserve to!
I would say, figure out your why. When you’re feeling defeated or doubting yourself, say it over and over again. Let it rebuild you. Let it motivate you. Let it open the door for you to create the life you love.
I’m truly honored to have the chance to share a little bit about myself with you, so thank you for this opportunity. For any moms out there who are going through a tough time, please know that you’re not alone. As mothers, we can experience a wide spectrum of emotions and symptoms—especially postpartum. Always be sure to share what you’re experiencing with your doctor.
You can learn a little bit more about me, what I do, and how to schedule your complimentary Connection & Reflection phone session, and read my blog by visiting my website: www.LLBWC.com. I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram @livelovebewell, and you can find LiveLoveBeWell Wellness & Mindfulness Coaching on Facebook!
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, September 30, 2019
My name is Alex Giordano. I'm from Wharton, New Jersey, and I've been in the hair industry for about 20-something years. I can't tell you really how old I am. That's a secret!
I am the Salon Manager, overseeing several employees here, making sure everything's kept nice and clean and making sure that the customers who come in are completely satisfied when they leave.
Salon Manager Alex Giordano (left) with Owner Scott Pringle (right).
I've always loved it as a kid. Literally I used to take my sister's Barbie dolls and cut their hair. I would take Kool-Aid and try to dye their hair and everything and be like, "Look I created a new style!" I remember when I was about 7-years-old we had a family friend over, and I told her I was going to cut her hair and make her look like Kermit the Frog -- don't ask me what I was thinking! -- but her parents could have killed the both of us, and my parents of course could have killed me. I've always loved doing hair.
When I was a freshman in high school, my parents sent me to South America because that's where they're from -- Montevideo, Uruguay. I studied cosmetology there. So, I got my license first in South America when I was 15-years-old, and then I came back here and continued my education. Unfortunately, they didn't accept my hours from another country so I had to go back to cosmetology school here. So I pretty much have been licensed twice already.
You never stop learning in this business. Every day you learn something from everyone. All different walks of life and everything. It's a great business. I love doing what I do.
What drew me to Bishops was empowering people to be whoever they want to be, judgment-free. I think that in this day and age, in order to go places and make it further in life you have to look straight ahead and not worry about what your neighbors are doing as long as they're not harming anyone. Just be proud of who YOU are individually and focus on yourself and you'll make it to better places in life. That's what drew me into Bishops, as well as letting people express who they are.
In this business, people fail to realize that when you're a cosmetologist, when you're a hair stylist, when you're a barber, self-expression is definitely key because it's an art. We're not robots. We don't come here and say everyone's going to get the same exact haircut and this how we're cutting it. No. We use our art, and we have a vision. Most people who do hair are very artistic.
I tend to look at us as hair doctors. You don't go into doctor's office and say, "Hey, my tummy hurts, I'll take like 20 Advil prescription, and I'll take some antibiotics, and I'll come back when I feel better or I'll come back if I don't feel better.” No. You go in there. You get your consultation like we do. What's the problem (we want to know what's going on), followed by your prescription after you're being checked out, so we perform the service (that's you being checked out by the doctor), then you're given a prescription. When you're given that prescription, that's us giving you or recommending you products to make sure you upkeep or recreate the look.
How many times do you go to a salon, you get a fabulous hairstyle, and you leave and the next day you're like, "Oh man, what did I do? Why does it not look as good as yesterday?" So we teach you to recreate that style. We teach you how to take care and upkeep your hair, and then we give you a date to come back, just like a doctor would, so come back and see me in about three to four weeks and we'll follow up and see how everything's coming along.
I think Denville is very family-oriented, but it's also very trendy. It's beautiful out here. I think that everyone's cheerful and happy. It's definitely a great place to visit. Especially the strips. Come out, check out all the mom and pop shops or the businesses around here. I think it's a great place to be. People are amazing around here.
I say, never give up. Like any job, you're going to be faced with hardships. There's going to be some days that you wish you never did what you did, but don't lose that passion ever because as soon as you lose that passion or you stop enjoying what you do, you kind of lose the momentum or the hope in growing within that career path. So don't ever give up, just always keep looking forward. We're not perfect and we all make mistakes. Don't let that be your judgement call of where you'll be standing tomorrow.
I've always said that I wanted to deliver "a million dollar style on a budget," and that's my personal theory. It always has been. I know that not everyone has tons and tons of money to get their hair done, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't give them the same style they would if they would have went to 5th Avenue in New York to an upscale salon. I'm going to give you an amazing style, an amazing hair color, an amazing fade or a beard trim or straight razor shave, and I'm going to make you feel like you were just pampered in somewhere that you paid a million dollars for that style even though you're paying on a budget. No one has that money this day and age to just go and throw out all this money. A lot of people are doing their hair themselves, getting boxed colors at a store, or trimming their hair themselves. I feel like you shouldn't have to do that. Everyone deserves to be pampered. You owe it to yourself and you deserve it. We all deserve to kick back and have a break every now and again. I want people to feel amazing. I want people to walk out of here and feel like a million bucks.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, September 23, 2019
On April 27, 2019, Bishops Cuts & Color, a new hair salon/barbershop, opened its doors in Denville, NJ. It is LGBTQ-led, and charges based on hair length, rather than male vs. female pricing. Bishops is a franchise that has been steadily expanding from its home base in Portland, Oregon. The Bishops shop in Denville is run by Scott Pringle, who is originally from South Africa and was drawn to Bishops for its inclusive philosophy and culture. Learn more about Bishops in our interview with Scott, below, and do visit the shop at 33 Broadway in Denville!
Scott Pringle. I'm the Co-owner here of Bishops Cuts & Color which is a new hair shop in Denville, New Jersey. I'm South African originally and my wife, who's the co-owner, is born in Hong Kong but she's Irish. So a very interesting combination. We've travelled the world. We've lived in 13 different countries between us, so I know a lot about different experiences, different levels of customer service, etc. That's one of the many things which interested us in joining Bishops and opening a hair shop.
Owner Scott Pringle (far right) with salon Manager Alex Giordano (middle) and Co-owner Siobhan Pringle (left).
We both have lived here for at least 10 years, and we wanted to open up our own business, so we looked at franchise opportunities. Bishops is a franchise. We worked with a franchise consultant to get the best fit for us. After like a year of negotiation, we settled on Bishops, which is a franchise originally from Portland, Oregon. It started in 2001, started franchising about three years ago, and now 50 shops are open in about 17 different states, and in two years time there'll be about 200 different shops. So it's small but growing rapidly.
A couple of things. First of all, it's more than just a haircut. It's an experience. And that's what sold us. It's the people who are there, in terms of their style, the way they lead the team. It is LGBTQ-led, and because of that it's very open and inclusive. The whole environment is something that we really enjoyed -- accepting for everyone, judgment-free, etc…
It is a unisex hair shop, so we don't differentiate on male vs. female. It's more mindset and the inclusive mentality of someone who wants a great hair service at an affordable price. Part of the philosophy originally was "a cheap haircut was bad, and a good haircut was expensive." We tried to change that in terms of affordable hair services. Great service, great product at affordable prices.
All our pricing is based on length of hair and how long it takes to do the service rather than male vs. female pricing. It's based on buzz cut, short cut, long cut. So if you're a lady with a pixie cut, you'd probably get away with a $29 short haircut. The other different thing about Bishops is it's a-la-carte pricing, which means you pay for each thing that you choose . If you just want a haircut, it's either $29 for a short or $35 for long, and then if you add a shampoo you add $5 as an add on, and if you add a style you add $20 as an add on. So a-la-carte pricing, you choose what you want and you tailor the experience.
Apart from all the haircuts, we do color, highlights, style blow outs. For the men, there are straight razor shaves. Just about everything except extensions is offered at Bishops.
Bishops is founded on arts and music. It's about the whole great experience, not just a transaction. There are music speakers in the shop. There's actually two murals in the shop. It's regionalized for the region. One is "You Look Good" and the other one is "Different Together," which is a 3D-style effect of spray painting. A guy based in the city has come out and done it especially for us.
We think we'll have a wider circle of appeal than most shops just because of our philosophy about "being for everyone." "Everyone is welcome" is linked to our philosophy. We are also linked to "safe in my chair" which means that everyone is accepted and welcome. We belong to an organization called Strands for Trans, in which all trans people are made to feel welcome, and everyone is.
We want people to walk in and feel at home, feel the vibe, feel the energy, and just immediately feel at home and comfortable. Beyond that, they need to walk out with a great hair experience, great haircut, great color, great highlights, whatever it is that they want. If they get the great products at an affordable price together with experience, we feel that's the sweet spot for us.
We are on Facebook and on Instagram. We have a small but growing digital presence. We also do a lot of more conventional advertising in print media through coupons, and we are doing a lot of what we call "boots on the ground," handing out cards to potential customers, trying to build loyalty, offering a lot of 50% off discounts for your first hair service or your first blow out or style. So, trying to build loyalty and awareness and showing people what a great experience and a great service we can offer.
We are open seven days a week. We're here whenever you need us. Most days we are open 10am-8pm Monday through Friday, Saturday 9am-7pm, and also Sunday 10am-5pm. So there'll hopefully be a time that suits everyone.
Find something that really appeals to you, from a values point of view. It is a lot of hard work. There's a lot of investment in time and money. The philosophy and the values and what Bishops stands for -- and especially what we need in this area, in this country right now in terms of openness and acceptance for all -- THAT’S what drives and inspires me. So, find something that's linked to your values, primarily.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, September 23, 2019
Have you ever known someone who has experienced a tragedy, or maybe is recovering from a surgery, or just simply could use a helping hand? Have you ever wanted to step in and help them, but weren’t sure what was the “right” thing to do? Meet Elisa Udaskin. Elisa is the Founder and CEO of Caring Organizer, a website that lets friends, family, and strangers coordinate schedules so they can send meals to those in need.
My name is Elisa Udaskin. I'm originally from Toronto, Canada. I was working for Kraft Foods. They moved us to New Jersey 11 years ago. I didn't really know anything about New Jersey, and I was just amazed by how beautiful it is. I moved to Morristown, and I was just amazed by the trees and the parks. I love it here. Then, four or five years ago, Kraft Foods asked me to lead a team in Singapore, and so we moved to Singapore for two years and had a great experience, and then we moved back to New Jersey.
Caring Organizer is a website that I developed. We have free online tools and helpful tips to make it easy for people to help other people in times of need. There are practical tools that you can take advantage of to help others when someone has either passed away in their family, or they've recovered from a surgery, or they're sick, etc..
The target audience are people who generally help other people. There's always going to be that person -- maybe it's also that person who organizes barbecues or the family gatherings or volunteers at the school -- people who know to get out of their comfort zone and reach out to help other people.
I worked at Kraft Foods for 20 years in marketing leadership roles, and while I was working I always volunteered on the side and did a lot of side gigs within the company. Whenever there was an opportunity to organize the employees to volunteer at a food bank or a food pantry, to do things to give back, that was always my passion. I decided that after 20 years, I really wanted to incorporate that into my everyday life. I've always had a dream to start a social business -- I read a lot about social businesses -- and I just always wanted to do something, so I finally just took the leap.
What I found from my experiences is that food is actually universal in bringing comfort. It transcends all cultures and religions. People like to bring food when you want to support someone else, and especially when you're going through one of these types of situations that are difficult. For example, a neighbor of mine just had a double hip replacement, so we neighbors all got together and organized a schedule of sending in food because that's one less thing that she has to think -- cooking for her family. Another neighbor lost her brother and has two small kids. By us sending in meals, it was one less thing that she didn't have to think about. Sending food provides comfort and also just really helps alleviate all the stress that comes along with all the other things going on.
Anyone in any city can use the website. We are working on rolling out our directory into different cities. It's all mobile-friendly. 70 percent of people are using a mobile device when they sign up to send in meals. It actually only takes a few minutes to set up the Meal Scheduler. You can then share it on social media. You can text it. People find a date to send in a meal (they can pick a place from our directory, or any other place that they want), and sign up. You do have to call the restaurant yourself to make the order. We're just the scheduling/organizing piece of it.
The local directory is simply suggestions for places, but you can really order or send a homemade meal from anywhere you want. For example, we just had a family whose son is ill, and I would say about half of the people who are sending in meals are making homemade ones. So, it's a very, very flexible website, with flexible tools.
The intention is to make it easy for people. It eliminates all of that back and forth of the text and the e-mails and the phone calls about, "Should I bring chicken or bring salmon? Should I send it on Tuesday or Wednesday?" It takes out all of those logistics questions, so that when you want to talk to the person who's experiencing difficult times, you can just say "how are you" and focus the conversation on that. You don't have to ask them all the details of what you can do to help them. It helps to streamline all of that.
My advice is always if you're thinking it, don't hesitate. You're going to know the situation, and if you're feeling uncomfortable or hesitant about know bothering the person, which we hear a lot, send a message. Don't expect a reply right away because the person may not be in the right frame of mind your reply but they surely will feel loved and supported. And often it's when people you don't expect to hear from that when you do, it's an amazing feeling. So, I would just say that you're never going to do anything wrong. You just have to have the courage and be brave to reach out and do something, even if it is just sending a card in the mail or sending a private message on Facebook, or texting. Do something to show that you care.
The first thing is that it's incredibly scary. Changing your career completely is always scary, and also going from financial stability to doing a startup is extremely scary. My advice is, you look at ways that you can cut back your expenses and get yourself ready to do it. It's just really important to understand that you're going to have tradeoffs. When you're going on an entrepreneurial journey there's going to be a lot of tradeoffs, and there are going be so many ups and downs -- like, so many ups and downs. But if you're truly passionate, you are just going to be happier and, hopefully, successful will follow.
Public speaking is definitely something that I want to start doing. My whole mission is to encourage people to help other people. I would love to be able to have a speaking opportunity to be able to relay my message. I could talk about things, like, why do we hesitate to reach out to others? I'm starting to think about writing a speech for that. Things you can do to support people. I have a whole bunch of topics.
~
You can also follow Caring Organizer on Facebook and Instagram.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Tuesday, September 17, 2019
My name is Steve Guttman. I was born in Newark, NJ and live in Morris Plains, NJ now.
I am a Mind Body Health/Wellness Life Coach, Integrative Personal Trainer, Massage/Energy Therapist. I am the owner, CEO of Mind Body Dynamics, a personal wellness company. I help shift/transform the mental, physical, emotional health and wellness of my clients for the better through my various fitness wellness services.
One-on-one personal training with Steve.
My services include Personal Training, Yoga, Qi Gong, Meditation, Mindfulness Training, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Stress Management training, meal planning, nutritional guidance, massage, energy therapy and more.
My clientele range from the busy business professional, to the stay at home mom or dad, to a teenager, child, baby boomer or senior adult. My client might be an athlete or a person with disabilities.
Meditation session with Steve.
My versatility and varied experience. Given the fact that I have my education as a Personal Trainer as well as that of a Yoga, Qi Gong, Meditation teacher, clinical hypnotherapist, NLP and E.F.T. practitioner gives me a wide range of modalities to use for their overall health, fitness, wellness. When we add in my background of 35 plus years as a Massage Energy therapist, and as a professional trained in weight management and sports nutrition combined with my overall fitness background, I can serve people in even more ways. Finally, with my experience of 40 plus years working with children, people with disabilities and senior adults I am really blessed with the opportunities to make a positive impact on many people.
I am a 59-year-old single father of 16-year-old son, Dylan — best kid in the world! My inspiration is my late mother, Elaine, who was very involved her whole life with her dedication in making a positive impact through selfless service with the people around her. As a child with numerous learning disabilities as there were thoughts of me being possibly developmentally disabled, I think I learned the qualities of empathy and compassion early on.
Along with that, I had other early influences in reference to health, fitness. As a 12-year-old in sleep way camp I was exposed to Yoga and loved it. At age 16 my older sister got me to trade shoulder massages with her and loved the idea of making her, other family members, friends and girlfriends feel good. My older brother got me into working out, so this all became a way of life.
I am inspired through my son Dylan to be the best dad and role model that I possibly can.
Additionally speaking, I can think of fitness icons such as Jack Lalanne, Joseph Pilates, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many others who have helped shape the landscape of fitness.
Beyond that, I think of leaders such as Henry David Thoreau, Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. who held very high ideals in making an impact on society.
Finally, I am inspired by such positivity people as Tony Robbins, Werner Erhard, Dan Milliman and Dr. Wayne Dryer among others.
As far as collaborating with, I seek out other wellness professionals that I can be complimentary with such as Chiropractors, mental health professionals and acupuncturists, among others.
Be sure to love what you do and the positive impact it can make on people. Learn as much as you can, from as many people that you can, and of course read as much as you can. Knowledge is power! Be confidant and yet humble and realize that what you know is just the tip of the iceberg! Enjoy life, learn from mistakes and in fact welcome them. Lastly, come from a place of gratitude, acceptance and appreciation.
My website is www.mindbodydyn.com. They can find me via Facebook, LinkedIn, and just recently Instagram.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, December 3, 2018
Has anyone ever asked you, “Do you want to go floating?” If so, you’ve probably asked, “Well, what do you mean by ‘floating?’” Quantum Floats in Bedminster, NJ is a place where you can do exactly as it sounds — float, in a warm, dark, quiet place. If meditation, relaxation, and getting in touch with your innermost thoughts are your kind of thing, it’s worth checking out — and probably different than any other experience you’ve had so far. Enjoy our interview with Quantum Floats owner Ken Kaplan. Learn about what inspired him to start a float center, the various benefits of floating, and enjoy some holiday discounts in the links below.
KEN KAPLAN: I’m Ken Kaplan. I was born in Flushing, New York. My wife Maria and I have spent the last 30 years living in Bridgewater, NJ.
I’ve been a corporate (business) lawyer for 30 years. In 2013, my partner Glenn Williams and I co-founded the law firm of Kaplan, Williams and Graffeo – a business law firm based in Morristown, NJ. Shortly after that, my cousin Brian Graffeo joined the firm as a partner.
It may sound cliché, but our law firm is unique in the way we interact with our clients to help them achieve their goals and objectives. As a breed, lawyers are taught to be risk adverse. Lawyers tend to be good at spotting issues, but often shy away from proposing solutions. Lawyers often think it is not their province to step into the role of solution provider, especially when the solution requires that they leave the comfort zone of issue spotting and take on the role of business advisor. That kind of lawyer is a rare breed. The lawyers at Kaplan Williams are solution providers. That search for solutions is the same driving force that led me to open Quantum Floats in 2015. Quantum Floats is a floatation tank center located in Bedminster, NJ.
Our mission is to relieve stress in the community, especially the business community. At first glance, the law business and the float business may seem unrelated. In fact, floating can have a profoundly beneficial impact on business. People engage in the same behavior patterns over and over again. Those patterns are driven by thoughts below the level of conscious awareness. Yet, those thoughts are the primary contributors to whether or not we achieve our goals and objectives. Floating allows a person to examine those deeper thoughts, and the workshops and seminars we offer at Quantum Floats take the floating experience much further by showing our clients how to change those patterns so that they can better express who they are.
What we try to do at Quantum Floats is help our clients understand that whatever emotions, feelings or thoughts come up for them is self-generated and not caused by forces outside of their control. While we do have to constantly navigate the outside world, we’re in the driver’s seat in terms of how we react to those external experiences. That’s a great thing because once people start to see that, they can start to change their patterns of behavior and get rid of the anger or stress or anxiety they experience. Quantum Floats exists so that people can do just that.
Floating relieves stress. Our clients often comment that they are more relaxed and that they bring that relaxation with them outside of their float experience to their jobs and personal lives. From a scientific perspective, the relaxation our clients experience has to do with the adjustment of thoughts below the level of feelings. Those deeper thoughts are the ones that generate the stress people experience in their lives. The ability to access and adjust those thoughts is what makes floating such a powerful modality for relieving stress.
For our clients who want to take the experience further, we offer one-of-a-kind workshops and seminars where clients learn how to improve the way they think and communicate, which helps them accomplish the professional and personal goals they set for themselves.
My experience with floating has made a huge impact on my life. I first heard about it in 2011 at a business networking event. I figured I’d give it a try. Up to that time, I had tried an assortment of conventional and non-conventional modalities to deal with stress. Most of them helped, but they seemed to fall short of getting to the root cause of the stress. There weren’t many float centers around at that time, but I found a woman who had a float tank in her house. It seemed strange at first because I had never even seen a float tank, and my first reaction was “why would I ever want to spend an hour floating in water?” Yet, after just a few sessions, I knew I was on to something.
Floating is like meditation on steroids. It’s like taking an elevator down to the depths of thought – the very place where our stress arises.
I remember coming out of the float tank very relaxed, and I also remember taking that relaxation with me home and into work. But the experience was still vague to me. I didn’t know what the experience was about, much less what I could do with it to address the stress I was experiencing all the time. I lacked an understanding of how thought works.
Around that time I met John Worthington, who in the early 1970’s opened up one of the very first float centers in the country. John’s an interesting guy. He knows as much about thought as anyone I’ve ever met, and he’s taken that understanding and put it together in a series of workshops and seminars where people can change their lives. I know, that’s a big statement, but it’s true. We hold ourselves back by thought patterns we’ve been running since a very young age. We offer these seminars now at Quantum. I’ll tell you this with absolute conviction that while anyone can learn skills to modify thought, not everyone wants to. It’s work, and the work often involves comes face to face with evasions and denials.
I’m looking for businesses and people that have the conviction and tenacity to make profound changes in their lives.
I’d tell them that most of the good things in life require hard work and that hard work pays off in rewards. The work we do here at Quantum pays off in rewards in the form of better relationships and in the form of being able to better express who you really are. Sometimes we assume that the people we admire most had an easy path to where they are now. Most often, that is not the case. Successful people have the drive to pick themselves up when they fall, no matter how many times they fall. Those falls are just lessons. It is useful to keep this in mind if you’re the kind of person who wants to improve your life by changing the way you think about things.
We’re running a holiday promotion at Quantum Floats to introduce people to floating. We’re offering single floats and gift certificates at $65 (reduced from $85) and we’re offering a 3-float package for $175 (reduced from $255). We’re also offering $100 off our Introduction to the Art of Rewriting workshop – now $499 (reduced from $599).
You can find us in any of the following ways:
By stopping in at our facility: Bedminster Medical Plaza, 1 Robertson Drive, Suite 13, Bedminster, NJ
By calling to book an appointment or schedule a tour: (973) 782-3227
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quantumfloats/
On Twitter: @Quantum Floats
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantum_floats/
Or by downloading the “Quantum Floats” app in the App Store or on Google Play.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Northern New Jersey wardrobe stylist Pamela Etzin is the owner of An Eye for Detail. Pam dedicates herself to helping women and men look and feel their best, through clothing choice and closet organization. To learn more about Pam's services, her personal journey, and words of advice, see our interview below.
Pamela Etzin. I am from Buffalo, NY, and I live in Morristown, NJ.
I am a Wardrobe Stylist, and I offer closet edits. I dress and teach women and men how to feel more confident in their clothing by learning what styles suit them best, based on their lifestyle, body type, comfort level and budget. My approach is very simple and not fussy: we all want to feel the best we can when we put ourselves out there, and of course, 1st impressions matter a lot.
I also believe in having the right clothing in a well-organized stress-free closet, so I begin with editing closets to bring into vision what a client truly likes and feels good in, and we create from there. The things we never wear are negative messages to ourselves, so I believe in getting rid of and creating the new. There is no need to keep stuff that is never worn.
We live in a visual world and how we present ourselves speaks volumes in terms of strength, confidence, tidiness/details and self-esteem.
My story with clothing started as a child in a household that always dressed well and looked professional. Even as a little girl, I learned how to gain respect and admiration by always being neat and properly dressed (sometimes even too much. However, my father knew the "power of perception and the role clothing played.) I moved to NYC to work on 7th Avenue in the garment center at age 20 and knew how much I loved fashion and seeing what a role it played in people's lives. I worked in many showrooms with all different clothing types, but my favorite parts were the relationships I created with my clients and customers when I performed trunk shows throughout the country. My passion has always been style and empowerment, so doing this I was able to bring both passions together.
I adored Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn for I think obvious reasons.
My advice is to find your niche in your passion. I am very different from most stylists because I truly sense who someone is through my exceptional intuition, and I want them to really grasp what works, and how to build a wardrobe from the bones to the body and always try something new because most often the only thing that is stopping them is fear. You must be open and try things on.
I have speaking engagements coming up. Always looking for more!
Website: eyefordetailnj.com
Facebook: AnEyeForDetailNJ
Instagram: @AnEyeforDetailNJ
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aneyefordetail1
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Monday, March 26, 2018
On Saturday, April 14th, NJ portrait and wedding photographer Celestina Ando will be hosting an art-opening event for her exhibit "EMPOWER - #TIMESUP" at the Trend Gallery in Montclair, NJ. Learn more about Celestina, her work, and this empowering exhibit, in our interview below:
My name is Celestina Ando, and my boutique studio is located in Montclair, NJ (7 Park St. Suite 202).
My portrait sessions can take place either in studio and/or on location. I photograph various genres of portraits, however, I specialize in contemporary beauty and love empowering women through my photography. I offer and include pampering and professional make-overs which can be enjoyed on your own or with your loved ones.
My clients often claim that they are not photogenic and are generally nervous and shy when they first start. However, it is my job to take the pressure off of them by guiding, posing and artistically lighting them so that they can just focus on having fun. By the end of the shoot, they are owning it! I get to capture this beautiful transformation and create legacy portraits with luxurious portrait products that my clients and their families can treasure for generations to come.
I was an accountant with a creative soul that hobbied photography for years. Studies in New York City followed and now years later I'm fulfilling my passion as a contemporary portrait and wedding photographer. I love collaborating with other photographers and am actually traveling to Italy in May with 24 other photographers for a special workshop with the internationally renowned photographer Sue Bryce.
The art opening event for the exhibit "Empower" is taking place on Saturday, April 14th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Trend Gallery in Montclair, NJ. I started planning this exhibit in January. There were so many amazing movements happening and with the women's march and Oprah's speech at the Golden Globes, I was inspired to create this collection. I posted a "model" call on social media and then closed the call the next day as I was overwhelmed and grateful with all the volunteers and emails received. My goal with this collection was to combine my style of photography, capturing classic beautiful portraits of a diverse group of women and girls with a #timesup theme. SAVE (Sexual Assault & Violence Education) of Essex County will be at the event and available to share more information regarding their nonprofit organization. The suggested donation of $10 to attend the exhibit will all be going to SAVE.
I would recommend that you set up a realistic plan with goals and deadlines. There are a lot of great overnight or let's say 1-year success stories, however, for me, it was definitely a progression and process. I was working full-time and started my business part-time while working. I had put myself on this five-year plan before retiring my finance career. This allowed me time to build a strong foundation for my business before letting go of a regular paycheck.
I'm looking forward to my Italy portrait workshop in May. We'll be shooting at castle Cecconi an hour and a half north of Venice. I'll be posting stories on social media if you'd like to see what we'll be doing...
My website is www.celestinaando.com. My Facebook page is 'Celestina Ando Photography' and Instagram - @celestinaando.
Following his recent win as the Best Entertainment Provider/Performer in New Jersey (as voted by readers of NJ Meetings + Events Magazine), I had the chance to sit down with Artem Lomaz, Principal Event Host and Founder of New Jersey-based NinetyThree Entertainment. NinetyThree Entertainment is a boutique private event entertainment company specializing in private events such as weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and corporate events.
After delivering a seminar at the International DJ Expo in Atlantic City, NJ, Artem suggested getting together at The Park Ave Club, located in Florham Park, NJ. “Atlantic City and the International DJ Expo are always a fun time, but I need to de-stress in the suburbs of Northern New Jersey,” Artem joked. After an afternoon at the gorgeous venue, I was able to learn not only about Artem’s unique approach and luxury service, but also about the private events industry, in great detail.
Below are the videos captured that afternoon, as well as my key takeaways from my conversation with the well-dressed and charismatic event entertainer.
Artem serves as Master of Ceremonies, which, as he describes it, is “not only a representative of you to your guests, but also someone who drives the emotional factor of the celebration through announcements, timing, and pacing. It’s a combination of entertainment direction, personalization, collaborative efforts with all other event partners, and guest inclusion.” Artem oversees event production elements, which include, of course, entertainment (he’s accompanied by a DJ, a band, or both, depending on client preference), as well as ancillary elements such as lighting design, photo booths, furniture and VIP areas, instrumentalists, and much more. He also works directly with all of his clients during the pre-event preparation period to ensure that all details are covered. His attention to detail (from the basic elements of which songs should be played at what moments, to his meticulous team-matching, tie-knotting, and pocket square placement) continues to keep him in high demand for his highly selective clientele. He even jokingly attributes being “admittedly difficult” to his extreme focus on details, but believes that the appreciation level of his clients corresponds to his level of care and concern for “the small things that matter.”
When asked about the said clientele, Artem described them as “those who are usually accustomed to high levels of service, and the personalized approach, throughout all areas of their lives.” A framework of positivity and an understanding of proper prioritization, whether it be for their celebration or their daily life, were also key factors that were discussed. Artem shared his belief that when it comes to the most important days of their lives, his clients understand the role that entertainment plays and appreciate the level of service that he and his team offer.
How does Artem, and the NinetyThree Entertainment Event Team, maintain a “quality over quantity” approach and ensure that each client is beyond satisfied? “10-12 weddings per year, 10-12 Bar/Bat Mitzvahs per year, and a handful of corporate events; by limiting the number of events that we perform, we can be sure that we have the time to personalize each of them deservingly.” Each performance comes with a premium price, but as Artem’s clientele attests, it’s well worth it.
To learn more about Artem, NinetyThree Entertainment, and their service, you can reference our video interviews below.
A special thank you to the Park Avenue Club for providing an always-elegant filming location.
"We've developed a sense of family where our customers and our clients know that we're there for them, and at the same time they're part of something a little bit more special."
-- Artem Lomaz, Principal Event Host and Founder
"We're guiding everybody through each individual necessary element or milestone moment -- parent dances, bouquet tosses, cake cutting. The smoother it's done and the better timed and paced it is, it's like any other performance art."
-- Artem Lomaz, Principal Event Host and Founder
