My funny feet 7-29-10

My funny feet 7-29-10, originally uploaded by hoongyeeleekrakauer.

Zen of Stuff

My inner Buddha is fahrklempt!

I am on a voyage to space, the final frontier – in my closet.  What I crave to have in my possession is space.  Less stuff, less options, less stress.

I have to tell you about this fabelhaft challenge I just discovered:

Can you live with just six things in your closet for 30 days? Lingerie and shoes not included.

Some people who have attempted this have stumbled upon some surprising insights.  One woman was delighted to realize that she really didn’t need everything in her closet.  Another woman was slightly annoyed that her husband didn’t even notice she was wearing the same six pieces for 30 days.  I liked the guy who found a creative approach to the challenge – reversible shorts!

As you know, I am all about less so this sort of lifestyle overhaul is just the kind of thing I was looking for.  I especially like the forgiveness clause about shoes.  But really, think about what this can reveal about you, your relationship with your stuff and your buying habits.

How much of what you own owns you?

What six things are important to you?

Get more Wow!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?

A Question You Should Ask Yourself Before You Hire Someone

photo by kevindooley

Hiring is game of risk and resumes.

For me, its all about the interview.  The one on one, the unspoken signals, the gut instinct and the conviction that personal energy is the dealbreaker.

I read an interview with Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos and author of “Delivering Happiness” where he described his hiring philosophy.  Here is an excerpt:

Tony Hsieh: For us, the whole belief is that our culture should be our number one priority, and if we get the culture right then most of the other stuff — like great customer service, building a long term enduring brand — will just happen naturally on its own.

Every employee understands that part of their job description is actually to live and inspire the culture in others.  We have passed on a lot of smart and talented people that we know can make an immediate impact on our top or bottom line but if they are not a culture fit, we won’t hire them.

For candidates we do the same thing: We pick them up, give them a tour, and then they spend the day interviewing. But at the end of the interview process, our head of recruiting goes back to the shuttle driver and asks them how they were treated. If they were not treated well when they thought they were off the clock then we won’t hire them, it’s not even a question.

Something else I believe in I learned from someone I trust and respect very much.  My friend Jerry, who has recently retired from a long career in human resources, told me that at the end of the interview, you should ask yourself just one question.

And the question is…

Could you have dinner with this person?

Get more Wow!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?

Get more Wow!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?

A Twelve Step Plan for Restless Creatives #3

Do you find it difficult to disconnect?

It takes me a couple of days to let go.  Why I have to work so hard to relax is beyond me but thanks to all of you, I am happy to share Step #3 of my Twelve Step Plan for Restless Creatives.  This Plan is for you who work hard and are passionate about what you do.  There is this fabulous quote by Leo Tolstoy that opens Part One of The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine, two creative social media thinkers, which I want to share with you.

“Everyone thinks about changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”

I just got the book and am so thrilled that Beth and Allison have provided a “Google map”  for nonprofits to navigate their way into a new and highly networked world.  More on this book to come!  Just do yourself a big favor and get a copy for yourself.

Back to Tolstoy.

This Plan is to help you change yourself into a relaxed and rested version of yourself  so you can This is why it is so important for you to calm down!

I am so grateful for the suggestions you have sent me and will be writing them up for you  every Wednesday.

In case you missed them, here are Steps 1 & 2

1 Get over yourself

2 Get off the grid

And today we have -

3.  Get local

Slide your feet into those flip flops and stroll down the boardwalk to Rockaway Taco.

Check out the used surfboards with a fish taco in your hand.  Somehow you will feel a strong desire to wear one of those tank shirts that say, “Eat, Sleep, Surf” and watch the tide roll in.  I have been intrigued by the new patterns I have been seeing in board shorts.

“You got to take in a wave in clutch shorts, dude.”  I overheard this fashion tip from a bunch of surfers so it must be true.

Lose yourself in a different world.  Be a local in a different galaxy, one where the fire trucks sport rescue surf boards and the firemen look like surfer dudes.  It is hard to get aufgeregt (Yiddish for agitated) with sand between your toes.

What do you think?

Get more Wow, dude!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?

How Do You Spell Lunch?

A version of this post appeared on the Queens Council on the Arts blog.

One of my favorite quotes in the world is by Agatha Christie who said,

“Conversation reveals all”

And she should know.

The Grande Dame of Whodunit has built an empire of mystery novels of assorted murderers, scoundrels and thieves who have been undone by conversation.

I prefer to keep company with other types of people less deadly but just as fascinating.  For me, the best place to do this and to have a conversation is over lunch.

How do you get to know someone?

Spending an hour with a person over a sandwich and coffee is a great way to start a relationship.  Breaking bread is usually followed by breaking the ice.  If you are a skilled conversation artist, you will find yourself listening a lot more than talking.  If the food is exceptionally tasty, this is not difficult to do.  People like to talk and share stories about themselves.

I think of lunch the same way I think about weddings.

Who is the wedding for, really?  The bride and the groom?  Guess again.  It’s for everybody else.  You guys are just animated versions of the cake figures.

Who is lunch for?  I’ll give you a hint:

The most important letter in the word “lunch” is u.

U, as in you.  Not you, the other you.  The other person.

Three great places for lunch

I have three places for you to have lunch in Queens, the borough of great food.

In Jackson Heights, you will love Espresso 77, an artsy cafe just off 37th Avenue.  It is owned by my friend Afzal Hossain who is an artist as well as the owner of this delightful neighborhood coffee bar.  You can relax with a cup of coffee and a sandwich among work on the wall created by local artists.

In Flushing, there is an oasis of a restaurant in the Queens Crossing building called Mulan.  This place has an interesting dining area in the center of the restaurant enclosed by the illusion of a waterfall.  Nice place to chat with a board member or a prospective client over elegant Asian cuisine.  Here you will find yourself surrounded by art from a roster of international artists.

In Long Island City, a new spot I have recently discovered  is Testaccio on Vernon Boulevard.  Hearty handshake from Ivan, the owner and handmade pasta too!  What’s not to love?  Their roof garden will be opening soon and they have several smaller dining areas in the back, perfect for a small gathering of artists, a staff lunch or a tete a tete with a colleague.

Bon appetit!

Lunch is about everybody else, if you really want to get to know people.  When you invite someone to lunch, ask them to bring their appetite.  You bring your ears.

Get more Wow!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?