Conscious Investing = Committing 100% of your time & money to what matters to you the most

SWITCH Restaurant & Wine Bar

DataDivaJac — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:17:10 +0000

In search of somewhere new, somewhere I had never been before, I decided to pull into SWITCH in downtown Phoenix. Located just south of the Phoenix landmark Durant’s, SWITCH has an outside patio (too hot today) and a very comfortable inside seating arrangement. While the loungers looked inviting, I set up my “mobile office” on the front corner sofa by the window where I could enjoy the bright blue skies and periodic passing light rail.

Since great minds think alike, coincidentally I bumped into a group of friends from All Saints’ Episcopal Church who were also seeking Sunday afternoon yummies. Well, this was the place! Everything we ordered was savory and delightful:

Crustless Quiche – Creamy baked eggs, smoked turkey, swiss cheese, green onions, spinach and mushrooms. Topped with mornay sauce and tomato.

Chicken Pot Pie Gallette – Flaky puff pastry with sliced chicken, peas, carrots, potato puree, onions, corn, jack cheese and gravy. Seasonal vegetable.

Farm Basket Veggie – Vegetarian sandwich with artichoke spread, roasted peppers, cucumber, carrot, spinach, sprouts, tomato, sunflower seeds on ciabatta. Field greens salad.

Lobster & Seafood Crepes – Sweet lobster, crab and shrimp, bechamel, tomato and chives. Asparagus and carrot.

Strawberry Creme Brulee

SWITCH Restaurant & Wine Bar
2603 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 264-2295
Mon – Fri 11 AM – 12 AM Midnight
Sat – Sun 10 AM – 12 AM Midnight

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Switching Back to Bars

DataDivaJac — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:55:56 +0000

Last week I heard Scott Graf’s story “Lather Up: More Men Switching To Shower Gels” on National Public Radio (NPR). I found it an interesting statistic that more bottled body wash gel was sold last year than traditional bar soap. I have been using organic liquid soap body wash for quite some time. For economy of scale, I would buy a larger size bottle and then refill the smaller squeeze bottle that I keep in the shower to cut down on how many plastic bottles would have to go into recycling.

According to the NPR story, not all consumers will be conscious enough to put those body wash bottles into recycling instead of the trash:

“It does have an environmental impact,” says John Kalkowski, the editorial director of the trade publication Packaging Digest. “People who are considering making that change from bar soap to body washes may want to consider what that impact is.”

In an attempt to reduce my carbon footprint even further, I had been refilling my body wash, hair spray and shampoo bottles at ecocentricity so that I didn’t need to bring home their bottles at all. But yesterday I discovered a new solution – NaturOli shampoo bars! I love the ingredient list:

- Sapindus Mukorossi Soap Nut Tea
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Coconut Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Grape Seed Oil
- Palm Kernel Oil
- Aloe Vera Extract
- Cocoa Butter
- Mango Butter
- Hemp Oil
- Neem Oil
- Pure Essential Oils of Sweet Fennel, Lemongrass, Lavender, Clary Sage, Rosemary & Tea Tree
- Pure Sapindus Mukorossi Soap Nut Powder
- Willow Bark

I also love that ecocentricity‘s purpose is to help central Phoenix find community in learning new ways to reduce, reuse, recycle – and help sustain our natural resources. It is also designed to help us all rethink – our planet, our community, our neighbors, ourselves.

100% of all proceeds benefit Fair Haven Crossing, which is a non-profit program designed to help some of our central Phoenix neighbors lift themselves out of homelessness or poverty.

ecocentricity
137 W McDowell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 281-2725
Tues – Sat 11 AM – 6 PM

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Why You Buy

DataDivaJac — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 07:50:05 +0000

This afternoon I had an opportunity to listen to myself responding to genuinely interested inquiries from a person I had never met before… and it sharpened my awareness of what I believe in and why I buy. I consider myself to be a socially conscious consumer, especially as I heard myself saying,

“My laundry detergent is produced locally by NaturOli and is a concentrate made out of natural soap nuts with no chemicals…”

(… and olive leaf extract AND only requires 1/2 teaspoon of detergent per load for a completely effective, hypoallergenic, biodegradable organic clean)

“I’ve made a shift in how and where I shop to support local Arizona businesses so that more of my dollar stays here in-state, including moving my banking to Desert Schools Federal Credit Union, and I am willing to pay more if it’s local and/or organic…”

(… and we get our eggs fresh from a friend’s loved and happy chickens instead of the grocery store, such that every morning one of my favorite games is identifying which pretty hen laid the egg that’s nourishing me for breakfast. I even know them all by name – Lois, Jayne, Sara, Daphne, Toni or Marquis!)

“My hair products are produced locally by Organic Excellence and I use refillable bottles instead of their containers so that they can avoid being thrown into recycling…”

(… and I get both NaturOli and Organic Excellence from ecocentricity, a Local First Arizona business, because 100% of their proceeds go to Fair Haven Crossing, which is a non-profit program designed to help some of our central Phoenix neighbors lift themselves out of homelessness or poverty)

“We drink Ultima instead of Gatorade because it has 7 electrolytes, 5 minerals, 12 vitamins, stevia with NO carbs, NO sugar and NO high fructose corn syrup…”

(… and know that our Garden of Life vitamin supplements and Nature’s Way probiotics have high bioavailability and absorption)

“I love my 50+ MPG Prius and don’t intend to get rid of it any time soon, but if we bought a new car it would probably run on biodiesel.”

Have you ever stopped to think about why you buy what you bring home or eat and if those choices reflect your true core beliefs? If they are not aligned, why is that?

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World Youth Visit Exchange

DataDivaJac — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:03:46 +0000

Crash Course in American Culture for China Youth

Phoenix, AZ (June 11, 2010) – A month-long journey into American culture brings 50 teenagers from China to the Valley of the Sun for a week in July. Following a tour of the East Coast, the youth, ages 13-17, will arrive in Phoenix for some sightseeing, a bit of exchanging, and a lot of studying as they participate in the 2010 USA Culture and Homestay Summer Program sponsored by the World Youth Visit Exchange Association of Arizona.

Interested host families may email susanchinatour@gmail.com for additional information and to request the application form or call Susan McCall (602-618-4939) with any questions.

Hailing from several middle schools in Chongqing, Sichuan Province, the teens will go on to conclude their tour with a week in California. Home host families from across the Valley are currently being sought to provide hospitality; a room and some meals, and an insight into their American way of life.

Tours to Arizona’s beautiful sights are being planned to introduce the young visitors to the diversity and beauty of the Arizona southwest and its many people. Immersion into English will be provided with classroom study. Afternoon activities will challenge them to practice their vocabulary while participating in events with the group or their host family.

The World Youth Visit Exchange Association of Arizona (WYVEA) was established in 1975 to support and sponsor international exchange programs in culture and education. “These teenagers are the next group to arrive through our exchange with China,” according to Diana Larowe, WYVEA Vice-President, and Susan McCall, Program Coordinator. “We are very excited to welcome this new group of young people to Phoenix as part of this exchange.” WYVEA is working with the Great China International Education Program.

WYVEA – World Youth Visit Exchange Association of Arizona

Media Release—For Immediate Release

Contact: Susan McCall

susanchinatour@gmail.com

602-618-4939

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Laid Off? Don’t Stress

DataDivaJac — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:56:57 +0000

Universe often sends me people who have been laid off and are seeking the next turn on their career paths. It is a natural talent of mine to be able to guide them through the evaluation of their gifts, true desires and dreams as they redefine what the future might look like. Another way that I assist is by offering key introductions to hiring managers or company contacts in their target industries.

I recently caught up with author Kitty Wiemelt, with whom I published my story in the book Laid Off? Don’t Stress back in 2006. Our conversation prompted me to dust off my own copy off the bookshelf and re-visit what I believed and said then… and confirmed that every lesson I shared still strongly applies to what I teach today.

“Remember that happiness is a choice you can make each day. When out of work, finding a new source of income can feel demanding. Keep in mind, however, that no one in a eulogy has ever been honored for the overtime spent in the office at the sacrifice of seeing his or her children grow up.”

Read the reviews for Laid Off? Don’t Stress on Amazon.com

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Office Space

DataDivaJac — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:20:49 +0000

Process engineering for a home office is a completely different animal from the corporate work environment. When I work with a client to custom design an optimal program structure for home office organization, the key to success may sometimes have little to do with the arrangement of the physical space. It mostly shows up as an exercise of emotional purging.

Truly the easy part is plotting the room and the logic of where to place the furniture for feng shui and process flow. The most difficult part can be sorting through boxes or piles of paperwork and being willing to let go when reluctant to give them up to the shredder. There may be hours lost reading through old documents and wanting to keep them. How do you find a spiritual place of unattachment?

Start with digging deep for personal priorities and an honest reality check. If you haven’t read that {newsletter, magazine, prospectus, catalog…} yet, will you ever? Will you read the next one that’s arriving in another week? Do you need to treasure and file away every single report or project your child has brought home from school? What’s really important to you?

In letting go of each physical piece, you may be surprised at the liberation you feel in your soul peace. Detach and free your home work. Create space so that you have open space to create. Namaste

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Insatiable

DataDivaJac — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:32:21 +0000

When you call my voicemail, I make a request at the end of the outbound message for you to tell me what you love about your life. This conversation has been a personal favorite of mine since the Landmark Education’s Wisdom Course… some people play the game, some don’t. This morning my first voicemail of the day was from a client, who said,

“What I love about life is an insatiable desire to grow… and I look forward to our conversation…”

What a fantastic greeting to start off the day! When was the last time you declared out loud to the world your insatiable, incapable of being satisfied, desire to grow?!

I have from time to time come across those who are tired of change or complacent and hoping that life could stay exactly as-is, within their comfort zone, and not incur any further growing pains by stretching boundaries. Consider that every step outward in every individual’s life feels like re-creating the wheel and beginning fresh… from learning to physically stand and walk as a toddler… to leaping forth into the world as an independent adult outside of the protection of parents and home… all those experiences are singular and new for each of us when we encounter them. They may not feel easy in the moment. Yet without the opportunity to conquer challenges and learn, what’s the point of being?

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Current

DataDivaJac — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:18:48 +0000

I received a message today from a client that I haven’t seen in a while… he said,

“Things seem to move very fast for you.”

To which I replied,

“Consider that the speed at which things move isn’t faster in my world… I just pick up additional velocity by flowing with the current and not putting up resistance to slow me down.”

Are you getting in your own way by creating barriers that keep you from following the natural path of the current? If it is indeed the way, then it will come easily and without struggle. If you find life cumbersome and you are constantly struggling, then perhaps it is time to surrender to a different way. Namaste

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Zen Web

DataDivaJac — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:55:57 +0000

I’ve been working on copy for a new corporate website. It started out with a lot of complexity, my detail-overloaded engineering side excitedly creating lots of lines of black text at full-bore.

Slowly with each read through I chiseled away at the massive exterior. How many eyeballs would actually read all of this and stay engaged? By the time I was satisfied with a final draft to share for review feedback, the original site had gone on a serious diet and shed about 80% if its weight.

I loved it. Simple. Clean. Direct. Uncluttered. One of the first comments I received back was that it felt zen… perhaps this process is the evolution of feng shui or a form of mindfulness meditation for the web? All of the peacefulness without the sand, rocks and raking.

The site is now in production at www.TheBusinessGymLLC.com.

As an aside on the subject of meditation, I found a marvelously simple timer for my iPhone that I can take with me for a ‘time out’ whenever I find myself without a singing bowl:

SotoTimer by Erwin van Hunen

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Strengths and Specialties

DataDivaJac — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:36:39 +0000

I had a new client ask me,

“So what do you consider to be your greatest strengths?”

I returned the standard interview-type response which included my background in engineering, experience with process optimization and operations, project management, blah blah, analysis and consulting. When I hung up the phone, a nagging tug told me that the stock resume answer was missing something important… so I added a line on my LinkedIn profile under Specialties to read:

“100% satisfaction rating in Platinum program for giving premium quality hugs”

Yuppers, because that’s what I really do best

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