12.24 Edition of "What I Did Last Week (and what I'm looking forward to)

Curious.

Do you know any women leaders who wish to give a TEDTalk in New York City. I head up a year long Mastermind and am interviewing candidates for the 2024 class.

Apply here.

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2023 was a year marked by "slow travel."

On average, I spent between 2 and 4 weeks in each country this year: France, Italy, Turkey, Spain. I got a chance to get a little bit bored at each place, and its exactly what I wanted.

If you have ever doubted the value of joy and what it can create, I am living proof. It resulted in my first 6 and 5 figure months in business.

In this newsletter, I share a year-end report card, looking back on 2023. I hope it helps someone who is seeking a framework to do this.

I also share my Q1 2024 report card, which is forward looking.

Now on to "What I Did Last Week"

Monday. I've been writing pretty transparently about my menopause experience.

Monday, I was sitting at Lenox Hill Radiology in flimsy robe, drafts of air slithering their way up my back and arms.

"Are you okay?" The man next to me remarked.

"Don't be nervous," said the woman as she exited her scan.

I wasn't okay and I wasn't nervous. I was full blown pissed. It was 10:20am. My appointment was for 9:15am. I run a small business and didn't have time to wait for people to do their job. The MRI is needed to determine whether my uterus gets scraped or I get a full blown hysterectomy.

I'm currently writing an article for a major magazine on menopause and how disruptive it is to women's leadership.

Know someone I should interview? DM me.

Tuesday. This week marks a much-needed return to maintenance and self care. Facial with Nikima Frenche at Ageless Skin and Body Solutions. Hair color with Marlene the Color Queen before she heads out for the holiday. Haircut at Oscar Blandi at the Plaza. Manicure and wax at Plaza M Dumbo.

Thursday. My friend Kavita treated me to a birthday dinner at Parcelle. God I love this place. Chef Ron Yan draws on his childhood in Hong Kong to build a menu for the space that used to be home to Ming’s Caffe, a beloved Hong-Kong-style diner. But it closed earlier this year. The true star is the wine list (saumur blanc, pet nat) and the caviar sliders.

Friday "White Russian?! What is it? 1985?" said the guy next to me as I ordered a holiday cocktail at the National Arts Club. Truth be known, I was in search of eggnog and they didn't have the ingredients.

A White Russian was the next best thing.

Dear Irving was my next stop, and they did delight me with eggnog, with spiced rum. DElish.

(and what am I looking forward to?)

Saturday A body called "FeverUp" hosts candlelight concerts in cities all over the world. Saturday night, we head to the Williamsburg Opera House to attend one. A string quartet will play "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Come All Ye Faithful"

Matt said, 'Boy you sure like elderly things, don't you?"

Don't kid yourself. At 51 and 55, we are elderly.

Sunday Early dinner at one of my NYC restaurant faves Amaranth on the Upper East Side, followed by Christmas Mass on Fifth Avenue with my friend Jane and her family. We are playing 'tourist in our own town' this holiday.

Monday Christmas Day, I'll be in my pajamas all day, while Matt makes a ham for dinner. We weren't going to get a Christmas tree, but he surprised me with a 3 foot tree, strapped to the basket of his Citibike. Things I asked for under the tree:

• This asymmetric top from Reiss.
• This belt
• This Maxmara turtleneck
• This leather skirt

Thursday and Friday, I'm doing live morning TV with the old and familiar 2:30am wake up call. Folks often ask what I do on TV. I am security cleared for both the Nasdaq and NYSE. I deliver custom business reports to some 40 stations around the country when my friend Jane is out. She's a small business owner, and I know the value of having someone reliable to fill in when gone. Its what I did for 20 years on TV, so its easy to "plug and play" me in.

Sunday, December 31st New Year's Eve, we are heading to the opera. George Bizet's "Carmen." There is a secret wish in our friend group to see the annual New Year's concert at the Vienna Opera House, but hey, the Met in New York will do for this year. I'm wearing this Cos dress.