How my narcissism/frugality almost killed me today; a great day!

If you’re reading this in a Reader, head to the original post if you’d like to see the photos!

I attended an event this AM [more about the event in a future post] around which three awesome things occurred —

1) I gave an elevator pitch in an elevator!

The Founder/President/CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communications and I rode down together.  I thanked him for providing the space, he asked what I do.  I quickly learned I need to hone the Mac ‘n Cheese Productions mission statement.  When it was just video production, no sweat.  But how does one fit underground supper clubs – bad dancers/bad improvisers facing fears and performing in front of 700 at the Park West – people coming to one’s home for an evening of meeting others with the caveat that they must attend solo – entrepreneurial chats in coffeehouses – connecting female business-owners via a Guidebook and non-networking networking events – into a twenty-second spiel?

While I love what I do, sometimes I wish I was a dentist or a receptionist or a welder.  One word and you know exactly how I spend my days.

Well, now that I write that… maybe that’s exactly why I love what I do.  It’s so varied and rich and ridiculous, it’s impossible to one-word it.

2) Unexpected universe-love!

Last night I brainstormed with Boyfriend ways to get his business off the ground.  I thought of companies that seemed like they’d be the type of company that would be open to corporate improv as a new twist on staff development.  Two of the companies that came to mind were Edelman and Google.  Today’s event had nine speakers — one was the Director of Agency Strategy at Google, one was the Executive VP of Global Innovation & Intregration at Edelman.

Stars aligned.

Just like a few weeks ago, when after Boyfriend was hit by a car on his bike [shake of fist at bad lady driver at Damen and Division!], I took his bike to the Dutch Bike Co. to get a tune-up and ended up chatting with the owner about the Bike the Brewery tours Boyfriend leads, to which said owner exclaimed, “Let’s talk partnership!”  And later that week I was introduced to a woman who a mutual acquaintance thought would be a good feature in the guide I’m producing on inspiring business-owners [still looking for more submissions!  Brick & mortar, online, blogs, social networks… ], and turns out she’s the owner of Roscoe Village Bikes!  She ‘n hubby are also interested in Boyfriend’s bike events [even suggested a Tour de Fry!  As in riding around Chicago to the best french fry establishments.  Um, yes please].

Just like, after a brainstorming session I had with myself yesterday about how to meet more high-powered women for my various projects, the phone call I got post-event today when a fellow Boston College alum called to share the news that I was invited to join the Council of Women of Boston College.  The Council is a hundred or so women across the country who are CEOs of this and VPs of that, in possession of resumes peppered with phrases like “supreme court justice” and “global head,” and with lots of acronyms and ampersands, which we all know stand for success and being well-connected.

Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket.

3) I infected another person with Entrepreneurial Disease!

Two items currently in my living room:

Which beg the questions –

1) What does a thirty-two year old do with twelve school photos of herself?

2) What does one do with an incredibly large photo of herself?

3) Is it possible to transport an incredibly large photo of oneself on a Dutch bike?

Disclaimer: I did not order the school photos.  A school where I teach digital media had me pose for the yearbook and four months later, these pictures showed up in my mailslot.  Nor did I order Large Saya.  A wonderful writer did a piece on me and various other entrepreneurs, and decided to photograph some of the folk he spotlighted.  These portraits were then hung in a conference room at TechWeek, which just concluded; he emailed us to say we could pick them up and in my ever-love of efficiency, with the event this morning being just a few blocks from his office, I thought, bike smike!

Answers –

1) What does a thirty-two year old do with twelve school photos of herself?

Mom and Boyfriend’s Mom got three of them.  Nine of them still available!

2) What does one do with an incredibly large photo of herself?

Undetermined.  Suggestions?

3) Is it possible to transport an incredibly large photo of oneself on a Dutch bike?

No.  I don’t suggest you ever try it.  I almost died three times today, as I attempted to bike home from River North with Large Saya and the wind almost blew us into traffic.  I gave up and train’ed it.  This led to many stares, a few comments – “Nice face!” – and one in-depth conversation with a CTA employee who was riding home from her shift at Merchandise Mart up to Paulina to get her car.  She asked why I was carrying my face around the city.  I explained, she asked how I came up with the idea for my business because she wanted to start her own as well [turning recycled goods into art projects] but was nervous to take the leap, and we spent the next twenty minutes discussing self-employment.  By the time we reached Paulina and she gave me back my face after carrying it down in the elevator, I had convinced her to leave turnstiles and walkie-talkies for birdhouses made of construction scraps.