This week I had the honor of being selected the Doer of the Week at Martha Stewart’s “Dreamers into Doers” website.  I talked about how and where I work, and how I got here, and what inspires my design approach. Above is only a snippet — but you can read the whole thing here.

Anyway, here is the screenshot from Amazon’s “search inside” feature, since I don’t have a hard copy of the book yet. It shows how I use [...]]]>

I’m excited to share that I am featured as a model Twitterer in the newly published book, Media Marketing All-in-1 for Dummies. (Or maybe as a model dummy?)

Anyway, here is the screenshot from Amazon’s “search inside” feature, since I don’t have a hard copy of the book yet. It shows how I use Twitter to both engage with colleagues while balancing tweets about my apparel business.

The book (actually several books in one) is available on Amazon and is an excellent guide for those wanting to explore and apply social media marketing tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Flickr, vlogs, pPodcasts and more. But like most Dummies books, in a friendly, easy-to-read way!

Media Marketing All-in-1 for Dummies author Jan Zimmerman also wrote Web Marketing For Dummies and the Marketing on the Internet series. She provides Web marketing and site management services to customers of Watermelon Mountain Web Marketing in Albuquerque. Doug Sahlin has written books on everything from Web site building to digital photography, among them Building Web Sites All-in-One For Dummies.

What Twitter is about building relationships. It’s like being [...]]]>

So they say Twitter can lead to business.  Anyone who leaps into Twitter hoping to market by blasting folks with the awesomeness of their junk is in for a surprise — whatever those smarmy marketing articles told you, it’s not true.

What Twitter is about building relationships. It’s like being in a club or class you opt into — you hit it off famously with some people, develop warm regard for others, get to know yet others from more of a respectful distance. The popular social media application has ‘netted me (ha!) some rewarding friendships and connections, most of them online but a few that have expanded to off-line.

I’d even call Twitter a real-time networking “event,” where, like in a real-life networking event, you need to talk with people (not TO people), and where it is very possible to create relationships and mutual appreciation of your Twitter friends’ lives and businesses. And that, ladies and germs, is what leads to good business, twitterly speaking.

The Yenta Report's Hollywood sign -inspired tee by Rotem Gear

In the last few weeks I was blessed with a few commissions that came from fabulous Twitter friends. The first was from my favorite yenta, Loren Elkins, whose Yenta Report tracks all the “behind the velvet rope” happenings in Los Angeles.  I worked with Loren and came up with the Hollywood sign idea and “Yentawood” was born.

Loren’s been a celebrity assistant to Faye Dunaway, Nathan Lane, Brendan Fraser, Rebecca DeMornay, Ellen Barkin, Val Kilmer, Matthew Perry, and Bradley Whitford, so I’m hoping she wears the Hollywood sign -inspired logo tee I designed for her around some H-wood bigwigs. Also hoping I get a photo of Her Hot Yentaness herself in a shirt! (hint, hint, Loren!)  If you’d like a Yentawood shirt of your own, visit the Yenta Report shop.

Around that same time I was also contacted by luxe custom couture baby bedding designer to the stars, Nava Writz of Nava Writz Designs. Nava goes a lot of tweet-ups and does a lot of networking all over the world and wanted t-shirts with her twitter ID on it.

I offered 3 styles, all with Twitter-y typeface: (I personally like this birdy one in the pict best.) The cell camera pict isn’t that clear but even so, the tee is more fun, stylish and noticeable than a “Hello my name is @blah” tag, and that’s what you want when networking — to be noticed, yes? (I wear my Kitty Crossbones shirts sometimes and half the time that’s what breaks the ice.)

By the way, more name-dropping, as the list of Nava’s celebrity clients blows me away. They include Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, the Obama girls, Melanie Griffith, Heath Ledger & Michelle Williams, Paul McCartney, Richard Dreyfus, Shaquille O’Neal, Leeza Gibbons, Christy Brinkley, Joan Lunden, Eddie Murphy, Slash and Bette Midler. You must check out her designs!

After Nava bragged on Twitter about her new shirts and tote, another mutual friend asked me to adapt the same designs for her twitter ID. I’ll post when I get photos!

If you would like a “Follow me” or “Tweet me” shirt of your own, take a look here at the different versions I created for Nava, but don’t order them! There’s no way to customize them with your own name online. Email me and I’ll set you up chick chak! (that’s Hebrew slang for right way.) Men’s styles available too, of course.

PS you can always follow my Rotem Gear updates on Twitter here, or if you really want all my own blather you can follow me as moi here.

I bet you didn’t, and to be honest, until yesterday, I didn’t either. Ovarian cancer, unlike its pink cousin, breast cancer, is way down on most of our radars as familiar diseases to look out [...]]]>

Did you know that today is Feel Teal Friday and that President Obama declared September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?

I bet you didn’t, and to be honest, until yesterday, I didn’t either. Ovarian cancer, unlike its pink cousin, breast cancer, is way down on most of our radars as familiar diseases to look out for. While is affects less women, the two are often linked and yet a screening process for ovarian cancer has yet to be discovered, and without over symptoms in its earlier stages, it is called the “silent killer” for good reason.

This is an intensely personal issue for me so I hope you’ll stick with me here and read on.

One of my favorite people in the whole world has been battling this monster of a disease for SEVEN years. She’s my cousin, Susan R. Frank, and it’s best if I let her share her story in her own powerful words. FEEL FREE TO RE-BLOG AND SHARE: Twitter, Facebook, etc. It’s an important message.

*******

How would you feel if your gynecologist, just prior to surgery, actually promised you that you did not have cancer, only to awake hours later to find out that not only were his promises empty but that you in fact had advanced ovarian carcinoma. For me it was my worst nightmare coming true – diagnosis with Stage 3C metastatic ovarian cancer at the age of 46. Since losing my mother to breast cancer as a young girl, I have both expected and dreaded a cancer diagnosis for much of my adult life. I had measured my successful health status by reaching certain birthdays of my own children that my mother never attained with my older sister or me. After much calculating, I thought I was in the clear.

Even though I am a scientist, I denied an obvious familial propensity for breast cancer and only discovered my BRCA-1 genetic mutation status after I became ill. Big mistake, as this mutation placed me in a high risk category for developing breast and ovarian cancer. As for the initial gynecologist? He was quickly replaced with a highly reputable and qualified gynecological oncologist who performed expert debulking surgery on me a week later.  The first doctor did come visit me once in the hospital, which I thought showed courage. Fortunately our meetings ceased after that time.

In the almost seven years that have passed, I have had three surgeries, more than four years of chemotherapy, one bowel obstruction and have lost my hair three times. I have traveled, been divorced, began a fulfilling career in science, have enjoyed two high school graduations, two college graduations and one son’s wedding. I never expected to live long enough to attend half of those wonderful events. I have had access to and have received excellent medical care throughout this process and emotional support from professionals, friends, and family. I have been fortunate to have had health insurance that has covered my surgeries, hospital stays and treatment.

I am one of the lucky ones. As you may have heard, ovarian cancer is now a “chronic disease.” Following the initial surgery and my first regimen of chemo, the cancer successfully went into remission. I have enjoyed periods when I was dancing with NED (no evidence of disease) and received a breather from chemotherapy. Ironically, the BRCA-1 mutation may provide an advantage during therapy. The mutation affects how cells repair genetic damage and many of the chemodrugs are designed to further damage the genes in order to kill the cancer cells.

I am now into the sixth month of my fourth recurrence, which began with a bowel obstruction due to cancer invading my colon. This resulted in abdominal surgery which left me with a colostomy. I look forward to that being reversed, however my oncologist insists there is no rush. I have learned that with chronic ovarian patients the motto is “leave well enough alone.” Quality of life issues loom large, as well they should.

As I said, I am one of the lucky ones. I have minimal side effects from all the drugs I have been given and my blood cells are holding up. I am able to work full-time and would rate my quality of life as a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. This is not representative of most patients. I am fully aware that I will remain on therapeutic drugs until the time comes when they no longer work or I can no longer tolerate them. I find myself becoming increasingly concerned about end-of-life issues, pain management, insurance coverage, and how my family will fare without me. I am grateful for having three sons instead of daughters, as the health risk to men (if they inherited the gene) is significantly lower than the risk to women.

Medical progress has been achieved for several cancers. For ovarian cancer, not so much. With improved surgical techniques and new therapeutic drugs more women achieve remission and suffer fewer side effects. Unfortunately, detection efforts fall short and survival statistics remain depressingly low. Only 28% of all women diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer, which accounts for 62% of all ovarian cases, live more than five years (National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review Summary Stage 2000).

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I urge all women to be vigilant on their own behalf with their doctors. If you experience any of the symptoms such as persistent abdominal pressure, bloating, urinary urgency, pelvic discomfort or pain, persistent indigestion, unexplained changes in bowel or bladder habits, loss of appetite, lower back pain or changes in your period, which do not improve, please be thorough to find the cause. There are many reasons for these symptoms. But, if your doctor does not share your concerns, please find a new doctor. If you have a high incidence of ovarian or breast cancer in your family, please speak to your doctor about genetic testing and screening. Finally, if you do require surgery, please use a gynecological oncologist as they have received three years of additional training to perform ovarian surgery. For further information, I suggest www.mayoclinic.com, as an excellent online resource.

Ovarian cancer may now be a chronic disease, but it still sucks (is truly awful) and it is still a killer. As women, we must all take care and we must all advocate on our own behalf.
––Susan R. Frank

*******

Update: Susan R. Frank (the pseudonym she chose for privacy) passed away in December, 2009, three months after she published this article.

Big thanks to Melhi for blogging about this — will you?

Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry

Azadi (Persian: ) means “freedom, liberty” in Persian, the official and national language of Iran. This Persian word is also borrowed by Kurdish, Urdu, Pashto and Hindi languages.

The past few weeks  I have, like everyone else, been riveted by the news from Iran, at least until Michael Jackson’s demise took precedence [...]]]>

From Wikipedia:

Azadi (Persian: ) means “freedom, liberty” in Persian, the official and national language of Iran. This Persian word is also borrowed by Kurdish, Urdu, Pashto and Hindi languages.

The past few weeks  I have, like everyone else, been riveted by the news from Iran, at least until Michael Jackson’s demise took precedence for so many in the Western world.  While it’s tempting to project our own hopes for Iran, we can’t really know for sure who really won the election even if fraud was involved (which I personally think very likely, but I also recognize that Tehran’s young population may not represent all of Iran as much I would like it to.)

Regardless, most of us can’t help but support and empathize with the protesters and the longing so many in Iran have for change, whether fully democratic or simply a more tolerant version of the existing republic.

A few years ago I worked at UCLA’s International Institute as public information officer, editor and designer. While there, I had the privilege of working with a talented Iranian-American singer. The daughter of a well-known poet and writer, Shahrzad Sepanlou left Iran at 12 after experiencing war, revolution and repression –– themes that crop up in many of her songs.

Last night I found this very stirring video set to one of her songs, Azadi (Freedom), and found its strong visuals and Shari’s beautiful voice so compelling I just had to share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1sHNbdjWWY

The iconic tower is Azadi Tower in Azadi Square.

For more on her music visit Shahrzad’s webite. The song Azadi is on the album 1001 Nights.

In that spirit, I want to invite  you to a share *your* own three-wolf-moon inspiration, [...]]]>

I am just as enamored as everyone else over the internet t-shirt sensation known as Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt.  The effect this t-shirt is having on people around the world is truly inspiring. (You can buy it here.)

In that spirit, I want to invite  you to a share *your* own three-wolf-moon inspiration, and what better way to do it than a haiku share-a-thon?

Just send in your haiku by commenting on this post. Through your haiku you may reveal your heretofore hidden yearnings, courageous spirit, moon-induced longing or the magical effect three wolves and a moon have made on your life.

I might just send a “My other t-shirt has three wolves and a moon” t-shirt from Bad Cat Tees to the person whose haiku speaks most deeply to my soul. After all, at some point you will have to put your Three Wolf Moon shirt in the wash and will need something else to wear, ne’st-ce pas?

Haiku-senryu refresher:

Five syllables
Seven syllables
Five syllables

Extra points for mixed metaphors, malapropisms and other funny stuffs. Keep it relatively clean, please. My mom reads this blog and maybe yours does too.

I’ll  start it off!

1. My human soul now
Infused with new wolf spirit
At the moon I howl.

2. Like the moon awaits
The song of the wolves, I too
Wait for your haiku.

Get your three wolf moon haiku in before … hmm …. *closes eyes and points at calendar to select random date*… June 15!

Let the howling haiku commence!

First, though, I should say that up till now we’ve always blogged here as a company, but this year [...]]]>

Playing a bit of catch-up here, I had all the best intentions of starting the New Year off with a boom-bang post about resolutions and how they, well, suck. And why. And insights and stuff.

First, though, I should say that up till now we’ve always blogged here as a company, but this year I, that is, Jean (Rotem Gear founder, designer and CEA — Chief Executive Astigmatic), plan to pop in a bit more in a personal manner. That’s not a resolution, that’s just the way I feel it needs to go.

So. Resolutions. Here’s what I’ve got to say about them. Is there anything sillier? The way most people do it is to pressure themselves to do stuff they don’t like, based on beating themselves up for not doing that same stuff they don’t like in the past year. Wow, that sounds like a wonderful way to set oneself up for failure, because chances are 99.999999% that  they won’t like it or feel any more inclined to do it this year.

My suggestion is to look forward, pick up where you’ve left off (see what a great rationalization I’ve now got for posting about new year on January 15?), and visualize rather than penalize, solve rather than resolve. The difference? One feels positive and the other feels negative. Action will always follow the positive impetus.

On that note, it seems only fitting that this lunar year is the Year of the Ox in Asia. A person born in the Year of the Ox “works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought” (Wikipedia.)

Every year for Chinese New Year (Jan. 26 this year), we launch a new design in a Chinese cut-out style, and this year is no exception.  To remind us all of those great attributes so necessary in a year of challenge, we have a new line of Ox year gear in festive firecracker red and with the Chinese character for ox above his head — just the thing to get you going mooooving in the right direction.

Ok, geography buffs, what city in Japan shares a name with a US presidential candidate? If you said Ronpouru (Ron Paul) you’d be wrong.

But the city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture has been following the race closely and rooting for Barack Obama and the notoriety that would come to the city, should [...]]]>

Ok, geography buffs, what city in Japan shares a name with a US presidential candidate? If you said Ronpouru (Ron Paul) you’d be wrong.

But the city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture has been following the race closely and rooting for Barack Obama and the notoriety that would come to the city, should their unwitting namesake be elected.

So how could we resist making our own Obama-on-Japanese t-shirts? We offer them in three styles;

• Bold katakana — which is usually used for foreign names
• The kanji as used in the city’s name,
• “Obama – not just a city in Japan.”

We think these are tons of fun, as well as making a statement.

Not only that, but according to Haaretz:

Vats of oil used to fry Tel Avivians’ lunchtime falafels and chips were brought [...]]]>

Last week’s Earth Hour, when we were asked to turn off lights for a full hour, didn’t look like much where we were in L.A., but the effect in Tel-Aviv was noticeable:

Not only that, but according to Haaretz:

Vats of oil used to fry Tel Avivians’ lunchtime falafels and chips were brought on Thursday to Rabin Square, so a concert that evening could be powered without aid from the Israel Electric Corporation.Rock group Knessiat Hasechel later played to a crowd of tens of thousands who had gathered in the central square to mark “Earth Hour,” a worldwide off-the-grid campaign against global warming and energy waste.

[tags]earth hour, tel-aviv, environment,earth day,global warming, bio fuel[/tags]