Getting down at my sister's wedding

I didn’t open this new post window to talk food or film; I did so to (more publicly) recognize and congratulate my parents on this amazing milestone in their (our) lives. They’re an example in so many ways – one of which is their love for and commitment to each other. Thank you both, for everything.

This seemed like a much more important story today than “What your brand can learn from Kanye Tweets as New Yorker cartoons.” But, if you’re into that, friend me on Facebook.

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My dad has recently been nominated in “The Best of Long Island 2010″ poll in the “Best Hypnotherapist” category. Rather than ask you to vote for him blindly though, I’ve decided to share a little bit about him with you…and then later in the post I’ll ask you to vote for him (Best of –> Health & Wellness –> #12 –> Dr. Vincent Gaffney, if you don’t want to read on). Here goes:

My father quit smoking through hypnosis a month before before I was born. One session and tapes. (Cassette tapes—now CDs and MP3s—that can be customized to help keep people on track and learn to practice self-hypnosis.) And he hasn’t touched a cigarette since.

He clearly has a reason to believe in the effectiveness of hypnosis. More general than this personal experience, however, my dad has always believed in the power of the mind to impact people’s lives. He’s taught me through conversations and, more importantly, by example that positive and focused thinking lead to positive actions and accomplishment.

It is all starts with the desire to change something for the better (e.g., quit smoking, lose weight, stop procrastinating, manage stress, fly on plane, etc.). This is non-negotiable. I’ve always admired that the first question my dad asks a new client is if they truly want to do/not do ‘x’. If they’re still on the fence, he kindly asks them to return when they’re ready to take control of this desire (and resulting behavior). Specifically, he works with the subconscious and conscious to change individuals’ directives to what they really desire and reinforce these new positive directives, respectively.

Over the years he’s helped countless people make the changes they’d never been able to make before. Whether they attempted cold turkey, countless diets and/or in some cases seeing a psychologist, the past is what it is. And when they come to see him, as he says, “There is no try; there’s just do.”

It’s not just a challenge for his clients. He holds himself to the same principle. This is the way he approaches his life and how he’s achieved his goals. This was his approach when he was an administrator at a middle school in Spanish Harlem and when he started his career teaching special education. This is how he was able to better the lives of his students and how he’s been able to provide more opportunities for my sister and me.

Now to answer the obvious first question: Has he ever hypnotized me? Nope. Then how do I know he’s any good? Because if commits even a tenth of a percent of the energy to improving their lives that he commits to me and my family, he’ll help them too. Boom.

So, while you may care to cast your vote differently for a World’s Greatest Dad competition, hopefully you don’t have a personal connection to anyone else in the running for LI’s Best Hypnotherapist.

Therefore, please go to Long Island Press Best of Long Island 2010.

- Click on Health and Wellness.
- Scroll down to #12 “Best Hypnotherapist”
- Check: Dr. Vincent Gaffney, Huntington

And while you’re there and if you’re so inclined, please also scroll to #21 “Best Acupuncturist” and vote for his business partner: Ronald Sandoval, Huntington.

Please note that while there’s no slashy award in this competition, I’ll always see him as a dad-slash-hypnotherapist and not other way around. But, as you can see below, his style is versatile…

As someone who has voted in every election since legal—even registered when living in Minnesota to vote in the 2006 Congressional races—I’ve always viewed the action as a civic duty. I’m pretty sure that’s how it was taught in school. This is the first time I see voting as an opportunity, as a privilege. Not only am I reminded by my non U.S. citizen friends living here, who would (insert hyperbole here) to vote, but also I couldn’t be more excited to be part of something so big. Sure voting has always been a national activity. But it’s never felt so historic or made me feel connected nationally and globally.

For that matter, it’s never made me feel so close to my family. I’m out on Long Island today to cast my vote along with my immediate family members. This election has certainly been a global event, but it has also been a family affair. For a year at least, we have had discussions and debates (during the Democratic Primaries mostly), we have swapped stories of local politics, and we have sent countless emails and links to each other.

We have come together. We have rallied around Barack Obama. Of course, we want change. But we have chosen to believe in and invest in Hope.

I said once a few months ago, “McCain makes me want to hide. Obama makes me want to help.” I’ll admit that’s a bit dramatic. Yet, the sentiment still holds true. While McCain has based much of his campaign on the kind of fear that makes me want to look out for my own best interests, Obama has reminded us that we’re all in this together. He has called upon and inspired many individuals already to take greater responsibility for making (and actions to make) our communities better places to live and our country (once again) a symbol of progress, adaptability, respect and possibility. I think each would be a capable President; however, only one candidate has shown himself to be a thoughtful, steady and visionary leader. That’s what we need in the U.S. and the world.

I can’t wait to cast my vote for Barack Obama.

The publication of its Passover haggadah by the Joseph Jacobs Advertising Agency beginning in 1934 made Maxwell House a household name with many American Jewish families. This was a clever marketing strategy by owner Joseph Jacobs, who hired an Orthodox rabbi to certify that the coffee bean was technically more like a berry than a bean and, consequently, kosher for Passover. Maxwell House coffee was the first to target a Jewish demographic, and the haggadah continues to represent a synthesis of American and Jewish interests.

After gorging ourselves, we went back to the living room and relaxed—this time to something other than Pope TV—and brainstormed the big evening event. Predictably, we found our way to Fandango, picked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, went and didn’t regret our decision for a minute. Heavy Recommend for my weight at the time and level of enjoyment. That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t want to spoil any amazing scenes, cameos or one-liners. Go see it.

One of the other benefits of going home—besides eating like a king, suburban running, getting out of the city and generally spending qt with the fam—is picking up some new reco’s and ideas from each of them. (Hence, the “As Discovered” rather than “As Seen” post title.)

1. How I Met Your Mother (Sis reco): I’m sure many of you are reading this and wondering how it is possible I’m only catching onto this in its third season. I’m sure others are thinking I jock (yeah, I was back on Long Island) Jason Segel. Hopefully there are a few of you whom are looking for a sitcom to get into and I just tipped to view. Because it’s fantastically current and insightful. Who doesn’t love NPH. (No, that wasn’t a question.) Especially since he now blogs Doogie-style. Who doesn’t love a good Canadian viral success like Robin Sparkles. (New video features the Beek from Dawson’s Creek.) I want your life!

2. Cash Cab (Dad reco): I only saw a couple episodes of Cash Cab: After Dark (where the prizes are greater because it is later), but was sold. All the talk of surprise and delight recently, this is a show that delivers (even if some of the cab-goers are pre-screened). A general knowledge trivia show that starts the second you get in the cab and ends when you reach your destination (unless you get three strikes and the boot out in NYC) with a host, Ben Bailey, who as a comedian has the perfect sense of humor for it.

3. Limoliner (Mom reco): It’s a 28-passenger silver shuttle that goes to and from the Hilton NY and Hilton Boston with business-friendly wi-fi, outlets, news TV channels in headrest and reclining leather seats as well as complimentary snacks. Though none of us have actually taken this service yet, I may give it a shot on Thursday as I head to ROFLcon. Who’s coming with me?

You see…but you do not observe

-Sherlock Holmes (Scandal in Bohemia)

As a strategist/planner, you can always count on finding a good quote for a presentation from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, or his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson. Yet, my interest in him and these stories began to develop back when my father and I would watch “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” (Granada Television production) starring Jeremy Brett on A&E. I’ve continued to dabble in this passion since with the video box set, the Complete Works in book form, The Rivals of SH, and some treasures I’ve found on my father’s book shelf like this:

My parents bought me a handmade chess set with SH characters (Moriarty is “king” on the villains side) when we were in Cork visiting my studying abroad sister. Besides sending out a huge “Nerd Alert,” it serves as a frequent but quiet reminder that all I’ve been doing is dabbling in these (chess too, I was runner-up in our elementary school tournament – take that!) passions.

This weekend, however, I stumbled across The Sherlock Holmes Social Network on Ning. In fact, it was a planning world connection that brought me back into the world of the detective. Plaid posted its new site for Crayon where a guy named Scott Monty heads up strategy, who happens to have formed the group (among other Sherlockian things – podcast, blog, and journal). Cool coincidence, right? It also got me excited to finally dive right into this passion.

You dabble…but you do not develop.

-El Gaffney (Getting My Holmes on, Holmes)

In case you missed them and want to find your gems, you can watch them on MySpace. These are not my favorite commercials, but certainly the two standout moments…

The first is the Gatorade ad, “Man’s Best Friend.” I know from my work with Purina that the more frames showing a happy dog, the better. Yet, I connected to it because of the striking resemblance of the black lab to my family’s, Zeus (that’s his name).

The second moment was fulfilling because I was the first person to remember “where is that guy from?” in the Amp Energy commercial. Your turn to try (if you haven’t already).

Yes, you guessed it. Right? It’s Donkeylips (confirmed by Michael Bower Wiki entry) from Nickelodeon’s Salute Your Shorts. Amazing show, and really the only thing that made this commercial bearable.

It’s late and I’m too tired to go spot by spot, but quickly I thought Coke was unsurprisingly solid, E*Trade surprisingly good, and most of the rest forgettable.

His audience was diverse. It consisted of students (nurses to philosophers to businesspeople from over 85 countries), faculty (and the pray-ers mentioned above), and supporters of the students (grandparents to teens – and younger, but they weren’t listening). He had undergrads and grads receiving doctorates. He had first time graduation attendees and others who’d heard 3+ “commencement speeches” in their lives. So how’d he seem to receive a unanimous two thumbs up?

By being himself. By telling his story of success (and failure). He used his connection to BC (an alumn) and the city of Boston to his advantage but didn’t overplay it. He was able to appeal to the everyman (and everywoman) by being sincere and hopeful. He kept it positive but didn’t shy away from some negative realities. He admitted he’s made a lot of money, but insisted giving back makes him most happy. In fact, he “highly recommended” the business grads make lots of money as well “AND share it with the nurses, teachers, scientists, etc.” My mother described it as all the optimism and challenge of a traditional address but special. There’s a right amount of trite – and he hit the nail on the head. My sister stayed awake after watching the sunrise with her classmates the morning of the ceremony. But he didn’t tell one good mini-autobiography. He told his story sprinkled with mini-stories and relevant cultural references. Calling on everyone from Jack Nicholson (“We can handle the truth!”) to Ted Williams (“even he got out 6 of 10 times”) to Judaism (“tikkun olam,” which translates to repair the world and suggests as he did, the world is broken), he in my friend Jake’s words “won the [audience's] hearts and minds.” He didn’t shy away from religion, but didn’t alienate or make it central. Yes, the Hebrew reference was particularly welcome by our Jewish family but he made “giving” central (in keeping with the Jesuit ideal) and ended by telling all to “Trust in God but lock your car.” (pron. k-ah)

And finally (he joked, “how many of you are happy to hear ‘and finally?’”) he kept it relatively short and sweet.

As someone in the advertising industry, I listened with different set of ears. For example, I was less surprised when he quit his job at 25 when asked to move to Detroit to work his agency’s car account. But I really listened to hear if he gets it. I listened to hear if he was going to address the changes in technology and communication and how they are changing his business and the world. If he’d say “blog” like he understands it and because of that can mock it. If he’d talk about his agency’s funniest commercials or most successful business results. He didn’t. He told a story of perseverance (his agency made $37,000 yr. 1) and togetherness and fulfillment (does it matter the race, ethnicity, or religion of the man or woman who finds the cure to Alzheimers?)

While he and his partners, in his words “modestly named the agency after themselves,” when you shorthand his agency’s name, the C’s usually miss out. But it was clear his agency would embody his values (respect and acceptance, hard-work and sense of humor). If you’re ever in Boston, I’d suggest stopping by.

P.S. It was one of the first agencies (especially in the bigger, more established ones) to turn its corporate website into a blog. It’s very good. Baba Shetty used to be over at Fallon and he’s very good too. Take a look here.