Lisa D’Apolito, Director/Producer of LOVE Gilda- The Legacy of Gilda Radner, joined me Monday December 8th at 9:30am!

Lisa D’Apolito is Director/Producer of LOVE Gilda- The Legacy of Gilda Radner, a documentary film currently in production.

Miss today's show?
Just click here to listen to my conversation with 
Lisa D’Apolito!

 Many may know Gilda as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, creating iconic characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella and Baba Wawa. But, LOVE Gilda is not just a film about a beloved comedian, it is a film about how one woman with her honestly and humor continues to be an inspiration for people living with cancer.

“I have been filming members of Gilda’s Club, a non profit cancer support organization founded after Gilda’s death from ovarian cancer by Joanna Bull, her cancer psychotherapist, her husband Gene Wilder, TV Critic Joel Siegel and actor Mandy Patinkin and many dedicated others.. I realized the deep connection the members have with Gilda. One summer I was filming Camp Sparkle and a little girl named Ruth from Saint Lucia was drawing , I asked her what she was drawing and she said “Gilda”, And I thought wow, Gilda is more than just a talented comedian or someone the organization is named after, she is really a legend 25 years after her death.

So, I decided to go on a Gilda journey and learn more about her. I started filming her friends and family and also visiting and filming other Gilda Clubs in the U.S. and Canada. I learned how Gilda used her humor in her most difficult times and how many people going through cancer whether they are members of Gilda’ s Club, read Gilda’ s book “It’s Always’ Something” or just loved watching her on TV or films are still inspired by her. My goal is to have film that will also introduce Gilda to a new generation who may not know of her legacy both in comedy and in cancer.

Lisa started her career as an actor with parts in films like ‘Goodfellas”, she went on to have a long career as a producer/director in commercial production but her passion has always been in real issues especially those involving women and children. She recently directed a short comedy staring and written by David Cross and Amber Tamblin. She also directed and produced PSAs for Plan Parenthood with Julianne Moore and Mary J Blige, along with many public service videos for organizations such as the GVHC, a group that supports New York Kids in trouble and New Destiny Housing a place for women who have been victims of domestic abuse. Lisa has been working on fundraising videos with Gilda’s Club NYC for 5 years and is a passionate supporter of Gilda’s Club.

www.lovegilda.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/LoveGildathefilm

Indidegogo campaign begins December 8

https://www.indiegogo.com/campaigns/love-gilda-the-legacy-of-gilda-radner

UCI hosts 50th Anniversary spirit rally and volunteer stocking-stuffer event!

EVENT: UC Irvine will host a 50th Anniversary Anteater Spirit Rally to announce upcoming celebrations and the new 50 for 50 Volunteer Program, a campaign for the UCI family to donate 50,000 hours of service time over the two-year 50th anniversary period.

WHEN/WHERE: 10:30-11:45 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Bren Events Center (grid D6, bldg. 901 oncampus map: http://communications.uci.edu//documents/pdf/UCI_14_map_campus_core.pdf)
INFORMATION: Media planning to attend should contact Cathy Lawhon at 949-824-1151 orclawhon@uci.edu. Parking is complimentary for media who RSVP.

BACKGROUND: Highlights will include remarks from Chancellor Howard Gillman and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Thomas Parham, university-themed trivia, special performances, prizes and an appearance by UCI mascot Peter the Anteater. Culminating the event, Anteaters will gather for commemorative aerial photo shoot in the Bren Events Center to spell out “UCI 50.”

Nearly 400 participants have also signed up for the annual stocking-stuffing party sponsored by UCI Staff Assembly, which will follow the rally. The goal is to assemble 500 holiday stockings for children served through the Olive Crest organization. Papa John’s and Trader Joe’s will supply food and drink for the volunteers.

Today's show featured musical guest Summer Grace Watson!

Today's show featured musical guest Summer Grace Watson! Summer joined me at 9:00am on December 1st to talk about how she started playing guitar at 16 and where her creative journey as a singer/songwriter has taken her. We also had a chance to listen to some of her latest music (what a voice!) written by Summer Grace Watson and Produced By (JP) John Parenti.

If you missed Summer on today's show,
listen to our conversation here.

ABOUT SUMMER GRACE WATSON

Before you hear her music. Before you listen to the soulful timber of her voice. Before her lyrics play on an endless loop in your head. The first thing you think of when you hear Summer Grace Watson is, "Is that her real name?" The answer is yes. That is her given name. And never has there been a name more perfectly suited for someone. Because Summer is summer with all its fun, first loves, wave riding, road trips, day dreaming and sad endings. Grace, as it should be, is found on the inside feeling and listening eyes closed, detangling a head full of lyrics and melodies. And standing there front and center is our dear Watson, playing her music and singing in between the notes of her life.

This is Summer Grace Watson. The singer/songwriter from San Clemente who taught herself how to play the guitar at 16 and started performing in local venues at 18. It's been a fun ride ever since as she's gone from a teenager strumming the guitar to a gifted song writer and artist. More than a natural at music, she's an avid trail-runner, a lifelong surfer, loves body surfing and free diving. Any activity, it appears, that requires total immersion. So, it's not surprising to hear that she writes most of her songs on her surfboard in the ocean. Her home away from home and where her heart is.


ABOUT THE MUSIC
All Music & Lyrics by Summer Grace Watson
Produced By (JP) John Parenti
Arranged, Recorded and Mixed by JP at Parenti Music
Rhythm Section Recorded and Engineered by Chris Steffen at Sage & Sound Studio
Additional Vocal Editing: Aaron Walk
Mastered by Patrick Woodland at Woodland Music Productions

Architect for the Wolfgang Puck Food Company, Stephen Francis Jones joined me Monday at 9:00am!

Had a great time chatting with special guest Stephen Francis Jones today! If you missed the show, listen here.

About Stephen Francis Jones
As in-house architect for the Wolfgang Puck Food Company, Stephen Francis Jones established one of Southern California’s most iconic brands. When he founded his own firm, Puck immediately hired him to help develop the fine dining ambiance at Spago Beverly Hills. That project led to designing Wolfgang Puck restaurants worldwide—and, most recently, the renovation of the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland, site of the Academy Awards’ Governors Ball.Beginning with a complete renovation of the Century Plaza Hotel, Jones received a steady stream of high-profile commissions. He designed the serenely elegant sushi restaurants Hamasaku and Kumo for Michael Ovitz and Anisette—a classic French brasserie in a landmark Santa Monica tower—for Tommy Stoilkovich, Mike Garrett and four-star chef Alain Giraud.


“My objective is to make the total sensory experience as delicious as the food, setting the mood from the moment you walk in the door,” Jones says. “I like to call it the ‘wow’ factor.”

Jones was a young associate at a boutique Los Angeles architecture firm when he discovered that restaurant design was his true calling. Working as project architect with restaurateur Brian Vidor on Typhoon at Santa Monica Airport, he realized that the intimate scale allowed him to focus on the details of lighting, texture and color that create a memorable ambiance.

After graduating from the University of Florida School of Architecture, Jones developed high rises at Jung/Brannon in Boston. He worked on large projects in southern Europe with the internationally renowned Barcelona firm Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura before completing his master’s degree in architecture at UCLA. A fluent Spanish speaker who had spent his youth in Bogotá, Colombia, Jones found that immersion in urban European life gave him a fresh perspective on what makes a social space a memorable experience.An avid cyclist and volleyball player with a warmly engaging personality, Jones has a way of bonding with his clients. After meeting restaurateur Chris Simms at a local beach, Jones collaborated with him on six projects, including the playfully rustic M.B. Post (a former post office) in Manhattan Beach, with Michelin-starred chef David LeFevre.

Jones seeks to realize each client’s distinctive vision. By interpreting and enhancing his clients’ concepts, he creates uniquely inviting settings for casual to high-end dining. Among his best-known projects is Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood. Working with CEO Steven Foster, Jones created a wildly popular hipster hybrid—restaurant, bar and bowling alley—that resulted in a flurry of spin-off projects.

Married to Stephanie Eyestone Jones, owner of urban planning firm Matrix Environmental, Jones and his family live in Manhattan Beach. Some of his best ideas come during the tranquil early-morning hour he spends sculling at the UCLA Aquatic Center—in line with his belief in work that “feeds the spirit, not the ego.”

Johnny Schillereff, founder of Element and recent TEDx Orange Coast Speaker, joined me Monday at 9:30am!

Great show today featuring Johnny Schillereff! 

If you missed my conversation with Johnny, listen here.

About Johnny Schillereff
At the age of four, Johnny Schillereff got his first skateboard and a lifetime passion was discovered. Escaping the turbulence and dysfunction of a troubled childhood, Johnny began to find solace in world of skateboarding and its subcultures. Ironically, the path that most people frowned upon and attempted to detour him from was the very path that saved him. The few things that kept him grounded were his passions for the outdoors, art, and the skateboard under his feet. In pursuit of these disparate passions Johnny merged this unlikely marriage of our urban culture and the natural environment – and Element was born.

Element was created out of a passion and an unwavering dedication to making a positive difference. The brand continues to grow while honoring its deepest roots of skateboarding and the lifestyle that surrounds it. From team riders and advocates to product, Element embodies the unbounded potential of creativity and imagination. Today Element, identified by the iconic tree logo Johnny created, is now sold in more than 100 countries and has developed into a lifestyle brand spanning skateboards, accessories and apparel for men and women. Johnny’s entrepreneurial spirit and vast achievements have made him an industry maverick and pioneer that continues to shine today.

There are no tipping points | Johnny Schillereff | TEDxOrangeCoast joins me Monday at 9:30am!

Wise words to remember...

Thanks to The Master Shift for posting!