Okay, so it’s been ‘‘a while’’ since my last newsletter was released. If I am being honest, I have been avoiding writing a new edition …for quite some time now, but it has been on my mind. Truth is, I was really hoping that there would be some incredible excitement amidst the aftermath of ‘the (pandemic) elephant in the room.’ Some might argue there is, so let’s roll with this then and start a dialogue.

I am not a raving feminist -- despite the fact I’m proudly female and believe in empowering oneself, regardless of gender -- especially in the light of imbalance and unfairness. But I don’t set out pushing my agenda on topics at the risk of looking (shall I say possibly) biased or belligerent. Nonetheless, this read I happened on republished recently in Axios.com showcasing the strides made in media with regard to placing women in key leadership roles is notable. Certain industries, like sports, hard sciences, technology and even media are often led by mostly men. Another noticeable breakthrough with the same trending thread has been in sports, particularly over the past couple years, where powerful, intelligent women are making strides on the main screens and media casts.

Sportsnet has truly gained incredible value and a broadened viewership with the brilliant addition of the beautiful Jennifer Botterill, an Olympic ice hockey champ, Harvard grad and multi-awarded former Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) forward. As a hockey analyst during NHL games, she is a fresh voice, easy on the eyes and above all else, an exceptionally articulate and educated athlete on the topic of hockey. Oh, and did I mention she just happens to be elegant and beautiful, too. I’d be remiss if I did not mention the two most recent additions to both the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs are also women!

If I may take a wee sidestep here, not in the name of being negative, but more so in the train of pointing a finger at some women who may be very powerful leaders but fail to be complete successes in business based solely on their own greed, misdriven agendas and a callous disregard for those they victimize. I’m talking about Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos and now in the slammer convicted of four counts of fraud (out of 11 charges!) by the US Justice System after years of legal deliberations. A Stanford University dropout in 2003, this tech entrepreneur (with the guidance of her ex- and said-to-be abusive lover successfully duped bigtime savvy investors like Murdoch and Ellison (and others) to raise $900M to endorse her technology. Once on the cover of Forbes Magazine (twice!!), with the promise that a few small drops of blood (as opposed to the usual syringe needle extraction process), when scanned was fully capable of identifying hundreds of health issues as a screening device. Her previous value of $4.5B is now worthless as she lives out her 20-year prison sentence contemplating some very dangerous tactics of a once very powerful woman in a leadership role. Her sour legend is being amplified with the upcoming movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, who’ll be playing Holmes’s character.

Most of us (women or otherwise) live at the street level. In no regard am I implying this with a derogatory slant, rather the contraire. I am merely saying that to be respected, sometimes even revered, but mostly to be able to look at your own reflection every morning, we must all conduct ourselves in accordance with the parameters of the laws of our society and those of our own personal scruples. There will always be rebels, who think they’re above the law, like Holmes (and an ex-boyfriend stalker/predator of mine), but I am a firm believer in the adage that no wrong deed goes unnoticed …or unserved. Karma is a real element of invisible retaliation and like I did, it’s imperative to trust in the systems that bind and govern – they’re the ones who can hand out the restraints that help keep the ugly monkeys (such as Prince Andrew and his nasty cronies) from continuing to wreak smelly havoc when they’re behaving totally outrageous. In a nut, trust the system to prevail and serve.

One of the reasons I’ve been quieter on the blog front is a cause of a new full-time role I’ve been committed to since last June. While in the initial lockdown, I forged my way through a copywriting course and secured a really cool gig as senior copywriter for a small but growing agency. The very first project I was tasked to write the entire web copy for turn out to be one of Hollywood’s most exciting new developments in delivering full-length feature films to its audiences in the form of an non-fungible token (NFT). ZERO CONTACT is the movie starring Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins. My meetings included the producers, directors, Hollywood A-list media magnets …the list goes on. What makes this movie exxtra cool is that it was filmed exclusively via Zoom during the pandemic itself. In fact, the sequel is currently being shot (as I type) in another first-ever format: in Antarctica! No other film crew has successfully shot a Hollywood movie there before.

In addition to working on this project, one other client the agency I work with also promotes is the Barrett-Jackson auto auctions, currently going on in Scottsdale, AZ. When the vehicles go on the block, the photos that capture the live events are also sold to automobilia fans as original digital collectibles bought, kept and traded on the blockchain. I am curious to learn if any of you are familiar with NFTs and what your opinions about them are. It’s apparent that they are growing exponentially in popularity and expanding into other industries, like another of the projects I’ve been tasked to collaborate with, starring the Gold Chain Cowboy himself: Park McCollum!

All work aside, my new granddaughter, who arrived last summer, has totally transformed our family, like all new babies easily do. Being a grandma came with some preconceived notions about what it would be like, but honestly, I truly had no clue what changes would occur. I’ve been comically coined “Glamma Lee” and loving my newest role like I never knew I could.

In closing, I simply wish to thank you for signing up to my newsletter and for reading it this far. I welcome any and all feedback you may wish to share with me. I also want to express my wishes for all of you to continue to find joy in every day, to celebrate the wins, even if they’re small. The positive energy emitted when one smiles or lends a hand unasked can only create more goodness.

Keep smiling, everyone!

Sincerely,

Liane

PS: In my readings, I stumbled across this fun exercise/quiz that most of us are victims of: The Mandala Effect. It’s rare that one can get every question correct. I challenge you to a walk down Memory Lane in the process. I enjoyed it.