I’m heading to New York City tomorrow for nine days to work with old and new clients. When I go to New York, memories from my time in the city come flooding back to me.
I remember in 2004, trudging through the snow to Cafecito, the restaurant I managed at a time when I knew almost no one in New York. I was the ultimate small town girl in the big city. I made friends with anybody who would make friends with me. A muscle man moving antiques on the street. Liberty George. a Bulgarian refugee who sold Statue of Liberty masks on the street. And a fancy cheese purveyor who delighted in my exuberance (and loudness) when introduced with any new delicacy.
My friends gave me an ongoing introduction to art and architecture and vintage clothing and living in the big city. Despite being too-cool NYU artists, my friends never made me feel like a country bumpkin. And I gave them something, too. I didn’t find out until years later, but my new friends secretly agreed to say yes to any random activity I proposed. They would tag along with me for Rolo shots at the neighborhood bar, spirited political protests and picnics in the park with random strangers I had met the hour before. Later, they told me I helped them see the city in a new way. Where they saw stereotypes, I saw possibility.
Now I spend a lot of time working with my clients to see the possibilities in their lives and help them shape the stories that will make things happen for them. Let me know if you know someone in New York that needs an artistic or career charge-up. Have them email me: heather@millionpersonproject.org or call me at 415 971 3523.