I’m still working, and you’re retired–can we still be friends?

By Ronni Sandroff | Jan. 2012  | Next Avenue

Yes, I’m still working. By choice? Partly. By necessity? Partly. To show off? Uh, maybe mostly.
This latter motivation has been fanned of late by the attitude of my age mates, and even those 10 years younger, who complain that my job is interfering with their social routines. Sorry, but no, I can’t join you for daytime classes at the Y, a Wednesday matinee or discount lunch at Bouley during restaurant week. And I certainly can’t drop everything to grab that cheap airfare to Ecuador.
It feels odd to have to defend doing honest labor to those who seem to take pride in being at loose ends. Either it’s a smug email like: “Ho ho ho, it’s really warm in Florida today, and I see it’s snowing up your way, poor dear.” Or patronizing: “I remember working. Such a drain on your energy.” Or “Wow, you look corporate in that outfit. Is that the new work uniform?” (Sorry, I didn’t have time to change into my jeans before meeting you for dinner). They seem to resent the sense of self-importance that comes with having deadlines, meetings, stretch assignments and the wardrobe to handle them in. Does the only fun they’re having in retirement involve wearing sweat pants and scoffing at me and others who go to the office every day?
It reminds me of my experiences as a working mother in the 1980s, when the stay-home moms treated me with a similar mix of hostility and competition. I resented them right back for thinking they had a monopoly on doing motherhood right. Until that is, I made local friends on both sides of the divide and found we had a lot to offer each other — not the least of which was a different perspective.
The bright side of being teased for still working is that it’s made me think hard about the view from each side of the fence. Here’s my short list of things both retired and working people need in their lives.
Less time to fret. An advantage of spending 40-odd hours knuckling down in the office is that I don’t have endless time to think about my troubles, my possible future troubles, or what I should’ve or could’ve done about the troubles of yesteryear. And I don’t have much time to listen to other people’s tales of major and minor pains, ungrateful children and miscellaneous inconveniences and outrages. Is it just me, or do others dread these heart-to-hearts? At work, we tend to chat each other up about the latest gadget, movie or political scandal. It’s not that working people don’t have minor and major aches and pains. We just don’t mention them so much. Retired or not, we all need major distractions from ourselves and conversation that at least sometimes rises above the minutiae of our daily lives.

Bragging rights. One of the great benefits of working, I find, is the nod of respect I get when I tell people what I do. I’ve watched a number of friends bravely retire precious identities as Expert Pooh Bah or Owner-in-Chief, only to find their self-esteem collapsing when someone asks them what they do for a living. “Mostly errands,” might be their answer. Or a really long tale about what they used to do and how they wouldn’t mind doing a little bit of it now, either, if you happened to know of anyone who needs a professional who hasn’t worked in five years. My conclusion is that working or not everyone needs to write themselves a new “elevator line” every so often — a two-sentence upbeat response to the inevitable question: “What’s new and interesting with you?”

Time with family and friends. Here’s where my mixed feelings about retirement come into play. Yes, I would like to emulate a friend who takes her granddaughter to toddler art class twice a week, or the one who never has to jump off the phone with his elderly parents, saying, “I’m late for a meeting.” Many of my retired friends seem to get this right, so I’ve taken inspiration from them. In recent years I’ve been booking my evenings and weekends less tightly so I can more often say yes to spontaneous visits or last-minute requests for help from family and friends.

Energy for growth. My retired friends really soar when they’re learning something new. They get engrossed for days decoding the latest electronic device or return revved up from classes in ballroom dancing, oil painting or infant CPR. And when they’re in that mode, any residual jealousy about my job vanishes in the delight with their own lives. Inspired by this, I took my first class this fall — an eight-week online university course (paid for by my company, thank you very much) — and was quite amazed at how exhilarating, and difficult, it was. “To make the best use of free time, one needs to devote as much ingenuity and attention to it as one would to one’s job,” according to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmiha, author of “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.” This makes me feel that retirement, and the need to create the best use of all my time, might be challenging enough to suit me when I let go of my job. Some day.Retired or not, we need to remember that many of us are still on a life journey to become more interested and interesting. So perhaps we can make a deal. If you promise not to be smug because you’re retired, I’ll try not to be smug about still working.

A Quick Cure for the Pessimism Pandemic

By Ronni Sandroff | Feb. 2012  | Next Avenue

Turning lemons into lemonade? Here’s an actual recipe

Are we doomed yet? This is kind of a daunting year. The omens are bad, according to the ancient Mayans, as interpreted by contemporary prophets of calamity. Even good ole Chevrolet dramatized the apocalypse, complete with frogs falling from the sky, in its 2012 Super Bowl commercial.
The evening news only reinforces the general sense of foreboding. The Euro is collapsing. War with Iran is looming. The U.S., real estate market, is in a quagmire. “And it’s going to get worse,” you can count on a pundit to intone.
Suddenly, pessimism is cool. So what does a gal who thrives on positivism and a go-go economy do now? I’ve had to give it a lot of thought because my usual ways of coping seem a bit dated. Remember when being perky was in? I was good at that. I have a gift for spotting the silver linings in the storm clouds, but lately, I’ve found that pointing them out makes people act like I’m deluded.
Some seem to thrive on the new negativism. “Frustration, anger, sadness, and loneliness. That’s, to me, inspiration for lyrics,“ the pop star Pink said in an interview. “Happiness? Useless. If I’m happy I don’t get out of bed — there’s no point.”
Well, I’m just the opposite. If I can ratchet myself up to even slightly positive on the emotion meter, then I’m up and at ’em, rah-rah, ready to devour the world.(More: Think Positive, Be Happier: The Invaluable Lessons of ‘Pollyanna’)

Pink is not my role model in any case (and why isn’t her name Blue?), but she seems to embrace a flawed coping technique — namely, to convince yourself that you prefer negative scenarios and outcomes. The flaw is this: If you believe that you thrive on negativity, you will breed more of it.I agree with Charlotte Bronte, who said that cheerfulness “is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as on the state of things without and around us.” Yes, if the state within is positive, I have more energy and power to put toward fixing the bad situations I too often find myself in.

The big question is, how do you stay upbeat in a year when it’s hip to be a cynical and defeated? To cheer up the world, I’ve devised a step-by-step recipe for turning this lemon of a year into a refreshing and inspiring gulp of optimism. Call it lemonade, circa 2012.

Step 1: Count your lemons. Count ’em up quick. Don’t worry about leaving any out. Then say: “Ah, I certainly have a bumper of crop of lemons. I can relax now; I’ve already counted them.”(More: Why Today Is Better Than the Past)

Step 2: Squeeze. Sour as they taste, lemons contain a lot of nutrients. So, too, do those fabulous moments of life — they offer great opportunities for learning and growth, along with some purely pleasurable experiences. Put those in your juicer too, and squeeze the most joy out of every wonderful non-apocalyptic moment of this wobbly year.
Step 3: Add sugar and water. Be extravagant with the sugar. This kind has no calories and comes in the form of smiles, small words of encouragement and the odd joke. To dilute the power of the lemons, add a generous splash of that ordinary miracle, fresh water.
Step 4: Keep stirring. Praise yourself for stirring up some optimism. Go on, no one will know. And share the wealth: Offer a little lemonade to whoever’s around. Salud!

Zika Vaccine: How Long Do We Have to Wait?

By Ronni Sandroff | Feb. 2016  |  Investopedia.com

It’s not a gold rush, exactly. Common wisdom has been that there’s little profit in vaccines, although there are some who dispute that. Nonetheless, companies worldwide have been quick to respond to the towering and urgent need for a vaccine against the Zika virus, which has infected at least 1.5 million people since its outbreak in Brazil this year and is considered the culprit in at least 2,782 Brazilian babies born in 2015 with small heads and underdeveloped brains. There is also likely vision impairment, possibly even in Zika-infected babies who do not have microcephaly.

Gearing Up Around the Globe

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has called for “a full-court press” to find a vaccine. In January his agency told scientists it would fund research into basic microbiology, immune response, tests, treatments, surveillance studies and vaccines for Zika.

The epidemic has provoked a vigorous worldwide response from vaccine manufacturers. The Bharat Biotech in India (Private Company Ticker Symbol: BHABIOP), Butantan Institute in Brazil, GeneOne Life Science (KRX:011000) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals in the U.S., Sanofi Pasteur in France and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (NASDAQOTH: TKPYY) in Japan are among those who have announced work on a Zika vaccine. Some companies are collaborating with universities, such as Australia’s Sementis Ltd. (with the University of South Australia) and GeoVax (OTCQB: GOVX) in the U.S. (with the University of Georgia). The vaccine pipeline has grown during the last 20 years, with more small and medium-sized companies, including spin-offs of academic research centers, starting Phase I vaccine trials. Industries that support the efforts of research scientists, such as genetic and testing centers, are also gearing up. (See also Cerus Corp. May Have Treatment for Zika Virus and Zika Virus Infects the Travel Industry.)

Zika May Be an ‘Easier’ Vaccine Target

Zika is a flavivirus, a family that includes yellow fever, West Nile, dengue and Japanese encephalitis virus. Fortunately, scientists have a successful track record of making vaccines against flavivirus and can now replicate and study human infections in animal models. Recent advances in vaccine technology, work with similar diseases such as West Nile and dengue and, perhaps most important, expedited testing and approval processes, should speed the effort for a safe and effective vaccine, infectious disease expert William Schaffner, M.D.. told Investopedia. Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, explains that unlike the flu virus, which has a “devilish capacity to mutate,” flaviviruses are more stable. “If we can create a vaccine it should work in different parts of the world and not need modification over time, making the vaccine a profitable as well as humanity-saving venture,” said Schaffner.

While testable vaccine candidates may emerge in the next six months, Schaffner cautions that safety, as well as effectiveness testing, is essential. Virtually all the contenders project a timeline of three to five years before a vaccine is fully tested and available for widespread use. However, the National Institutes of Health is now hopeful that human testing can begin as early as summer of this year.

Schaffner feels the competitive rush for a vaccine is a good thing since a more organized approach such as that taken with the Genome Project would take more time and might discourage individual initiative. “There’s a lot of exciting scientific ferment and determination that will keep the lights on in the lab at night,” he says.

Disease Outlook for the U.S.

A bite from an infected Aedes mosquito is the main mode of Zika transmission, but there have also been documented cases of transmission from sexual contact and blood transfusions. In the U.S., robust mosquito abatement programs are in place and already being deployed in states reporting cases. In the U.K., planes on routes from Zika-affected countries will be sprayed.

It’s unlikely that Zika virus (or Ebola, dengue fever or chikungunya) will become widely established in the U.S., according to infectious disease experts. People in the U.S. are less exposed to mosquitoes since they are more likely to live in closed, air-conditioned environments and have access to insect repellents.

Preventive measures, such as quarantine or avoidance of infected people, may not be possible with Zika since four out of five victims never have any noticeable symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are similar to those of many other mild illnesses. Fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis (red eyes) are among the most common symptoms, which typically start two to seven days after being bitten. The CDC has a blood test for Zika virus, but it is not yet commercially available.

The eradication of mosquitoes as a species is a measure also under consideration. While a total mosquito apocalypse would rob larger species of an important food source, work is now being done on mass elimination of the disease-bearing Aedes mosquito. This would potentially prevent dengue fever and chikungunya as well as Zika. Oxitec, a British company with a production facility in Campinas, Brazil, is one group that is trying to eliminate Aedes mosquitoes by altering the genes of males in captivity and then releasing them to mate and render the next generation sterile. This method has yet to be widely tested and perfected.

The Bottom Line

Avoiding mosquito bites and travel to infected areas are the top preventive measures against Zika, smart for everyone and perhaps crucial for pregnant women or those who might be, as well as their partners and family members. The usual measures to combat mosquitoes, including not leaving standing water under flower pots and in yards, are important, as is wearing long pants, long-sleeved garments outdoors and using insect repellents. The Aedes mosquitoes bearing Zika are daytime biters and can also bite at night.

Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 are all considered safe to use during pregnancy. Consumer Reports tests found Sawyer Fishermen’s Formula (with picaridin) and Off Deepwoods VIII (with DEET) effective for at least 8 hours against the Aedes mosquitoes. It also found that repellents with plant oils, such as citronella and lemongrass, did not work against mosquitoes. (Also, see Zika Virus: Latest Advice on Staying Safe.)

Some experts in reproductive health now fear that Zika virus belongs to a class of viral infections in utero that since 1988 have been linked to autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, although not yet proved as a direct cause. “Evidence has increased for years that mental illnesses may be linked to exposure during pregnancy to viruses like rubella, herpes, and influenza, and to parasites like Toxoplasma gondii,” Donald McNeil recently reported in the New York Times.

The New York Times also reported that in Brazil, conspiracy theories on the origins of Zika and causes of microencephaly have spread through social media – for instance, blaming chemical larvicide used to kill mosquitoes. With GMO mosquitos released in Brazil a couple of years before the sudden epidemic of Zika, there’s also been a burble of conspiracy theorizing that this could have caused the problem, but the idea has been meticulously rebutted. Transmissions through blood donations and sexual relations have been documented, however, prompting new guidelines.

Retailer Spotlight: The Ballet Boutique Company

Retailer Spotlight: The Ballet Boutique Company

By Ronni Sandroff | Apr. 2017  | Dance Retailer News

“Elegance and class without the high prices!” That’s the selling point of the newest Ballet Boutique in a spanking new shopping center in downtown Doral, FL, a fast-growing city near Miami. Entering the spacious store is like walking into a theater. A 4 1/2–foot rosy pink moiré satin curtain hangs from the high ceiling, and five delicate chandeliers light the stage. Behind the curvaceous white checkout desk straight ahead sits owner Gabriela Martinez, who does much of the pointe shoe fitting herself at her two stores in Florida and three in Mexico. To scale the brand, she has also sold a franchise—her first—in Veracruz.

The secret to her success? “Desperation,” Martinez says, with a rueful smile. When a divorce left her with three boys to support, her earnings from teaching ballet didn’t cover her expenses. So she began to visit ballet studios in her native Yucatan Peninsula to sell pointe shoes from the back of her old car.

Well-Fitted Shoes
Decades of performing and teaching ballet made her sensitive to the plight of dancers suffering from poorly fitted shoes. “It’s a myth that ballet has to cause pain and destroy your feet,” she says.

Winning customers with well-fitted shoes, Martinez soon closed her ballet school and devoted herself to the art and science of pointe shoe fitting. Her university studies in business helped, and a higher degree in marine biology inspired her to take a scientific approach. “I have over 4,000 charts so I can track individual customers’ histories,” she says. “My stores carry all the major brands of pointe shoes and keep a huge inventory, more than 600 pairs, in stock.”

At the barre where she fits the dancers, there’s a sign stating that she charges $30 for the fitting if the customer doesn’t buy the shoes. But, she notes, this has never actually happened. The attention to customer service may explain why. “I’ll open the store for teachers at 8:30 am. I want every customer to leave satisfied,” she says.

Martinez recently lectured on fitting methods at the Florida Dance Education Organization, and she trains employees, and now franchise owners, in fitting technique, including padding selection, which she feels is as important as the shoes themselves.

Dance moms are her best source of customers. “If a girl is dancing in pain and I fit her, both she and her mom stop crying,” she says. “The word of mouth spreads fast.”  Expert pointe shoe fittings are a draw for the store. Martinez, who has performed and taught ballet, trains her employees in her fitting technique and has lectured about fitting methods at the Florida Dance Education Organization.

Going International
It was the cost of pointe shoes that inspired Martinez to open her first U.S. store in South Miami. “Because pointe shoes are not manufactured in Mexico, I need to pay for them in dollars, so to have enough margin to grow, I need to earn dollars,” she says. She had a rough start when a couple of Miami landlords refused to lease her prime locations because she was Mexican.

Once the South Miami store was profitable, she cast her net to Doral, a growing community with a large Venezuelan population. “It’s home to young two-income families who want their kids in cultural activities, to be well-rounded. I was the new girl in town, so when I opened the store, I visited 30 dance schools in the area.”

To help combat prejudice and establish her image, she framed dozens of large photos of herself performing and posing with star dancers from august companies, such as American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of Cuba and Paris Opéra Ballet. “I don’t have photos in my stores in Mexico,” she says. “There everybody knows me.”

Martinez pulls out a stack of pretty handwritten thank-you notes ready to be mailed out to the dance teachers she’d met with. “Small details count,” she says.

So does giving back, through simple things like volunteering to put the dancers’ hair in buns before a recital and contributing to schools’ silent auctions. There is also a Ballet Boutique scholarship award in the U.S. and Mexico. A public art school chooses a ballet student who is very talented, has good grades in school and is struggling financially. The prize is all dance attire for a year. In the U.S., the award is presented by the head of the Mexican consulate.

Martinez planned the award program with her three sons, now all professionals. Her youngest works for her on Saturdays and travels with her to Mexico, where she goes every other week. And she’s now been remarried for a year, to a banker who helped her with her first U.S. store.

The pink moiré satin of the store’s two large theater-like curtains is carried through on the chairs and pointe shoe fitting bench. Table displays are changed every three weeks.

Not Just Pointe Shoes
Six months after opening, the Doral store is covering rent and payroll, and business is expected to double or triple soon. While pointe and other dance shoes are the main profit center, each store—which has its own manager in charge—adapts to the local market.

In South Miami, a lot of the customers are gymnasts. In Doral, there is more interest in flamenco and ballroom dance. Martinez works with the teachers to design and choose fabrics for flamenco costumes, which she manufactures in a small factory in Mexico. “Flamenco skirts need artistry for the ruffling and can be very expensive and are not found easily online.” The factory also makes Ballet Boutique’s own brand of ballet slippers, jazz shoes, and flamenco shoes.

At the Doral shop, dance uniforms can be embroidered with the schools’ names. In February, the store window was full of warm-up booties, another popular item. She carries racks of fancy tutus for ballerinas-to-be, which are mainly purchased by grandmothers. And there was a big stuffed dog in a tutu and hair bows sitting on a tiny chair outside the store.

For the sheer pleasure of it, Martinez teaches a baby ballet class for 2- and 3-year-olds early Saturday mornings in the store’s small studio. Her goal is simply to instill a love of ballet. And,
of course, by inspiring very young dancers and their mothers, she hopes
to see them back as customers for years to come.

Art Basel Miami Side Fairs Provide Surprise and Color

Art Basel Miami Side Fairs Provide Surprise and Color

Art fairs, petite and tall, accompany Art Basel and Art Miami like a very long train of bridesmaids and ushers. Whether they’re at grand hotels or displayed in rooms emptied of beds in small ones, the galleries work their hearts out to showcase the works, and the profusion of art is pleasantly unpredictable and often thrilling. Here prices range from the possibly affordable to the not so, and the collectors seem hipper but just as knowledgeable as the posh crowd at Art Basel.

Here are a few of the unexpected pieces that stopped me in my tracks at Scope.