Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: The Grand Finale

Gena’s busiest week is just about over—and what better way to cap off a week filled with new associates and friends than a big party?

Saturday, February 6:

1 meeting
1 mani-pedi
1 red carpet gala

I drove to Belen to have breakfast with my parents, and also to meet with Sharon Olsen. She’s a friend from the good old days, and asked to meet about marketing and consulting for her business, Sharon Kay Jewelry. Sharon’s a full-time teacher who also creates intricately designed beaded jewelry pieces. We talked marketing, and we’re going to start working on getting her pieces into some shops here in Albuquerque. Her stuff is gorgeous!

Nice and full from my breakfast with Mom and Dad, I went to Casa Verde Spa for a mani-pedi to prep for tonight’s big event. They a lot of spa services—I’ll come back to try out some of the others soon, because they look absolutely luxurious and I’m always all about that. But today I was on a time crunch! It was nice to relax after my such a busy week and enjoy a foot soak and massage. Asha painted my toesies gold to match the jewelry I was wearing with my black dress for the evening, and I was out the door.

My fiancé, Curtiss, and I arrived at La Noche Encantada with 10 minutes to spare. We grabbed a drink at the bar and head to our table, where we were hosted by AHCC’s Jeffrey Candelaria.

I declared our table the party table. This was a surprise to Mary Herrera, our Secretary of State—but she and her date were a blast! We must have giggled all through dinner. That’s bad manners according to my earlier etiquette training…. but oh well! At the center of most of our giggling was Eddie Tafoya, a professor at NM Highlands, who has just taken a six-month sabbatical to study stand-up comedy. At one point, I was laughing so hard, I thought I was going to spit food across the table.

I even got to chat with Mayor Richard Berry and the First Lady, Maria, who were both absolutely delightful. I found out that they have a terrier also. I offered a doggie playdate—who knows, maybe they will take me up on that?

What a great week I had! I ended my week with my boss, Larryl, at his SuperBowl Party. That’s me, wrapped in a Snuggie. That’s what my week ended with. A Snuggie. I couldn’t think of anything more appropriate.

Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: Day Five

Gena’s busiest week is just about over—after a jam-packed Friday. Check it out:

Thursday, February 4:
8 meetings
1 lunch
1 beer in the Gutter
94 miles driven

Appointment #1: Dry Heat Photography collectively has 25 years of wedding photography experience. Rick and DeAnna have the cool factor and the experience to make any bride shine on her wedding day. These two have a studio and art gallery in Corrales and represent 7 photographers. They shoot about 50 weddings a year, but also do non-bridal photography. They met me for breakfast, but I was the only one eating (a sesame bagel at Flying Star Corrales.) It was the first time I’ve had a chance to sit with them and talk about how they are doing. They’re appearing this year at ATM’s Wedding Showcase, so make sure you visit them at the event!

Appointment #2: Las Mananitas Luxury Apartment Community is located on the Westside, directly west of Riverside Plaza. Brian Sanchez is the community manager there. He is the dashingly handsome guy posing on the fountain next to the pool. Brian and I went to school together in Belen, so I’ve known him for quite awhile. He just moved back from NY, and we’re lucky: he’s one of the best in his field, and skilled at finding the right fit for anyone looking for a temporary residence.

Appointment #3: Kimberly Mendoza moved her Lee Taylor Real Estate Group to the Westside not too long ago. You might have seen the sign up near Coors and Sevilla NW. That’s why we met at the Starbucks just up the street. Kimberly and her family have been long time friends of the magazine, but this week gave us a reason to catch up on business. She’s working hard to keep her agents happy, and as of now they’re weathering the real estate storm well. Kimberly is always willing to help anyone with real estate questions… seriously, I’m always calling her!

Appointment #4: Kelli Cooper and Randy Royster are part of the team that makes Albuquerque Community Foundation rock! Kelli and her team organize one of my favorite Albuquerque events in the fall, Concours de Soleil. It showcases an incredible collection of high end cars. I call it mastery in transportation. She is just a delightful person to work with, so this year ATM decided to sponsor the event again. On my way out, I asked Randy for a photo, and even though he resisted, I got one anyway. (I think I’m earning my paparazzo card!)

Appointment #5: Jeff Baillio is a popular dude around town. I don’t think he can get away without being recognized—he’s been the face of Baillio’s, the family business, on TV for awhile. He came by to bug me about an apple pie recipe that I keep forgetting to give him… that’s what I get for giving him a homemade pie as a gift last year. Baillio’s just reacquired family ownership, and after visiting the store this month, it’s extremely evident. I love shopping local!

Appointment #6: I had lunch with Adam Greenhood from Esparza Advertising. I was supposed to take Adam out for his birthday. He tried to cancel on me. I forced him to go anyway. Plus, he didn’t want to miss out on this incredible photo op. That’s him, trying to hitch a ride on Fifth Street in front of the Esparza offices. We met for lunch at the Asian Noodle Bar. I realized at lunch that I always, always, no matter what, order fried rice at Asian restaurants. I tried to pay attention to Adam, but the whole time I was fixated on the fried rice obsession. We didn’t discuss business anyway. It was just a good time to hang out with a friend. Happy birthday, Adam!

Appointment #7: Ambitions Consulting Group contacted me right away about participating in my busiest week ever. Erin Muffoletto, Lucas M. Rael, and J.R. Rael make up this incredibly dynamic organization. You might recognize Erin from our most recent Hot Singles Issue. She and her two partners are starting to take over the world, one business at a time. They are moving forward on consulting projects with Erin’s focus on the political side of things. I see these guys going far. Better get to know them while you can, before they go big time.

Appointment #8: Tony Lynn from Big I 107.9 is one of those guys who really loves dogs, so much so that he and his wife opened up Tony Lynn’s Caring Paws Doggie Daycare in midtown. They became advertisers at the end of last year. ATM loves these little start-up stories and theirs is one of our favorites! They are a kind-hearted couple with tons of extra love for the furry guys.  Their day care prices are reasonable, and the love and attention are priceless!

Appointment #9: Janice Lujan from the Phoenix Agency and Melanie Burns from Achievement Gallery stopped in at ATM just to say hi. I think they heard about the blog, and I should have called to get an appointment with them, but these ladies are so busy, I had no idea I’d get to see them at all.

Last, but not least: Beer in the Gutter with the guys from 3. ATM’s offices are upstairs from REI and we share the entire sec9nd floor with the ad agency known as 3. They are 3. Just 3. Not 3M. Not 3 guys. Just 3. (They like to make that clear.) About once a month, we gather in the Gutter, our kitchen/bar/movie theater. We have a beer keg in the Gutter. So our monthly gatherings are always on a Friday, at the end of the day. It’s a good time to relax, catch up, and talk about the advertising world beyond our doors. It’s nice to end a week with good neighbors.

It may be Friday, but the week’s not up yet! Check out the grand finale on Saturday night.

Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: Day Four

Last week, ATM’s sales director, Gena, set out to have the busiest week she’d ever had. Check out the fourth-and-almost-final day of her quest.

Thursday, February 4:
4 meetings
1 lunch
1 drink
1 dinner
157 miles driven

Appointment #1: I started my day in the best possible place: a spa. I met with Melissa Hernandez at Full Circle Wellness Center, who just moved into a new location on north Fourth Street. It’s definitely the most tranquil spa in Los Ranchos. Melissa’s menu of services is almost too long to list—suffice it to say, she’s got something for everyone. She renovated the building to add a magnificent eastern view from the salon room. I learned about her organic product line, the “green” nail polish, and their private exercise room. Wish I could’ve gotten a massage before I left—I’m gonna need one by Sunday.

Appointment #2: I met with the lovely sales and marketing ladies of Hotel Albuquerque for lunch in their café. If you haven’t been on a tour of the newest venue in the city, I encourage you to schedule one. Casa Esencia is the old Maria Theresa restaurant on Rio Grande. The hotel purchased the building, renovated it, and redesigned it into a post private event center. This place is soon going to be the must-go place to see and be seen.

Appointment #3: When I first walked into ABQ PetCare, I felt like I’d forgotten something. I’ve never been to a vet clinic without a pet! Turns out it’s a more relaxing experience without a sick puppy—and it’s a great mood-maker. See this puppy? I played with her for 15 minutes before my appointment with the docs. She’s a Yorkie, just like mine (shout out to Buckley!), and now, I believe I know what I’m asking for my next birthday. Dr. Tim and Dr. Kerry are a father-daughter veterinarian team. Dr. Kerry opened the practice last September. They’re open seven days a week. She gave me some great advice for my little Yorkie and also mentioned that she has a call-in radio show every other Sunday at 1 p.m. on 770 KKOB.

Appointment #4: Derrick Lente and I met for coffee at Starbucks (I’ve got a ginormous to-go cup collection in my car from all my coffee dates this week). Derrick owns Spherion in ABQ. I could plug his business, but I’d rather tell you about how much of a great guy he is. He has a staff of four, and every time I see them they are the happiest people around. He’s not only a good boss, but an all around fun guy. He sponsored a team in ATM’s Corporate Roll last year, and even though they didn’t win (he disagrees with my scoring system) he was a good sport. Look for some cool stuff between ATM and Spherion. We’ve got a lot of big ideas.

Appointment #5: Zea Rotisserie and Grill is, for me, the best happy hour on Montgomery. It’s close to work, its got a great drink menu, and they have specials such as $2 off appetizers. You can get their incredible Mediterranean hummus and a glass of wine for $10. General manager Chuck Lindsay was there to greet us, and reminded me that I’ve got to try their desserts… not til dinner though. And that’s another appointment all together.

Appointment #6: Page Fullerton, advertising manager at ATM, is as busy as I am this week. Then again, she’s always busy. We found time to have drinks with our good friend over at Rick Johnson & Company. Page and I couldn’t convince Laura Cowan to drink Jack Daniels with us (and, for the record, she didn’t drink at all until after 5 p.m.). Whenever we get together, it’s normally down to business, but this time I made Laura email me after the meeting because we were having too much fun catching up. Here is some of our plan to take over the world (or at least part of Albuquerque):

• Enchantment Pet Resort in Rio Rancho was featured in our February issue, and they’re coming on board for our new Pet Section in 2010.
• Papa John’s is already an annual advertiser with ATM. They had a killer Super Bowl deal, but check the ATM Facebook page for secret specials.
• Garcia Automotive: I bought an Infiniti last year, and I love it. We’re hoping to get them in for a bigger presence this year.

Appointment #7: Over an excellent dinner at Artichoke Café, I learned that Dr. Julian Rowe and Dr. Judy Lei of Integrative Med Spa have finally found a permanent home at 3846 Masthead St. NE, over by Journal Center. They just celebrated their grand opening last month and are still enjoying the newness of their beautiful space. They offer the latest in anti-aging, coupled with integrative Chinese Medicine and supplements. Dr. Rowe is an OB/GYN and Dr. Lei is a pediatrician as well as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Together, they make an incredible couple and great business partners. They just put up their first outdoor billboard on I-25 North, near the ATM offices and are planning on unveiling a new treatment in March (watch the pages of ATM for more info!).

Gena’s week is almost up—be sure to check in for some special guest stars!

Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: Day Three

Gena’s busiest week is halfway through—here’s what happened on Wednesday!

Wednesday, February 3:
11 meetings
1 lunch
128 miles driven

Appointment #1: ABQ Paw Pals came to the office design their display ad for the March issue, which we’re finishing up now. They’re the city’s newest pet sitting service, but they do more than just watch your pooch. Michael and Leah also include a 40-minute walk, feeding, water fill-up, treats—and they’ll they even water your plants while you’re away. It’s peace of mind for when you travel or even if you need someone to check in on Fido if you’re away for long hours during the day. They also have a pet waste removal service (a fancy way of saying they pick up poop). They come out weekly and remove pet waste from your outdoor area, clean up, and take the waste with them for $8.99 a week.

Appointment #2: Jesse and Mike at ABQ Trolley Co. are the hippest trolley drivers you’ll ever meet. They started their trolley tour business last year—I’m sure you’ve seen their trolleys tooling around town—and are having a blast running the company. They are pretty excited about their Halloween tour, which they call “The Trolley of Terror” (insert spooky sounds here). The trolley tours start up again in April when the weather is warmer (it’s an open air trolley).

Appointment #3: I met with Excel Staffing, Albuquerque’s largest staffing provider (also locally owned and operated), at their offices off Louisiana. Duane Trythall is the CEO at Excel, and he told me he’s always looking for new candidates for employment and employers who need qualified candidates. They’re a temp-to-hire company; around 60% of their staff get hired for full-time employment. Duane also does work for Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance, so he’s a true fan of local business (and also our newest subscriber!).

Appointment #4: Buffett’s Candies is always one of my favorite stops when I drive on Lomas. Patty Buffett and I chatted about her dad’s “Lunch With” article in our February issue while I picked out Valentine’s treats for my coworkers. Somewhere in between the white chocolate pretzels and the marshmallow hearts, Patty told me that the store will be open this Valentine’s Day, and they’re open on Sundays. A good reason to get out of bed, huh?

Appointment #5: In a former life, I worked the ticket window at UNM Ticketing for Lobo games and Popejoy events. The experience gave me the opportunity to learn how to communicate louder through a small glass opening. But seriously, I loved my time there, and got to know the associate A.D. and director of ticketing services, Mark Koson. Mark will never admit this, but he’s owed me lunch for about a year since we started our partnership. I finally made him make good on it, and we ended up at Two Fools Tavern. I had the fish and chips—the very best I have ever had, anywhere, anytime. Mark and I worked out the details for ticketing our next event and made plans to make plans for another year of trying to get together for lunch. (PS: I didn’t let him buy!)

Appointment #6: Denise at Diva D’Luxe is one of my favorite ladies in the city. She’s stylish, beautiful, and inspiring. Her shop on Menaul and Pennsylvania is a little getaway for me when I feel like shopping and need a change of scene. I like that her boutique is constantly changing. She keeps her clothes reasonably priced and always encourages me to try things on that I normally wouldn’t try—but then end up loving.

Appointment #7: Prudential Sandia Realty has five locations in Albuquerque and, eve though they have 107 agents, they’re looking to expand and hire even more. That kind of success story gives us all some optimism in what’s been a so-so economy, huh? Eddie Costello is the V.P. and qualifying broker. He’s been in Albuquerque long enough to be considered a native and, like me, loves Marcello’s lobster mac-n-cheese.

Appointment #8: Ashley Drake Gephart and her husband, Karl Gephart, help businesses as social media consultants with Drake Intelligence Group. They are skilled in building websites, ghost writing, and reputation management. They met on a BBS more than 16 years ago, and after falling in love (and giving the world one of the sweetest engagement ring stories—see our February Bridal Guide issue for pics and details!), decided to help the rest of us along the Internet superpath. They are looking to expand their current clientele. Ashley is doing work for Prudential Sandia Real Estate and Best Buddies NM, but you can also find her all over Twitter and Facebook. She definitely practices what she preaches.

Appointment #9: You might remember All Kinds of Blinds from ATM’s Home Makeover Issues in 2006 and 2007—Robin Schalk has been helping ATM with our window dilemmas for more than five years. We played catch-up this afternoon—I found out she just moved her business to 7400 Montgomery NE, Suite 31, in Mossman Center. Good to know for anyone looking to jazz up their windows—after all, she specializes in custom window coverings and offers free in-home consultations.

Appointment #10: Joyce Marie at Connections Dating is a matchmaker—yep, just like they had in the old days. She is also a “certified singles coach,” which means she can untangle the crazy path that single people often have to walk. It’s always a treat to meet with her, because her outlook on dating is so different—I’d say that she refines dating. If you know anyone who has tried the Internet dating scene and just didn’t feel like it worked, Connections might be the answer.

Appointment #11: I met with the brother-sister team of Elliott and Erica Shelton at Shelton Jewelers on Montgomery and found out they’ve created some outstanding new heart pendants for Valentine’s Day. Elliott designed his own heart pendant that Erica was wearing in her photo. Elliott’s design starts at $99, and Erica also showed me the new sterling silver heart pendant that’s only $59. (Ahem, dear fiancé, this post is for you.)

Appointment #12: True confession number one: I have memberships to three unnamed gyms. True confession number two: I just went two years without using any of them. So my meeting with Elise at The Sports Clubs was a wakeup call. She reminded me that age is catching up with me and that I need to get in gear to get back in shape. I’m not going to lie. She is so inspiring and amazing that I actually did start going back to the gym. So now I’m eating right, training two days a week, and journaling my food intake. Elise and her husband have four locations around town. They convinced me that anyone can find the time to get to the gym. Even me, during a week like this!

Three days down, two to go—and a big, not-to-miss event! Stay tuned…

Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: Day Two

ATM’s sales director set out to book as many appointments as she could in a week. Here’s how day two shook loose.

Tuesday, February 2:

9 meetings
1 lunch
1 dinner
57 miles driven

Appointment #1: I met with the staff of Stribling Chiropractic, which is always fun. Dr. Stribling is a great chiropractor, but he’s also a Kinesio taping expert—which means he’s been setting the city straight (get it?) for more than 27 years. And he’s been in the same location the whole time! He and wife also own and run a fun retail shop in the East Mountains, Just Too Cute. It’s a fun boutique filled with interesting items and great gifts.

Appointment #2: Ben E. Keith came on board as ATM’s Chef Knockout sponsor two years ago. Todd and Kathy came by the ATM offices to chat about this year’s event in June. We’re already into the heavy planning stages to make this year’s event bigger, better, and—of course—more fattening! Chef Knockout is our answer to “Iron Chef”: eight chefs compete in four head-to-head battles. We host the event at the Convention Center and attract more than 1500 foodies to watch the battle, taste the food, and vote on cocktail concoctions. Last year we even had a Gauc-a-media challenge, putting the spotlight on local personalities and their guacamole-making abilities.

Appointment #3: Kelly Koepke and I chat on Facebook quite often. I, of course, am mostly wasting time while I’m at work (oops—is this the wrong place to admit that?). She, on the other hand, is actually working. As a matter of fact, she spends a lot of her time posting on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, and blogging as part of her job. For those of you who really just don’t get how posts, tweets, and blogs work, Kelly is a light in the digital darkness. Kelly manages social networking and integrates all elements of online life into your business. She’s also a great writer! I say this from personal experience. She wrote my “Forty Under 40” for the New Mexico Business Weekly last year.  She managed to make me sound cool. So now I’m her biggest fan.

Between-appointments meeting: I met with ATM’s publisher, Larryl, and marketing director, Kelly, for a quick, top-secret confab. (Insert devious chuckle here!) It’s not at all unusual for me to meet with them—we meet up regularly to talk about magazine business—so the meeting didn’t add a lot more busy-ness to my day. But how fabulous is this picture? I just had to post it.

Appointment #4: Erica Swan wanted to meet for coffee at one of her favorite locally-owned coffee spots in town. Napoli Coffee is on Carlisle, just north of Menaul. It’s quiet and comfortable… like Albuquerque’s own version of Central Perk (hello, “Friends” reference for all of you ‘90s sitcom fans!). Erica sells outdoor advertising for Clear Channel Outdoor. We have some similar qualities as sales chicks, so getting together is always entertaining. She’s going to be embarrassed by this, but I do believe she has the most beautiful eyes… just look at her picture!

Appointment #5: Webster University is one of Albuquerque’s success stories. I met with Caroline Lwali, the communications relations coordinator. She and her husband moved to Albuquerque two years ago, after she had graduated from Webster University’s main campus in St. Louis. She got in touch with Webster’s career services program about getting a job in ABQ and met with the local director. They loved her so much, they placed her right away—with the university!

Appointment #6: I met Norm Ruth for lunch. Norm’s with Deluxe Design in Rio Rancho, which helped ATM with our last Corporate Roll Bowling Tournament. His team of graphic gods helped us create a bowing theme (and won the “Most Creative Team Tee Shirts Award” last year). Not only are they fantastic bowlers, they can create a mean marketing campaign. He showed me the limited edition posters he’s printing for Eric Clapton’s next concert tour. Norm can help small businesses with signage, shirts, graphics, and vehicle wraps. But don’t limit him to the small stuff. I’m sure he would wrap the Hyatt downtown if someone would let him!

Appointment #7: Chow’s Chinese Bistro in Cottonwood Mall is a nice change of pace for lunch or dinner. Jason Zeng, who runs the restaurant with his father, travels to China all the time to get inspiration for new dishes, and to bring back plates, teapots, and other eclectic items to make the dining experience more authentic. Chow’s now has a quick lunch menu that is not only a great escape from the hustle of business lunches, but also easy on the wallet. I had the Cashew Chicken lunch combo that included soup, a salad, and hot tea for less than $11.

Appointment #8: Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce has been a partner of ATM since the very beginning of our magazine—almost six years ago! Jeffrey Candelaria is (and I told him I would say this) one of the most intriguing individuals in the city. He’s passionate about small business and has been helping the chamber members thrive in our community. The chamber is in full-on event mode, getting ready La Noche Encantada this weekend. Tickets are sold out and they are expecting 2,000 people to attend. It’s where I’ll end my Busiest Week Ever—with a drink in my hand and glitter in my hair.

Appointment #9: Raine Klover and Fenton Ayres are the two photographers who opened Wooden Cow Gallery in Mossman Center to help out local artists and to have an excuse to spend all day working on their craft. Thanks to you readers, the gallery won “Best Art Gallery” in our 2009 Best of the City Issue. They attended the Best of the City Party and have since been enjoying the publicity. Their gallery rotates about 50 artists and their work. Right now, they’re featuring the artists of Trader Joe’s; employees who are encouraged to follow their artistic talents, and the show truly brings out their abilities. You’ve got to stop in just to see the great paintings that the employees have done.

Appointment #10: My good friend Cassandra Costley works at UNM in Career Services. The department does everything in its power to help students with their career paths, guide them in finding jobs, and even start them out with a great resumé. Once a year they host an “etiquette dinner” in the SUB Ballroom to get the students in front of potential employers while honing dining and social networking skills. I participated as an employer. We mingled with the students for a cocktail hour and then had a seated dinner. Cassandra led the table with an etiquette presentation (no elbows on the table please!) while we enjoyed our Chicken Cordon Bleu. I met seven students who were willing to listen to my crazy advice on life for an hour. Thanks to UNM for including me. And thanks, Cassandra, now I know where to place my used sugar packets…

Stay tuned for the rest of Gena’s week!

Gena’s Busiest Week Ever: Day One

ATM’s sales director, Gena, set out to book as many appointments as she could in one week. Here’s a look at the first day of her quest.

Monday, February 1:

7 meetings
1 dinner
62 miles driven

Appointment #1: I met with Lauren Pickens and Paula West, registered dietitians, at the Southwest Dietetic Group. Lauren and Paula, who opened the practice in November and are currently seeking new patients, work on a referral basis from doctors, but anyone can make an appointment. Which is good, because these two are absolute experts when it comes to nutrition. They schooled me on the ins and outs of artificial sweeteners, fad diets, and the way the body works best. Wow, there’s a lot of false information out there about healthy eating! These two can steer anyone in the right direction (and away from the dessert buffet!).

Appointment #2: Next, I met with Jennifer Carlson, the owner/operator of Nestle Toll House Café at ABQ Uptown and Cottonwood Mall. We met at the ABQ Uptown location—across from Williams-Sonoma and next to Ann Taylor Loft. The place smells amazing—I dare anyone to step in and not crave a warm, chocolatey cookie. (Note to above-mentioned dietitians: I only ate one cookie… um, but it had fluffy frosting and sprinkles.) Nestle Toll House is a quick one-stop for a bag of goodies, an ice cream cone, or a personalized decorated cookie. They even have a ginormous Super Bowl cookie with dueling helmets! (P.S.: Go Colts!).

Appointment #3: Family-owned and –operated, Suits Unlimited has long been a men’s clothing go-to in Albuquerque. It is family owned and run. Any guy in the city—no matter how fashion-challenged—can be set straight with a helpful touch in this place. Steve Garcia and his sister, Terri, are the kind of people that you want to stop in to see even if you don’t need to buy a tie. (Note to self: go back this week to pick up a tie.)

Appointment #4: I love discovering all of the great small businesses that Albuquerque can keep hidden away. Bridal Elegance by Darlene is one of those little shops in town that keeps up with trends in the most unassuming way. I’ve shopped with Darlene for years, and I love being able to try on any dress for ay occasion. That’s right: this store ain’t just for brides. She carries cocktail dresses, special occasion dresses, and, this year, she has the hottest prom dresses ever (they didn’t have dresses like this back in my day!). Animal print sequins and fairy tale tulle line the racks. She’s altering a dress for me to wear to La Noche Encantada this weekend. Two other beautiful ladies were there getting fitted for the same event. It was fun to see what they’ll be wearing.

Appointment #5: I stopped in at Lucky Boyz Limousine to say hi to Steve Garcia and his team. The company is a successful one; lots of visiting celebs call on Lucky Boyz when they want a touch of Hollywood. Hey, you might have even got a short limo ride from them at one of our Best of the City Parties—they’re the official limousine provider at all ATM events). Steve has a Hummer H2 limo that can seat up to 20 and a party bus (that the ATM staff has enjoyed many times) that can comfortably handle 25… and, sure, a couple of coolers.

Appointment #6: I met Karen Grandinetti, owner of Pure Profit Fundraising, for an early afternoon coffee—thank goodness, because I was in need of a caffeine blast. Karen’s company helps local charities and schools raise much needed funds with fun fundraisers. She might win the title of “ABQ Fundraising Queen,” because she has helped raise more money for local organizations than I can even mention. And she managed to look glamorous in an iPhone photo.

Appointment #7: Gene Chavez of Chavez Law Offices came in to create the artwork for his next ad. We concepted a photo shoot with mountain roads as a backdrop and a cool pic of him on his Harley V-Rod. One of the best parts of my job is getting to help small business owners create a display ad that makes them look amazing, so I’m excited to see how well this one turns out. (It’ll be on the back cover of our April 2010 issue!) Chavez Law Offices is our first new back cover advertiser in more than three years.

Appointment #8: I met Shane Francis and Jay Henry at Seasons Rotisserie and Grill. We had a blast. Shane and I commiserated over sales in the down market and how the “good old days” used to be, Jay and I talked about “American Idol” and Pink’s amazing outfit at the Grammys. Shane works for Cinemedia; he sells those commercial spots you see before the movie starts. He just got promoted to sell throughout New Mexico. Jay Henry is a loyal employee of the A Store, which has been a Nob Hill staple for more than 25 years now. He let me in on a secret: apparently, the store sells an amazing secret weapon in acne warfare. Who knew? Great company and a lovely glass of red wine… a fab ending to my first day of the busiest week ever.

Stay tuned… the week’s only just begun!