 What does it mean to PERCOLATE?
By Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino Our moments matter. Each and every moment matters. We constantly PERCOLATE. How you PERCOLATE is your choice. You make these choices moment to moment, both consciously and sub-consciously. What filters through, often, is the result of those choices. For example, when someone tells me they can’t do something, I immediately think about my dad’s 2004-2005 experiences at a stroke rehab center and on-going struggles, my own life threatening-food allergies and the many people along the way who encounter difficulties or even tragedies who overcome and find a path and direction for their life. I long to take the can’t-sayer on a field trip to these moments, just to show what can be done when you change can’t to can. I move the “I can’t” into forms of #Gratitude, that may not always be instantly known or felt. Developing a moment to moment practice of gratitude can change your life, energy and direction. I’m extremely inspired by men and women who do, as opposed to those who talk about doing. I find motivation from very positive people, those who have a can-do attitude and veer in the opposite direction of naysayers. I’ve also noticed that someone can even negatively inspire me. For instance, I might see an individual not holding the door open for an elderly person, so I hustle over to open it. I will encounter someone comparing themselves to someone else and share some gratitude, for comparison is the ultimate gratitude blocker. For the most part, though, grander notions and ideals or we and collaboration inspire me. I think about positive energy and how we go where we place our energy. What or who inspires you? To get what you want or visualize, to make a large or small change, or to just complete a daily chore can be difficult at times. You might need a little or a lot of inspiration to get you going. So the question is: What motivates you when you want to quit or when you just don’t feel like doing what has to be done? When you aren’t feeling so much gratitude, love or worth, what do you do? These are questions you could very well ask yourself daily or even moment to moment as you move into gratitude, love, worth and more. You have the ability to change your energy and how you place it and use it. Is there something or someone who inspires you? Are you someone else’s inspiration? Do you have a never give up approach? Over the course of owning Best Ever You and wanting to become and author and speaker, and particularly when I started, I clearly remember the number of times someone has said to me, “Why don’t you just go get a job?” or “Why are you doing that?” I’ve also been called names and told I would never make it because I was a “washed up soccer mom” or “way too old” or—I love this one—“Who are you to tell people how to be their best?” No comments shock me anymore. When people try to beat you down, it can be extremely difficult to stay focused on your vision and keep a positive attitude. There have been moments when I’ve asked myself, my husband, and my kids, “Should I just quit?” It was often followed with, “Maybe this is all just a pipe dream, and I’m just silly and wishing for something that will never happen.” Five people who never EVER said quit and, in fact, sometimes picked me up by some stubborn bootstraps are Brianna Brown, Natalie Pace, Pina De Rosa, Alexis Carra and Elle Sompres. To you all, I am so very grateful and, as evidence by this blog and your love, you all walk your talk. It was been so incredible to see you all change, thrive and follow your dreams. I feel blessed to have you and The New Hollywood by my side. So please keep the word PERCOLATE safe by your hearts and minds. The word PERCOLATE can change your life. We all PERCOLATE. In fact in 2014, we even #Percolate on the internet or maybe #PercolatePeace. I use the word percolate to teach you how to filter positive changes into your life gradually and learn the importance—and benefits—of spreading this powerful way of being to others. To me, percolating is about working through the fear of the unknown and having the courage to savor the moments that today brings. When you make a decision to write a book, be an actor, go to college, or whatever it is you decided to do, you forever change yourself and those around you. You change moment by moment. You are percolating. I can look back at everything that has happened in my life and now more clearly see how and why I wrote this book. I thought I had some serious typos in my life, but they were really blessings to be counted and recounted. Yes, I’ve written a book, but I assure you, it could take another book just to thank everyone because I believe I’ve met each and every person in my life for a reason. It’s why the music has to start playing during acceptance speeches!! Best Ever You & Percolate are all about the power and potential of we. We share and help promote each other’s ideas, and we value each other as part of a whole. Together, we create change, not only as individuals, but also worldwide, because everyone’s gifts and talents are respected and valued. Also, imagine the impact you have on another person’s life when you do something unexpected. Consider the effect these actions have on your own life when you shift the focus from yourself to others. It was not easy to write PERCOLATE – Let Your Best Self Filter Through. I can assure you there were days when I was at my worst and I to shift the coffee pot to OFF. Throughout my writing process I’ve found myself on the floor of my closet having a crying fit over yoga pants. I’ve even channeled my inner Betty White! (One of my idols is Betty White and I had to often ask myself #WWBWD: What Would Betty White Do? Would she choose a cup of the serious Sumatra or go for a lighter New England blend?) But mostly it has been a pouring of love from family and friends and surrounding myself with those yes-sayers to bring this book to life. We all percolated while we percolated and are still percolating!! In fact, one friend, Dr. David Fraser got on a plane and flew from Scotland to Maine to help me. Dr. Katie Eastman was also by my side throughout. I hope to help as many people as possible live their best and most positive, peaceful lives. This book is about living with purpose and awareness to the best of your ability, and in doing so, to find community and peace within. When we think with our heart, find gratitude and discover how much our moments matter, our mission together becomes to percolate peace. About Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino: Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, Hay House author of PERCOLATE - Let Your Best Self Filter Through & founder and CEO of the Best Ever You Network, understands firsthand the challenges that life can bring and has worked with thousands of people worldwide to illuminate their light within and help them live their best life. She has a degree in communications and broadcasting; is a life coach, food-allergy expert, and anaphylaxis survivor; and is the host of The Best Ever You Show. Elizabeth and her husband and four sons live in Maine. Visit her websites: www.BestEverYou.com andwww.PercolateBook.com. Percolate – Let Your Best Self Filter Through – amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Percolate-Your-Best-Filter-Through/dp/1401942989 *Please note that not all experiences, beliefs and ideas are shared by each member of the “The New Hollywood.” We are a group of shepherds, not sheep.
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 Two members of "The New Hollywood," Brianna Brown and Alexis Carra have the privilege to be performing at this event!
10TH ANNIVERSARY BENEFIT CONCERT to support Cedars-Sinai’s breast cancer research and education programs SATURDAY, May 31, 2014 WHAT A STORY. WHAT A PAIR! My mother was 34 years old when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I was five. Nineteen years later, my sister received the same diagnosis. She was 25. By then, I was an executive in the film industry. While other people were struggling against an insidious disease, we were simply making movies. In light of the health issues plaguing my family, I began to feel like that was not a terribly significant pursuit, and I decided to do something meaningful to celebrate my mother’s and sister’s fighting spirits. Growing up, the three of us shared a love of musical theater. This passion became the force that bound us. My sister and I performed in countless musicals and my mother kept a mental list of the great show-stopping duets from each. I dreamed that I would honor her by stringing the songs together in a fabulous cabaret. In 2001, I enlisted my friends and fellow producers Jody Price and Ruth Stalford to help realize this vision. A year later, What A Pair! debuted as a Broadway-caliber production. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the benefit concert went to breast cancer research — and, in spite of the fact that her cancer had spread, my sister was there. The benefit was an unqualified success, but the philanthropy it generated could not stop my sister from deteriorating. Six months later, as she lay dying, my family and I joined her to watch a video of “Singin’ in the Rain.” As Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor sang “Moses Supposes,” a smile spread across her face, and she said, “This would be a good one.” I described the moment to Jody and Ruth, and we all agreed that it was her charge to us to continue producing What A Pair! and, in the process, to continue her fight against breast cancer and to keep her spirit alive. What better way to do it than by joining forces with the breast cancer research and education programs at the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute? One of the nation’s preeminent leaders in next-generation breast cancer research and cutting-edge care, Cedars-Sinai is making a difference for women and their families in our community and beyond. And that would have been something for my mother and sister to sing about. Jo Levi DiSante For more information about the event, call Matthew Karimi-Pouia at 323-866-6231 or visit cedars-sinai.edu/whatapair Twitter: @whatapair_org www.facebook.com/WhatAPair.org *Please note that not all experiences, beliefs, and ideas are shared by each member of "The New Hollywood." We are a group of shepherds, not sheep.  By Alexis Jones
When I stepped out of the day to day of I AM THAT GIRL (totally bias, but a badass non-profit I founded with my best friend), it was because I was excited to get back to my passion for creating Media and telling stories that I truly believe can not only further the mission of IATG, but also change the world (such a millennial thing to say). It’s as if my fairy god-mother pranced by and smacked across the face with an inspirational two by four because I’m now getting to make a documentary about one of the MOST INSPIRING STORIES I HAVE EVER HEARD. Sit down, buckle your seatbelt, because it’s about to get real good. Her name is Lizzie Valasquez. She spoke at the TEDxAustinWomen event I organized with two of my dearest friends and might I add Texas natives, Sara Bordo and Elizabeth Gore (forgive the TX pride, we simply can’t help it despite it being nauseating to everyone outside of our obnoxiously huge state). Back to Lizzie, with 9.5M+ views I’m not the only one who was inspired by her. Lizzie has a rare syndrome that only two other people in the world have which doesn’t allow her to gain weight (I know what you’re thinking, sounds awesome). She’s 25 years old and never weighted more than 64 pounds. Wowzers. As you can imagine, she was severely bullied and at 17, she found an eight second YouTube video of her posted online (with over four million views) calling her, “the world’s ugliest woman” (insert here every girls’, much less every human’s WORST NIGHTMARE). However, despite the thousands of inhumane comments posted about her online suggesting that she “should do the world a favor, put a gun to her head and kill herself,” much less the medical conditions that accompany her syndrome; she refuses to allow her life challenges or mean-spirited people to define her. I mean if it were me, I’d take a bat to every person’s face not two, but seven times and she just smile and says things like, “man, I feel bad for that guy, he must be having a bad day!” You thinking what I’m thinking, WHO IS THIS WOMAN?! How in the face of such heinous human behavior, can she be so loving, so kind, so willing to take the HIGH ROAD? Look folks, we’re talking about the kind of magnanimity that Nelson Mandela had in order to forgive the people that threw him in jail and stole decades from his life; the kind of magnanimity that inspires us to be better and more compassionate in a not-very-compassionate world. I don’t know a single person (boy or girl, kid or adult) who hasn’t experienced mean people or bullying at some point in their lives and it’s only gotten worse with the internet which is and should be terrifying for parents. We all need a reminder (daily, if not by the minute) to be KINDER to each other and KINDER to ourselves. I believe Lizzie’s story will be a conduit for that conversation and for real change. I believe her story has the power to make the online community a more positive place and through it we get to love people back to life because this isn’t an isolated problem, it’s a global epidemic. Knowing how much the world needs to hear this story… (drum roll please) One of my best friends (Miss Sara Bordo) and I will be producing a documentary on her life. That’s right, between Sara, Lizzie and me, that’s not one but THREE home town Austin girls! We just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise the money necessary to do it!! We’ve raised a little over $100K and have another $80K to go. Our campaign runs through May 31st and unless we reach our mark (according to Kickstarter), we don’t get any of what was graciously donated. This is where were need YOU (whoever you are reading this right now). However you stumbled upon this, here’s your chance. It’s ingrained in our DNA to want to fight for something bigger than ourselves, it’s in the deepest recess of our mind to believe that our voice matters and for our fingerprint to be left somewhere on history. It’s easy to talk about “changing the world,” well, here ya go. I’ve delivered your chance on a silver platter. It’s not about the amount (whether you donate $5 or $5K) it’s about the fact that you live an “others-centered” life that is determined to make the world better and kinder than when you found it. Whether you’re at work, in between finals, already on summer break, on vacation or just stumbled upon some down time while taking care of the kiddos (yeah right! Haha)… JOIN US. Be a part of something great because you can. This is a bigger than just trying to raise some money, we’re building an army of dreamers audacious enough to believe that we can ignite change that positively effects our children and their children and theirs. Help us tell a story about the indomitable strength of the human spirit, discovering your unique voice in a sea of constant distraction and being on the other side of your life’s worst storm (even when there were days you thought it had the best of you). Help us tell a story about grace, forgiveness, humor and resurrecting faith in our own humanity. It may have been technology and anonymity that allowed people to negatively impact Lizzie (and so many others), but we also believe that technology has the ability to positively and significantly impact people as well. We simply can’t afford to have another bright light be dimmed due to the big bad bullies (who by the way need just as much love if not more!) This is a HUMAN movement, inspiring us to be more compassionate to one another and I need YOU (yes the one still reading this blog) because quite frankly we are here to move mountains and mountains are very heavy and very expensive. So what the hell, take a leap of faith with us. History will recall a Kickstarter campaign, where a bunch of strangers came together from far off lands, who lent their money, but more so their hearts, to tell a story that brought light and beauty back to a dark place and the world was never again the same. So join me and the little engine that could, oh yeah and a couple other fancy faces like Hilary Duff, Kristen Bell, Jason Collins, Katie Couric, Bill and Giuliana Rancic and America Ferrera and other not so fancy faces (like the donation my fiancé made in the name of his dog- don’t ask). Point being, jump on our train, the adventure of our lives is about to unfold and I’m pretty sure we could all use a kickass adventure… so, You game? #ImWithLizzie. Are you? (TheLizzieProject.com)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKvKZp4ybaw Alexis Jones, the author, is a speaker, activist, host, and founder of I AM THAT GIRL. Follow her @missalexisjones *Please note that not all experiences, beliefs, and ideas are shared by each member of "The New Hollywood." We are a group of shepherds, not sheep.  By Summer E. Sinclair
A producer friend (and fellow TNH member, Pina De Rosa) is going for the first time to this year’s International Cannes Film Festival, and she asked me: ”What would you do differently in 2014, knowing what you know now?“ Well, several things actually… But, I wouldn’t trade any of it! I attended the 2010 Cannes Film Festival via my short film Now or Never's acceptance into the Cannes Short Film Corner, and the Cannes Independent Film Festival. My short had an all-female production team (written, directed and produced by women) and we were thrilled for the chance to hob nob and pursue our dreams at the most prestigious film festival in the world! A few things I would do differently, if I knew then what I know now: 1. Book screening time in advance at the Short Film Corner. The Short Film Corner is (or was then) part of the Court Metrage – film market (non-competition). However, our short film was in competition at the Cannes Independent Film Festival, which was held at a hilltop, poolside mansion. Great for friends and family eager to support! Not so convenient for producers and industry execs we were hoping to network with at our competition screening. 2. Select major Films in advance that I want to see in the International Cannes Film Festival. The Short Film Corner gave us a festival badge with access to screenings, but we had to sign up online in advance to get a seat. Of course the most popular films and most popular screening times fill up quickly! 3. Make sure everyone on the Film Team has a main festival access badge, even if it means spending the money for additional passes. We were only issued two, for myself (writer) and my director, which made it difficult for our co-producers to feel included and motivated. Find out in advance what industry panels are happening each day, what the basic SFC badge grants access to, and if it is worth it to upgrade (plus d’argent) to a more VIP festival badge. For instance, Ryan Gosling sat behind my team on the plane (yep, in Coach), but we never made it to his panel… 4. Arrive on the first weekend of the festival, even if it means paying a little extra airfare to arrive on a Friday or Saturday. By arriving on Monday, I feel like I missed the pizazz of the Opening Weekend festivities, and had to dive right into business without warming up South of France style! 5. Don’t allow hangers-on to tag along with your project to Cannes! Especially yacht-seeking gold diggers… Okay, we all know Cannes is full of wannabes who are just there to party. Unfortunately, my director invited her roommates, a DJ and a new-media host, to do just that. Because these two girls had no creative involvement in our film, they had no desire or inclination to support us on a business trip. The whole group dynamic shifted to meeting boys, getting on a yacht, then partying ‘til dawn at every club, sleeping in the next day- only to repeat the cycle all over again. Two of the girls did somehow end up at Naomi Campbell’s birthday party, drinking Evian with Will I.Am. And, a couple of others definitely made it onto a yacht. So, there is something to manifesting your reality if you want it bad enough, huh? I, on the other hand, was the nerd who stayed in every night apparently eating everyone else’s food, because I was busy producing and editing our FlipCam Contest Short that we somehow wrangled everyone to shoot that week. As well as diligently signing up for screenings, pitch panels and Festival sponsored parties we could actually get into! Six girls sharing a 2-bedroom condo was not the best idea, though cheaper… Now I know why I never joined a sorority! Okay, so that last point was definitely a vent. I feel much better now… In all honesty, I was disappointed that we didn’t secure an investor for the feature version of our short, which I still feel is a dynamite ensemble script, primarily to be shot in one location, for under a million dollars. We did, however shoot a fun silent short on location with the free FlipCam that the Short Film Corner gave us “Yes We Cannes”: http://vimeo.com/11896001 And, I have the most amazing memories and a fondness for la Cote d’Azur that will live with me forever…until I have a vacation villa there! And, with the help and respect of talented folks we met at other festivals (Oxford Film Festival) and independent film projects we had worked on that year, we connected at Cannes with producers and industry execs we would not have otherwise had access to, which just may ignite future film endeavors. That’s the beauty of Cannes. You never know who you’re going to meet! But, I do believe we have something to do with the opportunities we create. So, my advice to the lucky 2014 Cannes Film Festival attendees would be to surround yourself with like-minded people who have the same passion and drive you do for your project, and be ready for anything the universe may flow your way! Always remember that dreaming is free, so let yourself soar and say “yes” – you Cannes! (Bon Voyage and Bon Chance to TNH Member, and my goal partner, Pina De Rosa attending Cannes this year!) Summer E. Sinclair is a Writer, Actor and Entrepreneur who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and ten month old son, Sage. You can view Summer's 2010 Cannes Independent Film Festival Official Selection short (Now or Never) at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442293 Check out her website: www.summeresinclair.com Follow her Blog: www.creatoergosummer.wordpress.com IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1221320 *Please note that not all experiences, beliefs and ideas are shared by each member of the “The New Hollywood.” We are a group of shepherds, not sheep.  Confessions of a Gatsby Wife. by Natalie Pace.
Lessons Learned from Losing It All. "I just wanted to have the dinner parties and to have the life! And I didn't want to know about the details or how he was funding this. I didn't want to hear about his problems, if he didn't have enough money. That maybe pushed him to have riskier behavior. I wasn't a total innocent bystander," Daisy (not her real name). In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby's mansion effervesces with fair-weather friends as long as the free champagne flows. When scandal erupts, however, no one is to be found. Gatsby, who was once the toast and talk of the town -- the mysterious millionaire -- died alone, with no one in attendance at his funeral. Almost a century after Fitzgerald penned his iconic American novel, the scene still plays itself out. Sometimes the tragedy ends in death, like the many suicides that occurred in the wake of the Bernie Madoff scandal. Sometimes you are simply exiled from the Gatsby lifestyle, as happened in the case of Daisy (not her real name), who sat down with me last week to tell her story. Ten years ago, Daisy was living the high life. Her husband was a jetsetter with a fancy lifestyle and a flashy career in commodities. Daisy -- her jewelry, her parties, her circle of friends, her figure! -- was the envy of the Hamptons crowd. Socialites flowed like a cool breeze in and out of beach homes and country homes. Just like The Great Gatsby, Daisy's toddler tumbled about, adding frolic and comic relief. Daisy worried for nothing. She can't even remember how she spent her money -- the good income she earned on her own, working as an executive assistant for a venture capital group. She didn't save a dime, and her husband handled all of the bills. Weekdays were worker bee busy, but on weekends Daisy became the social butterfly, fluttering about among friends. That is until one fateful day, when her husband called with a horrible confession. He had collateralized their home against a hard money loan, and they were in danger of losing everything. The years that followed were a flurry of anger, arguments and attorneys -- none of which saved the home, or the Gatsby friends. As Daisy describes it, "We lost a lot of friends. People don't hang around when you're not having the big dinner parties that we used to have." And yet, Daisy looks better than I've ever seen her. She and her husband have reinvented themselves -- something that took serious self-examination and brutal honesty over who was really to blame for losing almost all of their worldly possessions. Her husband went from dealing in bling and jet setting around the world, to dealing with high school students and commuting by train. His teaching job pays pennies on the dollar from his prior career, but he burned too many bridges to stay in his former business. Daisy went from lavish living to modest budgeting -- where she controls the money and pays the bills. In order to stay married to the father of her children, Daisy had to ask and answer the question, "Is my husband evil, or did he just make a terrible mistake?" She admits that he gambled their future on a bad business deal -- one that he genuinely thought would pay off and save the day. But she also had to acknowledge her own role in the mess. As she describes it, "I just wanted to have the dinner parties and to have the life! And I didn't want to know about the details or how he was funding this. I didn't want to hear about his problems, if he didn't have enough money. That maybe pushed him to have riskier behavior. I wasn't a total innocent bystander." Today, Daisy is financially, though not legally, divorced from her husband. She pays the bills. She owns the home, and a 401K and life insurance. Her child has a trust fund and a college fund. And her next goal is to get back to earning passive income, through smart investing. The champagne life may be gone forever (or not), but Daisy is happy and optimistic about what lies ahead, mainly because she's driving the car now, sober and with a good plan. And she encourages you to consider the 10 Tips below, so that you never have to lose it all, like she did. Smart Girl's Guide to the Rich Life
It's not more time. It's not more money. It doesn't require a Ph.D. in economics. It's simply understanding that lavish spending can evanesce like champagne bubbles, leaving you with a hangover, while financial freedom and money while you sleep are a great foundation upon which to build and live the life of your dreams. About Natalie Pace: Natalie Pace is the author of the Amazon bestsellers, The ABCs of Money and You Vs. Wall Street. Natalie has been saving homes and nest eggs for 14 years, while at the same time earning the ranking of No. 1 stock picker. Natalie Pace is a blogger on HuffingtonPost.com and a repeat guest on national television and radio shows such as Good Morning America, Fox News, CNBC, ABC-TV, Forbes.com, NPR and more. As a strong believer in giving back, she has been instrumental in raising tens of millions for public schools, financial literacy, the arts and underserved women and girls worldwide. Follow her on Twitter.com/NataliePace, Plus.Google.com/+NataliePace and Facebook.com/NatalieWynnePace. For more information please visit NataliePace.com. http://goo.gl/6tfTpv http://goo.gl/QW7p3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-pace https://twitter.com/nataliepace https://plus.google.com/+NataliePace https://www.facebook.com/nataliewynnepace https://www.nataliepace.com/ *Please note that not all experiences, beliefs and ideas are shared by each member of the “The New Hollywood.” We are a group of shepherds, not sheep. |
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