blog

Allie (co-mads C.O.O.) and I met while we were both traveling solo in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I love craft beer, so I stopped at one of the most highly acclaimed breweries in the city. Allie was traveling with her host family and was just about to sit down to brunch with them when she decided to leave the last minute because the brewery was offering a tour only one time that day. We say that the universe worked its magic to bring us together that day. Anyway, we were both sitting at the bar and in between us were two American men. I was chatting to the one on my right and she was chatting to the one on her left. Eventually, they had to leave and one of the guys said “hey, the two of you are traveling alone, you should hang out.” So, we did and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward months later and now Allie is living with me in Albany, NY, and helping to further develop co-mads.

This type of situation rarely occurs in the states, but it frequently happens in Europe. When’s the last time you saw a female foreigner sitting at your local bar with a beer in hand? Likely, never! Just a female sitting alone at a bar? Rarely. It’s just not part of the travel culture in the states. In Europe, it’s relatively cheap and easy to go from place to place. You’re able to see many different cities and countries within a very short period of time. Transportation is efficient and accessible. Europeans travel frequently because it’s much easier to do so, since there are so many tourists. When I was traveling solo in Europe, I felt very safe and met many other solo female travelers. Because of this, there is an enduring solo travel culture and community there.

My experience traveling solo in the states was very different. For one, unless you have a car and are willing to travel for hours, it can be quite difficult going from point A to B in an affordable manner. Whenever you meet someone new and tell them you’re traveling alone, they are typically surprised and question the safety in traveling this way as a single woman. Despite my stays in hostels, I never met another female who was traveling alone, so it was more difficult to meet people. I did meet a lovely couple in Santa Fe though…that’s a story for another blog post.

Solo travel can be intimidating and daunting if you’ve never had the opportunity before, especially if you’re not an experienced traveler. co-mads is a great first step to independent travel. With co-mads, you might sign up for a trip alone, but you’re traveling in the comfort of a group led by experienced travelers. It will give you the confidence and skills necessary for taking your first trip solo. Self-exploration and discovery start here. You just have to be willing to take the first step through the door and co-mads will be holding the door open for you. Let’s take the first step together.

Over the past few weeks, the universe has placed certain people in my path and it has led to dreamlike opportunities. The serendipity of it all is astounding. When one starts a business, it is necessary to expand your network. To be successful in business, you must build, maintain, and capitalize on connections with all types of people, from all different fields and backgrounds. Luckily, relationship building is one of my strengths as a professional. Any success I’ve ever had has been based on my ability to collaborate with anyone and everyone. I’m not afraid to make that call, send that email, or walk up to someone I find interesting. This can be a daunting task for most. Some individuals are innately extroverted and some are not. I want to share some things I’ve learned in my first six months of being an entrepreneur to give you a “leg up” on the networking grind. 

 First tip, you shouldn’t be intimidated when reaching out to people you perceive to be super successful (or super busy). In my experience, many people who are well respected, knowledgeable, and experienced in their field are looking to share their stories and expertise in a mentor-like relationship. I’ve been able to connect with some of the most successful entrepreneurs and influential leaders across the Capital Region because I’m not afraid to take the leap and reach out. Something valuable comes out of every single meeting.

Second tip, talk about your business openly and often, even with people you have just met. You never know who may be listening and you never know the type of connections your new friend may have. One day, I was at a coffee shop talking to a friend about co-mads. The guy at the table next to us was listening in on our conversation and afterwards, proceeded to express a ton of interest in the mission of co-mads. We exchanged info and he was super energized at the prospect of us connecting sometime soon. I thought it was cool that a stranger took such a liking to co-mads, despite only hearing a few minutes of the conversation. Later that day, I found out that he owns one of the most lucrative businesses in the Capital Region. This connection has offered many opportunities for co-mads and it was all because this man could hear my passion for my business while listening in on my conversation. 

Develop a unique business card. When I gave him my business card, he loved it. He commented on the shape, design and logo immediately. Use your business card as another way to stand out from the crowd. It can be especially helpful when you’re meeting someone who is likely to get 100 business cards a week. 

If you’re reaching out to someone via email, create a captivating email subject and keep the email short. When I learned more about the man I met in the coffee shop, I figured he must get 10,000 emails a day, doesn’t sleep because he is so busy, and that everybody and their mother is trying to get a meeting on the calendar with him. I had to stand out from the crowd. So, I sent him an email with the subject “I met you in a coffee shop…” I got an email backless than 24 hours later and we scheduled an in-person meeting. 

Send a handwritten note. Rarely do people send or receive handwritten notes anymore. I make it a point to mail a personal thank you note to each individual immediately after our first meeting. Again, it’s all about standing out from the crowd. This will help you build and maintain a relationship with important people. I’ve received a lot of great feedback from this strategy.

Be passionate, be approachable…positive vibes are real. I have been told by some that the reason they were interested in connecting with me was because I send out positive, friendly energy and they can feel the passion I have for co-mads through my voice and animation. Successful people are attracted to the powerful energy that is released when you are talking about something you love. Wherever and whenever you are talking about your business in public, do it with pride, optimism, and BIG energy. You may be surprised who ends up crossing your path.

co-mads is a travel company…so why host an art event? This past Friday, December 7^th, we held our first ‘co-mads art co-llective.’ We invited local up-and-coming artists and designers to the Bull Moose Club in Albany, NY, to display and sell their work to the public. The music was bumpin’, the wine flowed, and people enjoyed each other and the art…About 150 showed up to celebrate local talent. 150!!!!!!

“Y THO”

Because art brings people together; art builds community, art calls for collaboration, art is found all over the world, in every type of environment imaginable. People connect over art when they have nothing else in common. Art opens discussion, imagination, and creativity. Art can be anything, but it always seems to have this effect.

co-mads was founded on all of these values. The art co-llective was a way for us to bring various people together to appreciate the creativity of bright minds, to promote a safe and supportive space for the artists to be vulnerable and allow their peers to admire the results of their labor. Many vendor/art show opportunities require expensive entry fees for the artists. co-mads didn’t require our artists to pay any fees (though in line with the co-mads mission, we asked each of them to donate 5% of their proceeds to the Arts Center of the Capital Region)…we believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to display their artwork, despite financial capability. This was the first time many of them were able to partake in an event such as this due to financial constraint.

Days later, my heart is still full because I saw our local community come together in a new way, and was also able to see the co-mads community grow. Many people came over to me that night and have contacted me since, praising co-mads for such a well-rounded and thoughtful event. A few people told me that this was the best event they’ve been to in the Albany area in quite awhile. I am so grateful that I am now in a position where I can use my network and my passions to bring people together. We will be hosting more events in the future, and have begun thinking about our next co-mads art co-llective. Keep an eye out on our Instagram page for a highlight video soon, thanks to our friends at Reach Creative.

Artists/Designers: Chelsea Fisher, Dan McGraw, Kelvin Zheng, Allie Zink, Elena Bassett, Erica Foley, Erica Chen, LYF Supply, 444&co., James Perry

DJ: Cody Dzintars

Vendors: What’s Poppin Albany

Sponsors: Reach Creative & TSS Printing

If you and/or anyone you know is interested in potentially featuring in the next co-mads art co-llective, please contact us via our website, http://www.co-mads.com. 

*Names of individuals have been changed for privacy purposes*

Okay, okay…if you’ve been following along the posts closely, you’ll realize I left out the Cuban/American romance story. Let me preface this by saying the story did not involve me…which probably decreases the allure of reading this post, BUT it’s a story we all may be able to learn from, so I recommend you keep reading. One of Camilo’s “godsons” (read last week’s blog to learn more about Camilo) was visiting Cuba during the time we were there. His name was Michael. Michael’s from the Bronx and I am still not quite sure how he knows Camilo, as we were told three different versions of the story during the week we were there.

During a previous trip to Cuba, Michael met a woman named Rosa. Camilo mentioned her to Sam and me, and as soon as he did, Michael started to glow. I asked Michael some questions about Rosa and he became super giggly and tried to change the subject. He was beaming at the thought of her. Funny thing is, neither of them say more than two words in the other’s language and are completely unable to communicate in any way other than gestures or via Camilo’s translation. I wasn’t quite sure how you could become so enamored with someone that you couldn’t technically talk to, so I was curious to see them interact. Michael wanted to buy her some food, so we did and headed over to her place to drop it off. Sam and I introduced ourselves and then stood outside the gate that surrounded her house and waited.

The two of them sat down on a bench and didn’t say a word to each other. They both would take turns shyly glancing at one another and smiling, but literally, did not say one word to each other. After about two minutes of this (I was totally staring and being nosy), Michael called Camilo over to translate. You could imagine that it’s a little awkward trying to flirt / get to know someone via a translator, so Michael just asked some basic questions like, “How was work today? Do you work tomorrow? What time? Could I stop by?” That was the extent of the conversation. Despite the awkwardness, after witnessing the situation and analyzing the energy between them, Sam and I both agreed…they’re in love. You could just feel it. Not sure how, but it was evident. After spending a total of ten minutes together, they hugged and went their separate ways. We began walking back to our place and Michael didn’t say a word about the interaction, so we didn’t ask.

 

Maybe this isn’t the steamy romance story you were hoping for when you started reading today, but this story was significant to me and I’ll tell you why. A lot of us feel overwhelmed by the seemingly negative state of relations between different groups of people in the world today. When you log on to Facebook or turn on the news, there are a lot of stories of intolerance and blatant hate. Some people are alienated because of misunderstanding, some people are expelled because of generalizations and assumptions. Some people isolate themselves and only interact with others like them because it is comfortable, predictable and safe. The love, the friendship, the attempt at understanding between Michael and Rosa became a symbol for me; a symbol of the respect people can still have for one another despite their differences. They TRY to understand each other and that’s really what matters. When you approach every human with an open heart, when you realize that we are all just humans in search of companionship and love, you will realize that we are all the same and that there is no space for hate or discrimination. All you can do is TRY; try to understand why a person is the way they are, try to understand their culture and where they come from, try to see that although you may take different paths through life, we are all valuable human beings who deserve equality and friendship. Michael and Rosa are a beautiful example of the universality of love and pure human connection…a beautiful example of the love that ensues when you’re focused on breaking down walls, rather than building them.

*Names of individuals have been changed for privacy purposes*

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve returned from my trip to Cuba. If you follow my personal Instagram (@gabfshr), you know I promised to write about Cuban/American romance, the consequences of rum consumption and why Cubans are the kindest people I have ever met. I promise, I will deliver on all of these things between this post and the next, although I’m not quite sure how I am ever going to scratch the surface of what an insane, unique, and rewarding trip this was for both my friend Sam and me.

I was going to write a bit about Cuba in terms of where to go, what things to see, what you should do while you’re there, but really, our experience was the people. I want to TRY to explain Camilo to you, our “tour guide.” There’s a reason tour guide is in quotes. It wasn’t a typical tour guide experience. Camilo WAS our Cuban experience. When I think about the adventure that was Cuba, I think of Camilo. He’s 49 and has lived in the same neighborhood his whole life, Cerro, in Havana. Camilo is about 6’2, thin as a rail, his entire head is shaved except for a very small hair patch in the lower back portion of his head. When you walk around Havana with him, he knows everyone…literally, everyone. Even if we found ourselves in some desolate area, we would turn a corner and he would run into someone he knew, and would greet them with a handshake and kiss on the cheek. He has about 1,000 “Godsons” and “nephews,” younger men or children who he keeps an eye out for and loves like his own.

When he refers to Cuba, he says “my country” and spits out the phrase “this is the real Cuba” multiple times a day. He’s proud of his people, but despises the government. He buys little cartons of rum on the black-market, multiple times a day, and squeezes it out into a discreet plastic water bottle ( ¾ rum and ¼ lemon lime soda). One day, we took a day trip, he fell asleep for half of it, and we had to head home early…because, you know, the rum. He smokes what I believe to be one million cigarettes a day. He says that money means nothing to him (and I believe him), and that all he needs is his friends. His favorite meal contains sardines, carrots, and green beans, heated up in canned tomato sauce. Some days he doesn’t eat at all, and other days he orders three entrees at dinner…only if someone else is paying. He puts so much salt on his food that it looks like confectionary sugar on fried dough.

His laugh in contagious. He litters all the time, even if there’s a trash can near him (Sam wants to start a “Keep Cuba Clean” movement because of this.). He loves to use the phrase “fucking motherfucker” whenever something or someone pisses him off. He hates lines and sometimes pays people to skip it, because “money talks.” Camilo loves to dance and one of his favorite songs is a reggae version of “Hello” by Adele. He’s trustworthy and made Sam and me feel like a part of his family. When I was sick, he spent his own money to buy me medicine and came to our apartment at least five times throughout the day to check up on me. Camilo’s kind and caring. He has educated himself through books and movies. He told us things about Cuban history that nobody knows, unless you have an honest discussion with someone who has seen the thick of it, like Camilo had. His English is outstanding and he loves Americans. Whenever we mention a well-known U.S. city, he says he loves it, even though he’s never been there.

Cuba was the most authentic cultural experience I’ve ever had because of Camilo and the lovely people we met. I was welcomed with open arms into strangers’ homes for dinner; I was warmly greeted by every person I shook hands with as we walked down the street and I was honored to witness the love, friendship, and respect the Cuban people shared with one another.

What people don’t have in material things, they have in human connection. The sense of community I felt in Cuba was unique to anywhere else I’ve ever traveled. On the day we were leaving to return back to the states, it was pouring, although it had been sunny every other day of our trip. Sam and I gathered our belongings and said our goodbyes to Luis, whose home we stayed in. We had also grown close to Luis during that week. He’d bring us breakfast each morning and stay to chat for a half hour or so he could practice his English (and so we could practice our Spanish.) As we were hopping in the cab to head to the airport, Luis pointed at the sky and then held his hand over his heart and with a longing, sincere face, said, “Cuba is crying for you.” Ditto, Cuba, Ditto.