Blink blink blink – I can’t believe it’s October.  Time moves so fast, yet most projects I tackle take forever.   Having taken the last few months off from blogging, the guilt has built, and it’s time to get back to it!

For fun and enjoyment I’ve been fixing up things that needed some serious repair…starting with myself .  I don’t know if its because I’ve been on my feet bartending for the last 3 years, or because I’m staring down 41 in November but here’s the list of repair work:

1) June – vascular surgery. I’m happy to report the worm colony that had overtaken my left shin lost the laser battle.  This is the darkest secret of the restaurant industry…standing for hours on end, for years on end, destroys your legs (and your hips, and your back, and your knees). Attention support hose manufacturers: we restaurant workers are an untapped gold mine. Just sex them up a bit fashion-wise, would ya?

2) August – hip surgery (labral tear repair – not replacement!).  Rough surfing in tropical Costa Rica caused this.  Nah, not really that’s just my delusional dreams of grandeur and vacations yet to be taken.  Bartending wear and tear and being a former runner were the more likely causes.  Bustin’ a move on a cane really gives you an appreciation for walking without one.

3) Aug- to present — Physical therapy for a pinched nerve in my neck (and hip recovery too).  Who knew that looking down at your phone 24/7, being in bed with a laptop and  slumping in chairs could be the cause of so much physical misery?  The pinched nerve problem was waaaaay flippin worse than the pain in my hip.  It takes a sheitload of focus to keep shoulders back, elbows in back pockets, to sit on the edge of a chair and bring cellphones up to eye-level.

Big thanks goes to my kickass bartenders for doing a bangup job filling in for me.  I’ve not been able to be behind the bar nearly as much as a result of all this nonsense. Thank you Brian, Charysh, Angela, Brit & Lauren for taking good care of me and our patrons!

In happy Sweet Revenge® news, I’m working on a perfume — Sweet Revenge For Her.  This sexy eau de parfum will debut November 1 when I relaunch the shopping section of my website, currently located at Sweet Revenge® Apparel.  A name change for the new shopping portal is in the works! The rebuild plan includes professional apparel photos, overhauling the look and feel of the site, and switching backend platforms.  It will be almost 12 months to the day that the site is totally overhauled from when it was originally launched last year.

I’m very fortunate to work with a talented crew on all the moving parts.  Megan Hostler, who designed my original logo, is creating beautiful perfume bottle labels and the visual layout of the new shopping site. Mike Robinson, my genius web developer, is spearheading the technical aspects of the relaunch. Professional photographer Natalie Brasington, who shot my Entrepreneur magazine cover, is photographing all the apparel.  FIT student intern (and new bartender) Jana Ferrari is helping me with the photoshoot and understanding best practices in the retail industry.   Kelly Jones, founder & owner of Kelly & Jones, is helping me create and bottle the scent. A shoutout is certainly in order for dear friends Lisa, Joc and Megan who’ve been doing scent mixology with me.  The creative aspects of the perfume and website relaunch projects are a complete blast.  I get a kick out of bringing an idea to life, especially one like the perfume that has been 4 years in the makes since it was in my 2007 business plan.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day” (a frequent friendly reminder by Tony, my 86 year old building super).

Teaser Taste of Sweet Revenge:  Time for Breakfast!

Cheers,

Marlo