If you were at the White Chocolate Grill on October 21st, it may have looked a bit like Food Network was invading the kitchen. Though it wasn’t Food Network, the White Chocolate Grill began production of a new online cooking show, WCG Cooks, filming during the dinner rush at its Naperville location. What is the source of my inside information? The answer is my new firm, Social Frequency Media Communications, produced the first two episodes.
The series, which features WCG Executive Chef, Robert Kabakoff, and Chef/Owner Bobby Fitzgerald, takes viewers behind-the-scenes into the WCG kitchen to celebrate great food, explore ingredients, see how menu favorites are prepared and to learn great tasting recipes you can replicate at home. Episode one focuses on a refreshing spin on a seasonal favorite, Pumpkin Cheesecake. Hungry yet? You can experience episode one below.
Another benefit of producing these first two episodes is being able to sample the finished product and let me say WCG’s Pumpkin Cheesecake is amazing. But you don’t have to produce a cooking show to try this Pumpkin Cheesecake, just head on over to the White Chocolate Grill Naperville for a slice. SM
My advance apologies for the dreadfully ego-centric sounding headline above. I simply wanted to make sure this posting was optimized for search engine results… or “SEO” as it is called… which translates into posting views and insures that this story might reach a wider audience.
As many of you know, I’ve spent the second half of this year making the transition toward living and sustaining my life purpose. This wonderful article, written by the very talented Carla Kalogeridis, provides a deeper perspective on how I am working to translate my humbling gifts and talents into my daily vocation as composer, filmmaker and not-for-profit social media consultant.
Earlier this year, as a step along this journey, I voluntarily composed a theme song (click here to listen) for the Association Forum to be used as a source of motivation for all the not-for-profit association professionals out there who have weathered a very difficult year. The title of the theme song is “Go the Distance” which pretty much says it all to anyone from any walk of life who has endured this year of economic heartbreak and setbacks.
Within the past couple of months, I was contacted by Association Publishing Magazine about their interest in writing an article about the story behind this piece of music. If you click here you can read the full article.
As the journey continues, I also invite you to support my current documentary film project,Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story, which is an inspiring story about a blue-collar Midwestern kid from Chicago who faces unimaginable triumph and tragedy in pursuing professional and international acclaim in the world of ballet.
When I first met Ken, I knew this was a powerful story that had to be told in a way that is as uniquely creative and as beautifully artistic as his life. This film will not be your typical documentary, but rather an emotive and inspiring cinematic journey that well leave audiences reflecting, and hopefully acting upon their own inexhaustible purpose and calling in life.
Please join the official Imprévu film group on Facebook by clicking here where you can read our production diary dating back to 2008, listen to clips of film music I’ve composed and see our growing collection of production photos. I also welcome you to spread the word.
Two months ago I set out on a new path in life at a time when many thought it a bit crazy to leave a secure well-paying job for the uncertainty of launching out on my own in this economy.
To me, it was about the most sane and rational step I could take as this transition is nowhere near haphazard. As a matter of fact, I’ve been preparing for this change my entire life. The voice of my inner purpose could no longer be ignored and I arrived at a place where I had become confident in my life’s intentions.
Will I manage to achieve the same level of income in my new venture as I did when I was working as a salaried employee in my previous professional roles? Quite simply put, the answer is it doesn’t really matter. “Really”… you ask? Consider the following.
First, when you are following your heart and living the life that you were meant to live, money becomes far less important. It doesn’t mean you don’t need money to live and support your family, but rather it means that you find yourself needing less money than you may have once desired. Why you ask? It’s because when you are focusing on the life path you always wanted to travel, you find that many of the things that you once thought you ”wanted” or even convinced yourself you “needed” have become irrelevant.
My belief is we often use the material side of wealth to subconsciously compensate ourselves for the substance and meaning which is missing from our lives. The greater the void, the more we require to ”offset” the feelings of being on the wrong path. In other words, you may not be living the life you feel you were meant to lead, but the comfort of wealth and luxury becomes the deceptive consolation. But the question is whether or not the emptiness created by not living a uniquely fulfilled life is a void which can be filled by anything other than the pursuit of your truest form of personal fulfillment… not “one day down the road when you retire”, but today.
Secondly, we have a far better chance of living a balanced and comfortable financial life when we are in alignment with our true strengths, talents and passions. We struggle less and enjoy more of our human journey through our seemingly inexhaustable passion. This is what I call “purposeful wealth” , which is when monetary reward becomes the by-product of our unique purpose rather than the primary motivation of our life.
If financial health is your singular focus in life, you cannot turn your back on your physical, emotional and familial health as well. I don’t believe that life falls on hard times because our bank accounts dwindle, but more importantly because somewhere along the way we turned off that internal voice within that was trying to lead us in the right direction. The good news is its never too late.
For now, I leave you with my own mantra and personal mission which has fueled my life journey. The first being monetary wealth is merely a measure of survival, not of purpose and the mission being to life the truth of my purpose in service of others. Where will you begin? SM
In addition to student performances, there will be two original works performed by professional ballet dancers relating to my current collaboration with Kenneth von Heidecke. The pieces are derived from a full-length ballet which Ken and I are currently developing concurrently with our documentary film project, Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story .
The inside story is as production on the film has progressed over the past year, I found the original score I had been composing and recording telling me a story of its own as I listened over-and-over. There is one piece of music, in particular, I had composed which unexpectedly summoned memories of an extraordinarily lucid and vivid dream I had shortly after my father passed away from a year-long battle with cancer in 2001. My own grief had become amplified by the fact my mother lost her battle to cancer in 1997. There I was, at age 29, sleeping in the only family home I had ever known for the first time in my life in the days after my father’s passing, feeling as though my life’s foundation was vanishing around me. That night, I dreamed that I was standing along a small winding stream that was running downhill in a dense, yet beautiful forest. I was paralyzed by my own grief and at a complete loss as to which direction I should travel. To my astonishment, my mother appeared with a peaceful smile on her face, comforting and reassuring me that this was not a dream, that they would always be with me and that it was time for me to move on with my own life and dreams. With that, we embraced before she turned and walked away back up the hill into the most beautiful rays of light. I awoke in a peaceful calm that I had never before experienced and that morning a new sense of resolve began to surface.
Based on this dream, I introduced the rough storyline I had visualized vividly to Ken along with the music and soon thereafter we had crafted the overall story. The premise of the ballet flows from the same type of unforseeable and unexpected triumph, tragedy and transcendance which has characterized mine and Ken’s life, as well as the lives of so many others. The story is as beautifully passionate as it is dark and tragic with the theme resting on the truth that dreams may grow dim, but they never truly die.
The two original pieces which will be performed on Sunday at the Rialto are taken from the second half of the ballet, one a romantic Pas de Deux and the other a high-energy rhythmic piece featuring three male ballet dancers. The photo above features two professional ballet dancers, Katherine and Shane, who will be performing the Pas de Deux.
The full workshop performance featuring these works along with other performances from all levels of Ken’s school will take place at 2:00 PM on Sunday (8/9/09) at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for Seniors and children under the age of 12. If you would like to attend, tickets can be purchased at the Rialto Square Box Office prior to the performance at 2 PM or by calling 815-726-6600. We would love to see you there!
To my regular readers, you may have noticed that it’s been nearly a month since my last post to the World of Naperville. Atop the 4th of July holiday, a week-long vacation and quick business trip to London there has been much change brewing in this Naperville household.
As many of you may recall, part of my original reason for launching the World of Naperville back in 2006 was to become a virtual activist of sorts, participating in our community despite the fact my job carried me 35 miles away each day. For a long time, I’ve dreamed of not only living, but also working in Naperville being able to stay connected to our community on a daily basis. Today, I’m pleased to say that I’ve made the leap of faith.
As of July 2nd, I launched my own social media and association management consulting practice, Social Frequency Media Communications and Association 2020 Consulting right here in Naperville. It has been natural next step for me and I’m humbly excited to be embarking upon this new venture which moves me further down the path of my life’s purpose.
Additionally, this move also positions me to focus more time and energy on my current documentary film project, Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story , which will be finishing principal photography by early 2010 and immediately heading into post-production.
As for the World of Naperville, my new path will provide me more time to focus on my labor of love… this blog. With that said, upcoming postings this week will focus on Safety Town and a film shoot with legendary opera stage director, John Copley, in London. SM
In taking advantage of some much needed family time today, we headed over to Naperville’s Kerasotes Showplace Theaters to catch the new Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian whose trailer my boys have been emulating for weeks now. I must confess, we didn’t see the first installment of Night at the Museum, but somehow I was sure we would catch up.
I expected a laugh-sprinkled good time leaving us thinking about what would happen if the same thing happened during our next trip to the Field Museum in Chicago. Something I didn’t expect was a great life message to be delivered within the story.
Within the first couple of scenes, Robin Williams potrayal of Teddy Roosevelt led to a moment in which he was about to share the secret of happiness to the crackberry-distracted Ben Stiller character, Larry. The moment was lost and William’s Roosevelt turned back into the wax museum sculpture. Somehow, I think we all knew that we would receive the answer by the end of the film.
Stiller’s character is a former museum security guard who had made it big as an inventor of such transformative products as the “glow-in-the-dark” flashlight. Larry seemed distracted and annoyed in his new life since leaving his post as a security guard… a job in which he took great pride.
By the end of the film, we are re-visited by Roosevelt who appropriately completes the statement he started by saying the secret to happiness is doing what you love.
The secret to happiness is doing what you love.
How timely to utilize an escapist comedy to deliver what I believe is an important message to all who are struggling through the stresses of life and trying to better define happiness in these uncertain times.
Are you doing what you love most in life? Are you living your life purpose?
I encourage you to imagine how it might feel and the effect it might have on those around you if you were to once and for all begin the journey of your dreams in doing what you love most in life.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve written a number of postings about life purpose and looking toward challenging times in life as opportunities (see all of my Life Purpose category postings).
The economic downturn has provided ample opportunity for us all to reflect upon life’s true meaning in finally getting that little push that we often need in life to move out of our complacent zone. Even more, we have also witnessed the results of our country’s destructive obsession with financial and material wealth.
The good news is there’s always an abundance ”wealth” within our reach at all times, yet we often overlook. A type of wealth that can exceed our greatest expectations in terms of the love and happiness it can bring. This wealth I speak of is the unique love, purpose and potential which resides within us all. A place where our true strengths and passion in life are placed at centerstage in the service of others.
My own road in life has been a twisting journey of purpose with each day offering the possibility of a new piece of the puzzle being revealed. As I’ve written recently, there are many out there within our Naperville community and beyond who have felt the crush of our nation’s economic collapse over the past year. Despite the tough times, in many ways the slowdown may very well provide the perfect conditions to connect/re-connect withyour own unique purpose in life.
We all have a unique purpose within our heart and soul which I believe keeps tapping us on the back throughout our lives despite the free will we exercise in attempting to make what we believe are the best decisions for ourselves in “the moment”.
As I’ve said, it doesn’t matter the size of stage or economic reward attached, it’s all about finding true meaning and fulfillment in life. Even better, in taking the journey down your own path of your uniquely prescribed purpose, you might just discover that all of those material trappings aren’t quite as important as they once seemed. Inspired and inspiring lives emerge not from the material of the world, but rather the material of the soul. Further, always remember that money is merely a measure of survival, not purpose.
To help you on your way, below are 6 tips I’ve used to guide my way along my own path of purpose in life:
1) Throughout your life, what interests/experiences have consistently filled your heart with a joy and happiness that is unique to you and you alone?
2) What do you enjoy doing so much that the constraint of time seems to slip away, yet it still feels effortless and energizing?
3) If you could help others in a way that is your own unique contribution measured not by external recognition/validation but only by internal reward and satisfaction, how would you do so?
4) Once the answers to the first three questions begin to emerge yielding an internal sense of truth, try to connect with at least one other person outside of your immediate life who can understand and relate ot your purpose.
5) Focus your energy on the “what” not the “how” so as not to construct a wall of self-adversity. An act of purpose could be something as simple as sharing it with someone else.
6) Write in a journal as often as possible specifically about the many elements, possibilities and dimensions of your purpose. Don’t hold back, on paper anything is possible.
Though I have many more ideas, experiences and thoughts on the subject of purpose, this should help you get started. In the meantime, perhaps a first step for you might be sharing your thoughts here in the form of a comment. So what are you waiting for? SM
As I sit here at 12:58 AM in the early solemn hours of the first day of 2009, I’m reflecting on the year past as well as the year ahead. I must confess, it feels these days that our community is in somewhat of a funk.
There’s no doubt many Napervillians are feeling the crunch of dismal economic times. However, I shutter to think that the greatness of our community is defined by economic prosperity alone. There’s no doubt in my mind that there remains a strong spirit within Naperville and I predict 2009 will be a year in which our community will come together in realizing our truest strength resides not in the material wealth documented within our financial portfolios and bank accounts, but rather in the untapped talents, potential and possibilities within all of us to contribute our purpose to the world.
It’s time to prove to those outside of Naperville and so many within our community who have grown cynical that Naperville is not only still a great place to live, but more importantly a place of tremendous possiblities and imagination. To anyone out there who has been either touched by the great economic downturn or 2008 or feel as though they are living on the edge of collapse, perhaps now is the time to awaken your soul’s purpose… rekindle your dreams… exercise your talents… and use this “wake-up call” as a transformational life opportunity to reconnect with your true self and set a course for the intended life you were meant to live.
In the end, we all have a finite amount of time on this earth… what do you want your legacy to be? What will matter most to you in the end? What will matter least to you in the end? Finally, imagine you learn that you had only five years of to live, yet will enjoy excellent health until the end. How would you live your life differently?
Always remember, true happiness is measured by the achievement of our soul’s purpose in the service of others. No matter how much or how little time you have, just find a way to get started and let even the smallest amount of progress fuel your journey. Connect with others with shared purpose as their support and understanding will reveal all that is possible. I know you can do it! SM
Greetings everyone. I’ve posted the first musical excerpt from the early portions of the score I’ve composed and recorded for Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story. As a means to encourage more of you to join the Imprévu Facebook Group I’ve created for the film, the audio file is posted via a video on the main page. You can access directly by CLICKING HERE .
Again, my approach to this film has been to compose all of the music in advance of post-production to strengthen the score’s role as a storytelling element and to celebrate the relationship between music and ballet. All music has been composed based on my own musical interpretation of Ken’s story and has factored into all principal photography. Ultimately, the film will be edited to the music in post-production.
I hope everyone enjoys this first look at the music behind the film. Even more, I invite everyone to join the Facebook group to read regular updates and interact with me about the film. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to join the group, interact and participate as development continues on this film project. SM
My advance apologies for the dreadfully ego-centric sounding headline above. I simply wanted to make sure this posting was optimized for search engine results… or “SEO” as it is called… which translates into posting views and insures that this story might reach a wider audience.
Two months ago I set out on a new path in life at a time when many thought it a bit crazy to leave a secure well-paying job for the uncertainty of launching out on my own in this economy. 
The 
To my regular readers, you may have noticed that it’s been nearly a month since my last post to the World of Naperville. Atop the 4th of July holiday, a week-long vacation and quick business trip to London there has been much change brewing in this Naperville household. 
As of July 2nd, I launched my own social media and association management consulting practice, 
Additionally, this move also positions me to focus more time and energy on my current documentary film project, 
In taking advantage of some much needed family time today, we headed over to Naperville’s Kerasotes Showplace Theaters to catch the new 
Over the past couple of months, I’ve written a number of postings about life purpose and looking toward challenging times in life as opportunities (see all of my 
My own road in life has been a twisting journey of purpose with each day offering the possibility of a new piece of the puzzle being revealed. As I’ve written recently, there are many out there within our Naperville community and beyond who have felt the crush of our nation’s economic collapse over the past year. Despite the tough times, in many ways the slowdown may very well provide the perfect conditions to connect/re-connect withyour own unique purpose in life. 
Greetings everyone. I’ve posted the first musical excerpt from the early portions of the score I’ve composed and recorded for 