Celebrating Stuart Applebaum’s 40 Years In Publishing

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Stuart Applebaum

My high school friend, Stuart Applebaum, is celebrating his 40th Anniversary working for Random House Bertelsmann, where he is currently Executive Vice President, Communications. He has held that title for many years. Stuart is one of the most prominent spokespeople in the publishing business. While he has gone from promoting hard cover, printed books to eBooks, Stuart believes that the core essential skills necessary for being a book publicist haven’t changed all that much since he started. He explained, “Yes, there presently are a lot fewer newspapers, magazines, and local talk shows than there are Facebook pages, YouTube uploads, Twitter Feeds, and blog posts for us to work with. Now, we’re into search and discovery. The basic challenges however, remain the same — to motivate the consumer to buy our book, not the competitor’s and to craft and deliver our most compelling messages and persuasions to convince everyone of our point of view.”

Stuart was always pragmatic. I first met him when he was the editor of the sports page for Jamaica High School’s newspaper called “The Hilltopper.” I was a columnist covering girl’s sports. He had to edit my copy, poor thing. After we graduated, I am sure I wasn’t on his radar screen, but he was on mine. When I saw him quoted in the New York Times the first few times, I think I stared at his name for hours. I couldn’t believe that I knew someone of that stature. I finally got the nerve to call him and he was as gracious as gracious could be. He probably had no idea who I was, but invited me to lunch in the Random House executive dining room. We continued to meet for lunch a few times a year for over two decades.

We gossiped at each lunch about my clients. He loved hearing about some of the corporate suits with big egos or the entrepreneurs with even bigger ones. When I complained that I couldn’t get ink for a client, his suggestion was that I fire the company. He said, “You have to know when to say goodbye and move on to a better opportunity.” I freaked. Give up a client? Say no to a check? That just wasn’t in my realm of thinking. Many years later, I know just what he meant and have taken his advice more than once.

One year we got lucky because of the connection to Stuart and got to work for a new division that was being created to explore “New Media” in the world of printed books. Our assignment was to help identify content that would be suitable for digital distribution. No one at the time thought that one day we would be carrying around one single gadget that housed hundreds of books in it. Years ago when I visited Random House, I would go back to my office with bags of books. Today I get recommendations to download.

Time marches on, but Stuart has pretty much remained the same. He is married to his job. No wife, no kids, no vacations. You can catch him every morning on the streets of Manhattan walking from his apartment across the street from the 92nd St Y to his office on Broadway and 55th Street and back again after work. In a recent speech he gave to his cohorts celebrating his anniversary he said, “I never found anyone or anything as satisfying as my job. When I do, I will make this change. Till then you will find me at my desk.”

Stuart, don’t change a thing. You are a true gift to everyone who knows you well. Happy Anniversary!

Driving Ms. DigiDame

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You may think that I wrote about this gadget before but I didn’t. I did write about how highway driving makes me very nervous so I wanted to buy a video camera to record reckless drivers. No one seems to be paying any attention to the roads anymore. I look at every car that passes. I carefully scrutinize the driver. Their minds seems to be preoccupied and no one is acutely aware of where they are and what they are doing.

I beg Eliot to watch out for all the other nuts on the I-95 or Long Island Expressway. Every time we are out for a drive, I see folks behind the steering wheel texting, yakking on their cells, putting on makeup or even polishing and/or clipping their nails. It makes me nuts that people can be so callous.

That is why I wanted to tell you about GoSmart Clip. It’s a snap-on tool. The GoSmart Clip securely holds and clips any smartphones to car steering wheels, or other places, so you can access information quickly and safely. I don’t particularly love any set of eyeballs that aren’t on the road, but the GoSmart Clip seems to be somewhat of a solution to the ever increasing problem of using GPS or making phone calls.

I have embedded a video so you can see how the GoSmart Clip works. It was designed to allow people to use their hands for other things besides holding their phones.

Other GoSmart Clip Uses:

•Hands-free conversations: Talk on your cell phone safely, hands-free.

•At the airport or train station: Secure it to a backpack, suitcase, or shoulder bag and work, send emails, texts, Skype, or watch a video while waiting.

•At the gym: Fasten it to a cardio machine and listen to music, read, or watch a video while working out.

•On a purse or bag: Attach it to the strap or handle of a purse or shoulder bag for easy access to your cell phone.

•On a shopping cart: Attach to the grocery store shopping cart to view shopping lists, text, or talk without having to hold a phone.

•At the beach: Strap to a beach umbrella for music at the beach.

•At the golf course: Attach to golf cart to keep score or view maps.

•On a boat or back seat of a car: Attach it to a boat steering wheel or the back of a car seat head rest to watch movies.

•On your belt: Attach to your belt to use as a phone stand to prop at an angle to easily view the screen.

•On a baby stroller: Attach it to a baby stroller to talk on the phone or soothe the child with music, a book or favorite video.

The GoSmart Clip is priced at $24.95 through Amazon.com.

A Gluten-Free Internet Journey

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Sheryl Goldstein

I am on a mission.

I have just a few months to turn Sheryl Goldstein, a gluten-free cookbook author, into a well-known advisor to corporations who are now catering (no pun intended) to all those living with Celiac, or to those who just feel better by eating gluten-free foods. Celiac is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten. Click on Celiac to learn more about it.

Sheryl was diagnosed with Celiac disease at the age of 50. She quickly learned that her prognosis would be good if she just changed her nutritional diet to gluten-free foods. She already was an excellent cook who enjoyed producing dinner parties for family and friends. So, Sheryl decided to incorporate gluten-free foods into her entertaining repertoire. Before long her cookbook, The No Gluten Solution, was created. Now it is time for the next big step. Sheryl’s journey is not going to be any different than other major rock star chefs who have started with a local fan base and then expanded nationally, and eventually, worldwide.

That is where I come in. Because of my agency’s vast experience using the Internet and social media platforms, we are going to help Sheryl reach out to thousands, if not millions, of people who need her help. Of course, we are looking for major sponsors to help reach a huge audience, but most of our beginning efforts will be on Sheryl’s website http://www.noglutensolution.com and on Sheryl’s Facebook fan page.

We encourage you to “Like” “The No Gluten Solution” fan page on Facebook so you can get all of the latest info Sheryl dishes out and be sure to read her blog on her website. The real reason I am writing about Sheryl is because this is a great opportunity to utilize the six degrees of separation that the Internet affords. You know me, I know you, and I can introduce you to Sheryl if you need some personal advice. For all others, if you are living the gluten-free life and have any suggestions, please share. That in itself is one of the greatest assets of social networking.

Meanwhile, here are some personal words from Sheryl.

You’ve just been told that you have to give up gluten…now what?

5 things to do to get started:

  1. Take a breath, it’s not as hard as it seems. Within days of eliminating gluten from your diet, you will feel like a new and better you! There is no better incentive than finally having your health back to get you energized to begin the gluten-free journey. Of course, you will have moments that you feel sorry for yourself but remember that no gluten is a gift and not a sacrifice.
  2. Read, study, reread and study again the list of grains that contain gluten and the hidden sources of gluten.The more you have this knowledge “ingrained” in your head, the easier it will be to stay gluten-free. It takes time, along with the knowledge to make this transition a way of life. Carry a list with you and refer to whenever you are food shopping and dining out.
  3. Don’t keep secrets. Telling your family, friends and co-workers that you are eliminating gluten from your diet will make the transition easier.This support is one of the best ways to help you stay gluten-free. Believe me, they will want to eat what you eat once you have it all figured out.
  4. Go through your refrigerator, pantry and cabinets and either eliminate all products containing gluten or set-up a dedicated area in your kitchen for your new gluten-free products and ingredients.In addition to the obvious gluten items that you can identify from study sheets, you will have to learn to read the labels on other items that could contain hidden gluten. Make the first step easy and simply eliminate any food product you are not sure about and you can check it out at a later time.
  5. Go forth into the market. Make a list of all the things you CAN eat and fill your refrigerator and pantry with these foods. Your favorite fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meats, poultry, fish, lots of ice creams, chocolate, wine and nuts are naturally gluten-free. Add foods that look good in the ever expanding gluten-free sections of grocery and health food stores. I promise you will not feel deprived.

Editing The Baby Makers

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I know 10 gals who are having babies over the next six months. I recently took iPhone pictures of five of them. One I lifted from Facebook. I had trouble getting some of them to be right side up because I took vertical and horizontal photos.

I played around with them for a long time until I realized that if I went into “Camera Roll,” clicked on edit, then clicked on the semi-circle in the lower left hand corner, I could rotate the photos any way I wanted.

It was that easy. I wanted to share that with you. Here my photos.

The first gal is having twins any minute. The next two are sisters delivering a few weeks apart next month. The final two are sister-in-laws having babies in February and March.

My mother used to say “Babies Bring Good Luck.”

Happy New Year To All

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If Andy Warhol Had Been Alive Today

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It has been 25 years since Andy Warhol died. I often wonder what influence he would have had on the tech world. He believed in the visual art movement known as pop art so you can imagine the design creations he would have digitally produced.

Eliot and I went to see “Regarding Warhol, Sixty Artists, Fifty Years” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, Friday night. We also got to see his permanent exhibit in Pittsburgh, PA when our daughter attended Carnegie Mellon University 10 years ago.

We marveled at some of the quotes Warhol was famous for and how they apply to our digital lives.

Here we go:

Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.

Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.

Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.

An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

I’m afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning.

I suppose I have a really loose interpretation of “work,” because I think that just being alive is so much work at something you don’t always want to do. The machinery is always going. Even when you sleep.

Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?

I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.

It’s the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you feel about it.

I’m the type who’d be happy not going anywhere as long as I was sure I knew exactly what was happening at the places I wasn’t going to. I’m the type who’d like to sit home and watch every party that I’m invited to on a monitor in my bedroom.

When I got my first television set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships.

My idea of a good picture is one that’s in focus and of a famous person.

Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they’ll just have to learn how to be babies longer.

Once you ‘got’ Pop, you could never see a sign again the same way again. And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again.

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Bring Back Steve Jobs

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Forgive me for saying this, but someone has to have a heart-to-heart with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. This is the guy who Steve Jobs put in place when he knew his days were numbered. I just watched a video (I posted it below) of the press conference this Wednesday where the iPhone 5 was introduced. I immediately could hear Steve bellowing from above, “Those idiots. I left them in charge and they are acting like they are constipated. There is no magic in the presentation. Haven’t they learned a thing from me? What a waste! After all my years of showing them the excitement of a strong stage presence, this is the best they can do? Nothing like taking a miracle product and bringing it down to a ho hum yawn. Go after them, Lois!”

I read the Steve Jobs book by Walter Isaacson. I understood Steve’s passion when I read it and I also understand it now. People faulted him for his arrogance, his impulsiveness, his odd behavior and his insults. He spared no one. He even belittled and betrayed Steve Wozniak. Woz understood him the best and told everyone that while he did not condone Jobs’ behavior, he also knew that it took this kind of ruthless leadership to create the greatness of Apple. Woz was the antithesis of Jobs. He wanted to take a back seat. He did all of the coding and product creation, but it was Jobs who kept pushing Woz and teams of developers to do the impossible. They accomplished that but many were wounded warriors.

There are people who I speak to that say he could have been nicer, more tolerant, more accepting. I believe that these folks truly don’t understand what it takes to produce something so extraordinary. There is no time for pampering your team. They should know how to take care of themselves. Steve Jobs had to get people to open their minds to new thinking and become innovative. In my 46 years in the workforce, I can say that most people do not like to think. They want to punch a clock and do what they consider is the best they can do.

Well, that is just not good enough in the world of technology. Steve proved it and now Apple better watch themselves. They don’t have Steve to keep them in shape. This press conference was as dull and unenthusiastic as you can get. Unless I am missing something, there was no showmanship, no accent on the positive, no dramatic pauses to let silence speak for itself, which Jobs did so well after he said something profound.

Tim Cook has to learn theater. If he can’t do it, he better find others who can. Going to an Apple press conference used to be like going to a great Broadway play, full of suspense, captivation and euphoria.

Watch the video. Click on the arrow in the middle of the screen. It is great for insomniacs. It will put you to right to sleep. Thank goodness the iPhone5 can speak for itself, because this just doesn’t cut it.

Go Away, You Are Boring Me To Death

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My business life is filled with networking parties, new product introductions, press conferences, business meetings and meetups.  After so many years, I see the same tech people over and over.  It doesn’t matter what the event is, everyone just wants to talk about themselves. They want you to know the assignments they are working on, how well their last story was received, who asked them to speak at what engagement, who is dying to hire them, how well their children are doing, and do I have any work for them. Yawn !!!

Same people, same stories, same Yada, Yada, Yada. The other night I went to Showstoppers at the Manhattan Suites on Fifth Avenue and 14th Street.  It was an exhibition for innovative product introductions. There was a lot to see plus the views were amazing and the food and liquor were staged like a wedding. The entire setting was a class act.

I could barely make it to the exhibits. The same usual suspects were inching closer to say hello. I had to listen to – “We just sold our condo!” “Let me show you pictures of the grandkids!” “Did you see my new car?” “What flight did you get for CES?” and “Let me show you my scar from my last surgery.”

Then Rob Calem came to the rescue.  Rob and I have been industry friends for years. He is a good looking, very smart, mellow guy who has never been married. (Attention Julie Lesser! I want to fix you up with him. Perfect age, but wrong coast. I will do it anyway). Rob immediately told me about a product that he thought I would be interested in that was a few steps away from where we were standing.

Ironically, the product could cure my boring crowd syndrome.  What a coincidence!  It is called Necomini, Brainwave Cat Ears that move according to your mood. The Cat Ears use three emotional states to create cat-like reactive movements that show how interested or relaxed you are. When something catches your attention, the ears shoot straight up. When the wearer is relaxed, the ears droop down. When you are highly-focused, the ears wiggle back and forth. Powered by NeuroSky ThinkGear Technology, it sells for $99.95.

I must get a pair to wear to the next industry event. Can you imagine speaking to someone and the ears go down? Will they get the hint? Never!

I am told the Necomini Brainwave Cat Ears are a big hit at parties, sporting events, and bars.

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video below to see how the Brainwave Car Ears work.

Out From Under The Covers

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While the whole world is focused on the introduction of the iPhone 5 today, I have a different offer that will you give far more satisfaction than a smartphone, tablet or portable audio player. It is called a personal massager. I am looking for Digidame readers to tell me why you deserve one for free. I need you to select one and then post your explanation in the comment section.

All you have to do is click on the cloud above this copy and type away. The reason why this is so important, is because personal massagers are slowly but surely becoming very popular. I am a part of a team of marketers who are revitalizing the category. Those of you who want to join this journey over the next few months are welcomed to chime in.

What was once considered to be a taboo gadget hidden some place in your closet under a pile of clothes, is now becoming a much more accepted portable accessory, and for good reason. Baby boomers are discovering that if they massage certain areas of their body ever few hours, they relieve tension and stiffness.

How many times have you been bent over and waddled when you have been sitting for too long?  Or how about those first steps in the morning. It takes five to 10 minutes to get your legs and back fully-functioning.  Admit it, we are not as limber as we once were.

Many baby boomers are really into health and wellness.  Use me as the excuse to own one of these cute little devices. This line is called Body Innovations.  Be an innovator yourself and live life to the fullest.  By the way, the next time you go to lunch with friends and they all whip out their phone, tablet,  MP3 player and personal massagers, think of where you read about this first.

Personal Mini Massager  #1

The Personal Mini Massager #1 is available in assorted colors, features a quiet and powerful massage motor with three interchangeable attachments (Dual Node, Multi-node and smooth head).  Its compact size makes it the perfect travel companion.  Includes one AA battery and travel pouch.

Personal Mini Massager #2

The Personal Mini Massager #2 features multiple variable massage speeds from low to high.  The rubberized massage head focuses gentle massage on body curves and contours and is waterproof, perfect for use in the shower or bath.  It includes two AAA batteries and is available in three  assorted colors. .

Rechargeable Personal Massager #3

The Rechargeable Personal Massager #3 features a quiet and powerful massage motor with two speed intensities.  The small size allows it to easily slip into a purse and includes a storage pouch.

Personal Mini Massager #4

The compact, battery operated (includes one AA battery) Personal Mini Massager #4 is perfect for on the go use.  Its quiet and powerful massage  motor and interchangeable attachments will help you relax on stressful trips. It is available in three colors and includes a convenient travel pouch.

If you are too shy to post, you can send me an email: lois@digidame.com. Your secret is good with me.

The Next Best Thing To Being There

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Eliot and I were invited to a Bar Mitzvah in Miami Beach last Saturday.  We really wanted to attend but we had to be in New York for a work-related event. We made that commitment months ago so there was little we could do to change it. The Bar Mitzvah was for Dawson, the grandson of Judge Philip Bloom, a former Circuit Court Judge for the State of Florida (18 years on the Bench and now a consultant to Squire Sanders) and Elaine Bloom, a former State Rep for 18 ½ years and a Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives. We became friends with them almost 10 years ago when we joined the Miami Chamber of Commerce. We see them frequently, especially when Joe’s Stone Crab is open for business. When we join the Bloom’s there for dinner, we are escorted past a 100 hungry people waiting to get in and wonder who we are.

While I would love to talk more about Elaine and Philip, the royal couple of Miami Beach, this post is really about the unique experience Eliot and I had when we  watched Dawson’s entire Bar Mitzvah via a webcam.  G-d bless technology. I first witnessed a webcam in progress years ago when my nephew Sam showed me how he monitored a law class. I was amazed then and I’m still amazed today even though I have watched hundreds of webcam events.

The entire set up is very easy thanks to digital camera technology.  Sometimes the cameras are stationary and only shoot one scene, and other times a cameraman directs the camera or cameras to different settings, so you really feel you are a part of the audience. Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach uses webcams for all their services, so we are talking a much better production. The webcam service is really a “mitzvah”  (Yiddish for human kindness) because no one is left out. Everyone can join in no matter where they are located.

I have to say they know what they are doing. Dawson’s Bar Mitzvah was like watching a major stage production. Eliot and I had the best seat in the house (okay, being there would have been better) as we sat in our NY apartment witnessing Dawson’s big day. He did a marvelous job and we will forever feel a part of this joyous occasion. The cameras did close ups of his parents, his younger brother, the Bema,, the Torah, the congregation, the Rabbi, the Cantor, and of course Dawson. We even got to see a lot of Dawson’s friends.  The entire family looked so happy I kept tearing.

Because of our travels, like so many others, we sometimes miss major events.  Our first choice is to be right next to family and friends at milestone events, but when we can’t, this is a wonderful alternative.

Elaine, Philip, David, Damian, Dawson and Donovan

11 Years Later

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I almost didn’t write a blog post to appear on 9/11. I thought I should remain silent. Every year on this day I feel so sad for all my fellow New Yorkers who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center. I also feel terrible for the first responders who are sick and suffering. As a diehard New Yorker, I still can’t comprehend what happened to my city.

I remember the hours, days, weeks, months that followed the attacks. Everyone in New York was polite and gracious. People hugged in the streets and blessed you as they passed by. We thanked every policeman and fireman we laid eyes on. People helped each other cross the street, get taxis, carry groceries and cut in lines. I used to get choked up when I saw how nice everyone was to each other. I often thought why couldn’t this kind of peaceful co-existence last forever?

I would say it lasted almost a year. Then things started to go back to the normal state of rudeness and selfishness. When the economy got worse, New Yorkers started to act out. Former peaceful neighborhoods have become battlegrounds. People are losing patience with each other and many more verbal arguments are breaking out.

I worked a little late today and once again had a feeling of despair when I was leaving my office building. I realized it was 11 years later. It’s a terrible feeling when you can’t change a thing. You have no choice but to go with the flow and make the best of it. Then I got a huge surprise. Just when I thought New Yorkers lost their camaraderie forever, I opened the door to my office building and discovered hundreds of people marching on my block, showing support for the striking teachers in Chicago.

I felt very lucky to shoot a video of the march just to show you what I am talking about. I encourage you to watch. All you have to do is click on the arrow in the middle of the picture. When you watch the demonstration, think of New York as the one place on earth where its inhabitants change their attitudes pretty quickly. We can’t turn our back on those who need us the most. It doesn’t matter how near or how far. We are ready to serve.

So from this New Yorker, to all those hurting as I am on this anniversary day, I say, let’s hope for a better tomorrow.