I will be honest – I could spend the better part of a day at Target, Old Navy and TJ Maxx and I am not ashamed. People who only buy things for “the name” make me sad – you could be doing so much more with your money…like searching for and buying awesome and affordable items from that new fashion blog you’ve started reading. News flash “Buckhead Betty”: I bought the same top at “La Targe” (my oh so posh name for Target) and saved the 200 dollars you wasted – sorry I’m not sorry!

How To: The Messy Bun

No matter the season the “messy bun” – is always IN. What girl doesn’t LOVE to just throw her hair up and bee-bop out the door to a party, function, dinner, the store…wherever? The “messy bun” is a staple in my wardrobe – comfortable, simple, versatile and very sexy – this “do” is sure to turn a head or two!

1.   Flip all of your hair down in front of your face 

2.  Quickly whip it back at the top of your head.  Willow Smith taught me that move .

3.  Once all of your hair is at the top of your head, gather it and begin to make a ponytail.

4.  Don’t pull your hair all the way through the hair tie (only pull halfway through) and secure the band (you will see the bun forming at this point).

5.  Take a strand of your hair and wrap around the rubber band (so it looks like you have actually knotted your hair).

6.  Pull the hair around your head to make the up – do look looser (not quaffed).

7.  Pull out strands around the face to make a softer/slightly messy look. 

8.  Voilà!

How did your bun turn out?  Catch ya’ll later Wrappers!

-Boe

“You Can’t Always Get Whatcha Want”

Even though the referenced Rolling Stones song was written by Mick Jager and Keith Richards back in 1969 on “Let It Bleed,” (way before I was born) in 2010, I find it to be comforting. Indeed, for today, comfort is definitely the name of the game.  As I write, I’m sitting on my couch watching a Rolling Stones concert from what looks like the early 80’s.  Just relaxing.

I’m relaxing because I’m still sore from the emergency hike the other day.  The pain is just a remnant of an incredible afternoon of getting the Jeep stuck, hiking down a canyon, crossing a river, and a four and a half hour tow that included winching the tow truck out of a rut in the road. This adventure has definitely present its spectrum of emotions and testing my patience. From fear, joy, physical pain and downed spirits, I’ve trucked along.

So now, I’m taking it easy this weekend because I’ve realized that taking care of myself is something I neglected through most of my 20’s. (&  p.s. this realization of me not taking care of myself didn’t come to me after the aforementioned ordeal…that’s a story is for another time.)

The point is, I have seen firsthand the benefits of treating your body like a temple, even if you live in a tent! And my first step in mitigating this quarterlife crisis and learning to treat my body like a temple will be by enjoying a little escapism peppered with a few moments of productivity today. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll go back into the wild to appreciate even the smallest of tents.

A Very Dark Place:

It’s Going to be Okay…

Today I find myself in a very dark place.  I don’t know why I still go through days like this, but I just want to escape from life for a short while.  Throughout my life I have found little ways of “escaping reality” when things get too difficult or scary for me, and it’s how I survived the majority of my childhood while my parents were still together.

It’s funny…my cat Rey knows something’s wrong.  It seems Rey is connected to me in some unexplainable way, but when I just start feeling like giving up, he comes and sits on my lap and stares at me until I pet him.  I believe it’s his way of saying, “It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay.”

I needed to hear that today.  Apparently my closest friends have instincts similar to those of my cat, because if I’m listening, I get similar messages of comfort from them.  Whether it’s one of my guardian angels making sure the weather is with me as I travel from my former home to my mountainside campsite, or a random call from one of the rare friends I’ve made on one of my journeys, if I look for the signs I can always find solace when I need it most…

This is my story of a true Quarterlife Crisis. After an abrupt detour of my (what I thought was) successful entrepreneurial post-graduate life, I  made a decision to go live in a tent for awhile…travel along the Pacific Coast until I essentially ran out of money. So follow along with me as I lose my mind and find myself from Charleston, SC to the sticks of Colorado and beyond.

Part One: “Son, I really don’t think you’re
an entrepreneur at heart.”

The words seemed to echo in my head several times before I reacted to the statement.  I had just spent the last 30 minutes presenting my business model to a former Wall Street executive.  I was enjoying a meal that my friend had just prepared for me at one of the top 25 restaurants in the state of Colorado.

Black Cat is one of those places that you could walk into and meet anyone, and this afternoon my chance encounter was with a former Wall Street banker that had recently moved to Boulder to become a photographer.

That moment changed my life.  The rest of this story is what happened after that fateful night.  I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did…

Visit Paul’s Page: PaulStamatiou.com

For some the idea of the quarterlife is not so much a “crisis,” as much so a time to realize yet another life transition. Though most have their lives organized to continue with the inflexible “life as usual plan,” set up by generations before us, there are some in Generation Y, like 23-year-old Paul Stamatiou, whom have had an “independent flair” about them for as long as they can remember.

Stamatiou is one of those individuals whom are currently using their quarterlife to reaffirm the self-confidence and sense-of-self many use their 20s to seek out.

I asked Stamatiou a series of questions regarding his quarterlife and how he came to be; firstly if he was having a quarterlife crisis and he replied definitively, “Nope! Definitely going through some changes – finishing college and moving into the “real world” – but, it’s not all that different.”

“Different,” this is the word most use to describe why the quarterlife is full of “crises” – the life they are leading is different from the one they had planned on.

Leaving friends from college/hometowns to make new connections, finding a new job or career, while at the same time trying to find their new identity as a functioning adult in the “real world.” Many find these transitions to be overwhelming all at once, especially when you may no longer have the physical, monetary or emotional support of your friends and family you did before.

Stamatiou said his “independent flair” came from his strong belief in the mantra of “if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself,” and from this stemmed his preparation for his quarterlife prior to even leaving college.

Stamatiou said, “I had already made the ‘switch’ from having roommates to living by myself during the last year of college, and I found it has boosted my productivity quite a bit.”

Working essentially for himself from his Atlanta home, “going to work” for this Generation-Y entrepreneur is no different than how he has been “tinkering” with his passions for the past few years while in school.

Stamatiou says, “I just have a lot more pressure to make sure it all works out this time.”

Many of us had some idea of where we wanted to be when we were 25/30 – some did not pull this together before their 20s. I asked Stamatiou when he was 21, just a few years ago, did he know where he would be today? He said,

“At that time I was still wondering what the ‘bigger picture’ was going to be. I knew I was headed down the path of working with software and Internet services – but not exactly where and how. I figured I would pick up some type of product manager job at a funded start-up in Silicon Valley – know enough about coding to talk with developers and plan out the rest of a company’s offerings, but not be tied down to coding all day.”

Being so young, and yet having a very realistic concept of where he wants to be, and how to get there – some would figure Stamatiou is “living the dream” and he is very successful. Though he did not speak of having the $100,000 cars, villas in Italy and going on holiday in Thailand, he views his own ” success” as being very proud of his own accomplishments from before the age of 20. However, he did speak of one particular moment that rang “success” very loudly to him.

In the Summer of 2008, Stamatiou received a a phone call from TTI/Vanguard inviting him to speak at a private technology conference in Rome. It was not until after his breath-taking taxi ride to the top of a mountainous area, to the “ridiculous,” aka very lavish hotel they put the speakers in, which over looked the city did Stamatiou say, “Damn! I could get used to this…”

So, how does one go from college student to international speaker?

I am sure there is a lot of hard work and professional determination behind it, but how much of a factor does personal life play into one’s professional career?

Stamatiou says for him, he has extrapolated his personal curiosity and inquisitiveness to almost naturally progress him in his professional career. He said he grew up taking things apart and tinkering with electronics, and these traits followed into work in a few ways:

“First – I enjoy a good challenge and getting my hands dirty! I remember when I started blogging, I would start an article with a vague ideas of how to get something technical done. I would then research and research and play around with all these things until I had a strong working knowledge of the subject matter, and could teach others the same.”

Stamatiou continued,

“Second, my lust for knowing how things worked and learning about them brought me to be an early adopter – never afraid to use and test out the bleeding edge technology; which is why I have been on the whole ‘cloud’ bandwagon for years now. Lastly, I have learned how to deal with failures and disappointment; wanting to test out all this new stuff leads to lots and lots of trial and error.”

Stamatiou’s combination of personal thirst for knowledge, young Generation-Y sense of independence and adventure topped off with Stamatiou’s “daily inspiration” (and favorite online source)  Hacker News, has for now staved off the “quarterlife crisis” many in Generation Y are facing.

Paul Stamatiou’s lack of a quarterlife crisis is not an anomaly; however it is not possible to replicate for everyone. Some of us just unfortunately (or fortunately – if you’re a optimist) have to take the rougher road through this transitional period in our lives.

Whether a quarterlife crisis is avoidable can be debated; however in the end, either way, your quarterlife is unique to you and how you handle it – crisis or not – ultimately speaks to you about who you are.

Nancy O’Dell Talks About Her Quarterlife

“Defining the Quarterlife” – as a generation there is no doubt we can do it on our own. In fact, being in your quarterlife in Generation Y means you are more likely to define things yourself than rely solely on one opinion. (I’m sure we have all made a decision based off of a Wikipedia/Google/intuition hybrid answer before!) This trait of self-seeking definitions is more important for today’s quarterlifers as we are living an experience that no one else can define for us.

The experience of becoming an adult today is different. High school or college degrees alone no longer mean gainful employment as recent marketing grads interview for the same positions as seasoned marketing professionals. The idea of rhythmically falling into the “norms” of progression is no longer an option for us – and “The Dream” is now an elusive target, no longer a few credit card swipes away.

We, as a generation – specifically in this stage of life – are up against an unstable world trying to reformulate itself, demanding us to maneuver within its unstructured changes at a time when we are supposed to be solidifying our understanding of who we are.

With prospects of such an epic battle weighing upon our minds, we naturally have questions…of which we seek not only the answers, but to define for ourselves the actual question.

I have consistently had people ask QuarterLife Magazine through social media:

“Am I the only one…or, is everyone struggling with this?”…“Is Gen Y the only generation to face this ‘quarterlife’?”

The best way to answer these questions is to define what exactly happens in one’s quarterlife.

Since we all unfortunately do not have access to a “Wikipedia/Google hybrid index” of people to ask, “What was your quarterlife like?” QuarterLife Magazine has taken the time to provide you with this interview (one of many upcoming sources) to help us understand the quarterlife.

Honored with three Associated Press Awards, two Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards, and a seven-time Emmy Award nominee, journalist Nancy O’Dell is one of America’s top and most respected entertainment journalist of our time. Serving as co-anchor of “Access Hollywood,” and the only anchor who has been a vital part of “Access Hollywood” since its inception – O’Dell has contributed reports to NBC News “Today” show and “Dateline NBC.” Beyond covering events such as the Oscars, Primetime Emmy® Awards, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards, O’Dell has been chosen by NBC for the last eight years to host two of their big annual network broadcasts, the Golden Globes Arrivals Special and the Tournament of Roses Parade.

O’Dell, a Clemson University graduate, has found herself in the throes of what most would call a “successful life,” and perhaps one which seems devoid of any appearance of quarterlife torments or crises. However as you will read, O’Dell, just like most of us, had to go through the age of changes and realize herself within a world that she may not have felt ready to face. Additionally, how the traits she developed in her quarterlife prepared her for the monumental changes that face her today.

Here’s how Nancy O’Dell defines her quarterlife…

August 2009

QLMag: Nancy – did you ever have a “Quarterlife Crisis?”

O’Dell: No question! I was definitely going through a big change in my life at my quarterlife. When I was 21, I was Miss South Carolina in the Miss America system…Now, I know pageants can be made fun of but I have to say that was definitely a huge growing experience for me. I went into that year feeling like a kid and came out feeling like an adult. Maybe it would have happened anyways because I was in my quarterlife, but at 21…I learned so much.

QLMag: What kind of experiences did you have?

O’Dell: I was traveling around the state public speaking at various functions almost every day. I even traveled to Japan and spent weeks there to represent the United States Postal System on a trade relations program. I consider that time in my life crucial to my quarterlife development, because I learned how an individual can make a difference. I was involved in so many various charity events and realize how one, with any kind of public forum, can use that to help bring about change for the better.

I carry that philosophy I learned back then into my life today. And it doesn’t have to be only via a national platform (like “Access Hollywood”). Anyone who has friends with similar interests can make a difference by just getting involved.

QLMag: So, when you were a newly 21-year-old, did you know where you wanted to be now?

O’Dell: No, I didn’t. But – I was definitely getting molded to be where I am today.

QLMag: How so?

O’Dell: For example, the public speaking I did when I was 21 was invaluable! It certainly comes in handy as a broadcaster and having had all that live speaking experience in front of audiences helped. I didn’t know the path I would take until my first job at WPDE a Myrtle Beach/Florence, S.C. TV station…I started out in sales, as my major was Marketing at Clemson.

I started doing the news breaks on the weekends and then got offered a job in Charleston as a reporter…then went to Miami to anchor the evening news…and then to “Access Hollywood” in Los Angeles where I am today.

QLMag: That is quite a reroute from sales and marketing!

O’Dell: I think that is what happens a lot in life – you have to feel things out and allow yourself to be led because you will know what feels right based on your past. Having just come off a year where I traveled so much, the news was enjoyable to me because the job was different every day and the stories constantly changed, which was very similar to the year off of which I had just come.

QLMag: Can you pinpoint an age or specific period in your life when you realized you were “successful?” We use the term subjectively!

O’Dell: I think there were two periods in my life where I felt successful. A big one was getting offered the job in Miami…after having been the morning news anchor in Charleston, S.C. – Miami was a huge news market (in the top 16!) I couldn’t believe I was being offered the job as the evening anchor there! Plus, I was moving away from S.C. for the first time ever, to a big city…so that made it feel so real, as far as a big career move.

QLMag: I can imagine that to be quite the change! What was the other period?

O’Dell: The other period in my life, which has made me feel successful, actually just happened. Along with MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association), we have launched a foundation in honor of my dear and precious mother Betty, called Betty’s Battle. My mom passed away last year from ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It is my resounding hope that with Betty’s Battle, I can help in the fight against ALS so that no other families have to endure the loss of what my family experienced in the future.

QLMag: Can you tell us more about ALS?

O’Dell: ALS is a horrific disease destroying all your voluntary muscle movement, also including breathing – it is rapidly deteriorating and fatal, usually within 3-5 years after diagnosis. As I mentioned, it was in my quarterlife I learned that one has the ability to make a difference, and I am going to do everything in my power to try and do just that!

I have been involved with many charities throughout the years, but because this one hits home so personally, I take great pride in knowing firsthand (from the help we received from MDA) that charities can and do make a huge difference to families dealing with something as important this. That is why I think the launching of Betty’s Battle (www.bettysbattle.org) just the other day feels like success to me more than anything else I have done.

My mom was truly one of the most amazing women and the best mom for which I could have ever asked!

QLMag: With such a clear connection with your family and personal life, has your personal life shaped and furthered your professional career?

O’Dell: No question my personal past helped me with my career! As I mentioned, all the public speaking and experiences I had when I was 21, no doubt are a big help still today.

Also, a shout out to my public speaking teacher at Clemson University…that was a great class and I still draw upon some of the things I learned in there.

I also draw upon the values instilled upon me in my personal past growing up. I never lose sight of those. I believe what comes around goes around. So, always keep the highest of ethics and eventually the RIGHT things will come your way.

QLMag: So, to wrap up – from pageants, to career changes – big moves and family tragedies…where do you find your inspiration, that got you through your quarterlife and keeps you going today?

O’Dell: No question – I get my daily inspiration from my family. I had such a close family growing up that I craved that with my family now that I am married and have children. I know they are the ones who will be there when I am old, grey and retired!

I think too many people sacrifice family for career….Yes, it takes quite the juggling act to balance both, but it can be done if in the end your family is the priority, and any boss should want that, as it makes one a better employee, because you are a happier employee.

Don’t mean to sound like the all-knower because I am certainly far from that. It took me some time to learn this, but I do know it is the most satisfying feeling when you have a happy home life.

QLMag: Thank you so much, Nancy.

###

Hesitations, understandings, inspirations and changes are all beginnings of the quarterlife, a stage to give heed to another phase of life. It is apparent to us, from O’Dell’s view point, that the quarterlife is not just a 10-15 year period in your life of which you grow out of or through – it is part of the foundation to build your life to help you with struggles that lay ahead.

We have seen how one person can use the changes of their 20s to bring a voice to many – on topics and interests that touch the heart. We know that not only one person can define the quarterlife for us, so we include O’Dell’s definition and look further in October to keep growing our definition of the quarterlife in various phases, stages and places!

More Information on Nancy O’Dell and Her Valiant Fight against MDA and ALS:

Even though O’Dell maintains a busy work schedule – she regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors.  O’Dell is a National Vice President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and ALS Division Celebrity Ambassador, has been working with the ALS division since her mother, Betty Humphries, was diagnosed with and recently passed away from complications relating to ALS.

In February 2002, she was inducted into the American Red Cross’s National Celebrity Cabinet, and also serves as a national spokesperson for the March of Dimes. Additionally, she acts as an international board member for Best Buddies, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

In June 2002, Best Buddies honored O’Dell with the organization’s Spirit of Leadership Award. O’Dell also currently serves on the HollyRod charity advisory board and is also a Celebrity Ambassador for Childhelp. O’Dell’s latest book, “Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant,” published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment, topped motherhood lists and is currently in stores now. She resides in the Los Angeles area with her family.

For more information, please visit:

Nancy O’Dell Talks About Her Quarterlife]]> http://www.quarterlifemag.com/2009/09/nancyodell/feed/ 6 http://www.quarterlifemag.com/2009/09/rmliberalorconservative/ http://www.quarterlifemag.com/2009/09/rmliberalorconservative/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:45:08 +0000 Russel Michael http://quarterlifemag.wordpress.com/?p=39 I am an entrepreneur, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in South Africa around the end of Apartheid, now living in London. I am currently establishing a new music business model through my MySpace profile (www.myspace.com/russellmichael) that aims to deliver new product on an almost weekly basis, along with other non-musical (yet very creative) business ventures.

I started to contemplate the question, “Is Generation Y conservative or liberal?” and then the “Gen Y” in me suddenly had the urge to try to define what being conservative or liberal actually meant. For the briefest moment I thought I’d try and get a definition from a dictionary source – but that evaporated very quickly. As a good Gen-Yer I have to define everything for myself.

I think the reason for this is that we have had so many conflicting informational sources growing up, we no longer rely on other people’s definition of anything. I imagine that advertisers must find it really hard to advertise to us because we innately don’t trust any mass-produced message.

Back to the quandary of defining being conservative or liberal:

Per “Russell’s Dictionary,” conservatism or liberalism is defined as being more or less ‘stuffy’ than your parents. That said, if you are Ozzie Osborne’s kid and you only drink hard liquor but don’t do drugs, you’re a conservative; and if you are Bill Gate’s clean-living kid that cares nothing for business and only for the arts, you’re a liberal.

I hate to say it, but as Gen-Yers our parents have defined our reality.

While in the past there was a greater collective truth that people could associate themselves with (as a result of less personalized media), us Gen Yers now only have our mini family units (however dysfunctional they may be) to define ourselves against. We are now constantly trying to do better than our ‘ancestors,’ and want to make sure that we don’t have the gaping holes in our lives that they had.

Case in point: although seeing daddy Ozzie crippled by drug addiction garners your decision to ‘just say no’ – but you still enjoy a tray of shooters – makes you conservative in your eyes, according to society norms, you’re living on the wild side. The same principal applies to Bill Gates’ clean-living kid. While he shuns the family fortune to become an artist  – yet hangs on to that trust fund – makes him a liberal in his eyes, he is still pretty tame considering societal norms.

And so I come to this conclusion – the answer to the question of ‘Is Generation Y conservative or liberal?’ is another question – Who’s your daddy?