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Cropped photo of my dad's business card. This is part 2 detailing my career. You can read about the first half of my career at Fortune 100 Career Journey Narrative Insights. While I was performing strategic planning sessions in Peru, Brazil and Argentina for Warner Lambert and eventually American Express, a young Arizona University college student named Marty Levine was majoring in business. Marty was from East Brunswick, New Jersey where he had a neighbor named Ron Garretson. Mr. Garretson had recently retired as the college bookstore manager for CCNY (City College of New York). He had come up with a business idea to give students a pocket planner that contained bookstore policies and a calendar. The cover had a picture of CCNY and there were pictures of bookstore employees. University of Colorado Bookstore entrance. Picture taken complements of my niece, Brinley, who is just finishing up her second year. The students were handed the planner twice a year when they purchased their books at the beginning of each semester. Garretson called the pocket planner Term Planner, and his new company was Term Planner Inc. He had 5,000 printed and was happy to learn that students thought them as helpful and used them to write important dates for exams and parties. Term Planner was free to students. Garretson passed the idea along to his colleagues at NYU, Fordham, St. Johns and Brooklyn College and soon he was reaching a circulation of 50,000 planners. He got the idea to go out and solicit advertisers who were willing to pay $1,000 to get their restaurants, hair salons and clothing stores to advertise in the planners. When Marty Levine came home for spring break he ran into Garretson who told him he had retired and had started the Term Planner business. Marty was intrigued and asked Garretson if he could work for him and get business at Arizona University in Tucson and some of the universities in Northern Arizona such as Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona. Garretson agreed and they worked out a commission structure. So, for four years Garretson and Marty built up a business that had a circulation of 500,000 students and a one-page advertisement of $12,000 per page or about $120,000 per issue — $240,000 per year. Garretson was 70 years old at this point and wanted to move to Florida. Marty said he would like to buy Term Planner Inc. from Garretson, and they worked out a price of $300,000 and a payout of $50,000 a year for 6 years. The planner was printed by a local East Brunswick printer named Jack McNeil. Marty and Jack became real good friends and Marty asked Jack if he would like to work for him. Jack agreed and the two of them built the business to $500,000 and it had an office on Summerhill Road in East Brunswick. Meanwhile, it was 1981 and Tony Fiore was searching for an elusive job. The country was in one of its worse recessions in history; companies were cutting employees; hiring freezes were prevalent and employees were hanging onto their jobs and not even considering moving on to a new company. The only difference between current times and 45 years ago is that AI has compounded the issue and the term "Job Huggers" has emerged. As I mentioned in Part I my search was concentrated on finding a smaller situation. Back then there were no emails, text messages or cell phones. Resumes and cover letters were sent by mail and rejection letters were received by mail. Usually on Sunday the newspapers posted job openings... mostly low level. I was surprised to see one that said Vice President Marketing, Term Planner, Inc. I sent my resume and cover letter to Martin D. Levine, President Term Planner Inc. I got a call from Marty who said he would like to interview me for the job. So I drove to East Brunswick and entered a building that had the names of two dental practices, a law firm and a realtor. There was also the name Term Planner Inc. on the directory. Product shelf at University of Colorado Bookstore. Back when Marty started distributing the Term Planner, these products were not available for sale in bookstores. I walked up the stairs and into a small office where I met Marty and Jack. They asked why someone who had big titles in big companies would be interested in such a small situation. I was honest and told them the market was very bad, and I was having a tough time even getting an interview. I told them I had a number of friends I had worked with or for that I had a shot at getting a job, but their companies had hiring freezes. I admitted it would be tough having a big office in New York with a view of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor and having a much smaller office with a view of a parking lot but I wanted a smaller situation. I asked Marty how big his company was and he said you are looking at it with Jack and I. "What are your plans to grow the business" I asked. Marty said the college market is much larger than people think — 3,000 colleges and universities with 7,000,000 students — all hard to reach through conventional advertising because they are in class, working part time jobs, playing sports and going to parties. They watch about 10% of the TV their counterparts who do not go to college watch. Jack and I are thinking of launching a college magazine to attract bigger advertisers such as P&G, IBM and Kraft. If you are interested in the job why don't you think about our college magazine idea and come back and we can talk more seriously about the job. I agreed and I went to the library and got a crash course on the college market. I got my information from magazines such as Advertising Age and Promo Magazine. I learned that the 7,000,000 full time students spend about $300 a month on non-book items, such as snacks, movies, apparel and sporting equipment. That translates to about 250 billion dollars in non-essential spending a year. Much larger than I thought. I decided to go to my biggest strength — strategic planning and I got down to the basics of for the MarketSource growth strategy. Existing products in an existing market New products in an existing market Existing products in a new market New products in a new market The highest probability of success is with an existing product in an existing market. What can be done to get more out of Term Planner. The answer was simple — increase circulation and increase the page rate. The idea of a college magazine is a much lower probability of success. First off there were 5 other college magazines targeting the college market. Second, the cost of a college magazine would be in the hundreds of thousands and unless there was a unique point of difference why would an advertiser be interested. I met Marty and Jack for a second time, and they were anxious to hear what I had to say about the college magazine. I told them I didn't think they would like what I had to say and it would probably cost me the job, but I had to say it and also show them my strategic plan for their business. The plan's main elements were as follows: Table the idea for the magazine Double the circulation of Term Planner Leverage the college bookstore by getting them to stock the advertised product thereby creating a unique point of difference Change the name of the company. Term Planner is too limiting Hire a college store specialist to recruit new stores to increase circulation Marty took the plan and said he would get back to me. He did and offered me the job but for half of what I had been making at American Express. He added one caveat and that was if I could get the company from $500,000 to $5,000,000 in revenue, he would give Jack and I equity in the company. That was enough for me to accept the job and the adventure began. The first step was to hire Chuck Kochan to recruit store managers to distribute Term Planners. Next, I went out with Jack and Marty on sales calls to solicit advertisers. I called on everyone I knew from the four large companies I had previously worked for and got amazing results. In six months, Chuck with Marty's help was able to double the Term Planner circulation and we were charging $30,000 a page. We were also successful in getting the stores to clear out some textbooks and make room for new distribution of General Foods International Coffee, Hershey Chocolate, Trident Gum and other products. My friends from my other companies came through since we had a good story to sell in that college students had money but were hard to reach and we could get their product in the college store — a new channel of distribution. Now we were ready for our next product launch. Step II: A new product in an existing market — but it wasn't a magazine — it was a box of samples called Campus Trial Pak. A box of samples is a win/win/win formula. We go to samplers such as Kellogg's, General Foods and Wrigley's Gum and sell them on putting a sample of their product and a coupon if they wish at a charge to us of 15 cents per sample and 3 cents per coupon. We hire an outside firm such as Burke Research to do a pre/post research study to determine upon receiving the sample how many students went to the store and purchased it. In mostly all our sampled products which became multi-multi millions over time it proved to be a payout for the manufacturer. This was an advertisement that was distributed within the R Treat box. It was stuck to the inside of the box when I had the box shipped to me. Product companies like Cheer would pay MarketSource to distribute the coupon to a targeted audience, in this case to parents at Toys R Us. So, chalk up a win for the Kellogg's of the world. It also proved to be a win for the retailer (in this case the college store) as it brought in incremental traffic to get a free sample box. It was a win for the student who got $10 worth of products and coupons free. And, we, as a byproduct of the program made roughly 50 cents a box and since we wound up distributing 2 million boxes, we had 2 million in revenue and 1 million in profit. In addition, we were able to get more and more college stores to carry the product adding a new distribution channel for the manufacturing samplers. Marty was really happy with the successes so far and he called Jack and I into his office and gave us both equity. He also gave us a nice raise. The incentive to grow the business was greater than ever. Enter Eric Weil. The cash flow enabled us to hire two new salespeople for Jack and two new college store account managers for Chuck. I hired a real gem in Eric Weil, a former product manager who worked 24/7. Eric was given the challenge of developing an idea Jack came up with. It became known as The Campus Source, and it was a 4 foot by 5-foot electronic unit that hung on the wall of the student union. It had three components — a backlit visual of upcoming events personalized for each school; an LED that could be programmed by a designated school administrator to update students on an important event or date and a 2ft by 3ft backlit advertisement of a Dell personal computer, for example. The units were free to the colleges, and we wound up installing 1,200. Advertisers paid $500 a month to put their ads on the board. We were always sold out, and it was bringing us $6 million a year in revenue. Eric was a dynamo — selling schools and advertisers. We also teamed up with Sports Illustrated and had campus events involving 3-point basketball shooting, golf putting, and baseball pitching. We teamed up with CBS and had a Young and Restless tour around campus. At this point we moved into a 50,000 square foot building at 10 Abeel Road, Cranbury, NJ. At this point in 1987 we were by far the leading college marketing company. A few years earlier we had changed our name to MarketSource Corporation. We defined ourselves as a college marketing company. We were doing over 30 million in revenue and had won a number of awards for innovation. Marty Levine was named Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year, and receive awards from the College Bookstore Association for helping make the stores into diversified retailers and helping their business grow exponentially. It was time to take Step III: Existing products into new markets. This is one of the Blockbuster Bonus boxes. This was a massive deal for consumers at the time. You can read more about the story from Dinosaur Dracula Our first was to take our sample box into Toys R Us and we distributed 5 million boxes twice a year in all 1,500 Toys R Us stores. It brought in traffic during off periods — March and August and we wound up doing this program for 15 years. (Learn more about the R Treat from Dinosaur Dracula). Next, we distributed 7 million boxes through Blockbuster video stores for 12 years. 3,000,000 boxes through Medicine Shoppe Pharmacies. Campus Source boards were placed in thousands of high schools and hundreds of military bases. Events were performed in large malls throughout the country. We were ready for Step IV – New Products in New Markets. Our first venture was The Golf Link – a wall board placed in private and public golf clubs throughout the country. It featured illustrated golf tips from our partner in the venture – Lee Trevino. And, it included advertising from car, liquor and technology companies. Lee Trevino was terrific. He gave a golf seminar a couple of times a year and won our clients over with his skill and humor. We had a big meeting planned in San Francisco at the site of the US Open where we were going to pitch a 3 year sponsorship to Toyota. Trevino was the national spokesperson for Toyota and had invited top executives to dinner at Ernie's Restaurant. I was excited to sell the program to Toyota but unfortunately Lee Trevino bailed out. For the first time in his pro career he failed to make the cut and he was so dejected he went home to San Diego and the dinner was cancelled. Toyota never signed on and Lee resigned from the program. It was our first failure. We wound up selling The Golf Link to a magazine called Golf Illustrated and basically broke even. However, the next venture with a new product into a new market proved to be a big winner. Apple was a big client of ours as an advertiser on The Campus Source. Since college stores were becoming an important retailer for them, they asked MarketSource to hire salespeople under the MarketSource name and work the college store. We would pay salary and benefits, and Apple would pay us a 20% markup, so it was a very nice venture to get into. Marty hired a former VP at IBM named Don Clifford and he wound up building an outsource sales force that serviced IBM, Hewlett Packard, AT&T and many other companies. In ten years, Clifford built the business into a $100 million dollars in revenue. So, by 2001, exactly 20 years after I joined the company it was a $200M revenue company and one of the largest in the country. We strongly considered going public but Marty took ill and we wound up selling the business to two buyers – Alloy Entertainment purchased the marketing services sector of MarketSource and Allegis Corporation purchased the outsource sales division of the company. Allegis is owned by Steve Bisciotti who owns the Baltimore Ravens NFL football team. Alloy was a public company known mostly for popular youth oriented television shows such as Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries. I joined Alloy's Board of Directors in 2004 and served on it for 10 years. In 2014 Alloy was sold to Warner Brothers where it still exists. Over the past 20 years since Allegis took over MarketSource Outsource it has grown to become a worldwide success bringing in over 1.5 billion in annual revenue and is an integral part of Allegis 15-billion-dollar business. Marty Levine passed away in October of 2003. He will go down as one of the finest entrepreneurs ever. I was lucky to have found that ad in the Jersey newspaper and worked alongside him for over 20 years. Jack McNeil also passed away about 7 years ago. He was a great salesman and very creative. It has been fun reliving my past through my son Steve's web site. More stories to come.

The iconic red dot at the TEDx BryantU event. I had watched a few TED Talks over the years, but it wasn't a regular practice of mine. If I watched 10 or 20, it was a lot. Of the one's I watched, a few that stood out were How I hacked online dating by Amy Webb, which I used to teach in my Introduction to Information System and Analytics class at Bryant University back in 2018 and of course, Simon Sinek's Start with Why, which I think everyone has seen. Amy's session was used to help relate dating to analytics for students that weren't necessarily going to become data scientists, and based on the student feedback, I think it worked. When the opportunity for me to apply for and ultimately become a TEDx speaker, I jumped at the opportunity. TEDx Speaker Experience This post, however, is not about how to become a TED or TEDx speaker, but the emotions that were felt before, during, and after the Talk. I have enlisted the help of a few other TEDx speakers; John Boccuzzi, my son Matthew, as well as my perspective, where we all share our TEDx speaker experience. As I was preparing for my presentation, John had a direct influence which I will detail below. Mary Beth and I, both Bryant graduates, met John, also a Bryant alumnus, along with his wife Cynthia during an alumni reception during orientation for our kids (Matthew and their son John), who attended and recently graduated from Bryant as well. John and I have stayed in touch ever since, with it now being almost 6 years. Also, if you are in the Newtown, CT area, Cynthia and John run a small business, BD Provisions, which was founded on the idea that consumers are ready to move towards more sustainable lifestyles, and everyone moves at his or her own pace. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Opportunities can appear from preparation, silence, and despair. The win is to be open to the possibility of what could be." These stories are a more behind the scenes look and will cover the before, during, and after the TEDx Talk. We are going to start with John's story. John Boccuzzi's Someday In 2006, I watched my first TED Talk and said one word to myself: “Someday.” Someday turned into 11 years. Until Fall 2017, when Jake Zimmer, a Bryant University student I had met the prior year reached out and invited me to apply to speak at the first TEDx at Bryant University. No more excuses. This was the sign. I Was Seduced By Exceptional Customer Service by John Boccuzzi, Jr. - TEDxBryantU I spent weeks asking myself a hard question: After watching 100+ TED Talks…What could I possibly offer? The answer was my passion: customer experience, and one unforgettable story about Ruth, a pair of glasses, and how exceptional service can change a life. When I shared the title idea with my wife Cynthia, she said it needed to be bold. She suggested: “I Was Seduced by Exceptional Customer Service.” It felt provocative. Maybe too provocative. But what did I have to lose? I applied. I interviewed with the committee. I was selected. And that’s when the real work began. TEDx is structured. Two in-person rehearsals. Hard deadlines. Tight timing. I wrote the talk. Rewrote it. Practiced for weeks. Lesson #1: Talent is optional. Preparation is not. Two days before the talk in February 2018, I came down with a terrible fever. Instead of staying overnight in Providence with my wife and two kids, I stayed home and tried to recover. We drove up early the morning of the event. On that drive I had every thought you can imagine: What if the fever derails me? What if I forget my talk? What if the slides fail? What if the audience doesn’t react? Backstage, every speaker wore the same expression; excitement mixed with anxiety. Then it was my turn. The lights were so bright I couldn’t see the audience. Probably a gift. I couldn’t even see Cynthia and the kids. I started. It was flowing. I felt great. With less than a minute left, my internal voice started celebrating. And that’s when it happened. I forgot my next line. Time froze. Instead of apologizing or panicking, I paused. It felt like an hour. It was probably three seconds. I refocused. Turned off the celebration voice. Delivered the ending. The applause was incredible. Hugging my family afterward was even better. Lesson #2: Composure beats perfection. After the event, I shared the video with friends, colleagues, and on LinkedIn. It took off. the art of Seducing your Customers by John Boccuzzi, Jr. Within months it was recognized as one of the best Customer Experience talks of 2018. Seven years later, it’s approaching one million views. And in 2024, I followed it up with a book: The Art of Seducing Your Customers. Lesson #3: One courageous “yes” can compound for years. From “Someday” in 2006…To TEDx in 2018…To nearly a million views… To a book. If you’re sitting on a “Someday” goal… Maybe it’s time to remove the excuses. What’s your “Someday”? The Fiore Overview Giving a TED or TEDx Talk is exhilarating but also comes with its challenges. I think when I was giving my Talk, my family held their breath for the entire 15 minutes as they were watching me. It was a different feeling for me watching Matthew speak. I had only heard one early draft of his speech, but just with that one early version, I was confident it was going to go well. As Matthew was giving his Talk, Mary Beth and I both had the same feeling that he was offering hope to people that were dealing with autism, either the individuals themselves or the families that were supporting them. Even to this day, Matthew doesn't see that perspective; it was just a speech to him. When you get to the end of this page, I will post an excerpt of one of the notes we got following his speech on the impact he made to at least one person. Matthew's Story Giving a TED talk was never something on my bucket list, and honestly, it became even less likely after watching my father give one. Seeing him on stage made me so nervous. But that feeling only lasted about a year, because soon enough, I was giving my first TEDx talk at Bryant University. I won't go into the full details here since you can hear that in my TED talk; but I was diagnosed with Autism late in life, during my freshman year of college. Receiving that diagnosis sent me through something similar to the five stages of grief as I tried to reconcile this newly defined reality, even though nothing in my life had actually changed. Deep down, I always knew autism was part of me, but the formal diagnosis made it real in a way I had never faced before. Navigating Life With Autism by Matt Fiore - TEDxBryantU The theme of the TEDx event was Through My Eyes, which felt fitting for my story. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to say at first; I mostly saw it as the final step in my journey toward fully accepting my diagnosis. Like I'm doing now, I started by simply typing my thoughts with no particular structure- just whatever came to mind. I worked with my parents and a close mentor to turn those thoughts into a cohesive story. I wanted to share my personal experiences while still creating something that anyone, not just autistic individuals, could connect with. Beyond my own reasons for doing it, my hope was to impact a last one person such as a parent, a family member, or someone on the spectrum who could take something meaningful away from my talk. During the writing process, I remember feeling overwhelmed at times, but I kept chipping away at each draft. The talk was definitely happening, so I locked in and focused on refining it one iteration at a time. Memorizing the speech ended up being the easiest part for me, I learned my 15-minute talk in just over a week. I know that's not exactly relatable to most people, but let's call it one of the perks of autism. As for actually giving the talk? I barely remember it. I essentially blacked out on stage. I remember the moments before and after, but the entire time I was speaking is a complete blank. Afterward, I celebrated with my family and friends over pizza and dessert. The next day, I felt accomplished and relieved that the four-month process was finally over. I went to work as a substitute teacher like I normally did on Mondays. My morning routine felt normal, but something was off. I became dizzy and light-headed, and no amount of water or deep breathing helped. Because I was in an elementary school, the staff became concerned and called an ambulance. I found myself lying on this tiny hospital bed clearly meant for a seven-year-old, crying because the school had ordered a stay-in-place lockdown just to move me safely. I felt awful for disrupting everyone's day, but eventually I ended up at the hospital, where they diagnosed me with vertigo. Long story short: my body had completely crashed from the pressure and excitement of giving the talk. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I was definitely net amused. In the end, l am glad I gave the TEDx talk. It felt like the right conclusion to my journey toward accepting my autism. I have only rewatched the YouTube video once, I just can't do it, but I'm glad it's out there and hopefully it makes a small impact on someone every now and then. My Story I applied to be a TEDx speaker because I thought it would be pretty cool. I know TED and TEDx have a great reputation but as I mentioned above, I really wasn't a big watcher of the Talks. I brainstormed several concepts but kept coming back to one specific period in my recent career. I was transitioning between roles at my company, performing both my old and new jobs simultaneously, and surprisingly, that was when I was highly productive. I started to analyze why I was productive and it started to become a long list (many of which are chronicled on previous posts, including Blue Zone Inspired Smoothie with Black Beans and Garbanzo. After I had a rough outline and early draft, I enlisted the help of a speech writer, Jennifer Woodbury, who was on contract with my company and I had participated on a few of her training sessions. Armed with my initial training, Jennifer and I worked on making my speech better aligned to a college student audience. How Drinking Olive Oil and Curiosity Changed My Life by Steve Fiore - TEDxBryantU Working with Jennifer was fantastic. I had to record our sessions as she had so many ideas, it was hard to write that fast to capture everything she was sharing. Working with her was great as it made my speech so much better, but at the same time, it made my preparation that much harder. The words didn't flow off the page because they weren't mine as I was speaking them. I remember vividly as I was practicing that there were sections of the speech that were mine and there were sections or lines that were hers. This was really hard to get past but after about 6 weeks of daily practice, the words finally became mine. I also called on John Boccuzzi for guidance as he had recently performed his TEDx Talk. John shared his comments (as he did above) that he was so close to finishing his speech but blanked at the end. I do credit John with the idea of the act of taking the shot of olive oil in the very beginning. I had the words in the speech, but John actually suggested taking the shot (as it is a bit full circle, John's son was one of the student organizers for our event and was the one who removed the shot and chair when I was done). This is where it gets interesting for me. With 3 lines left in my first section (as I memorized all 5 sections of my speech), I blanked. Not like John where he stated it was 3 seconds that felt like a lifetime. I blanked for a full 30 seconds (which I timed when I got the raw video). I know I gave my family, who were in the audience, a heart attack as time slowly passed by. Thank goodness for video editing (which was the only edit for my video). When you watch it, you will never know that I blanked. I ultimately decided to move on to the next section and hope for the best. The rest of the speech went off pretty much without any other issues and I was very excited to finish and proud of my accomplishments. However, I couldn't get those 30 seconds out of my head. For what should have been a great moment of success, I couldn't get past how I messed up those 30 seconds. I decided to rewatch Jaime Diglio's WAR Room speech and made the decision that it was time to forget about the 1 mistake and focus on all the great things that happened before, during, and after the speech. It's been a few years since I gave my speech. It is closing in on 4,000 views (not quite as many as John's) but very respectable in my own mind! Excerpt from someone who watched Matthew's TEDx Talk This excerpt meant so much to us. It was from Matthew's speech therapist when he was 1 1/2 to 3 years old. Ironically, Matthew didn't talk for the first 2 1/2 years of his life. My oldest daughter, (now 17 and a senior next year) is going through a similar situation. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had my concerns with multiple doctors regarding her sensory, social, and communication skills and needs. Multiple test results indicate “inconclusive to support an ASD diagnosis”. It has been a frustrating battle to get the support she requires and for family members to accept it. I found a psychiatrist a few months ago who is able to give my daughter an ASD diagnosis and was surprised how she wasn’t diagnosed earlier. There has been an influx of 16-18 year old girls getting diagnosed at this time and the psychiatrist is baffled on why this is happening so later in life for females. So here I am, 10 years later, shedding tears of joy knowing my daughter will have to support she needs when she turns 18. Anyways, Matthew’s speech has been another way for me to get through to my daughter to have her understand that she CAN find success and not see ASD as a label or a disability. Our motto is “See the able, not the label”. It’s okay to be unique and to love and accept herself for who she is. I feel Matthew’s message has sunken in because she has asked me for updates and “Is Matthew famous yet? He has inspired me to help me understand who I and accept who I am.” As with all TED and TEDx Talks, they are designed as powerful ideas worth spreading. If you like these stories or TEDx Talks, please share. For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

I grew up listening to stories of my dad's career. This is part one of his journey. ------------------------------ My business career was one of extremes. The first half of my career was working for Fortune 100 companies - Colgate Palmolive; Johnson & Johnson; Warner-Lambert and American Express. The second half started with a 3-man company. I graduated Wagner College with a degree in Business Administration specializing in accounting. I received an MBA from Pace University in Financial Management. Fortune 100 Career Journey I started out as a cost accountant with Colgate at their Jersey City, N.J. plant. I worked in a bullpen area with the sound of old-fashioned calculators throughout the day. Most of the accountants graduated from nearby St. Peters College. Two years after I joined one of my Colgate associates got a job with Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, N.J. A few months after he joined J&J, he called me up and said they had a job opening and to give it a shot. I did and I got the job making a few thousand a year more than at Colgate. I worked five years at J&J and my last boss got a job with Warner-Lambert in Morris Plains, N.J. He called and said a job working for him as a senior accountant was mine if I wanted it. My Fortune 100 Career Journey continued and I took the job in the Consumer Products Division doing P&Ls for each brand in the division... brands such as Listerine, Efferdent, Trident, Dentyne, Rolaids and Halls Cough Drops. I worked very closely with the Product Managers on each brand. The largest brand was Listerine, a market leader product that dominated the mouthwash category. The Group Manager on Listerine was a man named Steve Rothchild. He had a degree from Columbia and an MBA from Harvard. All the product managers had MBAs from the best universities. One day Steve approached me and says marketing a product is so much more than making commercials and going to sales conferences in Florida or Nassau. There is day to day involvement with market research, trade promotion, consumer promotion, shipping, costs, etc. I need someone who can work the numbers for me... "How would you like to become a Product Manager on Listerine?" I said sure Steve, but I don't have the MBA credentials. He said the ones who have these MBAs don't want to get involved with the numbers. They want to go to New York City and work with J. Walter Thompson, our ad agency, developing TV and print commercials. Then they want to go to the Palm with their agency counterpart for a steak dinner. I need someone who can get me the numbers I need accurately and on time. Steve was a real up and comer at W-L and was able to sell his Division President to give me the job. Current view of the competition between Listerine and Scope, sitting on a CVS shelf. I couldn't have joined the Listerine marketing team at a more critical time. Procter and Gamble had recently launched Scope mouthwash, and their advertising campaign was built around the fact it had the same germ kill efficacy but with a fresh minty taste. Listerine's typical user was older and skewed male by 2-1. Scope's was younger and skewed women by 2-1. Scope was beginning to erode Listerine's dominant share. A big meeting between the Listerine marketing team and J. Walter Thompson account executives took place. They came up with an ad campaign for Listerine that ranks as one of the greatest of all time. The campaign for Listerine took on Scope head on. It recognized Listerine tasted like medicine, but it worked. It also addressed the fact that Listerine users mostly gargled once a day in the morning, so the campaign drove home a simple message: Listerine Antiseptic—"The Taste People Hate Twice A Day." The commercial went after usage over users. It helped stabilize the brand and give Listerine the time to develop a sister brand... Listermint. You have to love YouTube as I was able to find this commercial from 1973 My job was to develop consumer in store Listerine displays, sweepstakes, coupons and trade incentives to keep from going out of stock. An interesting sidebar to this is that I worked with a lower-level creative person who was just starting at J. Walter Thompson. His name was James Patterson who has become one of the bestselling authors of all time. Patterson rose up the ranks at JWT and became Creative Director. He left the agency when his first novel featuring Alex Cross became a best seller. At Warner-Lambert I was offered the position of Director of International Marketing. I went to every Latin American and Asian company in the 5 years I had the job. My main claim to success was as a strategic planning facilitator. I would ask the questions regarding all the internal and external factors affecting their country business. Then we would develop 5-year growth plans and action plans to meet timetables. Page 1 of my dad's story. Internal factors are personnel, products, assets, liabilities, R&D. External factors are competition, government regulations, technology, legal, environmental. Internal factors can be controlled for the most part. External factors cannot be controlled (an example is COVID). My work in International Marketing attracted some suitors... the most interesting and lucrative was American Express where I worked for three years as Vice President of International Marketing. Then the man who brought me into the company and was my boss left and my new boss and I didn't connect. So, for the first time in my 18-year business career I was out of work. Compounding the situation was that the job market was one of the worst ever. At that point I did a strategic plan about myself. I analyzed my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I came to the conclusion maybe it was time to join a smaller company. In Part II of my career, I'll go into the second half of my story. The second half of this story is now published and can be viewed at Experience MarketSource Growth Strategy Executive Review.

During the workweek, my current daily routine for selecting footwear is pretty basic, unlike the Allen Edmonds Leather Quality dress shoes, belts, wallets, and shoe care accessories I will review below. I walk downstairs to my home office in the basement and slip on my very fuzzy slippers to keep my feet warm. Roughly 8-10 hours a day, they are on my feet during the workweek acting as a barrier between my feet and the cold basement floor. The basement is finished but the thin fake wood floor sits on top of a concrete slab that never seems to warm up, even in the height of the summer. Me working a few years in 2020 with Franklin (left) and Lincoln. There was a time in my career where I wore dress shoes on a daily basis. In fact, I wore them so much, I had to find a cobbler to fix the soles as I had put holes in them. I actually miss the times having to get dressed up and go out every day to meet customers (I have been in sales for most of my career). I have a closet full of dress shirts, dress pants, and dress shoes sitting in the closet collecting dust. Speaking of dust, my son Michael is graduating from college in a month and needed some dress shoes for the occasion. We went into my closet for him to try on some of my shoes, as we have the same shoe size. When I went to pull out the shoes, I ran my finger across the front only to find a layer of dust. It had been a while since I wore the pair that he ultimately borrowed for his big day. I am a bit embarrassed about it as I could write my initials in the dust. I used to have covers for my shoes but since I was wearing them every day, I ultimately discarded them. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Take the time to take care of your shoes with polish, shoe trees, and a shoehorn. Your feet will love you for it." Given Michael's planned career choice of being a high school wood shop teacher in combination with being a white water rafting guide in the summers, I don't think dress shoes will be high on his list of things he needs for himself. Matthew currently has a corporate job and there may be a time where he will get more dressed up and we did buy him a pair of nice shoes last year following graduation (more on that in a bit). Emma and me at Bring your Child to Work day in 2015 (with me wearing my Allen Edmonds shoes). We were in the Link at Travelers Insurance, who was my customer. A few years earlier on the 50th anniversary of the Travelers Red Umbrella, they decorated the link (passage way connecting two buildings in Hartford, CT). It was so well received, they decided to keep them there, even until this day. Growing up, I remember my stepdad, Bill, talking about shoe care. He worked in a warehouse so he didn't need them every day but on special occasions, he would put them on, such as for a wedding. The dress shoe was a popular brand, which is still around today as a premium footwear company. He also would talk to me about using shoe trees to help keep the shape of the shoe and using a shoehorn (which I thought was the coolest thing when I was little). For most of my childhood and into my college years, the brand he referenced I always viewed as a high-end shoe brand. When I got to college, my dad and stepmom took me out the store to buy a nice pair of shoes for me to go on interviews. I was probably 20 or 21 at the time. I remember it vividly as we went into Nordstrom and the salesperson picked out a pair of black Allen Edmonds. There were a few things I specifically remember about that pair of shoes. The cost was one that stood out, I believe at the time was about $200. This was a lot of money for a pair of dress shoes, especially as I worked at Kinney Shoes during high school and the most expensive pair was about $35. The second thing I remember is they were super comfortable. 212 Steps to make Allen Edmonds Dress Shoes! Fast forward a few years. I had just started a new job and was working in an office, visiting customers. This meant I needed to add to my collection of dress clothes. I don't recall exactly what happened with the Allen Edmonds shoes I had but one thing I remember is that specific shoe was really narrow and really didn't fit me as well as I had hoped. As a result, I think I donated them and went and purchased two more pairs of shoes. My friend and I went to one of the popular mall retail stores and I got a pair in black and one in burgundy. They were timeless styles as I had planned to wear these shoes for a long time, especially for the amount of money I spent on them, which was $140 each. I remember that because I didn't want to spend the $400 for two pairs of Allen Edmonds and I thought $140 was a great deal, especially since it was a reputable higher end shoe company. These are my black classic Allen Edmonds. They have to be close to 25 years old or more. I also purchased the shoe trees and shoe polish to keep them clean, even though that process never came close to going to a shoeshine guy in NYC or the airport. By the way, you may have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a shoeshine person nowadays, but 30 years ago, it was still very popular. My very popular brand of shoes (remember I bought two of them), were pretty stiff and weren't easy to walk in. But I thought that this was a really good brand and it just takes time. After months of wearing these shoes every day, typically rotating between the two colors, they still felt as stiff as they day I bought them. As you can imagine, this was a big disappointment. I was out $360 of my own money plus the $200 my dad and stepmom spent on the original pair. My favorite pair. I think I have had to get them resoled a few times over the years. I had a few choices in front of me. I could either suffer or hope that someday the current shoes I had would break in. I could buy a pair of shoes from the brand my stepdad had, but honestly, I associated those with the older generation and not something someone in their early 20's would wear. Or I could look back at Allen Edmonds and make sure I purchased a pair of shoes that actually fit. Allen Edmonds Leather Quality I ultimately decided on a classic black dress shoe from Allen Edmonds. They were about $200 but I made the decision that these were going to be a shoe that lasted a lifetime. And it's true as I still have them today. They were very comfortable from the start without having me to break them in. Recrafting shoes is an art. This is a fun video to watch if you love to learn how things are made. After a while of wearing them, commuting on the train from NJ to New York City, and then walking the streets of Manhattan a few days a week, the shoes got their workout, many times walking about 2 miles a day for each trip. After each trip in NYC heading back to Grand Central Terminal, I would often stop in the spice shop, although never purchasing anything. Here is a look at my first experience to spices at the end of my New York City workdays. My three Allen Edmonds dress belts to match my shoe collection Because of my daily wear, two things happened next. First, I wore out the soles, probably after about 5-10 years and had to get them resoled. I used Allen Edmonds service first and the quality was great. I remember the full package was about $100 at the time (or at least to my recollection) and did that once or twice over the years. I did ultimately find a local cobbler to repair the shoes at about half the cost, but finding one is like winning the lottery as well. The second event that happened was I was so happy with my purchase, I bought two more pairs, one in brown and one in burgundy, both in the same classic style as the black. Since then, I have purchased 2 more pairs of dress shoes from Allen Edmonds, both loafers. I found that I wear my black loafers more than any other due to the easy slip on an off. My boat shoes. I also purchased three dress belts to match the three original colors as I was always told that your tie and socks should match/complement each other and your belt and shoes should match. Not sure if that is true but that is the adage I have lived by all these years. My belts really need a polishing which I only think I did once for all the years I have owned them. I used to polish my shoes every few months but now, it's more like every few years given the infrequency of wearing them. I have two other Allen Edmonds products. I have a pair of boat shoes that I wear when we go to Aruba, as well as my wallet, which I think I have had for 20 years now. I couldn't be happier with my decision 30 years ago to buy Allen Edmonds, and I became a repeat customer over the years, with my most recent purchase for my son, Matthew. If you are in the market for a pair of dress shoes, and honestly, a nice pair of stylish and comfortable shoes, I highly recommend Allen Edmonds. Don't make the same mistakes I did early on. Frequently Asked Questions How long do Allen Edmonds products last?? A few of my shoes are close to 30 years old, with just the soles refinished a few times. They look good as new. Does Allen Edmonds offer shoe repair? Yes, Allen Edmonds offers recrafting services. You can access them on their website. Do you recommend a leather or rubber soles for your dress shoes? Personally, I like the leather soles, but we purchased the rubber soles for my son who I knew would appreciate the longevity and grip. Start Your Own Allen Edmonds Sensory Experience If you have a passion for looking good and being comfortable at the same time, step into a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes. They will elevate your sensory experience. Try it today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. As well, since most of my collection is from the past, I have selected products that are similar in style in the links below.

I can remember my conversation on the airplane with a 10-year-old girl like it was yesterday. She shared this was her 10th time to Aruba and she went on to tell me all about the island. She talked about the how friendly people were, Arikok National Park, the California Lighthouse, and the certificate she was getting this year for her 10th consecutive year being in Aruba from the Aruba Tourism Authority. A view on our Aruba Jeep Safari from ABC Tours, Arikok National Park This 10-year-old girl spoke with such conviction for the island, it made me feel like the choice Mary Beth and I made to visit the island was the right decision. Taking a step back, I shared previously that we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon when we were both 24 years old. Here we are a few years later making a decision on our next vacation. We both loved Hawaii but one of the things I had expected at the time was to walk in the calm crystal-clear turquoise waters where you walk out what feels like miles and you are still only up to your ankles. At least, that was the vision I had in my head. Serene waves of Palm Beach, Aruba The reality for our trip to Hawaii is that as beautiful as it is, the islands are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the waters are mostly rough. We were still looking for that Caribbean experience and had narrowed our decision to the Cayman Islands and Aruba. I remember my college roommate visiting Aruba and speaking very highly of it and based on a few other individuals we spoke with, Aruba kept coming up as a great place to visit. I always loose track on how many times we have actually been to Aruba now. I usually have to count on my fingers and believe it is 21 times with this upcoming summer being 22. The kids, with Matthew being 23 years old, Michael 21, and Emma, 19 have been to Aruba 20, 19, and 16 times (if my math is right on the piece of paper I just calculated it on). Similar to the 10-year-old girl at the beginning, we were all privileged to go to Aruba 10 years in a row, and we all received the same Certificate of Appreciation when each of us hit our respective 10-year anniversaries. Does soon to be 22 visits make us an expert on the island? Probably not, and especially because we do the same things over and over again. But it is that Groundhog Day feel that makes the experience so enjoyable year after year. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Tour companies are a great way to see a new location or to experience the same location in a new way." There are so many amazing things about the island, such as the weather, the activities, and the food, but we need to start with the best one, the people. Aruba is called "One Happy Island" for a reason. The entire population of almost 110,000 people are super friendly and do an amazing job with tourism being their number one industry. I will probably share more posts about specific vendors and products about Aruba in future posts. There are so many I would like to talk about such as the Jolly Pirates sunset boat ride with their rope swing, the world class food from so many amazing vendors including Eduardo's Beach Shack and getting gelato from Gelato & Co. in the lobby of the Marriott hotel. Emma jumping into the cave. It is not as scary as it looks. Mary Beth took the picture which she was very comfortable at the top not venturing down to the jumping area. As well, I will share more in future posts about the experiences we shared while being in Aruba. We own two timeshares, one at the Marriott Ocean Club and one at the Marriott Surf Club. They are right next to each other, and we now go for 2 full weeks, transferring between hotels mid trip. Because the timeshares sleep 8 people, we have had the opportunity to bring our moms and Mary Beth's aunt for many of those years, my dad, multiple sets of our friends, and now, the kids friends, with each one getting to bring someone. Eating dinner off our balcony at the Marriott Surf Club. Because we have brought so many people to Aruba over the years, we love to share some of the great things about the island, so they get to experience it the same way we do. As we are planning for this trip, we usually pick a few activities to enjoy. One of those is to rent a car for a day or two and explore the island visiting the donkey farm and some other beaches. This year we will try the winery for the first time. One staple of the trip for many years, and especially when we have someone new visit, is to visit Arikok National Park which encompasses 20% of the entire island. Early on in this post, I referenced the whole reason why we wanted to visit Aruba was because of the Caribbean turquoise waters walking out for miles only up to your ankles. Aruba absolutely offers that experience, especially where we stay in the Palm Beach area. However, the other side of the island, the area of Arikok National Park, is completely different. In Palm Beach, there are small 6-inch waves crashing where the ocean meets the sand. In Arikok National Park, there are 100-foot cliffs and waves sometimes that reach that high. The park is volcanic and rocky. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention one big thing. Aruba is a desert island getting about 15 inches of rain per year. That means two things. 1) the terrain is very dry with many tones of clay red and dirt brown, and 2) you will have an amazing vacation because it is always sunny. Arikok National Park. It is such a different part of the island than the calm waters of Palm Beach. The first time we went to the park, we rented a car to tour the island. When renting a car, the terms and conditions are crystal clear, similar to the turquoise water. Rental cars, and even 4x4's are not covered for damage if you enter the park. That is how rough the terrain is. The first time we rented just a small sedan and quickly realized how serious the rental associate was. It was painful driving the car, just even to get to the visitor's gate with the drops in terrain on the paved part of the road to allow for the water to flow through every 50 feet or so. This is one of my favorite photos. Michael took it in Aruba about 5 years ago. It is a 3-inch space within the volcanic rock of the Arikok National Park. The white in this photo is sun dried sea salt that was left after the water that splashed up on the surface evaporated. I initially posted this in my salt story. Driving a SUV is a bit better but still challenging and you can only go to certain parts of the park, not truly experiencing the breath and beauty of what it has to offer. Enter ABC Tours: Aruba Jeep Safari ABC Tours offers two main tours, one is on an ATV Safari where you are the driver and a second on an Aruba Jeep Safari, driven by one of their staff members. For a variety of reasons, mostly due to the kids ages at the time or going with our parents, we have opted for the Jeep Safari tours. I think over the years, we have been on the tour about 10 times. The tour itself is so much fun. You get picked up by ABC Tours at your hotel, but not with a big tour bus. They pick you up in the actual Jeep Safari vehicle you are going to be on the tour with. You get your first taste of how much fun it is going to be as you whip around the roundabout a few times (Aruba has many of them all over the island and they are actually proven to be safer and more traffic efficient than the red/yellow/green light system we use here in the US in most places). We then arrive at ABC's facilities for some initial check-in and then off we go. The tours usually go in pairs as we enter into Arikok National Park. The great thing about this massive open-air Jeeps is that they are able to go into places within the park that are only accessible with their vehicles, ATV's or by horse. One of those special places is the Natural Pool, which is fun to swim, snorkel, and even jump off the rocks (although that is not something I have tried). Additional spots are two cave visits and if you go on the full day tour, you will also visit Baby Beach and San Nicholas on the southern part of the island. For each of the tours, they offer an authentic Aruban lunch which is very good (as well as alcohol at an additional charge). Me, Matthew, Emma, Michael, and Mary Beth on one of our ABC Jeep Safari tours While you have no control over which Jeep is in the front, my hope each time is to be the one in the front. Remember earlier in the story, I mentioned Aruba was a dessert island with less than 15 inches of rain a year. That means that the first Jeep with their very large tires is kicking up lots of dust, dirt, and clay. My advice is to bring clothes you don't care about as they will get so dirty on your 1/2 day or full day excursion. Recently, probably a few years ago, there were a few locals who were exploring the national park and found a hidden area to jump into, just off one of those 100-foot cliff areas I described earlier. The jumping part is just a few feet (maybe 5) into a pool of water tucked away into one of those cliffs. The tour usually stops in this spot as well for people to participate in the fun. I do recommend having some type of footwear to use, because otherwise, you will be walking barefoot on the volcanic rock which is not fun. In addition to the amazing views of the cliffs, watching the waves crash into those cliffs, and the awe of the beauty of the dessert national park, the staff at ABC Tours is one of the best. They are really friendly and of course, the tour guides are a lot of fun. Frequently Asked Questions What is your favorite area to visit in Aruba? I love the Arikok National Park because of the breathtaking views from the cliffs and the contrast from the serene nature of hotel/tourist side of the island. My kids are picky eaters. Will they eat the lunch that is provided? My kids are picky eaters too (actually 2 of the 3). Yes, ABC Tours does a great job in offering a kid's menu when you book your tour. How rough is the Jeep Safari Tour? It is definitely bumpy. According to their website, "guests with back, neck, heart issues, recent surgery, or pregnancy should avoid rugged tours". If you have a medical condition, please reach out to ABC Tours to consult with them to make an informed decision. Start Your Own Aruba Sensory Experience with ABC Tours If you are looking for an exciting adventure for your Aruba vacation, ABC Tours will deliver. It will elevate your sensory experience and provide memories that will last a lifetime. Book today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Michael, in blue, guiding a group of young students in the Kennebec River, The Forks, Maine This past summer, with my son Michael, I embarked on an incredible sensory experience while we were traveling down the Kennebec River in The Forks, Maine white water rafting when I noticed something I wasn't expecting. It was the smell of pine. In the raft was a bunch of Massachusetts middle school students from an all-boys school who were on a school trip, chaperoned by one of their teachers. The teacher who also picked up the scent of the pine, shared with the boys to remember the sensory experience, especially as it was combined with the rushing water as we hit wave after wave. Of course, as you can imagine, the middle school boys just looked at him, with blank stares, but I assume his comments landed with at least one of the six boys. The other notable part to this story is Michael was also the white-water rafting guide. More on that in a bit. If you recall from my first post, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Review: The Intersection of Art and Flavor, I talked about Michael's love for trucks and watching the same Dirty Jobs episodes over and over again. When Michael was about 12 or 13, he asked for a camping tent for his birthday. I remember giggling because Mary Beth and I never took the kids camping. I only went once with friends just after college and remember feeling like a fish out of water. There was nothing natural or relaxing about camping to me. You will also read in a future post that we own Marriott timeshares down in Aruba. That is more my speed. A summer day at the Kennebec River, The Forks, Maine Michael's connection with nature was different, and one Mary Beth and I have learned to appreciate more as we got older, and a lot of that has to do with Michael. We did purchase the tent for him and set it up on our 3-season porch. We asked where Michael was going to camp and he stated in our yard and woods, which are directly behind the house. Over his high school years, Michael and his friends would camp in our yard and and as they got a little older, in the woods, having a great time. At some point during that time, we bought one of those outdoor firepits from one of the big hardware store chains only to have it fall apart after one season. With the help of a friend, we did buy one where we had to build it and Michael and his friends would build fires, camp, and just have fun. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Stacking multiple senses in a single experience will etch the positive experience into your long-term memory." Fast forward a few years, Michael is in his final semester at Keene State College in New Hampshire studying Sustainable Product Design and Innovation, where he gets to build things, primarily with wood. He wants to leverage that passion and become a high school wood shop teacher upon graduation. Michael's Registered Maine Guide Patch Towards the end of his second year, he signed up for an outdoor leadership class. It was a 5-day immersive class run by one of the Keene State professors, who was also a licensed Maine State White Water Rafting and Recreation Guide. She took Michael and 5 other students up to The Forks, Maine for a series of outdoor activities including white water rafting, hiking, rappelling, and rock climbing. Because of Michael's love of teaching, the professor suggested that Michael would be a great white-water rafting guide and he should look to apply the following year. The comment Michael made following his trip was that he "never felt more connected to a location than he did up at The Forks". Do you know how many times Michael went white-water rafting before this course...zero. Michael guiding. It does look harder and more dangerous than it actually is. Maine White Water Rafting Michael was going to go from never going rafting to being a guide. By the time he started his license training, he went 3 times beforehand. So, Michael, Mary Beth, and I started a quest of understanding what it took to be a guide, and through a few birthday and Christmas presents from us and family members, he amassed the gear he needed to guide. This is a similar concept of being a mechanic where you need to buy your own tools. Michael needed a helmet, paddle, life vest, rope, knife (to cut the rope), medical supplies, etc. At the end of his spring semester last year, Michael applied and was accepted to be a guide. He had one week of training last summer and then would become certified. As an aside, Maine is one of the few states that requires guides to be certified. Michael and some of his fellow guides on a fun run during an off day. It was mid-May when Michael and his peers took the training. The challenge with the week they took the training, it was unseasonably cold. Michael, and his peers, pushed through and ultimately became certified later that week. Following the training week, Michael started as a certified white-water rafting working for Adventure Bound. Adventure Bound specializes in bringing middle and high school age students on class trips or similar visits from local summer camps in the New England area. The students get to do all of the things Michael did when he was in his leadership class including the hiking, rappelling, and rock climbing. Michael is currently working to obtain his certified Maine recreation license as well this year. The Adventure Bound team, summer 2025 The sister company to Adventure Bound is Northern Outdoors. Northern Outdoors caters to adults and families. They offer all of the same summertime activities including the white-water rafting, plus ATVs. and even host weddings. During the winter, they offer snowmobiling. Northern Outdoors (which Michael has helped out and guided for from time to time), also has a great restaurant, bar, small gift shop, and accommodations. When we went to visit Michael a few times during the summer, we stayed at Northern Outdoors. The hospitality was fantastic. They also offer a variety of lodging options including the hotel in the main building (where we stayed), cabins for large parties, and a camping area where you can pitch your own tent and use the community showers in the main building. It really depends on your preference and budget. We went a few times to visit Michael. During each of those visits, we also stopped at the local food truck for breakfast, the Confluence Cafe, which I ate their Trailside Toast (avocado toast) on a bagel for each visit. There is always a line at the Confluence Cafe as it is in an area just off of the main highway where the logging trucks roll by. As a side note, the cafe is only open during the spring, summer, and early fall, most likely to align to the white-water rafting season. Their website references that they open in May this year. Michael, Mary Beth, and I went to Moxie Falls on one of our visits. This was a breathtaking waterfall. During our visit with Michael, we did a small easy hike to Moxie Falls, which was breathtaking, and even hiked Number 5 Mountain (yes, that is what it is called) which is about 45 minutes north of the Forks. Ice Dams at the Kennebec River this past winter. This summer, Michael will be guiding again, and we plan on making the 5-hour trip up to The Forks and having a great time once again. This time, we will try to get Mary Beth to join us for the rafting trip. If you are looking for an outdoor adventure, nestled in the pine trees of Maine, book a white-water rafting trip with your family and friends. You will be sure to have a great time. Hope to see you there. Frequently Asked Questions What are some unique things to do in The Forks? There is a natural spring at the side of the road to fill water. Many people who drive up for the week or weekend to their camp (small house with little to no running water) will stop at the spring to fill up massive jugs of water for the week. Michael and I stopped to fill our water bottles. Per my Google search, the location is situated just a short drive from where Lake Moxie Road intersects with US Route 201. As you head down Lake Moxie Road toward the Moxie Falls trailhead, keep an eye out for a small pull off area on the side of the road where the clear spring water flows out. What is your favorite part about The Forks? White-water rafting is by far the favorite thing to do and Moxie Falls is a very close second. How difficult is the hiking at Moxie Falls? It is a relatively easy hike in and out, probably about 1 mile in from the road. When you get to the falls, there is an easy viewing area with some steps but for the adventurous types, you can hike further down. What class rapids is the Kennebec? The Kennebec has rapids that are class II-IV. The upper gorge, where you get the smell of pine, has class III and IV while the lower gorge widens and makes for a more relaxing class II and III rapids. Start Your Own White-Wate Rapids Sensory Experience with Northern Outdoors If you are looking for the fun, adventure filled experience, Northern Outdoors is the way to go in The Forks, Maine. It will elevate your sensory experience and provide memories that will last a lifetime. Book today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I truly love and use myself. Also, as noted, while none of the companies listed are sponsoring this post, Michael does work for Adventure Bound and periodically, its sister company, Northern Outdoors.

Here is a collection of some of my Superior Nut company 4lb bags of nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Salted Mixed Nuts, and Brazil Nuts). About 25 years ago, I was leading a small sales team outside of Boston. During the holidays, the team and I would package up and share some gifts of appreciation. Spoiler, these gifts weren't the elevated snacking experience from Superior Nut Company, but I will get to that in a minute. We didn't have a lot of discretionary budget to use, so for the local clients we purchased some homemade cinnamon swirl bread from a bakery not far from our office in Lexington, MA. There was nothing like buying 10 loaves of freshly baked cinnamon bread and having the car smell warm and cozy. Salted Brazil Nuts are a daily staple for Mary Beth and me. For the clients that were a bit further away, we sent them a 2lb block of chocolate from a well-known brand you would find in your local supermarket. The blocks of chocolate needed to be special ordered as you can imagine but the reaction we would get from the customers was always the same, which was the following "it was memorable and way too much to eat alone". By this time, I was in my late 20's and well indoctrinated into Mary Beth's family, having been married for a few years and dating since we were 19. Her dad used to do something different for gifting during the holidays. Every year, he would go to the local nut store and buy a massive amount of salted cashews or mixed nuts and drive all over New England giving them to his clients. Mary Beth and I even got a tin of nuts every year for the holidays. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Don't let the stubborn pistachios shells ruin your experience. Instead of using your fingers, open it with another shell, using it as a wedge between the nut and the shell. Your fingers and your patience will appreciate it." As well, whenever Mary Beth and I would go to her parents' house, which was just 1 town away, there would always be nuts on the counter for us to snack on. I never really gave it much thought over the years, and while I ate nuts, it wasn't a staple in my daily diet. As a result, when we did buy nuts over the years, the purchases were from random locations with no real intention. At least once or twice a week, I eat walnuts in the morning, as well as on pancakes and waffles. We first started buying our nuts at the local supermarket, probably some of the brand names that they sell at the eye level of the shelves, and didn't think much of it, especially since we didn't eat many of them. Over time, initially when Wegman's Food Stores opened up in the area, and then again with Whole Foods, they had the bins of nuts and seeds for individuals to self-service, with the periodic overflow of the container when I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been (I know I am not the only one who did this). Mary Beth and I used the self-service bins for a few years, especially as our eating habits were changing for the better. This lasted up until Covid when the food stores eliminated the self-service capabilities at the time (they have since reinstated them). However, with the lack of self-service capabilities and our taste buds changing for a better tasting nut, we couldn't go back to the store-bought nuts. They just didn't taste as fresh, nor did they have the same flavor profile. As a result, we had to find somewhere new to source our nuts. The Superior Nut Company Comeback I had to ask Mary Beth what the name of the company was that her dad used to buy his nuts from. She mentioned it was the Superior Nut Company based out of Cambridge, MA. Since my father-in-law used to work it Boston, it was a simple, quick trip over the Charles River to Cambridge to pick up his nuts every holiday season. For me, while Cambridge is only an hour a way, I have opted to use their website to order. As a side note, I did find out that Mary Beth's cousins not only still purchase from Superior Nut Company in person (and have for so many years), but they also buy in massive bulk and store it in their second freezers to last the year. Raisins are great standalone, mixed in with oats and bananas, and combined with cashews. An Elevated Snacking Experience Today, I find myself ordering every few months as Mary Beth, Matthew, and I all eat nuts on a regular basis. Mary Beth and Matthew like the salted mixed nuts and the salted Brazil Nuts. Michael eats nuts once in a while as does Emma, which are usually Pistachios and peanuts. While I will eat those as well, I usually rotate a daily morning snack of cashews, almonds, and walnuts (all unsalted). We also have a rotation of California Pistachios and on occasion, I will purchase the Turkish Antep Pistachios, which are out of this world delicious and an elevated snacking experience. I have also been buying their raisins which are fantastic as well. I also found a recipe for candied walnuts. It took me a few different recipes to find one that actually works the way I was expecting it to (you know, the one you buy at the local corner store or farmers market that tastes so good). All prior attempts didn't have the egg white which is the key to getting everything to stick to the walnut but not have the walnuts stick to each other. The recipe is from Sugar Spun Run. What made the candied walnuts standout was the combination of everything I have been sharing so far with ingredients from my prior stories. 1 egg white (local or pasture raised are the best in my opinion) Water Vanilla extract (I will have a future post on this but to give you a preview, I order from the Vanilla Company Walnuts Sugar from Burlap & Barrel Cinnamon also from Burlap & Barrel Salt from Slack Tide Maine Frequently Asked Questions Does Superior Nut Company have a sister website with a different name? Yes, you can also order through NutsinBulk. It is the same exact offering from what I can tell. Can you pick up your nut order in person in their Cambridge, MA store? Yes, when ordering, you have the option to have it shipped or be available for pickup. How are Turkish Antep Pistachios different from California Pistachios Turkish Antep Pistachios are more flavorful and have a more intense buttery taste. Are Turkish Antep Pistachios more expensive than California Pistachios? Yes, probably by a factor of 2 - 2.5x the cost but the flavor profile makes up for the cost increase. Start Your Own Nut Sensory Experience If you are looking to upgrade your snacking experience, Superior Nut Company will satisfy your cravings and elevate your sensory experience. Try it today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Mary Beth and me on our most recent trip to Stowe, Vermont in front of one of the famous covered bridges that Vermont is known for. Last night, I met a woman, probably in her mid to late 20s who was going up to Stowe, Vermont with her boyfriend in a few weeks. It will be her first Stowe, Vermont getaway and she was so excited. Her anticipation of the hopefulness that there would still be snow on the ground in early March, coupled with the idea of getting a breakfast with real Vermont Maple Syrup, is a scene out of a Hallmark movie. The conversation quickly brought back some great memories of how much I love Stowe. Mary Beth and I have been there a few times, both just the two of us and with the kids. One of the many waterfalls we saw during our weekend trip. If I remember correctly, this was on our way up to Smugglers' Notch and was about a 20-minute easy hike into the waterfall. If you are not familiar with Stowe (3 hour drive north of Boston), it is known for so many family friendly attractions including skiing on Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak mountains, experiencing the awe of multiple waterfalls, driving through and stopping within Smugglers' Notch (my favorite), as well as taking a tour and getting ice cream at the Ben & Jerry's factory, and walking or biking on the bike path that starts in downtown and winds its way through corn fields, rivers, and views of Mount Mansfield. When I think of Stowe, I think of two very special trips with Mary Beth. The first was for our first anniversary where we drove up from Stanford, CT where we were living at the time. We booked a stay at the Stone Hill Inn. I have some vivid memories of our first trip including walking the grounds and how beautiful the rooms were. We still have our Christmas ornament (which I dug through all of our Christmas boxes to find the ornament and take a picture). The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "A weekend getaway at your favorite home away from home can be just right to help relax, reset, and clear your mind." The second trip as a couple was for our 25th anniversary which we celebrated after our 26th anniversary. Stay with me here as this needs a bit more prelude. Our kids threw us a surprise anniversary party for our 25th. They even worked with Mary Beth's best friend to fly up from Georgia. So not only was the party a surprise, but the best friend's visit was a bigger surprise. We had a great time at our house celebrating with our friends and family. One of our 25 dates- Mary Beth and I on our visit to Stamford, CT. We visited where we used to live, walked around downtown, and took a stroll by the water on the Long Island Sound. Mary Beth's gift to me was a booklet of 25 dates. It was a bit easier now to do things as we had all three kids in college and we were quasi-empty nesters, at least for a few months each semester. The book was for us to do 2 dates a month for 12 months, culminating in a trip to Stowe, going back to the Stone Hill Inn. We did a lot of fun activities including glass blowing, a trip back to Stamford, bowling, visiting new restaurants, entertaining with friends, picnic in Boston followed by a visit to the Friends Experience. The gift, which was very creative on Mary Beth's part, allowed us to experience so many new things. I think glass blowing was my favorite. We made wavey bowls (mine was much wavier than Mary Beth's). We loved it so much, we took the kids back and make Christmas balls. Another one of our 25 dates- The Friends Experience in Boston. We watch Friends every night before bed. At the end of the 24 dates, we would celebrate our 25th anniversary with a weekend getaway. We also waited the year as we didn't have any kids left in the house. So, this is why we celebrated it following our 26th anniversary. Stowe Vermont getaway Date number 25 was to go back to where it all started and book a trip to Stowe and stay at the Stone Hill Inn. My memory of this trip is much clearer as it was only 16 months ago. We packed our bags and off we went. Smugglers' Notch area, Stowe, Vermont. I made sure the picture was big so you can feel the magnitude of the beauty of the location. As well, if you have been keeping track, I also shared a review and recommendation of a Smugglers' Notch Maple Works, a perfect pairing to remember your Stowe vacation. We left early in the morning to take advantage of the brisk fall day, shortly after the height of leaf peeping season with all of the fall colors. Our first stop was at Ranch Camp Stowe for lunch, which is a bike shop that has a fantastic restaurant. We visited a few shops and waterfalls up in the Smugglers' Notch area where we did some hiking as well. West Branch Little River nestled in the Smugglers' Notch area of Stowe. This was on one of our hikes. Following the hikes, we made our way to the Stone Hill Inn. The location is just off of the main road but not visible with the exception of the Inn's signage. You have to take a winding road up a few hundred feet and when you get to the top of the hill, the 9-room luxury Inn just appears nestled between a bunch of trees, including a small walking path for guests. The main attraction to the Stone Hill Inn is relaxation. Outside of the personal attention each guest receives upon check-in, the Inn excludes New England charm. Each room has a fireplace that sits between the bedroom and the bathroom which provides a sense of luxury (and warmth) in both rooms and ultra comfortable beds. The bathroom is spacious highlighted by a 2-person jacuzzi tub. All of the rooms are located on the main floor, with a walkout porch transporting you to the grounds. As we checked in, we were greeted by the Kristie and Todd Roling, the owners of Stone Hill Inn since December 2016. There was one person checking in before us, so I started looking around and noticed that Todd was an Emmy Award winning Cinematographer. Two of his Emmys were on display which was cool and unique to see. Mary Beth and I at Stowe Cider. Believe it or not, it was our first time trying cider. Kristie escorted us to our room which included a fireplace, and luxury bathroom. Mary Beth and I after a long day's trip got takeout from American Flatbread pizza, which holds up to my pizza snob standards! The next day we got to experience the first of two amazing Vermont home cooked breakfasts at the Inn and then headed off for a bike ride on the path in town followed by some shopping downtown and then a stop for some cider at Stowe Cider. We had a great dinner at Harrison's Restaurant, which was hosting a very intimate wedding party with just immediate family at the table next to us. The thing I remember most about the Stone Hill Inn is the small, easy, 1/4 mile or so walking path winding through the woods that I believe I remember Kristie and Todd sharing that they made themselves. Since it was the fall shortly after the leaves fell, I recall having fun kicking up the leaves and listening to the crunch of each step with the smell of the crisp fall air. Stone Hill Inn Breakfast. One of the things that makes the Stone Hill Inn such an amazing destination is the full and elegant breakfast that is provided. Our trip had to end the next day, but not before we had our second Vermont home cooked breakfast at the Inn, holding us over for our 4-hour trip home. If you are looking for a truly Stowe, Vermont based experience (adults only), I highly recommend the Stone Hill Inn. I know you will love it. Frequently Asked Questions What are some unique activities to do in Stowe? One of the more unique things is to visit the Smugglers' Notch Distillery where you can not only sample award winning vodka, gin, rum, and bourbon, but also a phenomenal maple syrup. What is your favorite part about Stowe? The winding walking/bike path is by far my favorite. It starts in the downtown area and extends for 6 miles with views crossing over the river and mountains. Depending on the time of year, we also road past farmers markets and a corn maze. How difficult is the hiking in Stowe? There is hiking trails for all ages and abilities. My wife and I are between beginner and intermediate levels and have seen some amazing waterfalls, some within only 1/4 mile from the start. Note: Since I started this website 18 months after our last trip to the Stone Hill Inn, I didn't have any pictures of the Inn itself. With permission from the owners, Todd and Kristie Roling, they allowed me to use a few of their corporate pictures including the breakfast photo and the 3 gallery photos below. Thank you. Start Your Own Stowe, Vermont Sensory Experience at the Stone Hill Inn If you are looking for the quintessential New England vacation, the Stone Hill Inn is the way to go in this Stowe, Vermont getaway. It will elevate your sensory experience and provide memories that will last a lifetime. Book today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Did you ever eat the core of a pineapple? OK, more on that later. Growing up, I wasn't the best eater, especially with my vegetables. Plus, I ate with my eyes, as so many kids (and some adults do). Things that I absolutely love now like sweet potatoes, asparagus, and beans I would stick my nose up before even seeing, smelling, or tasting those foods (maybe if they were mixed with a Kauai White Pineapple, I might have ate more of my vegetables)! Wailua Falls, Kauai. On our first day, we drove around and these falls were visible from just off the road with ample parking and a very short walk and see the majestic nature of the falls. I was also pretty picky about entire classes of foods like Indian, which I didn't start eating until about 10 years ago or sushi, which I will try here and there, although I am not an expert on either cuisine by any means. One thing I was pretty good at eating was fruit. I loved oranges, bananas, grapes, watermelon, apples and pineapples. As I think back, I probably ate fruit 3-5 times a week as a kid. Now, its every day, and usually a few times a day. Our First Family Trip to Hawaii Mary Beth and I went on our honeymoon to 3 islands (Maui, Kauai, and Lanai) in Hawaii 27 years ago and then once again to Maui for a company trip about 10 years ago. We wanted to have the kids see Hawaii but wanted to try a few different islands. We opted for Oahu and The Big Island of Hawaii. Michael was an avid historian of WWII so we made a trip to Pearl Harbor but outside of that, we weren't too impressed with Oahu and probably wouldn't go back. It was a bit too commercialized for what we desire for a family vacation. During our trip to The Big Island, we got to do some amazing things like stargazing but couldn't see the volcanos as it was active just before we arrived and they cancelled the tours that that part of the island. Wailua River State Park, Kauai. This was our trip to the "hidden waterfall" which isn't so hidden anymore. I took this picture during our hike in. One of the special things we tried while we were there was a White Pineapple. I had never heard of white pineapples before but here is a summary. They are delicious and so much tastier and juicer than their traditional gold counterparts. They are also about 4x more expensive but worth every penny. We had bought a second one while we were there but that was it and I missed it ever since. Our Second Family Trip to Hawaii I have shared on a few posts including Kauai Chocolate Farm Tour Review: Lydgate Farms Sensory Guide as well as my About section, where I discuss our second family trip to Hawaii, this time where we spent 8 days in Kauai this past summer. This was such an inspiring trip for me. It was two weeks past being laid off from my company (which it was time as I had been there for 17 years), and coming out of the Cacao Farm tour, it initiated the start of this website. I intentionally let my mind wander, not having to worry about work, and knowing that at some point, I will secure a new job; I dove into being present in the moment. We adventured to tour the Napali coast, ate at a Waffle Food Truck multiple times called, Aloha Liege Waffles & Espresso, and did a rum tour with KAUAI SAFARIS, which was independent from Koloa Rum, which they leveraged their property. All were amazing. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Local farmers, near and far, grow amazing produce, made with love and care that will elevate your sensory experience." Kauai White Pineapple During this trip, we visited 4 different farmers markets in the 8 days. One of them, on the Saturday we were there, was the big one where there were about 100 local vendors. We made our first pass of the market just looking around and Emma started walking to the car. We said come back; we are just getting started. Farmers Markets are like Christmas to us. We went around and bought some local salt, local fruits and vegetables, some local honey, and lastly, I saved room for some White Pineapple from Kauai Sugarloaf. Sadly, this is my only picture of what was left of the Pineapple. We didn't take any pictures of the pineapples, or the farm stands themselves. The line for the White Pineapples were 20 people deep. They were not only selling whole pineapples, but they were also offering to cut the pineapples for you and give you a Ziploc bag full of goodness. They were offering tastings, which of course I took advantage of, and then we made our purchase of two pineapples. We ate the pineapples throughout the week and picked up another one at another farmers market later in the week from Kauai Sugarloaf. Don't get me wrong, I love regular pineapples and eat them all the time, including one in my refrigerator right now. The problem with the pineapples I get from the store, is that they are hit or miss on flavor. I have tried all different strategies to pick the right version, such as picking the leaves off and the ones that come off easy are ripe, or smelling the bottoms, which I am sure I look ridiculous if you see me in the grocery store. Here is what makes the white pineapples so special. white pineapples are so much more flavorful than their store-bought gold counterparts. If I had to put a number on it, I would say that white pineapples are 100x more flavorful. They are also so much juicier. And as I posed the question in the beginning, you can eat the core, which you can't do for a store-bought pineapple. Eating a white pineapple, elevates the sensory experience, bringing happiness to everyone who tries them! With all of this goodness, there is a downside unfortunately, and that is the cost. They are about four times more expensive than a regular pineapple but so worth it. Here is my recommendation. If you are in Hawaii, especially Kauai where their farm is, take advantage of being local. They also offer tours, which we didn't get a chance to do but will offer a link at the bottom if you are interested. Learn about the Kauai Sugarloaf and why Jude and Paul Huber share their love and care to make a delicious white pineapple. If you are home and want to taste this goodness, they do ship FedEx. Obviously shipping food 2-day FedEx air is expensive but can be worth it for a special occasion. I will drop the link below as well. For the history buffs, we got a small bit of history while we were there which was that White and Gold Pineapples were grown at the same time but Dole, the major manufacturer at the time in Hawaii, couldn't process the white pineapples as effectively. As a result, they pretty much just abandoned the white pineapples to focus on gold. This left the local Kauai farming community to produce and sell it locally themselves...which I am so glad they did. Frequently Asked Questions Can you eat the core of a white pineapple? Yes, the core is edible unlike that of its relative, the yellow or gold pineapple. Do other Hawaiian Islands other than Kauai sell white pineapples? Yes, they are typically grown in Kauai and The Big Island but you may find them available for sale at local farmers markets across the Hawaiian Islands. Are white pineapples juicier and more flavorful than their yellow and gold counterparts? Yes! I would say white pineapples are 100 times better than their yellow and gold counterparts. Start Your Own White Pineapple Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own white pineapple sensory experience as well as thinking about visiting Kauai, I’ve listed my favorite options below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

"Instead of thinking of sleep as the ending of your day, start thinking about it as the beginning of your tomorrow". - Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell I am writing this story in an airplane coming home from a trip to see my dad dreaming of coming home to my Tempur-Pedic Adjustable Bed. This is the only picture Mary Beth and I took from our two visits to Laguna Beach in our most recent trip. We walked from Heisler Park down the steps to the beach nestled between the rocks watching the waves and surfers (not captured in the photo). Mary Beth and I took a few day trip cross country to California and had a great time. We spent the time at our favorite restaurant, Las Brisas, in Laguna Beach. Not only is the food amazing, the restaurant sits on top of the hill overlooking the ocean in front of you, the beach to the left down the hill, and the start of a short, beautiful winding walking path to the right. Mary Beth and I spend the next afternoon back at Laguna Beach walking the path and then heading down to a small beach just below nestled within the rocky cliffs. We watched some of the surfers on a wintery 86 degree day in January. The last day of our trip was spent driving 90 minutes to Temecula, where we went for wine tasting at Ponte, with lunch following at their restaurant. The tasting started with six, one oz pours of their wines, where we choose a selection of whites and reds, each one better than the last. The bartender (I guess that is what you call the person who is pouring the wine), also shared a small sample of a $110 reserve bottle they had. Let me tell you that there is a difference between a $110 bottle of wine and the $65 bottle we also sampled (which was excellent) and a $30 bottle, which was also very good. The $110 bottle was impressive. We had a few bottles shipped to us including the $110 bottle (thanks dad). I can’t wait to try it with our Josephinenhutte wine glasses. I feel like I am digressing but there is a point to this start of this story. The visit to see my dad reminded me of a time Mary Beth and I went to visit about 20 years ago. Mary Beth had back surgery a few years prior and had been having problems sleeping. When we were there, her back didn’t hurt and the two of us woke up much more rested. We had a better night’s sleep on my dad’s guest mattress than what we had at home. This prompted us to go home and search for mattresses the following weekend. We went to our local Mattress Firm and tried all the mattresses as one does when they go to a mattress store. Following a bit of pondering, we really liked the Tempur-Pedic mattresses but were hesitant about the cost (at least I was). We did wind up buying the adjustable frame but opted for another mattress brand at the time. This is the side profile of our bed in its fully extended position. We never use it to this extreme, but I wanted to share what the adjustable bed is capable of rising to. After getting it delivered and trying it for a week or so, we realized this was just not the right mattress for us. Taking advantage of the Mattress Firm 120 Night Sleep Trial, we took another trip to the store and made an exchange, this time spending a few extra dollars (ok, a bit more than a few), and exchanged it for a Tempur-Pedic adjustable mattress. Mary Beth saw an immediate improvement in how her back felt and while I personally never had many issues sleeping, my sleep improved as I started waking up more rested than before. It used to be that when Mary Beth and I went to a nice hotel, that is where you got to sleep in a nice bed. For us, it’s the opposite. It’s been about 15-20 years since we made the exchange. Every time we come back from a hotel or a visit to someone else’s home (including from my dad’s guest bedroom), there is nothing that compares to our Tempur-Pedic bed at home. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Sleep is so important to everything we do, I felt this quote should be restated... Instead of thinking of sleep as the ending of your day, start thinking about it as the beginning of your tomorrow" My perspective on buying a great mattress is the following. The experts tell us that you should get 8 hours of sleep a night but with only 24 hours in a day, that means on average, we are sleeping 1/3 of the day or in reality, 1/3 of our entire lives. So many of us take the time to research and invest in other things like the stock market, but what about investing in a quality mattress, a good pillow, and comfortable sheets. Should we invest 1/3 of our salary on a mattress, pillow, and sheets? Probably not, but making an investment in a great mattress is game changing for your sleep and how you will feel the following day. Do yourself a favor, this weekend, go to your local mattress store and try out a few mattresses. You may soon realize what you are missing. I am not naive to the fact that buying a Tempur-Pedic Adjustable Bed is a big financial investment and not everyone had that kind of disposable income. The mattress is only 1 piece of the puzzle and if you don’t have thousands of dollars stuffed under your mattress (get the irony😊), think about purchasing a really comfortable pillow. It's hard to tell but there is a slight indent in the middle to cradle your head. Pillows are just as important as the mattress but buying a pillow is cheap in comparison, with good pillows ranging from $50-$250. When researching your pillow, the first thing you need to determine is if you are a side, back, or stomach sleeper. There are pillows that are specifically designed for all three and some that offer combinations of the scenarios. For example, I sleep on a combination on my side and on my back. Flip side of the Tempur-Pedic pillow. This side is a bit more oval shaped. Tempur-Pedic Adjustable Bed After doing a ton of research, we purchased the Tempur-Pedic pillow which supports the combination of my sleep patterns. After realizing how our sleep continued to improve with the new pillow, we purchased one for each of the kids too. I know some people will think that kids are kids and they will sleep on anything we give them, which is true, but Mary Beth and I had the belief that if we felt better in the morning after a good night’s sleep with our pillows, our kids would as well. Stay with me here and I have a few more things to cover. This is the DreamFit sheets we use. We have two sets and alternate when we do laundry. We also purchased a nice set of sheets (two of them to be exact) to go with our adjustable mattress. The sheets we have had are very comfortable and have straps to have the sheet stay in place when we move the bed up and down. You can do some research on your own but the ones we currently use are from DreamFit. I would also consider Boll and Branch the next time I am in the market based our positive experience with their towels. I did have one challenge recently. The mattress pad we were using for many years needed to be replaced. I researched and researched but couldn’t find a mattress pad that fit the 11 inches, which was what our mattress measured in depth. All of the ones I was finding online stated they fit 10-18 inch depth but none specific to 11 inches. I had to purchase the all-in-one pad as there were no other options, including me reaching out to Tempur-Pedic. ZumberLock solved my problem of the mattress pad bunching up. Not seen but there is a strip that locks the pad or sheet into place. This was now causing a new problem with the mattress pad bunching up underneath the sheets. But problem solved; somewhere in my travels online, I came across the ZlumberLock sheet holder, which we now have on all 4 corners of the bed. It took all the lumpiness out of the mattress pad, and we are now back to a good night’s sleep. Newly purchased travel pillow for Mary Beth, which she really liked in our last two trips. The last topic I want to cover is a travel pillow. Mary Beth and I travel periodically and as I mentioned earlier, I don’t have any problems going to sleep but Mary Beth does, especially the first few nights we are away. The pillows are never comfortable, and it never feels like the peaceful sanctuary we created at home. This year for Christmas, I got her a Tempur-Pedic Travel Pillow which she used this week on our trip to California. It’s just a smaller version of what we have at home, and it offers her the ability to get a good night’s sleep while we are away. Frequently Asked Questions Would you buy a Tempur-Pedic bed again? Absolutely. Our current bed is still working great for us so we are not in the market, but when we are, we won't look at another brand. Our biggest decision will be which Tempur-Pedic mattress to buy! Have you ever flipped your Tempur-Pedic Mattress? We only did it once, about 10 years after we purchased it. We were amazed as to how well it held it's shape from the original purchase. Does the ZlumberLock really work? Yes, we saw an improvement in the smoothness of our mattress pad immediately. It went from being very bunched up to smooth as silk in seconds. While we use it for our mattress pad, it can also be used for sheets. Start Your Own Tempur-Pedic Good Night Sleeping Sensory Experience If you are longing for a good night's sleep, the Tempur-Pedic Bed is the way to go. It will elevate your sensory experience allowing you to become more alert when you wake up and throughout the rest of the day. Try it today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Drinking tea is a calming, almost meditative experience. The aroma, the warmth of the cup, and each sip make it special every time. My favorite mug, the Best Dad Evah (Boston slang for Ever) cup from my son Michael, adds a personal touch to the ritual. Cover image photo credit to Tang Don Where It All Began: Tea Memories from Childhood Tea was the first product where my taste buds started to realize the value of a well sourced product. Getting to this Golden Moon Tea Review was a journey and didn’t happen overnight. I remember growing up as a kid where my mom would make me the very popular store-bought black tea. I would add milk and sugar to it and even an ice cube because my mom would always tell me that would help it cool down so I could drink it sooner. What I started to learn over time is that the act of drinking tea became a meditative experience where the holding and smelling the tea was just as much of the experience as the actual sipping the tea. I wrote another post about creating a meditative experience, Why Stopping the News Made Life Calmer, that shares another angle to help create a sense of calm. Tea as a Ritual: Early Marriage and Bulk Buys When my wife, Mary Beth, and I were first married, we continued with the standard black tea as we really didn’t know anything different. We then started shopping at our local wholesale club buying our tea in bulk, black for me and green for Mary Beth. Over time, I started to drink the green tea as well and it became an evening ritual for the two of us. More of my Favorites from Golden Moon Tea- Sinharaja, Golden Monkey, Tippy Early Grey, Tie Guan Yin oolong tea, and English Breakfast The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Drinking tea is more than just the taste. The entire process can be a meditative experience. The smell of the tea when you open the can, the steeping of the tea, the pouring into the cup, the holding of the cup, and of course, the smell and taste of the tea itself." Golden Moon Tea Review However, when we went out to eat or to a coffee/tea shop, I would always gravitate towards Earl Grey due to my love of Bergamot, which to me smelled like lavender. This is where my review of Golden Moon Tea started. One day at work, I was talking to a colleague who had a personal friend open up a tea shop in the Virginia, US area called Golden Moon Tea, which sold sourced and sold Organic Loose-Leaf Tea. The following week, he was nice enough to bring me a small container of one of his teas, Sinharaja, which is a black tea that has hits of cocoa and honey (which as you read my other posts is probably the reason why I liked it). I also found that they had the best Earl Grey tea which ultimately became my everyday staple in the evening. As mentioned earlier, the holding of the cup, the smelling of the Bergamot, and the taste of the tea was a great meditative experience to end the day. Green Tea leaves: Jasmine Pearls (top), Sencha (bottom left) Matcha (bottom right) An Insider's Treat: Small Batches and Big Flavors The other thing I loved about Golden Moon tea was Marcus, the owner, used to offer an insider club, where he would source very small batches of unique teas such as Snow Dragon and Golden Monkey that typically weren’t meant for mass consumption but were sourced from a small patch of land on their farm and the tea was just out of this world. I hope he brings it back as I will be the first person on his list to buy it. Four of my favorite Golden Moon Black teas; Sinharaja (top left), English Breakfast (top right), Tippy Earl Grey (bottom left), and Golden Monkey (bottom right) Tea as a Daily Meditation: Savoring Every Cup As of today, I typically drink 3 cups of tea a day, one in the morning (typically a rotation of black teas), afternoon (Sencha), and evening (always Earl Grey). Every cup of tea I have is a savory experience. If you are ever on a conference call with me, you will see one of my teacups as I typically rotate from the three colleges my kids go to. I hope you enjoy the tea as much as Mary Beth and I do. Me in my office drinking Golden Moon Sencha tea in afternoon with my Keene State College mug The 6-Month Update: While I have been drinking loose leaf tea for years, I noticed one thing that made a huge difference in the taste of the tea. If you pour the water just ever so slightly on the tea leaves, swirl for a few seconds and let them open up, wait a few seconds, and then pour the rest of the water, the tea tastes so much better. It really opens up the flavor profile to elevate your sensory experience. I can tell the difference immediately as the tea leaves stay at the top of the steeper I use vs. drop to the bottom. Hope this tip helps you enjoy your tea even more. Frequently Asked Questions What is your favorite tea? I love Earl Grey tea. It is my absolute favorite because of the bergamot flavor. I have tried many different brands of Earl Grey tea and many of them use synthetic flavoring vs. the real thing. This is why the Tippy Earl Grey tea from Golden Moon Tea tastes so good. Golden Moon Tea is the only tea with no pesticides, no GMOs, no chemically treated teabags and no “natural” or artificial flavors. Most of their teas are also certified organic. How many cups of tea do you drink a day? During the week, I drink 3 cups a day. One in the morning, usually a black tea, usually Sencha in the afternoon, and then Earl Grey at night. On the weekends, it is usually 1-2 depending on what we are doing. How can tea be a meditative experience? For me, everything about the making of the tea as well as drinking it is a relaxing, meditative experience. From the time I open the can, I take a deep inhale of the aromas of the tea, and then do the same after I scope it before placing the cap back on. Pouring the tea and watching the tea leaves expand and distribute the flavor into the water. Next is the holding, smelling, and tasting of the tea. Everything about the process is relaxing. Start Your Own Tea Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own tea sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite teas. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. I hope you enjoy!

Cover image by Aleksander Popovski Dick Taylor Belize 72% Craft Dark Chocolate How It All Started Welcome to my chocolate journey! If you’ve ever wondered what makes the complexities of craft dark chocolate so special, this Dick Taylor Chocolate review is for you. It starts with the manual letter-pressed packaging to the snap of the bar, the aroma of a tropical destination, to every small bite slowly giving your taste buds the sensory experience they were craving. Also, if you are making a trip to the Hawaiian island of Kauai and want to experience an amazing tour of a Cacao Farm, book a trip to Lydgate Farms. Let me take you back to where it all began. My middle son, Michael, had a love for anything truck-related. We watched countless episodes of garbage and fire trucks on DVD. As he grew older, we started taping and enjoying Mike Rowe’s TV show, Dirty Jobs. We became fans of Mike Rowe, watching his adventures over and over again. Collection of current Dick Taylor specialty items including the Belize 72% Dark Chocolate, 72% Tanzania Dark Chocolate Bar with California Black Mission Figs, 68% Tanzania Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Covered Almonds, and Madagascar Cocoa Nibs Discovering Dick Taylor Chocolate Fast forward to the fall of 2014. I was at a technology conference where Mike Rowe was the keynote speaker. He had just wrapped up his long-running tenure on Dirty Jobs and was starting a new show called Somebody’s Gotta Do It on CNN. Mike shared stories about Dirty Jobs and introduced the unique co-founders of Dick Taylor Chocolates, Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor. These two carpenters decided one day to make chocolate. Their first manufacturing site was in a lumber yard, but they have since moved to Eureka, CA. That moment inspired me to order my first bar of chocolate from them. I fell in love with it! Here is the 15-minute episode if you’d like to watch it. You’ll get a real sense of the uniqueness and passion of Adam and Dustin. My hope is to someday visit their store. I keep trying to get them to host virtual tasting sessions, like the ones they do in-store. How to Enjoy Craft Chocolate Each day, typically after lunch and dinner, I grab a piece of chocolate to savor. I even started traveling with it! But as you can imagine, this isn’t the kind of chocolate most kids like. It’s not from the famous brand in Pennsylvania. To get the most out of your experience, unwrap the chocolate, close your eyes, and smell it. Then, bring it to your ear to hear the signature snap of perfectly tempered chocolate. Only now should you place it on your tongue and let it slowly melt. Resist the urge to bite it. Let it melt in your mouth to fully experience the taste. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: "Notice the packaging itself and the tasting notes. Treat the unwrapping of the package as part of the elevated sensory experience. Once you unwrap the bar, hold it near your ear to hear the snap of the perfectly tempered chocolate. Smell it to experience the flavors and then finally taste, leaving it on your tongue and let the flavors melt into your taste buds." Dick Taylor Chocolate Review For my Dick Taylor Chocolate review, my two favorites are the Belize and Madagascar chocolates. I usually buy them in bulk at 5 to 10 at a time. I also mix in a few different varieties with each order. Each month, they offer a limited-edition bar that sometimes catches my interest, prompting a special purchase. My other go-to favorites include the Black Fig bar, which has bits of California Black Mission Figs, and the Dark Chocolate Coated Almonds. My current personal collection of Dick Taylor chocolates bars. Expanding My Chocolate Use It’s been about 10 years since I started buying Dick Taylor bean-to-bar craft chocolates. Recently, I began exploring both the Nibs and the Baking Chocolate. I find the Nibs are fantastic for my acai and granola bowls (if I liked yogurt, they’d be great in that too). My interest in using the baking chocolate was driven by a desire to make better chocolate chip cookies—like the rich, tasty ones from bakeries or restaurants. In another post, I’ll share how I upgraded my flour to complement the new baking chips. My first unboxing video! Visiting a Cacao Farm Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a cacao farm. It was a vacation I’ll never forget! I watched as the guide broke open a cacao pod, allowing us to eat the fruit and then the bean. The tour deepened my understanding of the care and passion these small farmers and craft chocolate makers invest in creating the amazing products we enjoy. Me visiting a Cacao farm in Kauai, Hawaii. The picture is the Cacao pod before as in a full-grown state. Frequently Asked Questions Does Dick Taylor Chocolate manually print their individual chocolate bar packaging? Yes, based on the woodworking and craftmanship backgrounds of the founders, Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor, they print each bar package on a vintage letterpress machine. What is your favorite Dick Taylor Chocolate? The 72% Belize, Toledo bar is by far my favorite due to the fruity notes that are present when I smell and taste the bar. I also alternate with a variety of others, including the 72% Madagascar, Sambirano and the 65% Tanzania, Kilombero What recipes do you make with Dick Taylor Chocolates? I currently make chocolate chip cookies with their 68% Tanzania Baking Chocolate Chips and use the Single Origin Roasted Cocoa Nibs in granola, sprinkled on a banana, and in my Acai bowls. Start Your Own Chocolate Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own chocolate sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite bars below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. Enjoy!