March 07, 2010

I don’t normally swoon over celebrities because they’re people,  just like you and I. They have jobs that put them in the media and that’s about it. They do all the things we do, they look like crap in the morning, they get angry with their children, they scratch their bottom when they think no one is looking. They’re human for heavens sake. So, it’s for this reason I put very few people on a pedestal.

However, if I could have a dinner with people I respect and also happen to be famous, the table would look like this. My first guest comes as no surprise to my readers. Malcolm Gladwell, a deep thinker with groovy hair. Next would be Oprah Winfrey. Hello? It’s Oprah. I don’t care how you feel about her, you have to give this woman props for how far she’s come and how much she does for those in need. I just want to hug her, so for that reason, she’d be sitting right beside me so I could touch her all night. Next, Bill Gates. Yeah, yeah, that Microsoft thing was a pretty good gig, but more importantly is what he is doing now. I get all warm and gushy inside whenever I hear what he’s doing through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The next guest would be Melinda Gates. For being married to the richest man on earth and spending her money on mosquito nets instead of living the shallow life a la Paris Hilton, Melinda gets top honours at my table. Next and because this is strictly fantasy,and I can invite dead people, I would have Walt Disney and Sam Walton there. Two incredibly savvy business men.

Finally, on my other side, oozing grace and warmth would be Meryl Streep. Ahhh, how I adore Meryl. Is there any other actress out there today with half the character of this woman?

I have always held a deep respect for Meryl Streep. Let’s face it, is there anything she touches that doesn’t turn to gold. During her career, she has received two Academy Awards in addition to 15 Oscar nominations and 23 Golden Globe nominations. This is more than any other actor ever. It’s certainly impressive, but that’s not what draws me to her.

There is a scene in It’s Complicated where she jokes with a friend that she’s lucky her husband is dead because her friend doesn’t have to deal with him anymore. It’s a lighthearted exchange between good friends that most women understand. It’s not what she says though, but rather the quick look she exchanges with her friend that makes the scene. It happens in a millisecond, but in that time that little look Meryl gives Mary Kay Place says it all. It says I love you, you know I’m joking, I feel for you. In an instant we understand the intense bond between these women. This is the magic that Meryl delivers in every movie she’s in.

Off screen she has managed to keep her personal life out of the tabloids for over 30 years. She is a Hollywood anomaly. Being married to the same man and raising four children that are seemingly normal in Hollywood is about as common as Heidi Montag saying something intelligent. Even with all the lack of information on what she eats for breakfast and where she shops, she still seems like the most accessible actress today. Consider this little gem from January’s Vanity Fair article on her. “I’m very f***ing grateful to be alive,” she says fervently. “I have so many friends who are sick or gone, and I’m here. Are you kidding? No complaints!”. Yes! That’s why I heart Meryl. I feel that way everyday and I too have been known to drop f-bombs. It’s this kind of thinking, the warmth in her eyes and her self-deprecating manner that makes me want to be BFF’s with her forever. Of course, in a totally non-stalking kind of way.


Meryl recently commented, upon her win at the Golden Globes for Julie & Julia, “Over the years I’ve played so many extraordinary women, that people mistake me for one.” No Meryl, you’re wrong. You are extraordinary. The question is, when they make the movie of your life story, will there be anyone who can do you justice. Not likely.


*If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m totally rooting for Meryl to win the Academy Award tonight. 

Labels/Tags: See Mummy Juggle, Candace Derickx, Meryl Streep, BFF, It's Complicated

Posted by CandaceD at 09:51:55 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

February 27, 2010

Let me begin by stating that I barely qualify to offer advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. I’m still feeling my way through, of that there can be no doubt. Every once in a while though, I do look over my shoulder and realize I have learned a few important lessons.

Be a sponge. Seek out people who inspire you and learn from them. Ask questions and remember there are no dumb questions. *

 Trust your gut. No one knows our business quite like Laurie and I do. Our instincts have served us very well to this point. There have been a couple of times where the “experts” have declared we were doing it wrong. Turns out they were.

 Be not afraid. I have jokingly referred to us as Thelma and Louise. You know the scene where they clasp hands and go over the cliff. I sometimes feel that way with Laurie. There is no question that this ride is resulting in some permanent white knuckles but it’s a leap of faith and fear will only hold us back.* *

 No means no and yes is quite obviously yes, right? Wrong. If there is anything I’ve learned in my short time as an entrepreneur is that no often means “change my mind” and yes can mean “go away until I have can come up with an excuse”.

 Enjoy yourself. For heaven’s sake you’re the boss. There a lot of people who have to work long hours under terrible people who take advantage of them. As an entrepreneur you are responsible for your own workplace happiness. Don’t like what the boss is doing? Consider therapy.

 Every time I get rejected it feels like a punch in the gut. At first I thought that maybe it wouldn’t sting as much over time. It still does. Now I realize though that I don’t ever want it to go away. I can hear “let’s do it” ten times but that one “not for me” is like lighting a fire under me. I don’t deal with rejection well and for me that’s a good thing.

 Be honest. Be kind. Some real jerks have been some of the most successful business people ever. That’s not for me. I want my success to be measured not just in dollars but by who I’ve helped along the way.

 Hire a good accountant. This might be the single most important piece of advice I can give you. Accounting can suck the life out of you. Just ask Laurie. She is currently in recovery and still has tourette’s type outbursts of “GST, no, no, I just did that”. It’s not pretty folks. Hire a professional. Our accountant, thinks he has the best job on earth, aside from being clearly delusional, he loves what he does. Works for us.

 Be yourself. In business, as in life, you can only be yourself. Some will like you, some won’t. If you’ve met me, you’ve met the only version I’ve got. 



* That’s not entirely true. There are some very dumb questions. A sense of humour is also important.

**In our scenario Laurie is Thelma by the way. That’s right she’s get Brad. What can I say, I dig the tall, skinny guys with big, crazy hair, a la Malcolm Gladwell. (Malcolm, you don’t call, you don’t write – what’s happened between us? )

Labels/Tags: See Mummy Juggle, Candace Derickx, Best Tools for Schools, Entrepreneur,

Posted by CandaceD at 09:23:29 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

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