This year’s Taste of Minnesota, an annual summer festival of music and food, was an expensive ticket. This Fourth of July celebration started in 1983 with free admission, but today attendees pay $20 to $30 a ticket, depending upon the time of day you arrive. Hopes were high for the event, which this year had more food vendors and well-known musical acts (like local artists Atmosphere and national act Counting Crows) than in past years. In the end, the event received mixed reviews because frankly, in these challenging economic times this celebration that is branded for Minnesota families was too costly for them to enjoy.

I remember going to the Taste of Minnesota in the 90’s and having such a good time. We spent a lot on food and drinks, danced to good music, enjoyed the rides and had a lot of fun—with no cover charge. I know the cover was intended to bear some of the expenses; it just needs to be within reason.

This year, the Taste of Minnesota’s brand was confused—it’s billed as a family event for Minnesotans, but many can’t (or don’t want to pay) the high admission fee. A family of four entering the Taste before 4:00 would have to spend $80.00 before even taking a bite to eat! And while the stormy weather over the holiday weekend didn’t help, Faris International Management, owners of the event, told Dave Orrick of the Pioneer Press that they recognize changes need to be made, and they are going to figure out what needs to be done for next year.

I look forward to seeing how they reinvent their brand (and pricing) to better reach their target audience of Minnesota families.

Did you attend the Taste of Minnesota? What did you think of the event?

-Carol Payne

On May 15^th the Margaret Rose Missionary Society of Wayman AME Church held a historic first—a luncheon to honor a group of women for their long and outstanding service to this auxiliary. I was the chairperson for this event. I joined the organization in 1979 through the leadership and recruitment efforts of Eula Richardson, who was our local president and first North West Area Vice President. Today Richardson is in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s disease. At the luncheon, we honored seventeen women, including Mrs. Richardson, whose daughter accepted the award on her behalf. Many of these ladies are over seventy-years-old. We also paid tribute to those who have gone before us. 

The Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church actually started in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania around 1787, and our local chapter was founded in 1929. Our auxiliary was organized in the beginning as the Women’s Parent Mite Society in 1874 and as the Women’s Home and Foreign Missionary Society in 1895.  It was the vision of Sarah Allen, the wife of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church, who formed the Missionary Society to mobilize and encourage women in the area of missions.  Today more than 800,000 WMS members are committed to spreading the organization’s principles locally and globally.

As part of the luncheon, we held a special program.  History was provided on the Margaret Rose Missionary Society, followed by special service and performances from a number of soloists. I presented the awards to the women. At the end of my presentation I gave a special tribute to them with the Mariah Carey song “Hero” in the background as I recited the poem “The Bridge Builder.”  Our theme was Bridge Builders: Yesterday, Today and Forever. We continued with remarks by our presiding Elder/Pastor and remarks by our local society President Paulette Jackson.  Final remarks and recognition were given by me.

Today we can say that the women of the Margaret Rose Missionary Society have been honored.

-Carol Payne

The best occasions to look your best are the December holidays. Although Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa give you an opportunity to assemble beautiful and festive ensembles, New Year’s Eve is the ultimate opportunity for you to dazzle.  I didn’t get to celebrate New Year’s Eve in style until I was a young adult. When I was growing up, my family often attended church or we stayed at home to watch TV.  But once I started to party, it was on.  I can remember some of my favorite New Years dresses and gowns—the two-piece gold lamé tunic over stove pipe pants by Trivilla, the Calvin Klein black tuxedo dress, the Kasper black chiffon gown with sprinkles of tiny gold metallic flowers and the Halston purple flapper dress.  All of the shoes were statuesque Charles Jourdan, Halston or Dano. Evening shoes must always be in stand-out colors like ruby, pewter, gold, silver copper or black.

 This holiday season some designers have gone back to classic forties styles, and I like it.  Victoria Beckham, Zac Posen, Ellie Saab, Alexander McQueen and others returned to arguably the greatest style era of our time to re-create some most unforgettable looks.   They are working with velvet, chiffon, metallic and shimmering jersey.

 Remember, New Year’s Eve is your final act of the season before the curtain comes down at midnight.  Go with glimmer, shimmer and shine on the night that style is everything.

 -Carol Payne

This year for Christmas, I organized a toy drive for my church.  I am a member of the Lay Organization, which is one of the auxiliaries at church.  Our interest is the people of the church and our goal is to ensure members of our congregation understand our faith and how it relates to them in layman’s terms.  During this holiday season, we knew we wanted to give back to our communities and did so through a toy drive which helped make Christmas wishes come true for about 400 families.

The economy has not turned around, people are still unemployed, and there are a lot of homeless families in the Twin Cities. We saw a toy drive as a great opportunity to make a positive impact.  Fliers were distributed throughout the community asking for donations of age appropriate toys and letting families know where they can receive donated toys.  To ensure as many families as possible were impacted by our work, we went around the surrounding neighborhood knocking on doors with toys in hand. Children that possibly would not have Christmas presents under their tree this year received new books, toys and music for Christmas.

Our mission was to make this the best Christmas ever for children we distributed toys to—and we succeeded. The day of the toy distribution, December 19^th, I arrived at 7:30 a.m. with my granddaughter, Kari, to get the toys out of the secured area we locked them in the night before.  We put the toys out, organizing them into three age groups.  Families starting arriving at exactly 9:00 a.m. and continued non-stop until about 2:30 p.m. and more families continued to arrive until 3:15 p.m. Our adult choir was rehearsing upstairs, lending a wonderful holiday spirit to the event. Mrs. Wooley had left her grandchildren with us downstairs—they were so much fun and great company for Kari.  Even though the toy drive just ended, I can’t wait until next year’s toy drive. We are already looking forward to helping make Christmas a little more magical for families in our church congregation and in surrounding Minneapolis communities.

-Carol Payne

Thanksgiving is upon us! It’s time to pile our plates high with turkey, yams and pumpkin pie.  But before we do, we asked ourselves, “What are you thankful for this year?”  Here’s how we replied…

Steph is thankful for her clarity and sanity.

Whitney is thankful for her family. “They can always make me laugh and have given me such unwavering support throughout this year.”

Trevor is most thankful for “my beautiful, healthy baby girl Luella. I am also thankful for how stinkin’ happy she is all the time!”

Joy is thankful that, “even though my family lives in three different states, we will all be together for Thanksgiving!”

Patricia is thankful for the trust our clients have placed in us during this challenging 2009.

Patrick is thankful that our agency was able to withstand the economic downturn and that our clients have generally weathered the storm very well.

Carol is so thankful for Makarei, her little granddaughter. “We get up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready for work and school.  On Saturdays she has piano lessons and choir practice.  She goes with me to Lay Organization and Missionary Society meetings and stays in a separate room dancing and singing.  Makarei is the joy of my life and I am so happy to have her in my life.”

Chad is thankful for his family.

Randy is thankful that his cousin Trent returned safely from Djibouti, Africa, after spending a 7-month tour of duty in the Marines.

Jenny is thankful for the small group she joined recently through her church. “We meet each Sunday night for a time of faith, fun and fellowship. It has already been such a gift and a wonderful way to start a new week. And our host is truly Rachael Ray Jr. so I leave each week with lunch for Monday!”

Jeron is thankful the economy has reminded him (and certainly many others) how much more valuable family, health and friendships are than material items.

Jane is very thankful to have a wonderful, big family that surrounds her with love and support. “I am also thankful that both Dan and I are employed and that our family is healthy and happy. And I am thankful to have been fortunate to have adopted such an amazing, loving dog to add to our family…we are so blessed to be able to share every moment of Lily’s life.”

What are you most thankful for this year?

We hope you enjoy your holiday with family, friends and those closest to you. Happy Thanksgiving from all of your friends at SCG!

For the past several years I have noticed how hard the retail industry has been hit. So many businesses have folded, while some are merely hanging on. City Center in Minneapolis is a ghost town. I can remember shopping at Hallmark and a couple of women’s specialty stores, and now there is nothing there.

Gaviidae Common has crumbled too. There were so many so many beautiful stores there with unparalleled garments of distinction. After all, the downtown mall was developed for clientele with good taste. I think back to Gaviidae’s beginning and I loved shopping there. The Icing was my favorite store. All of their merchandise was primo. They had hats that were appealing with outstandingly beautiful ornamentation. And their suits always gave you more to look at than just a suit. Lillie Reuben left Gaviidae years ago too; she had some of the most dazzling evening wear imaginable.

Someone needs to bring life back into retail in downtown Minneapolis. It is currently a sinking ship. The retail establishments are not getting it right. Their strategies are all wrong and the stores are full of merchandise that does not sell. And the downtown windows are nothing more than a SpongeBob cartoon.

Retailers are not giving their customers what they want in spite of the recession. In these tight economic times, they need to provide their customers with merchandise they can’t live without.

-Carol Payne

Toward the end of December in 2005 I had a heart attack and quit smoking. Becoming smoke-free was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. I had smoked since my sophomore year in high school. The only time I quit was while I was pregnant with my daughter and once I was done breast feeding her, I started again.

After being smoke-free for close to four years I don’t miss cigarette burns on expensive clothes, coughing, difficulty breathing, smelling like smoke, stained teeth and everything else that goes along with those nasty cigarettes. You could not have told me any of those things when I started spending my allowance on cigarettes thinking I was cool. My friends smoked too, and we’d always find a place to sneak off to, and have a smoke. However we never smoked at home or at school. Smoking at home would have been death; smoking at school would have been an execution. My parents did not smoke and I could not smoke.

On that dreadful day December 21st in 2005, early that morning I was walking through the Hyatt Hotel on my way to work. I felt a slight pain in my chest. That pain was my first warning sign which I ignored. Later that day I picked up a salad on my lunch hour and went to do some errands. I felt pains in my chest again, but more severe. I told myself that if I would just sit down outside for a few minutes the pain would go away and I would return to work. As I sat there the pain continued and worsened. I got up and quickly went across the street to the medical arts building. There was a gentleman in front of the building who coordinates rides for patients going to doctor visits. I went up to him and told him that I was having chest pains and asked him to call an ambulance. The paramedics came right away, they starting checking me, and put me in the ambulance. I asked them if they knew what was wrong with me and one of them told me that I was having a heat attack. All that I could think of was my daughter and my granddaughter and not wanting to leave them. When I arrived at Abbott Northwestern Hospital they took me to the Heart Institute. The Cardiologists took me into an operating room immediately and put a stent in my heart. Since that stent was put into my heart I have not had another cigarette. I thank God I’m alive and I thank God I quit smoking.

-Carol Payne

There are many distasteful things about Old Hollywood. The monopoly of just a handful of studios, women treated with disrespect, and the casting couch for men and women. But the one thing I can’t criticize is its glamour, and thanks to the fashion design team of Badgley and Mischka, the elegance of Old Hollywood has returned. Since 1998, the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards has been dominated by gowns created by the dynamic duo. The most beautiful evening gowns on the planet have been worn by Winona Ryder, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Andie McDowell, Madonna and Teri Hatcher. These stars are just a small part of the Badgley Mischka constellation.

Mark Badgley of East St. Louis, Illinois and James Mischka of Burlington, Wisconsin met at the Parsons School of Design in New York. After they graduated Mark became an apprentice at Donna Karen and James worked alongside Willi Smith of Willi Wear. They struggled through their first showroom in New York. But in 1991 they got their big break, obtaining financing through Escada. In their first year they enjoyed a profit of 40 million dollars. The pair realized evening wear (gowns specifically) was what they did best.

Badgley Mischka debuted on the Red Carpet in 1998 with Winona Ryder’s shimmering black sequin low cut v-neck gown and complementary shawl. Everyone on the Red Carpet took notice of the fact that Badgley Mischka had arrived. Their style is “modernized Old Hollywood,” bringing to life the styles worn by Lana Turner, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, and Marilyn Monroe. Their gowns include fabrics that adore the body – chiffon, satin, silk and tulle. Sometimes there’s beading, sequins or both and other times there is ornamentation and inlay. A Badgley Mischka gown is always a solid fit for the body it adorns.

In about two weeks the Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood. Some critics say Badgley Mischka is over the top, or their designs look like cartoon characters or relics. But those who appreciate true glamour know Badgley Mischka will own the Red Carpet once again.

-Carol Payne

The Manager of the Dakota Bar and Grill in Minneapolis said it perfectly in his introduction: “If there were a Mount Rushmore of music, Ashford and Simpson would be up there with Cole Porter, and George and Ira Gershwin.”  This summer I was fortunate enough to see one of Ashford and Simpson’s performances at the Dakota. It was simply sensational. This combination of husband and wife is one of the music industry’s most dynamic duos.

Nicolas Ashford’s lyrics and Valerie Simpson’s compositions collide to create some of the most beautiful music of our time. When I saw them this summer, they performed several of their most memorable hits like “I’m Every Woman”, “You’re All I Need to get by”, and “Aint No Mountain High Enough”. Ashford’s sweet baritone and Simpson’s enticing soprano made tantalizing harmonies that drove the audience wild. Their final song was “Invisible Life” from their Broadway musical now in production.  When they left the stage, the audience rose to its feet and screamed for more. They returned for one last song, “Solid as a Rock”, satisfying the crowd but leaving them wanting more.

-Carol Payne

Lead Generation is the most effective sales tool for companies hoping to bring in new revenue.  Contacting prospects by telephone is that personal connection to let them know you are interested.  A professional Business to Business program qualifies the right prospects and generates face-to-face meetings. The best programs discover your prospects’ need for change, as well as their budgets and time frames. I know from personal experience – making that call can determine whether the time for change is now.

Yesterday I contacted a prospect for a client and discovered she was about to purchase a product my client could provide for her. She wanted to meet the sales rep, so I scheduled a meeting. If this company did not have a lead generation program in place, this opportunity would not have been possible. This afternoon my client’s sales rep will present their products and services to a prospect that is about to make a purchase. It’s all thanks to lead generation.