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Last week I spent Sunday through Wednesday in New York City with Josh Madden, my great friend and partner of West Hall Media. We were meeting for a few days to rework our company. Sometimes you have to refine and reinvent yourself in order to reach the next summit.
Taking a break from the norm, I want to tell you about my trip’s highlights.
Sunday evening we attended a surprise birthday party in Queens for one of Josh’s buddies, McInnis. He manages some great bands like Freelance Whales. I also met Ben and his wife who own Modern Art. They are good people. It was a blast. (Thanks Amy for the great conversation. Know any good grill masters?)
Monday was pretty relaxed, with the exception of recording Josh’s radio show, First Person, for Idobi. I was caught completely off guard when he said I was going to be on it with him. No planning, no warning, only sink or swim. I drowned. Between Josh making me laugh and my uncertainty of when to contribute, I was pretty silent. I hope his show isn’t cancelled due to his “silent bob” co-host’s fumbling.
That night we met up with some of his friends at a great spot in the lower east side, called The Meatball Shop (thanks Robbie for the ordering advice). This place has great food, wonderful staff, and a cool atmosphere. If you are ever in the city you must check it out.
Tuesday we met with Claudine at ThinkPR. She and Josh have been good friends for a while. She was super cool to meet and chat with. They are a smart company. Claudine, Rhesma, and the girls are doing some great work over there.
Tuesday afternoon was a major highlight to the trip. We met AJ and Melissa Leon at The Bean. They have been friends in the twitterverse for a few years. It was awesome to meet them offline. Amazingly they were in town and kind enough to meet up. They run a brilliant company called The LaC Project. The beauty of social media is being able to find like minds and build real relationships with those people. Thanks AJ and Melissa for a great time. I look forward to us becoming better friends.
Tuesday night’s experience was a first. We checked out the Fall 2010 Russell Simmons Argyleculture Preview. Hey, I was in NY, it seemed like the thing to do. The fashion event was packed with beautiful people and nice threads. I wish I had been better prepared. My jeans and t-shirt blended in like wearing a scuba suit to a funeral.
In between all of this, Josh and I discussed plans for growing West Hall Media and providing better value and results for our client partners. The future is bright for all of us pursuing our dreams and helping others achieve theirs.
photo credit: Tomás Fano
