What's your dream?

Coffee Conflict

2009-02-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

It was a typical LA morning in January. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the sky was blue. It was Thursday, the 29th day of January to be exact. The first month of 2009 was almost over and Jenny and I were going to celebrate this milestone with a "business meeting on blades."

But before we could get to blading along the beach, we had to figure something out first. A cure for cancer? NO. A way to world peace? Not really. How to snap our fingers and become instant Vagillionaires? Not even close. You see, I had slept over Jenny's apartment and we woke up with our usual morning quest of where to get COFFEE. Neither Jenny nor I really like to function without a cup of Joe. It's where we get that cup of java that is often up for questionable, debatable consideration.

98 % of the time, I go straight for the jugular of America aka Starbucks. What can I say, I am a loyal member of the Starbucks "club"-my mom is a manager, I have one of those Starbucks black cards and I love pike place!!! Jenny can be a Starbucks girl but for the most part, she prefers Peet's or Cafe Luxxe.

So there we were, parked on Montana Ave in front of Whole Foods, right in between Starbucks and Peet's Coffee. I thought my choice was pretty clear, after all I had a Starbucks Go Cup that my mom had given me and with my Starbucks black card, we would save 10% on our purchase. Jenny had brought her go cup too, only it was supposed to be personalized with her photos. So far in 2009, she hadn't gotten around to that task on her to do list so the smiling faces of strangers adorned the 16 oz mug. All that mattered was two less paper cups would be used because we were using our own ceramic plastic reusable mug things. Only trouble was, Jenny wasn't in a Starbucks mood that morning, she wanted Peet's. "Go ahead," she said. "I'll meet you over there." I felt like an outcast. Besides, what good would our cup saving do if we had to print two receipts anyway?

"I'll get Peet's," I said, "But not with this cup." I looked down, STARBUCKS was clearly and boldly written across the front.

"Don't worry," Jenny assured me, "you'll be fine."

We approached the door to Peet's and I had second thoughts. "What if they don't serve me because of my cup," I asked? Jenny replied back that I was ridiculous and thus the "Coffee Conflict" began. Enter the scene of Peet's coffee. The tables inside are filled with patrons-some read the paper while others chit chat amongst each other. The line is always out the door. That day, I felt like a phony amongst all the Peet's patrons so I hid my little Starbucks mug out of fear of being discovered!! What would they do to the "Starbucks" girl? Pelt me with coffee beans, switch my splenda with real sugar, give me whole milk instead of skim? I was sure it wouldn't be pretty.

We were next in line and Jenny practically ran up to the male cashier. "We'll take two coffee's" she said before handing him over her mug. Clearly the clerk was a comedian or actor because he began inspecting the pictures and cracked jokes about Jenny being the "black sheep of her family." Before I could give him my mug, he found IT! A little Starbucks logo was hiding out on Jenny's cup. That little green goddess totally blew our cover. "Get out," he said gingerly, "We don't serve your kind here."

To spite him and to add a little humor to the situation, I unveiled my prized gold Starbucks cup to which he said,"What, are you kidding me? They're up the street." We explained the coffee conflict, how we were trying to help the environment using our reusable cups and that we had no time for small talk, this was pouring into our business on blades meeting. "Environment schmironment," he said before adding, "People still rollerblade?"

Needless to say, a domino effect transpired. His female barista co-worker barked back at him, "What's your problem with rollerblades and the environment?" The nice guy behind us was laughing and began telling us a tale about his landlord and her Starbucks "boycott" even though she would sneak there at 5am to get a cup of coffee and once got caught. The people in line behind him were less amused and began barking at us to "hurry up!"

Of course this story couldn't go down without one last twist. When Jenny took her first sip of the hot, Peet's coffee she had so desperately craved, she looked up at me and said, "For some reason today, it tastes like soap. Oh and by the way, I had a dream last night that you and I went to the moon and we survived."

As I pictured myself with Jenny and Gonzo on our way to the moon, I discovered the moral of our story. When in doubt, Starbucks it out! No really, it's all about that good morning laugh. Now more than ever, we need to start the day off with a little pep in our step, either from a jolt of caffeine or from a good old fashioned chuckle. Jenny and I certainly earned our happy pill that day. People along the beach probably asked themselves just what the hell was in our re-usable mugs. Needless to say, we got an "E" for effort! And thus concludes the Coffee Conflict.

Welcome Doc.....Yoga Flop.....

2009-01-30T16:48:00.001-08:00

Last week was certainly an exciting time for Jenny and I. Needless to say, we tackled a lot of adventures and were too busy to blog. However, we are now happy to report that we have a NEW Jenny Wax Mascot.....well a temporary Mascot (until our best friend Carly opens up her dental practice this summer, then he's all hers). Ladies and Gentleman, allow us to introduce you to the main man in our lives, Mr. Doc Holiday "Romeo" Weiner-pictured above.

To prepare for his arrival, and to assist Carly who was busy pulling teeth, we went "Doc" shopping Tuesday night which turned out to be quite a trip. With a list of supplies in hand, we headed off to PetCo for Iam's Lamb and Rice, knuckle bones, and canned pedigree. Little did we know that we'd be faced with an obstacle. Enter in the "Over eager energetic but extremely nice PetCo employee" who acted as if this dog was his! Each purchase he rang up was met with some crazy comment, he literally threw a box of milk bones on the floor in front of us and he confessed his recent sobriety while Jenny and I politely smiled and tried not to get scared.

We ended the evening with some Thai Food while watching Cirque De Soleil perform at the Inaugural Ball. So many things, aside from Doc's anticipated arrival, were happening! Tuesday morning we ran 2 miles. Wednesday found us eating delicious homemade chicken soup compliments of Jenny . By the time Thursday rolled around, we had decided it was time to do something daring. Our endangerment of choice?? The ever controversial YOGA HOP!

For those of you who don't know what Yoga Hop is, it's a power yoga class that maintains continual flow. You basically face downward facing dog while jamming out to Snoop Dog on the stereo. Matthew, the Yogi, had us pushing through poses pretty hard. By the end of class, I was so relaxed it felt like I was on cloud nine. Sadly this joy was short lived. No, it wasn't the rain that stole my Yoga Hop thunder. When exiting the studio, everyone made a beeline for their shoes. And that's when it happened, the unthinkable. Someone from my Yoga Hop class took my size 10 flip flops, mistaking mine for theirs and left me with their size 7's. Have you ever seen a size 10 foot in a size 7 shoe....walking in the rain?? The best part of all was when the owner said to me, "Look in lost and found for another size 10." If you googled the average female shoe size, I can assure you it is not a size 10!

So I had to laugh at myself and also curse myself (and Jenny for that matter) because we didn't take a picture. As we walked down Montana Ave to get coffee, Jenny chanted "Yoga Hop, Yoga Flop!" This all on the heels of welcoming Doc.

So next time you to go Yoga Hop Angelenos, you better bunker down your shoes. Or mark them as OPP so they don't become OTHER PEOPLE's PROPERTY!

On a side note, if you like Mr. Doc Holiday "Romeo" Weiner, then be sure to check out his breeders website. All of the ladies in his life (Carly, Jenny, me, Evelina and Nichole-last 2 characters have yet to be introduced) are in agreement that he is by far one of the smartest, cutest, sweetest dogs in the world. Did we mention that he is a great dane??? So this Valentines Day, give yourself the gift of love. Get yourself a lovable, huggable LOVE DOCTOR. But be sure to get him from Melody Rainwater, her puppy pictures speak for themselves http://www.littlehorsedanes.com/pups.html

Marketing on a BUDGET

2009-01-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone is on a BUDGET these days! Well almost everyone. Factor in having your own business and then you really have to watch how you spend your $$ dough $$. Since we started working together, Jenny and I have tried to find ways to do things either ourselves or for the least amount of money possible. Once upon a time, I was the Sales Office Coordinator for a company with NO marketing budget. Desperation taught me to make marketing material with Microsoft Word. Using those former savvy skills of mine now saves Jenny from having to pay Kinko's or a printer for marketing collateral which is great.

On the other hand, what we've recently learned is there are just some things you're better off paying for. Case in point, OUR SIGNAGE. For those of you who've been to Jenny Wax, you know we are the little jewel tucked behind the Alley way off Montana Ave. Imagine all of the clients who have never been to us before that call and ask, "Where are you located?" Having to explain that we're the red iron door through the alley way behind a store called Citron does sound a little sketchy.

For months, Jenny has been begging me to get a sign for the alley, so people know to follow the pink arrow into Jenny Wax Jurlique Bliss. Well, all was well with the sign until recently. Sure it took me 6 months to get it printed at Kinko's and displayed on the wall outside, but once it was up, it was BEAUTIFUL....until it fell one day and hung off the wall tilted. Citing Artistic expression (and out of pure laziness) we left the sign like the picture depicts up for a few days. But after the most recent sign ordeal we had last week, I took it down. Enter the second sign dilemma for Jenny Wax. Yes this was to be a much simpler, smaller, text only sign that would read "Jenny Wax, 310-393-2560." Only problem is the location for this sign happens to be about 15 feet in the air. Without a ladder, Jenny and I were forced to be creative and figure out a way to measure this space. A chair, broom and ruler later, we were the laughing stock of the alley and ourselves!! Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I present our case of Marketing on a Budget. Lesson learned, do not attempt to do this at home! Somethings, like signage for your business, are just worth paying OTHER people to handle.

How this all got started.....

2009-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, when I look back at the past two and a half years of my life, a lot comes to mind. Somehow, someway I ended up here in Los Angeles, California to "half-way" pursue my dream of becoming a celebrity. Let me clarify that, a singing, dancing, songwriting celebrity with a few Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! And while sometimes I feel like I'm getting much closer to that goal, other times I couldn't be further away from it. You see my biggest obstacle is.....myself. Yet in a very funny way, I've had some great opportunities by veering off the beaten path of a typical entertainer.

Well, what gets in my way you might ask? After all, I went to the University of Miami on a Music Scholarship, I've been dancing in and out of studios since I was three. And I have had a lot of strange, once in a lifetime encounters with the rich and famous. Best excuse of all, I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES. Ok, so I will acknowledge that I have gotten better about utilizing the environment around me. I am a Member of Central Casting, I have a call-in service for background work, I have even worked a few movies, commercials, tv shows and soap operas. But to answer your question my problem is that I am such a great actress and I can play such a wide range of parts, that in REAL life I attempt to do every and anything for work (except those things that are immoral and illegal). I have been a shampoo girl, retail sales clerk, hostess, waitress, weekend real estate office coordinator, account executive, hotel operations manager, grants intern, vice president, business consultant, radio station promotions street team member, event planner, writer, personal trainer. I've worked in Real Estate, Insurance, Human Resources, Marketing, Publishing, Risk Management, Skin Care, Wellness and Nutrition....you get my point. My friends often joke and tease me by saying I should be on the Apprentice and in a sick way, I'm on my own version of the show.

Yes, all of the renewed energy of this new year, this new president, this new America has made me want to REALLY utilize the strengths I have, what I refer to as my Jac-lyn of all Trades ability. I have some pretty solid goals for myself and I intend to accomplish them once and for all!!!!! Wait, I need to rephrase that. I will accomplish them once I help one of my best friends grow and financially secure her skin care business. Enter Jenny Ferrera, Esthetician to Santa Monica's finest! A close friend of mine who is embarking on her own journey of dream chasing....her dream to be a Vagillionaire. You see, Jenny is best known for her Bikini waxing abilities and amazing facials. The girls got good hands and she puts them to work.

This is a story about two friends, each pursuing their own distinct and very different dreams, but they can't help themselves without helping one another (or their other friends too)!

Follow them all, together and separately as they try and figure out just what the heck they're doing with themselves and their lives.

There once was a sign outside of Jenny Wax, before the winter rains came that read, "Jenny Wax...What's your dream." It should have said, "Jenny Wax, where dreams come true." As Jenny and I blog over the next few months, you'll find out why we believe this to be our real motto!