(Above) 90’s Alexia - just getting started in radio (listener map behind me) I was promoted to my first major leadership role at 37. But the story starts long before that. When my children were in elementary school, I stepped away from my corporate job in search of something more flexible. Back then, there were [...]
Meet Mboka Jo, a healthy, curious three-month-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Mboka means community — home place, village and his name carries a story. His mother, Gladys, arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2013 at just four weeks old. She had been rejected at birth and needed intensive care - around-the-clock [...]
Years ago, I took a young lady from my team to lunch. We did this often to check in—not about work, but about life. When we returned to the office, I said, “That was great. It’s so nice to know that everything is going well for you.” She looked at me, eyes filling with tears. [...]
Do you like this acorn I drew? I’m a freshly minted art student. An earnest, but slightly out of practice one! With my pencils and notepad in tow, I eagerly stepped into Drawing for Beginners at Baker Hunt Art & Cultural Center last week. This clunky acorn is the result. Frame worthy? I don't think [...]
Above: The Ultimate Rookie, Alexia - kindergarten, Bloom School, Louisville, Kentucky 1972. Thanks Dad for the cute outfit. It’s amazing I didn’t suffocate in that turtleneck and vest in the August heat. 🥵 We all love a rookie. The unlimited potential. The newness. Rookies have a willingness to just do it. Not overthink, but jump [...]
The photo above is from Blink, a city-wide art projection festival in Cincinnati and Covington. This is the Cincinnati Museum Center with a man wearing a sports coat, arms raised victoriously. It was my first "Dad Spotting." I'd like to believe it was my dad assuring me, "Hey, I'm good. Just hanging out in one of [...]
Does just the thought of the holiday season make your heart race? So much to do, people to see, and things to think about. It's daunting. But there are oodles of ways to stay balanced and at peace during the busiest time of the year. It's your time, too, and with a few things in [...]
Above: "Throwback to [2015] Thanksgiving where [cousin] Dean Valavanis precariously placed his phone on fine crystal." A memory that makes me smile. Thank you! Merci! Gracias! Efcharistó! Whatever your language, showing appreciation will without a doubt, change your life. In 2014, I entered the holiday season after hitting the reset button on my life. Recently [...]
Hetch Hetchy at Yosemite - November 4, 2019 "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." African Proverb Yosemite National Park is breathtaking, especially in autumn. The grand valley, the daunting cliffs, the sunset bouncing off the giant walls of granite - it's majestic! In early November, [...]
(above: Flying Pig Fans - 4th & Garrard, Covington, Kentucky - May 5, 2019) Want to run a race? You're not alone. Motivation: Set a Goal Last October, I made a deal with my best friend, “I’ll run a 5K, if you lead that group.” We'd been chatting about things on our girls' weekend in [...]
