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Food & Drink November 9, 2023

The Booze Tales

Here at House of Coco we love indulging in a sparkling beverage at the end of a long day and we’re equally enthralled by the stories behind some of favourite indie booze brands. Come with us as we get intoxicated by these booze tales from around the world…

Old Curiosity Distillery, Edinburgh

theoldcuriosity.co.uk

When Hamish quit the family drinks business to travel in North America, little did he suspect that learning from a medicine man in the forest would trigger an obsession with botanicals and lead him to take a punt on a derelict glasshouse on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Moving his family out of the city, he had the vision of building a home for them on an enchanting piece of land at the foot of the Pentland Hills and a better life centered around nature. He now spends his days wild swimming at sunrise and working with some of 600 herbs and flowers grown at his Secret Herb Garden to create naturally colour-changing gins. Look out for their partnership with Marks & Spencer’s on a British Rose and British Lavender gins available up and down the country and also for dandelions, Hamish’s good luck herb.

GEM & BOLT, Mexico

gemandbolt.com

The magical realism of Mexico resonated with bohemian artists AdrinAdrina and Elliott Coon so much so they wanted to share it with the world through their own brand of mezcal. It’s a mystical feminine spirit thanks to ‘Agave’, the female deity combined with an infusion with damiana historically used by the Maya, Aztec, Zapotec culture as a heart opener. Take a sip of GEM&BOLT and be transported to a far-away, magical fiesta, saturated in colour and stories. Mezcal is thought of as medicinal by many Oaxacan people, so no excuses!

Edinburgh Gin 1670, Edinburgh

edinburghgin.com

After 12 months of experimenting with some of the 13,000 species of plants grown at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Head Distiller of Edinburgh Gin, David Wilkinson chose six botanicals fresh from the garden to go into the distillery’s 2018 gin release. Named after the year that ‘The Botanics’, as the garden is affectionately referred to, was established, this gin celebrates the importance of botanicals with its unique, fresh taste. This distillery has created a contender for its garden party Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur – now available in handy cans for all your picnic needs.

GRL PWR SOUR, Portland

10barrel.com

We recently chatted with the unstoppable Emma McIlroy, CEO of Wildfang, the activist, feminist clothing smashing the patriarchy from Portland who told us tales of a special collaboration with 10 Barrel Brewing Co. The GRL PWR Sour beer was dreamt up, brewed and labelled by an all-girl gang. “We wanted to make a statement about women’s empowerment,” said Emma and the pineapple mint sour certainly does that with a tangy shakedown to the traditionally male-dominated brewing industry. To find out more about the creative scene in Portland and the incredible work of Wildfang, head over to the ‘Girl Boss’ series on houseofcoco.net

Lifestyle November 9, 2023

What Are The Global Food Safety Initiative Standards, And How Are They Different From The FD&C Act?

If you are interested in knowing more about the standards used for the imported ingredients in private food label manufacturing, you’ll want to learn about the ordinances bulk and wholesale importers must maintain.

Food importers have strict safety and quality standards in place. However, there are some that do much more for the standard of living of farmers and offer superior payment methods above and beyond those suggested by the government. It is this kind of attention to ethical practices and sustainability that private food label producers demand from their ingredient suppliers.

What Is GFSI?

The Global Food Safety Initiative sets out to bring together every key player in the food industry. They continuously collaborate to drive improvements in the management of food safety systems all over the world. Their vision is to provide safe food for consumers in every country and build a trustworthy supply chain.

The GFSI is run by volunteers who are global leaders in food safety in the food service industry, manufacturing, and retail. They are a respected and credible overseer for international organizations and governments. They are trusted to provide statistics and data about food production conditions in other countries.

What Is The FD&C Act?

The FDA is accountable for enforcing the FD&C Act. It is designed to protect the health, safety, and pricing structure for consumers. The rules and regulations apply to both domestic and imported products equally. This is to ensure that the foodstuffs are safe, contain no restricted or prohibited ingredients, and the labeling is truthful.

When it deals with crops that are imported from other countries, the Act regulates what pesticides have been used on the crops and whether the product can be safely integrated into the biosystem of the country.

How Bulk And Wholesale Importers Obtain Regulated Food Crops

Private food labels use importers, such as Linbro Inc, that source their ingredients from suppliers who regularly inspect the crop growers’ farms and facilities. They are required to be compliant with GFSI standards such as BRC (British Retail Consortium) and FSSC 22000.

FSSC 22000 is the Food Safety System Certification that provides an effective framework for managing an organization’s food safety responsibly. It is based on current ISO Standards that ensure a company has robust food safety systems in place. This meets the high standards that private food labels and their customers demand from the ingredients they use. It is based on current ISO Standards that ensure a company has robust food safety systems in place.

There are massive opportunities for financial savings when a company uses a consolidated food delivery service. This is where multiple items supplied from multiple suppliers are shipped using a single container. This can be done directly from the warehouse in the export country or from a holding vendor in the United States.

With food safety and cost-effective delivery methods in place, it is no wonder that manufacturers are choosing to source high-quality imported foods from bulk and wholesale transporters. They are crucial in finding the best ingredients for any criteria.

Empire of Japan November 9, 2023

Eight Not So Familiar Herbs You Should Think About Growing

The time has arrived to think beyond basil, parsley, and garlic and start thinking out of the box when it comes to herbs. Herbs give a lovely depth of flavor to otherwise bland food, and some of them are beneficial to our health and overall wellbeing.

Look at these ten herbs that you can utilize to expand your range and bring much joy to your garden, yourself, and the bees.

1. Sweet Bergamot (Monarda didyma)

Also referred to as Oswego tea or bee balm, this herb is originating from North America and tastes like bergamot with a touch of thyme and mint. If you are a lover of Earl Grey tea, then this bee-friendly infusion is going to tickle your fancy for sure.

2. Lettuce-Leaved Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)

Basil may not sound out of the ordinary, but this one is monstrous. A single leaf sits perfectly on a sandwich, and it tastes similar to sweet basil, just more intense. You can grow it in a pot, somewhere in a warm and sheltered corner.

3. Summer Savory (Satureja Hortensis)

If you love cooking with thyme, then you’ll enjoy summer savory. This spicy, sweet, and peppery herb is an excellent pairing with beans, and it has a pungent aroma. You can infuse it under the skin when making roast chicken, with cabbage or pork dishes. It is perfectly content in a pot exposed to sunlight in free-draining soil. Visit trottingthroughtime.com for more insightful herb-related articles.

4. Japanese Wild Parsley (Mitsuba)

Sort of a mix between celery and parsley with a touch of coriander and sorrel this herb is subtle. The sprouts can be used for salads, and the leaves resemble parsley. This herb loves shady areas and will taste bitter when grown in the sun.

5. Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

Holy basil is an excellent herb for brewing tea and gives off a heavenly aroma of liquorice, peppermint, cloves, and lemons. This herb flourishes in the sun and can be grown in a pot on the windowsill. It is easier to buy young plants since it can be tricky growing them from the seeds.

6. Korean Mint (Agastache Rugose)

A mix between basil and mint. The leaves have a distinct minty aroma with a touch of aniseed. Bees love this attractive plant that grows up to a meter. You can plant it in sunny or partially shaded areas with humus-rich soil. It is an excellent flavouring for fish stews and spicy dishes.

7. Houttuynia cordata

An excellent choice for growing in the margins of a pond. You can buy chameleon, which is white, green and pink or the more refined double white flower variety. It tastes anything between floral and fish sauce and smells like orange peel. It can be consumed raw or in a fish curry.

8. Par-Cel Cutting Celery

Par-cel is a cross between celery (not easily grown) and parsley (easily grown). These plants are produced for the leaves rather than the stems and taste sweeter than celery leaves. It is excellent for soups and stocks and very healthy. It can be planted in partial shade or sunny areas.

Designer November 9, 2023

#Cocofashion: the sustainable, stylish brand you’ll want to be wearing this summer

Here at House of Coco we are always on the lookout for stylish brands making an impact in the fashion industry. If you haven’t come across Asquith London yet I guarantee once this conscious fashion brand is on your radar, you’ll be spotting it regularly in your yoga class, on the school run and in your local coffee shop.

Founded by Alice Asquith in 2002, this yoga and activewear range combines high quality with style and best of all this ethical, eco-friendly brand is not just for the yoga mat, it can be styled for a more relaxed day look. Alice who was taught to ‘make and mend’ by her grandmother has always made her own clothing, when we meet at the Asquith Eco Summit, she is sporting a stylish floral jacket she made in her 20’s and it still looks chic and timeless on her. She greets me like an old friend and wants to know what I think of the brand. I’ve got to be honest, hands up, I hadn’t come across Asquith until recently. My yoga kit is mainly dominated by Nike staples and the odd piece of Lulu Lemon however I’ve a feeling this is about to change.

The new collection is a range of wearable staples, beautifully designed with soft, durable fabrics. It’s inspired by Alice’s love of Miami and its Art Deco buildings. Pops of blue and white are scattered throughout the pieces. Asquith’s style is classic yet flattering and multi-functional, you can easily take it outside the studio. I have to be honest, I live in my Asquith Harem pants and have my eye on their jumpsuit, ideal for travelling in.

The range features two core fabrics, Bamboo and Bambor (a natural performance fabric Alice developed and trademarked). Both are ethically made in a Global Organic Textile Standard approved factory in Turkey. Bamboo is an environmentally low-impact and sustainable fabric, it’s ideal for activewear as it’s breathable, naturally anti-bacterial and wicks moisture from the body to the exterior of the fabric so it can evaporate more easily. Asquith is always innovating and looking for ways to increase their sustainability taking cues from leading fashion brands; “Stella McCartney is leading the way when it comes to sustainable fashion, says Alice. She lives and breathes sustainability with her brand. And I love her use of modern, innovative fabrics and technology and focus on a more circular economy”.

It’s evident that Alice is on mission to produce stylish pieces that are made with love and you can feel that her new collection is a labour of love. Asquith is not just about the environment, its about the people. Alice regularly visits the factory in Turkey that makes her collection, run by a strong female matriarch character. “It’s like one big family, we lunch together, swap recipes and there’s a real sense of togetherness” she says.

Asquith is a brand that produces gorgeous clothes with a conscience. For more information on the collection visit www.asquithlondon.com

Travel November 9, 2023

8 Helpful Sun Protection Tips For Visiting Maui

As we get older, our skin is getting thinner and fragile. Years of exposure to the sun contribute to natural aging effects which can lead to a skin which is more prone to the sun’s harmful rays and become less able to repair sun damage.

Aging skin offers less sweat, making it more problematic to cool the body effectively. As a result, we have a higher risk of getting sunstroke or overheating.

It doesn’t take much to sustain skin damage from the sun. Using sunscreen can help by protecting the skin, reducing the risk of skin cancer and effectively reducing further damage from happening.

The Three Main Ways Of Protecting Your Skin Against Sun Damage Are:

Sun avoidance – A distinct way of protecting your skin is to stay out of reach of the sun’s rays completely. But no-one wants to stay indoors all the time. Plus getting healthy sun poses many health benefits. Limit the time you are spending outdoors during peak sun hours.
Sunscreen – Always apply sunscreen with a good SPF when going outside.
Protective clothing – Make sure you cover your skin from the sun with protective clothing like sun hats and lightweight clothing.

Too many people spoil their Maui vacation by getting too much sun too quickly. With these 8 top recommendations, you can protect yourself from the sun while enjoying a well-deserved holiday.

1. Using The Appropriate Sunscreen

Look for a sunscreen with SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30. Check for products with ingredients like zinc oxide (Six percent or more), avobenzone, titanium dioxide, and a stabilizing molecule like helioplex. Visit https://mauibabe.com/ for excellent sun-protective products. When you are planning on swimming in the ocean, make sure you are utilizing a reef-safe sunscreen that is protecting the wildlife. Don’t use sunscreens that contain Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Butylparaben, Camphor, and 4-Methylbenzylidine.

2. Applying Sunscreen Correctly

Don’t wait until you are already at the beach. If this is the case, you are permitting enough time for the sunscreen to bind to skin cells. Make sure you are putting on at least an ounce of sunscreen about thirty minutes before doing outdoor activities. Re-apply every two hours and more regularly if you are sweating or swimming.

3. Applying Enough

The recommended dose is applying a full ounce of sunscreen.

4. Wearing A Hat With Three To Four Inches Brim

A baseball cap doesn’t provide full protection. It doesn’t protect your ears and neck, usual areas where skin cancer starts developing. People often forget the top of their feet as well.

5. Wearing Protective Clothes

Darker colors offer better protection as opposed to light ones. The UV radiation can still penetrate through small holes in the fabric’s weave; therefore, wear clothing that has a tighter weave.

6. Don’t Use Just A Beach Umbrella

You can still get sunburn since the sun reflects off the sand. Use your umbrella in conjunction with the other tips mentioned here.

7. Protecting Your Eyes

Make sure you wear a pair of UV-blocking sunglasses that blocks 99 to a 100 percent UVB and UVA radiation.

8. Find Shelter

Look for trees with dense branches and leaves butremember to still wear sunscreen even if you are in the shade, as the sun can penetrate through the leaves.

Lifestyle November 9, 2023

The Trends Of Coffee In 2018

You can’t deny the increase shops nationwide, with more chains and independent stores opening their doors. The selection and availability of one of the world’s most loved beverages has expanded massively in recent years, with ingredients and ways of offering the ‘coffee drinking experience’ becoming more innovative with every new creation.

But how has this changed the nations love of coffee? With a great focus on sustainability, organic sources, health-conscious options, and quirky flavours, we look at the rise in popularity of coffee beverages and which trends we can expect to become the standard in UK coffee shops of the future.

The coffee industry on an international scale

Across developed countries, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages. World coffee production for the 2017-18 period is estimated at around 158.78 million bags — an increase of 0.7% compared to 2016-17 — while coffee’s global market value is anticipated to see a 5.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Looking at the industry from a UK perspective, the British Coffee Association claims that we drink around 95 million cups of coffee a day.

An insight to the cold-brew coffee

Cold coffee is expected to become a big hit here in Britain. Cold-brew is more than just ‘cold coffee’ — and it’s not iced coffee either. Cold-brew coffee is brewed with cold or room-temperature water over 12 to 24 hours. The reason it’s growing in popularity is because it often features a mellower, sweeter, more full-bodied taste with less acidity. More than that, it’s easily bottled and ideal for on-the-go coffee consumers, which makes it convenient for those who don’t have time in the morning to queue and order a hot option.

In 2017 in the United States, cold-brew coffee sales increased by an astonishing 80%. Considering that cold-brew coffee is also easier to brew in large batches, there’s no reason that coffee shops shouldn’t be on board.

An insight to nitrogen-infused coffee

Nitro-brew coffee is a type of cold-brew beverage served on tap and infused with nitrogen that delivers a creamy, ice-cold drink that has the look and texture of a pint of ale! Recently, Starbucks introduced it to its UK outlets after success in the United States and it’s highly probable that other chains and independent shops will follow suit.

The rise of ethical coffee

More people have taken a focus on sustainability and expect this from all of the companies they interact with — whether this is a fashion brand or a coffee shop.

Today, more brands are pledging to become eco-friendlier — from paper cups to fair trade products. Starbucks, for example, announced in March this year that it was launching a new gadget that would allow its coffee farmers to log key information regarding their practices.

“Over the next two years, we will look to demonstrate how technology and innovative data platforms can give coffee farmers even more financial empowerment. We’ll leverage an open-source approach to share what we learn with the rest of the world” commented Kevin Johnson, chief executive officer at Starbucks.

Millennials are influenced by ethical values and will buy from brands if they know that sustainable practices have been put in place and are overall, environmentally friendly. So, anticipate less plastic and more traceability when it comes to discovering where your coffee is sourced and how it got to your cup.

An insight to flat coffee

Believe it or not, 10% of orders in well-known coffee chains are for flat whites. Currently an emerging trend and set to become a regular entry on most coffee shops’ menu boards, drinks such as flat blacks and even flat mochas are gearing up to challenge the popularity of the flat white — so keep an eye out for it at your local cafe.

Street coffee
Over the recent years, we’ve witnessed an increase in pop-up street food locations — and the beverages served are one great aspect.

“Now a lot of people are leaving nine-to-five jobs in finance, tech and marketing. They see it as a low-risk way of setting up a restaurant without having to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds” commented the Head of Marketing at KERB Alison O’Reilly.

Considering the rising popularity of cold-brew coffee — suited to spring and summer — alongside hot-coffee options — ideal for autumn and winter; launching a coffee street food business offers the potential to be a lucrative, year-round venture. Evidently, we can expect major industry and product changes in the coffee sector — but considering its positive outlook, will it encounter competition from other beverage types?

Sources:

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/coffee-market

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/uk-coffee-week-2018-british-people-drinking-millions-cups-day-consumption-rise-a8307206.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/flat-white-coffee-culture-antipodean-mcdonalds-advert-starbucks-latte-a8246111.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/street-food-2018-sophistication-why-kerb-club-mexicana-bao-pop-brixton-street-feast-a8186716.html

https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/uk-milk-alternative-sector-to-soar-by-43-by-2022

https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-to-pilot-bean-to-cup-traceability

https://www.ft.com/content/a3f69e50-51c8-11e7-a1f2-db19572361bb

https://www.statista.com/statistics/779089/coffee-sales-growth-type/

Business November 9, 2023

#WomenWorldwide: Don’t Listen To The Nay-Sayers with Camille Marie Coaching & Sacred Sensual Soul

Our interviewee today, Camille, started her entrepreneurial journey how many of us do – working 9 to 5 (what a way to make a living). She knew she had a message and mission to share but was afraid to take the leap.

Since taking that leap, Camille has found the freedom that allows her to do great work with both Camille Marie Coaching and sister business Sacred Sensual Soul which focuses on human sexuality.

Camille, as you can imagine, is filled with great wisdom – so let’s get into it…

HOC: Great to meet you, Camille . You started your journey to being an entrepreneur while working 9-5, is that right?

Camille: You too! Yes, you’re right. I started toying with the idea of becoming an entrepreneur around the Summer of 2016. I knew I had a message and mission to share but I was scared to take the leap and go out on my own. I’d been struggling with loving the work I did at the agency I worked for, but hated having to answer to the bureaucracy of an employer and being required to work a set schedule while raising three little boys. I’ve never been one who has worked well with a set schedule and wanted more freedom.

Since 2008 I’ve worked in social services and found it frustrating to always be limited by policies and procedures that didn’t always fit every situation for the clients I worked with. I’m a very creative and innovative person and if I saw a way something could be done better and challenged it, I would often times hear the reply, “this is how it’s always been done and will continue to be done”. If upper management did agree that my recommended changes were reasonable, the policy or procedure in question would have to go to some type of human resources or quality control department to review and make changes themselves, who had limited knowledge of what they were even working with. It was so frustrating for me.

HOC: And where did you go from that point of frustration?

Camille: I started baby steps over the next year and a half by building my websites, getting my LLC and developing documents I would need to run my businesses. Sometime around Spring 2018 I was notified by my employer that they were shutting down the program I was a part of. I was offered a position in another department, but I knew I wanted to continue the work I had been doing, and that I could do it on my own. I saw it as a sign from the universe that it was go time; that was the push I needed to branch off and really launch.

In August 2018 Camille Marie Coaching, LLC officially opened. It was terrifying, and exhilarating. I’m not sure I would have done it, at least not that soon if I had not been laid off from the position I had. That was a huge lesson to me that the universe creates what looks like obstacles, but are really doors opening if we allow ourselves to get uncomfortable and move through it.

I launched my second business Sacred Sensual Soul shortly after. Initially, I was going to have them both under one business name but got market feedback in a soft launch that it was weird to people to have sex coaching and parent coaching under the same business, so split them up into two separate ones. They function completely separately although over time I’ve been getting moms I’ve worked with as a parent coach initially, who then become clients for sex coaching.

HOC: Such an amazing progression. How did you get your businesses off the ground, who were your first clients?

Camille: My first business, Camille Marie Coaching (CMC), LLC got a contract with Washington State’s Children’s Administration in August 2018 to teach evidence based parenting classes to parents involved with Child Protective Services. For this contract, we serve families who have lost custody of their children due to abuse or neglect and have been court ordered to attend parenting classes in attempts to regain custody of their children. At that same time CMC began offering the same classes to the public sector as well, both in person and online. The online classes have been awesome to launch because it allows parents from literally anywhere in the world connect with me and has allowed more families access because of the easy accessibility. I’ve also noticed that some people just engage better when they have that veil of the screen between you and them. It’s just the world we are in today with technology. My agency also started offering trainings to foster care agencies on topics related to children such as anxiety in children. Because I had been in the industry so long, word spread quickly that I had an agency offering these great parenting classes and trainings.

Soon after this, CMC started offering additional programming to support families who have children with learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, as well as other diagnoses such as Anxiety, ADHD and Autism. Most of these children need specific accommodations in their school setting to be successful, and CMC works with the school staff to ensure that there is written documentation of the accommodations that child needs. CMC also helps come up with behaviour intervention techniques that will help the child thrive in school settings as well as at home.

HOC: What amazing work to be doing, but quite different from the work you do with Sacred Sensual Soul, as you mentioned…

Camille: I guess so! I’ve always been comfortable talking about and learning about human sexuality. In 2016 I started a Masters Program in Human Sexuality which gave me a lot of detail about female anatomy I had NO idea about.

It fascinated me that I had so little knowledge about my own body, ( didn’t even know what I didn’t know, until I knew!) and realized many other women were in the same boat. I took courses on communication in sexuality. I began to learn about what my turn on was. I studied almost obsessively about mind-body connection and became incredibly familiar with the philosophy of Tantra (which I use in my work with women) and the importance of mindfulness. I read all things divine goddess.

In the process I came across exercises and techniques to get more and more in touch with the body which in the process, led to a deep understanding that the body is a vessel to my own divine goddess. I also began coming up with my own techniques to connect mind, body and soul which was incredibly healing. Throughout this process I developed a knowing that if I could tap into that energy, it could be an endless source of vitality. I began sharing my ideas with friends, asking them to apply some of my concepts and exercises and had such good feedback!

That was when it became clear to me that I wanted to bring this information to other women as a practice. To help women heal, to feel empowered, to find their voice for their body, their temple, their needs, wants and desires. And so, Sacred Sensual Soul opened for clients the summer of 2018 as well. I have been working on an interactive workbook for women putting all of these ideas to paper, that I hope to one day publish.

HOC: It’s a very interesting topic and not one we hear too much about here in the UK.

Camille: I work with women to help undo any stigma they may have around their sexuality that may have been placed by society, religion, family messaging, or experiences with partners they’ve had. It’s astounding, and sad to me how many women have rejected their own feelings and desires due to conditioning from these sources. It’s astounding to me how much emphasis there is on the man’s needs, wants and desires, and yet women feel uncomfortable even being curious about, or asking for their own. When I work with women, I really try to help them feel comfortable with identifying things like figuring out what their turn on is; kink, intellectual conversation, romance, physical touch, quality time. This is so important for a woman to know, because it’s an example of how her desire matters, and this knowledge can then give them a voice to ask for what they need to actually want to, or look forward to intimacy with their partner.

I teach women how to identify what about intimacy they enjoy, (and how to speak up about what they don’t!) and to practice that so that the focus isn’t on orgasm alone. Through this process I give them tools to learn how to embrace, honour and get in touch with their body, so that they learn that mind-body connection IS their source of their sexuality and it doesn’t have to come from someone else. Often times I will give women homework of doing some of the exercises I was talking about before to learn to connect with their body. For example, teaching women how to do breast massage. I will encourage them to make it a part of a routine in their day, such as after getting out of the shower. I’ll suggest they use a lotion or oil that smells good to them so that it is another way they are intentionally serving themselves. This may sound trivial, or nonsensical. However, the breasts are a beautiful gift to women that can be honored as a piece of their femininity. Not only is breast massage a way to take a moment to slow down and serve your inner goddess, it circulates the lymphatic system, and can also provide self pleasure. For women who are not comfortable with their bodies, this simple exercise, with the intentions can be helpful with that. I love that it requires no one else.

A huge part of the shift towards empowerment that sex coaching gives women, is to learn how to communicate with their partners. It is not uncommon that many couples can have sex, but are uncomfortable communicating about it which can result often times in a woman’s needs/wants/desires to go unmet. I’ve found often times that when a woman opens up communication with her partner about these things to honor herself, he is more than happy to oblige.

I also help women learn to turn within for their own sexual gratification, and power. Rather than relying on what family thinks, or even their partner. This helps women to learn to connect with their inner goddess and let her guide how they show up each day. The book, Pussy, A Reclamation by Regena Thmashauer is a great resource for more information about that.

HOC: Being someone that has worked in a number of fields, how did you know that what you do now was right for you?

Camille: I’ve always loved working with families and children. Even before college, I worked at a preschool and loved babysitting as a teenager. I always knew I would work with youth in some way. When I learned about the parenting classes curriculum I knew it would be perfect fit for me and have done it for the past 11 years. It’s been easy for me to continue that work in my own business.

For the work with Sacred Sensual Soul, as I mentioned, I’ve always been fascinated by human sexuality and comfortable talking about it. When I had my spiritual awakening start in 2016, I noticed that I started to let go of what society around me had told me I “should” feel, act, dress and respond in regard to my sexuality. And when I say sexuality, I mean my inner goddess, my divine soul, my true nature…I wanted all of me to be in alignment instead of how I thought I “should” be. As I began to educate myself on female anatomy, female orgasm and pleasure, societal conditioning, the trauma women endure from suppressing their truth, it all came down to this innate piece in women needing to be seen and understood; their sexuality. Because it can be the powerhouse of every female.

I learned through my awakening how powerful it can be to have a deeper understanding of all of those things and harness the power that comes from knowledge about one’s self in this area. I knew it was a calling to share this information with other women. It was like I HAD to do it.

That purpose gets stronger the more women I work with and, the more I learn about the different journeys that bring so many women to the same space of just craving a deeper understanding and knowing about their bodies and sexuality. So many women think there’s something wrong with them and a little education and undoing of social conforming goes a really long way! I’m still working on my interactive workbook that I know will be so educational and moving.

HOC: Really fascinating businesses you run. We imagine that it’s not always been smooth sailing; what challenges have you had to overcome to build your business?

Camille: One challenge I’ve had in being such a small agency, is that I’ve had to learn to do a lot of things that are not strengths of mine. If something is not a strength of mine, I tend to put off taking care of it which can have negative impacts.

To overcome this, I’ve really learned to hone in on what I can delegate to others, so things don’t pile up. I’ve hired an accountant to handle my billing and now have a virtual assistant to manage things that are just not in my wheelhouse.

At first it was hard for me to do, asking others to do things for me. But I’ve learned that it allows more creative space for me, and gives me the time and freedom to focus on what I am good at and can grow my businesses more. These investments have been tremendously helpful so that I don’t get bogged down on details that I’m not good at.

Another challenge I’ve had is that I’m a mom to 3 little boys who is driven by her career, and also doesn’t want to miss a moment of my children’s life. I have to constantly be weighing each day. This is where time blocking is helpful.

HOC: Great advice! For our readers looking to start out on their own, what would you say?

Camille: Know that it’s scary in the beginning. And you WILL get resistance. Lean into it. Don’t let the challenges convince you that it means you’re not doing what your soul knows is right for you. If you have passion burning inside of you for something, if you have an idea, you have the ability. The universe wouldn’t give you the idea if you couldn’t do it.

Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. There will always be someone who will try to convince you otherwise.

It is helpful to write out exactly what you want. Refer out work that is not in your wheelhouse as soon as you can, however you can, so that those things you suck at and put off don’t slow you down. Do this by hiring people, or if you can’t afford that yet, do a trade or find a high school or college student who will do it for low cost.

HOC: You have such an energy, where do you get your inspiration from?

Camille: I get my inspiration from women in my everyday life who are examples to me of shining their light. For example, my natural path doctor, Dr. Kellie Lawler who is fierce and knows how to be soft, and give tough love at the same time is an inspiration to me. Or my friend Michelle Green who is an empath, and amazing mother, is an inspiration to me.

There’s also my son’s 3rd grade teacher who embraced the challenges he put in front of her with love, is an inspiration to me. My mom, who always sees beauty in nature is an inspiration to me. My grandmother who was always good to everyone is an inspiration to me. And finally, my cousin Lysa who is always standing her ground is an inspiration to me.

I also get inspiration from nature. I always find peace, and inspiration in nature. I plan quarterly “mommycations” where I find a cabin in the mountains and go for a weekend, typically by myself to just connect with nature and unwind.

HOC: And finally, how do you get yourself out of a creative funk?

Camille: I tend to get in a funk when I have too much going on in my life and can’t get my head clear. When this happens I’ll look at my schedule and usually see I’ve gotten a bit sloppy about time blocking and will then work on making that a priority again.

I’ve learned that for me it is crucial that I have time in the morning to work out, meditate and be calm before I get my day going. Days that I start off like this are my most productive.

I think it’s important for someone to know when they do best with getting their creative juices flowing. For some people, it’s in the AM, and for others, it’s in the PM. I do best with creativity in the evening after my kids have gone to bed, with a glass of wine. I think this works best for me because I know that I have no time constraints and it’s a peaceful time in my home.

Find out more about Camille’s work at CamilleMarieCoaching.com and SacredSensualSoul.com

Travel November 9, 2023

The Biggest Poker Tournaments Held in Las Vegas Each Year Poker

Poker is among the most popular casino games in the world. While Las Vegas attracts all kinds of gamblers, poker players are unique in the level of skill and strategy that they need to develop in order to be able to play the game well. As a result, the biggest poker tournaments in the world attract some of the biggest names in the game.

In addition to the relatively small number of professional gamblers who come to Las Vegas, there are also a huge number of amateur players. Many of the biggest poker tournaments in Las Vegas attract players, not because they offer them a small chance to win millions of dollars, but because they bring in such large numbers of lower level players who are looking to make their mark.

The following poker tournaments are some of the biggest in Las Vegas in terms of the number of people who show up to enter. Many of these tournaments are run daily and have no trouble filling the casino halls each and every day. If you are a poker hopeful who wants to compete at the highest levels of the game, then these are the tournaments that you need to know about.

Aria Resort and Casino

With a massive 24-table room in which to play poker and other card games, the ARIA Resort and Casino is one of the most popular casinos on the strip. Being easily accessible and busy throughout the year, the ARIA provides a variety of options for players. There is a multitude of tournaments and cash prizes for players to win. See some poker sites on Fliptroniks.

Not only is the ARIA popular with punters in Vegas, but it is also the site of many of the biggest poker tournaments in the world. Among the big tournaments that are contended here are the World Poker Tour and the Super High Roller Bowl. Both of these tournaments bring in some of the biggest names in poker today.

Tournaments are held at 1pm and 7pm Monday to Thursday and at 11am and 7pm on Friday and the weekend. The buy-in for the Monday to Thursday games is $140, while the Friday, Saturday and Sunday games are $240 buy-ins.

Bally’s Hotel & Casino

Bally’s is another popular high-end casino on the Las Vegas Strip. There are a number of tournament games available here that cater to all levels of player. The daily $500 guaranteed tournaments have a buy-in of $60. These tournaments are run every day at 9am, 3am, 5pm and 11pm. At noon each day, there is a $1,000 guaranteed tournament with a $75 buy-in and finally, there is a $2,000 guaranteed game with a $100 buy-in at 8pm every day.

The average turnout for a tournament at Bally’s is somewhere in the region of 20-30 players. Bally’s is also known as a friendly location for new and inexperienced players, so if you haven’t played a tournament before, then this is a good place to start.

Bellagio

The casino hosts daily tournaments which begin at 2pm with a minimum buy-in of $130. There is an average of 40 to 50 participants in each tournament, so you need to be pretty confident in order to enter. Big names who regularly appear at the Bellagio include Doyle Brunson and Eli Elezra. Bellagio is known as one of the best venues to play card games in, owing to its large capacity of 40 individual tables.

The casino itself is very easy to access using the Las Vegas public transport system. Alternatively, you can walk here from many of the other nearby casinos. Bellagio features large crowds every single day and is the host of a range of events every year, including the daily tournaments.

Binion’s Gambling Hall

Binion’s gambling hall is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of the biggest poker tournament of them all, the World Series of Poker. The ambience in Binion’s is that of a classic casino; this is another reason why it is so popular with players of all skill levels and from all backgrounds. There are several tournaments hosted at the casino. The million-dollar wall, as it is known, contains photos of all the most famous poker players to have won the World Series of Poker, including Doyle Brunson and Stu Ungar.

Tournaments are hosted every day at 1pm and 8pm. There is a $60 buy-in with the option of rebuying at $20. There is an average of 35-40 people that enter the tournaments every day, so there is plenty of competition. You can also treat yourself to some of the best food in Las Vegas here.

Caesar’s Palace

This is one of the most instantly recognisable names in the whole casino industry. So, it’s fitting that it also hosts one of the most popular tournaments in all of Vegas. There is an average of 55-60 competitors who compete in the daily tournaments at Caesar’s palace and the stakes are higher than many other daily tournaments.

To get a seat at a table in Caesar’s huge 16-table, 4,500 square foot poker room, you will need to put down at least $100 with $1,000 guaranteed, or $125 with $1,500 guaranteed, or you can dive in at the deep end with a $150 buy-in for a $2,000 guaranteed game.

Other Options

As with any city, Las Vegas is a constantly evolving place. As a result, there are bound to be new tournaments being drawn up all the time and many casinos will change their offerings to suit shifts in the demographics of the market itself. You can check out this list of some of the biggest poker tournaments in Vegas for a more comprehensive run-down of all the tournaments that any Vegas fan needs to know about.

There are plenty of tournaments for players to choose from in Las Vegas. No matter what your prior experience or skill level, there are plenty of big tournaments that welcome in ambitious beginners. Just make sure you do your research beforehand.

Antigua and Barbuda November 9, 2023

Success Worldwide : Weathering The Storm to Come out on Top with RumJava

Mindy and Brian are the founders of RumJava, a brand that has a story to tell. With their love story being the inspiration to launching the business, its hard not to fall in love with them as much as you will with their product.

Here, we spent some time with Brian finding out more about how they overcame adversity, came out of a life threatening hurricane stronger than ever and what their plans are for the future…

Tell us about the journey that lead to you launching Rum Java?
Our story is a bit of a love story. Mindy and I love to travel, share experiences and make memories. Early in our relationship, in 2002, Mindy and I went on holiday together to the island of St John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As we were falling in love with each other, we also started falling in love with St. John and its Caribbean culture. In 2003, we were engaged on a sailboat just off St. John and in 2004, we were married on St. John’s idyllic Turtle Bay Point.

St. John is a very special place to us. Two thirds of the island is reserved national park and, at that time, there weren’t any cell phone towers which made it a perfect place for us to truly escape from cell phones, laptops, and our very busy corporate lives. It became our special respite where we could completely relax and focus on one another.

Over the next nine years, our love affair with St John continued as we invested in property and found more and more reasons to spend time on the island. Ultimately, we decided to put down roots and we created a boutique gift and gourmet shop that also offered personalized concierge services and our very own Java’Mon coffee.Our goal was to help island visitors create memories and fall in love with St. John just as we had.

What inspired us to create our own coffee company?
During our many visits to St John, Mindy who loves her coffee, could never find a good cup of coffee on the island. To address this challenge, when we opened our store we decided to also open a coffee shop. It was a perfect opportunity to solve Mindy’s problem and we thought if she missed her coffee so much, other people would as well.

When we couldn’t find good beans to use in our coffee shop, we decided to learn how the coffee business works which resulted in us sourcing our own beans, creating our own unique coffee blends and creating our very own Java’Mon Coffee!

Java’Mon Coffee represents the combination of three passions, my love for Reggae music, our love for the Caribbean and Mindy’s love for coffee. On the island, Java’Mon Coffee was a run-away success, immediately.Given our goal to help people curate lifelong memories, we created and named coffee blends after our favourite places on the island. Soon, our coffee could be found in our shop, in hotel rooms, in local grocery stores, in local bars and restaurants and online.

So how did Java’Mon Coffee lead to RumJava?
Ironically, though Mindy has this amazing passion for coffee, I don’t drink coffee. I do however love rum. Mindy loves coffee but doesn’t drink rum.

The quest to find a way to create a cocktail we could actually enjoy together began.

We started with a vanilla rum-based espresso martini we call Mahtini’Mon. We partnered with local St. John bars and restaurants who served our Java’Mon coffee and were all too happy to serve a cocktail recipe we crafted using our Java’Mon Coffee Espresso. We cross promoted our coffee shop with the local bars and restaurants and it was a huge success. As we enjoyed our cocktail however, we noticed how much inconsistency there was in terms of both ingredient supply and in some cases the ability of bars to execute the cocktail.

One day in August 2016, we were sitting on the beach discussing the success of Java’Mon Coffee, the popularity of our cocktail, and the supply chain issues faced on an island such as St. John. We really wanted a consistent, high quality spirit which we could enjoy together and knew if we created one, our partner bars and restaurants would serve it, we could sell it in our store and we could certainly enjoy drinking it ourselves.

We began the process of learning about how to create a spirit.

We knew it had to be rum, we knew it had to have coffee, and we knew, coming from an island that is two-thirds reserved National Park, it had to be as sustainable as possible and made with all-natural ingredients. We also knew it needed to be well balanced. We wanted our rum to taste like rum so I would enjoy drinking it neat or on the rocks, but it also couldn’t be too strong or Mindy wouldn’t enjoy it. We wanted the coffee flavour to come through for Mindy but couldn’t be too strong or I would not enjoy drinking it. We set off to create the perfect balance.

We started the process by filling mason jars with a base rum and infused Java’Mon Coffee beans. We experimented with the number of beans and the length of time they sat in the rum and then added other natural flavours to achieve just the right balance.

We use high quality molasses from sugarcane grown in the Florida Everglades. After fermentation, our rum is distilled twice in a pot still with a copper column. A reclaimed, ionized water is used to lower the proof and we add freshly roasted coffee beans for at least 30 days to extract both colour and flavour. We use a different blend of beans depending on the flavour profile of the rum we are producing. The beans once extracted are dried and used for other things like making dark chocolate bars. We add other natural flavours, filter, hand bottle and hand seal. The end result is an extremely quaffable spirit appealing to a very wide demographic. RumJava is enjoyed neat, on the rocks, shaken and stirred in amazing, unique cocktails.

Another way to look at our quest to create RumJava; we wanted to create a spirit we could enjoy together while extending the range of cocktails on island by creating a one or two ingredient cocktail with a consistent supply chain and the ability to execute consistently. While we helped bars and restaurant introduce Espresso Martini’s, we also made it possible for them to offer a two ingredient Espresso Martini shot at speed bars.

And we crafted the perfect balanced spirit Mindy and I can enjoy together.

Your Instagram account is really fun, how much does social media play a part in your success?
We are so happy you find it fun, rum is fun. We want our RumJava brand to convey a certain level of sophistication yet be playful.

Our social media is purposely managed to reflect who we are, where we are from, and most importantly, the people who enjoy our RumJava. We try to build our content around our customers’ experiences, reflecting the people, places, and feelings our brand emotes.

Social media is a very important component of our strategy not just for followership or eyeballs on the brand but to help us build a culture around our brand. Many of our followers not only follow us on social media but they come see us wherever we are. The relationships, the real friendships we have built while building our brand will be with us forever. We believe it is more important to be authentic and convey the customer experience than to have refined, over-edited pictures of our bottles – its rum, it’s supposed to be fun!

You’ve overcome a lot to be where you are, most recently the devastation that Hurricane Irma caused. Can you tell us more about this and how you overcame it?
It is often said the things that don’t kill you make you stronger. Mindy and I survived 5 ½ hours of 265 mile per hour (mph) winds and it didn’t kill us, it made us stronger. Hurricane Irma really was a life changing event.

In the days leading up to the storm, we kept a close eye on the forecast and up until about 36 hours before Hurricane Irma hit St. John, she had a northerly track with winds of 135 mph. The storm track then dropped in a more westerly direction and we learned she was headed for a direct hit to the Virgin Islands.By this time it was too late to leave island, the ports, both land and sea, were closed; we boarded up our business, collected hurricane supplies and hunkered down for the storm. In the few hours leading up to landfall, the winds quickly accelerated from 135 to over 185 mph and they went up in strength from there.

Mindy and I have matching necklaces engraved with our wedding date and the coordinates of St. John.Just before Irma made landfall we were watching the news while the reporters showed the projected path of the storm.They announced the current location of the storm and it was within less than 10 degrees of the coordinates on our necklaces. Irma was headed for a direct hit on St. John and was forecast to make a turn, heading straight up through Florida where our Fort Lauderdale home would be in the most dangerous part of the storm and more importantly, two of our four daughters were also in the path of the storm.

And then it all started. We lost power, the wind, the rain, the falling trees, the flying debris, the water coming through the lights and electric sockets, the water building on the first floor, then the cracking windows and a piece of the roof breaking away. We created a safe room but couldn’t use it. The pressure was too much, the room was too hot and the unforgettable smell of the shredded trees coming in through the exhaust vents was too much.We moved a sofa near the front door, re-recorded our will, and placed our passports, phones, and some cash in a plastic bag and waited.

When it was all over, it was sheer devastation as far as the eye could see. There was not a leaf left on a tree, no green grass, and hillsides once lined with homes and thick with foliage, were barren. We didn’t have cell service and without communication we didn’t know where the storm was, where it was headed, and we feared it was on a direct path to Florida. Incredibly, we discovered a neighbour’s working cell phone with a random (but rapidly disappearing) signal and were able to get a call out to one of our daughters to let them know we had survived Irma and make sure they had appropriate plans given the severity of the storm.

We then made our way outside and walked two “island miles” over downed powerlines, telephone poles, through the shell-shocked community to our store. We climbed under the telephone pole on our roof and opened our store. Looking around we could see doors in trees, the collapsed structures, the vegetation-less hillsides and the mounds and mounds of debris where structures once stood. It was 24 hours before we saw the first helicopter pass over the island and days before we could find a reliable cell phone signal to communicate. Over the five days following the storm, we kept our store open when curfew allowed – we were all in shock and the store offered a place for people to share their stories, share hugs, let others know they were okay and simply decompress. Because of power issues, we gave away a lot of our inventory that required refrigeration. We assisted tourists in efforts to evacuate the island and finally were evacuated ourselves to Puerto Rico.

While we felt guilty leaving the island, as the next hurricane, Hurricane Jose, turned north and passed St. John, we boarded a boat bound through rough seas to Puerto Rico. The people of Puerto Rico were amazing. They rescued countless people, delivered much needed supplies, and lent a shoulder to cry on for so very many people. We left Puerto Rico three days later and with an overnight stay in Antigua, we made our way back to Florida safely but emotionally drained and sorely bruised from the experience.

Though Florida was spared from the same kind of storm we saw in the US Virgin Islands, tornadoes from the storm damaged a ceiling and five walls in our home in Fort Lauderdale – they had to be gutted. Within days of returning home Mindy’s Aunt passed away and, shortly thereafter, Hurricane Maria destroyed most of what the previous storms had not in the Atlantic/Caribbean basin, including Puerto Rico.

It was a tough month, we were shattered and felt helpless as it related to the condition of our beloved island. We lost our business and our home on St. John, and there was little we could do to help repair the island and those in need.

We set out to find a way to heal and raise money for Hurricane relief.

We decided to create a blend of coffee and named it “Love City Strong” in honor of St. John (known as “Love City”).In short order, we sold 600 pounds of Love City Strong online with all proceeds sent back to St. John through two foundations established to provide disaster recovery and hurricane relief.

As part of our plan for RumJava, we wanted to get to the UK to participate in UK RumFest and see if the market would respond positively to our range of rums. We had our stand booked before Hurricane Irma and were well past the point of cancelling our participation in the event. Mindy suggested she would support the event, but I had to figure out how to make it happen, she was simply spent. It felt like this event was the only thing we had left, the only thing connecting us to our beloved St. John. We were preparing for a Caribbean festival in the UK and we needed it to heal, we needed it to help us move on, and we needed to see if anyone in the UK loved our rum as we did. We airfreighted our rum to the UK via Rotterdam, flew to London, and hosted a launch party at the rooftop Bar Elba with Caribbean Carnival Dancers and about 75 guests. It was just what we needed. Given supply chain challenges, our rum arrived at the venue an hour before the party started and had to be carried up five flights of stairs. We were so grateful for the opportunity to be there, we picked up the rum and started up the stairs! We brought our own brand of Caribbean Culture, Rum, and Coffee to London and had an amazing kickoff event thanks to the team at Bar Elba.

We are not afraid of hard work and Hurricane Irma made us realize how strong we truly are.

We had airfreighted our rum as well as marketing banners, merchandise and everything we could muster to pull together a stand at UK RumFest to our hotel.We carried rum, banners, coffee, chocolate, t-shirts etc. back and forth from our hotel to the RumFest location. We were the first ones to arrive onsite and the last to leave. Throughout the UK RumFest weekend, we poured everything we had into interacting with consumers, telling our story, and introducing them to our version of a Virgin Islands party in the UK. As it turned out, the UK loved us as much as we loved them. We made some lifelong friends and became the highest selling brand in the history of UK RumFest (a record we continue to hold.)

When we launched RumJava in April 2017 at Miami RumFest, we won three gold medals and became the highest selling rum in the history of Miami RumFest. In July 2017, we had our first distribution order which went to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Within two months, our entire world came crashing down. Pressing on and having the experience we did at UK RumFest not only gave us confidence and energy related to the UK Market, it gave us the confidence and energy to continue the pursue our dream.

RumJava is now in 8 states within the U.S., the Virgin Islands, and broadly across the UK. We are the highest selling rum in the history of the Miami RumFest, UK RumFest, and Poland’s Rum Love Festival by an order of magnitude.

Hurricane Irma changed our lives. She reminded us how important we are to each other, how important our family, friends, and pets are, how important our health is, how big our responsibility is to our environment and future generations, and how to crystalize our thoughts, muster all our energy to press on, and fight for our dreams together. She made us more appreciative and more resilient because she showed us how easily she could take it all away.The UK RumFest will always have a special place in our hearts and minds. The friendships, the mentorship from people like Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, the guidance, the well wishes, and the cultural revolution that has joined RumJava has given us the confidence and energy to pursue this passion; we will be forever grateful.

Who is behind the company and what roles do you all play?
Mindy and I (Brian) are RumJava’s co-founders. While we make all our investment and implementation decisions together, I am the company’s Chief Executive Officer and focused on production, operations, and market strategy. I also spend a lot of time in market working with bars, restaurants, and retailers to help position RumJava, create cocktails, menus and conduct training. Mindy is our Chief Creative Officer and is focused on design, styling, and brand imagery. Niki and Dustin Skartved lead our distillation, Nick Krasniqi is our UK market manager and Corey Siegel is our graphic designer. Mindy and I collaborate and make all decisions together from brand to flavour profile, design, aesthetic, market strategy, and investments.

What sets Rum Java apart from other rum brands on the market?
RumJava Artisan Crafted Rums are premium, coffee infused, and 100% all-natural. We have an authentic story and created a very quaffable and versatile spirit unlike anything on the market. Consumers and experts alike respect our authenticity, our packaging, and the quality and taste of our rum.

RumJava is sophisticated yet playful. And we passionately celebrate the experience of Caribbean culture, rum and coffee in every sip.

Talk us through a day in your life?
Hold hands, watch the sunrise (preferably while walking the dogs), go to the gym and at least get in some cardio and stretching and/or some hot yoga. The work day usually starts with a review of social media, primarily Instagram. We typically look at social media in the first hour of the day and this continues throughout the day, periodically, until we go to sleep. Mornings are then spent reviewing and responding to email, mostly those coming in late night from a different time zone, then it’s off into the market at around 10am. When in the UK, Nick and I make full use of the tube but walk at least 12 miles a day when we are in market. We meet with bars, restaurants, and retail partners, working to position RumJava with new clients. Typically, we are interested in how business and consumer culture meet. We spend time determining if and how RumJava fits in the environment. We also support clients who have already made a commitment to RumJava by working on drinks, menus and business metrics while conducting consumer tastings to ensure the brand is activated properly and will be successful for everyone. There are a lot of cocktails to try, photos to take and little time to eat. We are back in the hotel at the end of our day in market, most nights after 10 or 11 in the evening, and then it’s time to catch up on email related to the operation of the business…then we get ready to start all over in the morning.

What advice would you offer for anyone that is considering launching a business in your arena?
It is a tough business, do your research, and make sure you understand why you want to be in the business, your tolerance for risk, and how your product will get in the hands of the consumers. Is there something innovative about your idea or different than potential competitors? If you choose to go forward and don’t have any experience in the industry (like us), ask a lot of questions, be humble, listen to everyone wiling to give you advice but, in the end, follow sound business principles and listen to your gut.

The last piece of advice we would offer is that it is hard work and the real secret to success is a willingness to work hard.It all looks glamourous and we love every minute but it’s hard work and if you aren’t prepared, physically and mentally, it will be difficult to be successful and to develop a real understanding of the business, your consumer, and the industry.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
We love to travel and have been around the world three times. We enjoy fitness, especially hot yoga, we love to clear our minds, walk our dogs, play backgammon, and do a little limin’ anywhere there is a beach, especially on St. John or Fort Lauderdale Beach. We also enjoy getting out on the water in the US and British Virgin Islands. There is always time for a spin on the Ducati or a Chelsea Football match.

What does 2020 look like for you?
2020 is an extremely exciting year for RumJava! We have learned a great deal in the past 24 months, and you will see us very focused in 2020. We are currently sold broadly across the UK, in 8 states within the US, and the Virgin Islands. While we will continue to look opportunistically for great partners in Europe, the US, and Asia, we will be strategically focused on activation in three key markets; the UK, Florida, and the Virgin Islands. We will continue to build on relationships we have built with UK RumFest, Coca-Cola, our on and off-trade partners and wholesalers while bringing Caribbean Culture, Rum, and Coffee to some exciting new activations in London for 2020.

What does self care mean to you?
For us, self-care is about being thankful and nurturing what is most important to us – our four daughters, two dogs, and each other. It all has to start with how we take care of ourselves, what we put in our bodies, how we stay fit physically and mentally. Cutting carbs, hitting the gym at least 6 days a week, hot yoga, walking the dogs, watching the sunrise every morning we are home, and while difficult, having the courage to say no are all important to keeping us centered and the energy positive so we prepared to support each other, our family, and our businesses. We have learned the hard way not to take anything for granted and we hold each other accountable for self-care.

For our UK readers, where can they get their hands on a bottle of Rum Java?
We are in relatively broad distribution in the UK. You can find RumJava in retail both online and in some of the finest shops from Edinburgh to Cornwall as well as on-trade throughout the country. If you are shopping for a bottle online or in a shop, you can pick up RumJava at Harvey Nichols, Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, 23 Wine & Whisky, Twisted Cellar, Gerry’s Soho, Great Western Wine in Bath, Harper Wells in Norwich, Virgin Wines, Slurp Wine in Banbury, and Amazon to mention a few outlets carrying RumJava.

Where can people find out more?
Come see and follow us at www.rumjava.com, on Instagram @Rum_Java, on Twitter @rumjava, on Facebook @rumjava on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch from time to time and on the pages of some of your favourite online and print media such as The House of Coco.

Arts November 9, 2023

#BossBoy : Smashing Creative Blocks & Bringing Art to The World with Artist Rodney Durso

Among all the hustle loving entrepreneurs we work with on this series, we love when we meet someone who’s passion and experience has lead them to filling a crucial need gap and positively impacts the world we live in. Rodney Durso, an artist and avid supporter of emerging talents talks us through his journey to where he is today – and some advice for all our creative readers.

HOC: Great to meet you, Rodney. Tell us about your journey from your graphic design business to becoming an artist?

Rodney: My first love was advertising and design which I studied at Boston University. Through that program I also studied British advertising and TV commercial production in London for a year and worked as an intern for Spot Films near Leicester Square. When I returned to New York I returned to graphic design, and after a few years of study and freelance projects I started my own agency called Stormhouse Partners. For about 8 years I ran the agency and was Creative Director.

We had a good run and won a ton of awards, but in the end I was totally burned out. I decided to try my hand at a few new things, including teaching at Parsons School of Design, which I did for four years. I also started a Masters of Architecture and began painting.

Well it’s the painting and fine art that stuck.

HOC: Being a graphic designer by trade did you find the leap from taking a brief (from a client) to working from your own brief challenging?

Rodney: Interesting question. One of the reasons I left design was frustration with meagre budgets, impossible timelines and short sighted strategies. Painting did away with all that. However in the brand business having a creative brief actually made it very clear what was needed to solve a marketing or business problem, and that part I liked. I knew what the rules were, there were guard rails, so to speak. In a sense it was easy to measure success, and failure.

In fine art, there is none of that. There is no one and nothing to tell you what to do, which seems great, right? Well the truth is that having no boundaries can be much more difficult. In fact, being an artist, and having to create something from nothing makes you go deep. It’s super personal, I tell people it’s like looking in the mirror all day, everyday. It’s not only a monastic practice, it’s a little too self involved at time. So, there’s that. But after a time, the challenge becomes more about getting your work seen and sold. To me, that’s where the challenges now lie.

HOC: I believe you don’t create art full time as you also run ArtBridge and OffSite, how do you balance these varying demands on your time?

Rodney: I founded ArtBridge in 2008/2009 and ran it full-time for a number of years. As we developed a board of directors and expanded our staff I was able to transition to Board President and stepped back from the day-to-day. So somewhere along the way I was able to dedicate more time and space to my art making. At this point I’m in the studio three days and working on ArtBridge and other projects the other days. I’m still always pushing for new connections and opportunities for ArtBridge, and my ‘elevator pitch’ is always at the ready for anyone who’s interested.

HOC: Can you tell us more about ArtBridge and OffSite?

Rodney: I founded ArtBridge in those first years after I left the branding business. I was looking for an innovative way to get the work of emerging artists seen outside of the gallery system, which I saw as impossibly closed to new artists. The idea of exhibiting art on construction scaffolding around the corner from major Chelsea galleries was pretty bold. Art that the galleries would never consider was all of a sudden printed and installed at 100x a few blocks away on the largest building in Chelsea! It was pretty exciting for those first artists. In fact that was exactly 10 years ago, and we are about to stage a 10 year anniversary exhibit on London Terrace Gardens, the same place we hung our very first exhibit on West 23rd Street and 9th Ave. It was a few years later we started Off Site Art (OSA) with Veronica Santi in Italy when L’Aquila was destroyed by a terrible earthquake. The idea of creating a sister organization not only to carry the same mission but wanting to help L’Aquila on it’s way back seemed important and something we could help with. (Editor’s note see www.offsiteart.it for more!)

The idea of bringing new light, color and life back to L’Aquila’s city center after such a disaster was something we knew we had to do, and for the last several years, Veronica and her team have done quite an amazing job. In fact, the ArtBridge/OSA partnership is one of our most successful projects to date and OSA is now looking at projects in other Italian and European cities. We’re also talking to art advisors about possible inclusion of an Off Site Art project in the 2019 Venice Biennale.

HOC: Why, in your opinion, is it so important to link the public to art?

Rodney: Good question. The gallery system is changing, some say it’s dead. I’ll just say it’s less important that it was 10 years ago. There are so many online opportunities and other ways to see art, but here in Chelsea there are still plenty of galleries. Or look at Instagram, and how that has changed the public’s access to art. The point is that we need as many channels as possible to get people in front of art, and I think Public Art is one of the most important ways to get that done. Art in the public realm is uplifting to the daily pedestrian experience. Seeing art on your way to work, or anytime you’re walking is a treat, and it’s especially important in an urban environment of concrete and steel, for example. Color, shape, line, and light in an artistic form enriches are minds, makes us think, and stimulates. It’s a very different experience for our brains and nervous system then just looking at billboards, or such.

HOC: For our creative readers, what advice would you have for them to grow their artist practices and get their work seen?

Rodney: It’s so multi tiered. There are so many options and ways to grow your practice and get your work seen, you have to really follow the path that not only feels right for you, but one that you get some joy from. It’s always going to be work to get your art out there, but if it feels like drudgery you’ll never succeed. Pick a channel that you can push on that brings you some joy as well.

For me, with my design and branding background, I love the brand and promotion aspect. I like posting on social media, I like designing postcards, and books of my work. I love a photo or video shoot that promotes my work, but that’s me. I also need to see new work, I need to be inspired all the time, or I get sluggish with my work.

Being in NYC, I’m a bit spoiled. Running out to a gallery or museum in the middle of the day can change the direction of my art, or inspire me into some new idea, and then I’m back in the studio and working again. I would also really suggest doing studio visits with friends and other artists. I do a newsletter every few months and I always include an interview with another artist. This keeps me connected to my peers and reminds me that it’s not “all about me”. In fact we’re working on the next newsletter now, so check back soon to see who’ll be next.

HOC: What artwork that you’ve created means the most to you and why?

Rodney: I spent a few weeks at the American Academy in Rome in May 2016 as a visiting artist and was deeply interested in the ongoing presidential campaign back in the US at the time, but being in Italy gave me a very different perspective. Italy has had its issues with crazy political leadership, and the similarities between Italy’s Berlusconi, and the then candidate Trump, were too similar to ignore. From that perspective I created a series that, although it gets a lot of attention from galleries, no one actually wants to own and hang in their home. I totally understand that, the work is hard to look at for very long. The series is called Disconstructing Trump and here is a bit from my curatorial statement:

“Watching Trump being interviewed — I began to photograph the TV screen with my iPhone and using the high-speed, (multi-shot function), I took about 300 photos in less than 10 minutes. With those images I began to build collages that, to me, capture Trump’s multiple personalities. In these works,

I believe, his true conflicted and disturbing nature begins to be revealed. At once contradictory, creepy, binary, multi-layered and unsettling, I’ve only started to reveal the real persona. Dismantling, cutting, disassembling, rearranging then reassembling this imagery is the essence of Disconstructing Trump!”

(Editor’s note, to find out more visit www.rodneydurso.com/artworks/disconstructing-trump )

HOC: Who / where do you get your inspiration from?

Rodney: The inspiration comes from the usual sources; anxiety, fear, pain, love, rejection, uncertainty, anger… you know, the regular stuff of life. But more seriously, I do think that I channel all of these emotions into my work.

To start my work I have a process. I start by putting on my messy painted jeans, and a couple of layered old t-shirts. I have a pile of painting clothes that I leave in the studio. Then there’s always strong English tea, like P&G, or Yorkshire Gold, or sometimes I’ll have a coffee instead.

Then there’s the music, and it’s got to be loud. One of my favorite albums to start my work with is Paul Weller’s “Wildwood”. Something about those first guitar lines and songs — Sunflower, and Holy Man and then Wildwood — that get me into that headspace and ramped up to create. It’s one of my favorite records ever. Full stop. Once I’m into my work I can switch it up and put on BBC, or NPR — the kind of American equivalent.

At other times, my inspiration comes from new materials, or news stories, or the need to complete a commission. Having a timeline, a deadline always gets me working. Not necessarily inspired, but moving and making work.

With my background in marketing and design, I still believe that art is just a product at the end of the day. A very personal one albeit, but a product nonetheless. So sometimes we can’t rely on inspiration alone to get us making work, we have to have multiple methods to push us forward.

HOC: If you ever have a creative block / funk; how do you get yourself out of it?

Rodney: That’s a very timely question, as I’m just now coming out of a block, or I like to think of it as a much needed break. I think creative output comes in bursts or cycles and I’ve learned to respect the way it works. I think these in between periods are needed resting points for the creative mind. I find that when I’m not working, I need to take in, or sponge-up art and inspiration. Last night I ran up to the Guggenheim after work to see the Hilma af Klint show, and wow, it really jolted me with new ideas about color and scale.

I would say that any input whether visual, or musical or even travel can inspire new work, so when I’m not actively creating, I’m taking in ideas for whatever will come next.

HOC: The ’10 years ago’ challenge is all the rage on insta at the moment, what advice do you have for the 2009 you?

Rodney: My best advice for the 2009 me would be stay focused!.. or more specifically, to make a plan with more specific goals. Ten years ago, I was doing too many things and chasing too many dreams. I think I would have been a little less crazy if I had stuck to maybe one or two ideas instead of three or four. In the end, it’s all good, I’ve created a successful nonprofit organization with both domestic and international projects, and started to make headway in the artworld. My interest in branding and design is also alive once more and I’ve begun to do projects again in that realm.

I guess the truth is, as a creative soul, we are restless and always looking for the next thing. I’ve come to terms with that part of me and I’ve got a lot of gratitude for my sometimes childlike excitement for whatever’s next.

We’re sure you’ll love to find out more about Rodney’s work – see the links we’ve thoughtfully scattered throughout the interview and go to RodneyDurso.com and follow @RodneyDurso