Rob Ford is in Hollywood right now for the Oscars. The closest I got to Hollywood recently was Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. The weather was warm, but there were no celebrity sightings, unless Disney characters count. I met Stitch, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the cast of The Incredibles. Time spent waiting in line for a hug from each of them was time well spent. Without character meet and greets, it would be difficult to call Disney World the happiest place on earth.
As I get into Oscars mode, I can’t help but wish I was back at Disney World on the Great Movie Ride, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the Rock n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. There’s so much more to Disney World than Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and as a movie buff, Hollywood Studios is one of my favourite theme parks.
Can this be my new headshot?
Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream displayed old furniture from his office and the desk he used in Grade 2.
Make a reservation at ’50s Prime Time Cafe for a fun meal at a retro diner.
Favourite Songza playlist: That varies based on my context – where I am, what I’m doing, what I’m feeling. A playlist that I discovered recently and played on my way to work is called Sensitive Men of the ’90s.
Professional role model(s): We have a lot of mentors and advisors that are really close to the Songza family. My dad has been a very hard worker and has a very entrepreneurial creative spirit. He’s responsible for my love of music. He’s been incredibly supportive as a father and as a mentor my whole life.
What excites you about working at Songza?
We’re a very small tight-knit team here. Everyone’s got their own quirky personality and is very excited to be working on this product. It’s a real pleasure and honour to work with the Songza team, who are in many cases smarter than me [laughs]. I’m privileged to learn a lot from [them].
What is the culture like at Songza’s headquarters in New York?
We’re a quirky and weird bunch. Our office space is bare bones. We’re not one of those start-up companies that buy lots of expensive furniture or goes into the cool, hip area of town where all the other start-ups are. We’re in our own little place, away from the action, so we can keep our heads down and stay focused.
Why should music lovers download and listen to Songza?
Songza—more than any other service by a mile—is effortless to use. Without you having to give us any information, we’re able to accurately predict what you are doing and feeling and recommend expertly curated content that’s going to make that moment better. No other service is able to deliver that experience for free nor do they have the personality.
How would you describe Songza’s personality?
Songza feels like your much cooler friend who always knows the right thing for every moment.
You’ve previously described Songza as a “lifestyle enhancer.” How has your lifestyle changed since Songza launched?
My life has changed immensely since launching the Songza business because everyone that I know now uses something I’ve created in their daily lives. In addition, I’ve been able to garner the attention and respect of a lot more people in the music and technology industry, as well as celebrities who now use Songza on a regular basis.
In terms of how Songza as an application has enhanced my life, I listen to a lot more music than I ever could have imagined. New moments in my life have been identified as moments that could use a soundtrack.
If Songza could partner with any brand(s), which brand(s) would you pick?
We would be most excited about working with Nike and Lululemon. Both are really great brands that started as athletic wear brands and have established themselves as lifestyle brands. People think of Lululemon and Nike as brands that are great at curating for their life, not just yoga and running. Their clothing and apparel is for athletics and fashion. I think both companies do a really great job at listening to their consumers and serving them with things that will make their life better. That’s very much in line with what we’re trying to do at Songza. Working with brands like that would add value to the user experience on our service.
After hearing speakers from Mondelez and Starbucks at QMAC, I started thinking about how fun it would be to promote food and drinks as your day job. Chris Tindal, co-founder of Postmedia Labs, does the next best thing; he oversees the operations of Gastropost.
Since Gastropost’s Toronto launch in May 2012, it has expanded to Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary, and it now has over 10,000 members. Recognizing its success, I was excited to hear Tindal speak about the content strategy behind Gastropost’s growth. Tindal explained that his team’s goal is to inspire people to love their city by encouraging community members to share their expertise.
Gastropost offers anyone with an internet connection and camera the opportunity to share pictures of food with a large audience. The main incentive to participate in Gastropost’s weekly missions is the chance to see your name and photo in National Post. Each mission has a different theme, such as holiday treats or Father’s Day BBQs. Some themes are created based on brand partnerships between Gastropost and CPG brands, such as Kraft.
Anyone can become a self-proclaimed foodie. Gastropost, however, differentiates amateur food photographers by featuring a selection of food lovers online and in the newspaper every week. 50 likes on your Facebook photo of a fancy appetizer doesn’t qualify as a claim to fame in the same way that being in the National Post does.
Gastropost proves that print newspapers still have value, authority and credibility. There’s no doubt about how exciting it is for a photo of your dinner to be featured in one of Canada’s most popular newspapers. Even though Gastropost doesn’t offer any monetary compensation, the personal validation members receive is evidently sufficient motivation to keep the #gastropost hashtag and community alive. “Every week we send people an email to do something and they do it,” said Tindal. How many email marketers can say that?
If you’re looking for discounts on the basics, then you’ll want to check out American Apparel’s Warehouse Sale in Toronto’s Chinatown. American Apparel has embraced the opportunity to run a pop-up store during the holiday season, when wish lists tend to be long, while budgets are tight.
Before you head over to their temporary outlet, visit your nearest American Apparel store to try on t-shirts, pants and sweaters so you’ll know your size. There are no fitting rooms available and I don’t think you want to be that person awkwardly changing clothes in the basement.
Throughout high school, I worse a reversible red/navy leather Tommy Hilfiger watch. It was skinny and lightweight—the kind of watch that you forget is on your wrist. Eventually it wore out and I switched to a silver metallic watch, but after a few months, the silver started rubbing off. You know it’s time to stop wearing a watch when the band has nearly fifty shades of grey, but started out with only one.
Apparently I’m kind of picky when it comes to selecting a timepiece. I wanted a silver or stainless steel watch with a leather strap and markings for all 12 hours, without Roman numerals or crystals. Unfortunately rose gold has become all the rage, leaving less room in the display cases for watches I like.
During my trip to New York, I fell in love with Kate Spade’s Metro watch. I left it in the store because I didn’t want to impulsively buy something I would change my mind about later, but I thought about it for the next six months. Lord & Taylor wouldn’t ship it to Canada, so I brainstormed ways to import it.
