EntrePilar

Good Times with Friends are Transcendental!

2007-12-28T18:45:00.000-05:00

I recently caught up with some dear friends from The German School. I had not seen them since third grade and it was as if time had never passed. I wonder, are friendships made during childhood 'transcendental?' Do you have friends that you have not seen in decades and when you catch up again, you click, it works, it simply is meant to be!

Purely Awesome Music..

2007-10-01T20:46:00.000-04:00

Free Brain Stimulator Test

2006-12-17T22:23:00.000-05:00

I am a big believer in the power of Music and its impact on brain waves. In fact, there is proof that when pregnant women listen to certain types of music, there are powerful, positive effects on the development of the fetus's brain. Furthermore, why is it that when we listen to certain types of music we can concentrate deeper, feel peace, and total relaxation? Is it the music or is it the precise manner in which the tempo, melody, and its subtleties penetrate our brain. I would like to invite you to take the Melodic Subtlety experiment. Please click on this site http://www.dapperandspruce.com/ go to Click here to l isten to the power of David's piano and tell me what you feel. Drop me a line... and tell me ... I will be giving a cool gift to those who respond..

The George Washington University Presents

2006-09-08T20:11:00.000-04:00

Recently The George Washington University selected my profile ... take a peek, let me know what you think :-)

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Pilar Rivera, BA '96, Globetrotting Entrepreneur
Pilar Rivera firmly believes that we don't belong to just one place, but are all citizens of the world. Her global perspective has taken her places both literally and figuratively in the decade since she graduated from GW. READ FULL ARTICLE

Executive Charisma

2006-07-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

I was a reading a book on the topic of Executive Charisma. Executive Charisma is defined as, "The ability to gain effective responses from others by using aware actions and considerate civility in order to get useful things done."

The concept is very interesting. There are certain people who when you first see them, they exude a sense of confidence, and have a swagger in the way they walk that is extremely intriguing - it is that je ne sais quoi ability to influence without saying a word.

So, can Executive Charisma be learned or is it a part of the makeup of our DNA programing.. I wonder.. any thoughts? What do you think is Executive Charisma, and when you see it how do you define it? How can you get it.. here is a start,

1. Be the first to initiate. You must learn, as top executives have, the art of making the first move. That can mean making a decision before other people do, or being the first to greet people you don't know. Leaders go first.

2. Expect and give acceptance. In spite of work pressures and hectic schedules, never treat others in a way that you would not want to be treated.

3. Ask questions. Don't do it to impress, interrogate, intimidate, dominate, embarrass or put people in a corner. Instead, ask questions to improve knowledge and foster a learning spirit.

4. Ask and give favors. It's one of your best tools to bond with others.
Stand tall, straight and smile. You can never, for a second, be caught off guard. You need to convey an air of confidence.

5. Be human, humorous and hands-on. Humor is an essential ingredient of your success. Above all, it means being able to laugh at yourself.

6. Slow down, shut up and listen. Your own words are much less important than what other people have to tell you.

Good Friends

2006-07-08T17:45:00.000-04:00

I just finished a long discussion with my best friend from College, and after we talked, I got a sense of "wholeness." It sounds a bit strange, but when we get so busy its important not to forget those people who meant a lot during a transcendental time in life. Think about people, friends in particular, who you have not talked to in days, months, years... drop them a note, say, 'hey how are you.' It feels goooooood. :)

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

2006-07-05T01:50:00.000-04:00

How was Yours? Mine was relective... pensive... quiet... rainy.. uhmm does not sound much celebratory.. How was yours?? Do you have any traditions? I am always trying to learn about how people celebrate.. love to year what you have to say..

Three Questions EVERYONE should ask themselves

2006-02-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

Dear friends,

Recently I had a conversation with a friend of mine, and we started thinking about life and its meaning and where we go from here and etc.. I know I know.. you are going to say, I am going lunatic, but seriously, sometimes it is good to stop, take a moment and think about the following three questions.. I would love it if anyone is brave enough to share their thoughts with me, and I will share mine with you. :-)

Hugs to all,
Pilar

1. if you had all the money in the world how would you change what you are doing in your life?

2. If you had 5-10 years to live what would you do differently?

3. If you went to your doc, and he said, “I am sorry you only have 24hrs left to live” Think about, What did you miss? Who did you forget? What did you not get to do that you wanted?

Some thoughts..

The Middle-Class Across the World

2005-12-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

I am interested to see the world's definition of the "Middle-Class." Is it socio economically related? Educational Level? tell me some thoughts..

The Harvard Business School

2005-08-21T12:47:00.000-04:00

Throughout life I have always reached for the BEST, one could say as a kid my folks inculcated in me to reach for the stars.. never settle for the moon. This is an image of me reaching for the Stars. And loving it. :-)

HARVARD here I Come.

2005-08-13T11:20:00.000-04:00

WOW! it literally has been months since I have placed an entry into my blog. But life just has been a bit busy. First, I would like to share with my plethora of loyal blog readers (ok, maybe plethora is a bit of an exaggeration) the great news. There is going to be an addition to the family. :-) YUP, my wall of academic achievements is going to be expanded with, in my opinion, la crème de la crème in Higher Education. I am going to HARVARD. To be more exact, an Executive program at The Harvard Business School (HBS). I am excited, super energized, and ready to tackle the challenges this new journey is going to present me. So, HBS roll out the Red Carpet, 'cause this chick is heading with full force.

2005-05-20T00:19:00.000-04:00

I have become through the years a fan of filmmaker George Lucas, and since the much-anticipated Star Wars Episode III is finally out, there is lots of chitchat on this phenomenal filmmaker. One of the projects Lucas is now getting involved with is the issue of education, and the deficiencies of the current system. He presents a very interesting theory that the Digital World will obliterate the Industrial Revolution thereby making education a more one-on-one process where students can gather information, and learn by engaging themselves in actual projects not abstract concepts. Technology will then enable them to interact with others, and thus make the whole process more intuitive and productive. Additionally, the issue of IQ was brought up, and I had to think that IQ really is irrelevant, I think EI, or emotional intelligence, is really the most important factor in determining future success. Just some thoughts to get your brain juices spinning.
Photos: By SBG-Media

Building Character

2005-05-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

I recently did some pondering with a friend and we came up with the following dogma:
Watch your thoughts they become your words!
Watch your words they become your actions!
Watch your actions they become your habits!
Watch your habits they become your character!
Watch your character it becomes your destiny!

Photos: By SBG-Media

Chairman Bill Thomas at Business/Politcal Event

2005-05-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Here I am with Chairman and U.S. Representative, Bill Thomas at an elite conference event in Washington D.C. In Congress, Chairman Thomas was elected Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-05-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

This is the back-yard of another dream home

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-05-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

This is yet another image of a friend's house in Florida. This represents yet another "dream-house" for me.

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-04-14T12:10:00.000-04:00

This is ONE of my dream sites. It is in the Caribbean. I believe dream homes should be all over the world. From my 'unscientific' survey , I gathered that there are no limitations to dream homes. Folks like Beach, sand, and sunny, breezy, environments (my personal favorites.) Others enjoy the slopes, the snow, the ice, and the wind.. The mountains are also a big attraction. But overall, the old adage applies, home is where the heart is. :-)

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-03-25T02:35:00.000-05:00

"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word: excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." - Pearl Buck

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-03-25T02:24:00.000-05:00

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."- Mark Twain

Photos: By SBG-Media

2005-03-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Author/co-author of In Search of Excellence, Thriving on Chaos, Liberation Management and his newest title, The Tom Peters Seminar. As one of the leading business experts, Mr Peter's books have been bestsellers in the business category for several years.

Photos: By SBG-Media

Dream Living

2005-03-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

Calling ALL TECHIE Smarty Pants, or not such Smarty Pants.. ALL TECHIES.. ;-)

For this Blog to be effective I need to tap into the "Techie" industry. I am referring to ANYONE involved in the technology world. If you are a Software Entrepreneur, High-Tech Venture Capitalist, Info. Tech Investor, Internet Marketing Consultant, Technology firm Business Owner, C-level Technology Executive, or you consider yourself someone with a fine taste for the finer lifestyle, I need you. For some time now, I have been wanting to know what YOU are dreaming when you say, " My dream home consists of...." The question I pose is the following. "If you could have a first or second, or third home anywhere, would you get a:

1. Private island
2. House on the Beach
3. Horse Ranch
4. Country estate
5. Loft/Penthouse in a major City
6. Buy a lot and build a custom home
7. Ski lodge
8. Condo on a golf course
9. ANYTHING you dream.

What are some MUST have amenities?

Inside the home: Smart Kitchen, Self-cleaning & deodorizing bathrooms, other than a totally wireless environment, do you dream of any other quirky technologies? :-)
(Let your imagination or wildest dreams free.)

Outside the home: Waterfront - Beach or Bay with a marina? Golf or River? Mountains or Lake? Anything else you have dreamed?

Ok.. I don't want to keep on writing, I am going to set this puppy loose, and I do hope you help me out.

Gracias - :-)

I will post the results on a later entry.

Positioning Resort Communities

2005-03-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

My friend , Jorge Moreno, who is a really fun singer and a Latin Grammy winner.

This was a fantastic event where my company, ALTEEVA, participated in a networking event to launch an exclusive community in the Bahamas. I find that the entertainment component is a critical in launching and positioning a community. For example, I know from experience, that people who experience a night of dancing, great music, and lots of fun will seek to recreate this experience. Of course it is naive to think that music, and entertainment alone will make a successful launch, but good entertainment never hurts. Has anyone experience FANTASTIC entertainment at any event? If so what was it? Did you have a band, karaoke (yup, this is super popular especially when catering to an Asian market segment), Latin dancing.. Share some unforgettable nights. This night was a blast for me. Other entertainers I have found rocks in real life at Resort Community launch and PR events are Sherryl Crowe, an Jimmy Buffet.

2005-03-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

Here I am at the Opening of new resort in South Florida, Tony the Tiger is my date. :-)

ICON - "Where you Live is Who you Are."

2005-03-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

SBG "P" = Sunny Breezy Gal "Pilar"

This is a setting in South Beach (SoBe), Miami Florida, one of the best places to be. The picture is a view of one of the terraces of the ICON building in SoBe. The ICON is truly a spectacular place. The gorgeous interior design was one of the masterpieces of the eclectic designer Phillippe Starck. I really like the motto of the ICON: "Where you live, is who you are." The obvious question that comes to mind then, is J.Lo, or Jennifer Lopez, an ICON? She did after all purchase the penthouse at the ICON for a sum over $9 million dollars..

The marketing, positioning, and branding of this building is AWESOME, and some of the strategies their marketing team used are fantastic, stay tuned to find out some of them.. :-) Has anyone visited any other "iconic" buildings? -

Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How they Got There

2005-03-07T01:20:00.000-05:00

The issue of change is more than ever a constant in the "paradigm shifting," "flavor of the month craving," "reality TV loving," society in which we live. And, so there is a book by David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise, that seeks to examine how the biggest and most powerful demographic group, aka. baby boomers, seeks to re-engineer themselves. When I first saw the tile, "BOBOS" I thought Brooks wanted a literal Spanish translation of the meaning of the word. "Bobos" in Spanish means "Stupid, Dumb." This caught my attention. However, I soon found out what he meant by "bobos" was "bourgeois-bohemians."

Unlike the 80's uber-consumer decade, the 'bobos' generation seeks to justifies its extravagant spending. In my opinion what we are living is the exploration of the 'bobos'class, by the more astute and driven entrepreneurs who understand what the 'bobos' want, yet have not been lured to become a 'bobo' themselves.

As food for thought I give you the following: Think about the rise in hybrid cars, there are waiting lists for this 'sensible,' environmentally conscious, anti-SUV product - a smart entrepreneur thought, hey these people want a car that is 'good' for society. Organic foods, the growth of Whole Foods, where you can find the perfect Quinoa, a product which by the way was consumed by the Mayan tribes thousands of years ago, has all of the sudden become the "new" good carb. Or a new line of high-energy, organic drinks called, Sambazon, whose main ingredient is Acai a berry that has grown in the Brazilian Amazon jungle as long as the jungle has existed - another set of visionary entrepreneurs. Even Starbucks, the favorite retreat of the 'bobos,' where the ability to order a Chocolate Creme Frappuccino, Raspberry Mocha Chip Frappuccino half-calf, machiatto.. ok (here is a little cheat-sheet of all the drinks, for all of those who are Starbucks obsessed. http://www.quicksilverweb.net/sbucks/sbcharts.htm.) All these are little morsels of the reality of the 'bobos' growth.

According to the author, his motivation for the book was that after returning to the U.S after four years in Europe he was welcomed to a paradise of change: Smoking was evil, health was cool, alcohol was out, double lattes were in; obnoxious conspicuous consumption was out, inconspicuous (but still obnoxious) consumption was in. Sheryl Crow and her likes would not be playing at anti-war protests, but rather booking concerts for Goldman Sachs. The Bobos are here, growing, and indoctrinating new 'bobos' at lightning speeds.

And you would think that Brooks would have a lot to say in terms of comparing Europe and this new America (after all, Europe is the home of so much of what Bobos aspire to — or, at least, aspire to visit on vacation). But his silence on this point belies the his argument's biggest weakness, because if Bobos really were enlightened and caring and committed to social improvement (and not, as one might assume, self-absorbed materialists) then the United States would look more like Europe. (Hopefully the Dollar starts looking more like the Euro sometime soon.)

But despite all this supposed incorporation of anti-materialist values, we still work our butts off in search of "the American Dream." We still measure success by the size of our portfolio, the 'iconic' place where we live, the exotic vacations we take ( and I am not talking about Venice or Paris, but rather Machu Pichu, Tierra del Fuego, the jungles of Colombia.) In essence the "bobos" are making the world a better place not by exercising their votes but by slimming their wallets. ;-)

Entrepreneurs know that for "Bobos," their purchasing power is a modern-day spiritual exercise; they decorate their homes with authentic Balinese batiks, they cook with olive oil made by Tuscan peasants, and they eat ice cream made by fat, aging hippies. (Yes, Ben & Jerry.) They run businesses with slogans like "you can't separate your social goals from your business," and they tell everyone that they don't work 100-hour work weeks because they have to, but because they really "love" and are "passionate" about what they do. Materialism and self-absorption still rule the day, albeit wrapped in earth tones, handmade soaps, and a Vaseline rubbed smile from Martha Stewart. (Yup, the 'bobo' chic is out of the big-house and will soon be on prime time. Only in a 'bobo' culture. ;-)

It's good to live in a Bobo world. The Bobos are really a great bunch of people who "have the ability to go down in history as the class that led America into another golden age."