Fragrances and First Impressions

A sure-fire way to make a bad first impression in face-to-face networking or in-person interviewing is to offend the olfactory senses of the person you are meeting for the first time.

What I am referring to is having too strong of a scent from the cologne/perfume that you may wear. Even if you love the fragrance and don’t think that it’s too much, this is one of those situations in which you really need to be considerate of the other person.

I once had a woman come in to interview with me to be a volunteer with the organization I represented. We sat down to start talking, and I noticed her strong scent right away. Given that I am not generally allergic to perfumes, I didn’t think it would be an issue. Within 5-10 minutes, the vapors were so strong that my eyes were burning. She was a nice enough person, but it was all I could do to keep from running to the restroom to put some dampened towels over my eyes.

Except for the perfume issues, the interview went well and everything checked out with her, so we accepted her application as a volunteer. However, I also took a moment to talk with her about not wearing her perfume when working with a client because of unknown allergy issues the client may have.

Here is an interesting article that talks about the proper application of various fragrances.

If you are not sure how much to bring it down, don’t wear any at all. Better to have the person you are meeting at the interview or networking event remember you for your enthusiasm and great ideas than your overpowering scent.

What experiences have you had on either side of the scent issue?

Retweet This Page

Smelled something bad courtesy of N8tr0n

: : : : : : : : :

[Via http://rodneysjobquest.wordpress.com]

Kym Marsh and Jamie Lomas Holiday in Disneyland Paris With Children David, Emily and Billy

Actress Kym Marsh and fiance Jamie Lomas appear in this week’s OK! whilst on holiday in Disneyland Paris with Kym’s daughter Emily May, 12,(she is also mum to David Ryan, 14 — who was present but didn’t take part in the shoot.) and Jamie’s son Billy, 4. 2009 was a very difficult year for the pair as their son Archie Jay was born 18 weeks premature and sadly passed away moments after his birth. Together they talk openly about that difficult year and how they’re coping now.

On 2009:

Jamie: We had one of the toughest years we’ve ever lived through, but at the end of the day, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and we’re stronger now.

To read more of the interview including how Jamie gets on with Emily and Kim’s son David, 14 (who chose not to be photographed) and if they’d like to try for another child click

On how they’re coping now:

Kym: The thing is, Jamie and I have other children who we have to try and be there for, and it has been really difficult, but we’ll keep soldiering on.

J: We had a party on New Year’s Eve, because we really wanted to see the back of 2009 and start 2010 on a big high.

K: Sometimes you hear about things that happen to other people and you think, how do they cope? And then it happens to you, and it is hard. You start to lose faith in anything good. But you just have to keep going.

On if they’ll try for another child:

K: I think we will try again when the time is right, when I’m feeling a bit braver. We have to be prepared for the whole thing and any complications that could happen. It wouldn’t be something we would do just on a whim. I had David early, so that’s two premature babies now. I’ve got to be looked after carefully.

On the documentary Kym did about premature babies a couple of months after losing Archie:

K: I found it very cathartic and I met a lot of people who have been through the same thing. I really wanted to do something to make people aware of what a serious issue it is and how little there is being done about it. I’ve had so many letters from people who want to make donations to Tommy’s, the charity that funds research in to miscarriages, stillbirths and premature babies. When you’ve been through something yourself, it makes all the difference to other people.

On how Kym felt winning Mum of The Year 2009:

K: I was really delighted by that, especially because of the year we’ve had. It was nice because it was voted for by other parents. Just to think that people think you’re doing a good job with your kids is lovely.

On how Jamie gets on with Kym’s children David and Emily:

J: We get on great. I love them to bits.

K: He winds our Emily up something rotton, though. He says she’s very ’spirited’ — which is better than saying she’s a cheeky madam!

J: She’s just like her mum. She’s always singing. She’s going to be a proper little star.

K: She’s doing drama now as well, and she’s ready to go for auditions. I know I’d be a hypocrite if I tried to discourage her. She is really talented, you can see she’s got something special, but it’s scary.

If you would like to know more about Tommy’s — the charity Kym talks about in the interview or to make a donation please visit. www.tommys.org

Source: OK! Magazine, Issue: 707 January 12th 2010. Photos by Edd Watts

[Via http://celebritybabiescovered.wordpress.com]

A Cracked Mask

Image from: celoxdesign.net

Most of the time, people take me for a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of lady.  I smile, talk to strangers, and appreciate the beauty of the world around me.  If I didn’t mention it, all by those closest to me would be fooled by my mask of “having it all together.” Of course, below the surface, we’re all fallen.  Our masks are all cracked–some more than others.  Still, few would peg me as one of those depressed, anxious, traumatized types.  Passionate, yes.  Driven, yes.  Intelligent, yes.  Terrified, sad, feigning enjoyment, no.

Herein lies the rub, I want to be honest with people about my struggles–from my swollen arthritic knees to my seasonal affect disorder, but I don’t want people to judge me by what’s wrong with me.  I don’t want others to question my ability or my talent because some days I *don’t* have it all together.  So, how does one maintain professional integrity while writing from the heart?  I suppose I could craft a secret identity, like Spider-Man, and engage others with my angst all the while wearing red spandex (figuratively, not literally.  Believe me, no one wants to see me sporting red spandex.)  Or I could be guarded separating my thoughts into two spaces–a personal blog (Atypical Musings) and a professional blog (Backseat Writer).  Still, how open do I want to be on Atypical Musings?  Surely, everything I share here will be connected to my other work.  Do I want that?  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The truth is–I don’t know.  I think back to my interview with Bebo Norman, who was so forthcoming in sharing his struggles with pre-performance anxiety (read interview, “Bebo Norman:: From the Ruins“).  I remember meeting him face to face before a show for the first time a few months later.  As I briefly chatted with Bebo, I wondered if he was OK.  I wanted to tell him that if he needed to do some deep breathing, I was here for him.  We could try some relaxation techniques together.  He seemed fine.  Fine for someone I don’t know. His performance was wonderful–no sign of anxiety at all.  Was his mask cracked or had he worked through the anxiety entirely? (During the interview, he told me he had been treating his anxiety and making great progress.)

Another mystery to ponder.  It really doesn’t matter what Bebo was feeling at the time because he came across as a professional, while admitting that anxiety was a huge struggle for at least part of his touring life.  He even said it was easier to talk about since the symptoms of his anxiety had greatly diminished, yet he couldn’t talk about it during the worst episodes.  But he wondered if he should have been “more real” about it. Frankly, that interview, which was to promote his newly released album has been one of the most encouraging conversations of my life.

It’s hard to be open about depression, anxiety, and the like, especially as a woman (since the fairer sex seems to judged on its emotionality).  I’ll keep asking God for wisdom in writing as I continue on this journey called “life.”

[Via http://atypicalgirl.wordpress.com]

Re-Interview: Enemies

With songs like Deas * 3 and A Blind Cocktail veering effortlessly from crunching punk tones to high fragility, in recent months Enemies have shown themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Part of the developing rock movement based in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, the band have caused a stir on the post-rock scene with their Alpha Waves EP. As they ready for a tour in Japan with TOE, Drop-d collared guitarist Lewis for a quick low-down to know our Enemies….

Drop-d: Guitarist Eoin is in Kidd Blunt and runs The Hive studio with KB bassist James. Are the remaining members of Enemies affiliated with other musical projects?
Lewis: They are indeed. As well as Kidd Blunt, Eoin also has another band Soldiers Take Half and both bands have albums on the way.
Our bassist Mark plays in a band called RAN and those guys will be releasing a mini-album sometime this year. Oisin, our drummer, plays in More Tiny Giants who are demoing a new album… But my only love is Enemies and for the foreseeable future there will be no other band for me!

Drop-d: How have you been getting on lately? Enemies were one of the support acts at the recent May Bank Holiday weekend Club AC30. Brilliant night!
Lewis: Yeah, we just played two dates with And So I Watch You From Afar and that was our first time playing with Maybeshewill, we had a great time. ASIWYFA are really nice guys , incredible live, we look forward to playing with them again.

Drop-d: You played your last Dublin show for a while at the Lower Deck on 28th May, it seemed like something of a pit-stop before you were off again. How are you feeling about going to Japan?
Lewis: Yeah it was really nice that we got to play to our friends before we head on tour, it’s a good way of testing out our set. We are all really excited about Japan…I guess its hard to know what to expect but it’s a chance in a lifetime for us, we’re going to make the most of it!

Drop-d: You’ve been signed over there to Toe’s label Machu Picchu and they’re set to give Alpha Waves its Japanese release with a bonus track. What do you think of the Japanese rock circuit? It seems a bit randomly hit-and-miss sometimes.
Lewis: To be honest I don’t really know much about the rock circuit in Japan. We are touring with Toe there and they seem to do pretty well for themselves so…we’re happy to ride along on their success!

Drop-d: You’ve already got quite a few Japanese fans. I heard you got signed as a result of this kind of intense interest from people? It’s almost amazing for an Irish band to be noticed in such a way.
Lewis: Ah I wouldn’t say intense interest but I guess it kicked off for us last year when we got a distribution deal there from a label called Stiff Slack. From there we got signed by MachuPicchu so we’ve just been building our fan base as much as we can. We are still so very overwhelmed by all of this.

Drop-d: It’s just kinda strange because here in Ireland, you’ve seemed to come from nowhere in the last six months even though your EP was released last year. Not that there’s a hugely saturated post-rock circuit here. Were you keeping a lower profile or had other music priorities?
Lewis: Nah we haven’t really been keeping a low profile…it’s just that everyone else in Enemies has other projects. So it’s not a case of prioritising any band over the other, we just have other bands to look after as well.
Drop-d: No pressure like but eh…can we expect a new Enemies EP or album any time soon?
Lewis: We’re currently writing songs for a full-length album, it’s due to be released next year. We’ll have more info up on our MySpace soon.

Drop-d: Speaking of musical projects, you recently fell foul of a distribution label and missed out on releasing a 7″ of Feed Me Seedless/Bits of Parrots. The distro company took your cash and folded? Fuckers. Will you still release the vinyl or are there other plans now?
Lewis: Yeah, the company was called Media Sourcing Ltd. and yes, we hope they all die a slow death. The company liquidated and had never had any intention on making our records, so unfortunately we will not be releasing it on vinyl. There’s a limited-edition CD being sold in Japan but for everyone else, it’s up for free digital download on richtercollective.com.

Alpha Waves is out now. Enemies play Kyoto, Japan on 12 June, the first of a 9-date tour. For more information and to wish them luck, visit the band’s MySpace profile.

Originally published June 2009, Drop-d.ie

[Via http://harmlessnoise.wordpress.com]

Karen Bernod Interview on Soul Discoveries

Karen Bernod

01. Soul Discoveries – Some Othaness For You is a classic modern soul album. How was the creative experience?
. Karen Bernod - ..Lovely! It’s always nice when I get together to create with others. Especially when we enjoy what we’re doing..it comes thru in the music.

02. Soul Discoveries - There are nine songs on Some Othaness For You and it was released on Natively Creative Music in 2000. Why not a major label?
. Karen Bernod - Majors are not really checking for Artists like myself. The Industry has changed so much. Since I am a seasoned Artist in order for me to have autonomy being Independent is the way to go. Now ..I sure wouldn’t mind
having major distribution w/a nice licensing deal..wink wink!:-)

03. Soul Discoveries - Life @ 360 Degrees is your latest album released on the same label in 2006. How different was making that album to Some Othaness For You?
. Karen Bernod - Each album was developed at different points in my life,
at different times in my career. Both are indicative of those times. SOFU was my debut..L@360 is the next level up and so on.. I like to keep it real..lol

04. Soul Discoveries – Are you working on a new record since Life @ 360 Degree’s?
. Karen Bernod – Yes.. my next Cd will be released in 2010 entitled “Planting Seeds”. It’s also my Producer debut so I’m excited and focused at the same time.

05. Soul Discoveries – What music have you been listening to lately?
. Karen Bernod – India Arie’s new Cd, Colby Callait, Mary Mary and Karen Bernod to name a few.

06. Soul Discoveries - What has been keeping you busy?
. Karen Bernod – Getting my Hustle on and keeping it up. We Independent Artist gotta keep it movin..not much dust on my heels right now..I’m Planting Seeds for my future.:-)

07. Soul Discoveries – What do you think of Soul Discoveries?
. Karen Bernod - Great. I always appreciate those who appreciate and acknowledge good Music for the Soul!! And I thank you for your love and support.

08. Soul Discoveries – Are you planning on visiting the UK when you release new material?
. Karen Bernod - Yes I Love the UK! You have always supported me ..when I was w/Incognito..Erykah..D’angelo Chaka and even my Solo Career..I’d be crazy not to. So I’m ready..just need that booking! Jazz Cafe anyone? lol

09. Soul Discoveries - Am I right in saying you did backing vocals for Erykah Badu?
. Karen Bernod -I guess I kind of spoke before hand huh? Yes I have, and it was a very good time for Erykah. She’d just came out her timing was perfect. We had fun on that gig. Tyrone was created in london at the Jazz Cafe.We were having a sound check for the gig that nite. Erykah was messing around on the mic. My self and the other BGVst chimed in as the keyboard player plunked out some chords and Tyrone was born. That was really koooool.

10. Soul Discoveries – Do you have a message for Soul Discoveries readers?
. Karen Bernod – Follow your heart and your dreams will follow!!! Stay true to yourself and believe and have faith and remember nothing worth having comes easy so work hard for what you want and get rid of all that doesn’t serve you well. Last but surely not least…Pray! Thank You Soul Discoveries..Peace n love
Kb
xo.

www.karenbernod.com

www.myspace.com/karenbernod

[Via http://souldiscoveries.wordpress.com]

HAVEN BLVD.

Haven doing his thing. Wait, what is he doing? Anyways, be sure to check-out his new(ish) site HND$M-RND$M.

Also, be sure to read out interview with him here. It was surely an interesting one.

[Via http://xwhereeaglesdarex.wordpress.com]

¡feliz año nuevo!

Happy New Year!  Let’s hope 2010 is the year that Madrid takes home the trophies for both La Liga and the Champions League!

To recap what happened in el mundo del Real Madrid in the last few days:  Cristiano played leapfrog in practice, Kaká tried out a new look involving a giant headband, Garay’s new year wishes include a quick recovery for Pepe and a victory vs. Osasuna, and Zidane is becoming more involved in Madrid’s activities.

Oh, and Madrid’s players were looking hot upon arrival in pamplona for today’s game against Osasuna.

[Via http://unamadridista.wordpress.com]