Security Check:
I’m a storyteller — that plays out as a communications strategist and as the owner of a media company.

What’s your historical Los Angeles and New York connection?
I did the LA/NY sandwich–LA for 7 years, New York for 5 and now back to LA as of Spring 2016.

Describe your experience in LA and in NYC.
I noticed a lot of cultural differences between LA and NYC from when I first relocated east, in terms of how people network and connect as well as how they support each other’s ventures (or not). When I first moved LA to NYC I saw people in LA as “network hoarders” vs the “network sharers” in NYC. It also seemed that the culture in LA was very oriented around “Who are you, who do you know, how can you help me?” versus “Who are you? What inspires you? How can I help you?”

In the time I was away though, LA has shifted quite a lot. Both cities helped me grow in different ways. Ultimately, NYC inspired and sharpened me up…but almost suffocated my spirit. I see them as the Yin/Yang energies playing out in two major cities.

What were the biggest challenges of moving from the west coast to NYC?
Some might say networks or friendships but for me it was simply logistics. Both have logistical and spatial challenges.

How can NYC and LA best engage with each other?
New Yorkers can start wearing white, and vice versa. 😉

Favorite LA secret spot:
I’m still rediscovering LA, so my old stomping grounds have changed, but lately I’ve been loving Float Lab and Pause in Venice — two awesome sensory deprivation tank companies.

Favorite NY secret spot:
Not sure I want to reveal this…but it’s Untermyer Gardens, just north of Yonkers, which is accessible by bike (so I’m counting it as in NYC)! Anyone looking for solitude, nature, and a nice day trip to escape, meditate, and explore unexpected ruins, would love Untermyer. Also love the library at Nomad Hotel, but that’s not that secret!

If you weren’t building what you were now, what would you be doing or building?
Likely something in spiritual psych or combining that with my current media / communications / storytelling background.

Inflight Entertainment: What song/album/podcast/show have you been engaged with lately?
I always love Jason Silva content, or TED Talks. I usually listen to a meditation while the plane is idling waiting to take off, then crank into work with a playlist I call “Pensive AF” — it includes tracks from Emancipator, Acid Pauli, Alexei Murdoch, Alina Baraz and Flight Facilities.