MICHELLE PATTEE I first met JOY guest MICHELLE PATTEE in 2002 on the second floor of a small well lighted photography studio on Miller Ave in Mill Valley, CA. I was looking for a wedding photographer and MICHELLE was one of the only photographers I could find who had a fine arts degree. And for better or worse, not having one was a deal breaker for me. It was one of those immediate encounters where you quickly realize that this person is meant to be a part of your life. I instantly loved MICHELLE'S confidence, intelligence, sense of humor and fearlessness. MICHELLE is fearless in all the ways. And of course her talent. MICHELLE'S photography is simply incomparable. She is...
ALANA RIVERA I first met JOY guest ALANA RIVERA in 2011 at the Banana Republic Flagship store of all places. Alana's incredible natural body care line Etta + Billie had been chosen by SF Made to be part of a Banana Republic event highlighting local independent businesses. My business, Zelma Rose was still pretty new and I was working as a journalist for IndieMade. I was assigned to cover the partnership for their readers, you can actually read the 2011 article here. My daughter was still an infant and I can remember carefully scheduling the assignment around breast feeding, because she never took a bottle. It was insane! In a total rush of a flop sweat, already panicked about when I would have to leave, I approached Alana...
Samantha and I were introduced by a mutual friend earlier this year. Our first conversation was via email and I could tell how we were racing to respond back and forth with each other, we already felt like old friends. Add to our easy back and forth a shared history at RISDI and I felt like Samantha knew a part of me that comes from deep within. For both of us, going to art school was a revolutionary act. One that continues to inform our lives in ways we have yet to discover. There are few people who can understand the obsession of spending an entire summer drawing cross sections of broccoli. Or can remember the smell of the...
Sharon Zimmerman is a Bay Area metalsmith, ethical jewelry designer, small business consultant and educator, and total 100% unabashed JOY. Sharon has appeared twice on JOY, episode 4 featuring a discussion about RAGE and episode 39 featuring a discussion about MONEY. In general I know Sharon to be all in when it comes to life. She is authentic, incredibly intelligent, and one hundred percent unapologetic about being a super star, kick ass woman. A conversation with Sharon means finding humor in the absurdities of the human condition, enthusiasm for taking action against injustices, and drawing well researched conclusions about what Marvel Universe character is the most desirable. It's always a good conversation. Mostly though, Sharon inspires me as an activist. She has a...
