We all love genius.
For ideas implemented like this, #iamgrateful and #iamthankful
Author Archives: Suneet
MR WOLF or RINSE, REPEAT
Woke up at 4:30am ET, slipped into my Tuxedo, pulled out the keys to my Acura NSX, and headed to work. It will be a long day and weekend.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for quickly being able to make that persona shift; and for over a year ago, making sure we simplified our priorities at Boldr to focus on (1) Team Member health and safety and (2) Client health and success. (Note: No mention of revenue, profit, growth — just care.)
LFG.
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DOPE, SINGLE TAKE or DRONE BOWLING ALLEY EXCELLENCE
Keep this one simple, folks. This is a pretty fun 2 minutes of a drone flying into and around all the inner workings of a bowling alley at impressive speeds, navigating people, bowling balls, the full alley, bar, movie theater … all in one take.
Shout out to Vox for the share in their daily newsletter.
Man. This is impressive flying. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the fun surprise in my morning email. So good!
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WEAR WHAT MOVES YOU or “WHY NOT?”
I needed new t shirts. I wanted something that felt a little more like me.
Why not wear … you? So I designed my own. The look. The art. Had a designer friend translate them into images I could the turn into tshirts.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for having a passing idea and grabbing hold of it before it escaped me. And then, bringing that idea to life.
The style fits me. There’s a healthy balance of precision, simplicity, consistency, structure, symmetry.
But when you look a bit closer, there’s … more. And the tension between the frame and placement against the word play and fonts and flow, puts a smile on my face every morning.
There are always constraints. Acknowledge them and focus on what you can create.
The pandemic was one of the greatest, sustained constraints many of us will face in our lives. I bet if you look back, you will be impressed with the beauty and magic you created inside of it. The meaning you created inside of it.
You have a story. It’s amazing.
Why wear someone else’s words, imagery, messages … when you can find a way to wear your own.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
SOMETIMES, DANCE or POST-COVID FLASH MOBS ARE BACK
Short and sweet. It’s hard for me to hear the percussive dholak and the characteristic twang of the tumbi and NOT smile.
It’s some of the happiest music around. The arrangements. The energy. It’s impossible to hear the orchestration and not start to sway, hop, dance, in some way.
And for this video today, #iamgrateful and #iamthankful
Will COVID social distancing be officially broken by a well coordinated global flash mob to punjabi music? Let’s hope so folks. Let’s hope so. And none to soon.
Bollywood Flashmob in Costco, Santa Cruz CA (2019) from Lucinda Chrisman on Vimeo.
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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD or EXPECTATIONS VS POSSIBILITIES
It’s International Women’s Day today. It’s to commemorate contributions.
It’s to call attention to issues of relevance that need attention.
It’s also, my mom and dad’s (Mumma, Daddy) anniversary.
After my Dad died, a number of family members and community members came up to me and talked about how my Dad was an advocate. In a community and a culture not known for advocating for women’s rights, he not only advocated, he simply believed. To him anything other than equality, was not only injustice, it was inconceivable.
I had a friend who after college happened to work for my Dad. She told me that he treated her with the love one would have for a daughter, and the respect one would have for a boss. She was a friend of mine; degrees of people directly removed from my Dad, but he was there for her before he knew our connection. He did this for our cousins. He did this for friends. He did this for people in our community. There was no show and there was no soapbox and there was no pulpit.
He just did. Because not doing, was not an option. It was unfathomable.
The strength of conviction here, started with my Mom. Mom made him realize that his expectations of people would never compare to what she showed him was possible.
When she came to the US, Daddy submerged and immersed her in life. It was hard. Daddy was hard. Because he believed in her. And held her to the highest standards and expectations. Of what she was capable of around the house. With us as children. In the community. With our extended family. With, his mom. Yes. Daddy helped my mom grow, change, adapt, evolve.
But I think if we look back on it, well, she changed him way more. He said as much. Especially toward the end of his life, he said as much. Her work had so outpaced his expectations he found himself humbled. And then, dependent. Daddy changed, evolved, grew as a result of my mom. I know for certain that for the nearly 50 years they were together, the reason he believed so strongly in equality and in all the women he came across — was because of my Mom. We’ll never be able to measure, what was set first. His expectations. Or her achievements well beyond those expectations. What I know, is that they built, and they climbed, and they scaled. They also created momentum.
Three years after his death, I see my mom, still climbing, still scaling. He’s not here to set new expectations and new possibilities. So she does it for him. “What would your Dad have expected of me?”
She sets it. Gets back into her own position. And then, she continues to scale past them.
Happy Anniversary, Mumma and Daddy. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for all the expectations you set, all the possibilities you showed us were real, and all the examples you set, scaling past both. Mumma, Renu Bhatt I love you. And I’m so happy I got to see your face today. I am also proud of you. We are proud of you. And we’re celebrating.
Today we celebrate the best gifts you’ve given to one another.
His gift: His expectations, grand, wonderful, tremendous, expectations of you and what you make possible.
Your gift: That you keep climbing, keep scaling, keep growing beyond the highest expectation he could imagine. Still proving to him that you’re the one who sets the standard for what’s possible. I mean hell, Mumma, you even got him to dance. 
https://www.facebook.com/…/pcb…/10102269266643264
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RAYA or EYES ON CARS IN CARS
in 2006, Disney release Cars. It was a triumph. John Laseter for all his faults and just misogynistic approach to everything, was still considere a genius then.
One thing he did was true first principles.
What I remember is before Cars, everyone a Car in any animated effort, was humanized, the headlights were the eyes.
They made send and were a cute hook. But they failed to give the cars fuller life.
Laseter shunned that. The windshield became the eyes and it took Cars to new levels. It also eliminated what was so much u used space that otherwise detracted form bringing cars to life.
With RAYA, which we enjoyed, I feel like Disney and Awkwafina have reimagined dragons (instead Imagine Dragons reference here).
And for what animation brings to life and then reimagines, #iamgrateful and #iamthankfulAlso, tell me when Jaanu stops doing this when we sit together. So I can prepare my heart for it.
My life will never be the same the day his instinct is to let go not hold on. Never.
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BRUNCH, PUNCH DRUNK or A NEW CHILI RECIPE
Shoutout to our neighbors who pulled off a COVID successful birthday party for their little one while also hosting a chili cook off.
The kids played. While the parents indulged in a wide array of chilis. And they were all good. Even the Wendy’s hijinx.
My contribution was a new recipe. I had to go dairy free and nut free (my vegetarian chili has dairy and sometimes, peanut butter for some earthiness) so that was off the table.
Constraints breed creativity (Jonah Lehrer got it right even though he lied to do it). And a new chili was born: Brunch, Punch Drunk.
It was a fairly standard base: Onion, Red Pepper, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Diced Tomatoes, Ground Beef, Stew Meat, Tomato Sauce, Cumin, Coriander, Cayenne, Beef Broth, Black Beans.
Then, the fun.
Brunch: Bacon, Honey, Ground Coffee, 100% Cacao Dark Cocoa, Cinnamon
Punch: Habanero, Jalapeño, El Yucateco, MSG, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, Jalapeño Pickle Juice.
Drunk: 2 Shots or Bourbon, Red WineI ended up skimming and diluting it because I thought it was going to be too spicy. Should have left it. The end result was good but way tamer than I thought.
I miss cooking for people. It was fun to do. And it was tasty.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the good times and company.
The chilis were so good I broke my vegan fast today (vegan for 2021 thus far) back on the wagon on Sunday for as long as I want to hold it.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful, Trial & Error
THE PERFECT 45 MINUTES or GIN AND TONIC + KINDLE BETWEEN RESPONSIBILITIES
It’s 4:47 as I start this. The kids will be home in about 45 minutes. I have an optional meeting at work I could be in right now but I’ve been up since 3 the last two nights and up at 615 the last two mornings.
So I’m skipping the optional. Actually, leaning into the optional.
Poured a glass of my new favorite drink, from Beckett’s, a super refreshing take on a gin and tonic.
Have my Kindle out on my (second) favorite recliner in my favorite spot.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful that I’ll bang out a good 30-40 pages of Michael Lewis The Undoing Project before the night gets into a whirl.
This week was wild. But the last few days have come together with wicked clarity at work and on some personal milestones.
L
F
G
Weekend.
L
F
G
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HUNDREDS > FEW > ONE > LIFETIME or ORCHESTRATE POSTIVITY
I share a lot on Facebook. People sometimes wonder why.
First, and functionally, it’s easier to post my thoughts on FB than on my blog. Posting here is so much easier; I wish WordPress would get it.
Second, it’s sometimes, maybe every once in a while, helpful to someone else. At my significance, if my words are helpful to a single person every once in a while, well, I’m likely maximizing my potential and value.
But most importantly, for me, selfishly, one of the best parts about FB is how it brings your moments back; and places them right in front of your face. We all know we’re loved. We all know we’ve had good times. We all know we’ve made great memories.
And we all have days when we forget them. How do you orchestrate happy reminders? How do you surprise yourself in a structured way?
Well…post beautiful, honest, authentic, and happy moments here. Do it every day. So when you do turn to Facebook, it’s the place you want it to be. It’s the positive reminder of the good you’ve experienced.
Every. Damn. Day.
With that as an aside; 3 years ago we were joined by HUNDREDS of people for a FEW hours to celebrate ONE person, my Daddy, who in one LIFETIME lived many.
It was one of the most beautiful memorials I’ve been a part of. And the thing I remember most, is consistently telling people that “We’re going to be here for a while; you came, we appreciate you, do not feel bashful about not staying the whole time. It’s going to be long!”Yet…it looked like nobody left.
And when it was over, my mom was surrounded by waves of love coming at her from all sides. Really. People just swarmed.Mumma felt peace that day, for the first time in a month.
Tita did too.
One of the highlights for me was how many of my friends told me they learned a lot about Daddy that day.
When you’re here. You’re human. But when you’re gone. You’re stories.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful to Facebook for creating a platform we can use to create the spaces we need. To remind us of the good. And to remind us of the stories we never want to forget.
F&*$ man. I love you all. Thanks to everyone who made this day so magical and helped bring our family so much peace. Udabes.
PS – The real highlight was Anaiya on the mic. She was and continues to be, ridiculous. Just. Ridiculous.
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Suneet Bhatt 