Congratulations! Adaptive Insights Acquired by Workday for $1.55 Billion

– Rob Hull, Adaptive Insights Founder

I love celebrating my client’s successes, and major congratulations are in order. Adaptive Insights, one of my favorite long term Silicon Valley photography clients, was just acquired by Workday for $1.55 billion! I can’t begin to wrap my head around that number, but I know that Adaptive’s cloud based business planning software is incredible and that they will continue to help businesses revolutionize their financial planning.

– Tom Bogan, Adaptive Insights CEO

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing the Adaptive Insights Leadership Team over the last several years and every time I meet a new executive I’m struck by what a great group of people they’ve brought together. Photographing founder Rob Hull and CEO Tom Bogan has given me a sense of the genuine kindness and caring the company lives and breathes at all levels of leadership.

– Bhaskar Himatsingka, Adaptive Insights Chief Product Officer, on stage at Adaptive Live 2017

Over the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to photograph their annual conference, Adaptive Live. This is where I transformed from merely being a photographer who liked photographing the nice folks I met at Adaptive, to being a believer in their product. Photographing key notes and break out sessions gave me the chance to hear all about the ways that their software helps companies transform their financial planning and analysis. After my first experience photographing Adaptive Live, I started introducing all my CFO clients to the company.

I’m sending my heartfelt congratulations to the team at Adaptive Insights; here’s to your continued success!

– Nancy

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Giving Back: Merideth Mehlberg Organizes Third Annual Holiday Pajama Drive

Holiday Pajama Drive: Benefit for Alameda Midway Shelter

Lorie Curtis, Development Coordinator of Building Futures with Women and Children, along side Merideth Mehlberg, founder of the Holiday Pajama Drive.


 

Three years ago, I was invited to photograph what was to become Merideth Mehlberg’s first annual Holiday Pajama Drive. The event serves to benefit the Midway Shelter, supporting women and children at a time of undeniable need through the donation of funds and basic necessities.

I first met Merideth when she came to me for new marketing imagery for her executive coaching and consulting firm based in Alameda. As our kinship grew, Merideth brought me onto her team to provide headshots to her clients. Throughout my time working with her, I have been endlessly impressed by her positivity, motivation, and ever-generous spirit. She is truly an inspiration!

The Holiday Pajama Drive began with a simple idea. With so much focus on receiving during the holiday season, Merideth wanted to give her kids the opportunity to experience the joy of giving. She had a strong memory of her parents helping a family in need when she was young, and she wanted to continue the family tradition of giving back. She soon learned that the sentiment resonated with others in her community and the wheels began to turn.

Rather than simply gifting checks, guests are encouraged to pick a specific family, who remains anonymous, to shop for each holiday season. Beyond building a spirit of generosity, Merideth’s event creates a feeling of community — with each family who shopped for a family coming to bring their gifts and enjoy an evening together, all in the spirit of giving.

Holiday Pajama Drive: Benefit for Alameda Midway Shelter

Three years from its start, this year’s event raised $1,100 and clothed 115 people, women and their children, across three shelters with fresh new jammies and other comfy clothes. The event featured a delicious spread from Lainie Acacio of Gather & Grub, a performance by the amazingly talented Barefoot Quales family bluegrass band, and a fun Zumba dance session for the kids led by Denise Lum.

This is beautiful event full of kids and parents coming together to care for other kids and mothers in their community. Thank you, Merideth, for continually inspiring us to be our best selves and showing the next generation what it means to be a good neighbor and a good human being!

-Nancy

Merideth Mehlberg is an executive coach based in Alameda. You can find more information on her firm, the Holiday Pajama Drive, and notifications for next year’s drive on her website.

Midway Shelter‘s mission is to advocate for homeless women and their children, assuring their right to live free of domestic violence in a safe and supportive environment. The Network strives to secure adequate funding to keep the Midway Shelter operating 24 hours a day while raising the consciousness of our community. Even though this year’s Pajama Drive is over, you can still help!

Holiday Pajama Drive: Benefit for Alameda Midway Shelter(Top to bottom) Merideth Mehlberg presents a check to Lorie Curtis of Building Futures with Women and Children; proud gift giver poses with this year’s presents.

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

QB Self-Employed Community Meetup at Impact Hub Oakland

I was excited to be asked to photograph the first ever QB Self-Employed Community Meetup this week. Celebrating the online community’s launch, the event was an opportunity for self-employed professionals, freelancers, artists and consultants to meet each other and share ideas.  It took place at Impact Hub Oakland, the East Bay’s newest co-working and event space; recently awarded Best CoWorking Space and Best Transformation of a Building by the East Bay Express! It is an amazing space; vaulted ceilings, lots of cool textures, great furniture…all the stuff I love, and it’s conveniently located in the Uptown District.  I arrived early to set up and got to see the space reworked from ‘work’ mode to ‘event’ mode; it’s an incredibly versatile place.

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The event featured a talk by Michael Bush, who’s at the top of any business owner’s “need to know” list.  Michael, who founded The8Factors.com, a business training resource, is a wealth of knowledge and has helped thousands of entrepreneurs increase their business.  He’s a captivating speaker who offers advice that hits home.  No fluffy stuff here; though he does skillfully weave humor into his wake up calls.  He encouraged the audience to know where their cash is, and make decisions accordingly. 7_7_MB-QBEvent-8-4-14-0189 And one my favorite gems from the night: “Hire slowly; fire quickly.”  Michael led the audience through some group discussions, giving people the opportunity to share each other’s experience about social media, cash flow, and experiencing isolation as a business owner. 11_11_10_MB-QBEvent-8-4-14-0197 I was just amazed at the energy in the room, which was packed, as people engaged on the questions he posed.  My only dilemma was that as much fun as I was having photographing, I wished I could also stop and participate!15_15_14_MB-QBEvent-8-4-14-0225

Another highlight of the event was the lovely food from Bicycle Banh Mi, whose spring rolls and bánh mì sandwiches were beautiful to photograph…and delicious to eat!  I’m on a mission to find these treats again, and I suggest you all do as well!  It turns out Bicycle Banh Mi is an alum of Michael Bush’s 8Factors business program; they seem to be on the right track!  Along with the great food, Cynthia Blancaflor, an awesome DJ and founder of Rising Star Productions, provided the music, keeping the event lively and energized.

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I’ve had a chance to check out the QB Self-Employed Community, online at  howtobeselfemployed.com  and I recommend all business owners join the network. 18_18_18_MB-QBEvent-8-4-14-0253 It’s a great place to make connections, share resources, get support, and build community.  The community lives on Mightybell, a social media platform founded by the dynamic and immensely talented Gina Bianchini, who I had the pleasure of photographing in the last couple of years.  In her words, Mightybell is a place “…where communities learn and share together in groups.”  When you visit howtobeselfemployed.com you’ll see that it is an elegant, intuitive platform that makes it easy to engage and make meaningful connections with other self-employed folks, sharing ideas on a variety of relevant topics, such as getting customers and setting goals.  Works for me!

-Nancy

Find the event participants on Facebook:

Impact Hub Oakland

The8Factors.com

QB Self-Employed Community on Facebook

Bicycle Bánh Mì

Rising Star Productions

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Leslie Blodgett, Creator of bareMinerals & Executive Chairman, Bare Escentuals at NAWBO in San Francisco

I was so inspired by being in a room full of powerful women at NAWBO SFBA‘s dinner last Thursday. Special guest Leslie Blodgett, Creator of bareMinerals & Executive Chairman, Bare Escentuals drew a wonderful crowd, and that’s not surprising for a woman with over 34,000 Likes on Facebook!  Julie Gordon White did an amazing job recounting the tips that Leslie gave, check out her post.

NAWBO-7-10-14-Blodgett-0012I was inspired by her ability to captivate and inspire with such ease, grace and honest humor. Listening to Leslie share her experience of going from a small local business to a global brand inspired me.

NAWBO-7-10-14-Blodgett-0015 I observed her connect graciously first with the audience, then individual women who stopped to talk to her after. She made herself truly available to each and every person who came by.

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(Leslie Blodgett with Laura Russell-Jones, President of NAWBO San Francisco Bay Area)

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(Laura Russell-Jones, Leslie Blodgett and Simon Cowell, CEO of Bare Escentuals.)

Thank you Leslie, for sharing your experience and wisdom with such honesty and humor with all of us at NAWBO SFBA.

-Nancy

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com