January Newsletter for Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc.

Hello,

Happy New Year and welcome to the January newsletter for Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc.

There is so much about the beginning of a new year that is inspiring. Apropos of this, I'd like to talk about branding, and identifying the inspiration behind doing what we do. I am inspired by the positive results that individuals and corporations alike achieve through successful branding, giving the public a crystal clear sense of the product or service it can expect. The philosophy of branding one's self for the purpose of clarity and focus is like a breath of fresh air. And the idea of merging your personal and professional values and identifying words that reflect your message is something we could all benefit from exploring.

David McNally and Karl Speak assert in their book BE YOUR OWN BRAND, "Everybody already has a brand. Your brand is a reflection of how you are and what you believe, which is visibly expressed by what you do and how you do it. It's the doing part that connects you with someone else, and that connection with someone else results in a relationship. In reality, the image of your brand is a perception held in someone else's mind..." The writers later state, "When your actions and your behavior reflect your values, the result is integrity. The pieces fit. The picture you present to others is in focus, not blurred around the edges or incomplete."

To successfully brand yourself, as mentioned in another great book THE ART OF THE START by Guy Kawasaki, you should think of a three-word mantra to describe what you do in your business. It should identify who you are and what you hope to accomplish. For example, Starbuck's mantra is "Rewarding everyday moments." I think this is a great exercise for everyone. I came up with several phrases for my company and ran them by many writer friends as well as people outside of the business. The phrase I like the most and one that resonated with the people I asked is "Developing From Within." In my experience, the best writing comes from people who do the personal work inside and are able to access their emotions and get them on the page. I believe that in developing inside, you enhance the development of your story. I also believe in the inextricable ink between spirituality and writing. "Developing From Within" reflects who I am and how I approach my work for Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc.

As part of this brand identification, I am now including a wellness section to my newsletter (see below). In it, I will promote events that contribute to developing on the inside.

Also what's brewing and something to keep an eye out for -- I'm currently organizing a writer/yoga retreat in Hawaii from August 18-22 2009 with one of my favorite and top LA yoga instructors, Meaghan Townsend, on board for this. The idea is to intertwine personal growth and inspiration to write. Once we have a group of writers assembled, all the writers will distribute their scripts to me and to each other before the trip. Everyone who is attending will read the other participants' material. Then, we'll do group sessions as well as daily one-on-one sessions to go over each story. There will also be daily yoga classes with Meaghan Townsend. Meaghan is not only an outstanding instructor, she has a very unique and challenging practice. Combining the two practices of yoga and writing will make for a very pleasurable and productive experience. By the end of the trip, you will feel stronger and more confident about the television or feature script you worked on during the retreat. If you are interested in this, please contact me at jennifer@jengrisanticonsultancy.com.

If you're looking to advance your writing and move forward with your writing career you can contact me to set up a free initial consultation at jennifer@jengrisanticonsultancy.com. If you would like to see my list of services, please visit my website at www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com.

FEATURES
As you know, it's that time of year when all the films nominated during the award season get released. And there were definitely some films that really resonated and certainly blended personal and professional to create inspiring stories. I applaud everyone involved for their achievements and I want to congratulate all the nominees! From everything I've seen so far (haven't seen FROST/NIXON, but I hear it's great), the following left a lasting impression;

MILK
Writer - Dustin Lance Black Director - Gus Van Sant
Overall, I loved this film. It stuck to the classic structure. I understood the goal and the obstacles that got in the way. The story was moving. The performances, especially by Sean Penn, were phenomenal and Gus Van Sant did a BEAUTIFUL job of bringing you into the story through superb performances and evocative visuals. Other standout performances were given by Josh Brolin, James Franco and Emile Hirsch.

THE READER
Writer - David Hare Director - Stephen Daldry
This film really moved me. I love the story and the way the power of reading books was incorporated. Kate Winslet was fantastic. Stephen Daldry's directing was brilliant and the dilemma faced by the young boy, performed flawlessly by David Kross, was very strong. It was truly a piece where the connection to the word allows your imagination to run wild.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Writer - Eric Roth (screenplay by) Director - David Fincher
I was swept away by the idea brought to life in this film of what we might learn and how it could affect our choices if we were to go through life from the end to the beginning. Brad Pitt did a great job, compelling throughout his character's journey. While the film definitely could have been trimmed length-wise at the beginning, it holds together thematically and created an emotional experience for me; especially in its exploration of all good things coming to an end, the importance of learning to let go and recognizing that it's never too late to begin something. I also loved seeing Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (he played "Tizzy"), who I worked with on 4400, make the jump to the big screen. He is brilliant!

Other standout films of the past year include VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, MAN ON WIRE, TRANSSIBERIAN, TELL NO ONE, DARK KNIGHT, IRON MAN and MARLEY AND ME.

PROFESSIONAL/SPIRITUAL BOOK
BE YOUR OWN BRAND - A BREAK THROUGH FORMULA for Standing Out from the Crowd
Written by David McNally and Karl D. Speak

This book definitely inspired me to understand what branding is, identify my personal values and strategically put them into my business model as a way to build Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc. I recommend it to anyone interested in combining the personal and professional as a way to better reflect who they are and what they aim to accomplish.

THE ART OF THE START
Written by Guy Kawasaki
This is a great book because Guy not only informs and educates about branding, he also guides readers through exercises about how to identify the best way to create their brand.

INSPIRING ARTICLES
I want to highlight Patricia Handschiegel, who is writing a series of articles for THE HUFFINGTON POST called "The New Power Girls."

I asked Patricia what inspired her to do this series, "I became an entrepreneur in 2004 and there were women founders but not many," she said, "Five of us banded together, all were alike in the sense that we had really big, multimedia type of goals -- like turning ideas into large, cross platform concepts, etc. Over the course of time more women started to come into the fold. I had wanted to create some kind of book or project about it and had brainstormed with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, who inspired The Huffington Post series. I've always wanted to create media that inspires people to think differently, aim big, etc. especially women, and to show media business that something like this could sell and potentially be big ticket.

A manager, Geoff Silverman, introduced me to Patricia and she asked if I would participate in the series by being one of the female entrepreneurs she interviews. You can read her articles in The Huffington Post at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-handschiegel/the-new-power-girls-how-t_b_154728.html
Her blog is www.dailypatricia.com

NEED TO NETWORK?

Networking is what builds relationships. Relationships are key in getting hired.

As many of you know, I host a networking night the first Friday of every month for entertainment professionals at the X Bar in the Century Plaza Hotel. Located at 2025 Ave. of the Stars, the X Bar is a fantastic venue with a beautiful restaurant and an outside patio with a ton of seating.

The next networking night is Friday, February 6, 2009. It starts at 7:00 p.m. and goes to 11:00 p.m. If you know people who would benefit from this experience, please have them e-mail me. at jennifer@jengrisanticonsultancy.com and I will add them to the evite list. I also have the event listed on Facebook.

WELLNESS EVENTS

In line with my approach of mixing writing with spirituality and the acknowledgement that if you take care of and draw from what is going on inside, you will be stronger on the page, I recommend the following events;

Yoga Retreat
Top Los Angeles yoga instructor (and another one of my favorites), Joseph Van Arsdale invites you to a much needed post holiday and NEW YEAR Yoga Retreat in Palm Springs on January 23 -25 2009 at Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa.

Come for a 2 night/3 day yoga relaxation getaway in Palm Springs for a weekend of growth, stress reduction and just great fun. The weekend includes 11 yoga classes. Ideal for beginners to get special attention and for advanced students to take their practice further.

Joseph is a phenomenal instructor. He is all about promoting healing and bringing peace. He is very SPECIAL and a gift to anyone who has the good fortune to practice with him.

If you're interested in this retreat, go to
http://www.josephvanarsdale.com/retreatpalmsprings09.html


Teleseminar
Break UP, Break THROUGH & BEYOND is being given by Eris Huemer author of Break-up Emergency. She is a Counselor and Life Coach and holds a Masters degree in counseling psychology.

I believe that as difficult as break-ups are, they present rich opportunities to get in touch with what you're feeling and to put it on the page.

In this six week teleseminar you'll access the deep, dark stuff AND move past it creatively and powerfully, healing your broken heart and beginning to date again.

Eris has clients worldwide and is excellent at what she does.

If you are interested in participating in this teleseminar, please go to the following link -

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=898541



Have a GREAT month!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Believe that with your feelings and your work you are taking part in the greatest;
the more strongly you cultivate this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Warmest regards,

Jen

www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com