Jodi R.R. Smith

Oh, Behave! Author Jodi R. R. Smith’s latest book rolls out a new roadmap for good manners.

With the internet and social networking creating new privacy conundrums almost daily, good manners sometimes seem like a quaint—and rare—commodity. But to Jodi R. R. Smith, they’re still very serious business.
Author of The Etiquette Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Manners, the Marblehead resident (and owner of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting) had a lot to wrestle with when she sat down to write her third book. “It took about four years to finish,” she says with a sigh. “My first two books were more of a gateway for people who wanted just quick tips on etiquette. This one deals with all of its finer points.” The resulting 406 pages (Smith and her editors whittled it down from its original 800-plus pages) take on everything from dining habits and same-sex marriage to the changing landscape of etiquette in business.

“I always say that etiquette evolves to keep pace with society and technology,” she explains. For example, if you read an etiquette book from just 10 to 15 years ago, it would say that a man must always wait for a woman to extend her hand to him before reaching out to shake it. “That’s completely changed,” Smith observes. “Especially in the workforce, where manners have become gender-neutral. These days it’s all about rank; the highest ranking person holds out a hand first.”

Smith’s obsession with etiquette reaches back to her high school days, when she became fascinated with what kind of behavior made some people likeable. (“Not just popular,” she clarifies. “That’s very different. I mean what makes some people want to be around someone.”) She started researching everything written on the topic, from as far back as 1885 to new studies on psychology and perception. “All of it got boiled down into my brain and found its way into the book,” she says.

That includes, of course, the Internet. When she first started writing, there was no Twitter in existence yet. But by the time her tome was finished, it was a brave new world of confidentiality (or lack thereof) out there. “Privacy really doesn’t exist anymore on the Web,” she says. To that end, she added an entire chapter dedicated to electronic etiquette. “People need to actively guard their privacy and think twice or even three times before hitting ‘send’ or ‘post.’” mannersmith.com. —Alexandra Hall

Don Glass

At Just Imagine Hypnosis Center, hypnotist Don Glass helps clients change unproductive behaviors—overeating, smoking, phobias, and more—just by altering the way they think. By Debbie Strong

Linda Ready had been struggling for years with her weight when, last spring, her husband came home from his Lowell Lions Club meeting and described a presentation given that night by an area hypnotist, Don Glass, who used hypnotherapy to help clients lose weight—and keep it off.

Ready was fascinated by the remarkable success rate Glass reported, so she contacted him and quickly signed on to a four-session round of his newest treatment option, the Virtual Gastric Band (VGB) program, during which the client is convinced through hypnosis to believe that she has undergone gastric band surgery. While hypnotized, clients are guided through all aspects of surgery: entering the hospital, meeting with the surgeon and anesthetist, and experiencing the actual surgery—operating room smells, machines beeping, etc.—and post-op care. When they emerge, patients truly believe they’ve had the surgery and automatically begin to eat less, dropping pounds naturally and without feeling hungry.

Sound a little far-fetched? It works, Glass says, because a person’s subconscious mind—the part of the mind used when you’re daydreaming—is trained to accept new suggestions or to retrain old bad habits that may have become ingrained behaviors in early childhood. “The subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined,” he says. Glass doesn’t put clients to sleep or use the clichéd swinging pendulum, either; he simply guides clients to an ultra-relaxed, hyper-focused state and suggests new, healthier habits. “When a client is in a relaxed state of hypnosis, they become acutely aware—you could be 300 to 400 times more aware than normal—and are very receptive to positive suggestions.”

About 75 percent of his clients come for help with smoking (a two-session, $269 experience with a 90 percent success rate) or weight loss (either an eight-session program for $2,200 or a four-session program for $800), but people also come to him for help reducing stress, battling addictions or depression, alleviating phobias, memory or sports performance enhancement, and more. Glass has seen such positive results with his work that all prices include a 100 percent lifetime guarantee; clients can return for a free session if their problems ever return. He stresses that the one crucial ingredient for success is that the person truly wants to change and is not held back by fears or apprehensions. That’s why every client’s hypnosis experience begins with an initial, rapport-building “intake” session, during which Glass and the client get to know each other, discuss the client’s goals and fears, and determine together if hypnosis is the right option.

As for Ready, she began the VGB program in May, and after four sessions with Glass, about one month later, had dropped 25 pounds from her frame. Now, almost a year later, she has kept the weight off. “I felt the band right away,” says Ready, who says her doctor was “blown away” when she went for an appointment and revealed her new body. “I began to feel full after half a sandwich or hamburger; I truthfully did not want to eat any more.” Since dropping the weight, Ready’s health has improved and she enjoys a more energized, active lifestyle. “It was the best thing I ever did for myself.”

Just who is this miracle worker who helped a perfectly sane adult believe she had undergone bariatric surgery with just the power of his voice? Glass is an affable, energetic man who found his way to hypnosis after losing his wife—a selfless woman whose life was all about helping others–to cancer in 2010. “But self-hypnosis, or meditation, is something I had been using my whole life,” to cope with stressful situations and the attention deficit disorder he dealt with as a young man, Glass says. Since 2010, he’s been treating clients from all over the Merrimack Valley at offices in both Dracut and Andover. He received his official training from the National Guild of Hypnotists, a 62-year-old organization that trains and certifies hypnotists from around the world and has about 10,000 members to date. Glass also volunteers his hypnotherapy services to help at-risk children from broken homes or in other challenging situations, and he plans to start a hypnosis-based ADD or ADHD support group down the line.

Glass recently began meeting with clients at a third location in Billerica, renting office space from Sandy Chapnick and Honi Kawut, who run Billerica Chiropractic Office. “Don has a very calming presence,” says Chapnick, “and such an impressive, great grasp of his profession.” Beyond their cheerful personalities, he and Glass share a passion for their respective crafts and an overwhelming desire to help others. They’ve even begun referring patients to one another, finding that hypnotherapy and chiropractic therapy are “the perfect marriage,” says Chapnick. “We have a common goal of helping people feel better and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

If hypnosis works so well and is so relatively affordable and low-risk, then why aren’t clients all over the country lining up to try it? “Younger people are more inclined to accept hypnosis, because they’re seeing the results” says Glass, who, when he’s not helping clients, enjoys an active lifestyle of road cycling, indoor rowing, and healthy cooking. “That’s opposed to older folks, who have allowed themselves to be conditioned by Hollywood and TV versions [of hypnosis].”

As resistant as society has been in the past, Glass says he’s noticed that the tide is beginning to change toward hypnosis. “I think the masses are beginning to line up.  Not at the rate I’d like to see, but it’s happening—and more importantly, the rate of acceptance is growing.”  ●n

Brainfox, a new North Shore-based web comedy collaborative, finds humor in the daily grind of local life. By Emma Haak

The Masters of Laugh: Brainfox Team

It’s a typical afternoon inside the Gulu Gulu Café in Salem. Locals and tourists come in for lunch, hot drinks, and to catch up. But at one particular table, a lively story is being told about, of all things, chewing gum. Specifically, a game involving chewing gum, a car ride, and the old Nintendo game Star Fox. For the members of Brainfox, a North Shore-based web comedy collaborative, conversations like this are all in a day’s work.

Officially launched in September, Brainfox is the comedic brainchild of Audrey Claire Johnson, Brett Johnson, and Tim Lewis (who is no longer with the group). It started as a way for the trio, who worked together sporadically on previous projects, to collaborate creatively on a regular basis. With several well-received web videos under their belt, the group, now led by the husband-and-wife team of Brett and Audrey Claire, has big plans to bring the funny to the North Shore.

Though Brainfox is relatively new, Brett and Audrey Claire have a long history. They met as undergrads at Gordon College, each involved in their own performing niches: Audrey Claire as a dramatic actor and Brett as a member of an improv troupe. In fact, it was theatre that first brought the couple, now married for four years, together. “I worked as a [teaching assistant] for the theatre department, and I was whipping out of a professor’s office and ran almost smack into him in a hallway,” she says. “Later that semester, we crossed paths again, involved in separate shows but always curious about the other. He also wooed my affection with card tricks, which is embarrassing to admit.”

After graduating—Audrey Claire in 2005, Brett in 2007—they continued to work in performing arts, occasionally working with In the Car Media, a production company started by fellow Gordon grads. The group collaborated on many projects, including Song and Dance, a short about two couples going to great (comedic) pains to disguise their broken relationships, which took home numerous prizes at the 2011 Boston 48 Hour Film Project, including Best Cast, Best Script, and runner-up for Best Film. “When we got together, it would be really fun and really productive, and we’d make something we’d be really proud of,” says Brett, “but it was sporadic.”

Audrey Claire Johnson as Debbie and Jill Rogati as Nina

Enter Brainfox, a way to work together continuously. The trio started the group last June and named it after the childhood car game that Brett, who grew up outside of Albany, New York, played with his brother. They spent the summer brainstorming before beginning their video releases in the fall. First up: “Nina and Debbie,” the first in a planned series about the misadventures of two North Shore moms. In the first installment, the heavily accented Nina and Debbie (played by actress and frequent Brainfox collaborator Jill Rogati and Audrey Claire, respectively) break a sweat by walking around a local track at a glacial pace while discussing their latest annoyances and having a crucial debate: whether to stop at Dunkin’ Donuts or Honeydew Donuts after their so-called workout.

It’s obvious from watching “Nina and Debbie” that Brainfox finds plenty of inspiration in their surroundings. “The people around me inspire me to write female characters that I want to impersonate,” says Audrey Claire. Plus, the Delaware native says, “There are things about Massachusetts that just strike me as really different and strange.” And apparently ripe for parody, like Santa landing via lobster boat in Marblehead and the amusement park horror ride that is Route 128. It’s in these small oddities that Brainfox finds its best material. “Ideas come from seeing things in everyday life that are sort of off and then pointing that out and heightening it,” says Brett.

But the group doesn’t limit its sources of inspiration to what’s immediately around them. Take Slavoj Zizek Shoreside, Brainfox’s imagining of the obscure and eccentric Slovenian philosopher and theorist. The video, shot at Salem Willows, features Brett as Slavoj Zizek, dressed in tattered clothes and gesticulating wildly as he discusses the sexual undertones of yachting, chatters nonsensically about Avatar, and explains why recycling cans signal the end of Communism, all while questioning the cameraman’s cinematographic choices. “I wanted to recreate this specific individual who’s very gestural and accented,” says Brett. Mastering Zizek’s unique speaking style required quite a bit of prep work on Brett’s part. In the end the practice paid off: The video has reached more than 1,000 views on Brainfox’s YouTube channel. Their videos can also be found on the group’s website, itsbrainfox.com.

Brainfox’s videos appear effortless. They’re well written, acted, directed, and, most important, achingly funny. And while comedy comes naturally to the couple, a lot of work goes into making a short video. On average, it takes about a month from inception to completion for a medium-length video like “Nina and Debbie” or Zizek. During this time, a script is written, passed along to friends and collaborators for suggestions, and rewritten until it’s perfect. Then the actors rehearse the skit while the team scouts locations, perfects costumes, and decides how best to film it. For a video that calls for high production value, they’ll call in friends from In the Car to help them out behind the scenes and bring in more actors to fill the roles. It all depends on the story they’re trying to tell. “When we sit down and have our artistic meetings, we talk about the full range of mediums you can use in online video. We have stuff that would be really funny if we shot it on an iPhone, all the way to the other spectrum, because the characters or the story are best represented like that,” says Audrey Claire.

This production process is highly collaborative and draws on the strengths of both Audrey Claire and Brett. Each is involved in many aspects of a video, as they take turns writing, directing, and acting in the shorts. Audrey Claire says that Brett’s “Mary Poppins’ carpet bag of comedic tools” makes him an asset in any kind of video they shoot. Citing the small fraction of independent comedy teams that feature female actors and writers, she says her female presence is her draw. And while they’re both irreplaceable for different reasons, it’s the combination of the two that helps Brainfox come up with unique and innovative comedic content.

Dan Stevens and Dave Ells

Brainstorming these ideas can happen at any time for the Beverly-based couple. “I wake up in the morning saying, ‘So, about that one line…’ and, ‘Do you think it would be funnier if we did this instead?’” says Audrey Claire. But since Brainfox is not a 9-to-5 time commitment yet, they have to work around busy schedules at their respective jobs. Brett works as an IT administrator at the Montserrat College of Art in Beverly and does regular standup comedy gigs around the North Shore. Audrey Claire is a full-time actress, shooting movies in the area and recently scoring a leading role on the upcoming web series, “617 The Series.” But the two make sure to keep Brainfox a top priority, and they take any available opportunity to discuss the next video shoot, the production order, and any new ideas coming down the pipeline.

At the moment, Brainfox’s pipeline is very full. A second installment of “Nina and Debbie” was shot in early November, in which the ladies are invited to participate in a 5K run for breast cancer research, but would rather sit or shop for a cure instead. December also marked the official premiere of Albionic, a high-concept, highly stylized story about a man whose legs are replaced with those of an albino person—and the fact that everyone around him thinks that’s totally normal. Both Audrey Claire and Brett cite the piece as their favorite Brainfox creation thus far. “It’s unique in tone compared to the rest of our videos,” says Brett, while Audrey Claire loves the “campy, soap opera-style” humor.

The Brainfox leaders are equally excited about branching out into new areas, as they plan to do with two upcoming projects. One is their mockumentary-style take on a woman (to be played by Rogati) who lives and breathes rainstick playing. “She’s been rejected from every music festival in Connecticut because they don’t take her seriously,” says Audrey Claire, “so she decides to throw her own concert at a local dive bar.” The other will mark their first foray into a multi-episode series: a comedic look at political intrigue and small-town gossip in the fictional New England town of Whatsboro.

From their first video about two North Shore moms discussing their daily minutia to a mini-saga about one man’s journey to come to grips with his incredibly pale legs, Brainfox has come a long way in a just a few months. While their own ambition and work ethic have certainly helped, they say being based on the North Shore has also been a factor in their success. “Being in this area, we have an amazing community full of people who work with us and appreciate what we do,” says Audrey Claire. “The North Shore is a really good place to be an artist—not speaking just to comedy—because it’s a community that’s really aware and supportive of the arts.”

And just as Brainfox has no plans to change locale, they also have no plans to slow down. “Who knows what we’ll have done a year from now?” says Brett. “There’s still so much we want to try. So much room for discovery.”

Marathon Man: Pat O'Connor

Pounding the pavement with North Shore running buff Pat O’Connor

For residents of the Boston Metro area, April means one thing: Boston Marathon madness, which culminates this year on April 16. In honor of the event, Northshore talked with running enthusiast and sometime marathoner Pat O’Connor—head coach/proprietor of LunchTime Runner and  the Outreach Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the Greater Boston Running Co. stores in Newburyport, Lexington, and Hingham—about his beloved sport.

What’s the toughest marathon you’ve ever run? My first marathon in Boston.  For an experienced runner, I had a rough last six miles. I did not respect the distance enough and set my goals too high.

Any marathon mishaps? During my second Boston experience, as I was cruising through Kenmore Square, I noticed some faces in the crowd wincing at me. I had felt that my toes were going numb for a few miles at that point. When I looked down at my feet and turned back to look behind me, I realized that my white shoes were red with blood and I was leaving bloody footprints.  I had lost all but two toenails. My shoes, as it turned out, were an entire size too small.

Where is your favorite place to run non-competitively? Middlesex Fells Reservation that encompasses the Medford/Winchester/Stoneham/Melrose area around Route 93. [It has] wooded rolling trails that go on for miles. I can run more than 15 miles without running the same path twice.

What makes ours such an attractive region for runners? …Regionally, with the change of seasons, there is a unique challenge to racing and training, especially in the fall. It is beautiful—especially for cross-country. The North Shore has great country-like roads and peaceful parks for running.

What is LunchTimeRunner?  …The philosophy is not only to help busy adults train for their goals in a comprehensive way with high quality and low-to-moderate quantity, but runners of all ages…Working with athletes of all abilities, I focus on individual fitness training levels, efficient technique, and flexibility and strength. The actual running in the program complements all the other aspects of running. Running can be a beneficial means of exercise, stress reduction, and mind and energy enhancement if it is approached the right way with some guidance.

Closet King, Gary Fraser

Gary J. Fraser owner North Shore Closet Co., Salem

What he does: Designs, fabricates, and installs custom closet systems.

Biggest problems that plague his clients’ closets: (1) Wire shelving falling off the wall, “often times in the middle of the night”; (2) Space: “Whether it’s an old home or new construction, there never seems to be enough closet space, especially if the closet has those funky roof lines running through it.”

Easiest fix for a cluttered closet: Make the closet more user friendly. Double hanging (rod over rod) helps increase hanging space and makes room for more shelving, which can be used for sweaters, shoes, etc.

His pet peeve: Light switches inside the closet. “They sometimes have a tendency to limit closet designs.”

How he organizes his own closet: The few things that I hang are not organized at all. All the rest goes in drawers or shelves. Jeans with jeans, shorts with shorts, t-shirts with t-shirts. I’m a guy…it’s simple.

How he got into the field: I used to do a lot of interior house painting. Some of the homes were high-end new construction. The carpenters were told to build it out with shelves and hanging space. I was told to ‘make it look good.’ I knew there had to be a better way. I started my research and the rest, as they say, is history. northshorecloset.com. 

Spice Set

Newburyport craftsman Jordan Castro turns concrete and recycled marble into contemporary kitchenware.

A decade of “flipping” houses and doing kitchen renovations taught Jordan Castro that the building industry was not for him. But it also gave him an idea: What if he could mix concrete with recycled stone dust from marble countertops, plus a little sand and water, and create something distinctive and desirable?

“It took a lot of trial and error,” Castro says of his search for the ideal formula. “It’s not rocket science, but it takes…time to find the right balance.”

Concrete and marble weren’t the only things he threw into the mix. In a perfect alignment of experience, talent, and passion, Castro combined his building expertise with his inner artist and chef to create Culinarium, a collection of unique and stylish kitchenware. “It has an austere beauty and appeals to people with both rustic and contemporary sensibilities,” he says of his line of salt cellars, pepper mills, spice sets, coasters, and fruit trays.

“It’s a novel application,” says Castro, who runs his small family business, Port Living Co., with his wife, Annastasia, from their Plum Island home. “People are not used to seeing concrete used in kitchenware, but it has a wonderful aesthetic value and is very smooth and tactile,” he adds. “I also work with aluminum, cork, and wood, but our concrete products sell the best.”

The recycled marble dust comes in “cakes” from a factory in Burlington. Castro does all the mixing, molding, sanding, and waxing at his workshop in The Distillery in South Boston and the products are shipped directly to customers.

While loath to play the “green” card (“Everybody’s doing it—that whole label has been hijacked by everyone,” he says), Castro is happy his products are recycled, sustainable, and free of chemicals, but that’s not his primary motivation.

“The reason I use recycled product is because it has the qualities I need. This sounds corny, but every product we make, I fashion it, I touch it, a lot of quality control goes into it. I love to cook, and these are the things I like to use.”

As for the future? “I don’t want to expand too quickly,” he says. “I want to keep [Culinarium] a specialty item, and there are so many things I want to explore with this.” portlivingco.com. —Andrew Conway

Kathy Bechtel, owner/culinary director, italiaoutdoors usa

What Italiaoutdoors offers: “Unique, active (biking, skiing, hiking, walking) adventures in Northeastern Italy. Our tours combine expert recreational programming with an unmatched food and wine program.”

Where she works: “My HQ in my home in Newburyport, on the road in Italy, and the Northeast regions of the Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Fruili-Venezia Giulia, and Emelia Romagna.”

Her role: “I create and lead the culinary side of our programming, including selecting wines and the wineries we visit, leading cooking classes or selecting restaurants, and educating our clients on the regional cuisines.”

Favorite moment on tour with clients: “When they climb a hill they didn’t think they could, or ski a slope that perhaps made them a bit nervous at the top. With a bit of coaching, they can really rise to meet challenges they didn’t think they could handle a few days before.”

Best part of the job: “Italy is an incredibly diverse country. As we explore by bike, foot, or skis, each day we see different foods, wines, and traditions, all reflecting the unique culture, history, and geography of the regions we visit. It’s almost like visiting a different country every day.” italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com; chefbikeski.com.

Stylist and personal shopper Aricia Symes-Elmer helps fashion-frustrated clients achieve the perfect look.

As the fast-paced world of fashion grows more complex, some people have a tough time keeping up. Trends may come and go, but, as stylist and personal shopper Aricia Symes-Elmer tells us, it’s not always about the trend—it’s about a combination of feeling good and looking great.

Since 2008, Symes-Elmer, owner of the personal shopping and styling company Shift Your Style in Andover, has helped clients of all ages, shapes, and sizes revamp their closets to build practical, stylish wardrobes. The aim, she says, is to leave her customers feeling confident by wearing what looks great on their bodies.

To determine what fits and feels the best, Symes-Elmer always starts a new project by getting to know the client, his or her closet, lifestyle, body type, and the clothes he or she likes. Then, it’s time to get shopping. If necessary, Symes-Elmer will shop for a client and find the best-fitting styles out there. Depending on a client’s budget, she can integrate different clothing items without breaking the bank or even setting foot in a store.

“I don’t care what size or shape you are, how tall or old you are; you can look fantastic,” she says. “When I see women who haven’t bothered for a while, and I put them in a blouse, a dress, or a pair of jeans that looks great and I see their faces light up…[I think] ‘Explain to me why you wouldn’t just wear these jeans every day.’”

Symes-Elmer also works with shoppers at Northshore Mall in Peabody. In an initial briefing, she and her clients work together to determine a budget and shopping list. They then take to the mall to tackle the racks while keeping smart spending in mind.

Although Symes-Elmer started her fashion career in shoes and spent years traveling to Asia and Europe for her work in operations and manufacturing, fashion is where she knew she’d end up. It’s in her current line of work that the sartorial wonder woman and mom of three boys has been helping people realize that, no matter what, they can look and feel great.

“There are so many people who struggle with getting dressed,” she says. “For me, it’s creative, fun, and easy. I wanted to share that ability with people, but to also teach them how to do it themselves.” timetoshiftyourstyle.com.

Packing Pointers: Symes-Elmer’s ten essentials for a mid-season getaway.

1. A scarf to use as a pillow on the plane, tie your hair, add pop to an outfit, and wear as a wrap. 2. An extra top in your carry-on in case of spills. 3. Simple dresses: with bling and heels for night, or flats for a stroll. 4. A patent leather oversized bag that looks great and cleans with a quick wipe. 5. Layers! They give you lots of options. 6. Pack neutrals and complementary colors with pieces that pop. 7. Accessories that go from day to night. 8. A pair of flats and heels. 9. A metallic belt. 10. Go with your favorites. It’s fun to think you’ll wear those  “special” items that have been dormant in your closet, but stick with what you know best.

Rink Master, Larry Abbott

Whether temperatures outside are brisk or balmy, Larry Abbott can almost always be found on the ice. Abbott operates Hockeytown USA in Saugus all year long, a job he’s enjoyed for nearly four decades. The rink is a common gathering space among area youth and adult groups, whether for figure skating or ice hockey, but even Abbott himself will join in the action, competing weekly in hockey matches. Here, Abbott talks to Northshore about life on the ice.

How did you get into hockey? I started when I was eight or nine years old, and just because the kids in the neighborhood were doing it. We played on the ponds. I grew up in Melrose. We played hockey on the local teams, and then progressed to the high school level, and then I went to college and played at Boston University.

What do you love most about playing? It is something I have done all my life, and I have been in the ice business all my life. So I just enjoy the game. I enjoy the people. They are very classic people, hockey players. They seem to be very genuine. I like the team aspect of it. Everyone has to pull together. It’s good exercise, and we have a lot of fun and meet a lot of nice people along the way.

How do you create an adult ice hockey team? A team captain could come in and build his own team. We have some leagues that just take individuals. We place them according to their abilities, set their schedules up, give them shirts, and away we go.

How does younger players’ style compare to the older ones’? If you’re talking the 18- to 30-year-olds, they play a little different game than the guys in their 50s and 60s. The older guys grew up when there were no face masks, so they have a little more control over their sticks. The younger guys are products of an era where they had face masks, and the game became a little faster, a little more reckless, and a little more physical. The kids that have the face masks play with a little different style than the older guys that used to play without the masks and have a little more respect for what you do with your stick.

As a Bruins fan, how was it for you witnessing their Stanley Cup win last season? Oh, it was terrific. It was a great game to watch. They played with a lot of intensity and a lot of heart. After all these years of watching other teams do it, we finally got to watch the local team win. Hockeytownsaugus.com.

Transforming snow and ice into artwork with master sculptor  Sean Fitzpatrick of Fitzy Snowman Sculpting in Gloucester.

Except for ski trips and visits to the skating rink, snow and ice are often nothing less than a nuisance for many of us, requiring constant shoveling and scraping. But for Sean Fitzpatrick, master sculptor and proprietor of Fitzy Snowman Sculpting, the winter elements are pure and simple supplies from which he fashions stunning snow and ice sculptures. Fitzpatrick talks to Northshore about his unique craft and how he keeps frostbite at bay.
How did you get into sculpting? [I] fell in love with impermanent art after making my first snow sculpture…over 20 years ago. My passion took over, and I developed a very successful business plan as a result.

What was that first sculpture? Santa Claus, at the request of my then three-year-old daughter, Shannon.

Where do you work now? My work takes me all over the Unites States and around the world. Locally, a majority of my ice sculptures are created at my ice studio at Cape Pond Ice in Gloucester.

What tools do you use? Chain saws, blow torches, hand saws, and chisels.

How do you keep warm at work? With ice and snow, there’s a lot of Kevlar protection gear. I dress in layers but heat up quickly. It’s always 28 degrees in my ice studio in Gloucester, but with no wind, it’s fairly comfortable.

Ever have any mishaps or, because of the weather, meltdowns? Occasionally, weather can be a problem, which is why I always suggest tenting outdoor events.

What’s been your most challenging sculpture so far? Last winter, I created a 200-ton snow/ice village at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham.

Do you ever get any outrageous requests? I was asked to carve a 10-ton snow bust of Rachael Ray for her daytime show. I had less than six hours to create it. A typical project like that would take over 20 hours to create.

What’s the best part of your job? Performing in front of large crowds. It’s the best ego boost any artist can ever get.

What will you be working on next? I have several projects involving ice, pumpkins, sand, and team building, but not necessarily in that order. fitzysnowman.com. —Rebecca Kensil

Berberian at Andover Eye Care

Todd Berberian, the optician-turned-designer and owner of Andover Eye Care, sets himself up for stardom in the eyewear industry.

What does an optician do on his day off? How about design a line of eyewear so popular that his sunglasses will soon be featured in a movie? Such is the case of Todd Berberian, owner of Andover Eye Care, who created his line of Todd Rogers eyeglass frames in 2010.

In a way, Berberian’s story is a modern-day version of The Little Engine That Could. After all, breaking into an industry dominated by famous designers during an economic recession takes—no pun intended—vision. And, as Berberian points out, who understands vision more than an optician?

“I’m a bad artist, but I’ve always liked fashion,” says Berberian, who has been an optician for 20 years. But while his store sold some of the biggest brands in eyewear, he said he was often disappointed in the quality and style of the products. “One of the reasons I did this is that I was tired of buying super-expensive products that, when they arrived, weren’t perfect. They were crooked, or the plastic was of an inferior quality. And keep in mind that these are selling for big bucks.”

He soon found himself working after hours, creating his own designs and teaching himself more advanced techniques in cutting lenses. He learned to customize frames not only to fit his customers better, but also to be more flattering and more fashion forward. Eventually, he began to dream of starting his own fashion line, but was told from the outset by everyone that without money and connections, his chances were slim.

Again, he stuck to his vision. Often, the big-name designers who lend their names to eyewear don’t actually have any direct knowledge or connection to the industry. Berberian, on the other hand, knew his business, knew what customers liked, and knew what looked and felt good on them.

In his mind, the question was not “Why should an optician create designer eyewear?” but “Who else could do it better?” An important step in the process was to find a manufacturer who could not only turn his designs into reality, but do so at an affordable price. The process took four or five years, or as he puts it: “I had to kiss a lot of frogs.”

Berberian took several disappointing trips overseas to meet with potential manufacturers, during which time, he says, “I burned some bridges, and it’s a small industry.” Still, he persevered and finally found a few manufacturers who understood his goals. When his first box of frames arrived at his home, he said he got goose bumps, but even then, he took his time.

“I finally had my samples, and I went through each frame, one by one, for quality control. I showed them to friends. I took pictures of them, and studied them afterward before choosing the ones I wanted.” When the product arrived at his store, Berberian instructed his staff not to direct customers toward the frames or to let on that he was the designer. To his delight, the frames took off. The next step was to create brand awareness.

“Often, when people create a product, they just slap a name on the product,” Berberian says. “I knew I didn’t want to do it like that.” He created the name Todd Rogers—Rogers is his middle name and his mother’s maiden name—and put energy into creating catchy tag lines. The idea was to invest his fledgling line with “a feeling” that felt true to his personality and vision.

The next big test arrived when Berberian took his wares to the New York Vision Expo East, where they were assigned a booth at the bottom of an escalator that attendees had to use to reach some of the most popular exhibits.
“We designed the booth to look like what you’d see at a concert, with T-shirts stuck to the wall,” he says. One of them read: “I know you’re admiring my glasses,” with the “gl” and the “es” in tiny letters. Needless to say, the booth drew a lot of positive buzz. “We brought a new kind of vibe, and even though we’re a small company, the whole show was talking about us,” he says.

Berberian understood that creating that vibe was as important as creating the eyewear itself, and marketing played a key role in this part of the process. “We were looking to promote our indie name with viral marketing,” he says. One example of his creative marketing approach is an ad he shot that depicts Berberian with his back to the camera with his beloved dog, Prana. There are no eyeglasses in the picture, although there is a Todd Rogers logo on a T-shirt hanging out of his jeans pocket.

“On the way to the photo shoot, my PR manager told me that the camera does not like someone’s back, but people now tell me that it is their favorite picture.”

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the word got out. Berberian was written about in a trade magazine called Eyecare Business, in which he was included in a piece on designers who are also optometrists and opticians. Another writeup, in which he was named among Andover’s “Hottest Bachelors” in The Andovers magazine, proved to be more embarrassing, although Berberian is a good sport about it.

“That article is going to follow me around forever,” he says, laughing. He was nominated by a customer and was under the impression that his appearance in the magazine would be a small, forgettable item. “Instead, I found myself on the cover,” he says, a fact he didn’t discover until he noticed a few people staring at him at Butcher Boy market, where the magazine was on display. “There I was, in sweats, a hoodie, and flip-flops, thinking, ‘get me out of this market— now.’” Nowadays, Berberian is off the bachelor market and is the doting father of a six-month-old son, Jackson.

If more proof were needed that Todd Rogers Eyewear has caught on with the cool set, a character in an upcoming film being shot in Toronto, called And Now a Word from our Sponsor… will wear a pair of Todd Rogers sunglasses in the movie. So with all this success, why is the designer still in Andover?

“I love Andover,” says Berberian, who moved there from his native Somerville—or “the ‘Ville,” as he calls it (the abbreviation is lasered onto a pair of white Converse sneakers that Berberian sometimes wears at work, a tribute to his hometown). He especially likes downtown Andover’s classic New England beauty and its inhabitants, a mix of locals and transplants. He also credits the great local schools, interesting companies, and beautiful houses for giving the town its character. “Andover is fashionable. It’s preppy, but, guess what? Preppy is a huge fashion influence, especially now.” That aesthetic is part of what influenced his designs, he notes, calling his eyewear style “Classic New England with a twist.”

Berberian also wanted to ensure that his eyewear sold at a reasonable price, noting that his line in his shop sells in the $200 range. That said, he admits that the optician in him sometimes gets in his way when selling his own eyewear.

“There have been times when someone comes in and wants a pair of Todd Rogers and there’s been another brand that fits better,” he said. “In that case, I steer them toward the other pair.”

When asked if he has advice for other entrepreneurs starting out in this difficult economy, he modestly replies: “If I can do it, anyone can.” On the other hand, given the dogged perseverance it took to get his line up and running, he can’t resist adding: “You also need to see between the lines.”

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Andover Eye Care, 777 Main St., Andover, 978-749-7300

Robert Ventola

What he does: West Newbury-based Ventola heads up the visual design and consultation company Display Concepts, Inc., which specializes in window displays.

His clients: For 30 years, Ventola has created themes for numerous retail windows, including displays for John Farley Clothiers in Newburyport and Giblees Fine Clothing in Danvers. Ventola also designs for companies nationally and internationally and has done numerous runway shows.

His approach: “I want to know what [clients] like, where they go to dinner; I want to know about their lifestyle. It helps to formulate a direction for them, so when we do a presentation, we’re probably 90 percent [correct] with the first presentation. That is what has given us the reputation that we have.”

His favorite project: While designing a theme for a New York show based on faux fur, Ventola came up with the idea to use an all-white background with a white stage and to have every model walk down the runway with a St. Bernard—show dogs, of course.

Future projects: This year alone, Ventola has 31 projects for the holiday season. Come November, he will have his displays set, but until then, he will be spending every day in his shop designing and creating.

After achieving international renown for her work of historical fiction set in ancient Israel, the New York Times best-selling novel The Red Tent, Rockport resident and author Anita Diamant brings her latest set of characters back home to the North Shore. By, Tamsin Venn – Photographs by Dana Smith

In the novel that author Anita Diamant is currently writing, a group of young women in 1915 journey from Boston to Rockport by train to escape their office and department store jobs and the pressures of urban life. Over the course of a week or two in this North Shore town, they hike, sail, swim, and play tennis—activities the Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrant girls have never experienced before.

Diamant, a Rockport resident and author of the New York Times bestseller The Red Tent, has set part of her new novel at Rockport Lodge, a 1750s farmhouse on Route 127 that’s now a private home. On a walk with Diamant from her home to the property, she explains that her newest characters spent their summer at the lodge, opened in 1906, as a kind of Fresh Air Fund-arrangement at the start of the whole settlement movement. Diamant was inspired by the place upon learning about its history as a guest house for women and girls of limited means.

Early 20th-century Boston was abuzz with the rise of novel concepts like department stores, movies, and women’s magazines. The era also saw the invention of the typewriter and the founding of Simmons College, says Diamant, who loves historical research. Boston’s North End, she says, was dense and unhealthy. For the heroines of her latest book, having their own beds and towels and going to the beach and sailing were “things that were completely alien to them, like going from Kansas to Oz,” she says. “I find that completely fascinating.”

The North Shore setting is not new for this richly imaginative writer; Diamant has set two previous novels on Cape Ann. The Last Days of Dogtown recreates the daily lives of castoffs—widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and “witches”—living in a lonely hamlet outside Gloucester in the early 1800s. Good Harbor tells the tale of a nurturing friendship between two women, one a cancer patient, as it develops during restorative beach walks. In Good Harbor, Diamant explores the modern woman’s balancing act of marriage and career, motherhood and friendship. “No matter what the setting, my characters always lead the action,” says Diamant.

But Diamant is best known for ancient settings found in The Red Tent, an imaginary telling of the biblical story of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob. Dinah is barely mentioned in the Bible (her 12 brothers get a lot more attention), but Diamant weaves an entire drama around the girl, her mother, and her aunts. This memorable work of fiction gives voice to the silent women—their passions, traditions, and turmoil—in The Old Testament.

Published by St. Martin’s Press in 1997, the book sold modestly at first. It had no advertising budget and few reviews in major periodicals. “When it came out,  it came out to thunderous silence,” says Diamant. “It almost didn’t get published in paperback. You have this fantasy that your life is going to change forever when your novel comes out, but it doesn’t.” As independent book stores, reading groups, and trailblazing women’s rabbi associations adopted it, The Red Tent became a “word-of-mouth” success and is now published in 20 languages.

The Newburyport Choral Society invited Diamant to narrate Arthur Honegger’s choral masterpiece King David. The organization had asked her as a Bible scholar, though she vehemently contests her reputation as such. She explains that the story of Dinah was based strictly on her imagination.

“The Red Tent retells the story of Dinah, which is found in the Biblical book of Genesis, Chapter 34. This episode, usually known as the ‘Rape of Dinah,’ has been a difficult passage for Bible readers for centuries because of the murderous behavior of Jacob’s sons. In Genesis, Dinah does not say a single word; what happens to her is recounted and characterized as rape by her brothers. In my retelling of the story, Dinah finds her voice. The Red Tent is told entirely from her perspective and the point of view of the women around her,” writes Diamant on her website.

Diamant once received an email from one man who said he was praying for her because of the liberties she took with the Old Testament story. “It’s not a novelization of the text. It’s a riff. It takes off. I feel it’s an honor when people bring me in as a Bible scholar, but it’s something I can’t take credit for,” Diamant says.

So how did Diamant come to set her subsequent novels on Cape Ann as opposed to ancient Israel? She found inspiration in local lore. While walking around Gloucester finishing The Red Tent, she found a pamphlet on Dogtown in the Bookstore of Gloucester. That led her to a slim volume titled In the Heart of Cape Ann, or the Story of Dogtown. The author, Charles Mann, claimed he gleaned the information from “sweet-faced old ladies” and noble old men who sat gossiping around the fire. The illustrator, Catherine M. Follansbee, had a field day sketching broom-riding witches.

“The thumbnail sketches of the people were so fabulous,” says Diamant. Everything that had ever been written about Dogtown was in that pamphlet. There’s no real history, only gossip and hearsay, and Diamant thought it was fine for writing a novel. “I didn’t feel like I was hurting anyone’s memory,” she says. She was also interested in the compelling history of early Africans in New England, represented by two characters.

Diamant’s most recently published novel, Day After Night, a work of historical fiction, is set in 1945 Palestine in a British prison camp for Jewish immigrants who fled Nazi Germany. Diamant had visited the detention camp, Atlit, now a museum near Haifa, during her daughter’s Hebrew school’s semester in Israel. She was struck by the escape of 200 detainees, a story better known in Israel than in the U.S. in which Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin played a role. She soon began research for the new novel and made several trips there.

The story follows four young women who live through very different war experiences. Diamant was drawn to the powerful concept of surviving such a crushing experience, as both of her parents are Holocaust survivors. Diamant feels the book demonstrates the importance Israel had as a place for millions of displaced Jews after World War II and still has today in the volatile Middle East. And while the book was difficult to write, the fact that these young women were eventually able to share their suffering with each other and create new beginnings for themselves helped make the process bearable, Diamant says. “I thought it was an amazing story and wanted to tell it from the rearview mirror,” she says.

Diamant moved to Boston in the 1970s after earning a degree in comparative literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master’s in literature from SUNY Binghamton. Before trying her hand at fiction, she published six non-fiction books about contemporary Jewish practice. She wrote columns for the Boston Phoenix and the Boston Globe Magazine and compiled them into the highly inspiring and entertaining Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and Other Leaps of Faith. Some of her gems include: “No matter how loving your mate, no matter how huggy-kissy your kid, doglessness spells tactile deprivation.” Also: “There must have been raspberries in the Garden of Eden, which convinces me that Adam and Eve were, developmentally at least, nothing but babies. Because given the choice between an apple and an unlimited supply of raspberries, only a small child would go for the Red Delicious.”

Today, Diamant is moving in other directions, which include writing song lyrics. Her new CD, “Requited,” is full of fabulous jazz riffs for which she wrote the lyrics with her friend Bert Seager. It is the most fun she’s ever had as a writer, she says.

Diamant’s writing space in her Rockport home is next to the dining room table, under a painting of Good Harbor Beach, a gift from her husband. The painting is poignant, as Diamant finds inspiration on Good Harbor Beach, as well as at Rocky Neck, Gloucester Harbor, and Rockport’s Headlands, where she walks her dog. “It’s the place I go to in my head when I need to calm down,” she says.

Later, on a stroll with the author down a quiet lane from Rockport Lodge back to her house, it’s striking just how close to home Diamant found inspiration for her new work of historical fiction—more specifically, how far it is from the ancient biblical setting that propelled her into international fame. For this famous author, regardless how wide-reaching her works become and how well-known her name is, there’s no place like home.

Making the grade with Phillips Academy Head of School Barbara Landis Chase. By, Lindsay Lambert

It’s back-to-school time again, but this academic year will be especially momentous for one local administrator in particular. After 18 years, the 2011-2012 school year will serve as Barbara Landis Chase’s last as Head of School at Andover’s prestigious Phillips Academy. Here, Chase talks to Northshore about her approaching retirement, the school’s elite alumni, and requisite (but harmless) student pranks.

How do you feel heading into your final year at the academy? My feelings are complicated—sadness at leaving a place where I have found such fulfilling and important work, and where my husband and I have lived happily for so many years, but also a sense of exhilaration as I contemplate the next chapter.

Phillips Academy boasts some powerful and influential alumni. What makes the school’s alumni so successful? Andover is a place that honors the life of the mind; it stretches students with the rigor of its academic program and the breadth of extracurricular activities. The school does its best to articulate and live its values, especially the motto Non Sibi (not for self) on the Academy’s seal and the directive from our 1778 Constitution to combine goodness with knowledge.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of students’ pranks? Most pranks are gentle and amusing, thank goodness. I do know they call me “Babs” when I am out of earshot. It is not a name I love or have ever been called, except by a few close friends who were teasing me, so I choose to think the nickname is in that spirit.

Were there any pranks that had to be punished that you actually found amusing? A few of our students once released blue mice (blue is the Andover color) in the library of a rival school. Not a good thing, for the mice or the other school’s library, but it was clever in concept. There was a penalty for that, not a terribly harsh one, but a penalty nonetheless.

What has been the highlight of the now 17 years you’ve spent as Head of School at Phillips Academy? I can’t possibly pick one; there are too many—fascinating classes, great performances and games, celebrations and conversations, periods of mourning when the whole school pulled together, getting to know amazing alumni. What ties all the high points together is the people—the students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents. They’re just the best.

Gail Boucher co-owner/artist at Atlantis Charter Art Cruises. By, Felicity Long

What she does: Boucher, or “Captain Gail,” as she’s known, leads art cruises on the Merrimack River aboard the Atlantis, a 37-foot motorboat.

A typical outing: Classes are unstructured and can be customized. “Sometimes an artist will bring a group of students, or a group will come without a formal teacher. We also get a lot of photographers.”

Best views: Artists especially love the views of Plum Island, the Old Coast Guard Station, and the lighthouse. “The boat’s tower offers wonderful views for photography, although passengers have to be physically able to climb it.”

Best part of the job: “I love talking to artists, but I’m also a fisherman, so the passengers are a nice mix. We have been doing this for 16 years, and we have a lot of repeaters. We don’t have to advertise very hard.”

The season: Cruises typically run from mid-May to mid-October. Because routes are affected by the weather, tide, and wind, a typical cruise involves anchoring off multiple scenic spots for quick studies. Trips are usually three to four hours, but longer excursions are available.

The crew: Boucher, her husband Norm, and their beagle, Winslow, named for the artist Winslow Homer, accompany passengers on every cruise.

atlantis-charter.com; glbfineart.com.

After facing defeat in 2006 in a battle for Beacon Hill, Beverly resident and former Lt. Governer Kerry Healey opts for a fast-paced career as a television personality, global political activist, and human rights champion. By Andrea Fox

Kerry Healey

Kerry Healey may have exited public office four years ago after an unsuccessful race against Democratic opponent Governor Deval Patrick, but she’s hardly left the game. Northshore caught up with Healey in her hometown of Beverly to discuss her work as part of the Mitt Romney Presidential exploratory committee; “Shining City,” a local television show she created and co-hosts; and a life in the global politics fast lane.

Catching up with Kerry Healey wasn’t an easy task, what with her trips to Afghanistan, the Middle East, and a family vacation to Florida; balancing a new television deal as co-host and co-creator; her responsibilities as a mother of two high school-aged children; a working role in a high-profile public partnership; women’s advocacy and philanthropy projects; and a role in a potential Mitt Romney Presidential campaign.

Healey is supporting the “Romney: Believe in America” campaign as part of his foreign policy team. Her purpose is “to formulate a more coherent strategy abroad…and help Mitt run the best campaign he can,” Healey says, adding that she wants people to “discover who Mitt is, this time around,” that he is someone different than the dashing businessman we met when he first ran and became governor in 2002. Healey has worked with Romney in various capacities over the last nine years, which has only increased her respect for him, she says. “I don’t even recognize some of the caricatures I see of him in the press. My guess is that this time around, the American people will get to see more of the relaxed, self-deprecating, sincere, and deeply principled person I know and less of the plastic caricature they see in spliced clips on ‘The Daily Show,’” Healey says.

Speaking of television, Healey has carved a new career for herself. Following a 2007 fellowship at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics and The Center for Public Leadership, where she led discussion groups and classes on “Beyond the Rhetoric of Reform: Creating Real Change,” which drew from examples of health care, Melanie’s Law, domestic law, and homelessness policy under the Romney-Healey Administration, she developed a television show not about politics, but science and society. The program, called “Shining City” gives voice to local innovators.

The idea for the show came from Healey’s life as Lt. Governor—a role with “a lot of ribbon cuttings and awards,” she says. Healey was impressed by the number of entrepreneurs “solving the greatest challenges” of humanity, “whether we are ready for them or not.”

On “Shining City,” which originally appeared on NESN in 2010 and in June moves to WGBH for its second season, Healey and co-host Tracy Palandjian offer Barbara Walters-style interviews that introduce the creative processes and minds behind New England’s technology leaders. From robotic insects that could be used as spies by the U.S. Department of Defense or to pollinate crops in the event of a widespread honey bee colony collapse to the most enhanced technologies and incredible tools for social advancement, the show’s first season allowed viewers to go one-on-one with leaders of private business, the non-profit sector, and academic research.

The show’s name was derived in part from a speech delivered by Governor John Winthrop as he and his Puritan pilgrims arrived at the Arbella to build a city, which he said would be judged by future generations. Later, in his own address referring to Winthrop’s speech, Ronald Regan coined the actual term, calling it the “Shining City,” Healey says.

“I want to encourage people to think about these enormously provocative technologies,” and about the ethics of the world we are creating, says Healey. Some of the segments were indeed provocative, such as that of transcranial magnetic stimulation by Harvard Medical School neurologist Alvaro Pascual-Leone, who works with its application in cognitive neuroscience. Healey explains that the non-invasive technology can shut off parts of the human brain and can be used when surgery is not possible or as behavior modification, which possesses “society-altering possibilities.” In the future, such technology could be used by the judicial system, she notes.

Brain alteration as part of criminal sentencing elicits sharp reactions. “Republicans will be using it on Democrats,” one liberal quipped when presented with the idea. Healey describes the dance of science and politics as “intimate… it’s critical to the advancement of our economy.” Government funds science, she points out. Healey also says that creating public support for such research is essential in order “to make good choices about the future.” When asked if humans can create flawless political and judicial systems, she responds, “You create them. I don’t think you can execute them…but there’s nothing wrong with trying to reach them.”

While “Shining City” requires a considerable quantity of Healey’s time and attention, it’s certainly not the only project with which she’s currently involved. In addition to television, Healey is working to create an improved, if not perfect, foreign judicial system. Her work with the non-profit Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan (PPP), a program created by Condoleeza Rice in December 2007, intends to foster a judicial system similar to our own in this land still ruled by Shirea Law. In 2008, Healey joined the PPP as an executive committee member. She writes grants, oversees teams that considers applicants, and is involved in planning and executing training sessions that “advance the rule of Afghan law.”

This year, there were 100 Afghani applicants for 12 full boat scholarships for LLM degrees—master’s degrees in law, focused on human rights or commercial law—at prestigious American universities like Harvard, Stanford, Washington & Lee, and Boston University. The program’s Afghani lawyers, who are both male and female and heavily screened by top security, Healey says, are expected to return to their country upon graduation to implement what Healey describes as basic human rights, like Miranda rights, social justice, and women’s rights, and to address corruption.

When she accompanied Romney to Afghanistan, the UAE, Jordan, and Israel earlier this year as part of a fact-finding mission sponsored by the International Republican Institute, Healey coordinated PPP applicant interviews at the same time. She checked in with the team daily between meetings and dinners with President Hamid Karzai, General David Petraeus (commanding officer of U.S. armed forces), and Ambassador and former Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, as well as members of the Afghani Parliament.

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Although Healey’s work has brought her within the company of some high-profile personalities, the job isn’t always glamorous. In fact, on that visit to the Middle East, Healey stayed three days in accommodations called “hooches”—stainless-steel rooms with sandbags on top. “There is always a calculated risk whenever you enter these areas…you get in, you get out,” she says.

Passionate about her role with the PPP, the plan is to create a “predictable, transparent law system,” Healey says. After the fall of the Taliban, “they had no laws to endure,” she says. The PPP connects American law to Afghanistan “by providing greater contact with American law schools and students,” she continues. The goal is “to try and determine what we could best contribute to the fractured and complex legal system.”

While in Afghanistan, Healey joined Romney on talks with leaders in volatile, tribal Pashtun areas—areas in southeastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan inhabited by Pashto-speaking people—and led a training session with female members of Parliament to discuss great social challenges America has faced. She told them about Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges and how they worked “through non-violence to achieve so much,” she says. “They found these examples very moving,” says Healey. “It was very comforting for them to know our nation had similar problems,” wherein law and practice do not align.

Supporting women in public office is another priority for Healey, both here and overseas. As part of Political Parity, a group led by former ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt and composed of influential women across political ideologies, Healey assisted with putting the concept and funding together for NameItChangeIt.org, a website and blog that addresses “media misogyny”—how women are portrayed in the media. In Afghanistan, Healey is helping to establish the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul because mixed-gender classes are problematic in a culture that more often than not separates the sexes. It’s an “impediment toward women’s investment,” she says. “It’s this odd little barrier…you need these single-gender environments.”

In the future, Healey might suspend her roles as international judicial progress facilitator, television host, and foreign policy advisor from her base in Beverly and run for office, but not until her two children, aged 16 and 18, complete high school, she says. Family has been the first priority in this woman’s world, and being there to drive her children to school at Milton Academy is very important, she says, noting that if she does opt to seek public office, she doesn’t intend to leave the North Shore. Healey, raised in Daytona, Florida, fell in love with the region and Beverly after studies at Harvard University. At 27, she worked for ABT Consulting in Cambridge and took work excursions to Joan Mullen’s Samuel Morse House in Pride’s Crossing. She and her husband were captivated by Garden City’s beauty, she says. Despite where her work, projects, and passions take her in the world, one thing is certain, says Healey. “I love Beverly and am not going anywhere.”