I have realized why it was essential for me to learn every craft project growing up.  It certainly kept me busy and my mind engaged. As someone just said, you don’t compete with anyone but yourself. I think it might be true.

I learned to knit and crochet. I like them both, but I lean towards crochet. I have a bunch of yarn from Covid projects and some that have never been finished. My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I began a knitting project 13 years ago after not doing it for decades. I decided it was time to use all of the crochet Granny squares.

I started crocheting and found I couldn’t stop. I got so into it that I began doing it while on Zoom calls. I quickly realized that crocheting while on Zoom made me more focused on the call. 

I find my mind wandering, and it’s easy to check other things, which is so uncool. Yet crocheting is opening up a whole new world. I do not see myself bringing my crochet project into office meetings, but Zoom—that’s a whole other ball game.

I am not bringing it to a live meeting, although the focus might make it worthwhile.

I have been fascinated by the growth of HMart, Cardenas Market, or even Weee, which is online (and their website is incredible). It isn’t that everyone woke up one day and started to cook differently or needed to satisfy a new palate. It is that we are becoming a more diverse nation. The people behind these grocery stores have not only fed people who grew up on these flavors but those who are experiencing them and wanting to cook with them.

Every time we travel somewhere, I check out the grocery stores. I took a trip to Golden Mall in Flushing in 2011 with my travel food and much more buddy. Since then, we have purchased many interesting products that are only carried by these ethnic grocers.

The census says that by 2045, the US will become minority white. Who knows, it might happen sooner than that. There is a reason that the Republicans are making efforts to suppress and restrict voting in specific areas throughout our country. But back to the new grocery stores.

I have never been in an HMart or any of these stores without seeing them packed in NYC, where grocery stores are not as crowded as in Los Angeles. We popped in one the other night, killing time before dinner.

Well organized, everything pops. The selection is excellent. We could have picked up everything here and had dinner. I love these places. So damn smart. Do not expect a new A&P on the corner anytime soon, but expect to see an HMart.

I have been reading about young video gamers who become incredible surgeons as they honed in on their eye-hand coordination as kids. Gaming is also a bonus for pilots with a higher aptitude for stressful situations. If you think about it, it isn’t shocking at all.

I was talking to Fred about this, and he reminded me of Stephen Johnson’s book Everything Bad Is Good For You. This book was published in 2006, so almost twenty years ago.

People are freaking out about AI, and understandably, we have to govern technology appropriately yet still give entrepreneurs the ability to innovate. The youth must take what they grew up with and evolve into a new world. Always one step forward and then one step backward. That is what keeps the rhythm. Older people, particularly parents, worry too much, and they should be focused on boundaries with technology rather than attempting to stop it.

Josh was a video kid. He loved all those games. I never cared how often he played them; the reality is that after a time, he would move on to something else and then return to it. I always thought some excellent skills were being learned there, especially eye-hand coordination.

Fast-forward: We go to Normandy, where it’s just me, Fred, and Josh. Fred is so excited to tell Josh all about WW2 and show him the beaches. When we get to the beach, Josh starts pointing out every nook and cranny, and his knowledge is vast. Why? Because he played Call of Duty.

We need ethical questioning, but who should we look for to point us in that direction? That is a bigger concern.

Last week, I posted all of my jobs over the years. I could easily post a completely different list of the invisible workload that few discuss. What goes under that list? Making dinner, shopping for the food, planning the kids’ doctor appts and playdates, buying their clothes, planning vacations, making dinner reservations, paying bills, keeping up on your own doctor and dentist appts., being a friend, etc., etc., and let’s not forget taking care of yourself, and your relationship with your partner.

There is also the underlying stress of the constant toll of social media and media in general, including what to believe and what not to believe. I scroll through Instagram and find myself getting sucked into an abyss.

To this day, when someone has a gap in their career because they chose to stay home for the kids or an ailing parent, nobody asks in a job interview what they did during that time. How did that work impact who you are today? What did you enjoy the most? What did you hate? Did you find yourself making jam, canning vegetables, sewing curtains and duvet covers, painting bathrooms, baking cookies, reading more books, going to the kids class weekly to teach a cooking class, going to every kids sporting event, feeding the theater cast for the practice nights before the big show? I know I did all of these things, and not one of them is on my “job list.” I loved it all, and I am so glad I did it.

The only time I touted the invisible workload was when I quit Silicon Alley Reporter and was figuring out what was next; I got a call from someone who oversaw a large media company. He wanted me to run an area in the company, I can’t remember which one. I had to talk to a woman who was his top VP. We had a lovely conversation and as we were wrapping up, she asked me to send her my resume. I laughed and said, I do not have one, and have never had one. I have 3 kids, I built this business after doing this in another business, and that’s my resume. She then laughed, and said I got it. I never did take the job.

We must embrace the invisible workload; it would alleviate a lot of stress for all of us.

Gotham opened our doors this week at 260 Warren Street and couldn’t be happier!

An excellent article about us was published in the Daily Gazette. We couldn’t have written it better ourselves. You can read the article here or the cut-and-paste below. Pictures are Gothams.

HUDSON — Gotham, a New York City-based cannabis dispensary, had soft opening at 260 Warren St. Wednesday ahead of its official grand opening on Sept. 15.

Gotham first opened as a pop-up in Hudson in October 2023 through the state Office of Cannabis Management’s Cannabis Growers Showcase program, which allowed cannabis farmers and processors to showcase their products to consumers.

Through the program, the consumers were then able to purchase the products from a licensed retailer, according to the Office of Cannabis Management.

The dispensary’s Hudson location at 60 S. Front St. was forced to close Dec. 31, 2023 after the program came to an end.

“We are so excited to be here,” said Bianca Antonacci, a supervisor at Gotham. “Gotham is where cannabis meets culture. This place is more than just a dispensary. We offer stylish grinders and other accessories, along with a range of beauty products with CBD.”

Antonacci said, with Gotham’s new location, the dispensary aims to offer a different shopping experience, featuring high-quality products and a wide variety of cannabis strains.

The goal, she added, is to break the stigma surrounding cannabis use.

“We’re definitely a New York brand, and while we know we’re upstate, we’re bringing the city here while still maintaining that upstate vibe,” Antonacci said. “A big part of our brand is also about destigmatizing cannabis. It’s no longer something to be ashamed of. It’s legal and has become a natural part of people’s lifestyles. To me, it’s no different than having a beer.”

Despite the shop only being open for a short time, it already has a returning customer.

“I was literally their first customer and waited until I could get through the door,” Dan Kaufman said. “I came back quickly because I was eager to be the store’s first customer.”

Kaufman had owned a cannabis store in New York City before moving to Hudson.

“They have an excellent selection of products,” he said.

Antonacci said that Gotham highlights women in the cannabis industry, being a women-owned and operated business that regularly introduces new brands and concepts to keep customers engaged.

“We are women-owned and founded, and we’re proud to carry female-owned cannabis brands like Miss Grass,” Antonacci said. “It’s important for us to share that message because we’re part of the community, and that’s what people truly connect with. Gotham’s founder, Joanne Wilson, has been incredible. She has not only built this business but has also supported other startup companies as an angel.”

Kaufman had a similar sentiment on Gotham’s women-owned roots.

“I think it’s great here, and even though I am a guy, I’m a big fan of the whole women’s thing here,” Kaufman said. “Women tend to speak up more about the health and wellness aspects of cannabis, which focuses a holistic approach rather than let’s just getting really stoned.”

Emma Stigi, a budtender at Gotham, said the dispensary is a welcoming and secure environment where people can explore new options.

“Some of our products are unique due to the way they are grown,” Stigi said. “This is a safe space and we offer a variety of options, including drinks and pills, to accommodate different preferences.”

Gotham is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day and offers a large variety of THC and CBD products ranging from traditional cannabis to THC-infused sparkling water. It also has a large variety of lifestyle products including clothing, décor and tote bags.

At dinner, we were discussing Gotham—not shocking—and Fred said you should blog about every job you have had. Undoubtedly, the dots connect, and every experience is worthy in its own right. There were some side hustles here, like raising three kids, cooking most nights of the week, a couple of random design projects, and the daily “to do” list but here goes.

1964 – Sold Puppies and lemonade in the front yard – one afternoon

1968 – Put on a musical concert for the neighborhood and charged everyone money to attend. I attempted a second event, but my musical talents were not as good as my production capabilities.

1970 – Started a cinnamon toothpick business. Did a bit of AB testing with lemon sticks, quickly discounted them. The entire business had a profitable run.

1977 -1979 I got my driver’s license and life changed. I ran the office for the Montgomery County Recreation Department, where I opened envelopes from countless parents with a check and application form for each child’s afternoon sports activity for 13 elementary schools and seven junior high schools. I also coached soccer, basketball, flag football, and softball for elementary school kids. Taught guitar lessons for a few kids in the evening – referred from my guitar teacher. Worked at a plant store the free nights. In the summer, I continued with these jobs and was the archery counselor at Valley Mill Day Camp. Unclear when I did homework.

Fall of 1979 – Dishwasher at my college’s cafeteria – lasted only briefly. I did random odd jobs to make cash, like retyping all the recipes for a Soup Restaurant.

Summer 1980 – Worked as a flier at Neiman Marcus in DC

Spring and Summer 1981- Worked at a kiosk in Faneuil Hall during the school year. I also got a Government security clearance and worked for Bolt Beranek and Newman, where I organized documents and signed them out to engineers working on “secret” Government contracts. I was too fast for them, and the workload was too light for summer, so I shifted gears and went to work for Raytheon mowing the lawns out on Route 128. Memorable experience. Worked at Bloomingdales in the evening 3 nights a week.

Summer 1982 – Worked in local retail

Fall 1982 – I interned at JW Robinsons as an assistant buyer in the men’s department and lived in Los Angeles.

Fall 1983 – I began the Macy’s executive training program and had four jobs over five years. Cosmetics Manager at Kings Plaza, Assistant Buyer Young Collector, Assistant Store Manager New Rochelle, Buyer Large Size Women Clothing

1987 – Sales Youngstuff, Large Size Women Clothing

1988 – Sales/Manufacturing Private Label

1990 – 1993—Kenneth Mitchell, number 2. I built the business from just large sizes to missy, petite, and large sizes, eventually hiring a sales and design team. I grew the company from $1.5m to $12 m.

1993 – Short-lived garment sales job that convinced me to leave the industry – became a full time Mom

1996 – 1999 – I ran a soccer division, hawked garments, and worked for a medical transportation company. Left all of this and became the number two at Silicon Alley Reporter, overseeing sales and events. Chaired MOUSE.

2000 – I made my first investment, sat on the board of UPOC, and joined the executive board of the kid’s school.

2003 – Launched Gotham Gal and obviously continue to blog today

2007 – Started angel investing – eventually invested in 150 companies, sitting on multiple boards with a bend towards women entrepreneurs, and black and brown founders.

2008- Became the first Chair of Hot Bread Kitchen and stayed for five years

2010 – 2016 Launched the annual Women’s Entrepreneur Festival that ran for six years—started writing weekly about Women Entrepreneurs, eventually moving to the same concept but in a podcast. I have talked to over 400 women about their careers.

2012 (ish) – I joined the board of the High Line and continue to serve on that board today.

2016 (ish)—I became the first Chair of Path Forward, an organization that helps people (mostly women) who have been home for an extended period as either parents or caregivers to their parents reenter the workforce. I stayed for two years.

2018 (ish) – Began building Frame Home and Frame Work – sustainable living and working spaces

2020 (ish) – Joined the Board of the Public Housing Community Fund, which I now Chair

2020 (ish) – Co-founded Gotham Gives, a public charity that invests in initiatives that reflect the rich diversity of New York City and improve systemic equity by creating social, educational, and cultural opportunities for all New Yorkers.

2021 – Begin to work on Gotham. In spring 2023, we opened the first store. I am the CEO and Founder.

I am sure I missed a few things, but it is fun to revisit all of this.

A few years ago, I got a cold email from a blog reader who works for the Jed Foundation. I appreciated the note and was intrigued by the Jed Foundation, so we did a Zoom. Fast forward, Gotham Gives, our charity, became a donor of the Jed Foundation.

Gotham Gives invests in initiatives that reflect New York City’s rich diversity to improve systemic equity by creating social, educational, and cultural opportunities for all New Yorkers. We create impact through investment and collaboration. It is organizations like Jed and countless others who make an impact on people’s lives; the Government never will by itself, and it never has.

We have invested in many organizations that realize how to make change through education and programs. It is almost impossible to change the root of issues from gun control to suicide to incarceration, but you can make an impact with education.

We are really proud of this program that we funded below.

NEW YORK — School nurses play a critical role in suicide prevention and are often the first point of contact for students experiencing mental health issues or emotional distress. Today, Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, in partnership with the NYC Department of Health, and The Jed Foundation (JED), announced that the New York City Office of School Health (OSH) has partnered with JED, a leading national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide in teens and young adults, to develop and scale a new standardized suicide prevention training course for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) nurses working across more than 1,800 pre-K–12 public schools.  

“Our schools aren’t just places where our children go to learn — they’re where they go to grow up, to find themselves, to make friends, and to have the support they need to get through whatever’s going on in their lives,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “With this new partnership, we’re making sure that our school nurses have the training they need to identify warning signs of suicide and get at-risk young people the help they need. It’s a part of our broader mission to promote youth mental health, inside and outside our schools.”

“School-based nurses play an important role in our school communities and in the everyday lives of our young people. They may see young people at times of need whether a stomach ache, a needed band-aid, or a sprained ankle. School nurses don’t just tend to physical health needs though, they are also the frontlines of witnessing and supporting our kids’ mental health. Seeing when they might be feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. That’s why this partnership offering additional training to our school nurses around suicide prevention is so critical. It responds to a need and it gives new tools of support to our nurses and our students,” said Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom.

Approximately 1,500 New York City school nurses, supporting 1.1 million students in the nation’s largest school district, will complete JED’s 90-minute, eight-module online course, Suicide Prevention for School Nurses, by the end of October. Launched in June after pilot testing with 30 NYCPS nurses, the course uses scenario-based learning and the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool to enhance nurses’ abilities to identify, screen, and refer students at risk for suicide. To date, at least 375 nurses have completed the course, with ratings on ability to identify warning signs and risk factors of suicide increasing by 3 points on average (on a 10-point scale) post-training. Participants have also learned about common mental health challenges, signs of distress, when to mobilize a crisis team, tips for managing emotional carryover and burnout, and more.  

The 2023 NYC Teen Mental Health Survey from the Health Department found that 48 percent of teens experience depressive symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Nearly one in four NYC teens (24 percent) said that sometime in the past 12 months they had needed or wanted mental health care but did not get it.

“School is where young people spend a great deal of their time, and nurses are frequently the first faces pre-K–12 students turn to for help when they’re hurting physically or emotionally. For this reason, JED is proud to partner with OSH and NYCPS to create a foundational training that will provide all school nurses in America’s largest public school district with the knowledge they need to safeguard at-risk students and help prevent suicide,” said Tony Walker, JED’s Senior Vice President of Academic Programs. “Through this comprehensive public health approach, we hope to empower school nurses to initiate potentially life-saving conversations and create healthier school communities — both in and out of the classroom.” 

Someone recently told me that I am a demon for speed. Truth and it is insanely hard to be in the cannabis industry when speed is what you wish for. Everyone in the industry has been holding their breath, waiting for the DEA to reschedule the plant. They have enough information now to bring the change forth but are waiting until early December to schedule the hearing. Painful decision

Ninety-one percent of the US supports legalizing cannabis in some form, hundreds of thousands of people work in the industry, it is legal in 38 states, the industry is growing, the health benefits grow every day, and the cat is out of the bag. What is frustrating is the absurd taxes (280E) and the banking. The banking is so painful, actually anything that touches the Government tends to be painful.

And what is the most frustrating is those who are still holding on with lawsuits and large pots of money attempting to hold back the rescheduling of cannabis. All they are doing is delaying the inevitable.

The worst is articles like the one that just came out in the Atlantic, Marijuana is Too Strong Now. THC is too high (no pun intended). Have these people ever walked into a dispensary and talked to someone behind the counter? Have they tried the countless strains available based on your tolerance, be it pain, sex, menopause, giggling, wanting to clean the house, sleep, etc., because it is all there in different doses. There are alcohols with much higher percentages than some. Nothing is a one size all.

I do love speed, yet watching this tortoise get over the finish line makes all of us in the cannabis game feel punished.

Fall might be my favorite time of the year. The year begins to wind down, the weather starts to turn, new restaurants, stores, movies, plays, and books are abundant, and Thanksgiving is an added bonus. Every Labor Day, I like to reflect on the past year. Although we are no longer on the “school” vacation schedule, we have lived it so long that it is still reflected in our lives.

My post-COVID life has been exhilarating. I might be turning 63 this year, but I have a lot of energy and love building things. Having an idea, bringing it to fruition, and then seeing it evolve with more structure using data and thinking about our connection with the consumer at Gotham, the store where culture meets cannabis, has been a major part of my last year. I couldn’t be happier with all of it. Gotham will be part of the new stores this year, opening in Hudson NY this week at 260 Warren Street, the Refinery at Domino in Williamsburg at 300 Kent will be open on September 26 (and possibly before), and 146 10th Avenue sometime in December.

At the Public Housing Community Fund we have made major strives building a board, an advisory board, and making an impact in the lives of NYCHA residents working with organizations to run swim programs, rebuilding parks, amplifying the importance of art through internships and residencies, almost 100 CUNY scholarships, and much more. We are a conduit where our only mission is to impact the over 500,000 residents of public housing.

After all these years, 63 of them, and shit load of therapy, has my head in a place that feels good. I am still playing and working hard because that is who I am. It has been a fun summer and a great year so far, and I am hoping for more fun, excitement, breaking more glass, a female President, more time with our kids, travel, impact, and, of course, checking out what is the new new – after all of this I am still the Gotham Gal.

When we first came to NYC, we lived on 28th and Madison Avenue. The neighborhood was close to our work; we could walk, and we didn’t realize that this area was filled with SROs, prostitutes, and drug dealers. It was the 80’s.

We would walk down to the village through Madison Square Park, not a pretty sight, multiple times a week. It took little to realize that owning real estate is a significant asset. Admittedly, I was obsessed with buildings that were only for parking cars. There is only a little upkeep on a car lot.

US real estate is an asset class divided into residential and commercial. The asset class is different in other countries, where they have figured out a way to keep the cost of real estate, which means purchasing and renting, down to a price that fits into the economy.

The cost of residential and commercial space in cities has gotten so high that I wonder how long this can go on. Too many people have jobs but can’t afford a roof over their heads. How does that change?

A case is in front of the DOJ accusing Real Page, a real estate software developer, supposedly colluded with landlords to keep rents artificially high. Unclear where this case ends up but I know countless people who got deals during COVID only be told after the pandemic subsided that their rent is now going up 75%. Yes, 75%.

Commercial real estate is also questionable right now. A few weeks ago a $100m property was put on an auction site, highest bidder wins. Supposedly in the past this has been a good place to sell but this time a commercial midtown building that was being auctioned off, had only one bidder, for $8.5m. And that bidder now owns a building that was once valued at $100m for a steep discount.

I am not sure where all these small red flags are going but there are ample vacancies in the city that are sitting there empty with landlords hoping for higher rents. The only thing that changes the value is building more residential real estate. As for commercial real estate, no matter what people want to believe, nobody is every going back to a 5 day workweek at the office.

The conversions to commercial to residential speak volumes. Significant buildings are being converted from commercial to residential but that does not fill the void and needs of many residents who are vital to our city who can’t afford housing. Will the zoning change? What will these areas look like in a decade?  

At one point, something will shift, and what happens will be interesting to watch.