It’s Citrus Culture Day! this time at Wine and Canvas, a painting class with cocktails.
Wine and Canvas is a mobile business that brings the party to your favorite venues, corporate events, or living room! They make painting easy and exciting. Their talented artists will instruct you step-by-step through re-creating the featured painting of the day. At the end of the event, you’ll take home a work of art that you created.
“Life is too short for blank walls; unleash your inner Picasso”
We can hardly believe that Memorial Day weekend is upon us! Most of us are gearing up for barbecues, picnics and trips to the beach—and what’s more appropriate then a cold glass of lemonade this time of the year? We rounded up five lemonade recipes that put a tasty twist on the classic summer drink.
This simple Lavender Lemonade recipe from Sunday Suppers is so pretty—we can’t wait to serve it at our next party.
This Vanilla Lemonade infuses a sweet, aromatic flavor into the traditional recipe.
This sweet Rosemary Lemonade gets a savory kick from sprigs of fresh rosemary.
A sugared rim makes this Blueberry Mint Lemonade a festive addition to your barbecue—not to mention a delicious base for a cocktail!
Sparkling Rosewater Lemonade?! You don’t have to ask us twice!
CEO, Kalika Yap was nominated for this award, which honors business women in Los Angeles who are great leaders and have done exceptional work with the community. The awards luncheon was held at the J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live last Tuesday, May 14th.
Samira Asemanfar founder of Bellacures
Kalika Yap and Bennet Kelley our corporate attorney from Internet Law Center who nominated her for this award!
This year’s 2nd annual entrepreneur’s conference, ‘Bacon Donuts: Practical Planning for Brilliantly Risky Ideas” is dedicated to a subject that speaks to the hearts and minds of all successful entrepreneurs – thinking creatively and acting pragmatically.
On the panel 1: Money Morning is our CEO Kalika Yap with Sasha Strauss, Managing Director of Innovation Protocol and Marty Metro, Founder of UsedCardboardBoxes.com. Moderated by Jean C. del Rosario, VP/Sr. Portfolio Managment Office, Consumer and Business Lending, Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Marty Metro, Jean C. del Rosario, Kalika Yap and Sasha Strauss
Right after the conference held the annual NAWBO-LA Awards Luncheon, celebrating it’s 27th year of giving tribute to top achievers among womenleaders who have established a legacy of entrepreneurial excellence and contributed significantly to Southern California.
This year’s conference and luncheon was held at the J.W. Marriott at LA. Live last Friday, April 26, 2013.
CEO Kalika Yap with the Citrus girls
Pooneh Mohajer, COO and Co-Founder of Tokidoki
Barbara Lazaroff, ASID, President, Imaginings Design, Inc./ Founder, Spago, Chinois & WP Fine Dining, Catering & Worldwide
LL Cool J introducing his wife Simone for the Rising Star award
Congratulations to the 2013 honorees!
Leadership Award: Jessica Iclisoy, Founder & President, California Baby
Legacy Award: Barbara Lazaroff, ASID, President, Imaginings Design, Inc./ Founder, Spago, Chinois & WP Fine Dining, Catering & Worldwide
Trailblazer of the Year Award: Pooneh Mohajer, Co-Founder & COO, tokidoki
Rising Star of the Year Award: Simone I. Smith, Designer & Co-Owner, Simone I. Smith
Innovator of the Year Award: Gwynne Shotwell, President, SpaceX
Hall of Fame Inductee: Jeri Harman, Founder & Partner, Avante Mezzanine Partners
Man of the Year Award: Noel Massie, UPS District President, UPS
Citrus exploring other sides of creativity!
Maria and her colorful cupcakes
Kalika Yap, our CEO and founder, did an exciting interview with Ken Rutkowski on Business Rockstars radio last week.
Check out a recording of the interview they had on April 4th here. (Click the play button and scroll to min 50:00 to hear the full interview)
Business Rockstars is a weekly show on KFWB, NEWS TALK 980 for ENTREPRENEURS by entrepreneurs. Every Monday through Friday, 2-4pm Ken Rutkowski connects the listener to some of the biggest names in business to share their experience and knowledge of entrepreneurship.
Kalika Yap’s interview with Janelle So of Kababayan LA, talking about successful business entrepreneurship.
Kababayan LA is America’s first and only daily talk show for and about the Filipinos.
You can watch the full interview here
Our CEO Kalika Yap was honored by the ADL at it’s 19th Annual Deborah Awards Dinner on March 6 at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills.
ADL’s Deborah Awards are presented annually to outstanding women whose leadership in their professions and civic contributions exemplify the qualities and ideals of the Anti-Defamation League.
Other honorees at the dinner include academic and philanthropist Dr. Sharon S. Nazarian, President, Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation and Chair, Community Advisory Board, Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, UCLA; and business leader Anne Shen Smith, Chairman and CEO of Southern California Gas Company.

They’re small things, but each has the power to dramatically change someone’s day. Including yours.
Want to make a huge difference in someone’s life? Here are things you should say every day to your employees, colleagues, family members, friends, and everyone you care about:
“Here’s what I’m thinking.”
You’re in charge, but that doesn’t mean you’re smarter, savvier, or more insightful than everyone else. Back up your statements and decisions. Give reasons. Justify with logic, not with position or authority.
Though taking the time to explain your decisions opens those decisions up to discussion or criticism, it also opens up your decisions to improvement.
Authority can make you “right,” but collaboration makes everyone right–and makes everyone pull together.
“I was wrong.”
I once came up with what I thought was an awesome plan to improve overall productivity by moving a crew to a different shift on an open production line. The inconvenience to the crew was considerable, but the payoff seemed worth it. On paper, it was perfect.
In practice, it wasn’t.
So, a few weeks later, I met with the crew and said, “I know you didn’t think this would work, and you were right. I was wrong. Let’s move you back to your original shift.”
I felt terrible. I felt stupid. I was sure I’d lost any respect they had for me.
It turns out I was wrong about that, too. Later one employee said, “I didn’t really know you, but the fact you were willing to admit you were wrong told me everything I needed to know.”
When you’re wrong, say you’re wrong. You won’t lose respect–you’ll gain it.
“That was awesome.”
No one gets enough praise. No one. Pick someone–pick anyone–who does or did something well and say, “Wow, that was great how you…”
And feel free to go back in time. Saying “Earlier, I was thinking about how you handled that employee issue last month…” can make just as positive an impact today as it would have then. (It could even make a bigger impact, because it shows you still remember what happened last month, and you still think about it.)
Praise is a gift that costs the giver nothing but is priceless to the recipient. Start praising. The people around you will love you for it–and you’ll like yourself a little better, too.
“You’re welcome.”
Think about a time you gave a gift and the recipient seemed uncomfortable or awkward. Their reaction took away a little of the fun for you, right?
The same thing can happen when you are thanked or complimented or praised. Don’t spoil the moment or the fun for the other person. The spotlight may make you feel uneasy or insecure, but all you have to do is make eye contact and say, “Thank you.” Or make eye contact and say, “You’re welcome. I was glad to do it.”
Don’t let thanks, congratulations, or praise be all about you. Make it about the other person, too.
“Can you help me?”
When you need help, regardless of the type of help you need or the person you need it from, just say, sincerely and humbly, “Can you help me?”
I promise you’ll get help. And in the process you’ll show vulnerability, respect, and a willingness to listen–which, by the way, are all qualities of a great leader.
And are all qualities of a great friend.
“I’m sorry.”
We all make mistakes, so we all have things we need to apologize for: words, actions, omissions, failing to step up, step in, show support…
Say you’re sorry.
But never follow an apology with a disclaimer like “But I was really mad, because…” or “But I did think you were…” or any statement that in any way places even the smallest amount of blame back on the other person.
Say you’re sorry, say why you’re sorry, and take all the blame. No less. No more.
Then you both get to make the freshest of fresh starts.
“Can you show me?”
Advice is temporary; knowledge is forever. Knowing what to do helps, but knowing how or why to do it means everything.
When you ask to be taught or shown, several things happen: You implicitly show you respect the person giving the advice; you show you trust his or her experience, skill, and insight; and you get to better assess the value of the advice.
Don’t just ask for input. Ask to be taught or trained or shown.
Then you both win.
“Let me give you a hand.”
Many people see asking for help as a sign of weakness. So, many people hesitate to ask for help.
But everyone needs help.
Don’t just say, “Is there anything I can help you with?” Most people will give you a version of the reflexive “No, I’m just looking” reply to sales clerks and say, “No, I’m all right.”
Be specific. Find something you can help with. Say “I’ve got a few minutes. Can I help you finish that?” Offer in a way that feels collaborative, not patronizing or gratuitous. Model the behavior you want your employees to display.
Then actually roll up your sleeves and help.
“I love you.”
No, not at work, but everywhere you mean it–and every time you feel it.
Nothing.
Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. If you’re upset, frustrated, or angry, stay quiet. You may think venting will make you feel better, but it never does.
That’s especially true where your employees are concerned. Results come and go, but feelings are forever. Criticize an employee in a group setting and it will seem like he eventually got over it, but inside, he never will.
Before you speak, spend more time considering how employees will think and feel than you do evaluating whether the decision makes objective sense. You can easily recover from a mistake made because of faulty data or inaccurate projections.
You’ll never recover from the damage you inflict on an employee’s self-esteem.
Be quiet until you know exactly what to say–and exactly what affect your words will have.
via Inc.com




































