Oprah = Octomom?

Just yesterday, I tuned into late night Oprah.  Oprah, as expected, was her elegant self, perfectly coiffed, beautifully made up, and was surrounded in her usual aura of magnetism.  I thought to myself, what a legend.  Oprah truly is a standard of excellence, only the best, the brightest, the most deserving, are graced with the opportunity to share their story on her iconic stage.

But then the show panned to a montage of a day in Nadya "Octomom" Suleman's life.  She was griping about the trials and tribulations that come with being a side show reality TV mom.  How difficult it is to walk the line between keeping her "audience" interested and keeping the paparazzi at bay.  And as Suleman cried about how tough her life is with eight children and how indignant she was at rumors that she had her face "touched up" to look like Angelina Jolie, I found myself too distracted to continue watching...

How on earth did Octomom convince Oprah to give her a show?

So I googled it, and this is what I found:

"After 14 months of being portrayed in the media as "Octomom"—not Nadya—she decided to send Oprah a letter. "Thus far, the media has depicted a completely false picture of who I am. The trial I've been put through has forced me to see my true self—something I have avoided most of my life. I have been compelled to dig deep inside and pull out strengths I never knew I possessed in order to protect my family. I am not a victim. I do not blame anyone for the circumstances of my life.

Oprah says she had never spoken with Nadya before that letter. "I had reservations about putting myself in this whole media swirl that seems to always surround her," she says. "But I reconsidered after reading this letter from her. And she says she wants the world to see her for who she really is." "

She wrote Oprah a letter.  And Oprah listened.  To Octomom.  Is this really what captures the minds of America?  Do we want to hear Suleman whine about the position she's in?  If Nadya Suleman was able to convince Oprah of her worth in a letter, surely SABI can too?

Now I don't want to come off as insensitive.  But I do believe that you reap what you sow.  I do believe that those that turn their lives around and work their way up from rags to riches deserve everyone's utmost respect.  I do believe that women have the right to do with their bodies what they wish.  But I do believe that there is a ethical line that you do not cross.  There's a difference between self-fulfillment and being selfish.  I'm not against celebrity or the entertainment industry (not entirely anyway).  There are certainly individuals that should be commended for their ability to carry themselves with grace, dignity, and remarkable patience in the face of blood-thirsty paparazzi.  For them, fame seems to come second to their talent.  But then there are some "celebrities" that seem to only have talent for generating press.  Time and time again, we see more examples of this exploitation of media sensationalism, and like a gruesome accident, we can't turn away.  I'm happy to leave these people to their choices.  But I would like to emphasize how it is absolutely a choice.  They chose to chase fame, and thus everything that comes with it.  It only bothers me to hear them cry about it like they had no idea.  I made the choice to risk homelessness and disappointment in pursuit of my dream, and it's my responsibility to deal with the consequences.  And as my friends and I learned after watching Jumper (quality entertainment from the entertainment industry), there are always consequences.

So many consequences, when it comes to Octomom... Is this her showing what she's really like?

I recently met up with my mother's long-time friend, and during our conversation I mentioned the project I had to get SABI to Oprah.  She warned me that Oprah was losing her appeal, that somehow she's losing touch with what really matters to people.  I defended Oprah, saying that Oprah had worked so hard over the years to build her legacy and that, just like Alan Greenspan, her credibility within her domain of expertise will never die.  But seeing this show only reinforced the point, and truly troubled me.

So here's my heartfelt plea to Oprah:

The reason for my dream to get SABI onto your show, is because of my belief that with your help, SABI's story can reach out and touch people's lives.  The underlying message of your show has, to me, always been that within all of us is the power to make a difference, to lend a helping hand, to make the world just a little bit brighter.  And this, I have taken to heart.  To me, success is being able to change someone's life for the better.  I believe that your show still revolves around this fundamental ideal, but over time, the message has weakened.  Perhaps this is because of the environment we live in today, where the only stories that seem to capture the most attention are those where people have ceased to care about the impact of their actions.  But the reason that I write to you today is to remind you that if you dig a little deeper, you'll find a wealth of individuals who commit their lives to making dreams come true for themselves, and for the people around them.  These are the people who deserve your attention.  The people who uphold the timeless ideals that take your show from good to exceptional.

People, like my partners at SABI.  And it would mean the world to me to be able to use this amazing opportunity I have been blessed with to inspire others to find their SABI. 

My dream means nothing if your show stops being meaningful to people.  So regardless of whether SABI ever makes it onto the show, please remember what truly matters to your audience.  Continue to fill your stage with stories of inspiration, of beauty, and of determination.  In today's cultural landscape of glib reality TV, natural disasters, dire economic forecasts, and cheating spouses, let your show continue to stand for something better and mean something more.  Help heal America.  Let your stories be about excellence that we can all look up to.

And because I love my job, believe in my cause so much, and can't help but be biased: let it be SABI that makes waves on your stage, and not Octomom.

All the best,

Isabelle

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Only YOU can help us get on Oprah. Click here to find out how!

Interview Inspiration

I know it's been a few days since I last posted something.  My apologies, but I've been working very hard on getting all my stuff together so that I can make the move to SABI's as of yet undisclosed future first location!

To keep you all engaged, here's a quip I transcribed from one of my very first interviews with the founders of SABI Sushi:

"T: Yeah, exactly.  There’s always a reason to not do something, but you can always talk, you know?  And starting your own business is hard.  But in hard situations like this you find out who you really are, you know?  You’re like, “What am I made of?  Can I handle this?  Can I be homeless for three months?  Can I live out of our car?  Can we – can our friendship last, like, creating this business?”

People…. first of all, people have said, “You can’t create a business.  You guys will never be able to do it; you have no experience.”  So we got experience, like from Phillip.  Then they were saying, “Well, you guys… the friendship will, like, die.  Someone will fall off the team.  Something will happen.  You guys will definitely break up, you can’t work with three people.”  And we’ll see what happens, but like… just all of these things are-

I: -Still going strong?

T: Oh, absolutely.  Absolutely. Like… I don’t know, I just love it.  Like, everything is hard, you know?  The harder things are, the better it is when it works."

New post very soon.

Love,

Isabelle

Moving forward...

I'm supposed to be packing.  Little by little I'm supposed to sort through everything that I've collected over the four years I've spent at Northwestern, the four years I've spent in Chicago and make choices: what will stay and what will go.

But I find myself stuck.  All morning I've been staring helplessly at my desk in awe at the ocean of papers I've managed to accumulate over the years and wondering how I will ever get this done.  I just keep cycling through determination, hesitation, helplessness, and frustration, and then back to determination in an endless loop.  And as I pace around my room just picking things up - like a garden gnome I had bought at a garage sale on a whim - dusting them off, and setting them down again, I finally realize why.  I've been focusing too hard on achieving the end goal, and in doing so I've forgotten that this is not something that can be rushed but must be taken one step at a time.  I've been so preoccupied with holding on to what's past, that I've forgotten how excited I am to move on.  My garden gnome, with his stubby fingers, his beady eyes, and his crooked grin....... he mocks me.

And this scenario plays out time and time again.  With Sabi, with this blog.  I'm so excited to see SABI come to fruition with the unveiling of our very first location, that I'm trying to rush over all the little details that must be addressed in order to get there.  I am so overwhelmed by the thought of this page reaching Oprah, that I have been paralyzed by the fear that my next post will not live up to standard of excellence that I have established with my previous posts.

I took a break yesterday from posting on this blog, and I do not regret it.  I needed a chance to collect myself after having poured everything I had into my first letter to Oprah.  I wanted to give the letter enough time to sink in, and I didn't want to trivialize the milestone, both in my mind and my audience, by moving on immediately.  But I expected to wake up today ready and willing to pick up where I left off; ready to conquer the minds and hearts of skeptics out there, and willing to do whatever it took to win more support for SABI and the dream that I so fiercely believe in.  But instead, I scrolled through my drafts reading the scattered thoughts I had saved for future inspiration, and every time I settled on a new topic I stalled and eventually closed the page.  I have so much to say, I have so much to give, and yet I find myself silenced... why?

And just as I had realized with packing up my room, I realized that I had built up the enormity of the task too much in my head.  That I was being held back by the success of my previous posts, too scared that my next posts would not be able to hold up in sincerity, clarity, and strength of message.  And in doing so, I was single-handedly getting in my own way, in SABI's way.  In the whirlwind of trying to convince the world that SABI has something truly amazing to offer, and in trying to compel people to live by the example that SABI has set, I had forgotten to start from the very first step: Accepting the SABI ideology into my own life, putting into action what I already so strongly believe, and committing each day to leading by example.

And so, I put away my hesitation, helplessness, and frustration.  And with my determination, I refuse to allow what I've already accomplished to hold me back.  I will use my past as inspiration for the future.  I will not be afraid of failure because it doesn't signal the end of the world, but the beginning of a new and improved one.  I will not forget to appreciate the little things in the magnitude of the big picture.

As Trevor explained, for him the SABI dream, the dream he's always chased has been "to be in charge of what I do... I want to be my own boss".  So today, I've decided that I will no longer allow expectations, fears, or uncertainty to rule my life.  I will not allow the enormity of my task to overwhelm me.  I will take charge of my dream and make it happen, one step at a time.  I, not anything else, will be in charge of what I do.

This past week has been a look into the greater meaning of SABI and the revolution that it is introducing to the world.  In the next week or so leading up to my second letter to Oprah, I want to document the smaller steps that Dan, Shaan, and Trevor have taken in order to be where they are now.  I want to celebrate the people in their lives that have supported them through their most uncertain times, as well as all the mistakes that they have made allowing them to gain the strength and wisdom that they so desperately need in order to make SABI a reality.  I want shift gears and stop, explore, and appreciate all the little things that have contributed to, that allow SABI to be great. 

Because you cannot understand where something is going without understanding where it came from.  Because the little things should not be forgotten in the pursuit of the dream.  Because trying to describe SABI in generalities does a disservice to what truly makes it great...  Because it's the details that make the picture.

So without further ado, my very first letter to Oprah

Dear Oprah,

We haven't met yet, but I have a feeling that you are in every way as inspiring, impressive, and intimidating a person in real life as you are on TV.  I recently watched the commencement speech you gave at your godson, Will Bumpus', graduation ceremony at Duke University.  I immediately wanted to friend him on Facebook, but I figured he gets that a lot.  Besides, I wanted to earn your attention the organic way.  No ties, no friends... an empty slate so that I can know that if I made it, it was purely out of my own devices.  All I have is my words, a beautiful story to tell, persistence, and the conviction that with enough time and effort, no dream is too big or out of reach.  ... To actually be able to show everyone that nothing is impossible if we refuse to allow excuses to stand in the way?  Nothing would be as empowering as being able to do this.

And this, Oprah, is why I’m in love with SABI.  I don’t love it because it’s my job to love it, I don’t love it because I believe that our sushi rolls will be the best in the market (although the founders tell me that they will), I don’t love it because I believe that SABI is on the fast track to success and I want to be along for the ride, and it’s not just because although I’ve only known some of the team for two weeks now, I feel like we’ve been like a family for years.  Above all else, I love it because I have seen first-hand the power that SABI has to inspire.  SABI has made me a better person.  I wouldn’t be here writing to you if it weren’t for the fact that their message has given me something to believe in again.  Not very much in today’s cynical world has the capacity that their story does to inspire people to stop settling for mediocrity and begin living for the extraordinary.  Our lives should always be lived in the pursuit of being exceptional… when was it that we stopped believing in our ability to do so?  SABI’s story has that capacity.  SABI’s story has power to change people lives, for the better.  And for this, for the smaller stories – all nighters spent batting around ideas, the early morning coffee binges; the flash of understanding that passes around the room when we remember again how crazy this is, the second flash when we all realize that no one in the room actually sees this as crazy at all; because we know that here, wherever SABI is, our dreams, no matter how outwardly outlandish, are safe; because of all the nights where, exhausted, I crawl into bed but find myself unable to fall asleep because of all the ideas I have for SABI whirring through my head, and because all the mornings I wake up filled with joy because today I get to work on what matters – for all this and still so much more… that is why I love SABI.

Of all of the beautiful things that you said in your speech, there was one part that drew a physical reaction out of me: my heart beat faster, my stomach tightened, and a spurt of adrenaline sent chills down my spine.  That's how I've always judged whether I truly believed in something, if something was the right thing to do; it's how I felt when I first entertained working with SABI and how I've felt every morning when I woken up since I've committed myself to the success of SABI.  And that's how I knew, with complete certainty that I needed to find a way, any way, to contact you.  Because you, of all people, exemplify all the ideals that we hold so true to our hearts while we work towards making SABI a reality.

In a recent conversation with Shaan Puri, I asked him, “Why are we doing this? Why SABI, Oprah, everything?”  And without batting an eye he put into words everything that I had been struggling to say.  He said, “Because I love that feeling of inspiring, or being inspired.  Being a part of something that’s bigger than you.  SABI is something like that.  I want to make something that people want to be a part of.  I want to make something that Oprah wants to be a part of.  That all of her followers want to be a part of – the reason why she has such a huge following is because she is an example of what people want to be.  Powerful.  Independent.  She sees the good in people, she sees the good in stories, she brings them to life.  I want to do the same for other people once SABI becomes successful.”

Shaan put into words what I instinctively knew: that you of all people would understand the deeper significance of SABI, and only someone with your influence would be able to help us take our dream to the next level.  My heart told me that despite the eons of fame and notable success that separate you and me, we would understand each other in a more fundamental way, in the way that we view important life questions on success, happiness, and meaning.  That you would be able to see as I do with enough time what greatness SABI could be capable of.

So I believe you when you say, that what makes you feel successful is "being able to use [your] life in service to someone else's", and because of that, I believe that you will one day help us to "move forward... to higher ground".  But I also believe that we are not ready for you yet, that we have to earn our privilege to work with you.  So among the myriad other issues that I have to work on in order to get the foundations of a start-up business going, I will spend every spare minute I have convincing you that we are worth it.  That four wide-eyed undergraduates have what it takes to be truly great.  Together, Shaan, Trev, Dan, and I will find a way to make it, no matter what it takes; and we know that when you have an idea this great, all it takes is a little faith.

With the sincerest admiration,

Isabelle Wong

Chapter 2: I join the revolution...

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Chapter 1: SABI gets Rolling...

The seed was planted in a vacant, ill-run Japanese restaurant before the dinner rush.  It began as just a scheme among other schemes between three seniors at Duke University (two of which who had only just realized their love for delicious bite-sized cuisine) who saw a problem in the sushi market while waiting excruciating long for their orders, and brainstormed ideas for how they might address this gap.  They were never planning on becoming entrepreneurs: one was going to continue on to med school, the other had a dream to emulate his father as a basketball coach and teacher, and the last was making his way to the top of Wall Street.

And yet there was something about SABI Sushi, something that was powerful enough that, whether consciously or not, they just had to keep returning to the idea and fine tuning it.  There was something that felt instinctively right about SABI, and a gut feeling this strong simply could not be ignored.  So strong was this feeling, that despite the conventions of society telling them to pursue less risky ventures, to dream smaller dreams, they had to answer SABI's call.  And so, with the support of a well-loved professor Lisa Kiester, the scheme transformed into a life dream and began laying out the groundwork for a serious business plan and pitch.  And so Shaan V Puri, Trevor Ragan, and Dan Certner answered the call.  And the SABI Sushi revolution began.

And so it begins...

I've decided to begin blogging to Oprah.  Why?  I'm not a particularly good blogger.  The blogs that I've tried to begin in the past have just ended up uninspired and ultimately abandoned.  But this time I have something bigger to blog about than just me.  I've been given inspiration, a challenge, and a direction.  I'm going to get SABI Sushi on the Oprah show.

Picture: Aspiring to new heights -- Posing with Oprah at the "Big Willie".

Now I realize that nobody even knows what SABI Sushi is.  The short, business-like answer to that is: SABI Sushi is a concept restaurant built around the idea of fully customizable, affordable, and quickly made sushi, and with the goal of making it far more accessible to the public (think of SABI as being to sushi, as Chipotle is to the burrito)... But SABI is far more than a business pitch.  It's a story, a lesson, a message, a lifestyle, and a revolution. And this is the reason for this blog: beyond the concrete goal of attracting Oprah's attention with a message I personally believe passionately in, I hope to share their story with as many people as I can, and inspire the masses to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, stop settling for dissatisfaction at their humdrum jobs, and realize that all you need is a plan and some action to make your dream happen - all it takes is that first step.  And the first step, believing, is the hardest.

Picture: Get ready for us Oprah