Florence Discusses Meeting Kelly Preston & her thoughts on Kelly’s Passing:

Like everyone else around the world the shocking news of Actress Kelly Preston’s death has truly saddened me. My heart goes out to her family; husband John Travolta; and her two beautiful children Ella & Benjamin. I would like to think that Kelly is now with her beloved oldest son Jett, received in his arms together in heaven.

The reason I wanted to write this article was to share my experience meeting Kelly way back in the 80’s! I was still a young teen and Kelly had just finished taping the pilot for a CBS soap opera called CAPITOL at the start of her budding career. 

I had been taking summer acting classes at The Soap Set Acting Studio and we were given passes to a Pre Soap Opera Awards meet & greet and that is where I met Kelly. 

She was a beautiful and vibrant light. They always say you can see when someone has that “it” factor which is that thing that makes them stand out, and Kelly Preston had “it”. There was also a warm, glowing light around her with an infectious smile. As I was walking around I noticed many Soap Opera Stars from many of the soaps that were popular at the time. As a major fan, I was in heaven and it was truly a night to remember.

After saying hello to some of the Actors from my favorite shows I walked up to Kelly who greeted me with that amazing smile and an extended hand. She said “hello, I’m Kelly”, and asked how I was doing.  I didn’t recognize her from any of the shows that I religiously watched but she was just so friendly and kind!  She made me feel like I belonged, and even asked if I was enjoying myself. I told her I was taking acting classes and enjoyed watching Soaps.  An early dream of mine was to act on a Soap Opera.  She told me to keep studying and practicing and to pursue my goals and dreams. I never forgot that or the beautiful young lady with the vibrant smile who gave me that advice. 

I left that party feeling great about myself and I didn’t feel like a mere fan.  She made me feel like an equal and I felt that some day I could be amongst the stars. She showed me great respect. I left that night feeling any and all things were possible.

Thank you for that Kelly. I will never forget that feeling or the young woman who made me feel that way. God bless you and rest in peace. 

In The Spotlight with Florence Carmela; Sports Broadcaster & Galvanize Founder Laura Okmin

EMPOWER    TEACH    CREATE
(Written by Florence Carmela 7/25/19)

You know I am always looking for good causes, companies & foundations that support and nurture women to write about on my website and share with all of you. Well on Monday, July 22nd I had the pleasure of interviewing TV Sports Broadcaster Laura Okmin about her wonderful company GALvanize that she founded over 10 years ago, and I find to be one of the most amazing companies out there that fully support women and their future endeavours. 

Through her company Laura offers coaching, bootcamps & workshops for women to elevate them to the next level both personally and professionally. GALvanize offers women (of all ages) 2 day bootcamps that prepare them for an exciting career in Broadcasting, either in front of the camera or behind the scenes.
 
Day 1 is all about the woman, as an individual…knowing her own story. As Laura shared with me “Its all about learning your own story before you can tell anyone else’s!” Which is an integral part of this bootcamp. Self discovery, confidence building and team work are the main focus on Day 1 of the bootcamp. These women, also create intimate bonds with one another, some that continue to be mentoring relationships and true friendships that last way beyond these bootcamps.

Day 2 is all about the NFL teams they partner with. On the second day, the ladies get to work with NFL players, some in front of the camera exercising their interview skills and learning the tools that they will need to succeed in this very competitive business Laura has been a part of, successfully, for over 25 years. She explains it as “the women getting to work in front of the camera, after we have worked with them and prepared them for this, rather than just throwing them out there.”

I think its truly wonderful that someone like Laura Okmin, who knows this business and has experienced the hurdles, knows how much hard work and persistence it takes to succeed can offer this to women and assist them in making their dreams a reality!!

If you would like more information on Laura Okmin and GALvanize please visit:

You can also follow her on Twitter @LauraOkmin and @GALvanizeLife and on Instagram at lauraokmin.

“Florence Carmela’s interview w/Rosanna Arquette about the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation”

Alexis & Rosanna Arquette

1-21-19 IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH ACTRESS ROSANNA ARQUETTE✨

I love nothing more than talking to talented and creative artists with a story to tell or a cause they feel passionate about. Recently on a quiet Sunday morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with the Actress, Rosanna Arquette.

She is not only talented, creative and beautiful, but the actress; along with the entire Arquette Family; has found a way to keep the spirit of their beloved sister Alexis alive. Rosanna, along with her siblings David, Patricia, and Richmond created The Alexis Arquette Family Foundation in memory of their sister Alexis Arquette and is committed to the care and support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Alexis, who was transgendered, passed away on September 11, 2016 and was a bright light with a beautiful heart and an artistic soul. While speaking with Rosanna I realized how much she and her entire family deeply miss Alexis and want to keep her memory alive.

Rather than remembering her on the anniversary of her death with sadness, Rosanna explained “we have a big dance party every year on September 11th to celebrate her life” in just the way Alexis would want it with a lot of laughter, music and memories.

The actress also shared with me that they are trying to raise money for the Foundation explaining “Patricia was working on that (raising funds) last week, and that’s what we’ve all been trying to do and its not been easy.”  This is something they are currently working on for the Foundation, so it will continue to provide counseling, medical intervention and services for those in need.

The Alexis Project is a true partnership between The Alexis Arquette Family Foundation and the Violence Intervention Program, also known as VIP,  at the LAC+USC Medical Center. For more information on how you can support The Alexis Arquette Family Foundation & The Alexis Project visit AlexisArquette.com

For more information on Rosanna Arquette go to RosannaArquette.com to see interviews, videos, photos and the many projects she is currently working on.

Article by:  Florence Carmela

http://www.florencecarmela.com

Twitter:  @FlorenceCarmela

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005119212687

Instagram:  _florencecarmela

“The Forum” Podcast:  https://www.spreaker.com/show/3272667