Acclimating to Life in Orange County

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Liz Drew

Hello readers! My name is Liz, and I’m the latest addition to the HKA team. I hail from the Big Apple where I attended NYU for Journalism and Fine Arts. I began my career there in book publishing and made the move to PR soon after. I spent five years at various agencies from 42nd Street to Wall Street, sharpening my communications skills and traveling the U.S. and Europe. I took a leap of faith last fall and moved my life to Newport Beach. I have had large obstacles to overcome in my transition, but I’m looking forward to being at HKA to smooth this transition.

For one thing, I had to re-learn to drive. I hadn’t been behind the wheel since high school, so during my first few weeks here, I learned quickly by navigating the 55 freeway during rush hour and hailing rainstorms, dealing with California road rage and discovering shortcuts on back roads, which all forced me to build up my driving confidence again. I’m starting to know my way around Tustin, Irvine and Newport Beach almost as easily as I could recite the stores along 14th Street.

In my spare time, I’m thinking about, tasting or touching food. I love dining out and also enjoy all kinds of cooking and baking. Mario Batali’s Pappardelle with Peas and Parmesan is my favorite to recreate. Orange County living has blessed me with a kitchen of my dreams (well, almost – it has a full-size dishwasher and is bigger than a closet, something you rarely find in NYC) to house a new KitchenAid stand mixer and Cuisinart food processor. I also hike and practice yoga – must stay active to burn those calories!

I’m excited to be here. I welcome any nightlife or dining recommendations and love trying easy one-dish recipes!

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Posted in Food, Orange County, Public Relations, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

An Indelible Impression

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Hilary

Every now and again something happens to make me stop and think about the people I’ve met in my life who have made a big impact. Sometimes, sadly, it’s word that they have passed away. Sometimes, happily, it’s learning that they have done something new and wonderful, or received an award for their efforts. Either way, it stops me in my tracks.  I think about how terrific it is to be in a career that allows me to interact with meaningful people.

Dr.  F. Sherwood Rowland was one such individual. After an illustrious career, Dr. Rowland passed away at age 84 on March 10, causing me to recall my good fortune in knowing him many years ago.

Known to most as just “Sherry,” Dr. Rowland had a commanding 6’ 5” presence, a booming voice and sported long bushy sideburns. Dr. Rowland was a professor of chemistry at UC Irvine when I worked as a UCI Public Information Officer (pre-dating HKA, Inc. PR). As the office’s PIO/Science Writer, I was fortunate to work with UCI’s School of Physical Sciences when Dr. Rowland warned the world that manmade chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs) were destroying the earth’s ozone layer. And someone better start paying attention!

It took quite a few years for scientists, and the public, to heed his caution. After all, aerosol spray cans (propelled by CFCs) were ubiquitous and, at first, even fellow scientists doubted the ozone layer was really in jeopardy. But Rowland proved that, indeed, an ozone hole had ripped open above Antarctica, and people realized this could lead to a greater incidence of skin cancer as damaging ultraviolet rays increasingly were reaching Earth. Things began to change, and aerosol sprays and industrial coolants came under scrutiny and finally were banned.

Dr. Rowland won the Nobel Prize many years after I worked on press releases announcing his findings. Long overdue! But I remember I admired his perseverance, in the face of peer doubt, and his absolute confidence that his research was accurate and needed to be taken seriously.  Over the years, every time his name surfaced in the news, I smiled as I remembered the big man who was so important to the world’s well-being but who treated me with respect when I was just beginning my career.

I didn’t smile when I saw the news of Dr. Rowland’s passing. But I did stop and think about how wonderful it was to work with someone who made such an indelible mark with his life.

How ‘bout you? Would love to hear about game-changers you’ve encountered along your journey.

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Posted in Insights, Orange County | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Surfing the Wahoo’s Wave with Wing Lam

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Robyn

What does a Mexican/Brazilian/Asian menu and a Hawaiian North Shore vibe have in common? Wahoo’s Fish Tacos. This unique cultural blend became a delicacy for me when I took my first bite of a Wahoo’s fish taco during high school. Twenty years later, I am still heading to the same location in Costa Mesa where it all began, but this cuisine that started in my backyard has expanded across the country to places where surfing is a novelty and cold weather is commonplace.
At the helm of the Wahoo’s craze is Wing Lam, who started the franchise with his two brothers in 1988. I got to hear Wing’s story at a recent Irvine luncheon and was struck by his Wang Chung style that seemed to strike a chord with the audience.
A Chinese native, Wing grew up in Brazil until the age of 14 when his family relocated to Costa Mesa. Attending Estancia High School, Wing was the slowest and smallest player on the water polo team and was fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and French with little English. It was his love for surfing that enabled him to connect with the California lifestyle, and he wanted to introduce his own culture blend on a platter. His father who owned a Chinese restaurant on the Balboa Peninsula gave Wing and his brothers $30,000 to open their first restaurant.
Wing, who doesn’t believe in serving processed food, worked from sunrise to sunset, even giving up surfing for several years to make Wahoo’s a household name. Only taking one marketing class in college, Wing has ignited a trend that most marketing gurus can’t even fathom. “You have to know where your customers are at and engage them, have a trusted team of advisors to brainstorm with and be a resource to others,” says Wing. So, what’s on the horizon for the Wahoo’s King? Biking with Lance Armstrong, being featured in the new Ford commercials and expanding his restaurants to college campuses across the state. His philosophy of giving back and making a difference is what drives him, and I will have another chance to get up close and personal with Wing on this valuable topic tomorrow evening at the CSUF Family Business Council workshop.
Stay Tuned for more on Wing Lam!

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Posted in Food, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment