Live to Give, Part 3
Marla Garchik Founder, Peace Love Solve Backstory: Son Jack was a mid-life blessing for Marla and Steve Garchik; Marla was 42 when he was born; Steve was 50. But at an early age, Jack was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, a condition that’s on the autism spectrum. Around that time, Marla was chairing
Live to Give, Part 2
Mike Linder Owner/CEO, Silver Lining Inflight Catering Owner, Jet Runway Café and Yot Bar & Kitchen Backstory: The Florida State graduate was working at Bennigan’s in Tallahassee when the unthinkable happened on Christmas Day 2000. An infection that spread to his heart—with nary a symptom—created an embolism and life-threatening inflammation of his heart’s inner lining
Live to Give, Part 1
Cindy Friezo Founder, Cindy & Robert Friezo Foundation Chief People Officer, Verity Partners Backstory: The native of the Dominican Republic moved with her family in 1992 to a challenged neighborhood on the outskirts of Boston. She soon found her benevolent voice as part of a youth council comprised primarily of high school students that advocated
From the Ground Up, Part 2
Anquan once said that his purpose in this life was not to make it to the NFL and score touchdowns, even though he did plenty of the latter. In all, he reached the end zone 82 times on receptions during a career that included stops in Arizona (2003-09), Baltimore (2010-12), San Francisco (2013-15) and Detroit
From the Ground Up
By gridiron standards in western Palm Beach County, theirs was a forbidden love. The star quarterback at Pahokee High School dating a member of the marching band at neighboring rival, Glades Central? In another era, it might have lit up social media along the shores of Lake Okeechobee. Then again, there’s something about the coal-black
The Genuine Article, Part 2
In the second part of Lifestyle’s November feature on Michael Schwartz, the renowned chef looks back on the beginnings of Michael’s Genuine, which launched in 2007. It came at a time, as he explains, when Schwartz was in restaurant limbo. The move to Miami: “I had landed back in New York after spending six months
The Genuine Article, Part 1
Michael Schwartz had been working in restaurants since his high school years in Philadelphia, slowly building an impressive kitchen résumé that included time in California, New York and Tokyo—as well as a game-changing turn with Wolfgang Puck. But now it was the mid-2000s, and all of that momentum had come to a screeching halt. His
Artist Spotlight: Anthony Timiraos
For five decades, Anthony Timiraos has been blessed with two great loves, both of which, in different ways, have opened his eyes and warmed his heart. The first is husband Arthur; the two first met as teens at a department store in Waterbury, Connecticut called Worth’s, where they worked part-time afternoon jobs after classes at
Let the Bidding Begin
The era of must-see TV in the 1980s and ’90s—back when networks packed their Thursday night schedules with ratings juggernauts—had passed when Joseph Ladin launched SFLMaven nearly 20 years ago. But the idea piqued his interest. His fledgling fine jewelry/accessories storefront on eBay needed a hook—and a Thursday night auction, with bidding for premium pieces,
Answering the Call
Sheila Smith was no stranger to the world of social services before being hired in 2008 as chief executive officer at 211 Broward. Her background included executive director positions at Salvation Army Center of Hope and its transitional housing program, as well as at the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. But where there were
Leading By Example
Leah Carpenter thought she had seen pretty much everything during her 30-plus years in health care, first as a registered nurse and then, for the last two decades, in hospital management—including her current role as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Memorial Healthcare System. But nothing, she admits, compares to what she’s experienced
Pandemic Teaches Fort Lauderdale Mom to Adapt and Protect
The daily struggle of being a mother of young children is certainly not unique to Jaclyn Strauss (pictured) of Fort Lauderdale. Like many during the past year, Strauss was juggling full-time work, elementary-aged children and the COVID-19 realities while trying to maintain her peace of mind. Strauss realized that she could turn the everyday struggles
