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A View From My Chair 043025

5/18/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
April 30, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Amazon Prime Day – Sellers focused on Chinese goods may skip Prime Day. Pymnts.com

McCrispy Strips – McDonalds rolls out new offering May 5.
McDonalds

Alaska Air Princess – The airlines has its 9th Disney-themed plane paint job but first one featuring a Disney Princess.
Fox Business

UCC UPDATE

May 8 Thursday
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – Odyssey

June 6 – Friday
Small Business Awards Breakfast – Location TBA

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

April 30 Wednesday

Calabasas Chamber
Conversation and Champagne Mixer
The Anza Hotel
23627 Calabasas Rd.
Calabasas, CA
7:30pm –9:00pm

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Coffee with the CEO
Chamber Office
4933 Balboa Ave.
Encino, CA
9:30am –10:30am

May 1 Thursday

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Health and Wellness Committee
One Generation
17400 Victory Blvd.
Reseda
Noon

Filipino-American Chamber
Small Business Summit
Embassy Suites Glendale
800 North Central Ave.
Glendale, CA
2pm-7pm

May 2 Friday

San Fernando City Chamber
Coffee with the Chamber
Bodevi 909
San Fernando Rd.
San Fernando, CA
8am

Granada Hills Chamber
Farmers Market
5:30 - 9:00 PM.
On White Oak Ave and Chatsworth St.

May 3 Saturday

North Valley Regional Chamber
Neighborhood Shred Day
11710 Doral Ave.
Porter Ranch, CA
10am-2pm

May 4 Sunday

Studio City Chamber
Farmer’s Market
Ventura Place, between Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Radford Ave.
8am-2pm
Every Sunday

May 5 Monday

Happy Cinco de Mayo

May 6 Tuesday

Calabasas Chamber
Law Day
Calabasas Library
200 Civic Center Way
Calabasas, CA
11am-3pm

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A View From My Chair 042325

5/17/2025

A View From Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
April 23, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Pope Francis Passes Away – What were his views on business?
Fox Business

Walgreens – The company settles its opioid case for $300 million.
CBS News

Chipotle Mexican Grill – Soon the grill will actually be Mexican as the California chain looks to open a location in Mexico.
KTLA

UCC UPDATE

April 28 – UCC General Board Meeting
May 8 – Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – Odyssey

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

April 23

North Valley Regional Chamber
Heroes in Education Awards Dinner
St. Nicholas
17037 Plummer St.
Northridge, CA
5pm-8pm

April 24

Burbank Chamber
Restaurant Small Business Coffee Chat
Burbank Chamber Office
200 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA
10am-11am

Calabasas Chamber
Good Morning Calabasas Networking Breakfast
Lovi's Delicatessen
24005 Calabasas Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
7:30am-9am

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Ribbon Cutting
Traveling Tarts
Encino
4pm - 6pm (Ribbon Cutting 5pm)
About Traveling Tarts: An engaging baking experience offering themed baking parties for any celebration in the comfort of your home or our LUXE Encino Kitchen.
Please RSVP
Phone: 855-827-8748
Website: TravelingTarts.com

April 25

Granada Hills Chamber
Farmers Market
5:30 - 9:00 PM.
On White Oak Ave and Chatsworth St.

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Last day for nominations for Golden Oaks Awards
Deadline 5pm

April 26

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Ribbon Cutting
Ellie Mental Health
13400 Riverside Dr., Suite 301, Sherman Oaks, CA
10:30am-1:30pm (Ribbon Cutting 10:45am)
Join us for a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting to welcome Ellie Mental Health to the Community. Visit during this open house style ribbon cutting to meet their team, tour their office, and enjoy refreshments.

April 27

April 28

Northwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
Kiwanis Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Moorpark Country Club
11800 Championship Dr.
Moorpark, CA
Tee Time: 9am

April 29

Studio City Chamber
Farmer’s Market
Ventura Place, between Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Radford Ave.
8am-2pm
Every Sunday

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A View From My Chair 041625

5/17/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
April 16, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Wait, Loss Ahead – According to a report, Weight Watchers is considering bankruptcy. Industry Leaders Magazine

Robotic Feelings – The Valley Economic Alliance is honoring, Ray Wise, one of the actors who appeared in the 1987 movie Robocop at their Gala Thursday night. Robocop had as its premise the need for the robot to have feelings as it policed the community. Nearly 40 years later, Fox News reports Disney is unveiling an “emotionally expressive robot. “
Fox News

A First Class Burger – Delta has partnered with Shake Shack to offer burgers on some first class flights, but you can’t have fries with that.
Businessweek Magazine

UCC UPDATE

April 21 – UCC Government Affairs Committee Meeting
May 8 – Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – Odyssey

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

April 16

April 17

April 18
Granada Hills Chamber
Farmers Market
5:30 - 9:00 PM.
On White Oak Ave and Chatsworth St.

April 19
West Valley-Warner Center Chamber
West Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair
Pierce College.
Victory and Mason entrance to Campus by Parking Lot 7
20499 Victory Blvd.
Woodland Hills
10am-3pm
Everything you need to learn about being prepared in one spot!

April 20

April 21
Calabasas Chamber
Member Orientation
Zoom
11am

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Restaurant Group Meeting
Vintage Wine + Eats
12023 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
12pm-2pm
Restaurant owners, managers, and industry professionals only.

April 22
Celebrate Earth Day

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A View From My Chair 040225

5/17/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
April 2, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Rocket Acquires Mr. Cooper – Largest mortgage lender picks up larger mortgage servicer.
National Mortgage Professional

An Apple a Day – Apple is focused on AI and Health Care
CNET

Rough First Quarter – S&P 500 down over 4% for first three months but recent history gives some hope.
Marketwatch

UCC UPDATE

Congratulations to our UCC Immediate Past President Annie Nepomuceno for being recognized for her entrepreneurial journey in Sunbites Magazine.
FACCGLA

Today – LAPD Captains Luncheon – Radford Studio Center
May 8 – Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – Odyssey

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

April 2
North Valley Regional Chamber
Education Connection
North Valley YMCA
11336 Corbin Ave.
Porter Ranch
9am-10:30am

April 3
Burbank and Toluca Lake Chambers
Joint Chamber Mixer
Los Angeles Equestrian Center
480 Riverside Dr.
Burbank

Calabasas Chamber
Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Allegiance Gold
27001 Agoura Rd. #200
Calabasas

Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber
Health, Wellness, & Lifestyle Meeting
12pm-1pm
One Generation Conference Room
17400 Victory Blvd.
Van Nuys

April 4
San Fernando City Chamber
Recognition Breakfast
8:30am to 10am
Congressmember Luz Rivas
Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez,
Councilmember Victoria Garcia
Councilmember Patty Lopez Avanti Banquet Hall 1661 San Fernando Rd. San Fernando

April 5
Burbank Chamber
Opening Reception of Surrender — a captivating solo exhibition by the talented Cosette Grider.
1pm–3pm
lusanetcollective.com
(818)860-1646
Lusanet Collective
124 E. Olive Ave.
Burbank

West Valley-Warner Center
Earth Day Celebration
10am-2pm
Tarzana Recreation Center
5655 Vanalden Ave.
Tarzana

April 8
Panorama City Chamber
Monthly Meeting
U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe Blvd.
Panorama City

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A View From My Chair 032625

3/12/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
March 26, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

23 and Me Goes BK So What About Your DNA?

Harvard Gazette

Taco Bell Partners with Nvidia for AI

Yum Brands

March Madness – A brokerage account offering gambling?

Yahoo

UCC UPDATE

LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
Apr 3 – Joint Chamber Mixer at the LA Equestrian Center
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506 Join us in this spacious outdoor oasis, nestled under oak and sycamore trees—the perfect setting to unite the Toluca Lake and Burbank business communities!

May 31 – Chamber Excellence Awards
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Woodbury University, 7500 N Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, CA 91504, USA A vibrant outdoor evening where guests can gather under the stars, enjoy a Taste of Burbank excellence, and celebrate the small businesses and community heroes who make Burbank shine!

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
Mar 28 – Grand Opening Superba Food + Bread 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM 4719 Calabasas Rd., Calabasas

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
April 16 – Save the Date for Filipino Food

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)
Mar 28 – Farmers Market
Every Friday evening from 5:30 - 9:00 PM.
On White Oak Ave and Chatsworth St.
Farmers Market will be on White Oak Ave, through streets are Chatsworth St, and Los Alimos St.

10 x 10 booth for Vendors - $60
10 x 10 booth for Farmers - $25
10 x 10 booth for Chamber Members - $50

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
April 23 – 6th Annual Heroes in Education Gala
The North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce our 6th Annual Heroes in Education Appreciation Event on Wednesday, April 23rd! NVRCC has strong ties to the education community. When we formed the Education Connection eight years ago, our vision was to build our community by bringing our local schools and business members together.

We believe that there are many important influencers in education who should be applauded and celebrated for their commitment to our students and their futures. Heroes In Education will award educators in elementary and secondary schools in each of the following categories: Principal, Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Parent Volunteer, STEM teacher, Physical Education Teacher, and Arts Teacher. Nominations may be submitted by students, parents/caregivers or colleagues.

The Deadline for submissions is Tuesday April 1, 2025.

Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
March 27 – Multi-Chamber Networking Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM PDT

Pillars Cafe
19700 Rinaldi St.
Porter Ranch, CA 91326

Contact Information:
Jheri Heetland

Fees/Admission:
Chamber members - $25
Non-Chamber members - $30

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
April 8 – Next Monthly Meeting at U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe.

San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)
April 4 – Recognition Breakfast
Come meet and welcome our newlty elected leaders I the US Congress the State Assembly and San Fernando City Council. RSVP March 23 Honoring Congresswoman Luz Rivas, Assembly woman Celeste Rodriguez, Councilmember Victoria Garcia, and Councilmember Patty Lopez

Avanti Banquet Hall 1661 San Fernando Rd. 8:30am to 10am

San Fernando Outdoor Market 2025 Market Dates - Free To Attend
• March - (No Markets) - Off Due To Weather
• Saturday April 26, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday May 31, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday June 28, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday July 26, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday August 23, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday September 27, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday October 25, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday December 6, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday January 24, 2026 (5pm to 9pm)

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
Congratulations to the new board members on your installation yesterday.

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)
Farmer’s Market on the weekend.
Located on Ventura Place, between Radford and Laurel Canyon

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
Apr 3 – Joint Chamber Mixer at the LA Equestrian Center
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506 Join us in this spacious outdoor oasis, nestled under oak and sycamore trees—the perfect setting to unite the Toluca Lake and Burbank business communities!

May 10 – Pancake Breakfast 9am-1pm Fire Station 86

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
Tomorrow – Joint Mixer with Winnetka Chamber at Winnetka Bowl
May 10 – Valley Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Festival at Pierce College.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
Tomorrow – Joint Mixer with West Valley-Warner Center Chamber at Winnetka Bowl
April 14 – Board Installation Gala at Winnetka Bowl

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A View From My Chair 030525

3/5/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
March 5, 2025

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Can You Say McCompetition? – It’s from China. Mixue Bingcheng and has passed McDonald’s for total number of stores with over 45,000. However, McDonald’s is a worldwide brand while Mixue has 90% of its stores in China. If Mixue ever does expand to the U.S. it will face stiff competition although their low pricing may help.
CNN

Albertsons and Kroger Together Again – No, it’s not more merger talk. Albertsons has named a new CEO to replace their retiring one and Kroger’s CEO just resigned.
Supermarket News

What the Frappe? – Starbucks is not just firing corporate staff but it’s firing frappes, too. Here’s a list of 13 drinks that left us. Starbucks plans to continue its menu reduction targeting elimination of 30% of items.
Today

UCC UPDATE

State of the County Luncheon – Today featuring LA County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger along with LAEDC’s CEO Stephen Cheung. (Porter Ranch Country Club)
LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8 (nominations due March 3)

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
Today – Ribbon Cutting – Conquer All Things Gym 4:30pm
March 12 – Monthly Coffee Chat featuring Poquito Mas CEO

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
March 11 – Community Education Forum 9am Zoom Dr. Jennifer Aguilar,
Principal Louisville HS.
March 18 – Ribbon Cutting – Logix Credit Union 5 year Anniversary
Celebration 23741 Calabasas Rd. #B, Calabasas 4:30-6:30pm.

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
March 22 – President’s Cup Charity Golf Tournament Los Robles Green Golf Course 12-7pm.

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)
Ongoing – Farmer’s Market Fridays

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
April 23 - Heroes in Education Gala

Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
March 8 – Tacos and Bingo Los Toros Chatsworth 6-10pm

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
March 11 - Next Monthly Meeting at U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe.

San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)
City of San Fernando Small Business Assistance Program application period open thru March 12.

San Fernando Outdoor Market 2025 Market Dates
* Free To Attend
• March - (No Markets) - Off Season Due To Weather
• Saturday April 26, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday May 31, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday June 28, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday July 26, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday August 23, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday September 27, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday October 25, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday December 6, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday January 24, 2026 (5pm to 9pm)

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
March 13 – Lunch Break Live – Antonio’s Pizza 13619 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, 11:30-1:30pm

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)
Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market on the weekend
Located on Ventura Place, between Radford and Laurel Canyon

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
March 13 – Tolucan Times 1 Year Anniversary Forman’s Whiskey Tavern 10149 W. Riverside Dr. Toluca Lake 6-8pm

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
March 7 – Member Orientation at 8 AM at the Chamber office.
May 10 – Valley Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Festival at Pierce College.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
March 10 – Membership Meeting

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A View From My Chair 022625

2/27/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
February 26, 2025

Wickedly Good?

I was wandering through Universal CityWalk recently and entered one of the stores featuring Harry Potter, the smash hit for Universal Studios that is still going strong at their theme parks 8 films later. Now there’s a new movie franchise ready to share the stage with Harry.

The Academy Awards are this weekend and the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked is up for Best Picture and 9 other categories. Universal Studios Hollywood has been cashing in on the film’s success as has its sister locations in Orlando, Japan, Beijing, and Singapore. Imagine how Universal will cash in even more if it wins.

In a Wall Street Journal article entitled Inside Hollywood’s Big Wicked Gamble, Universal’s Chief Marketing Officer Michael Moses talked about their marketing philosophy so far, "We're going to be just short of obnoxious…"

The newspaper said test audiences were reminded of the magic and boarding school setting of Harry Potter. The New York Times quoted Universal Studios Theme Park Chief Tom Woodbury saying, “When I saw it, my first reaction was, ‘This is a theme park waiting to happen,’” he said. Wicked is a prequel of sorts to the 1900 book and 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, but it is based on a book from 1995 that re-examines the life of the Wicked Witch of the West.

All the talk of Wicked got me to thinking about sequels, prequels, and episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. In fact, Wicked is really Wicked 1 with Wicked 2 coming out later this year.

With the long-established sequel and its younger cousin the prequel, Hollywood has been criticized for its lack of originality. I understand it is about money. Ride the wave as far as you can. Sequels and prequels generally do not do as well as the originals and often are dismissed, but, you know what? They can be fun and fill a human need to know our beginnings.

I remember when Star Wars was just 1-2-3, but now my 1-2-3 is 4-5-6. To newer generations, they only know the new order and that’s fine. Maybe it is the “correct” order after all. It reminds me of when NBC-TV would do summer reruns under the banner “Its New to You Summer.”

We are fascinated by origin stories, whether it is our American founding fathers and the values that led them to try self-government or the harddriving capitalists of the 19th century and what drove them to want to be the richest man in the world. So why not know the backgrounds of our favorite fictional characters on film or streaming?

And we’re a society of second chances. Prequels used to focus on good guys but lately it is the traditional villains that are being revisited. Better Call Saul tried to show the Saul of Breaking Bad really was not that bad and was the Wicked Witch of the West really that Wicked?

So here’s to the sequel, the prequel, the origin story, Wicked, and the almighty dollar because as Donna Langley, Chief Content Officer and Chairman of NBC Universal Studio Group told the Wall Street Journal, “Wicked is the holy grail. When you have one, you grab hold of it. And you maximize it.”

NY Times
Yahoo
Screen Crush
Slash Film

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Amazon – James Amazon – Amazon’s MGM Studios will be getting creative control over the James Bond franchise. CNBC

Bakeries Rising Prices – If egg prices do not come down, bakery items may go up.
CNN

Happy Birthday Chu-rro – Instead of cake, why not churros for your next birthday?
Nation's Restaurant News

UCC UPDATE

State of the County Luncheon – March 5 (Porter Ranch Country Club)
LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8 (nominations due March 3)

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
March 5 – Ribbon Cutting – Conquer All Things Gym 4:30pm
March 12 – Monthly Coffee Chat featuring Poquito Mas CEO

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
March 11 – Community Education Forum 9am Zoom Dr. Jennifer Aguilar,
Principal Louisville HS.
March 18 – Ribbon Cutting – Logix Credit Union 5 year Anniversary
Celebration 23741 Calabasas Rd. #B, Calabasas 4:30-6:30pm.

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
March 22 – President’s Cup Charity Golf Tournament Los Robles Green Golf Course 12-7pm.

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)
Ongoing – Farmer’s Market Fridays

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
April 23 - Heroes in Education Gala

Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
March 8 – Tacos and Bingo Los Toros Chatsworth 6-10pm

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
March 11 - Next Monthly Meeting at U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe.

San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)
City of San Fernando Small Business Assistance Program application period open thru March 12.

San Fernando Outdoor Market 2025 Market Dates
* Free To Attend
• February to March - (No Markets) - Off Season Due To Weather
• Saturday April 26, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday May 31, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday June 28, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday July 26, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday August 23, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday September 27, 2025 (6pm to 10pm)
• Saturday October 25, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday December 6, 2025 (5pm to 9pm)
• Saturday January 24, 2026 (5pm to 9pm)

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
March 4 – Ribbon Cutting Everbank 15903 Ventura Blvd.3-5pm

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)
Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market on the weekend
Located on Ventura Place, between Radford and Laurel Canyon

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
March 13 – Tolucan Times 1 Year Anniversary Forman’s Whiskey Tavern 10149 W. Riverside Dr. Toluca Lake 6-8pm

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
March 5 – Monthly Motivation Networking Breakfast at El Caballero Country Club 7am-9am.
RSVP required to have name on list at front gate. No walk-ins.
May 10 – Valley Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Festival at Pierce College.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
Board Installation in March.

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A View From My Chair 021925

2/20/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
February 19, 2025

Tabearuki and Kaizen

It seems like everyone has been going to Japan. About 33 million people travelled to Japan last year with around 10% of those Americans. Cherry blossom festival, summer vacations, and hot springs are just some of the reasons. Of course, food is always a good reason to travel and sometimes you have to walk and eat just to see all the tourist places on your list. If you did not know, Tabearuki is considered gyougi ga warui.

Tabearuki is Japanese for eating while walking and gyougi ga warui means rude. So if you buy ice cream, you should eat it outside the shop before continuing on.

A good reason for this is a cultural tradition of appreciating the food you eat. Standing still while eating allows your sense to be focused on one activity, eating. If you are rushing to your next tourist attraction or looking around at the sites, you may be taking in the flavor of the country but not appreciating the flavor of your food.

A more practical reason for eating your food first before moving on is simply the lack of trash cans around the city. Do you want to hold that sticky ice cream wrapper for blocks and blocks? Keeping the city streets clean is not just for cost-savings, it is also a form of respect for others who will not be bothered by someone else’s mess. This takes an adjustment for first-time tourists, but it might just be a change for good. That is Kaizen. Kaizen is a term used in manufacturing dealing with continuous improvement. Katie Anderson writes in Industry Week that if you look at the Japanese symbols for the word kai-zen, kai is self-whip and zen’s symbols are sheep and altar. Anderson says put it all together and it means more than just change for good. It is discipline with sacrifice.

Anderson writes, "It’s the self-discipline to make sacrifices for the good—by letting go of and changing mindsets and behaviors that no longer serve you or your team. It’s about creating the habit to see every situation as a chance for improvement—for yourself, your teams, and the processes around you –to create better outcomes for the collective good.

It’s also good news for leaders because it is about you doing less and instead creating opportunities for others on your team to develop the capability and confidence for problem-solving. And this shift requires selfdiscipline.

Andersons suggests four ways to start:
Lead by Example
Create a Safe Environment for Experimentation
Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration.
Make Kaizen a Daily Practice

The next time you eat ice cream in Japan standing still, do not think about the pounds you are gaining or the time spent not being somewhere else, think about the opportunity to learn to savor and to start learning the skill of discipline.

Sources:
Industry Week
Travel Weekly
Kaizen

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

In and Out of Irvine – The hamburger chain looking to leave Irvine for its roots in Baldwin Park.
Patch

Is Milk the New Coke? – Fairlife milk and protein shakes are proving quite profitable for Coke.
CNN

Box Office Doughnuts – Krispy Kreme and Hulu team up for new movie theater flavors: Blue Raspberry Slush, Caramel Popcorn, Cookie Dough Superstar, and Candy Double Feature.
KTLA

UCC UPDATE

Government Affairs Committee – February 24 (new date) Zoom (one week later than usual)
UCC Executive Board – February 24
State of the County Luncheon – March 5 (Porter Ranch Country Club)
LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8 (nominations due March 3)

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
Burbank Chamber is alert everyone if you receive a suspicious email from Burbank Chamber that does not originate from their Burbank Chamber email address, mark as spam and report immediately.

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
February 20 - Good Morning Calabasas Networking Breakfast Lovi’s 7:30am-9am
February 20 - Attorneys Forum 12-1:30pm Anza Hotel

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
Tonight at 6pm - Join Us for Monthly Networking Nights!

Theme: Diversity, Inclusion, and the Power of Entrepreneurial Mothers
Event Title: Momprenuers: Celebrating Moms and Leaders in Business
This February, we celebrate the strength of diversity and the resilience of entrepreneurial mothers who balance family, business, and community impact. Join us for an evening of inspiration as we highlight stories from entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and honor the incredible contributions of moms in business. Connect with diverse leaders, share experiences, and discover strategies for growth and inclusion in entrepreneurship. Whether you’re a mompreneur, a supporter, or a business leader, this event is a chance to network, collaborate, and celebrate the diverse voices shaping our future.

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)
Ongoing – Farmer’s Market Fridays

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
February 21- The Friday Morning Buzz
Chamber Office
9 - 10:30 am 9015
Wilbur Ave. Northridge 91324

SAVE THE DATE
April 23 - Heroes in Education Gala

Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
Happy Hour Mixer
February 20 at Los Toros 6-10pm

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
March 11 - Next Monthly Meeting at U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe.

San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)
February 20 – Licensing and Procurement Workshop at the San Fernando
Library 217 North Maclay Ave, San Fernando 5pm-8pm.

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
Today – 9:30am. Freshly Brewed Conversation at the chamber office 4933 Balboa Blvd., Encino.

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)
Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market on the weekend
Located on Ventura Place, between Radford and Laurel Canyon

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
Community Clean Up – February 22

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
March 5 - Monthly Motivation Networking Breakfast at El Caballero Country Club 7am-9am.
RSVP required to have name on list at front gate. No walkins.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
Board Installation in March.

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A View From My Chair 021225

2/15/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
February 12, 2025

President’s Day

Today is Lincoln’s Birthday. Happy Birthday Honest Abe. Former President Ronald Reagan in his first inaugural speech summed up Lincoln’s impact on our country in one line, “Whoever would understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.”

For as much criticism as California gets, at least our state is one of the few that still honors President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday with a state holiday. State and local offices are closed and so are the courts. However, Lincoln’s Birthday is not a federal holiday, so do check your U.S. mail today because postal carriers will be working.

The federal government only recognizes George Washington’s birthday, not Lincoln’s, as a federal holiday and it’s not called Presidents Day and it never falls on Washington’s birthday.

Confused? Probably President Washington would be, too, but not surprised.

In an essay in Military Review, Lt. Col. Harry C. Garner, U.S. Army, Retired wrote about Logan Beirne’s book Blood of Tyrants in which Beirne reflects on “...the tumultuous relationship between Washington and the feebly empowered Continental Congress. He describes the experiment of congressional control over the war efforts during the initial phases of the revolution and Washington’s extraordinary effort to adhere to confused, unsynchronized congressional mandates and directives.”

In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holidays Act which combined Lincoln and Washington’s Birthday into a single date on the third Monday in February beginning in 1971.This means that a national holiday honoring our first president’s birthday will never be on Washington’s actual birthday of February 22. Why wasn’t the fourth Monday in February chosen? One reason mentioned was doubt as to when Washington’s birthday really was. Another was a concern about Lent and Mardi Gras sometimes happening at the end of February.

Fine, then the third Monday is Presidents Day. Actually, no. There is no official Presidents Day. It’s still Washington’s Birthday. Sorry, Abe.

Turns out we have California and Texas to thank for Presidents Day. Lincoln and Washington’s birthdays were always good sales days for retailers, especially appliance and auto dealers. When the calendar aligns just right, as it did that first year in 1971, retailers get a heck of a good long shopping weekend. Now it’s commonplace that we honor all Presidents on Presidents Day but shoppers really are honoring Presidents Lincoln and Washington. Honest. No lie.

Sources:
“Happy Uniform Birthday George”, Wall Street Journal February 10, 1971 Robert Bartley

Army U Press
Dallas City News

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

A Penny For Your Thoughts – Now we have a nickel problem.
CNN

Mamma Mia! It’s Wicked – The film adaptation of the Broadway musical has now grossed more than 2008’s Mamma Mia.
Billboard

Here’s the Skinny – Retailers are poised for an increase in sales as skinny jeans mean a closet makeover.
CNBC

UCC UPDATE

Government Affairs Committee – February 24 (new date) Zoom (one week later than usual)
UCC Executive Board – February 24
State of the County Luncheon – March 5 (Porter Ranch Country Club)
LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8 (nominations due March 3)

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
Burbank Chamber is alert everyone if you receive a suspicious email from Burbank Chamber that does not originate from their Burbank Chamber email address, mark as spam and report immediately.

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
February 20 - Good Morning Calabasas Networking Breakfast Lovi’s 7:30am-9am
February 20 - Attorneys Forum 12-1:30pm Anza Hotel

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
February 19 at 6pm - Join Us for Monthly Networking Nights!
Theme: Diversity, Inclusion, and the Power of Entrepreneurial Mothers
Event Title: Momprenuers: Celebrating Moms and Leaders in Business
This February, we celebrate the strength of diversity and the resilience of entrepreneurial mothers who balance family, business, and community impact. Join us for an evening of inspiration as we highlight stories from entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and honor the incredible contributions of moms in business. Connect with diverse leaders, share experiences, and discover strategies for growth and inclusion in entrepreneurship. Whether you’re a mompreneur, a supporter, or a business leader, this event is a chance to network, collaborate, and celebrate the diverse voices shaping our future.

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)
Ongoing – Farmer’s Market Fridays

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
February 21- The Friday Morning Buzz
Chamber Office
9 - 10:30 am 9015
Wilbur Ave. Northridge 91324

SAVE THE DATE
April 23 - Heroes in Education Gala

Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
Happy Hour Mixer
February 20 at Los Toros 6-10pm

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
March 11 - Next Monthly Meeting at U.S Bank 14500 Roscoe.

San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)
Congratulations to the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce Board installed last Friday by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez at Bodevi’s.

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
Participate in the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count to help collect the data to develop strategies to end homelessness and determine where funding and resources will be needed most.

Encino: Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber Office, 8pm
Sherman Oaks: Church of the Chimes, 7pm

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)
Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Market on the weekend
Located on Ventura Place, between Radford and Laurel Canyon

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
Community Clean Up – February 22

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
Today – Ribbon Cutting Woodland Hills Urgent Care 10am-1pm at 21835 Ventura Blvd.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
Board Installation in March.

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A View From My Chair 020625

2/6/2025

A View From My Chair

by Mike Stafford, Chairman of the Board 2025
January 29, 2025

Goodbye January

January 1 and January 7, 2025 will be added to the growing list of January infamy. We started 2025 with the terrorist attack in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Then just a week later the LA fires erupted.

I received a text the other day saying “I tried my 14 day free trial of 2025 and I want to cancel my subscription.”

But it didn’t end after 14 days. More fires broke out toward the end of the month in our area and there were two plane crashes back east. The D.C. crash into the Potomac River was one of the most deadly in about 15 years and reminded D.C. locals of the time in January 1982 when an Air Florida jet crashed into Potomac after colliding with the 14th St Bridge.

The New York Times had a headline this week, It Was the Big One. Just Not the One LA Was Expecting. Oh, if we could roll back the clock a day here in LA into January 6!

Of course, January 6 reminds us of what happened four years ago in Washington, D.C. The Big One reminds us of an earthquake here in the Valley just over 30 years ago January 17. Then just six years later we worried on January 1, 2000 about the Millennium Bug and if our ATM cards would work or any computer for that matter.

And we pick January to go stone cold sober?

BIZ NEWS OF THE WEEK

Tariffic News – Canada and Mexico tariffs on hold. Forbes

Cinco de Millions – It’s going to cost more to be a millionaire. California Lottery is increasing the price of a Mega Millions ticket from $2 to $5. KTLA

The Winner of the Super Bowl Is… – Fox Broadcasting for selling 30 second ads in the $8 million dollar range.
Sports Business Journal

UCC UPDATE

Government Affairs Committee – February 24 Zoom
UCC Executive Board – February 24
State of the County Luncheon – March 5 (Porter Ranch Country Club)
LAPD Captains Luncheon – April 2 (CBS Radford Studios)
Inspirational Women’s Awards Luncheon – May 8 (nominations due March 3)

CHAMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Burbank (burbankchamber.org)
I recently joined Burbank Chamber CEO Jamie Keyser and Chair-elect Carmenita Helligar, Valley Economic Alliance and Film LA on a zoom call to discuss the Film Tax Credit legislation. Burbank puts the spotlight on Disney and their LA Fire Relief. $15 million pledged in aid relief. Over 1000 employees mobilized to donate and sort essential items. Moments of happiness by offering free movie screenings.

Calabasas (calabasaschamber.org)
Community Education Forum - February 11 at 9am on Zoom. Guest speaker Alan Lazar Las Virgines Board of Education

Filipino-American (faccgla.org)
February 19 at 6pm - Join Us for Monthly Networking Nights! Theme: Diversity, Inclusion, and the Power of Entrepreneurial Mothers Event Title: Momprenuers: Celebrating Moms and Leaders in Business This February, we celebrate the strength of diversity and the resilience of entrepreneurial mothers who balance family, business, and community impact. Join us for an evening of inspiration as we highlight stories from entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and honor the incredible contributions of moms in business. Connect with diverse leaders, share experiences, and discover strategies for growth and inclusion in entrepreneurship. Whether you’re a mompreneur, a supporter, or a business leader, this event is a chance to network, collaborate, and celebrate the diverse voices shaping our future.

Granada Hills (granadachamber.com)

North Valley Regional (northridgechamber.org)
Education Connection meeting today at Code Ninjas Northridge, 9060 Tampa Ave.,

Northridge Northwest Valley (chatsworthchamber.com)
February 8 Ribbon Cutting at Renew Office Outlet 9811 Owensmouth Ave. #8 Chatsworth, CA 91311

Panorama City (panoramachamber.com)
February 11 - General meeting San Fernando City (facebook.com/sfcitychamber)

Sherman Oaks-Encino (shermanoaksencinochamber.org)
Today - Disaster Preparedness Committee Feb. 6 – Health and Wellness Committee

Studio City (studiocitychamber.com)

Toluca Lake (tolucalakechamber.com)
Community Clean Up – February 22

West Valley-Warner Center (woodlandhillscc.net)
UCLA Health sponsored today’s networking breakfast at Pinstripes.

Winnetka (winnetkachamberofcommerce.com)
Feb. 10 - General Membership Meeting

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