For the fourth time since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, Casa Lipton-Milone has become a refuge, for the Covid-displaced.
Michael, THE eldest son of my fianceeic Gaetana (you can call her Guy) abandoned his apartment in New York City and recently joined the party here in Stamford!
Gorgie
Forced to ride out a pandemic in his Chelsea studio apartment, Gorgie as Guy calls him, has had enough of THE Big Apple.
At least, for the moment.
Knowing his mother that way I do, Michael is going to eat well while he plans his next move!
Joining me at cigar-time on his first night, Michael shared his plans to research a new spot to live while New York recovers. And his plans to catch up on a few things which fell by the wayside due to pandemic necessity.
On the list with doctor and dentist visits was a robust exercise regimen combined with a change to more healthy eating habits.
I got excited at the thought of having some company on my near-daily beach walks!
The next morning at nine, I ran into Michael putting on his shoes and hoodie at the front door.
“Want to head to the beach?” I asked?
Declining, he shared that his plan to get his morning exercise right here in the Glenbrook neighborhood of Stamford.
And to, "Get some breakfast some breakfast at the same time.”
Who says men can’t multi-task?
Wanting to make certain he didn’t get lost on his first trip around his new neighborhood I asked him, “where you off to?” as he headed out the door.
“Donut Delight.”
I guess the beach is out?
THE Revolution, my web and e-commerce package for independent paint dealers, will be on the top of my to-do list during my first week back from vacation.
With version one of THE Revolution primarily "in the books" I'm putting my efforts into developing version two. The upgrades planned for the sites desktop appearance as well as the mobile functionality and appearance should be enough to keep me busy.
But, it wouldn't be like me to just "do enough" to keep busy!
Also planned for version two are integrations with a shipping provider, upgrades to the color displays and a long list of other items which I (or the dealers who bought the original sites) were not happy with in version one.
Version two will also see the addition of our second national paint vendor: PPG! Because why should Benjamin Moore dealers make all the money?
In the coming weeks, I'll have a podcast out where I will go "in-depth" on my version one experience. I'll share the home runs and the strike outs; all projects have both and building a Revolution is no exception. I'll also have two of the original dealers as guests, so that they can share their experience adding e-commerce to their commerce.
Speaking of podcasts; before I began my much-needed vacation I recorded a podcast with Andrew Meyer, the founder and CEO of Vermont Natural Coatings. Over the ten-years since Andrew founded that brand, Vermont Natural Coatings has found a niche. Selling exclusively through independent retailers including flooring suppliers, paint and hardware stores, Vermont Natural Coatings has found success selling premium products to consumers interested in environmentally friendlier coatings.
Which is not a small niche!
You can listen to my podcast with Andrew on my site here, on Soundcloud, or on Apple Podcasts.
If you're in the growing group who enjoy the video versions of my conversations with industry leaders, you can watch my vlogcast with Andrew here on my own site or on my Youtube channel.
THE Epilogue
Friday afternoon I drove the few minutes to what should be the empty parking lot of the former Lord & Taylor store near my home in Stamford, Connecticut.
As one of the oldest retailers in the country, Lord & Taylor survived two world wars and as many as 47 recessions!
But a pandemic which dramatically changed the American retail landscape proved too much for the specialty retailer. They announced their bankruptcy and liquidation in August of 2020.
Their parking lot, now a mass Covid vaccination site for THE state of Connecticut. Conveniently located! Minutes later, having received the second dose of the Moderna vaccine with my feet hanging out of the drivers door of my Jeep so the technician could prick my right arm, I was home.
Next stop, Yankee Stadium!
But not until I took a phat 24-hour nap on Saturday!
