It’s not often that I choose to sit amongst a crowd of people for four hours, but for the 1Team 1Dream Gala, I did so gladly.
“Why?” you ask.
Because I reported on it the last two years for the Record-Bee and met some truly awesome women who are now actual friends, not just Facebook friends.
The Hands Up Lake County awarded $100,000 in cash prizes in the 1Team 1Dream business competition to businesses around the lake to support and promote economic growth and stability in Lake County and to provide ongoing education and opportunity to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
I’ve know Olga Martin Steele, the co-founder of 1Team 1Dream, for several years and even though Olga and I are the same age, I swear all the running around she did for this year’s Gala would have sent me to bed for days. And I certainly wouldn’t be able to pull off the short skirts that the diminutive Maryann Schmid, co-founder of 1Team 1Dream successfully wears. Both are amazing and super committed to Lake County. (Three days after 1Team 1Dream, Steele put on the Senior Summit for the Silver Foundation (https://www.lakecountysilverfoundation.com/) in support of the senior population in the county.
Schmid, the other co-founder of 1Team 1Dream, is one dynamic woman. When I needed a quote from her for last year’s gala, she responded via WhatsApp almost immediately, even though at that point she was somewhere in Europe. That’s how important 1Team 1Dream is to her. In fact, Schmid and husband Peter, started off the donations for all three years of 1Team 1Dream by donating their own money.
Young 19-year-old Baylee Ann Grove founder of Rock n’ Rolled Ice-Cream, won first place and $10,000 for the Start-Up Competition of 1Team 1Dream. Her pitch to the judges was full of energy and her business plan was also super, and if I hadn’t given up ice-cream for the rest of my life, I’d be first in line!
I loved so many of the entrants and what they do for Lake County. I’ve been thinking it’s time to get my eyebrows waxed before I’m mistaken for Bernie Sanders or Andy Rooney, or Frida Kahlo (had she lived to the silver age). The Bee’s Knees Depilatorium (Karen Kress, Second place winner in Start-up, $5,000) in Clearlake seems like she could do the job better since all I do is pluck out the wild and crazy brow hairs, no shaping whatsoever.
A dress designer made most of my clothes in Sri Lanka because the stylish clothes were Size One and clothes my size were box-shaped. She made my outfits that I wore when hired to do wedding photography and a few gowns for special events. So, to find a seamstress so close by (Stitch Envy in Upper Lake) is a bonus. Robin Marsolek won the $3,000 prize for Start-ups.
I also had a hidden agenda for going; I wanted to see Grillagan’s Island win for the Established Businesses. Grillagan’s is my neighbor in Lucerne, so of course I wanted them to win, plus I absolutely love their grilled cheese sandwich (with the added cream cheese) and Nicole’s tomato soup – the best I’ve ever had. They did come in Third Place ($15,000) and that wasn’t too shabby.
The competition showed me other established businesses that I really didn’t know about: Peace and Plenty Farm (boy, would I like to work there at their farm stand!) won $25,000, Angela’s Anytime Rides is so necessary in Lake County. A friend of mine set up a ride via Lyft through Medicare to take him to Sutter Hospital for a heart procedure and the driver never showed up! I called Angela’s to find out if they dealt with Medicare for rides, but unfortunately, they don’t. Someone should.
I’ve never been to Ben Geunther’s Upper Lake Grocery but I liked his energy and so I’ll stop in one day and I’ll definitely check out his plans for the old-style country grocery store at Blue Lakes. Sounds super interesting.
There was another winner, Curtis Cook, and unfortunately for his company Land Escape, I rent and any project I do here at my house, I pay for. In fact, pre-Covid, I dug up the backyard for a 16-by-14 patio. Dug it myself. I certainly could have used Curtis Cook to finish it up since the pavers were 2 feet by 2 feet and weighed 36 pounds each. Too much for me. Now, even the digging is too much for me.
So, what’s a girl to do?…start calling some of the entrants for their services and definitely go over to Grillagan’s Island for some yummy tomato soup to warm me up.
Lucy Llewellyn Byard is currently a columnist for the Record-Bee. To contact her, email [email protected]