Ten Houstonians were honored for their selfless and generous ways of life at an event held at the Royal Sonesta. Mayor Sylvester Turner offered opening remarks before recipients of the Houston Humanitarian Awards — including NFL mom and philanthropist Karen Johnson, pastor Fernando Ruata, music-industry honcho James Prince, and several Hurricane Harvey heroes — received a standing ovation. The evening was put on by a local nonprofit called Houston Random Act of Kindness Day, which was founded by Treveia Dennis in order to spread love throughout her community.
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail
Oct. 8, 2024
How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others? The best advice I ever received was “Hire happy people”. There is a wealth of knowledge to be absorbed in any specialty field. Most companies have various trainings and on boarding practices to ensure all that knowledge gets shared. But even the best trainers cannot impart the fundamentals of being happy, in your workplace or personal life.
I believe happiness comes from within and is an active practice. I became a widower in my 40’s and at the time, my son was still in high school. Navigating the devastating effects of cancer from diagnosis to hospice takes a toll. But self-pity, doubt, and negativity could not creep into our lives. There had been so much hardship, it was my responsibility to ensure he saw optimism, and enthusiasm for the life we have now. I could not dwell on the loss but chose to move forward with gratitude. I now try to carry that attitude in everything I do.
The pandemic was a prime example of why hiring happy people matters. With everyone spending significantly more time in their homes, we saw a huge surge of kitchen remodels and demand, while keeping our USA manufacturing moving forward became a challenge. The work and dedication from everyone in this organization, down to my very own team, are what got us through, and we are now stronger than ever. That hard, dedicated work had its origins in happy people coming together, and I am so proud of the efforts made by everyone to keep us moving forward.
What’s new or upcoming for Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove? In recent years, our engineering teams have put significant innovation into the aesthetics of our appliances. From a complete revamp on the features of Sub-Zero Classic Series Refrigeration last year, to the introduction of Wolf’s Accent Door Collection this year, featuring white and black ranges to accompany an assortment of knob and bezel options that help personalize your cooking appliances to your design style. Both lines look incredible, and we are thrilled to see where this will lead us in the future. We have all of these new appliances on display, so we welcome folks to make an appointment and see them in person.
What do you like most about what you do? I strongly value working for a company whose values align with their product. Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances are built to last 20+ years of daily use and the performance is incredible. Whether a customer is looking for our iconic red knobs, or the equipment to make their culinary dreams a reality, we help find the best configurations for their space and are confident in the appliances we put in their home.
What drives you? My mom instilled a great work ethic in my siblings and me. Working alongside my team to surpass expectations keeps me motivated. The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove showroom has a hard-earned reputation in the market for elevated experiences from client demonstration dinners to happy hour for our dealer partners, and events for the designer community.
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Legacy's Holiday 'Schmooze' Returns, in Remembrance of Catering King Jackson Hicks
Daniel Ortiz
Dec. 31, 2024
SINCE ITS FOUNDING by the late catering king and philanthropist Jackson Hicks, Legacy Community Health’s Schmooze has been a holiday bash that hundreds look forward to each year.
More than 250 festively clad guests were welcomed into the North Boulevard home of Richard Holt. A bountiful buffet and Christmas cocktails awaited, and partygoers admired the sparkling trees and holiday décor while raising money for The Jackson Hicks Endowed Fund for the Awareness, Prevention, and Treatment of HIV/AIDS at Legacy.
This year’s soiree was attended by heavy-hitters such as Bobby Dees, Hallie Vanderhider, Bill Baldwin, Fady Armanious, Vivian Wise, Shannon Hall and many others. Cheers!
Hallie Vanderhider, Bobby Dees
Tony Bravo, Richard Werner
Tarek, Ceron
Cyndy Garza-Roberts, Wanna Hadnott
Sharon Land, Linda Gibbs
Fady Armanious, Bill Baldwin
Shannon Hall, Deb Rockman
Kashay and Steve Crawford
Lisa Bordelon, Richard Holt, Chree Boydstun
Ken Sill and Kari Findley
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WHEN ENVISIONING The Marigold Club, afternoon tea was destined to be a cornerstone — a sophisticated nod to the lavish charm of Mayfair London infused with French culinary flair and a dash of Houston’s bold spirit.
Afternoon tea at The Marigold Club takes tradition for a spin, pairing classics like clotted cream and jam with creative delights such as Vadouvan Chicken Salad, Wagyu Pastrami, a Figgy Toffee Scone, and English Gougères filled with velvety chicken-liver mousse.
For $75 per guest, the tea experience delivers an exquisite lineup of sweet and savory bites, including Smoked Salmon perched on a sesame financier with a crown of osetra caviar, delicate wagyu pastrami finger sandwiches, and zesty orange-cardamom scones. Dessert lovers, brace yourselves: chocolate crèmeux tarts, pear tarts topped with vanilla whipped ganache, and Earl Grey tarts bursting with bergamot curd are just a few of the indulgent offerings. To top it all off, a curated tea selection from Brooklyn’s Bellocq Tea Atelier is presented tableside, allowing guests to indulge their senses by smelling each blend before choosing their perfect cup.
Tea service at The Marigold Club, available every Friday through Sunday from 10:30am-2:30pm, perfectly complements its newly launched, indulgent brunch. This decadent spread boasts delights like a King Crab Tart, crispy-yet-tender Chicken Milanese, fluffy French Omelets, and an elevated Croque Madame. For the ultimate treat, savor their Caviar & Potato Soldier, perched atop a golden, perfectly crisp hashbrown. And don’t forget the house-made pastries — think chocolate brioche filled with Earl Grey crème diplomat — crafted to make your weekend mornings utterly unforgettable.
All of this indulgence unfolds in one of The Marigold Club’s three enchanting spaces. Lounge on plush velvet banquettes beneath a dazzling hand-blown Murano chandelier, surrounded by the hand-painted mural of the main dining room. Bask in the elegance of the newly redesigned atrium, or step into the charming pink room, where fringe lighting adds just the right touch of whimsy.
So what are you waiting for? We’ve spilled the tea — now it’s your turn to sip it!
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