Category: It Happened to Me

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It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

My new headshot (or: Vadim Davydov takes excellent headshots)

Joey deVilla’s new headshot, showing him in a blue suit jacket and blue shirt holding his blue accordion, as seen from a MacBook.

I volunteered to help out at Masterminds Tampa Bay’s booth at the Synapse Summit 2023 conference yesterday, where Masterminds team moderator Vadim Davydov worked his photographic magic creating professional headshots for a long line of VIPs. It was my job to help get them registered and lined up for their sessions.

The Tampa Bay Masterminds booth at Synapse Summit 2023.

Masterminds Tampa Bay is “The Other Bay Area’s” Mastermind group, a peer mentoring group aimed at entrepreneurs and techies looking for connections, support, advice, assistance, resources, and so on. Many metro areas have Mastermind groups, whose name comes from The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill, a book that’s nearly 100 years old, where he defined the Mastermind Principle as:

“The coordination of knowledge and effort between two or more people who work towards a definite purpose in a spirit of harmony…

No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

If you’re interested in the rest of Napoleon Hill’s definition of the Mastermind Principle, it’s summarized pretty well in this article. If you want to hear it in Hill’s own voice, watch this video:

Vadim’s lighting setup is a key part of why his headshots look so good…

A Synapse Summit VIP attendee getting posed for their headshot by Vadim Davydov.

…but more important are the instructions he gives you as you pose:

  • “Follow my finger!”
  • “Close your mouth!”
  • “More sexy! Okay, too much sexy! Less sexy!”
  • “Stretch your neck! Think turtle! Turtle, turtle, turtle, turtle!”
  • “Squeeze your butt cheeks! Shake your booty!”
A Synapse Summit VIP attendee getting posed for their headshot by Vadim Davydov.

The instructions may sound nonsensical and hilarious, and he gets you into poses that you’d never do naturally, but they work. I kept telling people to just do what he says and to trust the process. And he kept cranking out gorgeous result after gorgeous result.

At 4:27 p.m. after nearly 8 hours of shooting, the last person in line had come and gone. That’s when I asked Vadim “Can you do one more — namely, me?”

He smiled and obliged. The official photo isn’t done yet, but every photo he took was displayed on a couple of screens in the booth. I took a couple of shots of these screens, and even these previews are great:

Joey deVilla’s new headshot, showing him in a blue suit jacket and blue shirt holding his blue accordion, as seen from a MacBook.
Joey deVilla’s new headshot, showing him in a blue suit jacket and blue shirt holding his blue accordion, as seen from a large display.
Joey deVilla’s new headshot, showing him in a blue suit jacket and blue shirt holding his blue accordion, as seen from a large display.

I can’t wait for the official shot! In the meantime, these are my new profile pics.

Thanks, Vadim, and thanks, Tampa Bay Masterminds for taking me on as a booth volunteer!

And once again: if you need to look great in a headshot, you want Vadim Davydov!

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It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

Earlier today…

Joey deVilla and Anitra Pavka in summery dress clothes at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa.
Tap to view at full size.

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It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

Dressing up as (and meeting) a triceratops

Anitra’s on the board of the Glazer Children’s Museum, and their big upcoming attraction is Big John, the world’s largest triceratops, who’s moving into his own exhibit in the museum at end of May.

Banner: “Big John the Triceratops - Glazer Children’s Museum”

Last night was the museum’s annual fundraising gala, and as people involved with the museum, we got a sneak peek at the 65 million year-old, RV-sized fella, and he was impressive.

More photos (including one with my ridiculous triceratops mask) later.

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It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

There’s nothing like a hot glory hole on a Saturday afternoon date

Joey deVilla spins some glass inside a glory hole at Gott Glass glassblowing studio.
Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligator

We’ve just come from a “hot glass date” at Susan Gott’s glass workshop, which is conveniently located in our neighborhood, Seminole Heights. We opted to make a fluted bowl together, and I’ll post pictures of the finished work once it’s cooled off in the annealer.

As for “glory hole,” I’m using it in the glassblowing sense — it’s the opening for the furnace for reheating glass to shape it. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re probably more familiar with the other usage of the term. Slate has an interesting article on the use of the term by glassblowing and other-kind-of-blowing cultures.

More photos (and video too!) later.

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Florida Internet Finds It Happened to Me The Good Fight

Black History Month in Florida under DeSantis, captured in a single painting

Joey deVilla poses with his framed print of Jonathan Harris’ painting, “Critical Race Theory.”

Last year, I heard about a painting by Jonathan Harris, titled Critical Race Theory, pictured below:

The original “Critical Race Theory” painting on canvas.

It depicts Black people, led by Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, and Malcolm X, being covered up with white paint by an unidentified White man with a roller.

It’s the perfect painting for the present moment, when Florida under Governor Ron DeSantis is:

Jonathan Harris with his painting Critical Race Theory (2021).
The artwork and the artist, Jonathan Harris.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Harris.

Here’s Jonathan Harris’ bio, taking from his site:

Jonathan Harris (b. 1988) is a visual artist who was born and raised in the city of Detroit. After attending the Detroit School for the Fine and Performing Arts, he attended Henry Ford Community College, Antioch College, and Oakland University, where he majored in Graphic Design and minored in Studio Art. Oil paints, acrylics and charcoal are his media of choice. He has perfected and become known for an oil enamel technique, resulting in graphic, high contrast portraits, without the use of a brush.

Jonathan’s work is emotive, with a focus on current events and the African American experience. Bringing awareness to social and world issues, in addition to instilling pride in the Black community, are goals that he strives to accomplish through his visual and curatorial work. Harris and his works have recently been featured extensively in the press, including on PBS American Black Journal, PBS One Detroit, CBS Local, and in the Detroit Free Press, Michigan Chronicle and Oakland University Post. One of the artist’s latest paintings, Critical Race Theory, created in response to recent controversy over the same subject matter, has garnered responses and sparked conversations across social media platforms around the world.

Harris’ art currently resides in prominent collections, including the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Arts, David and Linda Whitaker, and Michigan State Representative Shri Thanedar. He served as a juror for Canvas Pontiac 2022, and his work has been exhibited at Swords to Plowshares Gallery. He has shown in and curated special exhibitions at Irwin House Gallery, as well as the BONDED exhibit at Beacon Park, along with a team of distinguished Detroit arts professionals.

In 2022 Jonathan Harris was named one of 2022’s Influential Artists To Watch by the Detroit News, and received The Spirit of Detroit Award from the City Council of Detroit, Michigan.

I ordered a signed print, framed it, and hung it up proudly in my home office:

My office, looking towards The Desk Where it Happens.
Tap to view at full size.

Want to know more about the painting?

Want to order a print?

You can order one (prices range from US$125 – US$200) on Jonathan Harris’ ecommerce site.

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It Happened to Me

Just another day at the office…

Joey deVilla in his home office, playing accordion in a triceratops mask.
Tap to view at full size.

I got the mask for an upcoming fundraiser gala for the Glazer Children’s Museum, who recently became the home of the world’s largest triceratops.

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It Happened to Me Tampa Bay

Scenes from Common Dialect, Seminole Heights’ newest brewpub

Common Dialect’s front entrance.
Tap to view at full size.
Seminole Heights’ seal, which depicts a two-headed alligator

Common Dialect Beerworks, Seminole Heights’ newest brewpub, held its grand opening this past weekend. Located on Florida Avenue a few blocks south of Hillsborough, it’s the latest brewpub to appear our neighborhood over the past few years.

It’s also a hotly-anticipated arrival. The day I went, Saturday, January 14th, was its second day in operation. It wasn’t just their main parking lot that was full, but both overflow parking lots as well. It helped that it was a bright and sunny (if brisk, by Florida standards — 12° C / 54° F) day. The place was busy, but not uncomfortably so, at least in my extrovert opinion.

Common Dialect’s patio, viewed from the front.
Tap to view at full size.
Common Dialect Beerworks logo.

Common Dialect is owned by a couple from the neighborhood — Kendra and Mike Conze. If you’re a local dog owner, you probably know Kendra from her other business, Health Mutt, which is probably the most-loved pet food and supply store in Tampa. Health Mutt recently moved from its corner store location on Central Avenue to very spacious digs nearby on Florida Avenue. This gave them a large warehouse space next door, and that space became Common Dialect.

Here’s what I saw when I stepped inside:

Common Dialect’s interior, looking leftward from the front entrance.
Tap to view at full size.

The place was hoppin’, even though it wasn’t any time near peak beer hours — I’d arrived at about 3:00 p.m. to check out the place after getting my hair cut just up the street.

One way they’ve decided to make themselves stand out from the other pubs in the area is by being the most brightly-colored of the lot.

Common Dialect’s wall mural, seen from across the room.
Tap to view at full size.

Make note of the people in the foreground if you want a sense of the wall mural’s size:

Common Dialect’s wall mural, close up.
Tap to view at full size.

After admiring the mural for a moment, I decided to help the bar fulfill its business purpose and buy a drink.

Common Dialect’s interior.
Tap to view at full size.

The line moved pretty quickly, and the staff were friendly and seemed experienced. If they were having opening-weekend issues, I didn’t see them.

The line for beer.
Tap to view at full size.
Common Dialect’s interior, looking rightward from the entrance.
Tap to view at full size.

With my freshly-acquired beer (alas, they didn’t have any darks or stouts on hand, so I decided to go for vitamin C with a citrus wheat beer), I made my way to the patio.

Common Dialect’s patio.
Tap to view at full size.

There isn’t space for a kitchen inside the pub, but there’s a designated area for food trucks, and it appears that they plan to have a different food truck on the premises most nights. On the Saturday I went, they had two: Queen B Ice Cream and the cleverly-named A Boy Named Sous:

The “A Boy Named Sous” food truck.
Tap to view at full size.

I lucked out and a seat on the patio freed up…

Common Dialect’s patio, looking outward.
Tap to view at full size.

…so I set my accordion down (remember, I take it with me to pubs and bars because it’s a magical machine that often turns music into free beer)…

Common Dialect’s patio, with my accordion in the foreground.
Tap to view at full size.

…and proceeded to enjoy my beer and some conversation with the people around me.

Common Dialect’s patio, as seen from my table, with my beer on the table.
Tap to view at full size.

There are a number of pubs and bars within cycling distance of our place, including the Corner Club, 7venth Sun, Southern Brewing and Winemaking, The Independent and Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, to name a few, and we’re “regulars” at many of them. Because of this, I’ve become familiar with a lot of neighborhood faces, and there were many unfamiliar faces here.

I struck up conversations (and played tunes for) the people at the tables around me, and they turned out to be new arrivals to the area who’d moved here for the usual selling points: classic houses, tree-lined walkable streets, nearby places to eat and drink, local quirky shops, and so on.

If anything, these new faces are a sign that we haven’t yet hit “peak brewpub” in the neighborhood and all the existing places, each with its own qualities and charms, will be around. One of the reasons we moved here was for the healthy ecosystem of “third places,” and I’m happy to see another player in the mix.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Common Dialect!