GF's: Our Love Story
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and as most of you know, my best friend/GF Alison Salinas lost her life to the disease. To pay tribute to Ali and her unique ability to make my world brighter, I thought I’d share our story; what made her an incredible friend, and how she came to be my GF.
In September 2009, I attended a party with Jim (who I was just starting to date) and our crew. After a few too many adult beverages, I pulled in Jim and my friend Alison Salinas for a tight squeeze and declared loudly that they were my GF and BF. I quickly clarified, “part-time BF” since we were still new. Of course, shortly after I needed a debrief with Alison to discuss whether or not I had made a huge mistake calling him my boyfriend. She assured me it was cute and harmless, and as usual, she was right. Turns out, those nicknames stuck and from that point on, Alison called Jim “GFs BF” and Jim called Alison “GFs GF”, and as everyone here probably knows, I sill refer to Alison as my “GF”.
My obsession with Alison started long before this declaration. I knew Alison was special and would be a significant part of my life since the day we met when I started working at CHUM Television in October 2005. Wanting to put my best foot forward, I showed up in a tweed suit on my first day of work. (Why I wore a Tweed suit to the Citytv and MuchMusic offices, I’ll never know!) That ‘look’ provoked a lot of looks in my direction. Some people even commented out loud, but Alison complimented me. Learning later how fashion conscious she was, I know now she was clearly trying to make me feel more at ease and it worked.
But it was 8 months later - in July of 2006 - that she really left her mark. Sidebar: when you work in TV it’s easy to remember dates because so many moments are tied to show runs and events. It just so happens that in July 2006 we were gearing up for the finale of Canada’s Next Top Model and I was being pulled in a million directions, trying to get ready for the finale party, while keeping the model’s content. I was a bit overwhelmed and called upon my future GF for backup and without a word, she took the girls off my hands so I could concentrate on other things and as a result, everything fell into place. GF charmed them, she fed them, she kept their energy and spirits up, assuring them they would all have bright futures in the industry, all the while keeping them occupied for hours. She knew exactly what they needed at that moment and exactly what I needed as well. So, on that day in July 2006, I vowed to keep her in my life no matter what.
From that point on, I was stuck to her, at work and after work. She had the greatest advice and the greatest relationships with media I have ever witnessed, and I was able to learn so much from her. In the world of entertainment publicity, there can be a lot of cattiness to try and get that promotion or walk the A-List celebrity down the red carpet. But it was never that way with my GF. She constantly gave to everyone around her. We worked on so many carpets, events, parties, media scrums, press rooms, press junkets, and press conferences together, I couldn’t even hazard a guess at the number. We got to the point where I felt like we had our own language.
I even became my GFs supervisor for a short period of time (talk about mixing business with pleasure!). When it came time for performance reviews, I knew she was struggling – she didn’t love the job anymore and she was conflicted on what to do next. I knew I had to make mention of a few things that had slipped and the whole thing kept me up at night. But when it came time to sit down and talk about it, I went for it. When it was all said and done, she said to me, “GF, thank you for your feedback and I know you’re right. And I know how difficult that must have been for you to tell me.” Then in the most unprofessional way, I started to cry and I gave her the biggest of hugs. In a moment when I was supposed to help her, she ended up helping me. That was my GF – always selflessly thinking of her friends.
The single most important decision I have made career-wise was to go out on my own in 2014, not only because it afforded me the luxury or making my own schedule, but also because I had an opportunity to work with Alison again, which I had wanted so badly. Alison was approached to work on a television series that she adored, but she was in treatment at the time and couldn’t do it alone. So, when she called to ask if I would consider joining forces, I jumped at the chance. After I agreed she burst into tears on the phone, which made me cry as well. I know it was because she was overwhelmed juggling her health and work but part of me thought don’t you know by now that I would do anything for you?? GFs are always there when you call on them for help. That was our motto.
In the spring of 2014, I started visiting her in Burlington every week. Technically it was a considered a GF Work Session, but since our project was initially slow, we mainly just hung out. She introduced me to Fortino’s and would take me for ice cream. We would talk, cry, watch Gilmore Girls, she would nap while I wrote a press release or checked my email. I feel so fortunate to have spent so much time with her that year and it was only possible because I had left my corporate job. Ironically, she was the person who encouraged me to launch my business, so ultimately, I have her to thank for the precious time we spent together and for 7 successful years of ADPR. One final gift from my GF, and I so wish she was here to see what she inspired me to build.