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July 2024
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SCOOP OF SUCCESS A Lawyer’s Unconventional Start
I scream, you scream, and we all scream for frozen custard. I am not sure what most attorneys’ first jobs out of college are. They likely spend time interning at law firms or pushing carts in mailrooms. I went down a different, much more delicious path. Goodberry’s, a small frozen custard chain out of North Carolina, was looking to expand to Austin, Texas. They were doing on-campus interviews, and I knew as soon as I saw it that I’d get the job. They had an amazing product, freshly made homemade ice cream (custard), served at a cool 29 degrees — barely below freezing — to ensure maximum enjoyability. They hired me while they were still setting up shop in Austin, so I went to their Raleigh headquarters to learn how to make the ice cream and all aspects of running a small restaurant. Long Detour The summer after college was an eventful one. As soon as I graduated, I left for North Carolina. I was initially supposed to spend about three months in Raleigh, but due to delays in the construction of the Austin location, I was there for closer to six. Six weeks in, I had to return to San Antonio in time to get married. Wendy and I spent our honeymoon in New Orleans and traveled on to North Carolina where she stayed with me until she had to go back to Austin to finish her last year of college. Sometime after that, Hurricane Eduardo hit the city. Fortunately, my apartment was okay, but others weren’t so lucky. I slept through the storm, but some apartments had severe roof leaks, and they had to move many people around because of the damage. Back in Business After what seemed like an eternity, I finally returned home. They still weren’t quite ready to open the first store, so we (the two other people hired to bring it to Texas) started training to run the store, and we did some small construction projects, although they were a bit challenging. There is still a stain on the concrete 28 years after I dropped wood stain from a ladder I was working on. Eventually, we opened, and the three managers trained the other employees to make frozen custard, hot dogs, and sandwiches. Working in a dessert shop required a decent memory. All sorts of add-ons and flavors were available, with thousands of possible permutations of custard. We had amazing seasonal flavors, too. In autumn and winter, we had pumpkin, eggnog, and rum raisin. Sometimes, though, our
memories failed us. Whenever we got an order wrong, we got to take it home. I felt like Bob Ross because those were happy accidents. When my wife was pregnant, I would bring her all sorts of treats sourced from mistaken orders. She took them, but I learned later she was so nauseous that she didn’t want to eat any of them. Battle of Little Bigcone Unfortunately, the Austin Frozen Custard expansion was short-lived. The writing had been on the wall for some time, and the shop went under. I always thought their biggest downfall was a lack of indoor seating — if they had started with it from the get-go, they would have been more successful. While people in North Carolina seemed willing to stand outside in long, winding lines, Texans did not much appreciate languishing in the sweltering summer heat while the shop prepared their frozen treats. So I set down my ice cream scooper, took off my apron, and applied to law school (which is something I wanted to do when I was a kid). Custard’s loss was my gain!
-Aaron Miller
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From Book Club to Big Business How Celebrities Influence Reading Culture for Profit Since Oprah Winfrey debuted her famed book club in 1996, many celebrities have followed suit, recommending books on their websites and social media feeds. While a celebrity recommendation is a boon for an author’s sales, it also profits the person suggesting it. Here are three celebrities using their influence to boost book sales — and their own businesses.
Navigating a world where beauty ideals are ever-changing and expectations continually shift can be challenging. From ingenious makeup techniques to DIY skin care remedies, beauty hacks enable the seekers of effortless glamour to save money and cut down on time in front of the mirror. If you are a seasoned beauty enthusiast or a novice looking to up your game, these four hacks can up your beauty game. 1. Silk pillowcases and bed sheets can be a game-changer for your skin and hair. Silk pillowcases are much more comfortable than regular sheets and can even help prevent wrinkles or aging skin because they don’t pull on your skin as you move when you’re asleep. 2. Avoid wrapping your hair in a towel after showering. This can cause breakage or split ends because hair is more fragile when wet. Instead, wrap it in a cotton T-shirt, which is gentler on delicate hair and supports overall health and growth. 3. If you want to grow your eyebrows and eyelashes, grab a spoolie (a very small brush, like a mascara wand), dip it in castor oil, and put a few drops on your eyebrows and eyelashes every night. 4. Start dermaplaning your face with a small facial razor (available in many inexpensive brands and formats) to remove the hair. Despite the allegations that this can create thicker or darker hair, it eliminates peach fuzz and exfoliates your skin, leaving a healthy glow. Beyond the practical benefits, beauty hacks can significantly boost your confidence and self-esteem. Learning to enhance your natural features and address specific beauty concerns makes you feel more comfortable in your skin. Cultivating habits for a new and improved beauty routine will enhance your outward appearance and nurture your self-esteem — transform your looks by incorporating these simple yet effective practices into your daily regimen. Easy and Effortless Chic FROM DRAB TO FAB
Gwyneth Paltrow The Oscar-winning actress owns a lifestyle and supplements brand called Goop, which is estimated to be worth around $250 million. Taking heed of other celebrities’ examples, Paltrow started her book club to promote books through her company’s website and on her Instagram profile. The titles complement the aims of her business, including guest opportunities and content for her podcast. The book club helps catapult Paltrow’s business beyond the fashion and film industries.
Reese Witherspoon As the star actress in numerous films like “Legally Blonde” and “Walk the Line,” Witherspoon was already a household name when she began recommending books on social media to her more than 2.5 million followers. In addition to being an actress and avid reader, Witherspoon also ran Hello Sunshine, a massively successful production company. After promoting books like Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and “Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Reid, her production company adapted them to the silver screen. In 2014, Witherspoon was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as the lead in the film adaptation of “Wild,” which she also produced. As a result of this lucrative business model, Witherspoon managed to sell Hello Sunshine for a reported $900 million in August 2021. Emma Roberts Roberts started her Belletrist book club in 2017 alongside her friend Karah Preiss. Then, in 2019, following Reese’s footsteps, Emma started an entertainment company, Belletrist Productions. Belletrist has since produced the hit shows “First Kill” with Netflix and “Tell Me Lies” with Hulu, with the goal of creating more literary adaptations in the future. It is great that celebrities encourage people to read, but they do not do so selflessly. In fact, the primary motivation, in many cases, is to bolster their own acting and production careers or to build upon their existing lifestyle brands. We shouldn’t feel guilty for reading what they recommend, but we should realize their picks aren’t always based on what makes the best read.
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SUMMER SIMMER Tips to Perfect Your Grill Game
Summer is the season for grilling. From skewered vegetables to sirloin steaks, your grill is perfect for making flavorful, nutritious food. Whether you plan to stoke the coals at a neighborhood get- together or prepare an incredible meal for a special occasion, you can use these two tips to get the most from your grill. Onions Have Layers The more you use your grill, the more grease, fat, and food debris accumulate on the grates. Luckily, onions are a natural solution to whisk away the mess. While caramelized onions are the perfect topping for burgers and steaks, you can use onions to clean your grill before grilling. First, ensure your grill is running hot; that heat will help enhance the onion’s cleansing properties. Then, using a skewer or grill fork as a handle, push the onion along the
grill’s grates. The onion’s natural acidity will help break down built-up fat, grease, and food. Once your grill is clear, it is ready for use! Clean grates do wonders for the taste and quality of the meats and veggies you grill.
Heat and Temperature If you’ve ever had to take a food safety course, you know every meat has an ideal cooking temperature. For instance, chicken should reach 165 degrees internally, and for pork, it’s 145 degrees. While grilling, use a meat thermometer to determine which proteins are ready to serve and which need more time. Once you pull
your meat off the grill, let it rest for at least five minutes before serving. This time makes the meat more tender and allows it to finish cooking off the grill passively.
Not Your Average Chocolate Cake
Dive into this decadent chocolate cake recipe for a rich, moist treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp salt • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar • 3 large eggs • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. 2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended; then add vanilla extract. 5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix until blended. 6. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. 7. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 8. Cool in pans, then invert onto a plate. If desired, frost and stack the cakes for a double layer!
TAKE A BREAK
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214.292.4225 www.AaronMillerLaw.com 1400 Preston Road, Suite 118 Plano, Texas 75093
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Lawyer’s Shift From Custard to Courtrooms Exploring the Impact of Celebrity Book Clubs Beauty Hacks for Better Skin and Hair 2 Essential Tips for Grilling Perfection Not Your Average Chocolate Cake
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Why Honey Is Gold for Your Health
LIQUID GOLD
The Myriad Benefits of Honey Honey, the preferred snack of beloved children’s book character Winnie-the-Pooh, is a veritable superfood. Created in a bee’s unique crop-like organ known as the “honey stomach,” the natural product is often heated and distilled in a fashion similar to alcohol to improve its quality and whisk away microorganisms. If you want to build up your body’s immune system and try some flavorful new recipes, it may be time to incorporate honey into your diet. Natural Superfood Honey is one of the oldest known medicines and has a role in helping to manage disease. Bee-lieve it or not, honey is sweeter than sugar and packed with antioxidants to help combat cancer, arthritis, and heart disease! From a nutritional perspective, honey packs a punch. A single tablespoon of honey amounts to 64 calories and contains several helpful vitamins and minerals, including calcium, which helps maintain our bones and teeth, and potassium, which helps alleviate high blood pressure. Healthier Condiment Honey has myriad health-related benefits, from taming a sore throat to helping alleviate gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and stomach ulcers.
As a natural anti-inflammatory, honey is also effective at reducing pain and inflammation. Honey has less of an impact on your blood sugar and is rife with bioactive substances that can improve your bodily health, especially for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Medicinal Gold The ancient Egyptians understood the healing powers of honey. They used it as a topical treatment for burns and other wounds. In fact, using honey on diabetic foot ulcers, a serious condition that often leads to limb amputation, produces a 97% healing rate. Children (over 1 year old) with a cough see better results after drinking honeyed water than a typical over-the-counter cough medicine.
So, if you are looking for a way to incorporate more holistic treatments and enhance your diet, consider substituting sugar for honey. It is a medicinal and nutritional boon for the system!
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