Where In the World ARE Don and Karla?

Back to California

2012-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

We are back from Mexico and have, somewhat, settled in the Palm Springs area.

Keeping Business Simple and On Point - Get the Money

2010-06-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

Let’s talk about business!

What is the MOST IMPORTANT factor in any business?

Is it products?

Is it system?

Is it effectiveness of any solution you might be “selling”?

The answer is simple.

MONEY

Any Good Business Model Has:

• Great Products

• A Good System

• Lifestyle Rewards – cars, homes, travel, things you want in your life

• People to Work With that You Like

I WANT TO SHOW YOU …

How to make the money that will:

Provide you with a lifestyle and allow you go give back to others and give forward to even more … global philanthropically.

Find Out For Yourself

www.OurBusinessOverview.com

When, if not now, will it be YOUR turn?

WE HAVE MOVED!

2009-10-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

VISIT OUR NEW BLOG AT

www.DonAndKarla.com

See you there!

You simply type the short url and don't have to remember the long http://whereintheworld.... any more.

More FUN on the Big Island, Hawaii

2009-07-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

What a blast. We've been hanging out on the Big Island of Hawaii for a week now.

We've been attending a personal development event, and.. WOW... we are poised and ready to take the next quantum leap in our lives. We have been inspired, educated, motivated and given real-life, PROVEN techniques to assist us in achieving even more. We can't wait to implement them.

While we were here, Don and I rented a catamaran to take 100 of the top performers on our team out for a day of snorkeling, barbequing and swimming. As you can see... we had a BLAST.

We've been so busy that we haven't had a chance to hang out at the pool, so tomorrow - that's where you will find us. We'll be the ones with the empty Mai-Tai glasses stacked up behind us! ;)

Summer in Southern California!

2009-07-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a great time in San Francisco, but we’ve moved on to our next stop in the “Don and Karla World Tour.”

Life is good.

We packed up our car two weeks ago and made the 400 mile drive down to Southern California.
We’ve picked Venice Beach as our “headquarters” for the next month or so, and we’re loving it. The Venice Beach boardwalk is this funky-edgy place with the funkiest-edgiest people you can imagine.

We had a little hiccup with our house that we had reserved for the month, so we’ve really been nomads for the past couple of weeks. Our first stop was an apartment right on Venice Beach. We then spent a week at a little bungalow nearby. The next 10 days were at a lux house in Marina del Rey (just south of Venice). Now, we’re a couple of blocks off the beach, between the Venice Beach boardwalk and super-cool Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

We bought a couple of beach cruisers and have been biking on the beach bikepath up and down the coast. We’ve been spending some of our afternoons hanging out, reading on the beach. Most of our mornings are devoted to our business.

Last Saturday we had about 30 of our friends and business associates from all over the LA area for a BBQ. What a blast!

May in San Francisco

2009-05-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Being "digital nomads" doesn't mean that we're always travelling. As a matter of fact, we haven't gone anywhere for over a month. We've been enjoying San Francisco!

The following are some of the highlights of the past month:

RN74
Michael Mina's newest, much-hyped restaurant. We had one of our usual looooong Friday lunches there. Good food, great wine, OK service and $200 later, we stumbled back to our place on Nob Hill for a loooooong Friday evening nap! ;)

Palace of the Legion of Honor
Strolled through what we consider to be San Francisco's most beautiful museum.

Bay to Breakers
Bay to Breakers is an annual "footrace" where runners "run" from the Bay to, guess what, the "Breakers," or ocean. This is an opportunity for the best and the weirdest to get together to celebrate all that this city is. Don and I spent the morning cheering the runners on from the curb along Howard street. The pictures say it all.

The Farmers Market at the Ferry Building
What economic downturn? Anyone that has any doubt that there still is abundance in the world should visit this market. It's like Whole Foods on steroids! Beautiful, abundant, organic.

Bhutan Exhibit at the Asian Art Museum
Absolutely stunning buddist and hindu art from small country of Bhutan.

Cable Car Museum
Fantastic opportunity to see the inner workings of the SF cable car system.

Don's Mom's 85th Birthday
We surprised Don's mom with a dinner party at Shalazar, a great Persian restaurant. Don's sister came from Texas, bringing her boyfriend, and we were joined by Harriet's long-time friends, Fran and Susan Doran, Carl and Terry.

Delfina
There is a reason why this restaurant is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the city. It's the food and the service, silly! Two of our great friends, Rhonda Swan and Michael Hamburger were in town and we spent a lovely evening at this gem of a restaurant.

Life in the City by the Bay

2009-04-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Gratutude.

We're feeling real gratitude.

This world is such a beautiful place. There is so much to see, to do, to go, to eat, etc., but some of the most beautiful places are right here in the good 'ol U S of A. One of them is San Francisco.

We're grateful that we live is such a beautiful country. We're grateful to work in a business and community that allows us the flexibilty to BE wherever we want, to DO the things we've always wanted to DO, and HAVE the experiences that most people only dream of.

We're having a blast here in this city by the bay. We've rented a little pied-a-terre in the Nob Hill neighborhood. We can walk almost anywhere in the city from here. Chinatown, North Beach, the Embarcadero, Fishermans' Wharf, Union Square are all very short distances from here, and there are literally a years worth of fabulous restaurants nearby.

Last weekend we went to Japantown's Cherry Blossom Festival. We loved watching the Taiko Drum Dojo, the Ichiban demonstration - Karla even made an origami swan. Here we are with two beautiful geishas.

We're here until June 15th, and after that Hawaii, so we'll keep you posted!

March 8 - 14 - ACAPULCO, BABY!

2009-03-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Seven glorious days in Acapulco!

We weren't sure how great this week was going to be. We've spent quite a lot of time travelling in Mexico, and we weren't in the mood for the usual "third-world-ish-ness" that we have experienced in the past.

Much to our surprise, Acapulco and the Fairmont Princess turned out to be wonderful.

We met up with about 1,000 other entrepreneurs at our company's Liberty Conference. For those of you that are new to this blog, our company hosts top-notch personal development conferences all over the world three times per year.

We spent the week masterminding with other successful entrepreneurs, filling our minds with new possibilities and have fun exploring Acapulco.

One afternoon, we hired a catamaran to sail about 100 of the top performers on our team around Acapulco bay. We lunched, sipped cocktails, danced and enjoyed a perfect sunset over the Pacific with the beautiful city of Acapulco as our backdrop.

OUR BIG DECISION

2009-03-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

This has been a long time coming. For those of you that follow this blog, you know that Don and I love to travel.

So... we're going to take a year or so and TRAVEL!

We're spending the next couple of weeks in San Francisco to see if we want to spend a month or so here before we're off to Hawaii this summer.

We've rented a condo in a high rise overlooking the city's Financial District, the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building, the Bay Bridge and San Francisco bay. We're completely in love with the vibrant life, restaurants and things to do in this little jewel of a city.

We're off to Acapulco for a week shortly, then Hawaii this summer and then, probably the French Riviera for the fall.

We'll keep you posted!

Madrid - Art - Wine - Food

2009-02-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Our stay in Spain and Portugal is almost over... but we have MADRID to explore for the next few days!

We're staying at The Palace Hotel... the ultimate in luxury and service. It was recently voted the Best Hotel In Spain by the readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine. Our room is large for European standards, brightly lit and has a huge marble bathroom.

I've always wanted to explore the museums and culture of this major European city. I've been a student of art history since I was in college, so having the opportunity to spend time in one of Planet Earth's major museums is why I'm here!

We spent three days walking the city, visiting the Prado and, of course, sampling some of Madrid's best restaurants.

Restaurant highlights include Botin (world's oldest) http://www.casabotin.com/ for suckling pig (check them out!) and El Rincon de Esteban http://www.elrincondeesteban.com/.

HOLY TOLEDO!

2009-02-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Holy Toledo, WOW, Oh my gosh, HUH?, crikey, LOOK!

However you express astonishment... that's what we said when we drove into Toledo, Spain.

We were told that we should go to Toledo for game (partridge, pheasant, venison, etc.), but really... if you have the chance... go for the VIEW!

It's kinda like telling someone to go to Venice for the Bellinis!!!!!!!!!!!

View from our room at the Paradour!

Two days in this glorious place ... the Paradour was incredible... the food was terrific... but the real star was the TOWN.

On our first night we went out for Tapas. We can't believe we've been in Spain and Portugal for almost a month and haven't had tapas yet! And... wow... we went to an incredible place. El Catavinos was wonderful... vibrant... yummy... wine was great... food was perfectly presented.

We woke up on our second day, and our breath was LITERALLY taken away by the view. This town is so very, very beautiful... especially from the vantage point of the parador.

We spent the morning walking the winding, cobblestone streets. We visited the massive gothic cathedral and wondered at the architecture, art and beauty of that building. The town is filled with historic churches, synagogues and mosques.

We pooped out a just the right time to go to lunch for the afternoon. We always ask the locals, "If you have relatives visiting you (that you like!), where would you take them to eat?" We ALWAYS get terrific restaurant tips from that question, and our visit to Toledo was no exception. La Campana Gorda was wonderful. It's not the prettiest room, but we were warmly greeted by Fernando and Pedro.

We put ourselves in their hands, letting them serve us the dishes they felt best represented their restaurant. We had the absolutely best, hands down, aged manchengo cheese and jambon iberico that could possibly have imagined. We had their "Perdiz Estofada a la Toledana," stewed partridge and "Estafado de Venao." The venison was incredible. This was one of our best meals in Spain. Period.

The next day we checked out (sadly) from the Parador and made our way to Madrid.

Don's here have a joke at how much we've been eating!

Two More Glorious Weeks in the Costa del Sol of Spain

2009-02-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

We've just spent two weeks in Southern Spain's Costa del Sol... Malaga to be more precise.

We're staying at our great friend's (Roger and Suzanne) villa, overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The weather has been changeable as is wont this time of year, but we don't care. Roger and Suzanne are great hosts, and we had a blast.

Sherry Tasting at Tio Pepe

We spent a lovely day in Jerez, most famous for its Sherry. We visited the Tio Pepe bodega and sampled some of their fine wine...

The lifestyle here is wonderful. We get up... decide what we want to do for the day; which restaurant/where to explore and go. We've been to Jerez to visit Tio Pepe, on of the great Sherry producers, we've checked out the ancient city of Acquicenta and generally explored this part of the coast of Spain.

Here's Don at the local bull ring. HA!

We participate in the Spanish SIESTA everyday by joining the Spaniards at a long restful lunch from about 2-4 PM.

We return back to the villa after siesta to run our business. We spend some time working with our new associates and returning phone calls from people all over the world who are looking at what we do as a possible solution for their financial goals.

This is a picture I took while I was working... that's the Mediterranean!

There's so much more! Next, we're headed up north to Toledo and finally Madrid later this week. We'll keep you updated.... stay tuned....

Team Europe is En Fuego in Malaga, Spain!

2009-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!

That's all we have to say. Team Europe is ON FIRE after meeting up with about 120 fellow teammates in Malaga, Spain for a full day of training from the top income-earners in the direct sales industry - worldwide. Period.

The Altentejo Wine Region of Portugal is Our Next Stop

2009-01-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

As a wine-producing country, one of Portugal’s great strengths is its diversity. At one extreme lie the fresh, light, zippy Vinho Verde wines from the damp, green, northern Minho, and at the other there are the rich, concentrated red wines from the hot Alentejo in the south, where we are headed now.

I read somewhere that (like Spain's Paradors - luxury accomodations in old palaces/castles/monasteries) Portugal has wonderful "posadas" as well, the best one located right in the Alentojo, specifically in Evora. So, it's no surprise that our next stop was to stay at this former convent. This luxury hotel is located in the heart of historic the centre of Evora, a city classified by UNESCO as World Heritage. The Pousada Evora, Convent of Loios, was originally a convent and one of Évora's most precious architectural buildings.

We had a glorious room, in this glorious city. Right outside our hotel were these Roman ruins!

One important note... for those of you that think that we're just "vacationing," you are WRONG. Our business is extremely portable, and we can "work it" from anywhere in the world. We are serious about having fun, eating well and great travel, but we are just as serious about our business and the business of making money. We schedule our days to make sure that we are attending to our business, and our visit to Evora wasn't any different. We spend everyday in Europe, between the hours of 4:30-ish and 8-ish attending to our business. See... here's Don "working."

That night, we visited a great restaurant "Fialho," and had "Black Pig." Wonderful food, great wine, great service. If you are in Evora, we recommend this restaurant. I had read about their "cepes" so we ordered them.... fabulous!

Monday was spent touring the great vineyards of Esporão, truly one of the great Portugese wines. This wine appeals to us, especially since we love the huge, fruity, "new world" taste of Australian Shiraz. Esporão is wonderful, they have a beautiful winery and a good restaurant.

Later, we stopped in at an old hill-top medieval town. See our pix...

PORTUGAL - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON!

2009-01-27T02:23:00.000-08:00

And.... we're off to eat pork and drink port in Portugal!

We are staying at a little Relais & Chateaux property, previously a beautiful Manor House, Quinta das Lagrimas (which translates to Estate of Tears). This house has a past rich in history and a medieval legend of love. Not to mention that the property is simply luxurious! Check it out at http://www.quintadaslagrimas.pt/index_ing.html.

It was here, in the 14th century, that the forbidden love of Prince Pedro and Ines de Castro was dramatically played out. According to the legend, it was in Quinta das Lagrimas that Ines de Castro cried for the last time, while being killed with the daggers of the three noblemen who had been ordered to kill her, by D. Afonso IV, King of Portugal. It is said that her blood still stains the stones of the spring which sprang from her tears.

On Don's birthday, we drove up to Oporto. The sun was shining and so were our spirits. We walked around the windy streets until we found the Quinta ("Farm" or "Winery") Croft. Don has a lovely bottle of Croft Port at home, so he wanted to visit the winery to see the process of crafting Croft (sounds funny, huh?).

We toured the quinta and sampled quite a few of the excellent Ports.

Our next stop was TO PIG OUT. This entire trip has been designed around an article I read in Travel & Leisure magazine entitled "Year of the Pig." We were here for the luscious leitao assado (roast suckling pig). The competition for bragging rights as the finest leitao restaurant is so fierce in this town that it resembles the fetishistic idolization of barbecue in the United States.

The geographic and culinary epicenter for leitao is the town of Mealhada. And not just anywhere in Mealhada, but along one section of highway EN-1. At last count there were more than three dozen restaurants specializing in leitao in the area, about 20 on the highway alone.

We dined fabulously on pig. In fact, we pigged out.

We returned to the hotel to have a nap and hang out. I had booked their restaurant, "Arcadas da Capela," that has one Michelin Star for Don's birthday dinner. I don't know how we did it, but by 9:30 PM we were actually hungry. We ordered the 9 course dinner with wine pairings and had a great time. I don't think we went to bed until after 2 AM.

Salamanca and Pig Heaven

2009-01-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

While Friday dawned cold and blustery, Don and I were snug in our suite at the Avila Parador, but we were anxious to press on. After working our business for about an hour or two, the Parador made an incredible breakfast for us. One of the local specialities is a sort-of tomato salsa/jam that you spread on some local bread along with the local jamon (ham). Yummy.

Our road trip continued, winding our way through Castilla y León. We drove up to Salamanca to check out the cathedral and one of the most beautiful "Plaza Mayors" in the world. We walked around the plaza, stopping for a cafe to people-watch.

We've read about the famous black pigs of Castilla y Leon, so we took a detour – a traditional farm that raises the famous black–footed pigs. They are so CUTE!

Remember... Don travel's almost completely on his stomach... so were are definately here to sample great food and wine, which, of course, this area is known for.....

So... pressing on... WE'RE OFF TO CELEBRATE DON'S BIRTHDAY IN PORTUGAL!

Madrid - Segovia - Avila

2009-01-22T01:42:00.000-08:00

HOLA!

Don and I arrived Thursday morning in Madrid ready to explore some of northern Spain's most beautiful cities. We hired a car and drove up to Segovia to tour this ancient city known for its winding alleyways, old cathedral and still-working aquaduct.

It's astonishing to me that this aquaduct was built when the western civilization was still in DOUBLE DIGITS. It is estimated that the Segovia aqueduct was built in the 1st century. The aqueduct is a marvel of Roman engineering and the one in Segovia is one of the best preserved in all of Europe. AND... IT'S STILL WORKING! Wonder how long the guarantee is for!

We had intended to stop at Mesón de Cándido to sample its famous suckling pig that’s so famously crispy, it can be 'cut' with a dinner plate. Unfortuately... they were closed!

Don and I pressed on, stopping at a roadside restaurant that looked promising... there were a lot of cars in the parking lot (always a good sign). We entered and were impressed with the decor... cloth-covered tables, nice china, wine glasses, but soon the dining room was full of workmen. And best of all, we had eye-poppingly great food. Don had paella and moist olive-oily chicken, and I had Castillian soup and a sort-of ham and cheese fritter. YUM. We have no idea of the name of this restaurant, but we can tell you that it is on the road between Segovia and Avila. Look for the cars on the left-hand side.

The weather was getting worse and we were strung-out from the plane ride, so we pressed on to Avila. We were welcomed warmly by the Parador de Ávila - sixteenth century palace that has been converted to a luxurious 5-star hotel. We napped until about 9 PM and ventured out to walk the cobblestone streets and find some dinner (which, of course we did!). We ate like kings and queens - roast veal, steak incredible vino tinto... we slept like angels.

Avila is stunning.... Does this even look real?

Don and I and FOOD and Wine

2009-01-22T00:29:00.000-08:00

There is one thing that you must know... Don travels, completely, on his stomach. He is inspired by regional cooking, upcoming chefs, unusual food products, restaurants (both famous and local), farms, etc. You might call us "foodies," but that would mean that we're experts at food and wine. We're not. We're just open and interested in exploring anything food and wine related.

So, as a preface to our journey to Spain and Portugal, I must tell you that much of this trip has been inspired by other people's experience with various local cuisines along the way.

For example, we are going to Portugal mostly as a result of an article I read last year about the pork restaurants in a little town called Mealhada, in central Portugal.

Along the way, we intend to check out Finca de Ceja, a pig farm famous for their Black Suckling Pig.

We will visit Oporto so that we can learn about the craft of Port Wine from some of the best producers in the world.

We're driving down through the Alentejo, one of Portugal's biggest and most producting wine regions to check out a real up-and-comer, David Baverstock at Esporão, who also consults for a number of estates in the Douro (a northern Portugal wine region). (We've also heard that they have a wonderful restaurant - we'll let you know).

And finally, we'll be spending a week or two with our great friends Roger and Suzanne Curwin, great gourmands in their own right.

We'll keep you posted!

We're Off to Spain and Portugal

2009-01-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

Don and I left the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California a few days ago to spend the next month or so in Spain and Portugal. We have a huge agenda, so we'll keep you up-to-date here.

Stay tuned for our adventures!

Much love,
Don and Karla

We Kicked Off 2009 in Los Angeles in a BIG Way

2009-01-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Don and I traveled to Los Angeles for a whirlwind 3 days of fun, networking and training.

Don and I are part a group of leaders that volunteer our time to assist other entrepreneurs that sell the same personal development products as we do. We are blessed to be surrounded by such powerful business people, but we've also been blessed to be able to call so many of these people our friends.

The venue was the great Century Plaza Hotel, the room was packed with about 1500+ enthusiastic business people and the subject was "Making 2009 the BEST Year of Your Life." We shared the stage with millionaires who mapped out EXACTLY how to achieve the same results.

This is our annual Kick Off event for associates only. It was a one-day business training for our associates so they can create HUGE results in 2009.

We did training on:

How to have hundreds of people contacting you and asking you for information on your business.
How to create massive duplication so that you're pocketing multiple $1,000+ profits daily.
How to create "cash on demand" by following a simple 3-step system.
The real "Ninja Master" tips and tricks for creating incomes of 50k+ per month and up
and much more...

COMING SOON... THE BEST OF 2008!

2008-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

We're just about to wrap up 2008, and our "Best Of" post will be along soon.

What will it be?

Getting married in Siena, Italy? (probably!)
Our sexy suite at the Cove, Bahamas?
Moving to Lake Tahoe, California for the winter?
Lazy days in Hawaii?
Setting new income records in our business?
Miami?
Spending time with our great friends Roger and Suzanne at their villa in Spain?
Riding a chariot in Rome?

Who knows?

Take a moment and check out our 2007.......

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Let It Snow!

2008-11-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo!

We woke up this morning to a fresh coating of snow. I ventured outside early and took this snap of the front of our "cabin." It's been snowing all day since.

Don and I are looking forward to skiing everyday this winter, and the first snow of the season is here.

This is the view from my "office."

Let it snow!

We'll see you on the slopes!

Weekend on the California Coast

2008-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Don and I flew back from the Bahamas this weekend to attend a very special wedding.

The daughter of our great friends, Roger and Suzanne Curwin wed Sarah Hudson in a beautiful ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The day was perfect. A crisp, clear Fall day in Northern California. The location couldn't have been more spectaclar. Vows and kisses were exchanged, tears of joy were shed, and two more wonderful people were joined together forever.

We took a detour on the way back to the mountains through Napa Valley to pick up a couple of our quarterly wine shipments. Here we are at the spectacular Round Pond Estate Winery.

Napa Valley is beautiful, and we had fun there, but we're anxious for the first snow of the winter in our new "cabin" in the mountians.

BAHAMAS! Eight Days in Paradise! Summit Conference 2008

2008-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Don and I are spent the last week at the super-posh, super-luxurious Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. We have a suite at the "Cove," Atlantis's exclusive "mini-resort."

This is the beautiful view from our room.

We are here with about 900 other enterepreneurs to continue our personal development. While we're doing that, we're having FUN! There is something for everyone here.

Don and I spent our first day exploring the resort, even taking a "ride" on an inner tube on the "lazy river." The Atlantis has built a "river" that runs for about a mile through "rapids" down water slides and meandering around the property. We had a blast. That evening we joined up with some of our friends for a wonderful dinner at Bobby Flay's "Mesa Grill." As usual the Iron Chef's restaurant can be counted on for superiour food.

Day two, we met up with other top income earners in the direct sales industry to exchange ideas, thoughts, successesss, etc. What a privelige to call these people our friends. The evening was spent dancing in the night away at "Aura."

Day three, we attended a great friend's wedding, followed by a party in an aquarium! We were surrounded by beautiful fish - Manta Rays, Sharks, Groupers, etc. What a spectacular spot to meet! Later that night we kicked off the conference with a grand dinner and dancing.

Day four and five... Andy Andrews, the best-selling author of "The Traveller's Gift," took us on a personal journey where we learned (from the master) some of the success habits of the wealthy.

Tuesday afternoon we chartered a boat and took 100 of our associates snorkeling, jet-skiing and lunch on a deserted island. Here's a picture of Molly, Vivien and Linda hamming it up for the camera.

Don and I took some time out to explore Nassau, and had some wonderful Conch Salad and Grilled Red Snapper. Here's Don at "Twin Brothers." Isnt he cute?

Last night we attended our "Farewell Gala." This event is usually black tie, but we all decided to have a theme - PIRATES AND WENCHES! Here we are in all our pirate glory!

Weekend in Arizona

2008-09-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon, Don and I flew down to the American Southwest - Scottsdale, Arizona to be specific.

This is a picture we took from our car. Beautiful!

What a change from our new home in the moutains. We went from soaring pine trees and freezing mornings, to short Barrel cactus and soaring temperatures in the Sonoran Desert!

Don and I had invited our team to join us for a one-day training event at the beautiful Westin Kierlan Resort. Associates and Advisors flew or drove in from all over North America to jump start their businesses. Don was the Master of Ceremonies and I did a presentation on "Being Coachable and Trainable." We were honored to be a part of this event.

The evening was spent at Greasewood Flats, and Sunday we took a drive out to the Apache Trail.