Robyn & Paul Chiavaroli

Robyn and Paul Chiavaroli founded Green Info Source less than a year ago to connect businesses and the community with the environment. They are based in Rochester, NY and are currently making their impact in the community. They are a very passionate husband and wife team, headed towards bigger things!

Their website can be found here; http://www.greeninfosource.com/

If you could pass any bit of information or idea to everyone in Western NY, what would it be? Think Globally act Locally!!

What is the back story? Robyn was born and raised in Rochester, NY. Paul in Philadelphia PA. He moved to Rochester in 1977 to take a job with Xerox, which he retired from in 2005.

How did your website Green Info Source get off the ground? GIS started with an idea of creating green "yellow" pages primarily for the building industry, but as our passion grew for sustainability, so did our web site.

Where do you plan on taking Green Info Source to? As far as we can. Our goal is to help encourage people to make their every day decisions be environmentally sound through education and by making it easy for them to connect to sustainably conscious businesses.

You are a married couple, working together on a business. How is that working out for you? It's been fabulous! Fortunately our strengths and weaknesses don't mirror each other which is very good for business.



How do you define success? If we sleep well at night and can look ourselves square in the mirror, then we know we're doing the best we can.

How do you define success in your new business? Our success comes from the knowledge that we are helping to expand an environmentally sound society. For us, measuring success primarily on a monetary scale is equal to that of measuring our love for one another on the basis of how much money we spend on each other for Christmas gifts, it simply doesn't enter into the equation.

Who inspires you? Why? Robyn's first inspiration comes from two significant women in her life; her daughter Mady and her sister Judy. Both have shown substantial courage when facing very difficult challenges in life. Both Paul and Robyn take inspiration from ordinary people who do extraordinary things in life, like the pilot who recently landed the plane in the Hudson River. Not so much for being an expert pilot, but rather for the way in which he conducts his everyday life. People like this are all around every one of us, all we need to do is see them.

You have two children. What was the biggest lesson you have ever received from them? Humility and to understand the true meaning of being grateful.

What do you consider your greatest personal strengths? Perseverance, integrity, honesty, and commitment to living an authentic life. "To thine own self be true."

What do you consider your greatest personal weaknesses? All work and no play can sometimes be our M.O. so we have to keep ourselves in check.

If you could snap your fingers and create anything, what would it be? A strong healthy economy, especially for upstate New York.

Where do you want to be 5, 10, and 20 years from now? Whether it's 5, 10 or 20 years the answer is the same; living a thoughtful, well balanced life while trying to make the planet a better place for future generations.

Final thoughts; Upstate New York can be challenging even in the best of times, but try to turn those challenges into opportunities by keeping a positive outlook. This, in our humble opinion, defines a life well lived, and there's no better place to live it than right here!

Email: greeninfo@rochester.rr.com

Valentine's Day Secrets

By: Joseph Norman

“But I shall let it remain a secret for ever, since it should not be written of: the most delightful and choicest pleasure is that which is hinted at, but never told.” - Chretien de Troyes

Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers and a scary day for singles. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that millions of women are freaking out right now because Valentine’s Day is a very big deal to them. Even for men, it’s an easy day to feel loved or lonely.

This life we live is about feelings, emotions, and experiences and words don’t always do them justice. But, I’m going to try for you today because I think there are some important things we can take from the legendary experience of a Valentine’s Day lived well.

My thoughts today stem from the fact that everybody deserves and desires to feel appreciated. We all want to be loved and feel loved. It’s human nature to want that. The beauty of this fact is that recognition, a form of appreciation, is a harmless strain of vanity. It’s a gift we can freely give to lift people up and raise them to new heights.

There are three keys to making someone really feel special this Valentine’s Day; be creative, be mysterious, and be authentic.

Be creative. Do something different. Break the routine. Play a song that reminds you of them on their voice mail. Make a card instead of buying one. Don’t go out for a romantic dinner at some fancy restaurant; instead try creating your own atmosphere in your own place with music and food you both like. Make a short, funny movie together which expresses your appreciation for a mutual friend. The possibilities are endless, so be original with your creation!

Be mysterious. What is it about the “secret admirer” situation that drives us completely mad? The beauty is in the mystery. Who could it be? What is it about you that inspired their sudden attention? Try flattering someone with a random act of kindness. Anonymously send them a note with an honest compliment. Then a few days later, if you want to, let them in on the secret of who sent it. Instill a hint of mystery in your interactions of appreciation with the people in your life.

Be authentic. Whatever you say or do this week to make someone feel special, make sure it comes from a place of honesty. Hollow words are the easiest to see through. Be genuine with your actions and words as that will enable you to make the greatest impact. And, that’s what the spirit of this day is all about, making an impact on someone you value having in your life.

But, why do we have to wait until Valentine’s Day to let the people in our life know we appreciate them? We don’t and that’s our challenge to you now that you’re armed with some knowledge about how to make a deep impact on the people around you. Spread it around all year. Even if it is just a genuine smile and a silent blessing of good will, make it a goal to brighten one person’s day, everyday.

The secret of living is giving. Imagine what our community in Western New York would be like if everyone took just a few minutes everyday to make someone feel appreciated. That’s a place I’d be proud to call home.