Editor's Letter

Getting In Character. When you meet someone for the first time do you have an overall feeling about that individual? Did they make an impression? People are interesting specimens, really not that different from any animal species, but perhaps a little more complicated. Look into their eyes, check out their body language. Are they self-confident, easygoing, shy or just ordinary? I call ordinary vanilla, but good vanilla can be great and surprising in many ways. Getting into character can sometimes take years or just a little makeover will do the trick. Actors have a decided advantage over the rest of us. Offstage they can be vanilla and then with just a like makeup, a costume and lights they turn into dulce de leche. If we apply the same tactics to real life perhaps we can hold center stage for a while - the concept is not to just blend in, but to be brave enough to wear the garb of a warrior, an athlete or a celebrity of life.

With the thousands of entries that come in for our annual "People Of Like Mind" feature (page 54), it's the editorial staff's job to pour over bios, photos and background checks to define those that stand out in their respective arenas and our final categories. And we've structured the categories to best define the variety of Power Players that make a difference. In this People issue we interviewed a lot of different types. Some are naturally talented like Esteban Cortazar, who started his career designing fashion in his preteens for numerous clients and is now the head women's wear designer for Emanuel Ungaro - and he's just 23. Others have an ability to be persuasive like Carlos Justo who sells multi-million dollar grand estates to the stars and whose laid-back Zen attitude gives you the feeling this "character" has been working it from childhood. Philanthropic heroes earn their character by giving. Like Adrienne Arsht who supports the arts with major contributions, and Jamali, who is art unto himself through his spirituality as well as the works he creates. Our definition of Power Player is someone who is willing to go out on a limb and position themselves in competitive arenas in ways that up the ante. Winning the race like Tony Kanaan, who's been racing through life with gusto and is now recognized as one of the most accomplished drivers in the IndyCar Series. One of my favorite "character" actors is John Travolta who has been able to create a wide range of personalities while maintaining a "real" life - that is, if you consider having three of your own jets in your backyard "real," - although he does admit to frequenting Denny's, the country club and even the movie theater when he's in Ocala. Now that builds character: pre-paying for parking, standing in line to purchase tickets and then waiting again for a bowl of popcorn with the rest us can certainly be humbling.

All these players and many others have earned their stars with FIM this year. So flip through the 40 pages that make up our feature and see who they are and what they do. Then send us your comments and recommendations for next year. Since its inception, we have selected over 500 individuals for our Power Players issue - many of whom are more powerful today than before, and others who have moved on to new endeavors. On the whole we like to believe that this format for recognizing extraordinary souls pairs them up with others who are of like mind... or character. When this issue is released we will celebrate with the Power Players (past and present) at an informal reception designed to bring them together on a networking platform. So many of them tell us how they have met and engaged in not only friendships with other Power Players, but business ventures as well. We can hardly call our reception a red carpet night of the stars, but it attracts the real people with the Power - some not so outgoing, others of celebrity status and yet others that have made it to the next level in medicine, philanthropy, art, music, business, sports and more. As you read each bio, you might find that these "wonders of the world" can make a difference in your character. My own motto is to thank someone each day for helping to mold me into the person I have become. So put on a happy face, get out there with vigor and substance and perhaps you too will be one of our most coveted Power Players sometime in the future.

Esther Jackson

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
P.S. For more information about our Power Players celebration on April 9th, log on to www.floridainternationalmag.com