Veronica Pastore: SFF Marketing Director, Face on the Shrine in my Closet

If I were a less-evolved human being, I would despise Veronica Pastore. She’s smart and pretty, kind and charming. She became the Sarasota “It Girl” by launching The Scenestress, she runs her own company and she’s now the Marketing Director for the Sarasota Film Festival. She rescues kittens, has a killer downward-facing dog pose and finds time for friends and family.

It’s enough to make me gag.

Jealous Keely would look at this as unfair; how the heck did she get all of this? Evolved Keely knows that it takes work to be a Veronica. So instead of bemoaning my lack of discipline and penchant for 14-hour naps, I decide to get the dirt. No Veronica-envy for me (how do you like that, Freud?). Instead I’m just going to steal all of her secrets. And do it right before the Film Festival, when she’s working like crazy and vulnerable. (Insert evil chuckle.)

New Girl (NG): Rumor has it that you’re a health nut. What are your lifestyle tricks to maintain your abundance of activities?Veronica Pastore (VP): Right now, work is life, so I don’t have as much time to devote to self. Hopefully I’ve built up enough reserves to keep it up with no harm!

I follow a mostly vegan diet, though pizza is a major interference. Keeping it loose is what allows me to enjoy the lifestyle and not beat myself up or obsess if some butter ends up in my dish when I’m eating out. My roommate and I juice most mornings; kale, apple, cucumber, celery and ginger is my favorite combination. And I’m a big fan of IntenSati, a fitness class that combines yoga, dance, martial arts, cardio and positive affirmations.

NG: If anyone has the scoop, it’s you. What’s a Sarasota insider tip?

VP: At the moment? Go see the films. I lived here for five years before I saw my first film at the festival and regret waiting so long. I was doing the Scenestress column, so the parties were my focus. Nothing I can do to change the past, but I’m certainly making up for lost time now.

Also, volunteer at the Festival. You’ll get free tickets … and you never know who you’ll meet.

NG: What’s next, now that the Film Festival is reaching fruition? And, while you’re at it, tell us how you got this enviable position.

VP: I can’t say that I have any real plans for what’s next, though I hope it includes travel adventures! I’ve gotten to where I am by surrounding myself with amazing people, being in the right place at the right time and always being open to new possibilities. So far it’s worked, so I don’t want to mess with the system.

[NG commentary: You all heard it: Veronica wants a travel adventure. May I suggest that one of Sarasota’s freakishly wealthy anonymously donate a yoga retreat to Veronica in return for her dedication to the Festival? The town wouldn’t be the same without it. And I wouldn’t complain if you happened to accidentally book two yoga retreats and a certain not-so-hardworking writer had to go with her.]

I took on the Scenestress persona when I was working as a graphic designer at Creative Loafing. My editor wanted someone to do a gossip-style column, a "Page Six" enhanced by an anonymous insider’s insight. I asked for a shot at the job [NG: it’s a trend in her life—not just sitting back and waiting for things to fall into her lap, but creating her own opportunities] and he let me. I moved from graphic design to marketing when I realized how much I liked helping people tell their stories---and for me, that’s what marketing is: storytelling. Eventually, I started doing marketing for myself and took on Indigenous as my first client. I already knew the people behind the restaurant, had a solid relationship and respected what they were trying to do. It was an ideal transition.

I kept up with the Scenestress, but it reached a point where my focus shifted. I was more interested in growing my business and doing my job well than the party scene. Going out started to become a chore. For the first time, it was work, not a lifestyle. So I passed on the hat, maintaining the integrity of the column by handing it over to a new Scenestress who lived that life and could give readers a genuine perspective.

Because opportunities abound when relationships are fostered, I ended up getting my position with the Film Festival through my work covering events as the Scenestress. And I’m glad! Not having an in with the Festival would have been one of the things I missed most.

NG: What do you have as your message for mankind, something you think everyone should know?

VP: I want to give something down-to-earth for this one, something that I think is applicable to daily life. So, I’d have to say, “Be at peace with what is.” Accepting what is and only working to change the things I can is my definition of progress. You have to realize what’s inside your umbrella, and what’s the rain outside. And, of course, carry on peacefully.

[NG again: Dang Veronica with her dang wisdom. I can’t even pull out a flaw here: she’s working a zillion hours, exuding serenity AND wearing pastels. If she’s not practicing acceptance and living her message, I don’t know who is.]

NG: And now … the moment you’ve surely been waiting for … what’s your favorite thing about me?

VP: I look at you and I see effervescence. You have an easy-going joyfulness and confidence in your own skin that’s refreshing. I appreciate your willingness to ask questions like that and think you’re an awesome addition to Sarasota!

I applied artistic license and distilled the last answer down to its key points. As can be expected, Veronica was more interested in saying nice things about others than talking about herself. I’m hoping she kicks puppies or pushes over old ladies just so my world continues to make sense. (But can I evolve into a Veronica if I maintain that attitude?)

Assuming that the rest of the world thinks like me, as I usually do, it’s clear that when you look for positive traits in others, you hone in on the ones you’d most like to cultivate for yourself. What’s entertaining about Veronica’s answer is how easily she could be describing herself. Effervescence, joyfulness, confidence … she has it all and it’s evident within five minutes of meeting her. Maybe it’s just me, but if you embody the traits you most value in others, I think you’re doing something right. Veronica just happens to be doing a lot of things right ...The more I write, the more I realize that I sound like a creep who has a Hey Arnold-style shrine devoted to Veronica hidden in my closet. And maybe I do. And by maybe, I mean that I’m letting the world in on a secret that was bound to come out eventually.

So what do you say, anonymous donor: ready to send the New Girl and Veronica away on a renewing retreat? It’s essential. She’s got a hankering for a travel adventure and needs to ease out of Film Festival mode ... and I don’t know how else to get some of her hair to add to my shrine.