When lying down in savasana during yoga class a couple of weeks ago, the teacher put on background music with the catchy chorus of, “Be the change you wanna see in the world, just like Ghandi.” Even though I was supposed to be meditating and zoning out, the song was so catchy that I memorized the chorus so I could look up the song at home.

The gradual evolution of Gandhi’s life in the song resonated a lot with Global Brain Candy’s next chapter and me for a number of reasons. In the song, MC Yogi rapped about Gandhi’s lifelong reinvention starting out as a shy young boy, studying to be a lawyer and then becoming a spiritual warrior. Looking at MC Yogi himself, the invention of a rap-yoga mix is amusing, entertaining and original. Gandhi’s mission was no doubt a far more remarkable feat, and it is a testament to the possibilities of constant reinvention. A core of Global Brain Candy is about reinvention and evolution, and all the exciting possibilities that they can present. And even though the song inspired by Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” resonated with this blog, the best Gandhi quote that more accurately reflects this new “About” section is “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.”

Reinvention and evolution come from taking risks and even just being open to trying new experiences. In the middle of last year, I decided that I was going to focus on taking full advantage of any opportunity that came my way, regardless of whether it did or didn’t nicely fit into my long-term goals. A little less than a year later, I can say that it was one of the best decisions of my professional life since it helped me discover how much I could love media relations which I NEVER imagined in my WILDEST dreams. Doing media relations at a much higher intensity and across a more diverse range of topics including technology, healthcare and the environment opened my eyes to a deeper approach to thinking about the media and storytelling, and I LOVED it. It was a strong reminder that life is really full of surprises that can dramatically change beyond one’s imagination.

Global Brain Candy is also evolving with the launch of “Speech Center” and a greater focus on broader storytelling themes driven by media venture capitalists’ insights when they are pioneering new storytelling tools and starting storytelling trends before they are trends and the deeper exploration of the digital divide that empowers storytelling around the world through increased access to information and the power to communicate. Global Brain Candy will continue to be a forum for exploring stories in the many shapes, sizes and forms that they come in. While guest bloggers will still be a key component, they won’t be as central to Global Brain Candy as they were at first (for the moment). That said, opportunities for collaboration abound, so the next stage of Global Brain Candy is yet to be told. Lastly, economics-related pieces will continue as a backdrop for understanding the world and its stories.

For more exchange, I am also on Twitter @mariewiltz. (I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that I take responsibility for the content of this site, and nothing you read here reflects the perspectives of my employer.)

(NOTE: I should clarify that while I have tremendous admiration for Gandhi’s leadership, particularly in the realm of non-violent protest, I am not a die hard Gandhi fan or worshipper. I read his biography while in the Peace Corps, so I saw how he often times whimsically wielded his illustriousness to get whatever he wanted. At one point in the book, it seemed like every time he didn’t get what he wanted, he would go on a fast until politicians and other government leaders would be pressured to kneel to his mercy. In Nathuram Godse’s speech that he gave in his defense at his trial for assassinating Gandhi, he noted this behavior; “The Mahatma became the judge and jury in his own cause.” Like most things in life, Gandhi’s legacy can be a very gray area, but luckily the high points are really good, and that’s what I’ve chose to run with, a lot like MC Yogi.)

My Professional Background

Past professional stints include a White House intern in the second Clinton Administration, Peace Corps in Panama, several marketing/communications positions at JPMorgan Chase, Gavin Anderson, Ketchum Public Relations. I’ve been educated at Columbia University with a Masters in International Affairs and at Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Honors English. Both great experiences!!! I also speak Spanish and read El Pais and listen to BBC Mundo regularly to maintain whatever capabilities I have for communicating in a foreign language.

Favorites for Reading

Brainy, Hilarious, Always Surprising: Daily Beast, NY Magazine

Cool Colleagues’ Sites (for perusing occasionally): gurBlogs on media & politics, I have Zlata Thoughts for dating tips & overall entertainment, fernandorizo.typepad.com on tech & some brainy stuff, Nick Ragone for politics, media, humor

Authors: Jhumpa Lahiri, Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Books: Historical Fiction, Biographies, Wall Street Lit like Sandy Weill’s Biography & Liar’s Poker

Favorites for Doing

Yoga (especially after a spinning class!)

Living abroad

Studying foreign languages (communicating concepts in a completely different language and framework is fascinating to me)

Reading biographies & historical fiction (this one is time-permitting)