We had the good fortune of connecting with Reina Kendall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reina, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you!

As for sharing a lesson ~ The Value of Yes. This simple concept has without a doubt made the biggest, positive impact in my life and in my career so far. Growing up in New York, my father worked on Wall Street and as you can probably imagine, he was a pretty busy guy so to speak! My father was always on the go, constantly moving from the trading floor to the lobby to the subway to, at least another five plus, stops before arriving home. My father will tell you he’s semi-retired now but he still remains fast paced and on the move. His belief is that if you can find five minutes out of your day to spare, you should always at least pop in and say hello, especially if you previously said Yes to an invitation. Make a point to show up. At the time, I always thought this method of “showing up” was a bit over the top until I moved down to Florida and found myself starting over all on my own. It was then that I took his advice and I said Yes as often as was feasible and I showed up. I even showed up by myself because frankly, I didn’t know anyone. It was quite empowering to learn that no matter what, every experience has a takeaway. I always learn something from being present but most importantly, the effort the goes along with saying Yes really means a lot to your host. These days, I have my Yes in check!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Resilience, Gratitude & Humility have brought me any success I have achieved in my career. In my previous interview with your Team, I touched on my health challenges and as you can probably gather, these three concepts came from that experience in a big way. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that achieving our goals is not often a straight path and there are many rejections, failures, unanticipated health scares etc along the way. The truth is out, we are not invincible! I definitely thought I was invincible and in realizing that wasn’t the case, I learned that you have to be resilient, keep going, take the failures or adversity as an opportunity to do ten times better. Adversity packs a heavy punch but guess what, so do I! True gratitude and resilience starts when you decide to get honest with Yourself. Do the work to change the narrative. These days with social media, is this growing movement of people “oversharing” in my opinion. It’s not helpful to you believe it or not. Instead of unloading your personal challenges on social media, use the opportunity to set the bar higher and helps others. A positive attitude is invaluable. When I was at my low point, my nurses would come into my room with updates and test results. NeedLess to say, it wasn’t always the best news throughout the day and you know what my response was each time? I shook my head, smiled and said “Not today!” Same goes for work. I always do my best, embrace every opportunity, jump in passionately with both feet while at the same time, always keeping the creativity flowing. I never settle. I’m grateful for the successes as well as the failures. I’m constantly learning!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
What a wonderful question! There are so many places I love here both from my childhood and the present. First I will share an interesting observation that has stuck with me for as long as I can remember. Palm Beach Airport is the best. It’s clean, easy to navigate and the customer service is top notch. There’s one thing about the PBI airport that has stood out to me over the years ~ there is a certain rainforest/salty ocean scent which catches you the second you exit the terminal to go outside. I kid you not, with each and every arrival since I was a child, the scent has always been the same. It’s a reminder that I’m home. Back to your question! From the Airport, I would do my best to hit all of the following stops for the remainder of the week in no particular order: Take a scenic Palm Beach Island drive along the ocean in County Road (pointing out where my grandparents lived) then come back down by the boats and lake trail. For breakfast/brunch time, Green’s Pharmacy Luncheonette, Surf Side Diner, Sant Ambroeus, Meat Market, the Breakers or venture over to the Ben for Sunday Funday and maybe EJ Bradley’s as the final stop. Daytime activities would be shopping on Worth Avenue and Royal Poinciana Plaza (Assouline is a Must stop), Hermès has an exquisite layout for shopping, check out the Henry Flagler Museum, catch a lecture at the Society of the Four Arts and/or visit the Colony Hotel for some poolside R&R, cocktails and delicious bites at Swifty’s. I also suggest spa time at the Breakers or the Eau. If you’re looking for more scientific cosmetic results during your stay, definitely check out newly opened Palm Beach Advanced Aesthetics on Okeechobee Blvd.

Who’s hungry? Great hotspots for dinner and drinks include Bice, Cafe L’europe, Le Bilboquet, Cafe Sapori, La Sirena, The Breakers Seafood Bar or HMF, Flories at the Four Seasons Resort, Sant Ambroeus, Palm Beach Grill, Renato’s, Cafe Boulud, Buccan, Bricktops, Henry’s, Spruzzo at the Ben has an incredible rooftop view, newly opened Vinyl Fish Club and more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate this to my mother and father. It has not been the easiest road for them. I had my ups and downs as a child and typical teenager which they anticipated. However, they ended up with much more than they could’ve imagined. About five years ago my health suffered significantly and my hospital stays were far too often and far too long. It was a rough road but I have evolved past it. Although, I wouldn’t be here today, having this interview, if it weren’t for my parents love and support ( plus health insurance). Sadly, I have watched too many people turned down from medical care overtime and it’s pretty horrible. My parents were in a position to get me the proper specialists and care when I needed it but not everyone has that opportunity. Truth be told, my parents and I have our moments but if one thing is for sure, they have been my allies through and through. Thank You Mom and Dad, I love you.

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