February 28, 2008
Valerie Smaldone now featured at the 3Ts; redefining
divorce; that marriage survey you answered; and The First Wives Club
The Three Tomatoes hate that old “change is your friend”
platitude which is what we tell ourselves or our friends when we have absolutely no other words of wisdom and are downright scared of life’s
inevitable changes. And whether those changes are of your own choosing or not, they can be really tough to get through and
rarely feel “friendly”. But change is often the catalyst that propels us into new and exciting directions, which
brings us to two tomatoes who are using change to do just that. The first, is one of The Three Tomatoes
favorite tomatoes, media personality and five time Billboard Magazine Award winner Valerie Smaldone, who recently took a brave career leap into the unknown; and another favorite tomato, Debbie Nigro who has taken one of life’s biggest changes -- divorce -- and turned it into a positive
“happening”.
Valerie Smaldone and the stroke of
midnight
At the stroke of midnight signally the start of 2008, Valerie Smaldone was a bit like Cinderella. But instead
of leaving the ball, she was leaving her job of almost 24 years, a decision of her own choosing by the way, as New York’s most listened
to midday radio host at 106.7 Lite-FM radio. And while she calls it one of the most wrenching decisions of her life, and scary too because she was
leaving without another job to go to, her clothes did not turn to taters, nor her carriage to a pumpkin, and her Prince Charming was there to
encourage her all the way.
“Even though I knew it was time for me to take my career in a different
direction, I went into this unexpected slump for about six weeks”, says Valerie of the initial jolt. “Who was I,
would I ever work again, and had I made the right decision, were some of the questions going through my head at the time.”
And then one morning she says she woke up feeling freer and happier than she had in a long time, and she knew she had made the right decision.
On-air host, producer, writer, actress, and more
Because Valerie has been an on-air presence for so long in New York, one of the
things that surprises most people when they first meet her, is how young she looks (because she is), not to mention beautiful and smart too.
You could almost hate her if she wasn’t so warm, down to earth, and really, really nice. She started in
radio when she was just 18 years old. And as one of the best on-air voices in the business, she has more than a 1,000 commercials,
television news promos and movie trailers to her credit. Valerie can be heard on NBC Network News promos and specialty shows and as
the announcer for The Boomer Esiason Show on MSG. But she is also a producer, writer, actress, and an avid spokesperson for
women’s health. So what’s next for Valerie?
Valerie’s Gallery now featured at The Three Tomatoes
As you have now gathered, Valerie is a multi-talented dynamo who we don’t
think ever sleeps because we get emails from her at all hours of the day and night. And she is very much out and about all over
the town at all kinds of exciting entertainment, Broadway, and celebrity events. So, we are thrilled to announce Valerie’s Gallery at The Three Tomatoes,
which features Valerie’s weekly column on New York City Night Life ( for “women who aren’t kids” by the way) and will
also include her audio interviews with celebrities from time to time. In fact, this week she tells us about attending the
fabulous MORE Magazine Awards show announcing their 40+ model search.
Producing, writing, acting and more
The Three Tomatoes are so excited to
be one of Valerie’s new endeavors, which are numerous. She recently became a host and producer on the new Italian American Network, which is now online and is coming to
cable in the fall. You'll love her video interviews. Oh and she’s bringing “Spit It Out!” a play she
co-wrote with Amy Coleman to a theater in NYC this spring. Plus she’s developing new content for Broadway, in addition to
writing a book. And don’t be surprised if you don’t hear her fabulous voice back on the New York
City airwaves in the very near future. We think some smart station will find that Valerie is the perfect fit for that glass
slipper.
Debbie Does Divorce interviews The Three Tomatoes about that marriage survey
Debbie Nigro is another talented dynamo, whose mission is to redefine the
experience of divorce. And that is exactly what’s she’s doing as Chief Executive Girlfriend (a great title) at firstwivesworld, an online community where women of any age and stage of
divorce can connect, share and be inspired. Firstwivesworld's ambitious and never-ending mission is to ensure that women never go through divorce alone
or without the tools and knowledge to get through it stronger, smarter and more empowered.
We met Debbie a few months ago when she asked us to be a guest on her show Debbie Does Divorce which is taped at the Heartland Brewery at the Empire State Building and will soon be taped in other cities
as well. And she deserves that title as Chief Executive Girlfriend because she’s definitely one of those gals you want to
hang out with and drink martinis. Our topic was The Three Tomatoes Marriage Survey that several of you took, which showed that tomatoes who are divorced or single
are just as happy as the married tomatoes. Debbie’s show is featured at firstwivesworld and you can view our video interview there too.
This is a really terrific web site so no wonder it’s quickly becoming
the number one online destination for the divorced women of America. It’s not only helping divorced
women feel less alone, it’s providing fabulous resources, information and fun along the way too through Debbie’s
funny and upbeat show and blog.
The First Wives Club is coming to Broadway
And remember the book and movie The First Wives Club? Well it’s coming to the Broadway stage soon, and the
producers are also backers of firstwivesworld. The
script is done, and legendary song writing team Holland Dozier Holland who wrote many of Motown’s biggest hits, have written 22 new
songs for the show. Recording artists are lining up to be first to hit the charts with these new gems. Casting
suggestions are running rampant, and actresses over 40 from coast to coast are vying for a role. Stay tuned.
So here’s to making the most of life’s inevitable changes, girl
friends and martinis to get you through them, and glass slippers that fit.
‘til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
Copyright©2008. The Three Tomatoes. All rights
reserved.
