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When Blair Bloomston was 12 years old, she had to figure out a way to dive 25 feet underwater and come back to the surface with a handful of sand.
The complicated feat is a family rite of passage, part of an annual lobster scuba diving trip in the Florida Keys. Bloomston pulled off the sand trick, eventually, after many failures. Says Bloomston: “It was pure stubbornness.”
That kind of tenacity has been an ally in her chosen career, performing. But Bloomston, while she’s acted in plays, isn’t out there for herself or fellow cast mates. Instead, she’s a vice president at game on Nation, a Sarasota-based media training and leadership development firm. The firm, founded by local entrepreneur Steve Shenbaum in 1997, has a client list made up of national and local sports teams, individual athletes and businesses. Bloomston and Shenbaum meet with clients and put on a variety of interactive games and exercises that promote better communication.
“My goal was always to be a performer,” says Bloomston, who has a bachelor’s degree in drama from Marymount Manhattan College, “and at game on I still get to perform, but I have a much greater impact on others.”
Bloomston was born and raised in Bradenton. She moved to New York City for six years to go to college and chase her acting dreams, and she returned to the region in 2003.
— Mark Gordon
Twitter handle: @BlairBloomston
City of residence: Bradenton
Birthplace: Bradenton
Coolest business experience: Being behind the scenes at this year's Daytona 500 before game on delivered at the Nascar Rookie Symposium.
The most important business lesson I’ve learned: Be intentional. There is no second chance with words or actions.
One website that makes your job easier: If This, Then That. I have an IFTT "recipe” that sends me excellent daily tech news updates. Plus, IFTT is also set to alert me if the CDC ever announces a zombie apocalypse.
Favorite off-hours activity: Scuba diving for lobster in Big Pine Key.
Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: Barbara Corcoran and Steve Jobs.
Best award you ever received: Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy "Most Improved" at age 7 (the first, and last, time I played tennis).
If I had a magic wand I’d: Require all Twitter and Facebook users under the age of 25 to write grammatically accurate updates.
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