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So many features, so little time

Wow, this car is blowing my mind! First of all, it’s been a brisk 30 degrees most mornings in Edmond, Oklahoma. So what do I do? Start my car, remotely, from the comfort of my cozy house, about 10 minutes prior to leaving. Once I get in the only cold air I feel is from the walk from my house to the car door. Once inside, the Traverse has detected the winter air and heated up my ride to a nice 80 degrees. The best part? The seats are already heated up too, keeping my bum nice and toasty! My body doesn’t even know we are in the middle of December when I am driving around town!

Secondly, because I own a growing business, the first thing I typically do once on the road (dangerous, I know) is make tons of return phone calls. Well, in the Traverse, I’m no longer a hazzard on the road! I love the hands-free blue tooth! The clarity is amazing both for myself and those I call. I had been using my speaker phone on my Blackberry but found it hard to hear once on the highway. Not the case with my new love – the Blue Tooth. I don’t know how I will give this feature up on December 29th! :(

Lastly, but not leastly, I have used the heck out of my On Star Navigation. So much so that I have considered sending my advisor a Christmas card. I probably push that little blue button 5-6 times per day. My business keeps me on the go and it’s been so lovely not to have to pre-print my directions or type them into my, what now feels ancient, GPS. I just call into my sweet sounding advisor, tell her/him where I need to go and BOOM – downloaded to my car!

Seriously, driving this Traverse has made my hectic weeks way more manageable!

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Loving the New Ride

Week one in “my” Traverse and I’m in love. It was 23 degrees this morning in my driveway but from inside my cozy house, I gently pushed the remote start and finished getting ready. By the time all my makeup was applied and I was bundled up to brave the 20 second walk to my car, my seats were heated and the Traverse was a toasty 90 degrees!

I get in and immediately hear my favorite songs blasting from my I-pod, already connected via the USB port. If I am not feeling the song playing, I don’t even have to look down – I just press the up and down arrows from my steering wheel. It doesn’t get much easier or better than that! (Did I mention I was in love?)

I am looking forward to picking up groceries this week and writing more about it!

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Meet Valerie

Valerie Riley, a native of San Francisco, California, has had her own business since 2007. She is an entrepreneur at heart, having started her first business at age 17. Now she runs The Riley Group, a personal assistant/concierge service currently in 4 locations with plans to expand nationwide. She attended UC Berkeley and moved to Dallas, Texas in 2001 for a change of scenery. Valerie met her husband Stephen in Dallas in 2002 and married in October of 2005. Because neither of them were from Dallas nor were they big fans of the city, and since Stephen’s parents lived in Edmond, Oklahoma now, they decided to relocate and moved to Oklahoma in October 2009. Valerie’s family has since relocated to the Oklahoma City area as well!

Valerie is now actively involved in the city she calls home, serving as a provisional in Junior League, a member of EWF (Executive Women’s Forum), EWI (Executive Women International), and is involved in not only the local Edmond Chamber of Commerce but also the State Chamber of Oklahoma. Valerie was asked earlier this year to mentor a female business owner from Rwanda through the Peace through Business initiative headed by Terry Neese. In the little spare time she has, Valerie enjoys being mommy to two furry children (Max & Mocha) and auntie to her 3 year old nephew, Ryan. Although Valerie never saw herself making a permanent home anywhere other than California, she has embraced Oklahoma and couldn’t see moving back, except maybe during the tornado season.

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