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Raymond Davi is a pioneer in the field of individual creative management or "mentoring" as it is now known. His emergence in this area was a logical step on his own career path. For over 25 years he has been at the forefront of Lifestyle Marketing, Organizational Development and Executive Mentoring. His previous corporate clients have included companies such as Esprit, The Giorgio Armani Corporation, G.Q. Magazine, Limited Brands and Nike, to mention only a few. In the late 1980's what Davi saw as the appalling depersonalization of business, led him to refine his goals and philosophy. In his words, "The individual is best served in business as in life, by other individuals whose priorities are ethical, creative and accountable." Early on in "one-to-one" mentoring, Davi found that entrepreneurs and their companies such as Susan Kennedy of Planet SARK, (the San Francisco based publishing and creative entity of the SARK books,) and several small and unique businesses located where he lives on the Monterey Peninsula of California, proved fruitful ground for his mentoring skills. Susan Kennedy says, "Ray will always hold the position of Ambassador to SARK. Working with him is what I call Business Olympics." Davi's clients have included individuals from a wide variety of disciplines. Some are leaders in the arts, some are executives in corporations, some are entrepreneurs and some work in not-for-profit. Many are facing critical challenges in their career and personal lives. Davi addresses these and other factors with his clients in order to help them achieve a work/life balance. In 1987, at the peak of his career in marketing Davi left his New York City base to see to his own personal evolution. In implementing this search he feels he has discovered new and unusual ways of living, working and thinking that facilitate what he calls "internal reincarnation." Davi says, "The current and popular theory of reincarnation entails physical death and rebirth. I believe rebirth can be achieved here and now, in the lives we are living." Davi goes on to say, "Personal Retreats are at the heart of this work. I believe everyone benefits from time spent alone addressing the complexities of business and personal relationships." As an example Davi recommends such retreat locations as The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center or The New Camaldoli Hermitage," both in the Central Coast area of California. Armed with these precepts and a distillation of experience Davi has made his home in Carmel, California, surrounded by a "secret garden" that is a metaphor for his beliefs. Of the garden he says, "It has some structure, but primarily what I've done is attempt to shape and add color to what was here when I found it." Born to an Italian-American family (with a father who was a jazz song-writer and singer in the 1930's and 40's) Davi was raised in Northern California and later lived for some years in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. He has not however, confined his travels to the two coasts. Journeys to New Mexico, Montana, Australia, Japan, Europe and elsewhere have helped him develop an approach to his work that while it is uniquely American is uniquely suited to the current global marketplace. Over the last few years, Davi has held several "Collaborative Events" for his clients and other guests at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, California. "The purpose of these events," he says, "is to promote open and honest dialogue and to confront today's key challenges to our hearts and minds." Mary R. Harper Ph.D. with whom Davi is closely associated through her non-profit organization, Center for Changing Systems, says " I attend Ray's events in order to exchange ideas about values and principals with like-minded people. Or sometimes, which is even better, with not so like-minded people." In a speech Davi gave on the occasion of the first "Collaborative," he emphasized such shared values as authenticity, altruism, voluntary simplicity, rebuilding neighborhoods and communities, and helping develop new solutions to the unique challenges of our times. "Americans have always been leaders in lifestyle," he says. "But we have been so intent upon work and money we have lost not only our identities as creative, supportive people but our sensitivity to many of the finer points and methods of dealing with our work and lives." Davi is inspired by Paul Hawken, co-founder and former co-owner of Smith & Hawken, who said, "The promise of business is to increase the general well-being of humankind through service, a creative invention and ethical philosophy." Davi has taken these precepts a step further by applying them not only to his client's business needs but to their personal concerns as well. Davi is currently working on a book outlining his methods of creating a work/life balance. Recently he has begun conducting a series of workshops on this subject at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.