My wife is a huge fan of Korean Actor Bae Yong Jun, arguably the hottest star on this side of the planet (well, OK, perhaps not as hot as Chinese Actress Zhang Ziyi, who’s about to star as the Geisha Sayuri in the December 2005 release of "Memoir of a Geisha").  In fact, today when I came home she was watching the Korean drama "Winter Sonata" starring Bae Yong Jun for the umpteenth time.  She watches it to improve her Korean, she claims.  Ah yes, but what about all the Bae Yong Jun memorabilia scattered around the house?  Partly tongue in cheek, I told her awhile ago I wanted to search for my own star to idolize.  You wouldn’t believe how difficult a task that has been for me.  I just can’t get overly excited about any particular star, whether it be a film or TV star, sports star, or any other star.  I recall a few jaw-dropping cinematic moments, such as when Catherine Zeta-Jones starred in "The Mask of Zorro" or when Cameron Diaz made her acting debut in "The Mask," but I just cannot get too fanatical about any particular star.  Half jokingly, I once said I idolized former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina because she was one of the first women to head a Dow 30 company and tech giant.  Alas, Carly met her demise because she wasn’t a team player and could not turn around HP, and the decidedly solid but uninspiring Mark Hurd took over as CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

 

So I’ve been in search of a star that I can say I truly admire and would love to meet in person.  I found her.  She may not be a star in the same way as Cameron Diaz, but in financial circles she is well known and very well regarded.  She’s someone you probably wouldn’t know unless you enjoy investing and visit CBS Marketwatch.  It’s Bambi Francisco.  Bambi who, you ask?  The one and only Bambi Francisco, that’s who.  Don’t let the name fool you.  She’s awesome.  There is a lot I admire about her, and if you visit her blog and learn more about her, I’m sure you would agree.  She is extremely beautiful, intelligent and successful.  She was founding producer of CNNfn, and she is now the lead writer for technology at CBS Marketwatch.  A latina, she has been amazingly successful in an industry traditionally dominated by men and is a great role model for woman and minorities who want to succeed in business.  In a world dominated by the likes of Peter Lynch and Charles Schwab, it’s refreshing to see Bambi stand out like an angel in the world of finance.  Even more impressive, she is currently pursuing her Masters in Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary.  Thus, she is also someone of strong conviction and faith who focuses on more than just earthly success.  She chose a field of study far different than what she does for a living.  I would absolutely love to read her thesis paper(s).  I hope she publishes them on Google Scholar (she’s also a Google fan).  In late July, she finished the Downieville (California) Bike Race, an absolutely grueling 29-mile bike race (a vertical climb about one mile up, one mile down).  I am extremely impressed by her.  She is very accomplished and well-rounded, yet she is unpretentious, unlike many media stars.  I am positive that she is not married and does not have children.  There’s no way she could do all that she does with a family to nurture!  I searched the Web for a Bambi Francisco fan club, but unfortunately I could not find one.  Well, she definitely has a fan here.  And if anyone asks me which star I would most like to meet in person, I will tell them I would like to meet Bambi Francisco.  And after I tell them why, I’m sure they’ll understand.