Meet The Blogger | John-Michael Scurio
- John-Michael Scurio
- Aug 3
- 7 min read
People continue to ask, "who's writing this stuff?" ... so, I thought I'd take a moment to tell you a little bit about myself.
Initially, when I thought about blogging and creating this site - www.iloveureka.com - my passion for writing and curating aesthetics of joy came from the overwhelming rush of positive, loving, caring, emotion that was bestowed upon us (my husband Jeff, myself and our adorable furbaby Kirby) upon our arrival to Eureka Springs as new residents back in June 2018. Instantly, we felt included.
Every day, we still feel that rush and we still feel included. Over eight years later, we proudly call ourselves "Eurekans."
For those of you that have come to know me, what you see is what you get. I like to flex my style, hit vintage clothing stores, dress up at times (and "loud" at times), and use modern-day technology to stay fully connected to the various parts of my life. Regardless of the many hats that I wear (husband, son, brother, uncle, HR Executive, nephew, cousin, mentor, friend, bestie, counselor, blogger, Eurekan, traveler, etc.) everyone knows the same core essence of who I am.
I rarely flex my core essence regardless of the hat I am wearing.
I am who I am.
Those that know me at work, know the core essence of me the same way that my brothers, Joseph and Brian, know me. I think that all the coworkers at my office would describe me in much the same way Joseph and Brian would.
The big difference, and to a certain degree we all have this, is that what personal details we share with people will vary. Jeff, my Husband, knows me the best and my brothers know a lot more personal details than my coworkers may know, for example.
This is true for most of us.
I guess the point I am trying to make here is, I don't drastically change the core essence of who I am for work colleagues and then change again for my brothers, my parents, my boss, etc.
That, my friends, pretty much sums me up. I'm a what you see is what you get kind of person. My heart is full, and I love to live life in the moment and bask in all that is now.
This "passion blog" was an idea of mine upon arrival to Eureka Springs in 2018 and I have come to absolutely love blogging about joy, Eureka Springs and other important values that are critical to me and this chapter of life in Eureka. As you read this blog, you will come across stories about people, art, music, kindness, joy, theatre, culture, peace, businesses, wellness, eating, where to stay, memories, community, what to do, seasons, nature, and a whole lot more - all under the overarching subject that guides all of us - LOVE!
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Welcome to - www.iloveureka.com - I hope you enjoy visiting this blog and I hope that you visit often and might even consider subscribing.
"The Best Is Yet To Come."
MY CAREER
In 1999, I fell into a career that took my off stage and into an office setting. As with most professional roles, one is expected to harness some knowledge of "human resources" if they are going to lead, coach, guide and direct any group of employees.
This certainly was the case for me but little did I know that my knowledge of human resources would grow exponentially.
From 2018 to 2024, in Springdale, Arkansas, just a short distance from Eureka Springs, a prominent local family, founders and proprietors of their own 100+ year family business, hired me as their Corporate Director of Human Resources Operations.
I've been in Human Resources for 25+ years, most all of that time in Hotels, Resorts, Life Enrichment Resorts, Retail and Cruise Ships. At this company in Springdale, I supported one of America's largest poultry manufacturers and purveyors of chicken and chicken products. It was a jolt that took me from "mints on pillows" to "yield of meat on bone."
In that unique role, I never saw or touched chicken.
I was delivering HR programs, policies and standard ways for working effectively to build the business bigger, better and stronger.
Well-versed in the six pillars of HR, I supported, guided and counseled our Senior Executives and business leaders, along with C-Suite Leaders, to make better business decisions related to human capital management within those six pillars:
Strategic Management
Workforce Planning and Recruitment
Employee Relations, Training and Development
Total Rewards/Benefits
Risk Management
Labor Relations
Over time, I learned that my personality and disposition are compatible with the needs of human resources and therefore I find that, more often than not, I'm naturally good at this work. I do feel like I help the people and the business succeed concurrently and doing both is important to me.
I left poultry manufacturing in 2024 and transitioned back into hotels and hospitality.
MY HEALTH
In 2016, I worked for Canyon Ranch. If you're not familiar with them, they own and operate Life Enrichment Resorts and Spas. Check out their website.
Wellness is at the core of every Canyon Ranch experience. As Director of People Services at their resort in Lenox, MA, I supported their team of physicians, nutritionists, exercise physiologists and other specialists. The offerings there are unparalleled in the wellness resort and spa arena.
As an executive at Canyon Ranch, I too, was afforded my very own supportive, personal team of integrative care experts that assessed my very own lifestyle, health and habits. It was an incredible experience to have all these professionals guiding you. After those assessments concluded, much like Mel Zuckerman (the founder of Canyon Ranch) I had my own "ah-ha" moment.
It was at that time, in 2016, when I made the choice to embark on my own personal fitness transformation and I've never looked back. Today, in Eureka Springs, my life here allows for the daily opportunity for me to continue to balance what I eat, drink and do. I stay focused as much as possible on consistency and willpower. Two of the most difficult things to harness.
In delivering blog-posts about wellness, it is my hope that, I too, can somehow offer something, for someone, somewhere in the way of a personal "ah-ha" moment. If that happens for just one person, like it did for me at Canyon Ranch, then my work on this blog, discussing wellness, and KETO, and fitness will have purpose beyond what it does for me alone and that approach is aligned with the very mission of this blog - "always love forward."
Please click around this blog for a lot more posts about KETO, KETO SCIENCE, as well as fitness and wellness and feel free to connect with me if you need guidance or have any questions. jmscurio@yahoo.com
MY FORMATIVE YEARS
Now, approaching my late-50s, I look back on the first half of my life and ironically it is like a series of many blog-posts of joy. I often wonder what my personal life blog would look like if I had started one when I was 16 or 18 or 20. (Ha, then again, I was 20 in 1990 and in that year, I had never before seen or heard of a cell phone, or even the 'world wide web'.) Those were the times when kids kept a personal diary, with a small padlock and a small key, to ensure absolute privacy.
After my formative years, I remained in Massachusetts, my home State, and earned my Bachelors of Fine Arts from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Shortly after graduation, I moved to New York City, and within a few short months, accepted a job as a singer/dancer/entertainer on the stunning cruise ships of Holland America Line.
I worked for Holland America Line from 1993-2003 and loved that international, wanderlust chapter of my life as a young (just out of the closet) bachelor traveling the globe. By 1995, I had traveled to all seven continents, visited over 45 countries and sailed all four oceans of the world.
Living and working aboard Holland America Line was a life-shaping experience for me and one I will truly never forget. Thank you, Holland America Line!
Early life with my ever-loving Scurio family in Medford, Massachusetts followed by life at sea with Holland America Line shaped me into the man I am today. I am happy. I am grateful. I always love forward. I also love meeting new people, spreading joy, joy-spotting, socializing and getting to know another person and hearing their stories.
I hope you continue to visit this blog again and again as it is my intention to serve as a curator of joy. All of the blog-posts are featured within these five core values:
Cultivating Community
Making Memories
Curating Culture
Spreading Joy and Love
Living Well
I will look for moments that inspire and offer up an opportunity to write about it here at www.iloveureka.com -- so click back often! Subscribe, if you'd like to do so. All welcome.
MY TRAVEL YEARS | 1993-2003
MY SOULMATE JEFF
We met in 2007 in Seattle, WA and we're still going strong. He's my rock, my soulmate, my partner, and my best friend. Our leap of faith move from Dallas, TX to Eureka Springs, AR has been a joyous adventure. Jeff has taught me that despite the ups and downs of life - "Don't Forget to Remember."
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"With that phrase, he is referring to those fluttering butterflies in your stomach, those feelings of puppy love, and all the energy around those firsts when you meet and just start dating someone. When life gives us a jolt of the blues, or a hurdle to jump - he says to me, Don't Forget To Remember."
All relationships take work. Everyone knows this. We have found that this simple, powerful phrase helps us to realign with those early times in our relationship when we first met and experienced all those, "this is the one" feelings that were quite powerful and life-changing. This phrase conjures up those feelings again for both of us and it fosters our endurance, tenacity and our love forward. It helps us work through things together.
Jeff has taught me many things, and has enriched my life in such wonderful, loving, adventurous ways. I am a better man because of Jeff and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Love. Is. Love.
Thank you for visiting www.iloveureka.com
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