Scott Griffiths
CEO - 18/8 Fine Men's Salons
Professor - Grazadio School of Business and Management -
Pepperdine University
The University of California Irvine - Chief Executive Roundtable
Member - Luxury Council / Board - The Surf Heritage Foundation
If you believe as I do that life is something special and becomes more special when we squeeze as much nectar from it as possible…then this site is for you.
If you know that to be curious is to be interested, and to be interested is to be interesting; and if you believe that education comes from books and your experiences... then this site is for you.
If you enjoy the arts, cooking, and excellent foods; if you appreciate a handmade super-180 suit, a fine 25 year old Macallan’s with a vintage Cohiba; if you travel to other countries to learn their languages and cultures; and if you believe that business is what you create and build, not just what you manage…then this site is for you.
Along with my team and our readers, I will be posting interesting, intriguing, and useful articles on art, wine, spirits, travel, restaurants, and grooming, along with great recipes for guys and features exploring the subject of renaissance men. This site is for you as interesting and intriguing men…and men on the path to becoming more interesting and intriguing...
In our newest column, Alexa will be offering the advice you need to become an 18/8 man; that man who is well-versed and cultured, who knows how to impress and captivate a smart woman, and who wants to be the best that he can be.
W. Scott Griffiths
Professor/Artist/Entrepreneur/Chef/Business Executive
Mr. Griffiths has led, been an executive, or been on the leadership teams of twenty start-ups and early stage companies and he has created and launched more than a hundred products and brands. In 2001, he created 18/8 Fine Men’s Salons which today has three Company salons catering to 4200 customers per month, and is expanding through franchised stores and additional Company owned stores. He is also a professor at Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business.
Mr. Griffiths attended Chapman University as an undergrad then attended Art Center College of Design as a scholarship student, where he later served as president of the Alumni Association and as an instructor to advanced product designers. He earned his MBA at the UCLA Anderson School where he frequently serves as a guest speaker on various panels and MBA classes.
For twelve years Mr. Griffiths served on the committee for the Harvard Business School Entrepreneurs Conference at which he managed panels on marketing and brand strategies. He also was a member of Tech Coast Angels for five years where he successfully led the funding of eight venture deals.
His first professional assignment was working with his father, ‘Griff’ Griffiths, who ran The World Campus Afloat program at Chapman University. When the University needed to divest itself of the program, Griff restarted with the owner of the ship. However, the program needed a new name, and Scott came up with Semester at Sea. He later went on to work with Crystal Cruises, House of Blues, Church & Dwight, Avery Dennison, Nokia, and Vertu. Recently, he created a new male-centric brand for Paul Mitchell – “Mitch for Men.”
On the entrepreneurial front, Mr. Griffiths created the Microbrewery brand, Rhino Chasers, and built it into a national brand along with a brewpub at Los Angeles Airport. (The brand was later sold to Gallo.) He has also published four books, two of which were best sellers.
Today, Mr. Griffiths is focused on building 18/8 Fine Men’s Salons into a national brand; teaching MBA candidates at Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management; and wrapping up a series books on Renaissance Men, Renaissance Women, the Secrets of Successful Surfers, and a cookbook for guys (to impress their girls). He also is a member of the University of California Irvine Chief Executive Roundtable serves on the Board of Directors for the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and is a member of The Luxury Council.
As a young man, Scott surfed five days a week and was on the swim team and the water polo team. He grew up in Southern California and has lived in and traveled to more than forty countries.
According to Mr. Griffiths, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see guys have an 18/8 experience and leave looking better and feeling better. I also love art, food, cooking. I appreciate a fine Super 180 handmade suit, and a 300 thread count Egyptian cotton custom tailored shirt. I savor a fine 25 year old Macallan’s and a vintage Cohiba cigar. I have met some of the most interesting and talented people in my travels – designers, actors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and professors. I lead an extraordinary life…”
