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.
March 11, 2013|By Myscha Theriault, McClatchy - Tribune News Service
Women aren’t the only travelers
trying to find the best penny-pinching options for a little pampering. Men have been demanding their own service preferences for some time now, and the industry has stepped up and taken notice. If you’re interested in a more masculine getaway with your best buds, check out some of these spectacular spa steals.
Packages: Many spa destinations and resorts are jumping into the man market by offering exceptional per-day values on their spa packages. One example is Adler Thermae in Tuscany. At a price of 926 Euros for four nights, guys are able to enjoy a high-value getaway which includes a full daily breakfast with home-baked goodies, an afternoon snack buffet, a nightly gourmet dinner and three full spa treatments which allow gentlemen to enjoy a separate experience each day. Also included is full daily access to the facility’s spa amenities, which feature several swimming pools, a waterfall, two steam rooms, a Turkish bath grotto and a Finnish sauna.
Beverages: A hot trend in gentlemen’s spa services is to offer access to adult beverages as part of the experience. For instance, at a Southern California chain of upscale men’s salons known as 18 / 8, male business travelers can enjoy a glass of premium wine or beer in the facility’s stylish lounge while waiting to receive their treatment. Branches such as Rancho Santa Margarita and Irvine are included in their location offerings and treatments range from $30 to $45 for things like hot lather shaves, facials, scalp treatments and more. Other venues like The Spa Coeur d’Alene in Idaho for example, prefer to include the beverage options in the price of the treatment. One such treatment is called The Ultimate Barber, which takes place in the facility’s private barber area decorated with a Ferrari-red Italian leather chair and woven black leather wallpaper for a masculine feel. Priced at $45, the experience includes a scalp massage, hot towel treatment, nail tune up and a men’s cut with the customer’s choice of micro brew. The spa also offers a $60 gentlemen’s pedicure which comes with a flight of three whiskeys.
Deals: If you only have time for a weekend, overnight or daytrip getaway, searching out the best prices for your favorite treatments might be your best bet. For example, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan, 40 bucks will score you a men’s spa manicure featuring a soak, exfoliation, sports buff and moisturizer. Bargains are also available at The Out NYC, an urban resort located on 42nd Street. The venue offers sugaring services for hair removal around ears, nose and brows starting at $15, with neck and moustache trims available for $10 and $15 respectively.
Chef Brannon Soileau of The Culinary Institute of America explains that it’s easy to make a moist, delicious pot roast from an inexpensive cut like a shoulder blade or bottom round — you just need to braise the meat. (Braising means to cook a tough cut of meat in a liquid for a long period of time.) To begin, he starts with a trimmed and tied shoulder blade and, after seasoning it with salt and pepper, sears the meat in a minimal amount of fat in a very hot pan. The idea here is to develop a beautiful brown crust and also create a fond, which is the browned material at the bottom of the pan that will form the flavor base for the gravy. Once all sides are browned, he removes the roast and examines the fat at the bottom of the pan. If it’s burnt, discard and start with new fat. If it’s golden, you’re fine to continue to the next step, which is adding roughly chopped celery, carrots, and onions.
Chef Soileau caramelizes the vegetables, stirring frequently, then adds tomato paste and cooks it until it turns darker in color. He adds red wine to deglaze the pan and simmers the mixture until it becomes nice and thick. Here’s where you can add garlic if you like it — chef Soileau adds three whole cloves. He returns the roast to the pan and adds stock 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the roast. (He uses veal, but beef stock will work well, too.) After adding a bay leaf to season the meat, he covers the pan with a tight-fitting lid and places it in a 350-375F oven for 3 hours. Every 15 minutes, he turns the meat to ensure that all surfaces are making contact with the liquid. The goal is a fork-tender roast. Once you achieve that, remove the roast from the liquid, cut off the strings and let the meat rest while making the gravy.
To make the gravy, skim off any grease with a ladle, then place the pan over medium heat and add a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water). The ratio is generally 1 oz to 1 quart of liquid. The gravy will thicken quickly. Once it’s at the consistency you like, serve it with your roast.
For 60 years, The Culinary Institute of America has been setting the standard for excellence in professional culinary education. In this video series, experienced chefs and educators show you how to tackle essential cooking techniques.
Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/16/how-to-braise-a-pot-roast/#ixzz1qSFHys4s
Yes, the letter is about as self-indulgent as you’d expect a resignation letter from a banking executive to be.”
For once, we have a Goldman Sachs resignation letter from someone who isn’t an overworked first-year analyst. Circulating the interwebs today is this NY Times’ op-ed piece from Greg Smith, a (now former) executive director for the storied investment bank. In it, he details why Goldman has become a horrible place to work. Shocking revelation: Goldman Sach’s culture is one big greedy get-rich-quick scheme (allegedly).
Yes, the letter is about as self-indulgent as you’d expect a resignation letter from a banking executive to be (though his parents are undoubtedly happy he made the world aware that they raised the world’s third-best Jewish table tennis player), and there’s no denying the hubris of using the NY Times as a resignation vehicle. But looking past that, this is not your typical “I was meant for better things” resignation letter. In fact, this letter contains several lessons that apply to pretty much every man in the workforce, be they bankers or bartenders.
I think this is the way most all of us dream of leaving a job we hate. Enraged, accusatory rants only make the employee seem disgruntled and incompetent, and boilerplate “I’ll always cherish the work I’ve done here” messages are ultimately transparent clichés. No, you want to tell your bosses to f*ck off in the most dignified, articulate manner. He stumbled a bit by shoehorning his resume into the body of the piece, but otherwise, nice work. Everyone should save this letter as a template for when they decide to leave a company they hate. He states his feelings and supports them with examples of the way things should be. His superiors may be free to disagree with his beliefs, but there’s no arguing with manner in which he presents them.
On a deeper level, Smith reveals a lot about the modern workplace and how easy it is to become complacent, even as the world crumbles around you. Smith and others sharing his views were and are afraid to speak out against Goldman’s declining culture, leading to the (predicted) demise of the firm but, tangentially, mirroring the deterioration of the U.S. economy as well. Every successful company, regardless of how lawless or derelict it may seem today, was founded on values that aligned with the best interests of its customers. If you speak out loudly enough about those values (even if it’s as you make your exit), the right people will eventually notice. In a memo released today, Goldman’s top brass mentioned an internal survey that reinforced the firm’s customer-focused culture. While the results of this company document would appear to contradict Smith’s perspective, companies typically don’t conduct those sorts of internal surveys unless they believe they have a problem.
The op-ed also brings to mind the concept of integrity, which isn’t something a lot of people think about when it comes to work. Sure, you might serve your clients, but in practice it’s more like “servicing” them (my parents will be so proud to see that I worked a sex joke into a career article). While Goldman’s size and influence magnifies and simplifies the implications of poor customer focus, it’s not limited to global investment banks. While companies pay us to do a job, consumers pay those companies for goods and services. When those goods or services suffer, the consumer will go elsewhere because in this day and age, there are few if any industries completely free of competition. When that happens, the quality of the work you do matters little, because eventually there won’t be a company to do that work for. There is a direct correlation between one’s integrity as a worker and the long-term health and integrity of one’s firm.
Finally, there’s one message that should resonate loud and clear with every person reading this: Don’t be afraid to leave a job you hate. No matter what kind of Kool-Aid the company tries to pour down your throat, no place is unique. If you don’t like the way your company does business, you can almost always find another one in the same industry. Remember, despite the way things appear, people are the commodities and resources, not jobs. If you’re a genuinely good employee and can articulate that, someone somewhere is ready and willing to lure you away from a job you no longer believe in. Sure, it helps if you have the kind of financial safety net Greg Smith probably does, but all men, be they new college recruits or 20-year veterans, should have their resume at the ready should the right opportunity come knocking.
If nothing else, Greg Smith will have plenty of time to work on his Ping-Pong skills.
When you look better, you feel better, and perform better. -18|8 Fine Men’s Salons Eighteeneight.com
10 Plays For The Perfect Shave
No.10 Shave With A Hydrating Shave Gel
#10 Too many men think shaving is an offensive play with a man in motion. Experienced players know a good shave is the backbone of a zone defense, and the middle linebacker here is a hydrating shave gel. Keeping your pores soaked and the whiskers at attention help your razor glide across your jawline for a smoother shave.
#9 No.9 Balance Your Diet
This is a multifaceted play that will take some practice before you get it right, so let’s break it down.
First, drink less diuretics. Aside from dehydrating you and making you feel panicked most of the day, diuretics like pop also contribute to sleepless nights and anxiety, which are never good for you or your skin.
Second, choose a salad instead of fries. It’s this simple: Poor circulation means poor skin. If your blood can flow freely, then all the oxygen and nutrients you take in will move to your skin and other organs more efficiently. Fried foods slow down circulation and result in pale, grungy skin.
Third, eat less meat. It takes a long time to digest, and while you still need protein, you also need to up your fruits and vegetables intake. Fruits with plenty of water help to hydrate you and provide nutrients. Vegetables, while nutritious, also help to clean your digestive tract of toxins, which ultimately make their way to your skin and the rest of your organs. A healthy diet prevents this from occurring. Now, put all of these in motion, and you have an unstoppable defensive line.
No.8 Exfoliate Every Other Day Shaving with a blade helps to exfoliate your beard areas, but you still have to worry about your nose, forehead and the skin behind your ears and along your neck. These areas and those you shave should be exfoliated every other day in the shower to scruff away dead skin cells and clean clogged pores. Think of exfoliating as the defensive audible play you call when you know your skin has had a rough couple of days.
No.7 Apply An Aftershave Balm With A Moisturizer
Yes, your dad and grandfather used an abrasive aftershave that stung. Even your uncles might swear by it, but they also played with leather helmets and no face masks. Nothing should sting after you shave, and if it does, then you’ve done something wrong. Using a moisturizing aftershave balm is the play you call right after a great shave
No.6 Use Sunscreen
Get this through your head now: You need sunscreen all year. Even if you already have a tan, you still need it to protect the deeper layers of your skin. How much you use and where you put it depends on the offensive positions of the sun and weather.
No.5 Exercise
Getting your blood flowing around your body is beneficial for your entire being, but your skin will literally come alive when it gets fresh oxygen quickly. Even if you can’t get to the gym every few days, a quick walk every day will do you good. Just put some hustle into it like it’s the last play of the game.
No.4 Take A Nap
The “sleeper” play is simple and easy. Sleep is the most underrated tactic in maintaining healthy skin. You might be sleeping, but your skin is slowly regrouping for the next challenge. Don’t let yourself become sleep deprived. Take a nap if you need one. You’ll have to work on this without feeling like you should be doing something else.
No.3 Wash Your Face Daily
Wash your face with a cleanser when you shower and again before going to sleep at night. Keeping your skin clean and hydrated should be a daily habit. If traveling, be sure to wash after long-haul flights once you have landed. It may be a simple play, but the good ones usually are.
No.2 Drink More Water
Between plays, you have to stay hydrated from the inside out, which makes drinking water a play all its own. Even when you’re on the go, you need to drink water. Of course, sometimes we’d just rather have something else instead of paying for another plastic bottle of “spring” water, so invest in a bottle with a built-in filter. The water will taste better, and it’s better for you.
No.1 Use A Face And Body Wash
Like it or not, you can’t keep using your girlfriend’s or wife’s facial products on the sly. Your skin is different, and this is no joke. You sweat differently, and your pores are larger, so you trap more dirt and pollution with your skin than she ever will. Get your daily grooming drills in order with a face and body wash made for you. This is a preseason play that works all year. You have to use a face and body wash every day, no exceptionsRead more: http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/10-plays-to-improve-your-skin_1.html#ixzz1qB9FMAQ5
Written by the Author of this blog and an Interesting and Intriguing man himself. He recommends this read to all cooking and brew lovers!
“A sophisticated cookbook for beer lovers contains recipes by such noted chefs as Michael Richard of Citrus and Francesco Antonucci of Remi, and includes such dishes as A Shellfish Trio in Ale and Roasted Winter Vegetables with Honey-Pilsner Glaze.”
The elite member with a bigger and bolder mansion than his equally rich neighbor also bests that neighbor as alpha male.”
The recent financial crises have exposed the enormous power wielded by financiers. These top bankers, hedge-fund managers and other financial-services industry determine many aspects of the wider population’s lives, shape the outcome of the regulation process and influence geopolitical order. I’ll call them the “elite,” as they occupy commanding positions and exercise control over knowledge, skills, talent, and wealth.
Though these elites hold great power over us, most of us fail to understand them. To better grasp their impact on our lives, this series aims to shed light on what makes them, well, elite.
This first article explores the relationship between luxury products and status.
How do we recognize elites on appearances alone? From the outside, we can’t judge if J.P.Morgan’s Jamie Dimon has a large bank account or if Larry Page and Sergey Brin own shares in Google. Does it actually matter, though, if we can? Apparently it does. Luxury brands and high-end clothes wouldn’t sell so well if it weren’t for the elites. One could argue that the elites’ craving for the latest sports car, designer clothes and diamonds for their wives stems more from pleasure than from purpose, yet a closer look reveals something else.
Status and identity
Money and control of scarce resources are not only what matter to elites. They also need to noticeably distinguish themselves from others. Large and richly ornamented residences, expensive jewelry and fine art are just a few external signs of superiority, but manners, taste and leisure activities also help to mark distinction. It is not sufficient to possess wealth or power only; they must put in evidence. As French sociologist/anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu argued, financial power might be the ultimate basis of power, but this wealth can only wield power in the form of all kinds of capital (cultural, social and symbolic).
Priceless collectibles, lavish mansions and the newest, flashiest cars are the symbols on which elites rely in marking their status and symbolic superiority. Dressing smartly, bragging about a chalet in St. Moritz and adorning a mistress with Cartier symbolize power — not only to the outsider, but to insiders as well. The elite member with a bigger and bolder mansion than his equally rich neighbor also bests that neighbor as alpha male. The banker who drives around in the latest Ferrari — because he was able to skip Ferrari’s waiting list — isn’t just showing off his wealth.
Status and exclusivity
Such status symbols make the elites’ exclusivity known to the outside world, and it is the pomp and ostentation that we outsiders envy — the stuff we can only dream about. But the symbols of wealth, success and elite distinction not only set the elites apart from the rest of the population; they appear to garner a payoff too. A recent study on elite business consultants illustrated this: The advice of a consultant arriving with an expensive car is judged worthier than the same advice from someone with a lesser car. Therefore, symbols of wealth create more wealth.
Are Page and Brin richer than Dimon, then, because they have a fancier private jet? Maybe, but every elite setting has its particularities when it comes to symbols of elite superiority. Page and Brin can easily show up wearing jeans in Silicon Valley, but Dimon won’t be taken seriously if he doesn’t wear a suit and a tie. The underlying sociological logic, however, remains the same, as elites must always show their power through their status symbols. After all, we can’t see the millions on someone’s bank slip from the outside.
