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.
Technology entrepreneur and SpaceX founder Elon Musk told the audience at South by Southwest, a large conference in Austin, the biggest mistake he’s ever made.
It has to do with hiring the wrong people.
For a long time, Musk says he hired talented people over kind people, but he tries to balance that now.
“[My biggest mistake is probably] weighing too much on someone’s talent and not someone’s personality,” said Musk. “I think it matters whether someone has a good heart.”
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-elon-musk-hires-it-matters-whether-someone-has-a-good-heart-2013-3#ixzz2NH8ct5LN
A new report in the Deloitte Review shows how companies are already using gamification to motivate employees and attract consumers.
One company, Opower, seeks to make using less energy something that’s social and easy to do.
They do it by producing home energy reports that show how much more or less power you used than your neighbours, along with ways to cut down.
The company combines those reports with an online platform where users can share ideas and earn points and badges. All the while, the company is saving people money and producing data that helps utilities promote energy efficiency
It’s coming to your workplace too. In 2011, Facebook began using a social performance platform called Rypple. The platform shows visible goals and objectives on individual profiles, provides real time feedback to employees, and displays badges for accomplishing objectives or gaining skills.
The key for these programs is to remain authentic; providing awards that nobody cares about, or making real tasks seem frivolous won’t help a business.
The trend will accelerate dramatically in coming years, becoming a $2.8 billion dollar business by 2016. 70 percent of Global 2000 businesses are expected to incorporate the practice by 2014.
If you’re running a venture-backed startup, don’t expect to be able to set a high salary for yourself.
One founder who’s getting ready to quit his job and raise a $500,000 seed round asked on Quora: “Is a $100K salary too much for an angel/VC-backed startup co-founder?”
He says his co-founder, who’s a software engineer with a great resume, “won’t accept less than a $100K salary.”
Most responders including Foundry Group’s Brad Feld thought that salary was too high, especially when it’s one-fifth of the total amount raised. Others wondered if the founder was cut out to be an entrepreneur with such a high salary request.
“$100K is below market for a good engineer, but is certainly above market for a seed-funded startup,” one person responded. “Salary should be sufficient to not create hardship — no sense in losing productivity because you can barely eat.”
So what should the founders pay themselves and when is it ok to go for six-figures?
A $50-75,000 salary seems to be acceptable when an entrepreneur is first starting out. “$50K/year is plenty. Some families live on that,” says VC Sean Owen.
David Rose agrees. “On my experience, that fact pattern (a pair of founders, $500K seed round) would typically see them each taking $50-$75K, at least until they either start generating revenue, or raise a larger round.”
When you’re profitable, you can start paying yourself a more impressive salary.
“An adviser once told me to keep the total annual figure (including taxes and bene’s) under $100k per year until you’re profitable, and VCs have seemed to accept this,” another says.
Click here to see the most voted up response: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-when-its-ok-to-pay-yourself-100000-2012-8#ixzz24IiAnOuC
Jim Solomon has always dreamt about food. His dreams lead him away from Wall Street and into the kitchen.
That was 15 years ago. Now he’s a renowned restaurant owner and chef. Jim’s award winning restaurant, The Fireplace, is just minutes from Boston in Brookline, MA.
But none of this would be possible, he says, if he hadn’t spent time learning lessons on The Street.
We sat down with him to get the full story on his remarkable transition, because Wall Street, as you know, can be a difficult place to leave.
Definitely an 18/8 Man
Today’s advice comes from Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, via his interview with Entrepreneur:
“There is no point in going into a business unless you can make a radical difference in other people’s lives. To me, it’s like painting a picture: You have to get all the little nuances right to create the perfect picture, or the perfect company.”
Artists have a way with the canvas: They find the inspiration, envision the picture before they put the brush to the canvas, prepare the tools, and finally get to work.
They take their time with each brush stroke, ensuring that the end result is as close to perfection as possible. According to Branson, entrepreneurs should approach business with the same delicacy.
“So I’ll throw all the paint up and get all the best people in. By the time it sticks on the canvas, we’ll try to start getting some order into it. Every little single detail has to be right.”
