Steele Platt is the Founder and visionary behind the well known ‘Yard House’. Yard House is well known for it’s 250 beers on tap, elevated, fusion bar food and great classic rock playlists. On this episode of the Brevity Code we’ll hear how Steele, who at one point in his career declared bankruptcy and came roaring back with a success story that is beyond anything he could have ever projected in his business plan. We’ll retrace Steele’s history in the bar, club and restaurant business and see how it all rolls up into his biggest and greatest endeavor. Yet, it was the small details that set him apart from his competition. Listen in to find out how Steele eventually sold the Yard House for a cool $585 Million.

Greg Weisman is a lawyer who’s area of expertise casts a wide net of business and transactional matters, including trademark/copyright protection and enforcement, intellectual property licensing and corporate. His area is unique in that he deals with mostly lifestyle brands, the entertainment community, high profile musicians, athletes, actors, models and now influencers. Greg helps advise his clients in areas connected with their branding, endorsement and outside business dealings.

Greg and I spend some time focused on his area of expertise. We work our way through some of the various legal scenarios entrepreneurs often find themselves in, as well Greg shares his perspective on how best to approach using legal and when it’s most appropriate.

10:00 - Greg’s role being a lawyer

20:00 - Entrepreneur tips for starting out / how much to spend on lawyers / brand protections

30:00 - Greg discusses exit strategy

38:40 - Common mistakes we make when starting a business 

39:55 - Trademarks / IP

51:00 - Strategic partner pitfalls 

Dorian Willes was shot 21 times at point blank range by two police officers and somehow lived. For the record, 50 cent was only shot a mere 9! We’ll hear how, high on meth Dorian managed to evade police for hours as he found himself trapped inside an apartment complex, determined not to get caught. We’ll relive that day in graphic detail. Dorian explains how he was left for dead and in a coma for months. He spent a year in the hospital where he eventually becomes an amputee. Also, as a result of his gunshot wounds he has very limited use of his left arm. But there’s more to Dorian’s story than him surviving against all odds. Turns out Dorian is also a phenom athlete who earns a spot on the U.S. National Paralympic skeleton team and finishes 4th in the World Championships! Dorian Willes is a motivational speaker who travels the world sharing his story and warning our youth about the dangers of drugs and addiction. Grab some tissue and get ready to be rocked to your core!

Travis Brasher CEO of Travis Mathew retraces his journey and shares some of his most memorable insights into launching one of the most successful golf lifestyle apparel brands ever.  On this episode of the Brevity Code Travis and I talk about the sleeping giant of a business that lifestyle golf apparel was waiting to become. We talk about how Travis Mathew was ultimately successful by applying a fresh design and marketing perspective to an old establishment such as golf. We’ll hear how a few key players fell into place and how a little luck and a lot of great business intuition turned the golf industry on it’s head. It wasn’t always pretty. Travis also shares some of the missteps and hard learned lessons learned along the way. We talk about the fortunate signing of Bubba Watson and what that meant for the brand after his Masters win. Brasher talks about the eventual sale to Callaway (for $125M) and what the brand has in store for its ever growing base of fans! Lastly, Travis shares a funny story about getting soundly beaten in a tournament by a very young and small, Tiger Woods. That and so much more on the Brevity Code!

Kevin Beiksa is many things, a 13 year veteran of the NHL, a proven defenseman, sometimes a bit of an enforcer (my words, not his) and of course, loving father. On this episode of the Brevity Code Podcast Kevin and I dive into his newest athletic endeavor (Spartan racing!) Somewhat on a whim, Kevin decides to race and takes 6th place overall…Turns out he had stopped several times to “Chat with race volunteers to learn about the obstacles and get them right”… Lookout Spartan competitors! Beyond that we discuss Kevin’s dedication to outworking everyone around him and how that mindset eventually won him a slot in the NHL. We discuss some of his training methods, we talk about his many possible future career opportunities and yes, of course we talked about fighting. I couldn’t help myself and he was kind enough to indulge me.

From the depths of his drug abuse and addiction, Casey Wheat remerges with a new brand and a new lease on life. Surfing is not only a theme in Casey’s life but it just may have saved it as well. Sport Of Kings (Forever Young, “SOKFY”) Casey’s newest brand endeavor is an artful manifestation for his love of music, urban street culture and all things surf. We talk everything from Slater’s Surf Ranch, to Casey’s drug slangin’ madness and his many scrapes with the law. We trace his story in brutally honest terms, how a pivotal moment in the life of his first brand (Roial) led to his own downward spiral. Lastly, we discover how he’s managed to put his life back together and remain an insurgent voice in surf culture and it’s fashion aesthetics.

Casey doing his thing… Spot Unknown

Ever wanted to learn how to brew your own beer? Well, how about going from a home brew kit to servicing the finest restaurants and venues in Southern California within a couple years? On this episode of Brevity Code we trace Brett’s journey into the craft beer space. We discuss all things BEER. As well, we dive into the beer business and what it’s like to run a brewery and ultimately a successful beer brand. Lastly, Brett and Mike Tyson have something in common, can you guess what it is?

Brett Lawrence of Towne Park

Designer Jade Howe recently joined me via Skype for my latest podcast. Both of us have traveled in the same lane of heading up a brand and being an entrepreneur…We discuss the high and lows of business ownership. As we continue to repurpose our creativity we find that we both have a passion for homesteading, farming and doin’ serious man stuff! We recount Jade’s path to his counter cultural movement “Howe” and how it continues to influence men’s fashion we still see today. We cover that and much more on Brevity Code!

Recently the mic was turned back on me as a guest on the "C Life" Podcast. @clifepodcast   How could anyone possibly predict that what was started out of my garage would become a globally recognized brand? I recount this perilous journey for all of those who dare to dream.  I hope you enjoy!

Seeing that it's perfect weather to cook outdoors I've asked a buddy of mine who happens to be complete overkill for the subject to weigh in! Executive Chef Michael Rossi (of The Ranch in Anaheim) drops by to share some of his favorite grilling techniques as well his favorite cuts of meat and how he prepares them.  We also covered other protein grilling tips on chicken, fish, burgers, veggie dishes, pizza and even how to grill fruit! 

We talked about rubs, marinades and all the different flavors you can achieve.  We also discussed wines and craft beer pairings.  And things like direct and indirect heat techniques, searing and the use of the infrared burner.  I hope our talk provides you with some great meals and creative takeaways to impress your friends and family during this Summer season!  Enjoy!

I sure do love a crazy, inspiring story. My guest Shelene Bryan absolutely brings it!  Shelene left  her successful Hollywood career as a producer, actress and writer and devoted her life to a philanthropic cause on the other side of the planet.  A lot of people talk about doing good and being charitable...most support a cause near and dear to them.  That's usually in the form of attending a gala event or simply writing a check.  And that's great...Not that it's a contest, but what Shelene chose to undertake is truly transforming thousands of lives, including her own! Her journey began when she got on a plane and flew to Africa to see if her $38.00 a month donation was actually helping children in need. Who actually does that? What she found both shocked and inspired her to be an agent of change.  So what makes someone leave a perfectly great career and pursue a life of selflessness and giving? We'll find out on this episode of Brevity Code.

It takes a while to truly absorb the physical & mental accomplishments of my guest mountaineer & climber, Bill Burke. You see Bill has climbed "The 7 Summits". (Actually 8 for good measure).  He's successfully summited Everest from both the North and South sides putting him in rare company.  

What makes Bill Burke even more remarkable is that he started climbing when he was 60 years old!  His successful Everest summits came at 67 and 72 years of age!  This makes him the oldest living American to hold this distinction.  Slow down, reread that again and let it soak.  Guys like Bill help us re-imagine what our golden years will look like. Listening to his approach to life and climbing gives us a rare glimpse into the power each one of us holds within ourselves.

There's alot more to Bill than just climbing.  He's a Standford educated lawyer that has practiced law for 45 yrs.  He's been successful at the Supreme Court level, he's been honored with 5 lifetime achievement awards...Heck, he's even had a mountain peak named after him by the Nepalese government, called the Burke Khang which he's attempted 3 times thus far!   After spending time with Bill in and out of our studio session I've personally felt so much more energized and admittedly feeling that I just wasn't doing enough!  

So the next time you're 'Climbing your own Everest' and bitching about your circumstances...Think about Bill, get your ass in gear and finish what you started! 

There's certainly no shortage of debate surrounding the topic of Cannabis, THC & CBD and it's place in endurance sports.  Admittedly, I come from a very uninformed position.  So my talk with Cliff was incredibly eye opening for me personally.  Listen, I smoked weed a couple times in high school, got the spins and puked, or ate an entire bag of Doritos and fell asleep...Uh...Neither of which outcomes are anything I would ever aspire to achieve. Needless to say, that marked a quick end to that era. Fast forward two decades and the world has changed, or rather is attempting to anyway.  Like it or not Cannabis is here to stay. My guest Cliff Drusinsky is an elite level triathlete.  He's also not afraid to admit that he incorporates cannabis into his workouts and as a means of recovery.  He's also working on a natural food supplement (Edible) with health and performance benefits in mind.  Check your preconceived notions at the door and check out this episode "Cannabis & Endurance Sports."

Shaheen Sadeghi, former President of Quiksilver shares with us why he left a perfectly great job running a $2Billion dollar brand to open a new, unproven retail shopping concept less than a mile from one of the most dominant and premiere malls in America.  Having no prior experience, he transformed, literally a dirt lot 25 years ago into a visionary cultural retail experience that maintains it's relevance to this day.  Shaheen explains why he took such a heroic leap!

With his forward thinking, retail spaces The LAB // The Camp // The Packing House // Shaheen shares with us the thinking and considerations behind each new success and explains his creative process. We talk about the current state of the retail environment. He tells a great story about why he calls Forever 21 "50,000 sq ft of JUNK" .  We talk about why he thinks "All kids are cool" and what this youth generation really wants. And he gives us some idea of where all of this is heading. 

I'm joined by long time advanced venue security and close protection expert Mike Faello.  Mike has stood guard for many of the most revered pop stars and bands of our generation.  Mike calls in from Toronto where he's currently on tour with Justin Timberlake.  He's not the kind of guy that would boast about his company...But I sure can for him!  Mike has also worked with Kayne West, Christiana Aguilera, Britney Spears, One Republic and others.  Prying the bars back a bit on the secret life of these stoic heroes we get a rare glimpse into this unique and often misunderstood profession.  We talk about life on tour, dealing with paparazzi and of course celebrity stalkers.  We talk venue security and how guys like Mike are not only keeping the artists safe, but all concert goers in an ever more dangerous world of venue attacks.

Tony Patella and Pete Searson are serious about denim. They're also artisans, storytellers and guardians of an American tradition quickly fading into folklore. We discuss the closure of the Cone Mills, White Oak plant and it's fall out.  As well, we discuss Tellason's authentic approach as a brand to earn one customer at a time.  And why focusing on quality over quantity is winning them fans and retailer praise. How refreshing is that? We dive into many areas of denim including how to wash your jeans properly while literally standing in them, while in your shower!  We'll hear what to look for in a pair of jeans and why they can cost so dang much!  And a whole bunch more on this episode of Brevity Code!

Joining me today is fitness sensation Jay Maryniak. He's a 'loud' secret within the fitness community who's poised to absolutely dominate it very soon. As evidenced by his 235k & growing followers. 

A friend turned me onto Jay's Instragram feed @JTM_FIT and literally I couldn't stop watching it.  I've since forwarded his handle to everyone I know that's into fitness & training.  Their jaws also dropped. His strength & explosive movement combinations are riveting.  Most of them I have never seen done before.  But there's much more to Jay's story than being a gifted and dedicated athlete/trainer.  He tells a story of drug abuse at a young age that forever changed his life's trajectory.  Jay's story is one of peaks and valleys...set backs and triumphs. Just when he's back on track and drug free, life throws him another curve ball.  Listen in to find out how he overcomes that ordeal and how his personal struggles have transformed him in so many positive ways.

Pro golfer Ben Crane joins me on episode #7 of Brevity Code.  Ben shares his personal insights to success & happiness on and off the course.  We talk in detail about several of his philanthropic endeavors...Including a great story about a recent trip to Haiti where Ben brought his entire family in service of those in need.  We also talk health & fitness.  Ben shares his 'Life Plan' hack with us.  We talk about his '7 Pillars' to mapping out a well balanced life . Oh, and we also talked a little golf!  

For many of us coffee is one of the most consistent, maybe even sacred rituals we have.  Yet I would argue it’s a ritual we largely take for granted.  How much do we really know about our coffee and our preferences?  Ed Moffatt, Director and Head Roaster of Common Room Roasters breaks it all down. Don’t know what a nitro coffee or flat white is?  Do you know the difference between washed and unwashed beans? Did you even know that was a ’Thing’?!  Whether you’re a high brow coffee snob, or a casual caffeine consumer there’s something for everyone. Ed gives us a ‘Crop to Cup’ summary of all things coffee.  We’ll hear his insights on growing regions, flavor profiles, roasting and a bunch of tricks on home brewing techniques. Sit back, grab a cup and enjoy!