Clarity

 

Clarity is an interesting word. It means the quality of being easy to see or the sharpness of an image. In the business world, both concepts may be difficult to decipher. I find perception of one's self to be vulnerable to the outside opinions of others. The problem is most people internalize their own failures and project their feelings of jealousy through hate or disbelief. "Every time someone rises up in this world, there's always some ******* trying to bring him down." -Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street)

The world today is very serious and can be extremely cruel. It is important to have a good sense of humor to get through difficult times. I consider myself a playful person who is often sarcastic and laughs at most things. Just because I happen to be funny, does not mean that I can not conquer my goals and be successful... Yes, I am aware that the name of my blog is pretentious. Yes, I know that some phrases I use such as "old sport" is silly and it is supposed to be. Yes, the Wolf of Crestwood is meant to be amusing but it is still awesome either way! Yes, talking about money is tacky but we all do it... The key is to not take yourself too seriously. People have many sides to them and it may be hard too see someone's true talents just by having a light conversation with them or by judging what kind of car they drive. 

A friend of mine recently appeared on a reality television show where he was portrayed as a snooty rich man. When I finally asked him about said portrayal, he said that he hated it and that his words were taken the wrong way. I have noticed that this happens quite a bit when talks of money, religion, or politics arise. Take the boxer Floyd Mayweather for example... He flaunts his money and that kind of attention causes ill feelings from many people. I however, enjoy his money persona. I do not take it seriously as it is a performance for the world's stage. Now allow me to clarify something, I am not saying that it is just a show. Floyd has real money and does actually live a certain way. I do bet that there are days when he is not showing off his money and simply sits at home on the couch watching funny videos and eating cereal. Does that make him fake? Does he HAVE TO be Money Mayweather 24 hours a day? The answer is no... Each person has a many characteristics of themselves. He is allowed to be silly and loving with his kids and serious when he enters the ring!

What is my point? Clearly the public only gets to see a fraction of someone's life and the assumptions fly uncontrollably. There are days where I wear a power suit to an important business meeting and there are days where I wear sweats to visit my niece and nephews. At night I can playfully joke around like a teenager and in the morning build a 1.5 million dollar mansion. (Insert my Bruce Wayne smirk here)
Some people find it interesting that amongst my many careers, I teach theology during the day. They think the guy who talks money and watches Scarface every month can not also be about theology. The real interesting part comes when their facial expression changes after I flex my knowledge in the subject area.

There is a scene from the film American Gangster where Frank Lucas is trying to find out who shot at him. Dominic Cattano says, "Success. It's got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends."
That is a very powerful line that I am reminded of everyday at one of my jobs. With that said, I believe that being kind, being honest, and being a good person will shine through any situation to the right people. I have a talent of making situations more special. The way I see it is, you can have a simple birthday cake or you can have an entire birthday party. A nice car to me symbolizes the party! A big house to me symbolizes fun! I am just trying to make my time here as much fun and special as possible. Success is not saying that you are better than someone else, it can be as simple as a kid who liked rap videos and gangster movies and wanted to prove to his pop that he could make it!
As long as you be yourself and be every funny, serious, rich, silly, professional version of yourself, it does not matter what others think of you.

"The Wolf does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep!"  

Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2015

Could this be the boxing match of the year?

Undefeated champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather has reportedly agreed to fight long time nemesis Manny Pacquiao. According to sources at TMZ, Mayweather agreed to fight Pacquiao this year at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Fans have been anticipating this event for nearly six years. Floyd Mayweather stands at 47-0 with 26 knockouts. Manny Pacquiao holds a record of 57-5-2 with 38 knockouts. The hype of the Mayweather battle faded after Pacquiao was knocked out in the Marquez fight but fans still want the epic event to occur!

I would not get my hopes up quite yet. ESPN has reported that the deal has not been finalized. The actual business part of the event has yet to be worked out. Anybody who knows Money Mayweather can assume that much of the fight's cash value will go straight into his ever growing bank account! Who doesn't need a new Rolls Royce to add to the collection? 

There is talk of a May 2^nd fight. ESPN states that the event promoters would like to possibly push back the fight date to build up excitement and publicity. 

Will the reigning king of the boxing world face the Filipino sensation in 2015?
Only time will tell…

Bringing Classy Back!

I was attending a dinner party late Friday evening and a discussion arose about how people used to dress back in the good old days. I had a picture of my grandfather on my phone and showed it to the table to point out how well dressed he was. It was easy to see that even the most expensive of t-shirts could not compare to a fine tailored suit. Why did I choose a photo of Sean Connery to head this blog? This photo spoke to me on many levels. First and most obvious, this is a clip from a James Bond film. From the bow tie to the brandy decanter, you can get a sense of how gentlemen were portrayed years ago. In old movies, everyone is dressed well and manners were present at all times. You can still see this behavior today but it is often acted out by those of royalty or old wealth. What happened to the cool classy things people used to do? Can we bring classy back?
For example, there is something to say about a person who has a library in the home or a wine cellar in the basement. It adds a sort of sophistication to the house. Playing a competitive game of chess or sipping tea in the afternoon has high class style to it. I love the simple idea of having my hands wrapped around a cherry wood steering wheel surrounded by gold trimmed accents on a 30' bowrider on the open water. I find playing a musical instrument shows culture and work ethic to one's life resume. In fact, I am currently in the beginning stages of learning the piano. While conversing with my good friend Brian last week, he asked me if I was playing the piano because I thought it was a "fancy" thing? I wasn't thinking of it that way but the old sport was spot on! I do believe that it is a very classy skill to add to my repertoire. What beautiful sophisticated woman wouldn't mind a nice glass of Harlan in front of the fireplace while the sound of a piano filled the room? Beethoven once said, "Music should strike fire from the heart of  man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman."
Have you ever asked yourself why the opera is so special or why giving a fancy name like caviar to fish eggs makes it a delicacy? It may not be the contralto you're attracted to from the balcony of the Royal Opera House in London or the crisp pop of wild sturgeon roe from the Russian Tea Room in New York City. What draws you in just may be the representation of these things. We like fancy. We want exclusive. It is quite expensive to enjoy the finer things in life but the feeling you can get from it is priceless.          

Long Live The King?

There is no doubt that the boxing world has been resurrected by the excitement and publicity of Floyd "Money" Mayweather. You don't have to like him but you will hear about him! Mayweather's current record is 45-0. The 37 year old undefeated champion is the C.E.O of Mayweather Promotions and has his own clothing line called "The Money Team."
His reported net worth is $350,000,000 which makes him the richest boxer in history. His recent victory over Canelo Alvarez has lead to some talk about a Mayweather/Pacquiao match. Manny Pacquiao is not the fighter that he used to be and Floyd seems to be improving with age. Never the less, they should give the people what they want! On November 13, 2013 Pacquiao reportedly called out Mayweather to step into the ring with him. There has been no response from the Mayweather camp as of yet. You can watch the life and training of Floyd Mayweather on Showtime's original show "All Access." The Money Team's motto is hard work and dedication. With a little hard work and dedication, you too can enjoy some Grey Poupon in the back of a Rolls Royce Phantom!