Redefining Expectations During Seasons of Transition

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

Think back to the last big transition you made in your life. Was it high school to college? Single-life to married-life? A move to a new city? My guess is that as you reminisce on those memories you are flooded with both positive and negative emotions. The thrill of a new adventure, the anxiety of […]

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Serve & Let Serve

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

On some level, we are all constantly searching for a tool, system, app, service, etc, that will make their lives easier…more efficient. If I don’t have time to clean my house, I hire a cleaner to do that for me. If I don’t know how to change the oil in my car, I find a […]

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Onward

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We all experience seasons of our life where it seems everything is being thrown at us at once. You can probably remember a time in the not-so-distance past when you felt like all that you had on your plate left you completely under water. These periods of life are inevitable, especially for those who are […]

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It Is More Important To Be Kind, Than It Is To Be Right

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

“It is more important to be kind, than it is to be right.” Those words were spoken over my wife and I on our wedding day. Our officiant did an incredible job and she spoke with wisdom all throughout her message. But this line is one that has stuck with me more particularly than many […]

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The Monday Sweet Spot – 09/26/2016

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We’ve all hit that point during a smoke, usually about half way through, in which the cigar’s flavors and aromas open up and transform the experience into something far more rich, complex, and enjoyable. In this moment, gentlemen, you’ve hit the “sweet spot”. A moment that encourages you to open your senses, and to truly […]

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Listen. No Really, Listen!

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Poe
Mr. Rafal
Latest posts by Mr. Rafal (see all)

*One of the biggest disagreements I have ever had in a professional setting occurred almost entirely because the person I was chatting with perceived that I was not listening to them. This disagreement had very real consequences, including me not continuing my work at that location for an additional year. It was a crazy situation […]

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Selflessness in a Self-Driven World

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Poe
Mr. Rafal
Latest posts by Mr. Rafal (see all)

Have ever met that guy who is trying too hard to make you like him? I had a roommate like that once. He used to go on breathless and endless about his really “interesting stories” but after the third iteration I realized he only had one story. He could change the packaging but in the […]

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The Shortcut to Depth in Your Relationships – *Spoiler*…There Isn’t One

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We live in an age of immediacy. The readiness and accessibility of information is broader than it has ever been before in history. This has undoubtedly done immeasurable good in innumerable ways. However, I would argue that it has also unfortunately bred a generation focused on and valuing many of the wrong things. One example […]

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John Wayne, and the Pancakes That Followed

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Poe
Mr. Rafal
Latest posts by Mr. Rafal (see all)

In an attempt to get the New Year started off well, we have been rather serious with our posts as of late. Please do not misunderstand, I rather enjoy the quality posts that we have been putting up but I also think a bit of a change is pace and direction can refresh us and […]

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The Monday Sweet Spot – 02/01/2016

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We’ve all hit that point during a smoke, usually about half way through, in which the cigar’s flavors and aromas open up and transform the experience into something far more rich, complex, and enjoyable. In this moment, gentlemen, you’ve hit the “sweet spot”. A moment that encourages you to open your senses, and to truly […]

Read More