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JOHN VARVATOS, DETROIT NATIVE AND FASHION ICON,
TO OPEN BOUTIQUE IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT
High-end American Men’s Fashion Designer to open a retail shop on Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit

John Varvatos, famed American menswear designer, today announced he would open his first Midwest retail boutique in the heart of downtown Detroit. With the store opening, Varvatos, a Detroit native, is taking an active role in in the city’s ongoing resurgence. The 4,000 square foot store will be located at 1500 Woodward Avenue. Built in 1891, the historic Gordon Lloyd-designed, Queen Ann-style mid-rise building is one of more than 60 properties owned and operated by Bedrock Real Estate Services. The boutique is slated to open in spring 2015.

The boutique – the first high-end designer fashion retailer in decades to open a permanent storefront in downtown Detroit – will offer John Varvatos’ complete menswear line including the John Varvatos Collection, John Varvatos Star USA and Converse by John Varvatos. Varvatos, an award-winning and highly accomplished global fashion designer, launched his first clothing line in 2000 after a successful design career with some of the world’s most respected menswear design houses. Varvatos credits his Detroit-area upbringing and Motown, rock & roll, blues, jazz, and punk music influences as some of the inspiration for his contemporary men’s fashion collections.

“For me, this is much more than a business opportunity. It is also about changing the complexion of a great city and creating a different kind of legacy,” Varvatos said. “Detroit is well past its tipping point and I’m thrilled to be playing a role in the city’s ongoing transformation.” His decision to return to his hometown was greatly influenced by the opportunity to partner with Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, and his Bedrock Real Estate Services team on their vision to transform one of America’s iconic cities. “To have a world renowned designer like John Varvatos choose downtown Detroit for his first Midwest store shows the confidence that specialty retailers have in the future of the city,” said Gilbert. “The creative class has played an important role in Detroit’s history and we are excited to have Varvatos return to his hometown and play a significant role in igniting Detroit’s fashion community.”

In the past two years Detroit has seen a heavy influx of businesses and retailers opening in the city, eager to take part in its renewal. “This is a huge win for Detroit,” added Dan Mullen, Vice President of Leasing and Development for Bedrock Real Estate Services. “Varvatos is setting the tone for the bustling shopping district that will grow along Woodward Avenue and will help us recruit other like-minded brands that will create the ultimate destination for downtown.”

The block that houses the building where the boutique will call home has become known as the ‘Madison Block’ – the epicenter for tech startups in Detroit. The arrival of John Varvatos marks the beginning of a fashion revolution in Detroit’s urban core while continuing to honor the block’s ongoing theme of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Visit www.johnvarvatos.com or join us on social media @JohnVarvatos

JOHN VARVATOS, DETROIT NATIVE AND FASHION ICON, TO OPEN A HIGH-END BOUTIQUE IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT

High-end American Men’s Fashion Designer to open a retail shop on Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit

John Varvatos, famed American menswear designer, today announced he would open his first Midwest retail boutique in the heart of downtown Detroit. With the store opening, Varvatos, a Detroit native, is taking an active role in the city’s ongoing resurgence. The 4,000 square-foot store will be located at 1500 Woodward Avenue.

Built in 1891, the historic Gordon Lloyd-designed, Queen Ann-style mid-rise building is one of more than 60 properties owned and operated by Bedrock Real Estate Services. The boutique is slated to open in spring 2015.

The boutique – the first high-end designer fashion retailer in decades to open a permanent storefront in downtown Detroit – will offer John Varvatos’ complete menswear line including the John Varvatos Collection, John Varvatos Star USA and Converse by John Varvatos.

Varvatos, an award-winning and highly accomplished global fashion designer, launched his first clothing line in 2000 after a successful design career with some of the world’s most respected menswear design houses. Varvatos credits his Detroit-area upbringing and Motown, rock & roll, blues, jazz, and punk music influences as some of the inspiration for his contemporary men’s fashion collections.

“For me, this is much more than a business opportunity. It is also about changing the complexion of a great city and creating a different kind of legacy,” Varvatos said.

“Detroit is well past its tipping point and I’m thrilled to be playing a role in the city’s ongoing transformation.” His decision to return to his hometown was greatly influenced by the opportunity to partner with Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, and his Bedrock Real Estate Services team on their vision to transform one of America’s iconic cities.

“To have a world-renowned designer like John Varvatos choose downtown Detroit for his first Midwest store shows the confidence that specialty retailers have in the future of the city,” said Gilbert. “The creative class has played an important role in Detroit’s history and we are excited to have Varvatos return to his hometown and play a significant role in igniting Detroit’s fashion community.”

In the past two years Detroit has seen a heavy influx of businesses and retailers opening in the city, eager to take part in its renewal. “This is a huge win for Detroit,” added Dan Mullen, Vice President of Leasing and Development for Bedrock Real Estate Services.

“Varvatos is setting the tone for the bustling shopping district that will grow along Woodward Avenue and will help us recruit other like-minded brands that will create the ultimate destination for downtown.”

The block that houses the building where the boutique will call home has become known as the ‘Madison Block’ – the epicenter for tech startups in Detroit. The arrival of John Varvatos marks the beginning of a fashion revolution in Detroit’s urban core while continuing to honor the block’s ongoing theme of innovation and black entrepreneurship.

Visit www.johnvarvatos.com or join us on social media @JohnVarvatos

Jock combines 2 passions for one great idea

We really love stories like this where jocks take the bull by the horns and create their own LEVERAGE. I capitolise the word leverage because that is PARAMOUNT to success in today’s industry. Working part time at a radio station and waiting for a full time gig to open up can be torture and it can literally take years when you get around all the BS politics, changes in programming and limited opportunities. After a while if you don’t land a full time gig by a certain age, you can get stuck in PT hell and be a 50 year old jock working part time at a station STILL foolishly waiting for your break. By that time, the opportunity is lost. Not waiting for someone else to create his opportunity by creating his own destiny beforehand is going to actually makes this man even MORE valuable to the station he works at as well as other stations in the market.  Chris Cruz is a weekend DJ on Y-100 (100.7 FM). He taught fitness classes at LA Fitness and he figured out a way to combine his two passions to create a business. He teaches a high performance REmix class in a high energy atmosphere with core, CrossFit and Cardio and his classes have been very successful at the W Hotel for the past solid year in Ft Lauderdale.  It’s no secret that major gym chains pay nothing to the people that work there but Cruz is using his station leverage to draw participants and he’s got a great side business going.

What’s he doing to build his credibility? The story is in the local newspaper which means it’s online which means sites like this one run the story. He can also upload videos to YouTube and brand himself as the leader and expert in this industry. Next comes a home workout video and the list goes on and on. If he stays on track, the next time Chris walks into a radio station or a gym he will be able to skip the useless management and go straight to corporate for a deal. In addition, he can approach local TV stations to feature a segment and the opportunities are endless. He can approach a sponsor and make the event even bigger. The station HAS to see the value this jock is to them and if they don’t another station will and he can ask for a full time gig for his next position . Creating this side business is a win/win situation for him.

You really do get what you pay for and I am not a big fan of commercial gyms. Each one will tell you they are better than the others but they are essentially all the same, disgusting bathrooms, nasty machines with sweat streaks and 95% of the patrons are there for every other reason but to work out which makes it difficult to have a routine when you are serious about working out. I like to be in environments and around people that are results based and oriented because that is who I am. I have to take responsibility for trying to save a few bucks ($50.00 a month) by going to LA Fitness when I could simply spend 3 times that much and go to a quality gym like Equinox. When you upgrade and pay more… you should GET more. I visited an Equinox and low and behold, I see a clientele and trainers that do not play and a clean bathroom that doesn’t smell like an outhouse with people actually cleaning it and moping the floors?

A salesman approached me at LA Fitness the other day about training. They are constantly trying to sell their overpriced training packages because nobody buys them. Usually I just politely brush it off and say no but for some reason this time I had to address it. You must be careful of the questions you ask because you may get a response and not the one you wanted. I have noticed that the salesmen and women in the gym are often in better shape than the so called trainers which speaks volumes for a business and this guy was a “master trainer.” I once asked a salesman why he wasn’t a trainer and he said major gym chains don’t pay enough. They get the client to pay for many sessions up front like $600.00 and they give the trainer 10% of that. He told me no real trainer is going to accept that. So this guy who approached me, the “Master Trainer” asks me if I have ever thought about hiring one of their trainers. I look him up and down and he looks like he eats extra buttery biscuits and no less than 2 fried chickens a day. This guy is literally OBESE with a big gut and he’s in horrific shape. Yet, he walks around with a shirt that says “Master Trainer?” This is when taking “act as if” TOO FAR. I have never seen this guy work out. I asked him how he became a “Master Trainer” and he told me he is certified and went to school. I then asked him if they require that you actually work out in order to get certification and he was offended and he told me he does work out.

I had to break it down and I didn’t care if he was offended because he was being dishonest in his sales approach. You are at a major gym chain selling training with a t-shirt that says you are a “Master Trainer” and you are obese? This is a horrific reflection on HIM AND the gym’s brand and the reason they can’t sell training packages. It’s hard to believe nobody in marketing can make sense of giving a real trainer a majority of that fee and making a lot more because people are actually hiring the real trainers. I asked him, why would anybody hire you to train them to get in shape when YOU are not in shape? He told me “I AM in shape and it’s not about ME being in shape it’s what the customer wants and my experience.” I told him if I hired a trainer he would have to look the way I WANT to look. He’d have to have the dedication to DO what he is claiming to be an expert in and selling or I don’t believe him. Telling me you have a certificate to get me in shape is MOOT when you look like YOU need a trainer. The point I am making here is to make sure your brand and presentation is what you say it is. Don’t be the opposite of what you sell or you won’t make the sale and don’t get mad at people who don’t believe you. A woman told me a girl was giving out cards in the bank for hair weaves and her hair was matted and unkempt. The woman told me, how does she think I would hire her to do my hair when she looks like that. She said she asked the woman if she did her own hair and the woman was proud and said yes with a smile featuring a set of brown teeth. This is unacceptable and while extreme, I hope you get the point.

L’Oreal USA announced today the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Carol’s Daughter. Headquartered in New York City, Carol’s Daughter is a premier American multi-cultural beauty brand with a pioneering heritage in the natural beauty movement. Created by Lisa Price in 1993, the brand caters to a diverse, rapidly growing market and has established a loyal consumer following across the country. Following a multi-channel distribution model, Carol’s Daughter offers a comprehensive range of products that are available at specialty beauty stores, mass retailers, on HSN, through e-commerce and at Carol’s Daughter branded stores in New York City. For the 12 months ending September 30, 2014, Carol’s Daughter had net sales of US $27 million.

“Carol’s Daughter possesses an expertise in the multi-cultural consumer segment, a rapidly expanding market that represents an important growth opportunity in the beauty industry,” said Frederic Roze, President and CEO of L’Oreal USA. “This acquisition will enable L’Oreal USA to build a new dedicated multi-cultural beauty division as part of our Consumer Products business, and strengthen the company’s position in this dynamic market.” Carol’s Daughter will continue to operate out of their New York City headquarters under the brand’s current leadership team. This acquisition further enhances L’Oreal USA’s roster of American brands which includes Maybelline NY, Kiehl’s, Essie, Urban Decay, Clarisonic and NYX.

I have worked hard for the past 21 years nurturing my brand and am thrilled that we will have a new home with L’Oreal USA,” said Lisa Price, Founder and President of Carol’s Daughter. “L’Oreal has a proven track record of helping established companies achieve their full potential while staying true to the core of the brand and they have an understanding of the future of multi-cultural beauty. I could not be more proud to begin this next chapter of the Carol’s Daughter brand with them. I know that my mother (Carol) is smiling as well.”

This is a very powerful video that is both informative and inspirational .

Are People Coming to you for your services? Then you have VALUE. KNOW YOUR VALUE

Have you ever heard about the person having a garage sale and they have a painting for $2 that ends up being a collector’s item? The person who buys it then sells it for millions and the original owner tries to get the money back claiming they didn’t know the actual value? Well look at your business like that. If you don’t know the value you will sell yourself short. The fact that people come to you for your services indicates VALUE. You have something they want and they need. DON’T BE FOOLED!

Over the last couple of years, I have written about the many ways we get taken advantage of as black entrepreneurs. What I have not addressed too often is what we do to ourselves. In an effort to gain clients, we will often give too much information in selling our services. If a potential client asks too many questions, know when someone is trying to buy or just trying to get information for free. When someone comes to you and asks for a favor agree to it with a price tag and feel no guilt. This is a business not a welfare agency.

They see your value, do you? You can offer them a discount but never EVER free. If they get upset… so be it. They see your value which is why they came to you. They need YOU so you charge them if not, expect them to keep coming to you for free. Finally, if someone puts your brand down in a slick way by saying something like “I’m helping you get the word out about what you do” or “Nobody really knows who you are” etc…. kindly move on.  They are acting as if they are helping YOU and that you will give them what they want for free or a super steep discount in return and it’s a test of your personal and business esteem. They may also balk at your prices. If they do shrug your shoulders and tell them to contact you when they are ready. If others are willing to pay for what you are asking, you are on the right track.
My best in business
Kev

It’s incredibly great to see a radio show with black hosts talk about more than music and sports. This is critical information on building wealth in the black community.

Lenard McKelvey aka “Charlamagne tha God” is an black entrepreneur of sorts, who is smart enough to manage his own career in radio. This is virtually unheard of for MOST black announcers on the air today. He was terminated from Radio One in Philly a couple of years ago when a VP of programming could not put a leash on him to control his content and delivery like most of the other black announcers at the corporation. Some state the VP was envious of Charlamagne’s potential and tried to curtail it. After being out of work for a while, he landed the biggest job of his career at Power 105.1 in NYC. Hosing the morning show. That’s not the most interesting part of his short career in the industry. He served time in a South Carolina jails as a youth and finally got his life on point after his 3rd offense and got an internship at a radio station there. He asked the right questions and got his big break when he was brought on WBLS by TV Talk Show host Wendy Williams during the twilight of her radio career before a successful jump to TV. Charlamagne was in the BEST place at the right time and it’s virtually unheard of for black announcers to climb the radio ladder so quickly. So what set’s Charlamagne apart from other black announcers? His refusal to be controlled. In addition, his idol was Howard Stern. I can honestly tell you I have rarely heard of a black announcer who’s idol was Howard Stern for the most part many have idolized announcers who said goodbye to their heyday years before they started and unfortunately there are VERY few stars in Urban radio with true radio backgrounds who break the usual mold and bring excitement to the industry. Stern still being a huge star is certainly a great choice and more realistic as an idol in today’s radio climate.

Charlamagne never wanted to be ‘the 40-year-old DJ that dyes his beard and tries to act like he’s 20,’ He understands the essence of  timing. He continues to achieve success by creating it instead of waiting for someone to give it to him, which rarely happens to a majority of jocks in the radio industry. There are only a few stars in radio and nobody can deny that Charlamagne is one of them. Out of all the national black radio stars Charlamagne has the greatest potential. He is a natural and it’s incredibly evident that he is not trying to be a “personality” and this is not a backup career for him, he IS a personality and he is great at what he does. There is not one single (at least urban) jock on the air today that could ask a guest if they could “Suck a fart out their butt” without the intense fear or should I say REALITY of not only getting fired but being BLACKBALLED by the heavily patrolled politics at major radio corporations. Charlamagne brings leverage because he is atypical and not afraid to be himself on the air. He is the Petey Greene of this generation.

KEVIN ROSS: I’ve noticed that you understood from the beginning that being a basic radio DJ would only get you so far. Were you advised against taking a more non traditional approach to radio and what made you go against the grain?

CHARLAMAGNE: Well any field a person gets involved in they shouldn’t want to be basic at it. You should want to be amongst the elite I don’t care if you’re an attorney, architect, veterinarian, radio personality, whatever you should want to be at the top of the food chain and strive to be one of the greatest so it was just a conscious decision to be great in my chosen profession which just happened to be radio. Nobody ever advised me to take a non traditional approach it’s just coming up when would listen to radio I would say to myself why isn’t the interviewer asking the most obvious question? Why is the interviewer acting like this person has talent when he doesn’t I just wanted people to talk the way we talk in the hood everyday, in the barber shops, and now on social media. That’s why Petey Greene, Howard Stern, Wendy Williams and Star were so refreshing to me. It just sounded like they were being honest. Tom Joyner, J Anthony Brown they just sounded like they were being honest. Regular people on the radio having regular conversation so that’s what I wanted to bring to the table. I’ve had PD’s in the past tell me you’re not supposed to have an opinion in radio, tell me not to give my opinion but I would rather not do it if I can’t be me which is probably why I’ve been fired 4 times in my career LMAO. (wonder if he’s talking about Philly?)

KR: You have calmed down your presentation quite a bit. Why is that?

CTG: I have? Didn’t realize that. I’ve been doing the same exact thing since day 1. This isn’t a shtick or a gimmick. I don’t even know what that means when you say I’ve calmed down my presentation. I’ve never had any FCC fines, never had any major controversies, that shock jock, hip hop Howard Stern label is a label put on me by the industry so I think people read that and think about what they are used to hearing from the great’s that came before me that were labeled that and expect to hear that from me but I’ve never been that. I’m just a regular guy having regular everyday conversations on the radio. Nothing more nothing less so when you say “calmed down my presentation” truth is I’ve never been as wild as people make me out to be to begin with.

KR: Is there anyone in radio that you admire? If so can you give 3 names?

CTG: Past or Present??? I admire a lot of people personalities and programmers. Elvis Duran, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Ryan Seacrest, Cadillac Jack, Mike Love, George Cook, Sway, Big Boi, man I admire a lot of people in this radio game. That’s a loooooooong list and each one for various reasons but my top 3 ever or Petey Greene, Howard Stern, and Wendy Williams.

KR What’s next for Charlamagne?

CTG: I’m just striving to be the best me that I can be. It’s so many opportunities being presented to me and I plan on taking advantage of all them. All i’m going to say is don’t put me in a box I may be what you think I am and I may be not. Don’t limit what you think I can do based on the perception you have of me. I might be doing late night like Jimmy Fallon or Arsenio, I might be getting my Bill Maher or Jon Stewart on, I might move in to Dr.Phil or Jerry Springer territory you never know? No matter what it is radio will be the foundation of it all. I’m not walking away from that microphone if Steve Harvey and Ryan Seacrest can do their radio shows every morning and still take over the world…then so can I.

KR: If you were not in Radio what would you be doing?

CTG: I don’t even want to think about such things. Your thoughts become things and i’m not even entertaining the thought of what my life would be like without radio. I don’t know, don’t want to know, and glad I didn’t or won’t have to find out. I will say the times I was unemployed and wasn’t in radio I felt completely naked, completely but booty naked, worse feeling in the world. Matter fact let’s change subject don’t even want to think about it…

KR: BONUS QUESTION: What advice would you give a person just entering radio?

I would tell them to be able to recognize opportunity even if it’s not a dollar amount attached to it. I would tell them if their reasoning for wanting to be in radio is money then they are absolutely in it for the wrong reasons. I would tell them hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work so I don’t care how good you think you are if you don’t work hard nothing will come of it and I will tell them that manners will take them where money won’t. Treat everybody you come in contact with respect because you get back what you put out. Always be nice and respectful greatest compliment someone can give you in this business is “He or she is a pleasure to work with” and most importantly always let Gratitude be your Attitude. When you’re happy for what you have you will get blessed with more!!!

Here at Biz Tipper we love to see minority black entrepreneurs prosper even if it’s by mistake. Cab drives have owned the cab industry for decades and now they are claiming they are being treated unfairly because companies like Uber and Lyft are exploding nationwide. I know several people who work for Uber and LOVE it. They love the freedom and the independence and a taste of what it’s like to be an entreprenur for the first time. It’s a great thing that the city governments are on the side of companies like Uber and Lyft stating that if the cab companies are willing to add aps and update their services they would be willing to allow them to compete. Cab drivers have carte blanch at many airports and Uber and Lyft are not off-limits to pick people up there which may border on a security issues but the ride sharing companies are taking over the rest of the cities. These services work via an app and provide great opportunities for people who are unemployed or looking for work as long as they have a car that is 5 years old or less. Your thoughts…