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“A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Saville Row suit.” – Ian Fleming

Égard luxury timepieces are unique expressions of style and prestige, built with the highest quality movements produced in Switzerland and Japan. The company was never an intention but rather manifested itself from the desire of CEO and Founder, Ilan Srulovicz to pay tribute to the bond between father and son. Not being able to find the perfect timepiece on the market that symbolized the relationship; Ilan resolved to create an inspiring luxury piece that embodied the bond’s depth of emotion. A true designer, Ilan applied his creative talent to bring forth from the realm of an idea into the physical world, the original Égard watch which debuted in 2012. The watch featured an intricate layered-dial design, so bold and unique that a company was born from the popularity. Today Égard watches boasts a spectacular lineup of timepieces adorned by some of the worlds most talented actors, athletes, and artists such as Georges St-Pierre and William Shatner.

Ilan sat down with Clarence Paller, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Partnerships for LGFG Fashion House to tell his story.

Ilan was born in Baltimore, Maryland but moved to Montreal at a young age. After high school he attended Centre Nad and Interdec College both for 3D animation. Later he returned to the United States to study at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Not done with learning he moved back to Canada to attend the Vancouver Film School to study character animation. Keeping an open mind to possibilities coupled with the ability to step out of comfort zones allowed Ilan to grow and discover his purpose. He moved wherever his passion projects, watches being one of them would take him, including Vancouver, Atlanta, LA and Toronto. 

How did you start your company and what were the challenges you faced to get your business off the ground?

Initially, I wanted to buy a watch for my father. I was looking for something that had a sapphire crystal, was waterproof, automatic, and most importantly had a layer effect. From an architectural standpoint, it had to have some kind of depth. I searched the market and at the time couldn’t find something that was affordable and unique looking that covered all the bases.

I decided to take matters into my hands and over the span of a year I ended up designing my own piece, “The Shade”.

I presented the piece to my father as a symbol of the bond between us. He ended up loving it. He didn’t understand how I made it for him. He showed it to his friends and they were also taken aback.

The word about the watch spread through my father and his friends. I also went online and posted the watch on forums. It received a great reception and a lot of inquiries. The acting community was also instrumental in the popularity of the watches. My actor friends were wearing them and that is how the legendary actor, William Shatner noticed. He liked the watch so much that he wanted one too. He connected to the story behind the watches and helped me distribute it to his family and his friends. An accidental business was born.

Looking back the biggest challenge I faced getting the business off the ground, was that this business was completely foreign to me. I didn’t have anyone in my family who knew about this industry. I didn’t have any connections. I didn’t have anyone to call and ask, ‘Can I put my watches in your store?’ I may have been comfortable with design work, but I was not comfortable with marketing, business management, and manufacturing. These were all these things I had never done before. It has been eight years since the business started and I’ve made a lot of mistakes along my way. In anything in life, there is a learning curve, some steeper than others.

Who are some of the celebrities and athletes who wear your watches?

There are a lot of them, from various movies and shows, you can see them on our website, https://www.egardwatches.com/pages/whos-wearing-egard. The two celebrities who are partnered on their own line of Égard Watches are Canadians: William Shatner and George St. Pierre.

The watch we did with Shatner involved me sourcing a meteor from Alaska. This timepiece “Passages”

 was incredibly difficult to make because the iron in the meteor was affecting the mechanical movement of the watch. Also, I made a sapphire crystal that had never been done before in that shape. The end piece is brilliant, but it all ties back to an important concept which applies to anything in life; an end goal is only achieved one step at a time.

When it comes to working with celebrities’ people sometimes comment, ‘oh wow you are so lucky!’ It is not luck at all. It is the iceberg metaphor, people only see the tip of all the work that went into arranging the celebrity. I’ve literally contacted 5000 people, followed up, was consistent and heard no some many times that I have lost count. It doesn’t matter how many no’s you get, there will be the one yes and you have to be determined and persistent to get it.

While we are on the topic, I have another 5,000 calls to make because I would like to work with another famous Canadian, Jordan Peterson.

What makes you tick?

I have always wanted to do something unique. I never wanted to just have my life pass by and never have something to look back on. So, I decided to go for it. On our website is a video about our watches and company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RrF5rlmghY. In it, I speak about the concept of life and death. I never wanted to be on a final stage of my life and feel like there was something that I needed to do but didn’t. It is the same concept Gary Vaynerchuk always stresses, that regret is poison.

I only undertake projects that I am passionate about and put a hundred percent of myself into them. I have walked away from very good jobs to do things that didn’t pay me any money because I believed in them. Watches being one of those projects. I learned to separate the societal definition of happiness and replace it with my own definition. I feel this is far more functional for me. 

I think a majority of people actually believe that success and happiness are synonymous. When in fact they exist Independence of each other. There are many people who on the surface seem successful but are very unhappy. They can’t separate the two psychologically. They depend on their success in order to be happy and often times end up unfulfilled in life.

Whereas, I decided at a young age that my goal was going to be happiness and separated it from success. The concept of one life and we are all going to die. Another theme Gary Vaynerchuk always stresses. Don’t get me wrong though. It’s not like I don’t want to be successful. The differentiator for me is that success means being consistent in my life. If I am going to go into something, I’m going to do it properly. I can never guarantee the outcome but it encourages me to do unique things.

Sometimes this drive can be good, and sometimes it can be bad. It’s a round wire because in the process there are so many obstacles, failures, and people’s judgments. However, it is an authentic path that leads to growth. A meaningful life is where you fail forward, follow your internal compass and persevere. There is a saying, “10 years’ experience or 1-year of the same experience for 10 years.”  This is a choice we all have to make for the kind of life we want to lead. 

Have you encountered when people say to you that what you are doing is crazy and not practical?

People always tell me the things I do are crazy. When I was designing my watches, people were saying, ‘it’s such a crazy type of watch and starting a watch company is a crazy idea. ‘People have called me crazy for going into acting which by the way went very well for me too.

There are the people who limit themselves. If you have a wonderful idea and go all in on it, you are still going to be happier at the end of the day regardless of the outcome. The key though, if the process of going for it is not enough for you then don’t do it. If you’re only in it for an end result, it’s probably not a good idea. 

Comment on failing and coming back from it.

I’ve failed many times in my life. There are many watches we released that just didn’t go over well. Similarly, there were times in my acting career that were very tough. However, I would say the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to overcome was being diagnosed with auto immune disease. The disease caused me to get migraines, twitching muscles, damage to my spine and everything became just terrible. It wasn’t necessarily a failure, but it was difficult for me to work. Normally, I would put in 12-13 hours a day for work. With the pain, I couldn’t do that. You kind of get to a point where you are broken. How do you build yourself back up from those places?

I knew that to get my body to work again that I had to start by going one day at a time. To focus on one area and work my way back up. Hence, I started with my legs and not walk with a limp. I didn’t worry about anything else other than that one goal, no matter how long it took. When that goal was achieved, I worried about the next goal.

Perhaps, those darkest places in life are the greatest gift. If you can overcome them then any small challenges and other failures are a walk in the park. 

Thus, from my experience, the way to overcome failure, or overcome adversity is not to look at the end goal but rather the day, or the immediate task in front of you, one step at a time. That’s the biggest mistake people make in life. When you try to do something, if you look at the end goal, then often times it seems insurmountable.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a very cool man’s watch. It is a technical, kind of military-like watch. I want this watch to really symbolize the positive in masculinity.  With the Gillette add recently attacking masculinity, and society as a whole berating man, I think this watch sends a very important message. I want to uplift, inspire and show men that there are a lot of positive messages for them out there.

The second watch I am working on is a prototype. It is quite remarkable, but not connected to any theme or concept. I have been working on this piece for years. It was extremely difficult to make.

Talk about your campaign to counter the message companies like Gillette are making and your decision to go on Fox news and speak about your campaign to raise awareness.

The new Gillette campaign,  conveys a generalized message toward masculinity that I don’t find will create a positive affect long term. Companies pandering and amplifying other messages in society along the lines of, ‘oh, men shouldn’t have an opinion on this subject, because they are men.’ is not a rational way to create progress or any kind of a viable future. There has to be a debate and a dialogue. It is wrong to shut up half of the population and expect progress through it.

The goal of the campaign and my interview on Fox was really to tell other companies that we need more positive messages for men. There is no benefit to calling masculinity toxic. On the contrary, most men are hardworking, wonderful, trying to do their best for their families, wives, kids, and their communities.

It is wrong to classify what is inherently biological gender and masculinity, as something toxic. Nor would I ever agree with that term for femininity. I think femininity is beautiful as well, and if I saw the same message for women, I would fight it until the day I die. I don’t agree with a lot of messaging that I see nowadays in general. I just got tired of it and thought I should do something about it. Hopefully, more companies follow suit and reinforce positive messages for both males and females alike.

Why is it important to dress well in the business world?

The main reason it is important is that when you are doing a transaction with someone and whether it is justifiable or not, you base it on a certain degree of trust. Let’s say you have a watch store and I want to show my line and what it represents. If I come in and I am not dressed nice, wrinkled clothes, not fitting etc., then that is a representation of my product. I am an extension of my product. There are a lot of people who say, ‘I should be able to dress the way I want.’ Yes, you can and you should, but you cannot force other people to have the reaction you want. In other words, if they choose not to engage in business with you based on your choice of how you present yourself, then you cannot claim to be a victim.

I always have a choice to put my best foot forward. Whomever I am doing business with will see that as a reflection of my commitment, my product, and my ability to be ethical of the work I have put in. How I present myself, what clothes I put on, what tone I speak with, are all relevant in every and each aspect in my life.

This transcends business too. It applies when you meet people socially. People are engaging with us in public or anywhere. Subconsciously or consciously they are analyzing you. Whether you care or not it is happening.

 For business, I tend not to care what people think about me. However, I do care about representing my product properly and my business properly. I won’t dress up messy to go out and eat with my parents. I want to show them respect and make sure that people around them in the restaurant or any other setting also treat them with respect. In a sense too, I came to that particular restaurant means I have respect for the restaurant.  I respect my family by taking them there. Thus, putting your best foot forward is a habit, I’d say one you can add to Stephen R. Covey famous book, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Interview transcribed by Evgenia Stroganova.

By: Clarence Paller, LGFG Director of Public Relations and Contributor for the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA)

Florida Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov is a highly offensive and skilled forward who prides himself on his 2-way game.  Since returning to the NHL last season after playing five seasons in the KHL, Dadonov has found his scoring prowess recording 28 goals and 37 assists in 74 games for the Panthers during the 2017-18 season.  After a long off-season of training and preparation, Dadonov heads into the 2018-19 season ready to help newly appointed CaptainAleksander Barkov and the rest of the Panthers re-establish themselves as a playoff contender.

To get to where he is today though, Dadanov underwent an entire process of growth and adjustment. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and spent his first three seasons of professional hockey split between Florida and the Rochester Americans, the Panthers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate at the time.  In 2012 the Panthers traded Dadonov to the Carolina Hurricanes where he finished out the season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.  

From 2012 – 2017, Dadonov elected to play in the KHL with HC Donbass and later St. Petersburg SKA. It was while playing in the KHL that he gained a championship pedigree winning two Gagarin Cups as the best team in the league with SKA. He also gained invaluable experience under the tutelage of established NHL stars Ilya Kovalchukand Pavel Datsyukwhich has led to his successful reemergence in the NHL.

Dadonov’s first steps in hockey began in Chelyabinsk, Russia where he attended hockey school at six years of age. He was influenced by his older brother who also played hockey. “I followed in his footsteps,” said Dadonov. “My parents also were instrumental because they always took me to games, practices, and tournaments.”  Dadonov recalls the hockey heroeswho inspired him to pursue a hockey career. “It was the 1998 Nagano Olympics when Pavel Bure scored 5 goals against Finland which I will never forget.  I wanted to be a hockey player like Pavel after that.”

Dadonov fondly remembers his time playing in the Russian development system and then junior through the Traktor Chelyabinsk system.  “We had quite a strong team.  Very often we would take first place in our region and advance to the Russian Finals. In the Finals, we would always win first, second or third place. I will always remember these moments. It is a unique bond because in the Traktor system my teammates and I grew up together, spending 10 years on one team. Some players would come and go but it was the main group that grew up together.”

Dadonov recalls his draft day when he was selected by the Florida Panthers.  “I actually wasn’t there at the draft, I was at home in Chelyabinsk hanging out with my friends. It was my mom who found out first that I was drafted by the Panthers and she called me and gave me the great news. It was a great feeling.”

Reflecting back on his first three years of professional hockey in North America, Dadonov recalls the challenges and adversity he faced.  “At first when you come to a new country it is quite difficult. At the time I didn’t know practically any English. It was hard to understand what was being asked of me by the coaches and hard to interact with my teammates. Then there is the game itself.  It is completely different from the demands of you as a player, the size of the ice and the style of hockey. This is the standard situation that many hockey players who come from abroad face in their first year in North America,” explained Dadonov.

Following his first NHL Training Camp, Dadonov was assigned to Rochester.  However, he looked at the opportunity very objectively.  “I am not the first person who didn’t make the NHL without first playing in the AHL so I wasn’t worrying about being sent to the minors. I tried to follow the advice of what the training staff was saying to me and worked every day on improving my game. I always look at things positively and focused on learning new skills to become a better player.” 

The AHL ultimately helped Dadonov develop as a professional and eventually advance to the NHL.  “Going to the AHL really helped me solidify myself and learn the North American system. I learned a lot from the hardnosed style of hockey, interaction with Canadian, American, and European players. Playing hockey in the AHL was important also because I needed to adapt from my style of play and get acclimatized to the North American style of hockey. My time in the AHL was very beneficial for me both on and off the ice.”

Off the ice, Dadonov is grateful to the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) which isthe union that represents AHL and ECHL players for assisting in his transition to North America.  “I think they do a great job helping players and providing them the support and information they need. Their work is especially important for players who must overcome any challenges they may be facing in their personal lives.  They have many programs available for players and its very reassuring knowing that they are there for you.”

In July 2012 when Dadonov’s NHL contract expired, he was contemplating what to do next. He received offers to play in Russia and rather than holding out for an NHL contract, he decided it was best to return home to the KHL.

During his time in the KHL, Dadonov took with him what he learned in the NHL and AHL and applied it to his game overseas, especially the aspects that were identified in the NHL as needing work. “I applied those lessons and utilized them when I could on the different ice surface.  I feel it did help me achieve success in the KHL and allowed me to continue my development,” said Dadonov.  “It was also helpful playing with Datsyuk and Kovalchuk who gave insight and guidance as to what it takes to be a force in the NHL. They are legends and it was an honor to play with them and just be around them in the dressing room.”

Dadonov always knew he wanted to return to the NHL, it was just a matter of timing. “I didn’t know I would spend five seasons in the KHL it just turned out that way. When the time came for negotiations of a new contract and offers came from the NHL, I started to really think about it and that led me to re-sign with the Florida Panthers.’

Dadonov came back to the NHL a more well-rounded player including a new playing style with the focal point being two-way play.  “I always want to help the team and make solid plays on both sides of the ice.”  While last year’s campaign was successful there were still challenges.  “I had to recollect the lessons I learned early in my career and ensure that I did not sway from that. I thought it would be easier to return the second time, but it was still hard and I had to once again adapt to the English language and the North American style of hockey. With hard work and dedication everything worked out and I had a great season.”

What stood out for Dadonov was how well the team played during the second half of the season. “Of course we wanted to make the playoffs but a little bit was lacking. That said, the push and the way we played the second half really is a glimpse into how this season can go and that is very promising. I think we have a very good team with talented players like Jonathan Huberdeau and Alex Barkov.”

Dadonov has already had an illustrious international career having been part of nine Russian teams and having won gold medals at the World Junior Chamionships and World Championships.  “It is an incredible honor playing for your country and a huge responsibility. The whole team and the nation wants to reign atop the hockey world.  I recall almost every tournament very well. Winning gold is, of course, a great feeling. We had so many great teams and tournaments where we won second or third place as well. Sometimes things just didn’t go or the puck didn’t bounce our way for us to win the gold, but still, we played with our hearts on our sleeves.”

Dadonov also recalled some great moments involving Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin.  “It was during one World Hockey Championship where Malkin gathered the whole team at his house and we made traditional style Russian shish kababs. It was a very nice moment the team shared which helped us come together and perform on the ice. A similar story of Ovechkin when he gifted our whole team with earphones with the Russian coat of arms. It really goes to show the character of these great men.”

Being adaptable and remaining positive has allowed Dadonov to develop and expand his game and serves as a lesson for players who may not make the NHL out of training camp, especially those coming from overseas.  His successful resurgence in the NHL last season bodes well for the Panthers who have high aspirations for the upcoming season.

Check and mate – Joseph K W Yu from HSBC Commercial Banking is looking like a King in his new LGFG FASHION HOUSE, Paris line – blue with apricot windowpane suit.

Window Pane suits were the bee’s knees in the 40s think Johnny Depp in Public Enemy. The term window pane comes from the wide checks that add dimension for that bold statement to turn some heads and command authority.

Generate some buzz with your new LGFG suit!

Joseph’s Executive Clothier is Daryl Rivera. 

The suit of the week belongs to Eric Spicer, Vice President at Global Steel Ltd. 

He is looking stylish in his new LGFG FASHION HOUSE, London 3-Piece suit in light grey with a blue windowpane.

The phrase, the men in grey suits refers to the powerful and influential men in business or politics.

This ties nicely to a quote by Mark Twain. 

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” 

Eric’s Executive Clothier is Aron Klassen. 

Clarence Paller, for PHPA.com | Professional Hockey Players’ Association

Alexandar Georgiev is feeling confident heading into training camp.  Having spent the offseason doing intense training, one of the top goaltending prospects for the New York Rangers is coming to camp in top physical shape and drawing on his experience from his first year of professional hockey in North America.  Having played 47 games split between the Hartford Wolf Pack and New York Rangers last season, the 6’1 keeper is looking to pick up where he left off last year and solidify himself as a top-tier goalie who can be called upon at any time.

Georgiev was born in Bulgaria but soon thereafter moved with his family to Russia. At five years old, his parents enrolled him in a hockey school not far from where they were living.  Georgiev credits his parents as being the greatest influence on his career.  “My parents wanted me to become a professional athlete and youth hockey in Russia was at a good level.  My parents spent full days taking me to practices and games. They also signed me up and took me to additional independent training.”  His parents’ vision would become a reality as Alexandar progressed through the youth system in Russia and later moved to Finland to play Junior.

Georgiev also attributes his development as a player to his first trainer in Russia, Slava Litvinov who ” worked with me to develop an exceptional skating technique that to this day makes me stand out compared to other goalies.” Just as instrumental is goalie coach Fredrik Norrena.  “I have been working with Fredrik since I was 10 years old every summer.  He invited me to play for TPS in the Finnish SM-liiga where I went to play when I was 18.”

Georgiev fondly recalls the memories from his junior career playing for TPS.  “In my first year, we won the Finnish Championship. There were very strong teams against us in that tournament, and those teams had players who are now playing in the NHL in top roles.”

The pinnacle of his junior career though was winning the silver medal for Russia at the 2016 World Junior Championships. “We had such amazing players on our team, a coach who was able to bring chemistry and unite us to achieve our goals. It is a wonderful feeling and an incredible honor to play for your country. You have the whole country supporting and cheering for you. We didn’t end up winning gold but the experience our team gained there was invaluable for our development,” said Georgiev.

It was during the 2016-17 season when Georgiev was discovered by the New York Rangers.  “In the European top leagues, every game is being scouted by at least one or two NHL scouts. The Rangers scouts liked my game each time they watched me play. After the end of my 2016-17 season, they invited me to the Rangers development camp in the summer. Then after coming to the camp and showcasing myself very well, they offered me a contract. To this day, that is one of the best highlights of my career receiving the message that I earned a contract and a chance to play in the NHL.”

The next season would mark the beginning of Georgiev’s professional career in North America.  He was assigned to the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford, and although it wasn’t easy, he adjusted to the North American style of play.  “Hockey in the AHL is different and not because the speed is faster, or the ice is smaller; you get used to that relatively fast. The biggest difference is in the hockey itself.  In the AHL, it is very offense oriented and players shoot from anywhere and at any moment. This was a big difference coming from a Finnish team that was very defensive where I didn’t face more than 20 shots a game. That said, there were elements of the transition to North American hockey that came relatively easy such as communication with my defensemen. I can speak English well and my teammates in Hartford were easy to work with and took me into the team and really made the adjustment very smooth.”

After impressing the Rangers brass throughout his rookie season, on February 22nd, 2018, Georgiev was called upon to make his NHL debut with the Rangers in Montreal for an original six matchup. He recounts, “the day before the game with Montreal I was informed that I would start. Right away I messaged my family and friends to let them know. I prepared for the game like I would for any other game so as not to turn it into something unusual or different.  I didn’t feel nervous or anxious probably because I waited so long for that moment that when it came I was just so happy to finally play in the NHL. When I arrived at the Bell Centre, I remember looking at the jerseys hanging from the rafters and realizing I am about to play in the NHL.  This is a remarkable feeling; one you dream about your whole life. It is even a bit hard to believe that you are there and going to play. The arena was sold out and you feel like you are in a totally different atmosphere. After my first save things started to feel much easier. You just enjoy every second of the moment.”  Although the Rangers lost 3-1, Georgiev made an impressive 38 saves.

Throughout the 2017-18 season, Georgiev played 10 games in the NHL with the Rangers, posting a .918 save percentage and 4-4-1 record. Of note, his first victory came on March 3, where he stopped 35 shots as the Rangers defeated Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 3–2.

The Rangers organization has been helping Georgiev in his development in both the NHL and at the AHL level. “Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire has played a huge role in my development. It is a pleasure to work with him. He is always positive. We often watch tapes together and we analyze the game from the goaltender’s point of view.  I also benefit from my time around Henrik Lundqvist. He really supported me in my first game with the Rangers. It is great to watch how he conducts himself on the ice and in life, he is a true professional and a class act. There is so much to learn from him. The role of the AHL is also instrumental for my development. Most goalies, in order to make it to the NHL they play in the AHL first. This is a great school on how hockey is played in the NHL. I think it is very important for goalies to develop in the AHL.”

During his first professional season, Georgiev was also very impressed by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association and the services and support they offer AHL and ECHL players. “The PHPA sends us information quite frequently, they give us updates about the league, lots of documentation about services they provide and how to access them. They support the players as best they can and you can really feel their presence, especially for me having come from Europe where players don’t have a union. They help not only for things related to hockey but for things players go through outside of hockey and off the ice which is very important to a lot of players.”

As he builds upon his first season at the professional level, Georgiev will continue to hone the skills that define his playing style such as his advanced goalie skating technique and speed coupled with his ability to deftly read plays by identifying the kind of shot and where players will aim for. “I try to not fall into the butterfly right away like most goalies do. I first track where the shot is going and act accordingly.”

He also works to model his game after top goalies in the NHL. “I follow the goalies who are excelling in the NHL and I take something from them that could help me in my game. Particularly what stands out for me is that there are a lot of goalies that are shorter than me.  I really pay attention to what makes them successful despite having less height. I also model my game after Sergei Bobrovsky who has already won two Vezina trophies. In my opinion, he is one of the very best goalies in the league.”

Georgiev also provided perspective surrounding how he reads players and knows when to challenge or stay deep in the crease.  “As a goalie, when you read plays and decide when to challenge or stay back in your crease it has to do with the attack that is coming at you. If the player doesn’t have a chance to make a pass then I try to always challenge, cut the angle and give him nothing to shoot at. I also try to read the type of player themselves.  If Ovechkin is barrelling down then most likely he will shoot, so it would likely be a good idea to come out and challenge him.  The way you set up for shots all boils down to being able to read plays and players in that exact moment. There is no structure for a goalie that in one situation you play this style and in another that style. A goalie always must read the play, and instantly know what options you have to stop the opposing team’s attack.”

One aspect of the game that is particularly important for a goalie is the battles and screens in front of the net. “All teams are trying to screen goalies because they know if a shot is directly on a goalie unobstructed then it will most likely be stopped. I emphasize working on screen plays in practice and being able to see around the screen. The key is to see the moment right as the shot is released, that is the most important.  Even if you don’t see the puck in trajectory, once it is released if you see the start of the shot then you can react if its tipped or make a positional save through the screen.”

Being in the right headspace for a goalie is key and there are times when things don’t go as planned, like a bad goal, getting pulled, or not starting for consecutive games. Georgiev explains how a goalie has to have a short memory and stay positive and focused at all times. “When you play your whole life as a goalie you take everything in stride. It can be difficult to stay positive when games don’t go well or you let in a goal you wish you had back but at a professional level it is required of goalies to be able to overcome these things and quickly rebound. You have to concentrate on the next shot and not think about the one previous. If a goal went in so be it. You can’t change anything about that. Only after the game can you go in and analyze the game and the shots that beat you. From there determine what you can do for next time and what you can work on further. In the game you can only be in the moment.”

There are high expectations on the Rangers this year, with a new coaching staff and aspirations to get back into the playoffs.  Ahead of his second season of pro, Georgiev is ready to do his part to give the team a chance to win and continue to develop into one of the game’s elite goaltenders.

In today’s world, every company is a tech company, even a tailoring one.

Did you know LGFG FASHION HOUSE has had instances where clients bought garments in Bitcoin?

On the topic of crypto-currency, our Hong Kong team, Rida Shaikh, Kal Kammoonah, and Daryl Rivera are at the Hong Kong Blockchain Week happening now.

While we are on the topic, have you seen our President and CEO, Dimitry Toukhcher’s, Suit Maker Pilot?

The first episode was with Paxful CEO, Ray Youssef. Paxful Inc is a peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace.

If you haven’t seen it check it out here.

President & CEO of Stark, Todd Vande Hei – On Business, Leadership & Peak Health for America’s Top CEOs

Stark is a personal training company founded in 2011 in Orange County, LA that was inspired by Fortune 100 CEOs in the U.S., who built their own teams of specialists to oversee and maintain their peak health. Stark has applied that model to provide clients with a team of fully-integrated specialists who are all working together to achieve maximum results for the clients or as the company calls them, students. Stark primarily serves CEOs, business leaders, and professional athletes, providing training, nutrition advice, chiropractic care, Active Release Technique (A.R.T)., and IV therapy.

Stark President & CEO Todd Vande Hei sat down with Clarence Paller, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Partnerships for LGFG Fashion House.

Todd hails from Minnesota, where he went to school at St. John’s University.  After graduation, he lived in Chicago for a number of years and then took a job in Southern California in manufacturing. He has been in California for the last 20 years. Todd is fifty years old and married with three teenaged kids. He is in terrific physical shape, while running a very successful business and enjoying life. However, that success did not come overnight. It was the business experience that Todd learned at the manufacturing job, coupled with the devastation of getting fired and losing almost everything to the 2008 recession, that would spark the creation of Stark in 2011.

Not only has Todd built a successful business, but he is also actual living proof of the effectiveness of the Stark methods.

“I am the ultimate example of the work product of having a team of specialists working for you. I am not a fitness industry person, I’m not a personal trainer, not a nutritionist, not a doctor; I can’t fill any single one of those roles in the company. What my role outside of running the business, is to allow for a nearly perfect compliance to the programs, so that we can learn from it.”

How did you start Stark and what were the challenges you faced to get your business off the ground?

The company I came to work for in California was called Fabrica, whose parent company is The Dixie Group (DXYN). After just a year, Fabrica was acquired by a public company. Eventually, I was promoted to President. I ran this public company and had a conflict with the Board of Directors. I had suggested they back out of some of the strategic changes that they wanted to make, as I thought it would be difficult for me to perform as the President of business, but they disagreed and I was fired. This is how things happen in these types of positions. I walked out like they do in the movies; people in the hallway were waving me good-bye and everything. I got home and told my wife that I was fired. I was only 36 at the time and in a financial position to retire. Three years later in 2008, the real estate bubble collapsed and along with it, the financial services sector.

At the time my wife and I were heavily invested in financial services and real estate. As you can imagine, we were completely wiped out. From all the money we had, we were only left with sixty thousand dollars, five years after retiring. It was a gut-wrenching experience. To make matters worse, so much of my identity was wrapped into my financial success. I felt like God reached in and ripped it out from me. It was a very painful experience and there was a lot of shame that came with it.

I recall standing in my jacuzzi in the backyard taking a break from putting my resume together as I was taking in the view that overlooked the coast of the Pacific Ocean. I had long hair and some signs of a midlife crisis; the cool breeze was playing with my hair. It was straight out of an Eagles song. I was standing there looking at that beautiful view and thinking that I would probably not have it for much longer. I was getting ready to go through the stages of the accepting process.

I was interrupted from my deep thoughts by the ring of my blackberry. I picked up the phone. It was my ex-business partner Brad, who was a personal trainer of mine at one point. He too, was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, probably just like me. He was struggling with his personal training business and about to shut it down. He didn’t know what to do and how to fix the business.

When we met, I told him that I would be happy to work with him for as long as I can while I was still in California. Also, I told him that the moment I get a job likely in New York or Georgia because of the industry I was in, that I would have to move. I really wanted to stay in California and make it work with his business. Looking back, there was nothing: no infrastructure, no operational processing, and no money. The lease even sucked. It was a disastrous little business. My partner was a great trainer, at the time, but not a great business person.

A month later, after I made the books for him, I realized the financial predicament, which was that the business was operating at a loss. He was collecting fees from clients in advance and running a business on these advance payments. In reality, the business was building liability on the balance sheet. At that point, I told Brad, let’s make this business work. From that point on, we scrubbed his existing business and started Stark on January 1st, 2011.

Of the sixty thousand, I had left in my savings I put forty-two of it into the business. I had no income and borrowed thirty-five thousand at a twenty percent interest because we had no ability to borrow, otherwise traditionally.

How did your past experience shape your ability to create a successful business?

At Fabrica, there was a process for introducing a new product, and the cost was a million dollars, sometimes less or sometimes more. My job was to ensure that the success rate was higher every time we rolled out a new product. One of the things that had to happen before a product could be launched was that we had to have input from manufacturing people, engineers, the CFO who knows financial side, the marketing people, designers, and so on. We would all get in a room in a sweaty armpit type of situation.

It was through this collaboration and the different perspectives that three months later there would be a beautiful product that is also manufacturable and profitable. I understood when I started Stark that this process is the most basic thing that occurs in every single industry around the globe. At least every business that’s successful, however, it was completely absent in health, fitness, and medicine.

The gap in the industry was what inspired the model for Stark. Today we have a whole team of top educated professionals working with each of our students. A doctor, a nutritionist, a trainer, a chiropractor and a person who analyzes data to write programs. I decided that those individuals would not only work in the same building, but they need to be debating, sharing ideas, and all working together for the student. From here, we combined medical technology with labs and physical exams. We use as many diagnostic, non-invasive tools as possible. For example, DEXA scans to measure bone mineral density or our fit 3D device that gives us a 3D avatar of a student’s body from which we gather circumference measurements.

How did the business grow into what it is today?

In the beginning, it was really primarily just training, then nutrition and supplements. After that, we started addressing problems with our clients not getting where they wanted to be quick enough. It was kind of what you see in most commercial gyms where you have clients working with trainers, the clients of such gyms are really there for the sake of the relationships they build with their trainers. They end up feeling obligated to be there. I didn’t want that kind of business. There is no supervision, no cheques, and balances in this process. Each trainer operates independently, and I didn’t want that either. I wanted to have some kind of cohesive entity that would represent us as a unified brand, which of course added value.  Personal training is difficult to scale because it’s a service business.

I took my partner, Brad, who was operating as a trainer and I broke him up into several pieces. It was the same idea as what Henry Ford did in his vehicle production, there was nothing new I invented. Brad became the person who wrote programs, assessed people, and wrote nutrition plans. Later he backed down on the actual coaching side of the training sessions. As we got busier, we replaced some of those tasks that Brad was doing with others. At this stage, we had someone who wrote nutrition plans and someone who wrote training programs. Those people can manage up to 400 students at a time. Coaches themselves can only manage 15 or 20. Today we develop coaches and all they really focus on is leadership. They learn how to get someone to like and trust them quickly and learn about someone’s challenges and to empathize, all while holding students accountable to their end of the deal. This is really the base of our business, a partnership with our students.

What are the common issues you find with executive level clients? Who are the biggest CEOs and how do you work with CEOs’ schedules?

One of the big-name students we have is the founder of Alteryx, which is a software company that just went public in 2018. Our whole business is around CEOs and for privacy reasons, we can’t disclose names. Generally, when CEOs come to see us, they are traveling, could be a full week out of each month, sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on the type of business. They would get an IV to recover from the trip they just came back from and begin working with our coaches by taking several sessions before leaving again the following weekend. They get a custom-tailored plan that they take with them.

We also teach CEOs what to eat while they are traveling and dining out. CEOs dine out sometimes ten times a week and this can be a challenge for their nutrition. We teach them how to eat properly during their business travels. Here is advice we give to CEOs, eat sardines before you go for dinner with a big client, then at the dinner order a big salad. That is the perfect dinner. We also teach CEOs how to practice good sleep hygiene in a hotel room for example by blocking out all red or blue lights, making sure to put a towel under the door so that the light does not come out from underneath, turning down the thermostat, and all the small details. There is a tremendous amount that we can do for people who travel a lot.

It is totally normal for CEOs to expose themselves to new ideas like going to conferences, taking courses, hiring a business coach etc. What’s not so normal is putting a team of specialists together to care for their bodies. Neglecting physical health is a serious disadvantage for a CEO or anyone for that matter. If someone is overweight, they are tired and not thinking clearly.  If they have low back pain, then they are impaired and certainly not going to appear happy. CEOs make high-level decisions while affected by different health factors. These have to be fixed in order for CEOs to perform at their best.

What is something you have learned about life from your profession?

I think like most CEOs; my profession is a huge part of my life. It’s hard for me to separate the two. The experience of intense failures that I’ve had and how I approach failure today has completely changed. In other words, when I was thirty-six and I was fired, now I think it was cool but back then it was scary and devastating. Losing everything was a huge punch to my ego. I recognized through failure that ego is not your amigo, and it’s so true. Ego gets in the way, screws things up, and impacts your judgment. Today, I always make sure, whether it is spending time with my eighteen-year-old son, doing my job, working out, or whatever, that I attempt to keep my ego in check. Ego can be one of the most damaging barriers for any CEO. We start getting high on success, and that’s probably one of the first steps to failure, at least that’s how I see it.

The other thing that changed a lot in me over the years is that I am an absolutely different person as a result of failures. Today, I have a tremendous amount of empathy. I can see that in a week maybe I’m homeless, and that’s an actual possibility. All sorts of crazy shit can happen in life. It’s not impossible. I’m not immune to losing everything all over again. I’m not afraid of it as much anymore but I can see the fear in others. When I see people try things and fail, I’m most concerned about how they are perceiving the failure. What it actually means to them and how quickly they bounce back from it. In my life, work, success, and failures shaped a huge part of who I am today and how I behave.

Could you comment on how important attire is and how physique and attire go together for a business person?

Most things in life you don’t have much control over. For example, I don’t have complete control over my physical appearance and my fitness levels. It would take a long period of time if I wanted to change some of those things. When it comes to your image, you have complete control over that. I’m always astounded by business leaders that show up with shoes that need to be polished, or suits that look wrinkled and not fitting properly. People immediately make decisions about others in a fraction of a second. Your image plays a big role in people’s perception of you. As a business leader, whether it is with your employees, a big client, your bank, or whoever, if you don’t look like you’re really visually, physically put together then you are doing yourself a disservice. You are not performing against the same results as you otherwise would. I think the style of the clothes may not matter too much because that’s a character, personality, taste, kind of thing. I am conservative when it comes to attire. You don’t want your clothes to take too much attention away from who you actually are. That said, how the clothes fit is a huge issue. Even if you are really overweight, if you have a great suit that is put together well by a good company; then you would look head and shoulders above where you otherwise would have.

How is your business growing and what does the future hold for Stark?

We have always been a company of millennials and I am the old guy. I recognized millennials were our future when we opened eight years ago. I decided I would need to become one, not the other way around. This seemed more practical. I could change myself a lot easier than I could change a generation. I allowed for a lot of testing of different things that as a generation X person, I wouldn’t have really considered in the past like philanthropy.

One of my employees, Tyler, convinced me that we should be giving money away. We didn’t really have the money several years ago when he suggested this. Now we are very financially stable and vastly growing, so we are in a really good position. Back then it was like, really Tyler? We don’t have much money, and you want me to start giving out money? He said, don’t worry about it, it will come back around through the universe, Christianity, whatever you believe in. I said OK, I don’t care where the money goes. I don’t have a lot of emotional feeling about it. You go figure it out. From there on we started giving out a huge percentage of our profit.

Last year we gave away 30% of our profit. That is becoming a massive area of prospecting for us, meeting people who are on boards for charities and all the people who go to gala events. Philanthropy pumps us up above the local fitness industry. We also found it is great for retaining employees and getting them involved in the community because millennials want to feel that they are a part of something larger than themselves.

Philanthropy has led to growth and it is more than just about the money. Again, it’s a shocker for me. I just did it because I wanted to see what it could lead to and if Tyler was correct that it is worthwhile: I love holding people accountable. They tell me that by getting X we’re going to get Y, OK, that’s on you; and it actually worked.

The other area where we have grown is retention and referrals. We’ve put everything from the resource standpoint into improving the quality of the experience at Stark for our students and for our employees. As a result of that, we can’t help but grow. We just opened our second location in January, and we are going to have our third location by the end of the year in Orange County. The fourth location will be in LA and the fifth will be in San Francisco. From there we will grow outside the state.

 What advice do you have for other CEOs?

Most of my peers are constantly lamenting the fact that they do not know how to deal with millennials. They call them lazy, and all the negative ideas from the older generation’s standpoint. I look at my peers and say, I love my millennials; they work their asses off, they are passionate about what they do, and they think long term. These are wonderful things that are related to the millennial generation.

My advice for other CEOs is to learn how to be a millennial and really embrace it. Find joy in being more like a millennial, rather than pissed off that they are so different. The latter doesn’t do any good as a leader. Being angry at them is the same degree of lack of empathy that you believe they have towards the older generation. If you cannot be like a millennial and you say that they are not as good as us, that’s ego and lack of empathy right there. As mentioned earlier, an ego can lead to failure.

At Stark, we have made a small business, at four and a half million dollars annually. I am really proud of every dollar that we’ve brought in, and it’s not huge; almost all our students run businesses much larger than us. Our students, they look at Stark and wonder, how did you get this culture where all these young people care so much? That’s the outcome of being empathetic and not having such a big ego around your own generation.

Written by Clarence Paller

Transcribed by Evgenia Stroganova

The suit of the week belongs to Mark Rasile from Bennett Jones in Toronto. Mark is sporting his new Tokyo line grey pinstripe suit from LGFG FASHION HOUSE.

Dressing sharp commands respect and is crucial in the world of business, where impressions make all the difference.

This concept is not new and dates back centuries.

There is a saying, “Appearances count for a lot.” A similar expression was current among the ancient Greeks: “The garment maketh the man.” In the form, “Apparel makes the man” the idea turned up in England as early as the 16th century. A century later it was sometimes put as, “The tailor makes the man.”

Mark’s LGFG Executive Clothier is Aiva Sharakovsky.

Marcel Lagin from Infor Global Solutions in Prague is all smiles in his new LGFG FASHION HOUSE bespoke dress shirt.

By dressing well you not only look stellar, but you also create a feedback loop in which other people continually affirm that you look good. This makes you feel even better, which makes you act with even more confidence, which makes other people respond even more positively, and so on and so forth.

Tie this into the law of attraction, where positive thoughts and feelings coupled with massive action attracts positive manifestations in life.

Just look at Marcel, he’s been with Infor since university and has been growing since. He now leads a team of 30 working in IT and travels to Germany to meet VPs of his company. With LGFG he looks the part and ready for even more growth and success.

Marcel’s LGFG Executive Clothier is Thisa Phan

Here is Martin Neisen from PwC Frankfurt looking sharp in his new LGFG FASHION HOUSE technical line suit.

He is dressed for success and ready to have solid weak ahead.

Remember, “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it”. Edith Head

Martin’s LGFG FASHION HOUSE Executive Clothier is Imbi Helm.

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