Stay Radically Courageous

Every Guy & Beau TEE shipment is sealed with a t-shift silhouette sticker that reads: Stay Radically Courageous.

A message for the iconoclasts of the world.

Our hope is that this three word message arrives at the moment you need it most, that it strikes a chord, that it feels like synchronicity banging on your doorstep. And most importantly that you recognize it as a message from the gods not to be dismissed as mere coincidence. But I must be truthfully raw with you: the message is for us. A bold reminder that in the midst of the doing, in the throes of creating, in the madness and uncertainty of business, that preparation and readiness are not the same. A reminder to always take chances in life, no matter how unprepared we may feel; be it a chance on love or a business idea. You never know what magic may come of a yes.

Guy & Beau TEE’s message for all of the dreamers, creators, the movers & shakers in the world. 

I am currently reading What To Do When It’s Your Turn (and it’s always your turn) by Seth Godin (thanks to Guy for the recommendation). It is a book for the soul of the status-quo disruptor; a coffee table must-have. Not intended to be read page for page in one sitting, although you could. It’s more of a read-a-page-or-two and let it simmer. It’s a picture-filled book with neatly bound swift kicks in the ass for the dreamers of the world. Being a dreamer comes with its fair share of imposter syndrome. But we have figured out the antibody to that ubiquitous antigen. No matter how familiar imposter syndrome feels, we must label it a foreign substance that has no place in the highly-creative, utterly-brilliant, ever-resilient human body.

In the book Seth writes:

We are unprepared to do something for the first time, always. 

We are unprepared to create a new kind of beauty, to connect with another human being in a way that we’ve never connected before.

We are unprepared for our first best seller or for a massive failure unlike any we’ve ever seen before. We are unprepared to fall in love and to be loved. 

We are unprepared for the reaction when we surprise and delight someone, and we are always unprepared of the next breakthrough.

I agree with Seth, but it comes with one caveat — Preparation isn’t overrated. In fact, it is necessary. It keeps you in the work. Readiness, on the other hand, is. Will you ever be ready to fall in love? Or buy the cabin in the mountains? Or publish that book? Or move abroad? I’m guessing ‘no’. Readiness is funny like that. The beauty of doing even when we aren’t ready, is that any doing of any kind is preparation in and of itself. But paralysis analysis is the #1 killer of people’s dreams. And the drug of choice is Imposter Syndrome.

Here’s a funny story. I signed up for my first (and only) pickleball tournament. An apology in advance to anyone who doesn’t play pickleball and is annoyed by people who do. Stay with me. There is a lesson for you too. The tournament took place in a breathtaking members-only club nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. I had been playing for 2+ years or so. For all of you resistors, it’s a lot of fun with a really fun social aspect to it. Unbeknownst to many of my favorite players at Donner Park (one of the greatest places to play pickleball in NE Florida), they prepared me for an opportunity of a lifetime. You see, a pro player (5.0+) with a BIG personality asked if I’d be his partner for the tournament. His partner injured herself and had to withdraw. Feeling unprepared, inadequate, and definitely not ready, I said yes. Enthusiastically I may add. The truth is, imposter syndrome kicked in as fast as I uttered yes. A chorus of “I have no business playing with these high level players” and “you are going to embarrass the shit out of yourself” began to sing in my head. Sopranos and altos competing for nails-on-a-chalkboard pitch and out-of-sync rhythm. I have been here before. Not on a pickleball court, per se. But in life. I say yes. I say yes often. Scared. Unprepared. Not fully ready. And what I have gotten in return is: Experience. Magic. Radical Courage. Bigger cojones.

To finish the story — I had a blast with Rich5.0. He stepped on my foot and I fell on my ass. He screamed and hollered and took up 90% of the court. It was his show. The crowd loved & hated him. I would do it again for the first time. I made a new friend who is as passionate about the sport as I am about business. Yes, I probably had no business playing with these higher level players but I didn’t care. What I cared most about was being given an opportunity that will more likely never come again. I am a better player because I said yes. I am more fearless in my life. There is magic in saying yes. And it’s cloaked in fear. Remember that.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is by Les Brown — “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step.”

Imposter syndrome is a disease. Radical courage is the momentary cure. Do it scared. Do it unprepared. Do it again and again and again. You’ll regret saying yes and you’ll regret not saying yes. But one will make the graveyard richer and one might make you believe in magic.

Find Your People

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

There is a viral video titled Leadership From a Dancing Guy. It’s 3:00 minutes of pure gold. Watch it at your leisure. You’ll thank me. In a nutshell, one dude courageously dances alone amidst a crowd and inspires a second dude to join him which in turn inspires a crowd to join in the fun. For me, it’s so much about the psychology of the dude with the original idea and the first dude who turned the “lone nut” into a leader. Now, I am assuming there was no liquid courage involved — just pure unadulterated alcohol-free ‘dance like no one is watching.’ It’s the idea and the execution of that idea that intrigues me to no end. It’s doing the thing you want to do with no validation, no assurance that it will pay off — and certainly not in the form of a video watched over 2.1M times.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived by the mantra: When you do things from your soul, people really dig that sh*t. I was the kid who didn’t sit at some self-aggrandizing table in the cafeteria with self-appointed “cool” kids. I was friends with them as much as I was friends with the nerds, the jocks, the poor kids, the rich kids. My niece recently told me that her nickname at school is “homie-hopper” for that very reason. She likes everybody. I dig it. A kid after my own heart.

The SOFIA TEE

We might just design a shirt inspired by her. Be on the lookout — hot Guy & Beau TEE merch about to drop —-> The SOFIA TEE, specially designed for people who are anti-clique.

What does a dancing guy and a homie-hopper have to do with business? E V E R Y T H I N G.

Lesson #1 — It is true that when launching a business, you have to consider what the world needs. However, the world needs a lot of things. Bring to life the thing that YOU need - the thing your soul yearns for. The chances are others might yearn for it too. Guy & Beau TEE was launched by two professionals who know too well that our confidence comes from feeling good about what we’re wearing. Enough with the stuffy business attire. Our mission is to redefine the work/life wardrobe. We want to wear creativity + comfort. Launching a business is so much like dancing to the beat of your own drum. You hear the beat, the calling, get up and dance. Don’t overthink it. And because you’re doing it with conviction, you’re bound to have that “first follower” bust out some moves alongside you. And guess what? That first follower becomes your guide to finding your people. They unequivocally bring more fun people to the party. Remember that old adage ‘like attracts like.’ It’s true, especially in business.

“When you do things from their soul, people really dig that sh*t.”

— someone we would've been friends with.

Lesson #2 — Business is so much about having fun doing business. Otherwise, what’s the point. When the “dancing guy” jumped to his feet and began to dance in front of a crowd, he didn’t do so with the intent to start a movement. He probably didn’t even consider the crowd. He did so because he was moved by the music — (and quite possibly a drink that rhymes with schmequila on the rocks). All jokes aside — there is no room for discouragement when you are passionate about an idea. This is why getting clear on your core values is crucial. It will redirect you when you start to veer off. It will remind you why you started. Guy & Beau TEE’s core values are: integrity, creativity and FUN. Yes, fun!

Upon further research of the video, the guy danced by himself for almost 20min before anyone joined him. He danced because he was having fun. Don’t get easily discouraged. Keep dancing. And when you least expect it, an online order comes through, the customer in Colorado texts you “I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shirts!” Yes, she typed LOVE three times. Or the last order shipped to Philadelphia is now a TikTok video of our customer walking to her mailbox, boasting about our packaging, and opening it with excitement. Or a pickleball friend, best known as DougieFresh (not to be confused with the Barbados-born American Rapper), comments about the content you’re putting out to the world via our TEE-log on lessons of launching a business. Soon, if you stay the course, the “first follower” jumps up and starts to dance with you. No matter how big we grow our business, we will never forget the love we received from Colorado, Philly, and our favorite humans at Donner Park, in the beginning phases of our venture. They kept us going. They are our people. They helped us find our people.

Lesson #3 — People are your business. All people. One of the benefits of launching a business is the vast network you build. In the early stages of cultivating Guy & Beau TEE’s guiding principles, we did an exercise where we brought our muse to life. Who do we design for? Who inspires us? Our muse is the dreamers, the creators, the movers & shakers of the world. They are bold, fun, radically-courageous, and adventure-seeking. The quote that came to mind as we breathed life into our inspiration incarnate was those of Jack Kerouac — not “Live, travel, bless, and don’t be sorry.” although that one is oh so good. But rather “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…” I don’t know what it is about those words that make my spine stand taller and the hairs on my neck stand at attention. The incredible thing is meeting people who personify Kerouac’s words. The coolest thing is learning that all kinds of people personify Jack’s reference to the mad ones. They come in the form of octogenarians and high school grads, tall and short, CEOs and blue-collar, white and black, differently-abled and 5.0 DUPR pickleball skilled players. They are ALL our homies. We adore them. Each one is revered. We are committed to giving each one the “Wow! It’s you!” experience. Homie-hopping is one of our specialities. We understand that without people, we do not have a business. And more importantly, we would be friends with these people if there were no business.

Lesson #4 — Last but not least in importance: when you find your people, make them a part of your business strategy. They have great ideas. They are your focus group. And if you listen with the intent to learn what you might be missing, you’ll learn new ways to approach business. Ask them for feedback and assure them you want the good, the bad, the ugly. Be sure to listen to their feedback and take it to heart. Whatever they may share, don’t take it personal. Be generous in expressing your gratitude for their time. Think of novels ways to solve. And while you’re at it, learn as much about your people as you can. Figure out ways to support them with no expectation in return. Do they have an upcoming tournament? What are their goals? Learn and then surprise them. No strings attached. Simply because you love the people who make it possible for you to do what you love and call it a business. We are champions for “don’t mind your business, share your business.” This is why Guy & Beau TEE’s purpose is to invest in the entrepreneurial spirit of women around the world. One top, one bottom, one hat, one design at a time.

Four lessons to ponder. In the meantime, do things from your soul, dance like no one is watching, and if you see someone dancing their heart out, join them! Lastly be the most hoppiest homie on planet earth. The world needs more Homie-Hoppers and First Followers!

Stay a Change Agent

I have always had an affinity for the word catalyst. My bachelor’s degree in Chemistry reinforced my fascination even more so. I found myself using that expression when describing people in my life more than I ever did when writing or discussing chemical reactions. We all have been a catalyst for someone’s success. Yes, you’re more likely reading this because you too have been a catalyst for someone. And if you’re thinking who me? Yes YOU.

Don’t think of catalysis as a grand transformative action. Most of the time, as it is in science, they are micro-moments that significantly change the trajectory of something — of someone’s life. You were a catalyst for the employee who asked you to write her a recommendation letter when she decided in her mid-30’s to apply to medical school. You were a catalyst when you sent an intro email connecting the young woman with goals to become a DEI expert with the VP of DEI in your own organization boldly requesting a mentorship opportunity. You were at a catalyst when you wrote the Google review for the business launched by two sisters. You were a catalyst when you mentored the teen whose entrepreneurial spirit burns like wild fires – and unbeknownst to you, your own entrepreneurial journey has been stoking her curiosity and passion to follow suit. [By the way, young people are always watching us. Don’t ever forget that.]

“Surround yourself with people who lift you higher.”

— Oprah

If you’re really lucky – and live by Oprah’s prophetic quote “surround yourself with people who lift you higher” or as I like to say ‘level you up’ – you probably can easily list 10 people (or institutions, which is still comprised of people) top of your head who’ve been agents of change for good in your life – both professionally and personally.

My catalytic cup runneth over.

One “agent” in particular catapulted me into the stratosphere of Guy & Beau TEE, an athleisure apparel brand redefining the work/life wardrobe guided by the core values integrity, creativity, and fun. In 2020, while a global pandemic veered its ugly head at almost all of humanity, I received a grant sponsored by Bank of America funding education. While the world seemingly fell in discontent, I virtually connected with a global cohort of women entrepreneurs collectively learning from esteemed Cornell University professors about the Key Stages of Entrepreneurship, Laying the Legal Building Blocks, Product Development, Digital Marketing and more. While the world “shut down”, I cracked open. The quieter it got, the louder my calling became. The less distractions made available, the more clear the path crystalized. I was right where I needed to be. Back in school. Learning from home.

I was reflecting on this journey on a flight from Philadelphia to Jacksonville. While waiting at Gate B7, I was scrolling though my phone and saw a post I shared back in 2014 — you know how Facebook sends you “memories” of years past. It was impeccable timing. The image, black background with white letters, read:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see thing differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.  — Steve Jobs

I love that entire quote — every word of it. However, the line that struck me as the pilot maneuvered all 100+ passengers into that extraordinary moment of lift was the sentence “they push the human race forward.” I often think about all of the women whose trajectories converged by the generosity of Bank of America + Cornell University. A grant brought us together at one of the most historical moments and perhaps crucial forks in our respective careers. Women from Africa, Europe, Asia, all part of the United States whom I had the privilege to learn from, connect and vibe with, became catalysts in my own entrepreneurial journey. I was e-surrounded by the “crazy ones” and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. A comrade of entrepreneurial geniuses pushing the human race forward made possible by two incredible forces who believe in us.

As a graduate of the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell Program, I receive a monthly (or so) email from a woman whom I’ve never formally met but feel very connected to. Her name is Kirsten Barker. I affectionately call her a “queen catalyst.” The email lands in my inbox with the same subject line: funding opportunities and business resources. Without fail, every time I read that email, I am reminded of all of the catalysts in the world lifting women higher — by making opportunities possible for women entrepreneurs.

As we build, grow, and scale Guy & Beau TEE, we pay tribute to the agents of change who have impacted our lives. At a recent company retreat, we declared our purpose:

TO INVEST IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD.

Take time to mentor a young man or woman. Take time to thank those who have paved the way for you. As you build your businesses, share your learnings with others so they may feel less alone, on the right track, and 100% committed to staying a round peg in a world of squares holes.

Stay a change agent. Thank a change agent.

The Art of the Start

Every founder has one book they credit for the inspiration that led them to launch their company. For Guy & Beau TEE, Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, had a profound impact on its inception. Photo by Giammarco on Unsplash

When I signed up for IMKY — for our non-triathlete readers, that stands for IRONMAN Kentucky, a race consisting of a 2.4mi swim followed by a 112mi bike finishing with a 26.2mi run — people would often say “crossing that finish line” put people in a different category of athleticism. I don’t disagree. In fact, only 0.01% of the world’s population have earned the title of IRONMAN. But I would argue that it actually puts you in a different category of discipline and determination. Furthermore, it isn’t the FINISH LINE that transforms even the last finisher but rather the START LINE. There is an art to getting to it. Months and months, hours upon hours, of dedicated training. On race morning, it is [preparation + determination] that sets you off when the gun goes off.

Start lines are where the magic happens. It’s where you come alive. You can feel the perspiration in your palms. You can hear your heart beating through . You can smell fear trying to catch up. You can taste the seamless transitions — T1: swim to bike, T2: bike to run. You see, very little will get in the way of crossing a finish line once I start. The real work is getting to the start. The start of anything — a triathlon, writing a New York Times best-seller, launching a company - whatever it is that will bring you peace of mind when you’re laying on your deathbed — is worth pursuing.

Kellie Smirnoff, second from right, at the starting line of the Inaugural EPICMAN Race in Hawaii.

The EPICMAN Race is a 421.8mi race consisting of a 7.2mi swim, 336mi bike ride, 78.6mi run.

Start lines are THE win. My IRONMAN quest was inspired by a woman named Kellie Smirnoff. She was the winner of the 2011 Inaugural EPICMAN Race - the distance of three IRONMAN races back to back. Yes, you read that right — THREE. Our quest to launch a purpose-driven company was hands down inspired by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS and author of Start Something That Matters. He inspired us to get ridiculously clear on our purpose, our company vision and mission, and our core values. That is what we call The Art of the Start.

If you’re an entrepreneur and your goal is to launch a company, start already. The best advice we can give you is really Blake’s advice: “the most important step of all is the first step. Start something.” The second best advice is from us: get clear on your guiding principles.

“The most important step of all is the first step. Start something. ”

— Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS

The Art of the Start is ruminative, introspective, calculating. Not to be confused with the subsequent steps. The “steps” that follow feel more like a thrust forward and upward where the ground disappears — at which point you're flying by the seat of your pants. Reid Hoffman summed it brilliantly, “starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling a plane on the way down.”

Buckle up. Turbulence ahead.

When you know what your purpose for doing business is, like how will you impact the world, then trusting the process is second nature. You trust that your preparation will carry you and your determination will guide you even when the descent is fast and furious. The Art of the Start is having a strong foundation — a clear vision, actionable mission, well-defined core values, and most importantly, a company’s purpose for existing. For they will collectively provide lift, altitude and runway, on any given day.

I ran many miles meditating on Guy & Beau TEE’s guiding principles. Day after day. I’d lace up in the wee hours of the morning and off I went asking myself the same question, ‘What is our purpose? What are the behaviors that our team needs to embody to drive the vision of this company? How will we leave the world better?’ Then like a sunrise cracking through the morning darkness, I got clear.

Our values: Integrity. Creativity. Fun.

Our purpose: to invest in the entrepreneurial spirit of women around the world.

If you’re considering jumping off the proverbial “cliff”, read my dear friend (we aren’t friends - yet) Blake’s book Start Something That Matters. Take time to intentionally identify the key foundational components of your business so that you and your team can create big impact. “Learning how someone else is already doing the thing you want to do, or a version of it, can eliminate the fear - every path is easier to follow when you see someone else’s footprints already on it.”

Thank you for the roadmap, Blake.

Fellow entrepreneurs: Our commitment is to be transparent. Guy & Beau TEE is still very much in the ‘assembling the plane’ phase. The good thing is we love to fly and so we have not choice but to build, create, innovate, and hopefully be for you who Blake has been for us. Trust the process and start already.

ps. Fun fact - Blake not only wrote a New York Times Best Seller and launched several successful companies, but he was also a fierce competitor on The Amazing Race. Trifecta.

Start Something That Matters is one of Guy & Beau TEE’s core library books.

Who is Guy & Beau?

Guy and Beau love chess. It teaches them strategy and forward-thinking.

Hello.

We’re grateful that you’re here reading our first blog — or as we call it our TEE-log.

Our TEE-log will be a compilation of learnings we share with you - learnings from our ideation stage to launch, our embarrassing moments and screw-ups (and there are notable ones), our wins and milestone celebrations. We will share our growing pains as we evolve and scale our brand. We want to be transparent — share the highs and the lows. We hope to inspire you to take the leap and know that you have us to count on for some inspo.

Here is the deal — Entrepreneurship is not for the weak. It’s one-part heart, one-part passion, one-part strategy and three-parts resilience. You’re going to need that extra dose of resilience from time to time. How do you build an empire? One spreadsheet, one meeting, one account, one learning, ten no’s, one yes, one win, one knock-down, one get-back-up-on-your-feet, one milestone at a time. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. We learned early on in this journey that failure is a dot connector. It’s integral when your vision entails creating impact that leaves the world better. Guy & Beau have a big audacious vision. We are excited to have you on this journey.

“The world can’t resist passionate people. Passionate people make shit happen.”

— Beau

So who is Guy & Beau?

They are two entrepreneurs who are champions for athleisure-wear. They want to go from the boardroom to the basketball court from the office to the obstacle course, or from their LLC to the lounge. They appreciate fit, function and fashion. They know that when we feel confident, we move confidently about in the world. They LOVE a good t-shirt with a suit jacket and a great pair of boots.

Guy is a bit of an introvert — highly successful and both artistic as well as analytical. Sees the big picture with a ginormous appreciation for the trees from the forest. Committed to healthy habits both mentally and physically. Beau is more extroverted in nature — a voracious reader, visionary and creative, with a passion for a good sweaty run. Both are values-driven: integrity, creativity, and fun are at the forefront of their lives and work; hence the core values of Guy & Beau TEE. They don’t take themselves too seriously. A pour of a nice smooth bourbon at the end of the day is imminent — on the rocks for Guy and always neat for Beau.

One commonality they share is their commitment for leveling women up in the world. They are champions for entrepreneurship. When they launched Guy & Beau TEE, they declared that although the mission is to design your favorite go-to TEE and functional athleisure-wear, their purpose for doing so was the T-E-E in enTrEprEneurship. Guy & Beau TEE’s purpose is to invest in the entrepreneurial spirit of women around the world.

As one of our founders, Beau, unapologetically often says “the world can’t resist passionate people. Passionate people make shit happen.” So take the leap already and trust the process.