The All-Nighters
Some of the season’s hottest looks are inspired by work clothes with an edgy ’80s vibe. Suit up sexy, work late if you have to, and, by all means, take care of business.
Sep. 19, 2017
How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others? The best advice I ever received was “Hire happy people”. There is a wealth of knowledge to be absorbed in any specialty field. Most companies have various trainings and on boarding practices to ensure all that knowledge gets shared. But even the best trainers cannot impart the fundamentals of being happy, in your workplace or personal life.
I believe happiness comes from within and is an active practice. I became a widower in my 40’s and at the time, my son was still in high school. Navigating the devastating effects of cancer from diagnosis to hospice takes a toll. But self-pity, doubt, and negativity could not creep into our lives. There had been so much hardship, it was my responsibility to ensure he saw optimism, and enthusiasm for the life we have now. I could not dwell on the loss but chose to move forward with gratitude. I now try to carry that attitude in everything I do.
The pandemic was a prime example of why hiring happy people matters. With everyone spending significantly more time in their homes, we saw a huge surge of kitchen remodels and demand, while keeping our USA manufacturing moving forward became a challenge. The work and dedication from everyone in this organization, down to my very own team, are what got us through, and we are now stronger than ever. That hard, dedicated work had its origins in happy people coming together, and I am so proud of the efforts made by everyone to keep us moving forward.
What’s new or upcoming for Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove? In recent years, our engineering teams have put significant innovation into the aesthetics of our appliances. From a complete revamp on the features of Sub-Zero Classic Series Refrigeration last year, to the introduction of Wolf’s Accent Door Collection this year, featuring white and black ranges to accompany an assortment of knob and bezel options that help personalize your cooking appliances to your design style. Both lines look incredible, and we are thrilled to see where this will lead us in the future. We have all of these new appliances on display, so we welcome folks to make an appointment and see them in person.
What do you like most about what you do? I strongly value working for a company whose values align with their product. Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove appliances are built to last 20+ years of daily use and the performance is incredible. Whether a customer is looking for our iconic red knobs, or the equipment to make their culinary dreams a reality, we help find the best configurations for their space and are confident in the appliances we put in their home.
What drives you? My mom instilled a great work ethic in my siblings and me. Working alongside my team to surpass expectations keeps me motivated. The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove showroom has a hard-earned reputation in the market for elevated experiences from client demonstration dinners to happy hour for our dealer partners, and events for the designer community.
WITH HOLIDAY PARTIES and festive dinners galore this time of year, it’s officially Champagne season! Artisans is celebrating with a special bubbly dinner paired with sips from famous Champagne house Moet Chandon Winery on Thursday, November 14.
Chef Erik Cruz has worked with the winery to produce a decadent tasting menu to be paired with flutes of Moet & Chandon and Veuve. To start: there’s caviar — because what’s a champagne dinner without caviar? — and ceviche. The three main courses feature smoked tiger prawn, slow braised sweetbread and roasted lamb. All topped off with delectable chocolate mousse.
Chef Cruz has worked at storied Houston eateries Brennans of Houston and Hugo’s Café. Under Artisans owner and executive chef Jacques Fox, Cruz honed his French techniques while incorporating his Mexican roots.
Artisans relocated from Midtown to Westheimer in 2023. They are located at 5745 Westheimer Houston, TX 77057. Tickets are $199 and available here.
HOLIDAY CHEER IS coming to Bandista, the Four Seasons hotel’s swanky speakeasy, in the form of a fun collab with Nashville bar Four Walls.
The 20-seat Bandista will be decked out in holiday décor on Dec. 4 and 5 as unique concoctions are mixed by the bartenders from Four Walls — which was recently named to the prestigious Esquire's Best Bars in America list — benefitting Camp H-Town.
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you — you’ll find chickpeas, red bell pepper and chives on the menu. These are serious boozy cocktails. The cleverly named Misplaced Memories features gin, Crème de Cacao, pistachio, lime and egg white. On the spicy side is the gin-based Queen’s Gambit with red bell pepper, rosemary, ginger, coconut, jalapeño and garlic. And where do those chickpeas come in? The Hollywood Babylon, mixed with tequila, horchata, saffron, honey, lime, grapefruit, pineapple and chickpeas.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Bandista for our first Houston pop-up,” says Mickey Stevenson, Lead Bartender at Four Walls. “It is an honor to partner with a team that shares our commitment to craftsmanship and creativity, and we can’t wait to share highlights from our new menu with their guests.”
Four Walls is located inside The Joseph hotel in Nashville and is inspired by the music city and owner’s Italian-American heritage — think a chic western vibe.
The event’s beneficiary, Camp H-Town, offers an urban camp experience at the Four Seasons for children and siblings touched by cancer.
Reservations at Bandista are available from 5pm-midnight and cocktails are priced at $30 each.