In this issue of ATX Lifestyle we're celebrating some of the men who make our city more interesting, more exciting, more stylish... and tastier!
Our Gentlemen's themed issue is a place where we can highlight the great work of people in Austin who are trying new things, daring to be different, and bringing us along for the ride.
Our cover star this month Bill Rancic has been in the public eye for almost two decades, since he competed - and won! - The Apprentice back in 2004. As an entrepreneur, restauranteur, devoted dad and husband to television presenter Giuliana Rancic, we've watched him grow up and grow betterstories of which he shares in our article - and now he can add Austinite to that list. We find out why he chose our city and why he loves it so much.
Bill is just one of the many brilliant guys we talk to this month. We also find out why we should all become San Antonio Spurs men's basketball fans (here I am pictured with player Jeremy Sochan on his recent visit to our city), and the latest delights from La Condesa.
I hope you enjoy learning about their lives as much as we did when we put the magazine together.
Happy reading!
June 2023
PUBLISHER
Joe Kerby | joe.kerby@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Sarah Ivens | sarah.ivens@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jennifer Birn | jennifer.birn@citylifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGER
David Harlan | david.harlan@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Stephanie Coultress O'Neill
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jenna McElroy
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer
ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson
WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell
AD DESIGNER Mary Albers
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
SARAH IVENS, EDITOR @AUSTINLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE“FINDING A HOME ISN’T ABOUT SQUARE FOOTAGE AND NUMBER OF BEDROOMS.
IT’S ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE AND HOW YOUR SPACE CAN ENHANCE IT.”
Like it says in its name, recreating this restaurant favorite can be done easily. Chef Rick Lopez calls it ‘a lazy salsa.’ He says, “It’s something that won’t take a bunch of time. It’s just four things and salt and pepper. It’s so lazy you can chop it all up and put in the Vitamix or roast them in an oven and start dipping chips in almost immediately.”
Prep time: 30 mins
Serving: 4-5 friends
Oven: 400F
Oven, cutting board, chef knife, baking sheet, blender, serving bowl for presentation.
• 6 tomatoes (medium size)
• 2 yellow onions
• 8 jalapeños (less if you prefer a more mild spice)
• 8 garlic cloves
• ½ cup mild or canola oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Remove the stems off jalapeños, cut in half, coat with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt + pepper. Place on a baking sheet tray.
• Cut tomatoes in half and toss with the jalapeños, season again with salt and pepper.
• Place the tray with both veggies into a 400F oven and roast for 8-10 minutes.
You should see a little blistering and hear loud crisp sizzles when you take the veggies out of the oven, let cool in another bowl or plate.
• Cut onion into quarters and season with oil, salt + pepper and toss onto the already hot baking sheet with the garlic. Coat with the oil, salt + pepper. Use a spoon to mix so you don’t burn your hands. Place into the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes. Let this cool on a plate for 5 minutes.
• Once veggies have had time to cool off a bit, add them to your blender and blend in 2 batches. Get it to your desired salsa texture - shorter pulses for a more chunky approach, or let it blend longer for smooth.
• Incorporate all blended salsa into one bow and taste. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour, and serve when ready.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JODY HORTONTexas native Rick Lopez has served as Executive Chef at James Beard-nominated La Condesa for 12 of its 14 years. We caught up with the chef whose kitchen has launched many notable careers for a quick chat – and summer salsa recipe.
YOU’VE BEEN EXECUTIVE CHEF AT LA CONDESA FOR A DOZEN YEARS, HOW DO YOU KEEP IT EXCITING?
I spend time making sure we stay relevant. I want to make sure I’m learning from my staff and making everyone feel valued and cool in this space. A 14-year-old restaurant is old! Five or six years is still cool, but 14, being in the heart of downtown Austin, I want to make sure that we're providing for new people coming in through our food and our service, down to the music we put through the speakers and the art we put on the walls. I’m a dad and my daughter won’t think I'm cool in a few years, but I want to be still cool and relevant to our staff, which means I have to work really hard to bring in new things.
WHEN YOU STARTED AT LA CONDESA THE AUSTIN RESTAURANT LANDSCAPE WAS DIFFERENT, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EVOLUTION?
It’s good. In those early days, people were like, ‘It's gotta stay this little city of live music, drippy queso...’ I used to feel at the core when you drive into Austin you get this feeling that you can do anything, you can be who you want to be and you can step away from wherever you grew up and be what you want. I still feel that same spirit and vibe, just now I look at it as an entrepreneurial spirit. And, it’s a little bit harder because it’s a more expensive city and you have to come here with some smarts and know what your path is going to be, or figure it out pretty quickly. When people came to work at La Condesa, it was the new restaurant, there was a hotel being built next to it, 2nd Street was carving out its niche and people thought it was a nice, beautiful restaurant that had the street food of Mexico and Thailand. But did we think we’d be here for 14 years? I don’t know. The quality of cooks has been incredible. Now it’s a serious food city and people look to Austin as a really good food scene. I don’t know if that’s something my 18-year-old self in 1999 would have ever thought.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRNQUICK FIRE:
FIRST JOB IN A RESTAURANT?
McDonald's. My aunt franchised Mcdonald's and that was my intro to fast-paced food
BEST COOKING ADVICE YOU'VE RECEIVED?
Be a vegetable. (Ask Chef Rick about that one if you see him).
THE CHEF KEEPING LA CONDESA COOL FOR MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS
This season, floral shirts, linen shorts and earth tones are the way to go to stay cool while looking stylish
ARTICLE BY STEPHANIE COULTRESS O'NEILL
Floral shirts are making a comeback this year with bold prints and bright colors being the most popular. From classic Hawaiian shirts to modern slim-fit designs, there are many options to choose from perfect for a beach day paired with shorts or dress pants for a more formal look. Linen shorts are a summer staple. They’re lightweight, breathable and can also be dressed up or down, making them versatile for home or to pack for a vacation. Pair them with a simple t-shirt for a casual daytime look or with a crisp button-up shirt for a more polished look. Earth tones are also trending this summer, especially shades of brown, green and beige.
Bill Rancic was a successful entrepreneur before he was a television personality. Today he’s both. Bill won the premiere season of The Apprentice in 2004, three years after he sold his cigar company and transitioned into real estate. After getting ‘hired,’ he’d continue in real estate, marry entrepreneur and longtime E! News journalist Giuliana Rancic in 2006 and they’d create and star in their own show, Giuliana and Bill, which aired on E!.
Bill would later host We Mean Business on A&E, a makeover show for small businesses, and Food Network series Kitchen Casino –after he and Giuilana became partners in multiple restaurants.
I caught up with Bill - who moved to Austin with Giuliana and their now 10-year-old son Duke in 2019! - at Aba, and learned he and Giuliana are partners in the popular dining destination. We talked restaurants, relationships, entrepreneurship and more.
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP, RELATIONSHIPS, BEING A FATHER, RESTAURATEUR AND MORE...
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNA MCELROYWe have some friends that live here so we spent time visiting and it felt like a good vibe. We were living between Chicago and LA because Giuliana was doing E! News in LA and I was in Chicago working. Our son was turning seven and it was time to settle down. The people are so nice here, there are cultural things to do, there’s great food and it’s centrally located. There are no egos, no one is trying to be something they’re not, which I love. It just fit, like a shoe.
It was kind of Giuliana’s idea, so I started looking at some small locations, just until she got off this kick of owning an Italian restaurant. She’d said, ‘I’m from Naples, and the food…’ and then we were out to dinner one night with our friend Greg Olsen, who used to play for the Chicago Bears, and Giuliana says, “Bill and I are opening up an Italian restaurant.’
Everyone knows it's the worst investment you can make, from a business perspective, but Greg said he had friends thinking about opening an Italian restaurant we should meet. So, we met with R.J. Jerrod and Molly Melman, who are siblings who come from a restaurant family. We spent a year getting to know each other, making sure it was going to be a good marriage. We had some differences in what we envisioned, I was thinking a little bit smaller, they were thinking bigger - and then we opened a 14,000 square foot restaurant in the heart of downtown Chicago. It’s exceeded our expectations.
But, we went into it with the right idea. During that time we were filming Giuliana and Bill and we knew that food had to come first. We knew we could get people in the door once, but if the food wasn't incredible, if the service didn't exceed their expectations, people were only going to come once. So, we focused less on the celebrity sizzle and more on making sure people knew that we were legit, because
there were a lot of people who questioned reality TV people opening a restaurant. Rightfully so, I don't blame them. But, I love proving people wrong. Fortunately, we have great partners who have been in the restaurant business since they could walk. Their father opened a restaurant 52 years ago, and it still business today. You’ve got to have the right people. You’ve got to have the right chemistry. When we opened you couldn't get a reservation for a year, we were full and that was the start of the RPM family.
HOW HANDS-ON ARE YOU IN THE RESTAURANT?
We’re very hands-on. We go to all the tastings, we work on the marketing side and the style side. I’m working on a renovation right now for the first RPM and I just put together a really cool deck on how I’m envisioning it. It’s been 12 years, so it’s time.
THE FIRST RPM WAS IN CHICAGO EARLY 2011 AND YOU OPENED RPM IN VEGAS LAST YEAR?
Yes, we love it, it’s so much fun. I’m an entrepreneur, I've been an entrepreneur my whole life and love business, I love people, I love doing things that I've never done, that's the beauty of life. You can do multiple careers. I went from owning a cigar company to being in real estate, to working on a television show that I never had a million years thought I would do to now being in the restaurant business. That's the gift of life, you don't have to be stuck in one career for your whole life.
ARE THERE PLANS TO BRING RPM TO AUSTIN?
Yes, we looked at six different locations, so we're getting really close. We’re going to do RPM Italian first, probably within the next 15 months.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN ABA?
RPM stands for Rancic and Melman, I’m the R, we had a P who’s no longer with the company and Melman, the M, started Aba. They asked if Giuliana and I wanted to be partners in it because we were already partners in RPM and a few other restaurants they have. They’re like family.
“I’m an entrepreneur, I’ve been an entrepreneur my whole life and love business, I love people, I love doing things that I’ve never done, that’s the beauty of life.”
ON ABA…
You’re only as good as the people who are part of your family and I always say being an entrepreneur is like being the conductor of an orchestra. Where entrepreneurs get in trouble is when they try to play every instrument in the pit. You can’t. You can’t grow, you can’t scale that way, the best entrepreneurs get the best violinist, the best trumpet player and surround themselves with the best people. And the people at Aba, from the general manager Raul on down, is phenomenal, we couldn’t ask for better people.
IT’S BEEN NEARLY 20 YEARS SINCE YOU WERE ON THE APPRENTICE. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
I had a cigar company in 1994, sold it in 2001 and started developing real estate in Chicago. Then my friend’s mother, who was a talent agent in Chicago for kids, said she got a fax that there was a show that was looking for entrepreneurs and she got me an appointment for Thursday at 3pm and I better go. She was a wonderful lady, but you didn't want to say no to her. I went to the appointment and a couple of weeks later I'm
Behind the bar at Aba mixing up a cocktail with Giuliana's namesake prosecco
“‘Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.’ I tell that to my son all the time. And ‘Hard work pays off.’ Those are the two sayings we live by in my house.”
in New York City filming the first season of The Apprentice, it was crazy, it happened so fast.
They started out with 250,000 people who had applied, narrowed it down to 50 and picked 16. I was the 17th person chosen, but someone failed some kind of test so I got pulled up from the bullpen. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years.
WHAT’S A LESSON YOU TOOK FROM IT?
You’ve got to take a risk. This was like the birth of reality television. It was around 2003 and I just went with my gut. I thought it would be cool, it was a business show and it hadn’t been done. I went into it thinking whatever happens, it’s an experience in life. Obviously, I’m so glad I did it, it changed my life and it was fascinating, the whole process. I’m glad I took the risk, but that’s being an entrepreneur.
DID YOU EVER THINK TRUMP COULD BE PRESIDENT ONE DAY?
It’s America, and anyone can do anything they want. I think that’s what makes this country great. I look at my wife's family, when she came to America when she was nine, her father had a dream, and he built a beautiful business, a store called DePandi
in Chevy Chase, Maryland that he still has today that makes custom suits and beautiful shirts. He started with nothing and put three kids through college and lives in a beautiful home.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP RUNS STRONG IN GIULIANA’S FAMILY AS WELL?
Yes, her father came here with a dream and they stayed in their uncle's basement until they got on their feet.
YOU LIGHT UP WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GIULIANA, YOU WROTE A BOOK TOGETHER ON RELATIONSHIPS, DO YOU HAVE ADVICE ON HOW TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LONGEVITY?
We do a lot of cool things. We check in with each other, because life gets busy. That’s an opportunity to say things that might be bothering you, or it's an opportunity to say things that you love. Early on she said, ‘I really love that you brought me coffee in bed,’ so now I try to do that every day. My dad did that for my mom. He’d go to Dunkin’ Donuts and bring it back because my mom liked Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM YOUR BOOK ON RELATIONSHIPS?
You have to check your ego at the door in a marriage and you either win together or you lose together, especially when you have kids. I remember our first disagreement once we were married and she stopped talking to me and I went and saw a movie by myself for the first time. After the whole day of her not talking to me I said, ‘We better figure this out, because I'm not going anywhere.’ I could see her shoulders drop, and that was it. It set the stage, like I'm in this, I made a vow in front of God, I'm committed, and that was it.
WHO COOKS AT HOME?
I cook, she cleans, that’s the deal.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO COOK?
I do a lot of salmon, because it’s obviously really healthy. I do a lot of pasta dishes, and like to try out different things that we have at the RPMs. I do a lot of steak and have been cooking a lot of bison lately, which I love. You name it, I’ll try anything. It may not be great, but I’ll try it.
DO YOU AND GIULANA STILL HAVE A PRODUCTION COMPANY? We do.
ANYTHING COMING UP?
We’re working on a possible home renovation show. A lot of people don’t know that we’ve renovated 17 homes in our marriage. We just finished one in Cabo. I was doing it way before I was married, but we’ve done a lot since we’ve been married.
HOW HANDS-ON ARE YOU IN THE RENOVATIONS?
Very. I love it. I find the homes and figure out what we’re going to change, the structural stuff, and then Giuliana comes in and does her magic with the furniture and the fabrics and things, so it’s a good combo.
WHAT’S A LESSON FATHERHOOD HAS TAUGHT YOU?
Fatherhood unlocked a chamber in my heart that I never knew I had. I never felt that kind of love before. It also gave me a real appreciation for what a great father I had. I didn’t realize it until I became a father. My dad was awesome.
WHAT’S EXCITING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I’m working on a project with the History Channel, an entrepreneurial-type show. And, I’m so proud of Giuliana and her entrepreneurial spirit. She’s got a clothing line that’s unbelievable on the Home Shopping Network, she’s the #2 brand on HSN and she just celebrated her 10th anniversary and she’s blossomed into this great entrepreneur, it’s really fun for me to see.
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN AUSTIN (THAT AREN’T ABA)? I had an incredible meal at June’s recently. We usually eat at a lot of kidfriendly places, so we like Hopdoddy, Home Slice.
FAVORITE BOOK? The Millionaire Next Door. My dad gave it to me when I was young and it taught me about money, understanding money and being smart with money. Even though you may not make a million dollars, if you’re smart, you can have a great life and a great retirement if you invest your money properly. It also teaches you not to keep up with the Joneses. It was a very enlightening book for me and I always tell younger people they should read it.
IF YOU COULD GET ADVICE FROM ANYONE, WHO WOULD YOU ASK? God? Go right to the source. There are so many great minds out there who I never thought I’d get to meet and I’m a sponge, even at 50. I just want to learn more and more and more.
IF YOU COULD HAVE A MEAL WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE? My dad, I miss him every day. He died in 1999, so he never got to see the height of my success, so I’d love to have a meal with him.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 25-YEAR-OLD SELF? Take more chances. I’m pretty conservative believe it or not, some things I think I could have done bigger. And, enjoy it more. I’ve learned to manage my worrying.
WHAT IS THE LAST TV SHOW YOU BINGED? White Lotus. I can’t wait for Season 3 in Thailand, it’s so good. My son is into F1 so I’m getting into that now. We started watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix, which is great.
FAVORITE QUOTE? ‘Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.’ I tell that to my son all the time. And ‘Hard work pays off.’ Those are the two sayings we live by in my house.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
Robert Turner has had a passion for gemstone collecting since childhood. He amassed an admirable private collection – that may have stayed that way, if not for a challenge from his wife – that planted the seed for what has blossomed into Jamie Turner Designs.
“I’ve been a gemstone and mineral collector for over 20 years,” Robert shares. “I’ve always been fascinated with them, even when I was a kid growing up in Dallas. I was fascinated by what could come out of the earth, because it’s so crazy! So, I collected over 90,000 carats and I categorized them in my studio. One day my wife came out to my studio and asked me what I’m going to do with all this stuff, what’s my endgame? And I just said, ‘I want to make jewelry,’ and she said, ‘Then you need to start.” Afterward, I realized I just committed myself to making jewelry.”
Cut to six years later. I’ve just toured a lab in Westlake where I watched a combination of printers, machines and skilled artisans with the steadiest of hands create the most detailed fine jewelry. Now I’m sitting down with Robert and Patrick Dobbs, a master jeweler and Robert’s partner in Jamie Turner Designs, learning about the journey from idea to today and where they want to go from here.
For his first step, Robert says, “I called over to Creative Side, which was a jewelry school, and asked them to send over a teacher because I needed to learn how to make jewelry. They sent over Patrick, a master jewel with like a hundred years worth of experience, and within a short period of time he told me I was truly horrible at this.”
He explains, “There are two ways to make jewelry, fabrication and casting. Fabrication is handmade, where you’re twisting and bending and firing and hammering. I’m awful at it. So, Robert asked me if I knew CAD (computer-aided design) and I started learning that. I’d stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning designing things, printing them out on a 3D printer and trying to figure it out.”
That’s how Robert created The Curve, now the signature in nearly all of JTD.
“I was trying to break the program,” he says. “I was trying to make the program make a continuous curve of a ring without any variation in the loops and ultimately I figured out that the program would go to seven decibels but the math inside the algorithm get never go to zero. In that process, I came up with what I call
The Curve. It’s all math, algorithms in a CAD program trying to find the most efficient way of going around in a circle.”
From there he learned he could create other things with The Curve. “Bangles are just big rings, so I did it with bangles and stacking bangles and stacking rings...I was trying to create jewelry that was 100% designed in a computer environment, but that no one would say looks like a computer made it. I wanted it to look as flowy and natural as I could, but still, I wanted to put things into it which were pure math-based.”
The foundation of math led to the name Jamie Turner Designs. “My daughter Jamie Turner is a math major, so I named the company after her, because there's so much math that's baked into this,” Robert shares.
The technology allows them to be made in Austin.
“In order to maintain our margins and be able to manufacture in Austin, which is a very high-cost labor market, we have to invest in technology, we have to make it as efficient as possible, so that we can still have the talent we need to make it right,” Patrick says, explaining, “A typical arrangement is for the labor to be done in China. The technology we have significantly offsets costs so we can do everything in Austin. The way we’re doing things with technology
allows us to be competitive and versatile. We pair the best people, who do the stone setting, assembling and finishing, with cutting-edge technology that other places don’t have.”
JTD is rolling out a retail program where they’ll be in select stores in a few markets before the end of the year, but they’re primarily focusing on eCommerce, with many pieces made to order. Robert has created hundreds of designs, of which they launched with about 150, so with his primary part in the process done for now he can focus on his real estate business, funds management company and artist services VIP business. But, he’s still hands-on, his office is on the same floor as the jewelry production and he hand selects every single gemstone. “I’ve purchased all the stones from people that I know, that are either from the mine or from the country the mine was in. I don’t buy from middlemen or wholesalers,” he says. His favorite gemstone are Zircons. “They’re the oldest substance that you can touch on the face of the planet. They average between
“I was trying to create jewelry that was 100% designed in a computer environment, but that no one would say looks like a computer made it.”
two and four billion years old. I also love the fact that the refractive index of the stone is at the same level as diamonds. If you were to put them with diamonds, they sparkle the same,” he says.
As for his wife’s thoughts now that his hobby has materialized into a cutting-edge jewelry collection he says, “She doesn't take credit for this company, she's probably been my biggest critic,” adding, “I think she wants to blame me if it doesn't work, but she is withholding judgment.”
Find Jamie Turner Designs at jamieturnerdesigns.com
LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue opened their already legendary food truck at Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden in 2017 – and if you go midday you’ll still have to wait more than two hours for their famous ‘new school’ barbecue! On a recent Saturday, I waited two hours and 23 minutes for a burger chef Tavel Bristol Joseph told me was the best he’d ever had. Thankfully, although the food truck isn’t going anywhere, LeRoy & Lewis announced they’ll open a permanent location in South Austin at 5621 Emerald Forest Drive later this year where they’ll offer their
classics and a few additional items in the bigger space. leroyandlewisbbq.com
We first stumbled upon Burro Cheese Kitchen’s gooey goodness when one of their five mobile trucks was parked at Progress Coffee. That one has since relocated, but you can find them at their main location on Rainey Steet. Justin Burrow, who’s owned the artisan grilled cheese truck with Aaron Ross since 2013, told us he started the business because, “I fell in love with a grilled cheese sandwich that I had in Pikes
Place Market in Seattle and when I moved back to Austin in 2009 I was surprised there wasn’t a place where I could get something anywhere close to that. So, I decided to open my own grilled cheese place to fill a niche in the marketplace. Now, almost 11 years later, we’re still making those same special sandwiches! burrocheesekitchen.com
And, at both Cosmic Coffee + Beer and Progress Coffee + Beer you can find Pueblo Viejo’s food truck cooking up up authentic Mexican food including their award-winning breakfast tacos as well as street tacos, salads gorditas and more. Pueblo Viejo has been serving Austinites popular Mexican favorites since 2010, also has a few brick & mortar locations and offers catering. puebloviejoaustin.com
PUEBLO VIEJO
121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704 (at Cosmic Coffee)
And 3421 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722 (at Progress Coffee)
LEROY & LEWIS BARBECUE
121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704 (at Cosmic Coffee)
BURRO CHEESE KITCHEN
75 Rainey Street, Austin, TX, 78701
“I fell in love with a grilled cheese sandwich that I had in Pikes Place Market in Seattle and when I moved back to Austin in 2009 I was surprised there wasn’t a place where I could get something anywhere close to that.” — Justin BurrowLeRoy & Lewis's Sawyer Lewis and Evan LeRoy
SO, COME ON THEN, WHY SHOULD ALL AUSTINITES BECOME SAN ANTONIO SPURS SUPPORTERS?
Austin sits squarely within our regional footprint and no other NBA team has the ability to activate here.
With Austin's growth being one of our organization’s key priorities, it’s not a matter of if the Spurs will be Austin’s hometown team, but how soon. Thus, Austinites should get involved now because we have a really young and talented team and our presence here is only going to grow.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO SPORTS GROWING UP.
You learn so much from sports, including teamwork, leadership, commitment and the list goes on. On top of all that, being active has been shown to provide so many additional physical and mental benefits, without which, I have no idea what I’d do to maintain what little sanity I currently have.
WHO ARE YOUR ROLE MODELS - IN AND OUT OF SPORT?
As cliché as it sounds, the people that inspire me the most are the people I spend the most time around – friends, co-workers and my girlfriend. Athletes, celebrities and civic leaders do so much to help inspire the world around them and I don’t want to discredit that,
but the people I learn the most from are the people that hold me accountable every day to show up, work hard and be a good person.
YOU’VE SERVED AS A PROFESSOR AT VARIOUS TEXAS UNIVERSITIES. WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE WHEN YOU’RE TEACHING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE?
Young people now have access to so much information and technology that the future of innovation seems legitimately limitless – and that’s exciting. Young people now seem insatiably curious and open-minded, and historically that’s always been a great combination for progress and advancement.
I’ve been in Austin for two years now and there is so much I love about it. Austin has the most active community I’ve ever been a part of. Staying motivated and healthy is much easier when you look outside and see so many people prioritizing their personal wellness and building community while doing it! In addition to all that, Austin is an incredibly entrepreneurial city. The people here are beaming with creativity and fresh ideas and not afraid to take risks. And best of all, similar to the Spurs, the city of Austin has done an excellent job of keeping its core values priority during this period of immense progress and innovation.
ARTICLE BY SARAH IVENS
YOU AND YOUR CO-FOUNDER WENDELL ROBBINS WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS.
Our parents were friends before we were born, so we have been around each other forever. We started a bar together around the same time we decided to try our hand at distilling. When we started, it was just us hanging out in Wendell’s horse barn doing runs through a little 13-gallon still. We were both married with kids by this time so it was a cool, low-key way to hang out and stay out of trouble, ha!
ARTICLE
BY SARAH IVENS
HIGHWAY VODKA CO-FOUNDER BEN WILLIAMS TOASTS OLD FRIENDS, SIMPLE PLEASURES AND SETTING GOALS.It was a little hobby we started 10 years ago that turned into something! Highway is a one-of-a-kind grain-to-glass vodka made with 3 simple ingredients... hemp seed, corn, and water. There has never been another recipe like it in American spirits. We know that because it took us nearly three years to get our permit!
HEMP! EXPLAIN?
Hemp is the secret that gives Highway that smooth and full mouth feel without the burn you normally experience with almost all other vodkas. The oil also holds some of the sweetness from the corn on your palate. We’ve built our own custom filtration system, so we only collect the hearts of the run which is the purest part.
You can feel the vibes when you’re pulling into town. I’ve become a fan of South Congress … you can do some shopping then duck into a really cool bar. One bar I love to visit when I’m in SoCo is White Tiger.
We want Highway Vodka to be an example to all the visionaries and creatives out there of what can be done when you create something purely from your personal passion. The goal is to grow and reach folks all over the world with the same energy.
For more information, go to highwayvodka.com
What do you buy for the man who has everything? Perhaps an experience oriented around what dads value most – time together – is just what he needs. Fathers and father figures are invaluable in our lives. They help shape and mold us. They’re there for us and support us. If you haven’t already planned something special, take a look at our list of ideas and circle your favorites. If you have kids, let them join in the fun too!
Whether you decide to spend a day at home or enjoy a day on the town, these innovative celebration ideas will include fun for the whole family and make Dad feel loved. Whatever activity or surprise you land on to show your dad, husband, brother or father figure your appreciation for all they do, the most important thing is that you all get to spend some quality time together.
Family heritage websites can offer insight into dad’s past and be an interesting way to study the history of your family. Present Dad with a report on his ancestors or dig in together!
You don’t need to go very far to have a great time with Dad! Explore a new neck of your own woods with a family staycation. You can go out on the town, stay at a fancy hotel and maybe even enjoy some room service!
Lay out a blanket in your backyard and grab your binoculars for a peaceful, naturefilled day. Make a list of how many different kinds of birds you see and guess if you can identify them.
Bowling is a timeless classic Dad is sure to enjoy. Bonus if the bowling alley has an arcade, chicken wings and Dad’s favorite beverage of choice.
Find a local frisbee golf course and grab a slot for the family to play. This activity is fun for both young and old and helps you take advantage of being in the beautiful outdoors together.
Breakfast in bed isn’t just for Mother’s Day. Dads can enjoy it too! Whip up some of his favorite brunch treats and start Father’s Day off the right way.
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Sign up for an artistic experience at a local wine and paint shop so Dad can let his creative side show and you can have a custom piece of art for years to come.
Is Dad a hands-on guy? Why not spend the day constructing a tree house or painting a birdhouse? Or better yet, help him organize the garage or start a garage redesign.
Consider signing him up for a fitness class together. Whether he likes cycling, boxing or HIIT, encourage him to be adventurous and try something new.
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There’s no greater way to get to a Dad’s heart than the word “barbecue”. Grab extravagant meats like a rack of ribs or wagyu beef burgers and go to town.
Harken back to Dad’s childhood with a specialty kit of legos. Embark on a family project of helping Dad build models of favorite movie props like the Death Star or Hogwarts castle.
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If some of Dad’s role models include Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay, consider thinking outside the box and create a meal with something you wouldn’t usually go for like bison burgers or grilled octopus tentacles. Tackling a complex recipe may seem challenging but the memories and the meal will be worth it.
Ryan McGrath has been in love with hats since childhood, becoming fully hooked when he started reshaping them 15 years ago. Here, he tells us how he turned his passion into a career.
I love the name of your hats - the Dolly, the Jolene! Tell us how you choose the names and then create something inspired by them!
The names are usually drawn from the design, color, essence, or theme of the hat. Typically our hats are designed in reflection of their owner’s personality and aspects of their life story. The hats online are part of the Lone Star Heritage collection inspired for classic Western moves with a modern edge.
Talk more about this charity and caring element of the brand.
Trovador Customs believes in the importance of giving and supporting the human condition. Proceeds from every hat purchased go towards donating custom hats for people battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. The Trovador Customs' Customs for Cause program is intended to inspire hope, dignity, and spread joy. Customs for Cause started with the desire to be a purpose driven company. I encountered a person out in the world battling cancer wearing a cowboy hat and felt it would be a great way to spread some love and provide dignity for those who’ve lost their hair while in chemo. We always ask them for a word, phrase, quote, or verse that would inspire them that we then engrave into the felt.
How can a well-made well-fitted hat complete your outfit and make your day?
Hats can be your ultimate travel companion, picking up little stories as you go. Dirt or stains? I call it character. Boots jeans and T-shirt? Throw in a hat and now it’s a fit. Something made specifically for you provides a sense of confidence, practicality, and makes a statement.
What’s next for you and the brand?
Next moves, we’re goin’ on the road! We’ll be doing pop-ups, collabs, and creating a little brother line to Trovador, semi-custom hats at a conservative price point. Stay tuned!
For more information, go to trovadorcustoms.com
