COMING SOON!
WILLOWBROOK MALL
(Under New Management)
Ethan Hundley
Let’s Hear It For The Boys!
As a proud father of two, our June Men’s Issue always holds a special place in my heart, usually more so than any other issue throughout the year. As we approach Father’s Day, I am reminded that being a man in our community means wearing many hats—mentor, provider, protector, and friend. This month, we celebrate those diverse roles through stories of local legends, business titans, and personal reflections.
We are thrilled to bring you an exclusive Lifestyle Publications interview with former Bachelorette fan favorite, Mike Johnson, who shares his insights on life and how to build your life on your own terms.
For those looking to sharpen their professional edge while enjoying the greens, Dan Sterba from LCD Commercial Lending joins us to share essential tips on how to best do business on the golf course.
If you’re looking for a transformative shift, don't miss our in-depth feature with Denise Fuchs of Dream Builders By Design . She explores how a business success coach can revolutionize both your professional and personal life. I encourage you to take her advice seriously; she has clients who have literally doubled their income under her guidance.
We also spent time with a true local hero, our own "Captain America," Ethan Fitzpatrick. Ethan’s resume is staggering: a NJ Golden Gloves boxing champion, an EMT, and a fire academy trainee. By the time this issue reaches your door, Ethan will have left for the US Army Guard Officer Candidate School. Be proud—he represents the very best of us.
Finally, the most personal piece I have ever shared lies within these pages. Titled A Son’s Promise, it is a story that took me three separate sessions to complete because I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. It is a deeply personal experience, and there is no one I would rather share it with than all of you.
I hope this issue inspires you to hug your kids a little tighter and perhaps find a bit of yourself in these stories. Whether you’re spending the day on the water with your dad or behind a grill this Father’s Day, may your June be filled with the simple joys that make being a "Dad" the best job in the world.
I love you, Dad!
June 2026
PUBLISHER
Phillip Barone | phillip.barone@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Don Seaman | don.seaman@citylifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Jamie Johnson | jamie@officiallysocial.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Don Seaman, Phillip Barone, Dan Sterba, Pauli Reep, Eve Bushman
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Agnello Photography and Video, PJ Barone, Phillip Barone, Brittany Dawn Short
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Rachel Otto
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsi Southard
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
PHILLIP BARONE, PUBLISHER @WAYNELIFESTYLEMAG
AN EXCERPT FROM EPISODE 6 OF SHARE THE LIFESTYLE, A CITY LIFESTYLE PODCAST
Photographer: Brittany Dawn Short
Creative Director: Jen Birn
Stylist: Stephanie Coultress O’Neill
Location: Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin, TX
MIKE JOHNSON HAS BUILT HIS LIFE AROUND ONE QUIETLY RADICAL IDEA: THE STANDARD YOU SET PRIVATELY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS.
After eight years in the Air Force, a celebrated run on national television, and a health crisis abroad that sent him deep into supply chains and ingredient certifications most founders never touch, the result is Oshun — a luxury ritual brand built on provenance you can trace and integrity you can verify. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Mike shares what it actually takes to build something worth putting your name on. Read the highlights below, then scan the QR code for the full episode.
Q: YOU BECAME A FAN FAVORITE ON THE BACHELORETTE AND THEN LEFT THE SPOTLIGHT. YOU MOVED TO MEXICO, LEARNED SPANISH, THEN COSTA RICA, AND BUILT A COMPANY. WHAT DID THAT EXPERIENCE TEACH YOU ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR?
A: “If you’re a good person going in, that shows. If you’re not, that shows too. I also learned that people form this parasocial relationship with you — they assume things about you. When all actuality, different circumstances bring out different parts of who you are. I was on TV trying to find love. The kindness people were showing after felt a bit fake, because they wanted to be a part of something that isn’t who I am individually, but a part of what they saw on TV. And so I had to get away from everybody and everything and the noise.”
THE QUIET STANDARD:
MIKE JOHNSON
“Too many people have prayed for me. So I’ve got to get up and do the walking.”
— Mike Johnson
Q: YOU JOINED THE AIR FORCE RIGHT OUT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WHAT WERE YOU ACTUALLY RUNNING TOWARD?
A: “There was something in me that was saying: I’m not living up to my full potential. I was being a follower. My uncle said, ‘What’s going to make you become an adult the fastest?’ I said, obviously, the military. The Air Force broadened my thought process more than anything. We’re so caught up in our own perception — when you learn to understand different people’s perspectives, it adds to you in so many ways.”
Q: WITH OSHUN, YOU OWN YOUR MANUFACTURING, YOU EMPLOY A CHEMIST, EVERY PRODUCT HAS A BATCH NUMBER TRACEABLE TO ITS ORIGIN DATE. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO THAT DEEP WITH THE BRAND?
A: “The EU bans 1,100 ingredients in personal care products. The U.S. bans nine. That’s my starting point. Oftentimes, it might be the same ingredient, but it comes from a place where it doesn’t have the highest purity. And 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed. Every product Oshun makes carries a batch number that goes back to the exact day it was created — I can show you every single supplier, the date, the origin. I own more than one part of the supply chain because that’s the only way I can stand behind what’s in the bottle.”
This conversation is just the beginning. Mike goes deeper into why he’s buying land up north, the family in the Philippines who prayed over his factory floor, and what he’d tell every person ready to stop performing and start building. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on the Share the Lifestyle podcast.
MIKE JOHNSON
Picture This
Student Photo Bonus
“Reflection: The Reality Of Life”
JAMIE YI
Wayne Hills High School
DIGITALLY MANIPULATED PHOTOGRAPHY
A SON’S PROMISE
30 YEARS IN THE MAKING
ARTICLE BY PHILLIP BARONE
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY PJ BARONE & PHILLIP BARONE
Baseball is my lifeblood. I’ve been in love with being on a ballfield since the first day of Little League when I was 8 years old. That has never changed, and even now, at nearly 52, I feel the overwhelming pull to make my way back onto the field every year. I played hardball until I was 40, took a couple of years off after realizing my body couldn’t hold up doing that anymore, then transitioned myself into competitive softball that still beckons me to step foot into my second base position every year.
Even today, I still consider myself a superb fielder, and I’ve had a lot of great coaches in my many years on the field that have helped make me into that. But the reality is, I learned how to play the field from Jamey Barone, my mom. How many other moms did you know that went out in the backyard with a bat and hit grounders, pop-ups, and line drives to their kid for hours at a clip? Somewhere in the back of my head, I remember her telling me she played when she was little, and she threw, caught, and hit as if she had just hung up her spikes. She must have because she knew her stuff- how to ready myself in the field, how to judge when I need to get down lower on that second hop, and pretty much every other nuance of fielding. She knew enough that she coached several of my teams in Little League, and no offense to the many random dads that coached me over the years, but they were the minors, and she was the majors.
If I am wrong and made it up in my head that she played when she was young, then she most certainly learned about the game from watching the New York Yankees. We were only able to go to a game a year, and I am not even sure we did that every year, but she had the Yankee game on at home every day, and if we were out and couldn’t be in front of the TV, then they were on in the car or on her little portable radio. Her love of the Yankees became my love of the Yankees.
As a dad, especially one who has coached his daughter’s softball teams and is still coaching his son’s baseball teams, I now understand that a parent can dream of one day seeing their own kid out there on a big-league field almost as much as a kid can themselves. My mom had told me many times how she would love to see me out on the field at Yankee Stadium, but, as in most cases, my dreams of turning a double play in the Bronx would never be fulfilled, so she endured, relegated to a long stretch of rough Yankee seasons.
Fast forward to the night of October 2, 1996. I’m 23, and it was the bottom of the 9th, and unfortunately, lung cancer was about to close out the game… so we all gathered around my mom as she lay in bed after having just awoken from a temporary coma. As her last night with us was coming to an end, we each took 10 minutes alone with her to share memories, share regrets, hugs, and whatever else we could grab
Father and Son in the Yankee dugout, getting ready for the big moment.
Coach Jamey Barone, 1984 The swing that spans generations
onto that would have to last the rest of our lives. When it was my turn, I was a wreck… as most would be. This was my mom. We talked about various things in our lives, and the people she was looking forward to seeing again soon. I don’t know why, perhaps I just wanted to make her smile, but after having told her I love her for the final time, the last thing I told her was to keep watching because I promise she’ll see me get up to bat at Yankee Stadium someday. I regretted saying it immediately as I didn’t want the last thing I said to her to be a lie, and mom, being as supportive as ever, simply whispered: “I know you will”. As I was about to walk out of the room, out of nowhere, she also said, “And I’m going to make sure the Yankees win the World Series this year. I chuckled at that as I left. Every Yankee fan knows what happened in October ’96. I was awoken by a phone call at 5:30 am the next morning, and life has never been the same.
A few months later, I decided I was going to somehow make my promise come true. I started to call the stadium offices to try to make it happen, but it went nowhere. I wrote to George Steinbrenner’s office, sending them a multitude of letters. I only got form letters back, along with, oddly, a (second baseman) Chuck Knoblauch card…every single time, even well after he was off the team.
The last business I owned raised over $25 million for various charities, and I had one of the higher-ups in Goodwill offer to try to make it happen for me, but they never could. Then, over the course of a few years, I tracked all the auctions I had heard about where people won batting practice packages at Yankee Stadium back to a particular college and, after calling them, I spoke with the lovely Etta Sue whom I convinced to give me the contact of the organization who obtains these batting practice sessions from the Yankees and resells them to organizations so they could auction them off. I called and was able to reach the owner. I then convinced him to let me outright buy a batting session directly from them by offering to pay the average final auction price. It was a crazy amount, but worth it. The next summer I would be there, turning the lie to truth, but fate
laughed at me. That next season was when the Yankees started allowing Major League Soccer to have games there, causing them to give up the batting session slots. I was crushed (and it took 3 years to get my money back from the reseller). After that, I tried idea after idea and contact after contact, but while everything else on my bucket list got checked off, the most important item remained just out of reach.
Then, Kristin Ryan and Joe Vanacore, 2 absolutely wonderful people, both of whom knew of my quest, told me on the same day that the Yankees were hosting their first-ever “On Field Fan Experience”. No way! This was my chance! The day would be comprised of a private tour of Monument Park, lunch in the Delta Sky Suite with Bucky Dent, pitching from the Yankee bullpen mound, hitting in the visiting club’s indoor batting cage, shagging fly balls in the outfield, and..wait for it..
BATTING PRACTICE AT HOME PLATE! This was it…this was my Everest. I went to sign up online and was heartbroken when I saw the price. It wasn’t anything out of this world; it wasn’t even as much as I paid that company 10 years earlier for one of their sessions, but it was exactly the amount I had just spent fixing my car, and I couldn’t justify the cost. My soul was crushed. I figured at 51 years old, after this long a search, this was likely my last chance, and I blew it. I failed my mom…again. Here comes the power of networking. I was at my Tuesday morning beSure networking group in Wayne and telling the person next to me the entire ordeal. After the meeting, I went back to my office, and an hour later, Dave Faccone showed up. Dave owns the beSure networking group and its 9 chapters. Over the last several years, Dave has become like a brother to me. He walks into my office, sits down, and tells me he heard me tell the story earlier at the meeting. The next thing he said blew me away, and I remember it very well. Dave said, “Phil, it will break my heart if I have the ability to help you keep your promise to your mom and then not do it, so here, “he pulled out his credit card, “go book the Yankees. I hugged Dave, then cried like a baby for several minutes. After I booked it and Dave left, I called my dad, and I cried again.
That night, my wife and I talked and decided, since it was half price for someone my son’s age, we would buy his birthday present a few months early. I couldn’t even sleep that night, and it was about 2 weeks later, my son, PJ, and I were walking up through the press entrance with our mats and gloves in hand.
My mom’s funeral card stayed in my pocket for every part of the day. She was truly there with me. Emotions came on strong throughout our time there, with the 3 biggest being when PJ and I first played catch together in the outfield, then when I looked up at the enormous Yankee Jumbotron screen (out in centerfield) and saw that it displayed: “Phillip Barone, #11, 2B”, and by far the biggest was when I was walking from the Yankee dugout with my helmet on and my bat
in hand, knowing what it meant for me to actually be there at that moment. Not only was this the culmination of 30 years of every angle I could try to make this happen, but I was also finally able to make right the last thing I ever said to my mom, and I did it all with my son, right next to me.
We did it, Mom.
Strike!
We Did It Mom!
Bucky Dent relived how we previously met when I was 8
Mom was there the whole day with us.
We just brought in a new product that is the most effective against the Lone Star Tick While remaining safe for your beloved pet.
CREATING NEW INERTIA IS POSSIBLE, AND IT’S NOT JUST BY WORKING HARDER
SUCCESS IS A LAUNCH POINT
A common trope of success is in a chess analogy, that someone who has more than their fair share of success is “they’re playing 3D chess and everyone else is playing checkers.”
Evocative visual. But 3D chess is doing one thing (although doing it quite well): picking up one static piece in your hand and moving it somewhere else. Strategically. A single move. A counter. Rinse, repeat.
The better analogy has to be pool. The long-range decision tree is the same, the best think 4-5 shots ahead, based upon the result of the move that they make right now. The difference is physics. How you make that move is as important as the decision to make it. Too little chalk, a millimeter or two too far from the sweet spot required on the cue ball or the bumper, too much unintended umph on your strike, heck, even an unseen flaw in the felt - all can trash that plan in one go. Furthermore, your unprepared, unskilled opponent on the other side might just get lucky when it’s his turn.
ARTICLE
BY DON SEAMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN AGNELLO PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO
Unlike chess, the move that you make right now is impacted by a myriad of outside forces, not just Point A > Point B. And the result doesn’t end up in a predictable predesignated square.
The most prepared, accomplished people operate with the idea that success is a launch point, not the pinnacle goal. The steps you take as you build on your success are as important as what brought you there.
Take, for example, the CPA who moved into mergers and acquisitions and doubled his income. Or the insurance agent who began to thrive in an area of his business when he’d reached a plateau, falling short of his quota to get to his next level for over 10 years. They each found new heights in their performance by looking at who they are, not what they do.
Until they looked inward, their level had plateaued. Stagnated. Satisfactory. But never more.
Each of them, and many more, found Denise Fuchs. Using her Life Mastery Program, Denise helped them to unlock themselves.
It’s not a business course. It looks at six separate phases of life: Intention, Health, Abundance, Love, Manifestation and Transformation. It’s an inward journey.
And before you dismiss that as Life Coach-speak, keep this in mind: keywords don’t translate into results. Pushing past stalled inertia doesn’t come from memorization, it comes from a commitment to a process of pushing yourself beyond what you think you are.
It doesn’t mean you push harder and double down on work. Instead, it allows you to slow down, earn some clarity, and become intentional.
As the overworked, stalled insurance broker admitted, “I get more done and sell more when I’m calmer and intentional. The biggest difference was not fearing change, in believing in my vision, and taking active steps towards my goals.”
The course that they took inspired them to keep going, eventually entering Denise’s high-level VIP program.
It’s not as simple as positive-skewing mantras. It’s about removing those negative thoughts that have likely been in your unconscious mind since you were in preschool.
“The program helps identify the habitually negative, constrictive thinking patterns, and repattern them to more expansive, life giving patterns that align with your vision, with repetition,” Denise explains.
“The subconscious is responsible for 95% of our behavior and is running our life like an old computer program. The subconscious accepts everything we give it, so with enough repetition we can repattern the old negative beliefs.”
“However, the brain likes us to be status quo. Its biological function is to keep us alive, and at a primitive, instinctual level, any change could be deadly. Successful change requires reprogramming that paradigm, those beliefs that keep us stuck, or biologically safe. Change triggers the nervous system that something’s going on, and creates an undertow backlash,” she says.
CONTINUED >
“That’s why so many people who receive a sudden, unexpected windfall of cash lose all their money in five years or people lose 100 pounds and gain 120 back. They didn’t upgrade their beliefs and thinking patterns enough to sustain their success. If we don’t get to the root of why we’ve been stuck, we tend to self-sabotage and go right back to where we began.”
“I teach my clients to learn to go beyond their circumstances and not let the circumstances dictate their thoughts, actions and destiny. Circumstances can change by how we think and respond about a situation. We want to start to act as if we already have achieved the wealth, the health, the success we seek before it comes to pass. The brain cannot distinguish between our imagination and reality. The mind will believe it and it will be yours.”
“This mental reboot causes you to tap into vision-driven thinking, not condition-driven thinking, and you begin to not let the circumstances dictate your thoughts and feelings. You begin to listen to your intuition. You know you can trust it.”
People who look inside themselves to fuel their trajectory aren’t just playing 3D chess. They’re playing 3D pool.
It’s not just about performing in business. It’s holistic change that lifts all aspects of your life - family, home, outlook, relationships, the gamut. And for Denise, it’s not just something she does. Having done the process herself, she believes it truly saved her life.
“Circumstances matter. Many times, we cannot control our circumstances. However, we can control our perception of our circumstances, which makes all the difference!”
Understanding what you can control matters - and who can help you see things that you may not, matters.
Would we know who Helen Keller was without Annie Sullivan? It took one determined woman to unlock a human legend, who’d been hidden away in silent darkness.
I’ll bet Annie Sullivan was a wonderful pool player.
For more about what Denise Fuchs can do to help you reboot and get unstuck, go to her website, dreambuildersbydesign.com, follow her on Instagram (@denisethedreambuilder), or give her a call at 201-961-3666.
Pete’s Mortgage Corner
“The Dad’s Guide to Helping Your Kids Buy Their First Home”: If your adult kids are thinking about buying their first home, you have an opportunity that goes beyond writing a check. You can help them actually understand what they’re getting into.Start with the basics of a mortgage payment. Most first-time buyers don’t realize their monthly payment isn’t just principal and interest — it also includes property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and often mortgage insurance. Walking through these components together demystifies the process and helps them budget realistically.Beyond education, there are ways to provide direct support. Gift funds toward a down payment can make a meaningful difference, though proper documentation is required. Co-signing is another option, but it’s worth understanding how that impacts your own credit and debt-to-income ratio.The best gift might be the conversation itself. If you’d like to talk through how to guide your kids through this process, I’m happy to help.
Fighting For Good
For Ethan Fitzpatrick, Giving Back is Simply Being Human
ARTICLE BY DON SEAMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN FITZPATRICK
ETHAN FITZPATRICK
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
VETERANS SERVICES
If you’ve never met Captain America, let me introduce him to you.
He’ll hate that I’m calling him that. He’ll say that it’s far too hyperbolic for someone like him. He’s far too humble for that elevated label.
But it’s honest. And the pieces sort of fit.
The biggest difference was that he wasn’t a scrawny weakling. At his peak, he tipped the scales at 355 pounds. Not an underdog. Just unseen.
Ethan is a man of quiet, deep faith. Faith in finding something in himself that pushes him forward, faith in the decency of humanity, faith in the selfless need to give back to society in any - and every - way possible, and simply a faith in divine spirituality.
Strength, beyond his body. Gratitude, beyond his soul.
Grace.
That’s what’s driven him to become an EMT. A Fire Academy trainee. And, this month, a military man. Although he’s not a police officer, “Protect and Serve” has a living, breathing poster child.
What led him down this path was unambiguously transformative.
He’d been working with Catholic Charities Veterans Services after college, assisting veterans home from foreign wars, distributing food at local pantries, surrounded by countless guardian angels. Veterans hold a special place in Ethan’s heart, as his great-grandfather was a frontline radio technician in WWII. It was then that he began working as an EMT.
It’s the physical work that feeds him, that saved him. It’s giving back that fuels him.
“I truly believe that we are put on this earth to learn lessons and serve others.”
— ETHAN FITZPATRICK
Giving back was never a question for Ethan. Giving to himself was another thing entirely.
“Inside, I was full of rage at myself for being so heavy, and working on the ambulance corps fed into that. I saw how others were suffering and helping them, but at the same time I was angry at myself, at what I was on the outside,” Ethan explains.
But that rage didn’t create the Hulk. It released his inner Captain America.
Because that’s when the fight came alive in him. Quite literally.
“My boxing journey took off during the pandemic. I struggled with alcohol at the time and boxing gave me a new life and got me on the right path. Eventually I found my way to Aces Boxing Club where I found a home, community, and comradery amongst others who shared the same struggles and goals of discipline, health, and community. Thousands of hours were spent in my gym, training, sparring, and fighting anyone - between Olympic champions, SWAT officers, prisoners, veterans and some of the toughest men in NJ. I traveled throughout Pennsylvania and New York, willing to fight anyone and everyone. Every fight I learned about being a man, lost a little more weight and grew a little bit stronger, much of my addictive energy I had I focused on the gym.”
Ethan currently has a record of 11-5, with the 2022 NJ State Golden Gloves Championship under his belt. With no opponents in his open class bracket this year, he instead competed
in the 2025 NJ Firefighter vs Police Boxing Championship, representing Wayne Co. 4 and walked away from a tough fight with the win.
It’s the physical work that feeds him, that saved him. It’s giving back that fuels him.
The EMS work and firefighting training serve both masters - physically grueling, but selfless sacrifice. And now, he’s going further, entering into the Army Guard Officer Candidate School this month. So if making a career as a pro boxer one day doesn’t materialize as he’d hope, he’ll have a pretty respectable fallback as a full-time Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Service, within the Service.
“I truly believe that we are put on this earth to learn lessons and serve others,” Ethan shares. “Working on the ambulance over the past 10 years and helping others with their medical needs helped me learn how to take care of myself.”
While Ethan has transformed himself, what has remained steadfast is his perspective in the world beyond him, his inclusive vision of the universal good. His spirituality isn’t driven by a checklist. “What” you believe isn’t the important thing - it’s that you believe. His respect for the divine is an inclusive tapestry, woven from faith of many colors, patterns, and histories.
For him, it’s that truth, piety, and charity are goals that include everyone, for everyone.
Ethan wholly, purely, lives his truth.
The world needs its Captain America.
The universe needs more Ethans.
going for the green
How to do Business on the Golf Course
Hardly a day goes by that business owners and executives aren’t thinking about ways to grow their business. And on most beautiful days when the sun is shining and the weather’s warm, many (including myself), enjoy spending time on the golf course.
Some might say that there’s no better way to build their business if you can do it while getting a round of golf in. It is a perfect way to build relationships that flourish well beyond the back nine.
All businesses in some way thrive off relationships. I am a commercial loan broker in Totowa and have spent years building relationships with clients, investors, real estate agents, people who work in the commercial real estate world, and more.
Golf has been an integral part of my success in building solid professional relationships. It’s a launch point. Or, more vividly, it’s your first drive off the tee. I can tell you that in the last 11 years as Vice President of LCD Commercial Lending, I have not closed anything the day I first met them on the golf course.
This is one of the biggest things to remember when doing business on the golf course - you are not going to land that big deal, large account, or whatever it is that day. The golf course is the starting point. I personally have had plenty of business meetings playing golf and have played in a lot of golf outings over the years. It all goes back to the same basic principle, going out and building that relationship.
ARTICLE BY DAN STERBA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN AGNELLO PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO
However, I have built those relationships over time and developed a network of people. Many of them I still do business with to this day. There are people that I played with years before who didn’t need my services at that time, but now they do. They remember me and what I do, and they’ll reach out, bring up our time over golf, and will have more to talk about.
There are some other big do’s and don'ts that I have found out over time.
One of the most important “do’s” is that you want to learn more about them than you want to talk about yourself. While talking about yourself is important, it should not be the main thing. Building a rapport with someone and showing them that you are interested in what they do will go a lot further.
You spend hours together playing golf and this is the perfect opportunity to build that relationship. Many people I have met over time want to talk about their families, kids, achievements that they might have had. You want to embrace this and show that you care so you can build that foundation with them.
You should remember to be asking questions such as, “how did you get started in your business” or “tell me what kind of person you are looking for in the way of clients.” This way, you can use your database of people that you know might be a good fit for them. Offering a connection to someone you are meeting for the first time to someone in your network of people will go a long way later on. Even if that connection does not amount to anything, it is the thought that counts at the end of the day.
Bring business cards with you to your outing. You don’t know who you are going to meet and you want to be prepared. I have a digital card with a QR code to scan, allowing them to add their information right there, so there is no need for me to have a stack of cards with me or collect them from others.
Within a couple of days of playing, send out an email letting them know that you enjoyed playing with them and offer some future assistance. As time goes on, touch base with them to see how things are, especially if you uncover things like a child graduating school, a promotion they may have mentioned, or something else that opens the door to having a conversation. Like anything else in business, you want to stay top of mind and show engagement with them.
Some of the don'ts are simple.
First, don’t be asking for business. This is especially true when meeting with someone for the first time. This will make it seem like all you want is their business, not in building a relationship. Without having that foundation, there is no business to be had.
Also, being generous as a connector cements the idea in their mind that you’re thinking about ways to help them, not as simply to grow your own business. If there is someone in your network of people that you know would make a great connection, then make the connection. It shows that you’re proactively looking to help them succeed.
Finally, remember that almost all of us are not on the PGA tour. Don’t take it too seriously. Laugh and build those relationships, versus being upset that you shot a bogey on the last hole. You will remember more than just complaints about the score if you have an open, flowing conversation with someone.
Golf is a great tool to help you and your business. I usually leverage golf to build new or reinforce existing relationships. When I take others or get invited to play, I go out and have fun, build connections and grow my business. Your business will grow organically from there.
For more about Dan's commercial lending business, contact him at LCD Commercial Lending, 973-435-2800 or sterbateam@ lcdcommercial.com
Nice? Is Whiskey On Ice
In speaking to Whiskey lovers (most happen to be men, but do accept me in their brethren as a fellow enthusiast, writer, and educator), I’ve learned a great many opinions on how to drink Whiskey. Specifically, preferences on adding water and ice vary greatly.
A brand ambassador that I had the privilege of listening to recently said the obvious: both dilution and temperature change when you add ice, so if you are going to add something, a little water is best. I personally prefer to use a water dropper, so I can add one drop at a time until I get to the desired taste.
HERE ARE THE DIFFERENCES:
THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY YOUR WHISKEY: ON THE ROCKS, ROCK, NEAT, OR WITH WATER
Rocks: Provides the highest rate of dilution as a lot of ice melts quickly. If you are drinking a barrel proof Whiskey, it kind of defeats the purpose as the distiller didn’t add water as they do in every other type of finished Whiskey.
On the Rock: The single rock, cube, or sphere is the slowest to melt and thought to be the most aesthetic. It’s nice if you want to stretch out your tasting. I often order on the rock if I want my drink to last longer.
Neat: This is the way single malt Scotch is served at a tasting event, in a branded Glencairn or Neat glass so that proper nosing for aromas can be achieved - and a dram of Scotch, smaller than an ounce, fits in them perfectly.
Water: As I mentioned above, quoting the brand ambassador, a little water is better for a fine Whiskey over any kind of ice. Often, if ordered with water, the water is served in a separate vessel on the side so you can add in as much as you want.
Quoting another expert on the subject, Richard Paterson of The Dalmore famously and enthusiastically demonstrates in his Scotch classes how to drink single malt Scotch Whiskey: Paterson fills a lowball glass to the rim with ice, adds Scotch and then ceremoniously throws it over his shoulder onto the carpet of the classroom – because that much ice makes the drink worthless. One more quote, never “add green tea or milk to Whiskey. You can add a little water, but not a lot of ice.”
Ultimately, the reason we add ice can be for aesthetics, to stretch out the time spent on one glass, for cooling, and for dilution. However, the number one reason enthusiasts add water is … drumroll please … because adding a little water actually opens up a Whiskey to show more aromas and flavors.
Pickle In A
ARTICLE BY PAULI REEP
PICKLE-BRINED CHICKEN WINGS SOAR TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH ALABAMA WHITE SAUCE.
I’ve spent years searching for the perfect wing flavor, never quite satisfied, until I heard a podcast suggestion: brining chicken wings in pickle juice. It sounded strange at first, but it yields incredibly tender and flavorful wings! Since then, I save pickle juice from every jar I buy just to recreate these beloved wings. If I run out of pickle juice, olive juice works too. I air fry mine, but if you don’t have an air fryer, cook them as you normally would. Don’t forget to toss them in a buttery dill sauce and try the Alabama white BBQ sauce for an extra layer of goodness!
Pickle Juice Brined Wings
INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds chicken wings (flats and drummettes)
• Pickle juice - enough to cover wings
• 1 – 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place chicken wings in a non-reactive container and pour pickle juice over chicken wings until completely covered.
2. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate, covered, for at least 8 hours.
3. Drain wings, discard pickle juice, and completely pat wings dry.
4. Put dried wings in a bowl and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Place wings in an air fryer basket, being careful not to crowd. Cook at 400 degrees for 28 minutes, turning every 8 minutes until crispy. If you don’t have an air fryer, bake them in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through.
6. Melt the butter and add a few splashes of hot sauce of your choice and mix in a bowl. Add wings and completely cover with butter mixture. Sprinkle with fresh dill and toss a few times, and serve with my white barbeque sauce.
Alabama White BBQ Sauce
INGREDIENTS
• 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk all ingredients together until blended. Dip your pickle juicebrined wings in this sauce and taste the joy! Store in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 weeks.
