Everyday Entrepreneur With Cornelius Mcgrath

LOS ANGELES, CA — My guest today is Peter Pham, Founder of VC Science Inc. and investor behind brands like Dollar Shave Club, PlayVS, and Liquid Death. Peter is also the co-executive producer of jeen-yuhs, the incredible documentary on Kanye West's life. As a venture capitalist, producer, and prolific dancer, Peter has a unique view of life, entrepreneurship, character, psychology,  confidence, and everything in between. I had the chance to unpack what drives Peter, how he decides what investments to make, what founders to back and why he's so in love with dancing. But, most importantly, I got an inside look at the making of jeen-yuhs and how this incredible documentary came to life. Transcript: https://everydayco.us/magazine/issues/5/jeen-yuhs

LOS ANGELES, CA — My guest today is Karin Kildow, Founder & CEO of Content Capital. I contacted Karin ahead of my first trip to LA since February 2018. I had followed her on social media for a long time and admired how she used the platform to tell stories. It turns out we were meeting at the perfect time. Karin — who has had an illustrious career at RedBull, Uninterrupted and Beyond Meat — was getting ready to go full-time on Content Capital and make it a cutting-edge media company focused on helping athletes tell their stories. Karin and I had the chance to sit down together in LA to record this episode. We dissect her life story, her approach to social, what drives her philosophy behind storytelling and her biggest dreams for her new company. Without further ado, here’s Karin Kildow

MIAMI, FL — My guest today is Caitlin Thompson, founder and publisher of Racquet Magazine. A cultural tennis publication, platform and movement like no other. Caitlin and I caught up in Miami Beach on the tail end of ‘Racquet House’ — a quarterly in-person celebration of Racquet, grassroots tennis and its global community. I haven’t known Caitlin for long, but it’s immediately clear that she is one of the most brilliant people in today’s media environment. She’s poised, a phenomenal storyteller and has a kickass vision for what a modern-day media company and publisher can look like. In short: Caitlin makes ideas — whether they are yours or others — better. Hence why I wanted to record this episode. We dive deep into the why of Racquet House, what it takes to build phenomenal physical experiences in the 21st century and how Caitlin thinks about leveraging brands to create spaces that people will never forget. You won’t want to miss this one. Game, set and match to Caitlin Thompson. https://racquetmag.com/

MIAMI, FL —  My guest today is Daniel Ross. A travel connoisseur and arguably the most global Northern bloke I’ve ever met.  Dan and I first connected back in December of 2019 during a black-tie dinner on the Intrepid in New York City. Carly Rae Jepsen performed. We rubbed shoulders with travel influencers and celebrities. It was a magical evening. Little did we both know it would be the last time we’d see each other until March 2022. Our travel schedules finally intersected and we had the chance to sit down in Miami for this conversation at the stunning MIAMI EAST hotel in Brickell. Over the pandemic, Dan made the bold switch from cashing in a paycheque and working for somebody else to breaking out on his own as a freelancer. We caught up during the latter end of his 8-week press trip to the United States. This was Dan’s first time in America since the pandemic. In this episode, we discuss Dan’s origin story as a Geordie, how his life has changed since the pandemic, why he ultimately decided to make the jump

DENVER, CO — My guest today is Joe Buckner. A fighter, father and idea giant. I was introduced to Joe through a great mutual friend, Elliott Clark, while searching for speakers for Everyday's last retreat of 2021 in the Mile High City. Elliott told me I had to get Joe to speak. He said: "If you want to know why, hang up the phone right now and watch this Lululemon video on Joe." After watching it, I didn't need any more convincing.  Later, when I called Joe, he said: "What you gotta understand is the Lululemon video was based on my life in the early 2000s. Yes, that is part of my story. But it's now 2021. There's been a lot of developments since then."  I responded, "Great. I want you to use your time with us to share the part of your story that is still untold." In this episode, we unpack the origin story of Joe Buckner, what happened in his life after prison, why he believes fighting fixes everything, why we need to remind each other how to fight, teach each ot

WASHINGTON, D.C. — My guests today are Rene McCoy and Robert Clark. They are two stalwarts of the hospitality industry and leaders of the St Gregory Hotel - a beautiful lifestyle luxury property nestled between Dupont Circle and Georgetown in D.C. St Gregory was our away home for our Q4 retreat in D.C. So, I sat down with Rene + Robert — who have a combined 65 years of experience in the industry — to talk about their stories, visions for the future of St Gregory, Hersha Hospitality’s Independent Collection and everything in between. What I loved most about this conversation was Rene and Robert’s ruthless focus on serving others. For them, hospitality is not an industry. It is simply their lifestyle and something they commit to in every interaction inside and out of the hotel.  I think we all have to learn something from these two. -- https://www.stgregoryhotelwdc.com/https://www.independentcollection.com/

CHICAGO, IL — My guest today is Mark Steuer, Owner & Head Chef of Funkenhausen — a 2x Bib Gourmand restaurant located in West Town and currently my favourite dining establishment in the country. Mark and I have been talking about sitting down to do a podcast together for almost two and a half years. We met back in July of 2019 through one of Funk’s excellent servers called Jesse and immediately hit it off. Life (and the pandemic) got in the way of us ever hitting record. But I’m honestly so glad it did. Mark and I have now had the time to build a fantastic relationship, making this podcast deeper, funnier, and more intimate than it ever could have been back in 2019. This episode is nearly two hours long and is split into two parts. The first hour takes place at Mark’s house, and the second takes place after hours at his pride and joy of a restaurant — Funkenhausen — on a beautiful Fall Tuesday night in Chicago. Over a few glasses of Riesling, a dinner, some Lone Star, and, of course, a drop of whiskey, we

PHOENIX, AZ — My guest today is none other than Chris Lingua. Chris is the founder of Sauvage - Arizona’s first all-natural wine store based in downtown Phoenix. I met Chris earlier this year during one of our retreats out to the Southwest.  We were lucky enough to have a private wine tasting with Chris, and I was blown away by him, his story and the wines he put on show. It was honestly some of the most delicious glasses I’ve ever had, and now I’m a all-natural wine convert.  I’m thrilled to announce that EE will launch an exclusive wine club in 4 cities with Chris in Q4 of 2021 through our conversation and dining society, The Saturday Club.  So, if you’re listening because you’ve just been to a TSC event or you’re thinking about joining, sit back, relax and pour yourself a glass (or two) of something cold. This episode will not disappoint. https://www.sauvagephx.com/

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — My guest today is Kyna Leski. Rhode Island Hall of Famer and RISD legend Kyna was introduced to me two years ago by a great friend and mentor, Heather McGowan. Heather told me that Kyna was the single most impactful professor she ever had. I didn’t need any more encouragement.  Unfortunately, we were ships passing in the night back in 2019. But I vowed on my next return to Providence that I would reach out. And so, I was absolutely thrilled that this time it worked out and that Kyna was able to come and speak to our school members during a live podcast discussion during our Rhode Island retreat. In this episode, we dive deep into how Kyna thinks about creativity as a storm, what it means to be shipwrecked, the role that language plays in helping you see things, make connections and ultimately conceive of creations that don’t yet exist. All the while staying rooted in your purpose and using your personal biography as your compass. I can firmly say that this was more than worth the wait. With

LONDON, UK — My guest today is Jason Touray. A fellow West London boy and entrepreneur based in Tower Hill. Jason and I’s upbringing is so different. And yet our stories mirror each other; many of the same characters are weaved through our collective life narrative - football, religion, inspiring teachers, immigrant parents, comprehensive education and doing business in the United States. In short: Jason and I have been asking a lot of the same questions. Albeit from different places.  In this episode, I get to grips with Jason's story. We talk up his time growing up with his Mum on a council estate, his life as a promising young footballer - including a boot deal with West Ham - and a run-in with Cesc Fabregas in the FA Youth Cup, the power of the Black Nod and the journey Jason believes we are all on as Black Unicorns: unlearning who we were told to be so we can figure out who we truly are.

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Brad Grossman has one of (if not the) most interesting jobs in the world. As Founder & CEO of Zeitguide, he spends his days advising and nights inspiring some of the most curious minds on the planet, inside and outside of media and business. Brad describes himself as a brain booster, a contextualizer, somebody who helps people commit to rising to their fullest intellectual, creative, and leadership potential. Above all, I admire Brad because he’s created the time and space in his life to ask one question: why? In this episode, we talk about how Brad makes sense of a world that is moving faster than ever before, why curiosity is the prelude to any creative pursuit, what it takes to understand the heartbeat of what matters for the people that you serve, and why you can no longer define yourself by your career alone.

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Jon Jackson has been on my ‘people I want to meet list’ since 2016. He’s got one of the most interesting and decorated resumes I’ve ever seen. He has an insanely beautiful and powerful way of looking at the world. Jon’s magic is his range and ability to switch gears so smoothly.  We talk about the overstimulation of optimization, the tension between art and operations, what it means to master the subtle art of giving a fuck about others, and how he thinks about being a memorable person that people want in their lives.

MIAMI, FL — Cam Perna is an investor based in Magic City. Originally from Rochester, NY, Cam graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and is one of the smartest kids I’ve been lucky enough to meet.  Like most bright, driven college kids, Cam went straight into Investment Banking upon graduation. However, after 18 months, he left. Hungry to pursue something deeper and find a place where his sweat equity could accrue to him. A trip around the Pacific Northwest and a few poetic cold emails later, Cam landed a breakout dream job at 39 North Capital, an independent sponsor platform based in Miami. Just two days after meeting the founders, he packed his car and drove down South to start his new life. I’ve been continually impressed by Cam’s approach to his work, body, and life. He has a maturity that is far beyond his years and a compelling outlook on what it means to live a virtuous life. In this episode, we talk about the power of cold showers, how WFH has changed his life, why people don’t hav

DUBLIN, IRELAND — 5 years ago, I met Molly at RTE's MojoCon at the legendary Aviva Stadium in Dublin. I plucked up the courage to ask her to be my mentor. She said yes, and the rest is history. Molly’s command of space is like Roger Federer’s backhand: effortless, impactful, and beautiful. Her superpower is her ability to become part of things greater than herself. Molly is a master at getting paid to be herself. In this episode, I unpack Molly’s story. We talk about what it means to grow up fearlessly, why stories can’t unfold the way they used to, the right way to pitch an idea, playing the games only you can win, the value of antifragility, the importance of timing, why you shouldn’t build your house or audience on somebody’s else real-estate, and following smarter people into battle so you can become part of something greater than yourself.

CHICAGO, IL — My guest today is Elliott Clark, Founder of Apartment Bartender (@apartment_bartender).  In August 2018, I slid into Elliott's DMs after finding myself captivated by his content on IG. What started as a preliminary conversation to see if he was interested in me doing a profile on him became the foundation of a lifelong friendship between us.  Over the next two years, Clark unpacked his life story, and I got an in-depth glimpse into the man behind the feed. Long after my interview questions were over, Clark and I would talk for hours on end about life, family, brand, and business.  A year into our conversations, we recorded this podcast in Chicago. It was the first time Elliott and I had ever met in person, so we decided to celebrate in style over a few Old Fashioneds at the infamous cocktail bar Billy Sunday in Logan Square. My story on Elliott culminated in an 8,000-word profile called Hitting Every Green Light. It went live on August 22nd, 2020 - two years to the day since I first reached

LONDON, U.K. — My guest today is Nicky Kelvin. A Northern boy from Leeds and the face of The Points Guy UK who's become renowned for traversing the world on points. Don’t let the lush Instagram stories fool you. This is an extremely hardworking man committed to consistently honing his craft on any plane, train or automobile that he can find. After all, there really isn’t a career that Nicky hasn’t had.  From law to music to photojournalism and travel, Nicky’s done it all on his way to becoming the Director of Content for TPG UK. The infamous Brian Kelly, the founder of TPG, personally tapped Nicky to become the European face of the brand in 2018. In the summer of 2019, I had the chance to sit down with Nicky in London at the original TPG UK office in Holborn. We discussed Nicky’s upbringing, his professional and personal life before travel, his meteoric rise to leading TPG UK, their vision for growth and how he’s managed to balance a multitude of high-powered roles with his love of taking photos and a di

LONDON, UK — Alex Coccia is among the most intelligent people I've ever met. At his core, this NCAA Fencing Champion and Notre Dame Student Body President turned Truman and Rhodes Scholar is a humble boy from Colombus, Ohio, who just looks at the world a little differently from the rest of us. Alex and I caught up in Old Blighty. My hometown — and his new home away from home— to talk about identity, how to create change, what fencing can teach the world and the art of reaching people where they are. Kick back, relax and enjoy the ride.

What does it mean to be your own best shot in life? Notre Dame's very own Jared Mrozinske shares his philosophy on building relationships that last and what it means to truly connect with those who can change your world.

SOUTH BEND, IN — Scott Ford is the most interesting placemaker you have never heard of. From getting his Ph.D. at Cambridge to becoming a Starbucks Barista in Detroit, Ford really has seen and done it all (including jumping out of a helicopter in a Tweed suit).  We sat down over coffee in South Bend to talk about his life. We covered design, culture, identity, what it is like to apprentice under a master, working for presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, the destruction of 'short-termism' in modern-day society, and the profound impact of space on communities everywhere. But most importantly, Ford talks about why it is so valuable not to be the expert in the room and the power of choosing a craft that will enable you to peak in your 70s.

CHICAGO, IL — How do you effectively navigate university ecosystems as a student, alumnus, and lifelong learner?  I sat down with Northwestern's Lucas Philips and Amaan Badruddin to discuss the practices, philosophies, and behaviours that can deliver outsized ROI at all the different stages of your university life.