Symbol of the strength and values of the Vassilaros family is Stefanie Kasselakis Kyles who traded her high heels as a very successful investment banker to run the family business. Driven by incomparable talent and 5 cups of black coffee a day, Stefanie is the intersection of old world core values and new world entrepreneurism.
Listen to Garrison’s interview with Stefanie:
The story of Vassilaros & Sons is about an institution that’s served all five boroughs with high-quality, hand-blended coffees, for nearly a century. 5 million cups a day of Vassilaros’ coffee fuels New Yorkers with the spirit that they need to build today and tomorrow, each and every day. But, the little coffee company that could is more than just a business that has weathered the economic storms of almost a hundred years. It’s about a business that’s been built on immigrants helping immigrants and values that stand the test of time like serving customers, gratitude and community.
Photo of Stefanie by Buck Ennis from the article Where Have All The Diners Gone by Aaron Elstein in Crain’s
One of my rock & roll influences growing up was listening to Fats Domino’s 1961 hit cover of the Dave Bartholomew and Earl King penned, “I Hear You Knockin.'” Although Fats drove this song on his keyboard, my parents didn’t have the money for a piano so I learned the chord progression on my guitar and played along with Fats endlessly.
You can imagine my thrill in 1970 when I worked with Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer David WIlliam “Dave” Edmunds at Media Sound Studios in New York City to master his version of “I Hear You Knockin'” which reached #1 on the UK singles charts and #4 here in the States. The unique guitar sound meshed incredibly with his voice effects and that augmented piano chord strike on the turnaround never fails to grab me.
One of the greatest obstacles we have to being creative is that critical voice inside us that controls what we say, how we say it and even how we write. I’ve actually seen people in graduate school handwriting sections of their thesis (yes, I am dating myself for all you Surface owners) then throwing away perfectly good idea snippets because what they wrote wasn’t neat enough or had too many cross-outs. Conversely, I’ve produced or engineered bands who’ve walked into the studio with chord progressions and lyrics on the backs of napkins and recorded some of the most incredible songs imaginable. Next time you listen to Sir George Martin’s productions of those amazing Beatles songs, remember how the words looked on paper before there was anything to listen to!
On April 12th, 1954, Bill Haley and the Comets had their first recording session at Pythian Temple studios in New York City after signing with American Decca Records. The landmark recording session almost didn’t take place when the band was traveling on a ferry that got stuck on a sandbar en route to the Big Apple from Philly. The 12-bar blues song, written by Max Freedman and James Myers, became a number one single on both the US and UK charts and opened the door to rock & roll as a commercial tsunami.
Elisabetta Canalis is a well-known Italian actress, television personality and model. She started her career in the glamor industry by landing a role in the popular Italian television sitcom “Striscia Ia Notizia”. Elisabetta was one of the participants in the 13th season of the hit reality series “Dancing with the Stars.” She has also graced the Max calendar and played cameo roles in films like “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo’” and “Virgin Territory.” Iconic fashion magazines including Maxim and Vanity Fair consider her to be one of the most beautiful women in the world and she has appeared on the cover of fashion magazines like Vogue and Maxim. Elisabetta has starred in advertising campaigns for glamorous cosmetics brands like L’Oreal, Hollywood Milano and Pantene. She is a passionate animal rights campaigner and has appeared nude in an advertisement for PETA to raise awareness about the need to avoid products made from animal fur. Cancer charities like the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have benefited from her fundraising efforts.
Too many people believe that if they keep their heads down and work hard they’ll be recognized on the merits of their work. But that’s simply not true anymore. “Safe” jobs disappear daily. To make a name for yourself, to create true job security, and to make a difference in the world you have to share your unique perspective and inspire others to take action. And, Dorie Clark is THE person to show you how.
Producing legendary American jazz pianist and composer Erroll Garner for London Records taught me as much about creativity and defining success in life and career as it did about his musical genius.
Bass, Electric Bass – Bob Cranshaw