The NJ DAD Podcast
The NJ Dad Podcast is where fatherhood meets humor. Join Andrew Parise for honest conversations about parenting, marriage, work, friendships, and the everyday chaos of suburban family life. Some episodes are solo, some feature guests, but they’re all built around one idea: being a better dad doesn’t mean taking yourself too seriously. Whether you’re changing diapers, coaching Little League, navigating date night, or just trying to survive another trip to Costco, you’ll find relatable stories, practical perspective, and plenty of laughs along the way. New episodes every Thursday.
The NJ DAD Podcast
Dialing in Your Style (with Justine Kaufman)
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SPEAKER_05Everyone you talk to is gonna like a show, a book, a movie, a mus a musician. Yeah. So I'm like always like, start there. Try something little from from some person that you really love. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Hey, welcome to the fatherless cheat cheat. I'm your fatherless friend Andrew, and today we're styling. We're talking fashion, we're talking presentation, we're talking a little bit about cultural influences, which I did in a pretty recent previous episode. But I think that, you know, what do they say? Clothes make the man, stuff like that. I think we've gotten away from that a little bit. I think people get a little bit lazy, a little bit comfortable. Maybe it's a function of COVID a little bit, give people a little bit of grace. But just a very quick story, which I touch upon in the show. We have a guest on today named Justine Kaufman. She runs a uh her business is uh a business that is basically she helps she helps brands get into the show. She introduces brands into market and she helps sort of mentor them and expose them using her contacts and networks. She was great. We talk about fully fashion is the business. We talk about her dad a bit, her her new project, which is really cool. You'll like that. And she's she's fantastic. She's a friend, and I would just say that in terms of fashion, creativity, outward appearance, it doesn't always have to be super visual. It comes from a place of pride. It comes from a place of sort of showing who you are on the outside before you open your mouth. But I talk about Dino's dad quite a bit. And I didn't realize I did this until I thought about it years later. I used to wear, I used to wear this outfit, called it the uniform. I talk about it with Justine, so sorry for the repetition. But this outfit was a nice shirt, like basically what I'm wearing right now, plus a blazer, like a sports jacket. And I used to wear this all the time. I would go out to bars, wherever, with friends, to dinner in this uniform. Years later, I got I kind of realized, I'm like, get this from. And I realized that every time I saw him, Dino's dad, he had this exact same outfit on. And I didn't wear this outfit until years after he passed, really. And maybe subconsciously I kind of just took it on as that as that thing, that influence. So even that is you you could be influenced by by your dad, a father figure, whomever. Um, certainly for for you know for the girls. I mean, my wife has really, really great luxury clothing. She's worked in fashion her whole life, and she has these wonderful pieces that she'll she'll pass down to my girls, and it's such a nice connection there. And I think that's I think that's wonderful. But I hope you enjoy this episode. And it's, I don't know, Justine was she was great. It was the second in-studio guest. I'm loving the in-studio guest so far. I hope you guys enjoy it. So, fatherless cheat sheet, check it out. Okay, welcome back to the fatherless cheat sheet. We're styling today. We have a fashion professional, Justine Kaufman. She's a friend, and that's why she agreed to come to my shed today without fear or intimidation. And I am so excited to talk to her because I think a big part of confidence, persona, da da da, we're gonna talk about it. Why wait? Justine, thanks for coming. Thanks for having me. Of course.
SPEAKER_05I'm super excited to be here.
SPEAKER_02When I sort of uh thought about this topic, you've been in the business two, I don't want to speak out of turn. Yeah, 20 years?
SPEAKER_05Well, ish, yeah, ish. I mean, we'll doing what I'm doing like 15, 10, 15. It's a good clip. Yeah, but it's a good clip. It's been a long time.
SPEAKER_02Long time. Good enough time. But look, I think that when you can stay in a volatile business like that that long, it means you know what you're talking about. And I think that, yes, there's a business aspect, but the actual style aspect is is why you're here. And I want to talk about a couple of things. When when someone really straps it on, when someone really gets dressed, and and what do you think that does for them?
SPEAKER_05I mean, look, that's your personality on the outside, right? That that's how I feel about it. You can kind of tell uh who a person is just by how they dress. Yeah. And and not to kind of be judgy, it's just, you know, either that's just kind of who who they are, and you know, some people care more than others, obviously. Um which is you know a good and a bad thing about my industry. You know, it gets a little too um, you know, you're you're focused a little too much on on the outside appearance, you know. Um but I just think it's fun. It's one of those things where it's like you just never grow up, you just always play dress up, and now you're uh I'm I I love a good theme party. You know, oh I'm on the podcast. Okay, what's like a good podcast outfit? You know what I mean? Like this is just like I played mahjong yesterday. I was like, what should I wear for a mahjong? Like just some people have that, just my creative outlet, and I and I love that, and um, so I think it it's fun. And my dad was like a very, you know, understated fashion guy. Yeah. You know, it's like he was um being fashionable without fashionable. Like maybe we were talking about madmen before, like that was kind of his like his style, and I just always, you know, was always like gravitated towards me. So I I just love different looks and I love different styles, and um, I'm just I'm into it, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and that's the language you speak, that's your creative outlet, and I I totally understand that. And I could say just from me from experience, when I throw on a nice outfit instead of workout clothes or whatever, you just feel differently. It's like a cloak, it's like a shield. Do you think sometimes people use that as that as a as a shield from the outside?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, definitely. Like again, you're you you put on what you kind of want to be. I mean, that's the way I think about it. And maybe people are doing it subconsciously and other people are doing it more consciously, but I I think it's like, you know, um, this is this is who I want the world to see me as. And either you think about it and you care and you put time into it, or you don't, but again, still subconsciously, I think there is a perception of how you feel about yourself when you either try or you and you don't try. And I think that's just like the first, that's just the first step. It's like when you wake up in the morning, you're like, am I gonna have like a day where I'm gonna be like productive and you know benefiting my world and other people's world? It's like that for me is okay, put on, put on something that makes you feel that's that first little. It's just a little step in making you feel like I'm gonna have a good fucking day right now because I look good. And even though maybe people think that's superficial and whatever, and why do you care about clothes? It's like this is better than me rolling up in like some spandex and like a t-shirt. You know, that that's a different look. That's for a different thing. This is a different thing. But you know, I don't I'm not gonna conquer for me, I'm not gonna conquer the day in sweatpants. I mean, I'll conquer it in a different way, but like not in a I think bettering my my future, my life, my health. Yeah, you know, all the things. Um, that for me, it's just that that one little first step.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's it and it I think it translates. And I I have to tell you, and I know I'm a little old school, my listeners probably have understood this about me to this point. I don't understand the amount of the bottoms of bellies and the tops of asses I'm seeing recently that I don't want to see. It's too much. Why are we and I'm not asking you to speak for everybody who does this, but like, why do you think we've let that go and lost our pride a little bit?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I know. It it it kills me. Look, you have two girls, I have two girls. So, you know, again, being in the industry, I do think about this a lot, like how you know, uh females and you know, we're dressing and how we've lost that sense of like dress up. Yeah, like lost that sense of like caring. You know, they do, they care how bad they really do care how they look. It's just that look is not like a look that I would want to wear myself.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_05But then I think back, okay, when we were growing up, right? It's like the big, the baggy pants, right? And guys are like showing off their underwear and everyone's like, oh my god, pull your pants up. Like, you know, the clueless where the guy's like walking. Like, I love that. That's classic, you know, and I'm like, okay, every generation, right, has their thing. I'm sure. Like when our parents, like, you know, growing up with like, oh, the bell bottoms, the they're so tight, and the little like, you know, you know, every generation has their thing. And again, I think that's that's culturally interesting too and exciting. And yeah, as much as I'm like, I don't want my daughter wearing like crop tops or like low rise or this and that, it's that's their style and that's their generation. So you know, my mom always used to be like, oh, like just you know, I'll pick my battles, I'll pick my battles, wear whatever you want. So that to me too is like look, wear whatever you want within reason.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_05Um, but you gotta you gotta do it, right? You gotta kind of let them just go for it, you know? Within reason. Yeah. Um, and again, like I said, there's always time and a place. You know, I'm more with Colette trying to figure out like, okay, how do we like all right? Well, now we're gonna go to a nice dinner, so like, can you not wear sweatpants? Like let's let's try to move on and and get outside of just this one look. How about that? Sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and we're talking about, you know, I I go to a nice steakhouse with a friend, and I see I see a guy who is just like us. He's probably a dad, he's our age, and he's in Sunday sweatpants that have grout dried on the side of him.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_02You know, those are the ones that I would come out in the back and do some yard work, and I'm like, dude, you would feel better if you just threw on a a pair of pant jeans. I don't care. Yeah, you know, but also could we just take the hats off at restaurants? I mean the restaurants, you know.
SPEAKER_05For Christ's sake, they're too nice set of you have nice hair. Oh, so you know, it's like easy for you to say.
SPEAKER_02Well, I'm not mad, I'm not mad at anybody like for their reasoning for wearing a hat. Like, if you have a real issue, but but but like generally, there's there's way too many people wearing hats at steakhouses for there to be that many issues. And if there are that many issues, God forbid, as they say. There's a great there's a great scene in in both uh Mad Men and The Sopranos, which I talk about ad nauseum on this show. And uh Don Draper's in the in the elevator, and these two guys are having just a hor a horribly misogynistic conversation. And a woman gets on the elevator and they're talking about this stuff very horribly and candidly in front of her. Yeah, he doesn't take issue with that, he makes a point to take the guy's hat off for him.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So he's making the statement with that.
SPEAKER_07Right.
SPEAKER_02And then in the Sopranos, there's a great scene where Tony's at a restaurant, he sees the guy, and he dials in and he's like, Yeah, take your hat off, you know, whatever, and he goes and he takes the guy's hat. You just say yes to Tony for taking your hat off. Yeah. But I I I almost think that there's something to, and I'll get to my long-winded point, there's something to respecting other people when you dress a certain way.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So if I'm on a plane, I I don't, you know, I'm sitting next to the guy. I I don't want to see your underwear.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02I don't want to see Joe Boxer with your, you know, your holiday underwear, your Christmas draws in July.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02On the plane, can you just pull your, you know, whatever? But I'm I'm a hundred years old. Uh you know, I'm on the lawn, I'm wearing the lawn yellow people.
SPEAKER_05You know, right, right. No, but I we do we we've definitely gotten away from that. I mean, when I, you know, was working at like, you know, Saks and you know, back then it was like, okay, Friday was like the casual dress down day, right? Where it's like, okay, you get to wear denim on Fridays, you know, in the business world, like it was just a a thing, you know, and then again, it just evolved over time. And, you know, especially in fashion, it's like, okay, well, yeah, let the women like right express themselves and you'll be wearing suits and this and that. And it's just it evolved, obviously. Like COVID, I think, made everything even more like you know, sloppy. And you know, it I don't even know how you bring people back from that I'm just comfortable wearing like sweatpants, and I really don't care. I just don't know how you bring people back from that. And you know, again, I think it it starts with you know, it starts with the kids. Like, we all just kind of like let the kids roll into school and sweatpants and slippers and and with college kids too, and you know, I'm like, how do you you know how to kind of pull back and say, like, all right, can you guys like try Yeah, mitigate it just a little bit? Just a little bit, you know, and again, it's my own industry, right? But I'm like, who the hell made these shorts so fing short? Uh we did. We did, you know what I mean? Like, so you know, and then now it's like you know, you can just you have access to everything, so it's not even like you know, the Pandora's box has been opened.
SPEAKER_02Sure. Now now I'm sort of getting getting off topic, not off topic, but if if there was somebody, again, um the fatherless chi chi of it all, I always like to give people as much information as they can. If they don't know it, they know it. There's a font of resources out there. I ain't the only show in town. I don't know if you've noticed. But if someone has no idea style-wise, uh a boy, a girl, a man, a woman, whomever, yeah, where where do you where do you begin to dial in your own style and see what works for you if you want to get if you want to elevate things just a little bit?
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Um, I mean, I again, like I I said before, I I love a good theme party. Like I I'm the type of person that will say, okay, like I, you know, I like Mad Men, I like this show, I like this vibe. Like, what are you personally into? Like, you know, a a person, a show, anything. And I would say, okay, there's a piece of that where I can say, I maybe can relate to that. Let me try that. And I think the thing with fashion is people don't they're not willing to try because they're they're scared, they're gonna look silly. Right? Uh you know, no one wants everyone kind of is happy. Most people are just happy to like blend. You know, blend in. Um, you know, for me I'm like, why not take a little risk? You know, no, why not wear a pink shirt instead of a blue one? Just try it. I what what's you worrying people are gonna have like you know, it's it's for me it's a it's a confidence thing because then the more you, you know, try new things and and trying a new outfit is the smallest thing of trying new things. You know, because guess what? You can take it off. If you kinda like it, try something new. You know, it just it's the littlest way to kind of like I said, try try new things and and be a little a little different. And you know, guess what? Then maybe you're having a conversation with someone you never thought you would have. Just because you're like, I wore something weird. Yeah. And someone's like, Oh, I don't like that. Kind of weird but different. Yeah, and again, some people aren't like they don't want to be talked, and that's when I look at people, I'm like, okay, that that person's probably just like happy blend. And they don't, you know, we're at pickup and I'm like, that person's like, you know, doesn't want to talk.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they're just they're wearing that black jumpsuit. Which I I like. I see so funny. I wear black all the time. They say black shows sort of like a lack of confidence, which I don't I mean, I don't feel I feel that way at all. But I just love black t-shirts and jeans. I just live in those.
SPEAKER_05I mean, he was the guy. Talk about a head of hair, huh? Yeah. That guy. I mean, just had the look. Yeah. You know, this is Steve Jobs. I mean, what just wear the black ones. I mean, just you know, you have a look, and I you know, the true characters I feel like just have a specific look, and and that's it. But I I love it. I mean, everyone you talk to is gonna like a show, a book, a movie, a mus a musician. Yeah. So I'm like always like start there. Try something little from from some person that you really love. Yeah. You know, because artists have the style.
SPEAKER_02Of course. And it's so funny because I I think I'm gonna tell a very quick story. What when I was younger, I would say like twenty-five to I don't know, even thirty-three, whatever, just my high going out years. I used to wear like a uniform. I would have a pair of jeans, a nice shirt like this, and a blazer, and I would wear it all the time. And I was probably 27 to 50 percent overdressed than anybody else here. And I remember someone who's an acquaintance, and he he's a uh in a very making fun of me way goes, I've never seen you outside of that. Meanwhile, the guy's wearing a Boston Celtics jersey and pajama pants at a bar. So I'm like, why don't you just chill? What do you what do you say to somebody who wants to sort of let that flag fly high and go that 25% over?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And but they don't want to be judged for it. What what can you say to sort of encourage that taking them that shot?
SPEAKER_05I mean, if you're if you're scared to get judged, then I think you're on the right path. You're like, I'm always like, you gotta do something kind of scary and outside of your comfort zone if you want to excel in anything you do. You know what I mean? Like I'm sure when you start this podcast, like it's it's scary as hell. Like, you know, I didn't think I would ever like start what I was doing. Yeah, I'm scary as hell, you know, and and that's what doing something with clothes is like the littlest thing that you can do that feels scary.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Um and then you get through the day or whatever, and you're like, I wasn't bad, nobody cared. Nobody actually cared. And then it's like I'm just one one one level up. And you know, and you you that's how you distinguish yourself among you know the people. I I think that's what you know, you most most people that are trying to elevate are trying to distinguish themselves among the people.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. As I'm trying to cross my leg here, like it's I'm I'm trying to build a bridge to fucking. Yeah, like you want to put up there. Yeah. Um I still look ridiculous. Look at me. I'm such a ridiculous person. But uh, yeah, and I I think that's like to your point, it's it's it is so important that whatever you're doing in small steps during a daily week to maybe not you don't have to start a podcast or a business, but but take the leap of I gotta put my leg down. This is I'm so stupid.
SPEAKER_05Take the leap. And I think uh honestly, after co everyone, you know, when I talk to my girl, is everyone's like, oh, especially the women, right? It's like, oh my god, I'm so happy that I got I had an excuse to dress up today.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, just feels better, right? Yeah, just feels good.
SPEAKER_05And it's good. And you know what? You know what also feels good when I go home and I put on the sweatpants, and I'm like that day is done.
SPEAKER_02Because you earn that shit.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, because I'm like, I put on the outfit, I did the things, and now I like and now here's my reward. Here's my like, here's my cookie, here's my cake. Now I can lounge out and like.
SPEAKER_02Did you bring did you bring cookie and cake? I should have. No, you're my guest. I got stuff for your inside. Listen, this is what I this is a great segue. As we approach Mother's Day this weekend, this will not come out on Mother's Day, obviously, but in a few weeks. Yeah, you're a a great mom, a great wife, a business owner, an entrepreneur, an ass kicker. How did you how did you get started with with your business fully fashioned and all that? Tell me, I want to hear about your entrepreneurial side and your business.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, origin story. Yes, please. Um okay, so I have a history in in retail um back in, you know, it was like at Saks and Century 21. And then um back in 2009, I got laid off. And I was like, holy shit, like I I had my dream job at Saks, like I was like, uh this is great. I'm like on the path, right? On the on the ladder. Boom, done. Um, and I'm like, what do I do? What do I do? So I you know, I was in the city at the time. I flipped to the wholesale side. Then I found a job at a little showroom. Um, and you know, I remember like going in for the interview, and I was like, you know, this is just not I don't want to do this. I don't want to do sales. I'm not a salesperson, that's not really my vibe. Um but I took the job as the assistant. I was like, alright, I'll take it. You know, and it was interesting enough. Um, and I didn't really love the guy I worked for. So I found another job. Give me his fucking name right now. Let's air him out. I don't know what he's up to now, but I mean there's you know, I again it it's fashion. There's a lot of crazy people in fashion. Oh yeah. Um, and it it's funny because it's like a very it's females and gays mostly. And you would think like everyone kind of like, you know, for the love of f and especially it's female, you you feel like you're all Kind of like bonded by this, but it it is it feels cutthroat, and you're like, and we're barely making any money. Like, you know, what are we all doing here? Um, all for the love of fashion.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_05So anyway, so I found another showroom, that place I loved, and um, you know, but I I kind of grew out of it. You know, there was nowhere else to kind of go. I was managing uh uh like the East Coast team, I was kind of doing all the sales for the major department stores, and I had my first baby, Colette, who's now 11. This is how I know how long I've been doing this. So I started fully fashioned when she was 11, and I was like, it it's gotta be a different way to do this, like sales. Um not in the showroom, you know, people are changing, they are not coming to the city all the time, we gotta go to them. So I started working with brands and helping those brands get their product into the retail stores. So then I was kind of just on my own, you know, consulting and doing sales and going to stores and you know, meeting, you know, meeting people where they were.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Not in a showroom. I didn't need a showroom, I had zero overhead, it was great. Um, and you know, fast forward, you know, COVID happened and I was like, I'm set up for this. Like I just was like already doing this kind of, you know, I don't even know, it wasn't even virtual really at that time. It was just, you know, non non-showroom based sales stuff. Um and then yeah, just kind of it just grew from there. You know, I kind of was just helping brands in in whatever capacity they kind of needed. Um and so yeah, that that's kind of where where my journey is. And you know, I'm kind of moving next next step on on my on my journey here. So um, you know, I'm starting like a little kind of like small business project, you know, a little my own thing that I can kind of call my own. Because again, I'm a creative person and it's like a little a little kind of accessories brand. I'm just trying to like launch, launch that kind of softly too in the background. Cause you know, as you build other brands, you're like, you know, it's wonderful to see them grow and you get them into places and then they grow, you move on, they move on. But sure there's nothing, you know, there's nothing of mine, there's nothing of of me, you know. So now I'm kind of at that like midlife crisis phase where I'm like, okay.
SPEAKER_02Hardly.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, what's next? Hardly mid-life. What's next? You know, like I've been doing this for ten years and I love it, and I can always do it, and just kind of like I just, you know, again, I I I want to kind of keep keep growing and keep getting better. So you know, what's next? So that's great. Where I am, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's good. And you're gonna keep kicking ass.
SPEAKER_05I know, yeah. So you definitely caught me in a transitional transition. It's the best time. Yeah, it's the best time. Yeah, it's scary as all hell. I mean, it's it's terrifying. Everyone's like, what are you doing? I'm like, pfft, I'm like, okay, well, here's the thing.
SPEAKER_02Here's the thing. Here's here's what's going on right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got time. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_05I was like, is this the therapy session, or do you really want to know what I'm doing? Or you know, you know. Give it to me. This is well, this is both.
SPEAKER_02This is both. I want to know what you're doing, but feel free to air it out. And I want people to feel like that here.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so I want to talk about because I know, I know I want to talk about your dad, if that's okay. Yeah. I know I know what a huge influence he was in you. He passed, uh, sadly. Was it about 10 years ago?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, it was um, God was it again, clutch eleven, so eight, seven, eight, yeah. Seven years ago, jeez. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I I remember it clearly. And I you were, you know, rightfully devastated. And I'm, you know, again, it's it never gets easier.
SPEAKER_05I remember because Viva was Viva was traveling and you came to to the funeral, and I was like, oh my god. It was Florida. I mean, it was it, you know, it was different. We haven't really talked about like, you know, the the the death of our fathers, but um, yeah, it's it's um it was a sudden unexpected death. Yeah. So it it feels very much like, you know, it was you know, all all the things that you kind of you know, it's different, right? If they they get sick and you're like, uh, you know, uh they have to live in that suffering, and this is a different type of like shock, and you know, you never really fully like recover from it no matter what. Um but yeah, it was a shock, and it's hard to like revisit that day and that time because it was so you know, it's like they you know it's not great. It's terrible, the terrible thing. Yeah, it's it's and when I was even like um because again with like this little small business I'm launching, I'm launching it, like kind of you know, it it's was based on uh my dad's ties and um so I had a lot of pictures of him and I was like doing like a little video and I was just like hysterically crying. It's hard to just really dive in and like look at pictures and be back there because then you're like, oh fuck, I miss him so much. Um but it it it needs to be done because you know what I mean? Like you know, it's like you need to kind of go there sometimes.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and it and it's not it's never pleasant. And I, you know, in many ways in talking about people losing their their fathers or or relatives, whatever. I mean, it in certain ways I got off easy because I didn't know him. I didn't know what was going on. I sort of dealt with the residual as we have this show, right? But I didn't have that thing where it's like I I I don't even know if I miss him. I don't know him. Yeah, I don't even know what he sounds like. Yeah, yeah. And you, I mean, you of course so I want to talk about the accessories and and what you've done with his ties. That's really cool.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so um he was a lawyer, yeah, and um he loved to dress up. I mean, this guy was like a Sunday suit kind of a guy. Sure. You know, like the whole like everyone's like, I can't wait to like, you know, I we don't go to church, but uh my friends do, and nobody wears nobody dresses up on Sunday anymore. That's like another thing everyone's like all upset about. But my dad, like, he loved it, and he would come home and after church and he would like put on sweatpants, but he would like still have his like loafers on and like his like collared shirt. It was it was like he was he was that like kind of like casual he's mowing the lawn in shirt sleeves, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like he he had style, he had style. And I yeah, I loved it. And um, so yeah, I mean my mom kept a lot of his stuff and I've had his ties forever, forever, and I'm always like, What am I gonna do with these? What am I gonna do with these ties? Um and um yeah, like one day it was just like I was looking for these, you know, um like carry chains for your for your phone, yeah, and I was like, uh, there's nothing really that cute out there. Like, you know, I should just let me just maybe I'll just make them myself.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_05So then I started cutting up my dad's ties, and that's how this kind of came about. That's cool. Where I just was like, I would cut them up and I'd sew them and I'd braid them, and now I'm like, now I now I have him. Like now I can wear it, you know, and now I can wear it with me, and it's like really cool because I'm like, I have pictures of him like in these ties, and I'm like, uh now I can wear it, wear them, and like, you know, carry him and them with me, and you know, it just I just kind of got excited about this, this little this little project I'm doing and just been kind of rolling with it. That's great. So, but that's really more you know, the origin story.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, and and it's talk about connective tissue, uh, you know, the creativity of it, the uh just the having something that also represented him so well because he was so fastidious and in he got real enjoyment out of style, as do you. Yeah, so there was that that's that real connection.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of ugly ties, don't get me wrong. Yeah, for sure. I mean, can't win them all. He used to like buy, he was like that tie guy that would buy ties from the like the museums. Uh-huh. And they're so ugly. They're so fucking ugly. I was like, I was trying to like make, I was like, oh, maybe I'll give these ones to my mom. She'll love these ones. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, those colors don't really do it for me. Doesn't work. Yeah, yeah. But they're good for practice, and they're good. I'm glad I have them, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, look, I can't write not every joke I write's a good one. I'm hitting I'm batting like 250 on jokes. So I, you know, buying ties is not the same thing. It's hard. It's hard to be.
SPEAKER_05And look, I mean, look, nobody wears ties anymore. So I'm like, this is a great business opportunity, right? Like, you know, bring bring me bring me your ties. And you know what? It's interesting, like, you know, I I posted this video, and you know, so many people are like, oh my gosh, this is great. I have my grandpas, I have my dads, I have my this. Like, you know, it's just it's a way to kind of just connect with people and in a different in a different way and give them something like that's actually um people want that.
SPEAKER_02They want that because it's tangible, it's a thing, and again, it's been lived in, worn in experiences in. He's been, you know, so what what's is it is fully fashioned the the uh the name of the So I'm working, I'm working on a name. Are good names?
SPEAKER_05This was like a fun family thing that my family used to do. It was like, let's let's find let's what what should we name the kid? Like what should we name for this? They ever I don't know, family's like doing that.
SPEAKER_02Something like a like tie-in, like a tie-in. Tie-in or something. I don't know.
SPEAKER_05The only name I've been working with is Powderhorn, which is like the road that I live on. Okay. My dad actually grew up in Hookus. Okay. We were living in Ridgewood. We moved to Hookus. Right. And um, yeah, I I ended up there, and so I feel like kind of like a full circle connection to to Hookus and the road, and it was a road that you know he loved I don't know. Maybe uh we'll get there. We'll get there. Yeah, it's what uh that's I'm starting, you know.
SPEAKER_02So we're gonna probably we'll talk about it inside. Yeah, exactly. For cocktails and charcuterie that my wife is putting together. Now is there something as we as we sort of close up a little bit, is there something that your dad uh said? My old man used to say is a segment I do. Yeah, I always like to learn from other people's dads.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so yeah, he didn't I mean there wasn't like one, you know, so he had this beautiful phrase he always you know, um, but I played soccer growing up and he was the coach for me a lot. And um he would always yell, like if I would I would play on a wing and I was pretty fast, and you know, when I would try to, you know, get to the ball, he would I would always hear him aside like go Jay, go, go, Jay, go, and I knew I was gonna start crying with this.
SPEAKER_04And um it's one of those things where when I feel like I need the motivation, yeah. Then I hear that in the back of my head, you know? Go, Jay, go. Just like those little words of encouragement that you don't get from a parent anymore as a parent, right? You don't like you don't you don't think about those things like as an adult being like, oh well I still need a parent or to to encourage me.
SPEAKER_03Sure.
SPEAKER_05You know, but you you do. You never that you never kind of grow up out of that. Yeah, you know, and that's I think the hardest thing with anybody that's lost a parent, right? Is like you don't have that person that's also a hundred percent in on you all the time. Yeah. And my dad was, you know, that person. This is great, Jay. This is great. I was like, this is the doc shit. Oh yeah, I'm glad you like the dinner. I'm glad you think the house looks good. You know, like he was just a positive, a positive force of energy. So that is kind of my that's like my go-to mantra when I think about you know him. Yeah. That kind of, you know, simple, simple little thing.
SPEAKER_02But as the simple stuff goes the furthest, I mean, and and because the the sentiment behind it is so important, yeah, and has so much gravitas and has carried you where you are today, and where you are today is fantastic. And again, great mom, business owner, great wife, and a very entertaining, charismatic guest. You did great. You did great. You wore the great outfit.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I tried. I tried.
SPEAKER_02And you're you're uh just uh such a pleasure, and it's always nice seeing you as well. Yeah, you too. This was so fun.
SPEAKER_05I mean, I love that you're doing this. It's it's it's a good thing. And you're and your your your little shorts on Instagram are hysterical. Oh, thank you. I love it.
SPEAKER_02It's my little New Jersey dad ridiculousness. I love it. Just have fun. It's great, it's so fun. Justin, thank you so much for coming. Thanks for having me. Cheers. Thank you. All right. Okay, everyone, I hope you enjoyed that episode. Honestly, thank you so much. If you did listen to the whole thing, I really appreciate it. I know there's a lot out there, a lot of content, a lot of long form, a lot of short form, a lot of medium form, and I try to make this thing as good as possible for you to learn from, to laugh a little bit. And Justine was fantastic, just as I expected. What a nice conversation with her. I love what she's doing with her business, and she's an ass kicker. I just like to talk to talented people who are doing our thing, and she's absolutely no exception. So keep checking us out every Thursday. New episodes for the Fatherless Cheat Cheat. Subscribe on YouTube, come follow me on Instagram, say hello, reach out, say what's up. I'm gonna I'm gonna get back to you. I'm gonna get back to you. So until next time.