STANDARD H Podcast

Today I welcome Watchonista’s Josh Shanks, and we begin in a way I certainly didn’t expect: we talk about the birth of snowboards. We then go into the car culture of Indiana, and then his career which was utterly unpredictable. Josh went from working retail at Apple thanks to an early Mac-specific blog he wrote to then take his technological prowess down the path of Private Equity and Hedge funds. Josh shares a vacation that would effectively change his life forever. You see, he had no idea the rabbit hole he was about to go down when he purchased a Rolex in place of the watch he broke on that trip to the Bahamas. And I’m fairly confident he wasn’t predicting he’d marry a woman from Switzerland that worked for Richemont and encourage him to also work in watches. But life sure does take some strange, serendipitous turns sometimes, and Josh’s story offers no exceptions. In his current role as Editor in Chief of Watchonista, Josh is looking to create Watch content that isn’t what you usually see and read, with an intense focus on the collector community which is a much smaller subset than most would think. Josh also weighs in on hype culture and how it’s affected the watch collecting community, and he even gives us a glimpse behind the curtain of those awesome-looking Oris gatherings in Vail, Colorado. All that and more in what was a really fun conversation, so please enjoy it.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

Josh Shanks

@joshshanks

Watchonista

@watchonista

https://www.watchonista.com/

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

I was introduced to today’s guest probably like many of you, by way of Hodinkee’s Talking Watches. He captivated me by way of his diverse collection, and perhaps more importantly, the condition of said pieces. Extremely well known for his expertise in Rolex, Eric Ku is a watch dealer, the founder of 10PastTen, and in 2016, he co-founded LA Watchworks. Oh yeah, between those two ventures, Eric just so happened to acquire the Vintage Rolex Forum. What’s great is he took it over to satisfy one goal, and that’s to ensure it remains the incredible resource it always has been for those getting into vintage. Needless to say, Eric’s a wealth of knowledge and like many of us into watches, he’s also into iconic cars. More specifically, Eric is restoring an early model of perhaps the iconic sports car. Eric also shares a bit about his latest venture, Loupe This, so definitely stick around for that!

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

Eric Ku

@fumanku

10PastTen

https://10pastten.com/

@10pastten

Loupe This

https://www.loupethis.com/

@loupethis

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

I was actually familiar with today’s guest’s store prior to even knowing who owned it, and that man is Brian Davis. A close personal friend of previous STANDARD H Podcast guest, Jeremy Kirkland, Brian was among the many of us who were into punk and hardcore in high school only to find our career paths leading us to fashion. We discuss what it’s like working retail at an early age and the role of respect within the profession. He describes his work ethic and how he manifested that in even the most mundane of tasks. Brian founded his vintage apparel company Wooden Sleepers during the menswear blog era and is unofficially, yet almost absolutely, the first vintage menswear company that was offered online, direct to consumer. Brian is a native New Yorker who has an incredible point of view and a knack for finding “the good stuff” when it comes to sourcing, be it a vintage LL Bean sweater or dead stock Brooks Brothers oxfords. He explains why vintage was for him and why it’s worth its weight in gold. He later goes into how the brand began existing on its own enough to spark interest in private label goods being sold in Japan. We have a very meaningful walk down the path of authenticity and how it relates to brands on social media and we even discuss who serves the best slice of pizza in the City, so for you foodies out there, feel free to “at us” in the DM’s regarding what Brian refers to as the Rolex Submariner of pizza. I completely agree with his positioning on the matter.

Links:
STANDARD H
https://standard-h.com/
@standardh_
@standardh_podcast

Wooden Sleepers
https://wooden-sleepers.com/
@woodensleepers

Passion Fine Jewelry
https://passionfinejewelry.com/
@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time
https://www.independentintime.com/
@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

Throughout COVID-19 I’ve recorded several podcasts in advance knowing they’d be spread out - and among that group was my recording back in the Fall with today’s guest, Yanto Barker. Yanto started the U.K.-based cycling apparel and accessories brand Le Col and how the brand was created is absolutely fascinating. Born in Wales, the child of hippies and far from a life of means, Yanto was plucked by a local bike shop that quickly noticed his talent for riding bikes fast. This not only graced him with free product, but led him down the path that eventually found him traveling the world and riding with the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, the winner of the 2012 Tour de France. Yanto’s story is certainly inspirational, but as well as one comprised of self awareness and incredible clarity. Granted, hindsight is 20/20, however it isn’t often someone lets you cross that threshold in their personal story whereas Yanto graciously grants us that access. For me this conversation was a great experience navigating the waters of appreciation & humility, and Yanto shares what he defines as “real strength.” We then take a dive into marketing including Le Col’s digital strategy and the hows and whys it’s quintessential to their business. I think you’ll find his story to be uplifting and motivational to say the least.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

Yanto Barker / Le Col

https://lecol.cc/

@lecoluk

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

Chris Considine has had quite the automotive journey. He raced go karts as a kid while working his way up to the open wheel levels of the junior formulas, but that’s not all. He’s worked as a reporter at Le Mans alongside his automotive journalist father. But it was while working in Phoenix, Arizona as a tire technician where Chris built his first racing simulator. That first DIY project was the basis for which CXC Simulations was born and is now responsible for producing industry-leading simulations for professional driver’s & high net worth individuals world wide. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Chris as he exemplifies what it means to grow a small business by way of managing expectations, knowing where the holes are and hiring accordingly...all while creating an amazing product. These are the simple lessons that are far easier said than done, so it really is wonderful to see. CXC produces an unbelievable piece of kit. The engineering, the mechanics and even the levels of their customer service are incredible. Do yourself a favor and visit the website linked in the show notes to see for yourself. Chris and I talk real life cars and he shares why he chose a Golf R as his daily driver, so definitely stick around for that.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

CXC Simulations

https://www.cxcsimulations.com/

@cxcsimulations

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

For those with drive, the STANDARD H Podcast is a loose conversation about the lives of entrepreneurs and those who’ve grown companies. Today’s guest has occupied a slot in the latter category. He also happens to be a friend of mine. His name is Brett Weiner, and we discuss his journey from working for his parents construction business at the age of 11 to designing one-off pieces for Nixon watches. Brett shares a common attribute of several guests hosted on this podcast, and that’s a distaste for school, which seems funny given he discovered a way from being a C-Student in college majoring in Economics to becoming a Double Major student with a 4.0 GPA. Brett also shares his foray into working for a division of Burton Snowboards, the importance of being hungry to reach your goals & objectives, and how it shouldn’t always be about the dollars at the end of the day. What I love about Brett is his selfless approach to his work. He thinks about the consumer. And he has a natural bias towards what’s best for the companies for which he’s worked, as opposed to designing what he himself likes, and I find his approach to be so admirable, especially as someone growing companies he doesn’t own. I always enjoy my conversations with Brett because they always exhibit a certain level of quality. We share a lot of the same interests such as surfing, snowboarding, and even cycling, and these are all covered, but there’s also a deeper element whenever we get together that I always leave wishing we had more time, and this episode is certainly no exception, so I hope you enjoy it.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

Brett Weiner

@jw_brettski

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season. If you haven’t already, please visit the website at standard-h.com as several new products have been released over the last month. I’m super excited for 2021 as there are several things to come, including a couple different lines of goods that have been in development for well over a year, so I can’t wait to share them with you. Along with my product enthusiasm comes my pleasure of hosting today’s guest, Aaron Stinner of @STINNERFRAMEWORKS. Aaron is a custom bike builder and fabricator based in Santa Barbara, California and specializes in steel and titanium bike frames. The thing about bikes is, to the lay person, they all look very similar. However, when you’re as talented as Aaron is, you’ll find the beauty is most certainly in the details. Great bike building using steel and titanium involves beautiful welds resembling that of a beautiful garment possessing impeccable stitching. This comparison goes further in that STINNER manufactures bikes similar to a made to measure program offered by a fashion house. Aaron and I discuss his upbringing; how his grandfather taught him to use a drill press at the ripe age of 4, and how he was organically growing his business while living in a friend’s walk-in closet. Aaron walks us through what it was like scaling his business only to back that down to hone in on making a better, higher-quality product. My favorite things about STINNER’s bike’s, aside from being beautiful, functional objects, are they’re being made by Aaron, by hand, and right here in California. My first job was in a bike shop, and though I’ve ridden for years, I’ve never had a bike built for me, so I was definitely excited to learn a bit more about the process. I think what really resonates whether you ride bikes or not, is Aaron’s attention to detail and his thoughtful approach to creating his products.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

STINNER Frameworks

https://www.stinnerframeworks.com/

@stinnerframeworks

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

The word that comes to mind when characterizing today’s guest, Christian James Hand is “passionate.” Christian is half of the duo that wrote the theme track to this podcast but that’s just an unbelievably tiny blip on the radar when considering Christian’s body of work. He’s effectively held every title imaginable within the music industry and as the host of The Sessions, Christian has certainly struck his stride. Now as a member of none other than John Mayer’s management company, The Session’s reach is growing further and further, and I’m here to tell you, if you care at all about music and you haven’t had the good fortune of tuning in, then you’re truly missing out. For the last several years, Christian orchestrated The Sessions as a traveling show amongst four different major cities where it breaks down some of music’s most famous songs in front of a 200-person audience. Clearly, during the times of COVID-19 this came to a screeching halt, so Christian took it to the Instagram airwaves. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation even as we ventured away from several of the roads I had planned to go down. Christian has spent time living in England, Libya, Botswana, Long Island, NY & Los Angeles. He describes what it’s like navigating the world with Aspergers, as well as shares how he started doing canyon drives in McLarens with Matt Farah. There’s a lot to unpack here, and I think you’ll enjoy it. I can’t stress enough, if you’re not tuning into @thesessioniglive on Instagram every weekday at 11am Pacific, you’re missing out on something very unique, special & musically inspiring.

LINKS:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

Christian James Hand

https://thesessionwebsite.com/

@kingtrut

@thesessioniglive

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Ward is best known as the man behind ICON 4x4. If you’re listening to this show, I’m sure you’ve seen his creations clad in matte paint on Instagram, or perhaps at SEMA over the years. At the end of the day, Jonathan considers himself to be a serial craftsman, but I’ll take it a step further and label him an artist. His creativity has led him down several paths alongside his automotive business including wood working, leather goods, and quite literally down paths all over the world while gaining inspiration and furthering his expertise. I’ve met Jonathan several times over the years and I’ve been a huge fan of his work even before meeting him, and I’ll happily add this chat shares information I’ve never heard him talk about on other podcasts or interviews. In an attempt to dodge the child actor conversation, we do chat a bit about his childhood and what growing up was like. He shares a short story that involves falling from 4 stories high, and we talk about the importance of realizing you can’t do it all alone, something I’ve been struggling with a lot lately with STANDARD H. We discuss music, creative flow, of course how TLC & ICON started and why designing within confines is important. Ever wonder why his logo is a lizard? That’s in here. And if you’re wondering what Jonathan’s thoughts are on the new 2021 Bronco, that’s also in here, not to mention the inspiring work he’s doing with his charity, GO Campaign...the list really does goes on. Jonathan and I share so many of the same views on business with respect to design and manufacturing, specifically, so I really hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did. As 2020 comes to a close, as I sat down, editing the episode, it truly felt like the mental road trip of an escape I needed, and I’m confident many of you will agree.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

@standardh_shop

@standardh_garage

@standardh_travel

ICON 4x4

https://icon4x4.com/

@icon4x4

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe

As a listener of the STANDARD H Podcast, you may have heard me thank today’s guest at the end of every episode. Jensen Reed not only co-wrote the theme track to this show, he was one of the first people I met when I moved to Los Angeles. Coincidentally, we both moved to California within weeks of one another from the same town of Cary, North Carolina. It’s truly hard to believe it’s been nearly 14 years. We talk about how that all unfolded, while Jensen explains his path from being a solo musician to his successful career as a voice over artist. Though both professions involve microphones, the bridge that connected the two happened to be the sport of tennis. A major takeaway from this week’s episode is the incredible power of networking. We talk about music from the ‘80s & ‘90s, the albums his mom didn’t want him listening to, how he drove a Ranchero as his first car, as well as how he began making viral music videos with millions of views on Facebook. It’s always fun to sit down with someone who is such a close friend and this is no exception. You never know where life can take you, and for Jensen, life is taking him back east to Nashville, but I’ll let him tell it.

Links:

STANDARD H

https://standard-h.com/

@standardh_

@standardh_podcast

@standardh_shop

@standardh_garage

@standardh_travel

Jensen Reed

https://www.jensenreed.com/

@jensenreed

Passion Fine Jewelry

https://passionfinejewelry.com/

@passionfinejewelry

Independent in Time

https://www.independentintime.com/

@independentintime

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit standardh.substack.com/subscribe