Johnny Dzubak.

Feb 15

Dude always looked rad!

(Source: stellablu, via natashapsychedelia)

Feb 09

My First Real Job (learning the hard way)

I remember asking my dad for a new pair of shoes when I was 15. At this time I was an avid skateboarder for years and I was going through shoes and skateboards by the dozens. Seeing how my father knew that being supportive in my hobby would keep me out of trouble and mind away from the divorce, he would often succumb to my requests. I guess on this particular day he had enough and decided to give me the “time to get a job talk”. I was expecting it, but was hoping it would be coming a little later.

This was fine for me because I felt it would allow me to be a little more independent. I quickly started thinking about all the stuff I could get with the money I would earn from a job. I remember thinking of cars and skateboards and really becoming an individual. This was great, until I realized what jobs a 15 yr old could get.

So that afternoon my father drove me to the mall. I was determined to walk out with a job. I must have turned in an application to every store in the mall, whether or not they could use me. I don’t even think I knew what kind of job I could get. I just figured they would be lucky to have a go-getter like me!

Of all the applications I filled out, I ended up getting a job as a bus boy for a privately owned Chuckie Cheese type place. It was a pizza parlor with games and prizes and animatronics that told stories from a stage.

One of the greatest perks about the place was that the management hired a majority of their girls from my high school cheerleading squad. At this time in my life I was still obsessed with music and skateboarding and girls were still strange, annoying and distant to me. This was also at a time when skateboarding was still a fringe sport and usually resulted in me getting picked on at school, so even being close to the “popular” girls was a bit interesting and addictive.

My uniform for this gig was black slacks and a red and white candy stripped vest with a bow tie and red visor. I was definitely not pimp and no matter what I did, I swear those clothes always smelled like pizza.

I got along with the other staff quite well. After all, I was a busy bee at work and it meant independence to me. Even the “popular cheerleaders” spoke to me at work and it even spread a bit to my school. They would not even acknowledge my existence before that; at least that was my thought at the time. I swear I must have walked around turned on the whole time I was there. It made showing up to work very easy.

I remember getting my first check after three weeks of work. After taxes and everything else, it was a cool $119.00 and I was ecstatic. I quickly ordered my new shoes and bought some clothes. I believe I spent most of that check rather quickly. After all I was getting another one in two weeks!

I did this job for close to two years and it was a blast. I finally got fired after stealing a pizza. It was one of those things where no one else was paying for their lunch break food and I just happened to be the guy they dropped the hammer on. I was young and I was following the crowd.

This first job did however teach me some lessons of responsibility and some early flirting fun. What was your first job? What lessons did you learn?

Feb 01

Skills All Men Should Have In 2012

As we are starting the new year, I thought I would share some skills that I believe all men should have or should at least be working on for 2012. These skills will help this year be the one that separates you from the other guys.

1. Compliments - Being able to give a sincere compliment without seeming needy can be a hard thing to do. It’s a skill, and like others, can be sharpened and practiced everyday. The better you get at it the more effective it becomes. Well-placed compliments can make or break an interaction. To hone this craft, start by sending out compliments like machine gun fire indiscriminately to everyone you meet. Once you can make anyone smile whenever you choose while being detached from the outcome, feel free to channel your focus and allow this skill to be targeted to what you really want in life.

2. Throwing a party – In this day and age it’s all about who you know, and without proper hosing and party throwing skills, you can be left on the outside looking in. This skill, much like the others, can be practiced and honed and even the most introverted personality can fake his way through a fine evening of cocktails and chatter. A few simple tricks to remember… keep it small to start. Perhaps a dinner party or pre cocktails before a show or a night bar hopping. Throw on some festive tunes and learn to make a few simple but interesting cocktails. Invite your guests and make sure everyone meets each other. One small tip: When introducing people who have never met before, give some value and a few small factoids about each person to help initiate a conversation. That should keep you busy throughout the evening.

3. A decent 1^st date. – Whether you meet a girl online or at the club Friday night, make sure you can follow up that good first impression with a flawless and enjoyable date. Forget about the dinner and movie standard. You will find yourself fishing for things to talk about. The tension and awkwardness of those kinds of dates can be overwhelming. Keep those kinds of dates for when you are already in a relationship. Keep it simple and fun and make it something enjoyable that keeps the focus of the date off of each other and on an activity so that you can connect naturally. The silliest dates are the best.

4. Nailing your first impression - Without a good first impression, asking for the date or having some new friends over for a few drinks is out of the question. Keep a positive attitude, smile and have a proper handshake and you will make a good first impression. The art of the active listening scores points as well. Is shows a general interest and allows people to feel good about themselves. When people feel good about themselves, they look to keep those feeling going which means they will want to keep hanging out with you.

5. Knowing some kitchen basics - I hate to say it guys, but I will. There are women today that don’t have the kitchen skills that their mothers had. With more and more women becoming independent and working full time jobs, learning the skill of cooking has been put on the back burner. Looking to find yourself a new mom to take care of you and cook you Mac n Cheese is getting harder every day. If you know how to whip up an easy breakfast or quick dinner, your points are going to go through the roof. You can find easy to cook recipes via a quick search in Google. Always remember to keep it simple.

What other skills do you think all men should have in 2012?

Check out The Art of Charm Academy for an easy way to acquire these skills!