Good morning, friends!
A friend and I hosted our very first dinner in NYC, and what was supposed to be a two-hour meal turned into four hours of fascinating conversation. We brought together people from different industries who might never have crossed paths otherwise, and by the end of the night, nobody wanted to leave.
We’re planning more dinners, and I’d love to meet more of you!
If you’re based in NYC and would like to join us at a future dinner, fill out the form below. We’re keeping the gatherings small so we can skip the small talk and get straight to the good stuff.
PROFILES.
— The ‘Rocky’ mastermind who hid his struggles [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The man behind Victoria’s Secret’s image
— The TV host who made ‘Survivor’ his life’s work
— Giorgio Armani’s shadow
— The novelist who mastered social realism
PEOPLE TO KNOW.
The ‘Rocky’ mastermind who hid his struggles (gift link): Sylvester Stallone spent his life convincing the world he was unbreakable. But behind the Rocky and Rambo franchises was a man shaped by an abusive childhood, a desperate need to prove himself, and an obsession with toughness that nearly destroyed his body and relationships. Now 80, Stallone is opening up about his decades-long battle with anxiety, his secret struggle with bulimia, the devastating loss of his son, and the regrets that haunt him. In this wildly candid interview, he reflects on the extraordinary ambition that made him a Hollywood legend & and the steep personal price he paid for it. (The New York Times)
The man behind Victoria’s Secret’s image (gift link): Adam Selman went from sewing costumes for drag queens and designing Rihanna’s iconic crystal-covered naked dress to overseeing the image of Victoria’s Secret, a lingerie empire with 25 million customers and more than $7 billion in projected annual sales. Now 44, the former Texas cheerleader has been tasked with reviving a brand that lost its cultural relevance after years of controversy, declining sales and an identity crisis. (The New York Times)
The TV host who made ‘Survivor’ his life’s work (gift link): Jeff Probst never wanted to be just the host of Survivor. He wanted to control the story. Over 26 years, he has transformed himself from an inexperienced television personality with a chip on his shoulder into the creative force behind one of TV’s longest-running reality franchises. Now 64, Probst opens up about his early insecurities, the mistakes he made on camera, his obsession with storytelling and why, after more than a quarter-century, he has no intention of leaving the show that has become his life’s work. (The New York Times)
Giorgio Armani’s shadow: For 50 years, Giorgio Armani built a multibillion-dollar fashion empire on his own terms, refusing to surrender control or chase trends. Now, a year after his death, the future of his legacy rests with the man who spent five decades in his shadow: Pantaleo “Leo” Dell’Orco, his longtime romantic and creative partner. The unlikely pair met at a Milan dog park in 1976 and went on to build one of fashion’s most recognizable brands. Today, Dell’Orco must navigate a potential multibillion-dollar sale, declining luxury sales and the challenge of modernizing Armani without losing its identity. In a rare interview, the famously private designer opens up about their extraordinary partnership, the grief of losing Armani and what it takes to preserve an empire after its founder is gone.
The novelist who mastered social realism: Before Min Jin Lee became the bestselling author of Pachinko, she was a bullied Korean immigrant who found refuge in public libraries, a corporate lawyer who feared she might die young, and an aspiring novelist who spent 11 years writing her first book while earning virtually nothing. Now 57, she’s one of the most celebrated novelists of her generation, using fiction to tell the stories of people she feels like history has overlooked. (The New York Times)
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