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A
Control, right. Like however you. This is actually something I really consciously practiced that because like when I went to university and again, I was clearly at the bottom of the social hierarchy. It's very easy to become resentful when that happens. Like you see guys that you don't think are as good as you because we all think, you know, we're morally superior. That's kind of the, the fallback of the loser, man, is, but I'm morally better, right? It's like, well, you're just weak.
B
All right guys, Demetri here from LG FG Fashion house. Very interesting business we're going to dive into today. Thanks for coming on, man.
A
Thank you.
B
Yeah, we were just talking before this how no Internet, no word of mouth. You guys are very old.
A
Well, we have, we have, you know, like the website and all the social proof that goes with it. But traditional retailers have stores and online retailers sell online. But there's actually a gap in the market between those two. Right. Meaning that particularly for like an affluent audience, wealthy people pay to have their time needs solved. They want things fast and they want things convenient. Right. And so the store sort of makes that inconvenient. So the Internet came along and was like, hey, if you shop online you can solve the convenience issue because it comes to your house.
B
Yeah.
A
But luxury brands struggle tremendously with online selling. Like for example, Nordstrom's tried to do very high end suits online. They would get one time purchases but no repeat buyers because something comes, you know, doesn't fit exactly right. It needs extra service, then you have to drive to the shop or to the alteration place. So people didn't want to go through that process. And brands like Burberry, same thing, invested a tremendous amount of money to sell clothing online. But again at that level, when you're spending that much money, you want the personal service. So we're a direct sales company. Our tailors come to our clients in their homes and offices around the world.
B
And it's clearly working. You got some high end clientele. I was on the website. Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Fury, Jordan Peterson, Eddie Hall, Greg Duchett.
A
Yeah, that's how we met, was through Greg.
B
Right, right.
A
I'll tell you a funny Greg story that's a little bit of an aside. So I'm a huge boxing fan and me and Greg and some other friends, we were heading over to Saudi Arabia to watch the first fight between Tyson Fury and Alexander Usyk. And we're on the flight from Dubai to Riyadh and Greg starts feeling kind of sick. And by the way, Greg can't go outside. Like, everybody just approaches him there, gets autographs, the whole thing, right?
B
Yeah.
A
So we're on the plane, he's like, he's feeling kind of sick. So he ends up going to the hospital when we land. And it turns out he had a collapsed lung.
B
Damn.
A
And, but the fight's that night. Like, we gotta go to the fight that night. And Greg's like, there's no way I'm missing that. He's just like, he's just like a machine. He's like, I'm not missing this fight fight. So he like hands the, some doctor at the hospital a whole bunch of cash to bring like antibiotics and all sorts of monitoring equipment with him. And we're sitting on the floor, we got floor seats. It's like a good, a good place to sit.
B
Yeah.
A
And like he's got his doctor there, like pumping him with drugs just so he can make it through the fight on a collapsed lung. He made it through. He, he showed up.
B
That sounds insane. Yeah, collapsed lung is one of the most painful things.
A
I heard he was not feeling very good. He was a little uncomfortable.
B
Well, shout out to him. Well, if anyone has a pain tolerance, that doesn't surprise me that it's him.
A
Well, that's exactly right. I mean, how do you become professional bodybuilder? You probably have to go through a lot of like, you know, physical discomfort. And he's like a world class athlete. Right? So.
B
Yeah. How'd you first get acquainted with him?
A
So funny story, totally randomly. A lot of the celebrities that I got to meet and work with are just like connections through our business. We have, you know, tens of thousands of clients. So.
B
Damn.
A
I met Greg through my friend Chad. So shout out to Chad. He's a crazy awesome partner, litigator in, in Canada, who's one of those, is super great litigator. And he's become a good friend and he's been buying from our company for like a decade. And he was like, just one time we were chatting, he's just like randomly said, you know, I'm really good friends with this great guy. I didn't know who Greg was, but we had already been doing suits for Eddie hall and Brian Shaw and Ronnie Coleman and Phil Heath and so we, or Mr. Anatoly, you know, the guy that goes to the gym and lifts those.
B
Oh, that, that's hilarious.
A
So we've, we're making suits for him as well. And we actually ran into him at that fight with Greg, which was pretty funny. So I didn't know who Greg was, but like, obviously I saw he was all the same circles.
B
Yeah.
A
And when I contacted him, like we got connected. He was being, at the time he was a judge on the Arnold Classic. And, and, and Martin Ford, who's another client of mine, was going to that. So I was like, oh, I. So I. We just ended up showing up, meeting and we've been friends ever since.
B
I love that.
A
Yeah.
B
How easily can you spot if someone's wearing a cheap suit?
A
Oh, super easily. Yeah. Well, look. Well, again, that's a little bit of a cheat question because I'm in the business.
B
Yeah. I just for me personally, I, I can't notice, like what are the things that I guess give it away.
A
Yeah. But if you look at a Japanese or a Korean guy, you know which one's which. Yeah, sometimes, sometimes you should know, you know, if I'm in the business of suits, I should know. Like a suit, right? Yeah, definitely. The thing, the thing about it is like, yes, you can get cheap suits, expensive suits. Like, I'm not here to hug suits. It's more. So who does notice? And this is going to sound super cheesy, but it's true. Who does notice are women. Like, women have a different sense not only for clothing, but just like status in general. And so it's very difficult to fake status in that environment because they're naturally wired to discern.
B
Right.
A
So unless you're a psychopath, you're not going to be able to like out status, the position that you're really in. So there is some, there is some leverage in having something, you know, maybe subtly more expensive. Not for the sake of standing out that way.
B
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A
Way. But there definitely is a, a subtle cue that would be picked up by people you might be interesting, interested in, let's say attracting.
B
I also think just on a personal note, like it helps with my confidence when I'm wearing some nice watches or like a nice suit. Like it just helps me be more confident too.
A
Yeah, I think it's a masculine thing. What do you think?
B
I think so. Yeah. Because you know, you put in the work to acquire this item.
A
That's exactly right. Like for like. It's funny, I was just like, we're in Vegas, right. And I've never gambled my life. Like I've never. And my friend was here and he was, he's a billionaire actually. So it's pretty interesting guy. And you go and you play cards and stuff and he goes, why don't you gamble? I'm like, I feel weird about winning money and I would never like touch, you know, like a Ferrari or Lambo until I could afford to just get one. Like it just felt weird to me doing something I didn't deserve. And so you're right if, unless somebody gifted you a Rolex. Well, if you could already afford one at that point. But if your dad gave it to you and you're showing it off, that's just kind of douchey.
B
It doesn't feel the same.
A
But if you've earned it, like that's not bragging if you've done it.
B
Yeah, yeah, it's different. Yeah. Fashion's very important. I, I'm realizing it now, especially with.
A
How so?
B
Well, I'm going a lot of high end events now and you know, I grew up wearing sweatpants and shorts and, and you know, cheap shoes. Yeah. So that's how I grew up. But now when I go to these events, people notice what you're wearing, man. Do you find that people treat you differently 100%. Especially with the watch. And I, I would say probably for suits too at these. Because I'm going to a lot of political events now. Yeah, I'm interested in what kind of.
A
Political events you're doing.
B
Well, I was out during the election, during the inauguration. I mean, okay, so I'm going to like balls.
A
I had a lot of people wear my suit so Ross Schneider was there in my suit.
B
Yeah. Peterson.
A
Peterson was there. His. His son in law was wearing my suit. I had Michael Franzese was podcasting that with PBT and with Patrick B. David and Franzes was wearing my suit. So, like, I had a lot of people around that crowd. I think God Saad was there wearing one of my jackets. So there was a. Wow. Douglas Murray was there wearing my suit. It was, it was quite a. Piers Morgan took my suit to that.
B
Really?
A
Yeah. I was with Piers like three days before the.
B
Wow. Yeah. That guy's wearing a suit every day.
A
No, sorry, I missed. I misspoke. He did not show up. He was going to go there because I made him a suit featuring Trump. It was like a funny way to like for them because they're friends, you know.
B
Yeah.
A
And actually Pierce couldn't go because there was some visa thing where like he needed to renew his passport. So he actually physically couldn't go. But he was supposed to be there in my. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. And I saw on your site 80% of your revenue comes from repeat customers.
A
That's correct. Yeah. So very, very well, this is actually very interesting and this a lot of psychology there that I found. Very interesting. Men are really loyal consumers. Right. Like, and this is going back to like, even relationship dynamics. Like, I'm sure you've had relationship experts that have pointed out better than I could that it's like women that leave relationships 70% of the time. So men are super loyal. So, for example, like when my wife is like, let's get sushi, she's thinking about eating sushi. I'm thinking about the restaurant we're going to because that's the place I go. So, you know, like, men are very loyal to their barber, very loyal to their tailor.
B
Yep.
A
So men are surprisingly sticky consumers. They're very loyal. Yeah.
B
Especially with something like this too. I feel like probably.
A
And it's interesting, right, because the switching cost isn't crazy high. But men are very loyal to relationships. And maybe it's a dangerous thing. Right. Like, it may be that for men, anytime we engage in any relationship, there's probably some underlying, you know, genetic evolutionary aspect of physical danger.
B
Yeah.
A
Like crossing tribes could be seen as dangerous. So you want to deal with people you trust. Right.
B
I could see that.
A
So that might be that where that comes from.
B
I really value loyalty too.
A
Me too.
B
Like a lot. Like, your word is very important to me.
A
Yeah. Like, well, that's integrity and that's Aristotle. Right. That's. What is it? Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.
B
Yeah.
A
And character is just integrity repeated over over and over and over. What that means is basically that, like, your reputation is the most important thing you have. And when young guys join our company, you know, most of the people we hire kind of starting out their career, they're developing themselves as salespeople and business people. One of the, you know, one of the key pieces of advice I tell guys is, and this again, might sound a little cheesy, but it's true. The best networking thing that's ever happened to me was turning 40.
B
Really?
A
Yes, because I have long standing relationships with people that didn't start out super successful, but are very successful now, and they trust me. So it's very easy to access money when you're 40 if you've been living a life of integrity.
B
Yeah, I can relate to that. Because people are like, why did your podcast take off so fast? But they didn't see the work I did before because the show's two years old, but I was building relationships for 10 years.
A
Yeah.
B
You know, super fast.
A
Ten years is usually the horizon I look at. I'm like, you got to look at life in 10 year chunks. But like, keeping your word fundamentally. And you know, the reason that people trust you when you keep your word to them, I think derives from the fact that it means you probably keep your word to yourself. And it's like yourself that you let down more than anybody else you let down or anybody that lets you down. It's yourself. Like, it's your. It's your deal with yourself. Right. So I was driving the desert yesterday. Yesterday I called my best friend. He's a CFO for a bank. So he's a baller. Right. And. And we were just discussing some leadership principles. Like, he's grown his company, I've grown my company, etc. And he said, you know, the difference between an executive level person and employee is just accountability. And that's true because execution is just accountability. Because you got to execute things you don't feel like doing, but you said you were going to do them, but the feeling of when you said you were going to do them has passed. But the commitment thing is like you do the thing you said you were going to do long after the initial feeling of when you said you were going to do it has passed.
B
Yeah, that's.
A
That's integrity, man.
B
I love that. Because accountability, that's something people struggle with. Yeah, I used to, but I see it every day with people.
A
So what changed?
B
I was just lying to myself. Too much did start piling up, started piling up in relationships and friendships. All the lies and people just didn't trust me anymore.
A
Did you find you woke up one day and you didn't like the person you were?
B
Not at all.
A
Yeah. That's a good fear to have your mind.
B
So I cut drinking, cut smoking weed, just locked in, did a lot of personal work, changed my environment. That was huge.
A
Yes.
B
I was in a bad environment.
A
Yes.
B
So I did a bunch of little stuff added up, you know, I was.
A
Just like doing a little bit of reading the environment thing. Obviously, you know, if you are where you are, you know how important your friends are and how people elevate your drag you down. We can, but it's actually, I've learned it's a genetic level. So for example, like your genes don't predetermine who you are. Your genes are creating a predisposition for who you could be. And then different genes will get unlocked in different environments.
B
Interesting.
A
Yeah, I from, I learned from Dawkins, right. He was, he was studying like how a person like who they're attracted to is determined biologically, like through their ingrained DNA, but it's unlocked through their environment. So the person can go completely opposite based on the environment. So the gene is just the potential.
B
That's interesting.
A
And that's the environment argument. Right. Like the. Your environment unlocks whatever potential is already in you.
B
I could see that though, because you hear about these co workers falling in love like once they're working together in certain environments. Right. But beforehand they didn't care about each other, so it's kind of unlocks.
A
Sure.
B
That is interesting. And that's why when you hang out with people that are crushing it, it kind of unlocks certain parts of you, right?
A
Yes. It's also why people who are crushing that are going to be very protective over whom they're hanging out with. Because you know, you know like that your energy is the most valuable thing you have. And most people listening to this will hear that, but they won't really know that because there's levels. I make it an intent to hang out with people that are like, as much as I can further ahead than me, because I know just being in the presence of their energy unlocks new potential 100%.
B
I try to do that too. It's super important. You don't want to be at the top of your food train. No, that's how you don't. You get stuck. Right. You're stagnant. Have you had periods of the company where you felt kind of stuck, stagnant, no growth.
A
Absolutely. Yeah. That's actually why I came to Vegas, is to work with her. Mose.
B
Really?
A
Yeah. Because, you know, I want to. I want to. I want to see what potential is still available. Like, I don't want to. What is it that line that before you die, you meet the person you could have become?
B
Right.
A
Like the moment before you die, you meet the person you could have been. And I want to meet that person and see myself, not somebody I could have been. Like, that would be leaving something on the table. And you know, at some point, you know this too. Like, you've got successful enough where you're not doing it for the money. It's the points.
B
Yeah.
A
The points is like, what am I really capable of? Like, what can I do, you know?
B
Yeah, what's.
A
What. Where, where, where. Where can I go with this? Like, what door have I not opened yet? What door am I capable of opening? And waking up knowing that there's unlocked potential, it gets pretty motivating. Yeah.
B
I feel like I'm living in a video game right now.
A
That's what you are?
B
Yeah.
A
Did you play video games growing up?
B
Hell, I still do.
A
What do you play?
B
I play Fortnite now, but I used to play everything.
A
Okay. So I was. I played Red Alert too. I'm David.
B
My dad used to play that. I played a little bit.
A
Thanks, man.
B
Yeah, that's a good game.
A
Thanks. Thank you for. That's a. Mentioning your death. Anyways, I was top 20 in the world.
B
Holy crap.
A
Yeah. Yeah. So I was really playing that. And that's actually one of the reasons I didn't like the person I'd become is because video games are. They're really good for learning new systems and they definitely unlock certain attributes that can help you later. However, the culmination of success in a video game, it doesn't really get you good with girls. It doesn't really. Really. That's true. Right. And that's like. It's actually one of the few skills you can be world class at and not attract women. Because anything else you're world class at, like if you're a world class musician, if you're a world class, well, basketball player, if you're a world class whatever, women will flock to you. Not video games. So when I was in my early 20s, I was like, I'm so good at this one skill, but it's the one skill I could optimize for that doesn't optimize for girls. And when I'm in my early 20s. What do I think about? I think about girls, you know?
B
Yeah.
A
So. So I was top 20 in that game. And then actually what did help me was in the business world is starting to gamify things, you know, and kind of seeing that there's like, if you can unlock the system that's kind of running the system, you can. You can gamify it, Right?
B
Yeah. Gamifying is everything for me because I'm competitive.
A
Yeah.
B
So as soon as I could do that, I just work way harder, naturally. Yeah.
A
That's where I'm at too.
B
Yeah. I have a Google document because I want to become the best podcast host of all time. And I have a running Google document. It's 50 pages long. It's everything I learned on in order how to do that.
A
And so your competition is Rogan. Hi, man.
B
Yeah, Rogan. I guess right now he's the goat.
A
Hey, man. Aim high. I mean, that's.
B
He's been out at the longest.
A
Sure.
B
But I personally think there's this guy coming up now that's going to surpass him.
A
Okay.
B
Stephen Bartlett.
A
I know who that is.
B
Diary of a CEO. Yeah, sure. He's a beast.
A
He's great. Yeah.
B
He's spending $10 million a year reinvesting in his podcast. I don't see anyone else doing that.
A
Why aren't you?
B
I'm not there yet. Two years in, you know, I'm spending maybe a million, but I'll be there, you know, build out the team eventually. Wear some cool suits along the way.
A
I know a guy.
B
So you're in four different continents.
A
Yeah.
B
20 different countries.
A
Yeah.
B
Did that scale all at once or walk?
A
No, it was. So basically a lot of it happened very organically, but the. So I have a debate with a friend. I have a friend, he's worth about 120 million, which he made in his early 20s. Like hyper successful, e commerce guy, brilliant guy. And we had this argument. It was like basically the first time I ever met him, which was about 10 or 15 years ago. Whether things were pre planned, like whether what you're living is just predestination, you know, planned for you in advance, or whether you're really controlling your destiny. And I'm like, no, you control your destiny. And he's like, no, your destiny is predetermined. So this like, you know, those philosophical friends, you know, having a beer, having a debate. Right?
B
Yeah.
A
And I think we've come to a happy medium where we say like, yes, there is a predetermination but you have to unlock it. Like, you have to do the thing to unlock it. But the older I've gotten, the more I've kind of seen it as it was meant to be. Which is a weird thing because everything I've done to the point to get to where I am, there were actions and steps that I took that I didn't know would lead to this. I just kind of walked through invisible doors and hope for the best. Does that make sense?
B
Yeah.
A
So we went on a little adventure. I started a company out of my apartment. I was really good at sales. I'd sold encyclopedias door to door for six years.
B
That's a hard sell.
A
So before, you know, as the Internet was becoming proliferated through people's homes, access to information was not quite that easy. And we still had this door to door thing going on. So for six years, I knocked on, I don't know, 240,000 doors. So it was very intense, right. But I'd done very well with it. I mean, back then, that's, you know, you can't scale yourself when it's just you. So I was just doing that. And then I took that skill that I had learned from knocking on doors and approaching strangers into something else, which was suits. And one of the things on my list of criteria for the career that I wanted to have was I wanted to sell a product that was not licensed or that was not. That was not needing to be. To have, like, any kind of licensing to sell it locally, Meaning that I didn't want to sell financial services because I couldn't do it internationally. Like, if I sold stocks or investments, I was in Canada. I could only do it in, like, my province. If I sold real estate, I could really only do it in my, you know, geographic vicinity, Right. And if I sold insurance, there was like, you need licensing. And I just had this delusion that, like, well, if I start a clothing company, of course it'll be international. It was complete delusion, right? Complete delusion. But it came to fruition. As you know, we were hiring salespeople in Canada. My salespeople, like, working in the company. They were growing, they were enjoying their careers, and they started getting married. And one guy was like, I'm marrying a chick in Hong Kong. Can I do this in China? I'm like, yeah, you can. So we opened an office in Hong Kong and it became our best office, just like that. One guy was like, I want to move to Perth. It's always been my dream to live in Australia. Okay, let's find A way we open a company there, you know, move them there, and we started selling there. And so it developed very organically. We never had, like, a strategy like, let's go to this country now. It just happened.
B
Yeah. You didn't force it.
A
No, we never forced it. It was organic. However, now, you know, now, of course, as we've scaled and grown as a company, of course now we have to make those strategic decisions. But as you already know, and as I'm sure very people wiser than me have already said on this podcast, execution is way more important than strategy. Like, Like. And it's way harder to execute than to have. Like, strategies are cheap. You should get to a point where, like, at least your business is financially sustaining itself and it's profitable until you really think about a grander strategy. At least that's my opinion. And most of the most successful people I know really started with just execute on an idea they feel passionate about or they really were really into. And the strategy came after the concept. The proof of concept was real, I. E. The money was coming in.
B
Agreed. Because a lot of people value ideas and strategies.
A
Ideas are worthless.
B
I think so too.
A
Completely. It's the craziest thing. Like, people think it's like, again, I'm gonna go back to like, when I was in my early 20s. We all know a guy that knows everything about picking up women, but he can never pick up. And it's like, what's the use?
B
Yeah, right.
A
Or like, you know, there's people I know that talk about chess, and they know all the moves and all the openings and they suck at chess. I don't know any of that. I'll beat him like a dude. You suck. Like, what the hell? So. So really, like, you have to hit the ground running and let reality hit you in the face.
B
Yeah. So how did you go from PC gaming nerd to this confident man right here?
A
Well, I think a big part of it was I didn't like the person I'd become. You know, I was sitting and I was. I remember, like, I. I had early admission into university. So my first. We had, like, terms in Canada, first, second, third, and high school. My first term, I had good enough grades that my. The university that was applying to send me a letter saying, you have unconditional acceptance. And so the next six months, I didn't really need to do that much schoolwork and my grades reflected that because I think that university very quickly regretted letting. Because. And the reason that happened is I was up till like 4 or 5 in the morning waiting for the Koreans to get online. Because if you want to get a good, a good upgrade in your, in your score online, you got to pay, play the best players. And at that time, and probably still true today, a lot of the best players were in Korea.
B
Yeah.
A
So, you know, I was up at like 4 or 5 in the morning, like as an 18 year old, I looked disheveled. I didn't communicate with anyone because I was just locked in a room gaming. Like it's like really like something you have to do all the time to get that good at it. And when I went to school and I observed like the social scene around me and I didn't really, I certainly wasn't at the top of that food chain or anywhere near, near that. You know, the guys that were like on the rowing team are doing pretty well there because they had optimized for something that gave them social proof and status.
B
Right.
A
You know, the guys that were playing like basketball, they had social proof and status. Like they. And I was looking at that going like, man, whatever it is that attracted me to do it at the highest level I could do, it wasn't optimizing for the future of my life. And so I really wanted to improve my communication skills. I wanted to become more socially intelligent. I was studying business and computer science, which again was like in that sort of realm of nerd locked away in the corner. I didn't want to be that guy. And I think, and I think, you know, when you have enough of a motivation and an urge and a pull and a desire and you think about it enough, the universe starts presenting solutions and you have to be brave enough to take those solutions. Somebody approached me to sell encyclopedias door to door, which sounds insane, but that was the solution. It got me an opportunity to, to build my communication skills, to build my discipline in an area outside of just sitting in my room and mentally masturbating. Because when you're playing a video game, you are just releasing dopamine. That's what makes it so addictive, nonstop. Yeah, sales rejection doesn't release quite the same level of dopamine, but you know, to, to modulate for that. So it was like a decision that like, I want to be different and I want to change my life. And that gave me a start and then, you know, taught me a little bit about audacity, about taking risks and sometimes just walking through a door for an adventure and to see what happens with that adventure.
B
Did getting good at sales help your confidence?
A
Of course. It gave me control over my Environment.
B
Yeah, Right.
A
That's. That's exactly what it did. Like, people ask like, how do you know all these people? How do you address all these clients? It's like, well, that's just sales. And what is sales? It's communication. And. Well, fundamentally, underneath all that communication and persuasion, there has to be. There has to be character and there has to be integrity doing what you say you're going to do. Like, yeah, you know, if you work hard enough, you'll get lucky and you'll meet Ozzy Osbourne and you'll make him a suit. But to do that and then to dress his friend from Metallica and then, you know, his other friend, that's this guy and this movie star. Like, I'm going to Cannes Film Festival next week with like an A list actor that I've been dressing. And that's because I've kept my promises. Right. So I don't want to oversell the idea of being, you know, to have that attraction strategy. That's one of it. Make sure the integrity behind it is also going to hold up. Because if it doesn't, then you're going to hit that limit. Right?
B
Yeah. I like what you said about luck, because a lot of people see a billionaire and they're like, that guy got lucky.
A
So that shows a low locus of control. Right. Like, however you. This is actually something. I really consciously practiced that because, like, when I went to university and again, I was clearly at the bottom of the social hierarchy. It's very easy to become resentful when that happens. Like, you see guys that you don't think are as good as you, because we all think, you know, we're morally superior. That's kind of the. The fallback of the loser man is, but I'm morally better, right? It's like, well, you're just weak. But seeing guys that are better, and then it's very hard not to become jealous or resentful of that. Right.
B
100%. I used to be like that, too.
A
Yeah. So I worked very. I remember very conscious, consciously. I found some books about how to overcome that emotion because I realized that jealousy is one of the most incredibly destructive emotions. I didn't want to have that emotion at all. And one of the things was, like, you take a person that you perceive yourself to be jealous of and you just imagine them getting everything you want in life. Like, imagine him getting the girl that you want. Imagine him getting the car that you want. And so just. Just like, really intentionally iterating away that feeling.
B
Interesting.
A
I did not want to feel that, because I didn't like that feeling, and I understood that it leads to a destructive self. And so when I would see guys that are, like, very, like, jacked and ripped, guys like Greg, I wasn't looking at him like, oh, that guy's a meathead. He's an idiot. I would look at him and go, like, man, that guy must put so much work into the gym. That's admirable. What an admirable quality that person has. So I really, really intentionally mentally conditioned myself to. To adore and to respect people that were ahead of me because it gave me that opportunity to learn from them rather than to shut them out for being somehow less.
B
Yeah. It's almost like you're reframing your subconscious mind.
A
Well, that's exactly what it was. And there are some great books about that, and I really took that seriously. Like, I really. I was reading a lot of books on psychology on my own time because I wanted to learn the secrets. And Tony Robbins talks about that all the time. And so, you know, he was kind of big at the time. I was reading a little bit of that, and I was like, cool, man. Like, there's a better choice than to be resentful, bitter, and angry.
B
Yeah. Also, Joe dispenses. You suit him well.
A
I know Joe. Yeah, sure. He's. He is such a cool guy, man. Yeah.
B
I mean, that was probably the most inspirational story I've ever heard. To go from being paralyzed to now look at what he's doing. It's crazy.
A
Yeah. Yeah. His house is amazing, and it's one of the most serene environments. I have a funny story about that, actually. We were. Me and my video guy, we were filming with. With Joe Dispenza. And then the same day, we had to drive down to, like, Newport to film with AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys.
B
Yeah.
A
It's like, one of the craziest days because you're with Joe Dispenza, and then you're with the Backstreet Boy, and it's just like. Just like, what world are we living in?
B
I grew up listening to that Backstreet Boys.
A
Did you?
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah. So AJ's hilarious. And then as we're driving, Constantine, kissing from Sugar andometry, texts me, and I'm like, I'm gonna see a Backstreet Boy, right? And then he makes, like, a super funny joke. And then me and my video guide get on the cameras. We're driving as we start singing Backstreet Boys. And then that night, I can't even make this up. This was crazy. This is Law of Attraction just working, right? That night I got a text message from a person I'd never met before. That was a friend of somebody that I knew, like a wrestler in like one of the top whatever. And the lady that text me, she's like, hey, I heard you do the suit thing. I check you out. I have a couple of people coming to this poker tournament. Can you show up and sponsor it? And we had that night in la and I'm like, she told me it was a Gene Simmons house from kiss.
B
Wow.
A
And I'm like, this could be fake, but let's go. And we showed up and everybody's like, oh, yeah, you guys. And they knew us because I had done suits for Alice Cooper, who was not Ozzy Osbourne. They're different people for your younger audience. That's important to know. The reason we got Ozzy Osbourne in our suits is because a lot of our Alice cooper videos on TikTok guys were like, whoa, Ozzy Osbourne. It's like, no, it's a different guy. And they're eventually like, why don't I just get Aussie too? But a lot of people at that event knew us because we had done some suits for Alice Cooper. And so that's how I met aj was at Gene Simmons house at a poker tournament from. Actually we were filming with another guy. And that's why I met AJ at that tournament. So it was just. It was all kind of like conflating and coming together.
B
Wow, what a crazy day.
A
I got my timelines a little mixed up, but yeah, it was a different celebrity. I think we were with Zach Wild from. From Aussie's band that night. And with Michael Franzes. Yeah, that's. We saw Zach Wilde. Michael Franzes. And then we met AJ that night. Ended up seeing him and delivering him a Joe Dispenza on the same day. It was just insane.
B
Crazy. So was your marketing strategy just get this in the the right hands.
A
So this actually came a lot later. I didn't think about marketing strategy. It was more like we had this amazing company that was retailing in 26 countries, but nobody knew about us. And I'm like, how do we solve that problem? And I'm not like, I'm too old for. I mean, this is a self limiting belief. I'm kind of like, I'm. I'm not like Greg, where Gray can just like, he's like 50 and he's just yapping on social, you know?
B
Yeah.
A
I kind of come off as, like, a little bit too paternalistic on social. Like, I'm not, like, 22. And people just make fun of my receipting everything, you know? So I'm like, screw that. So I'm not going to be the star of my own show here. So I thought, but how can we make our company known? Well, you just. You get guilt by association. So I'm like, well, so here's the thing. So I was thinking earlier today, like, my first ever client. I was 26 years old in this business. I called them up. Complete cold call. He was a partner at a major law firm. I'm 26. I walk into this law firm, which is like, 27th floor overlooking a water, Like a seaport where airplanes are landing. And the guy takes me to the window to show me his airplane.
B
Wow.
A
That he flies to work every day on his own. And I'm like, if I could do that at 26, like, why can't I be dressing Jordan Peterson? Like, why can't I be dressing Ozzy Osbourne? Like, why not me? Like, I did that already. Like, what's different here? And so that's. That's. That was the pursuit. I was like, I can solve this problem of people not knowing us, even though we were privately a fairly substantive company, but I can solve that problem of people not knowing us if I just apply what I do best, which is sales. Now, if you were to apply that same concept, you would do it through podcasting. Yeah, there's lots of doors that get you into that thing, but you have to look for a lot of guys. It's like, if you're LeBron James, you can meet anybody, anybody in the world by playing basketball. Right. Doesn't actually. That's actually another really cool thing I learned is, like, it doesn't matter what you optimize for. If you're in the top, like, 0.1% of that in the world, or top 1%, whatever, you'll meet all the other people. Top 1% of their industry.
B
100. Yeah, I've noticed that as a podcaster now, because I have on top 1% people, and everyone knows each other.
A
Yeah.
B
Like, it's a small world.
A
Right?
B
Like, you've named all these clients that have been on the show, and it's like, such a small.
A
Who have you had with those guys? I'm just interested.
B
Greg, you said one other one. I'm blanking out on who it was now, but yeah.
A
Any of the strong guys, Eddie or those guys? Not so much.
B
Not yet. Greg was the first kind of what is he, a bodybuilder?
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
But those guys are hilarious, dude. That's. They get crazy engagement too. On social media.
A
Greg is also like a bonafide genius. You know, he is Walter White from. From Breaking Bad. Like, he was a chemistry teacher. Like, he's got his master's degree.
B
Yeah.
A
He got busted for. For doing steroids. Like, got lost his job as a teacher and then built this whole empire. It's crazy.
B
Absolutely. What have you noticed hanging out with all these successful guys that have res. Resonated with you?
A
They just, you know what? They, man, they'll. They'll walk through a wall if they have to. You know, there are people that get discouraged pretty easily, but these guys are. Are absolutely infallible. Like, they're just machines.
B
Yeah.
A
And one of the things I was just talking about with a friend, actually I met at the Hermosi thing. Who himself. He started. He's a high school dropout and runs a massive company in Canada. Super inspirational guy. Dropped out of high school because he needed to support his mother who had been in some pretty serious trouble, and went to sell cars like at like 17 or 18. Like just full commission. Like, he just got a job and they said, okay, full commission, you can sell cars. Became number one in Canada in that. And then just grew a business. And it was so inspirational. And we were talking about these aphorisms like, you know, what is it that makes him who he is? And other people like that. And it's always just coming back to the same thing. Just absolutely unwilling to quit.
B
I agree. People go all in that work ethic. Hard to teach. Right.
A
There's no plan B. And I don't know for you, when you went, you came out here and you started doing this, like if there was a plan B.
B
No, I was, I was broke when I came out here. I remember because my credit score was complete shit. I had to put down six months rent. That was everything I had at the time.
A
So that was my. Yeah, I've been there.
B
Yeah. So that six months I had to make money or we were going homeless. You know, I was all in.
A
No plan B.
B
No, I had to make it work. This was four years ago.
A
So maybe that's it. Maybe it's just. No. Well. And Greg, again, I'll go back to him because he had no plan B. He got a felony charge for selling roids.
B
Yeah.
A
Like, and so he couldn't be a teacher. 11 years high school teacher, couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't do anything professional he had to start a business. He had no choice.
B
Yeah.
A
So no plan B.
B
Go all in. That's why when I hear this investment advice, spread your money out. I don't really agree with that.
A
Okay.
B
I think the best way to make money is invest in yourself.
A
Well, everybody that nobody becomes a millionaire. By diversifying you can. So diversifying is. This is actually really interesting. I was just talking about the president of my company.
B
Yeah.
A
Diversifying is defense. For example, one day you might plan to have children.
B
Fair. Yeah, you.
A
For me, like, even though I went to university, I didn't really fit extremely well with that crowd. What I became really good at was being street smart, knocking on doors, making sales, kind of weaseling my way into places I needed to weasel into and building networks from there. Does that make sense? Yeah, I don't think I. You know, that's a good strategy for my children who are growing up in a completely different environment. For me, for my children, it's probably better to get like a medical or a legal degree and just, you know, be very well educated, have that base of support, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, that's playing defense. So once you have money, you know, diversifying is playing defense. Yeah. You can put some stuff into your Bitcoin, whatever, but you're going to have some S P, you're going to have some real estate, you're going to have some luxury watches that are going to hold value over time. That's playing defense. But you don't get rich playing defense.
B
You don't.
A
And people put that out of order. So I think it's important for people that are listening to understand. Again, I'm speaking from, like, I'm not trying to sound sagaciously douchey or whatever. I'm saying that, like, just as I've observed, like, if you're making money, you need to play offense. But once you have a few million dollars, it's like, well, I probably, you know, unless your goal is just to completely multiply that over and over, you still want to have some defense too. Right. So diversification is defense going all in as offense. And when you're older, going on offense isn't going to work. Like, I'm 42, I can't compete with your energy anymore. I know that because I know how I was at 28.
B
I can agree with that because I Even myself at 28, compared to 18, I've lost a step energy wise, you know, I don't recover like I used to.
A
So if your audience, you know, if there's guys listening that Are younger. Like what I would recommend if I may and not come off being, you know, unsolicited for advice is like the younger you are, the more all in. You should be going with absolute. Like you can start over at 25, a 28 or 29. You can start over 30 once you're middle age. It's not really that appealing anymore. So take risks. Right now. Like right now.
B
I love it. I love that. How was the homars, the event? Did it happen yet?
A
Yeah, it was very cool. It's like one of those smaller ones that are super high price, but you get it to be in a better room. And so you actually get. It's. As you've already learned, it's harder to get high level ideas the further for the further you go forward because there are fewer people you can ask and trust. Everybody gives you advice all the time. The homeless guy will give you all sorts of financial advice and everything else, but you can't trust that advice. So you need to find somebody that's been there and done that to tell you. And you can say, okay, I might not see it that way, but I trust you more because what you've done is more than I have done.
B
Yeah, I agree. Because I used to ask questions to all sorts of people, but now I'm very particular with what I'm asking and who I'm asking it to. Super particular.
A
Yeah.
B
So I know your subconscious picks up on everything.
A
I tell that to the young guys that we hire in our company, young guys and gals. I'm like, careful. You take advice from.
B
Yeah.
A
Like I'm sure people. Most advice people give you, they don't even have your best interest in mind. They have their own best interest in mind and they're not trying to screw you. It's just that the way they think is they want to justify their own stupid decisions.
B
True. Because they have a lot of internal bias that they don't even know about.
A
Right. Which is keeping them poor. Yeah, don't do that.
B
Yeah. Sounds like you've done a lot of research on mindset and psychology.
A
Well, I think anybody. Listen, nothing's an accident in the sense that we talked about. You said earlier, like, oh, there's a rich guy, he got lucky, right? No, he didn't get lucky. Like, you know he didn't get lucky. Yeah. Somebody that hasn't done it thinks he got lucky. But like we know he didn't get lucky because we know how freaking hard it is to compete for money now. It doesn't mean he's a good person. Like morality and wealth are not necessarily correlated. Whatever. But he's optimized something at a level where the market chose to give him the money. And that's not saying a lot. Right?
B
Yeah.
A
So. So anybody that's got a certain degree of or pedigree of whatever, let's say success, whatever that is, like, they figured some shit out, man. And we should probably listen to something they have to say.
B
Absolutely. What are you most excited about coming up?
A
Oh, there's so much stuff. Well, I have a family, so that's a big thing.
B
Lovely.
A
I might, you know, I got four.
B
Damn.
A
Yeah.
B
Well done.
A
Well, so there's two ways you can balance that. Right. So I've seen it go both ways. And again, for people that are interested in this, like a. I don't know if they are, but I'll share anyways. I've got friends that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, that are single, in their 40s, and they're doing the thing you can imagine they're doing. And I've got friends that like, are more like me, where we have families. You need balance to your business. And that balance has to come from somewhere. Right. And I find that, at least for me, that, like, filling that. That balance with family is more long term, productive and constructive than doing the, let's say, Andrew Tate thing. Does that make sense?
B
Yeah.
A
And I'm not speaking for him. I'm speaking for me. That's me. So I knew I was gonna have a lot of something. As you grow your business, as you build, you become more successful, abundance becomes necessary. So am I gonna have a lot of what happens here in Vegas or am I gonna have a lot of kids? You know, I chose kids.
B
Yeah.
A
And so I'm really excited for that because now my, you know, my boys are getting a little bit older. I can have conversations with them and I'm. And there's still a few years away from more high level stuff, but at least I can plant some seeds. And that's very rewarding.
B
Yeah.
A
I can't describe it for anybody that doesn't have kids, but that's something that really excites me. And Cannes Film Festival and hanging out with some really cool people there is exciting.
B
I'll be there. I'll hit you up.
A
Are you there?
B
Yeah.
A
I'm not gonna. I can't drop names here, but I got some good people.
B
Well, it's my first time going. I'm doing.
A
Me too.
B
Oh, yeah.
A
I got a text from a guy that's like, really, really big.
B
I mean, it just worked out because F1 Monaco is the next week.
A
Yeah.
B
So I might just stay the whole time. But, yeah, I got invited to film podcasts out there.
A
Okay.
B
So I'm gonna definitely go. I went to which film festival?
A
I might get you off camera.
B
Oh, thanks.
A
I might get you a couple of guests that, yeah, I think would be really awesome.
B
Dude, film festivals are great for networking. Sundance in Utah. Have you been to that one ever? Yeah, it's just high level people, man.
A
Okay.
B
Putting yourself in the right rooms, like, it's everything.
A
It's kind of. It's kind of interesting because I never really thought about going. I got a text that's like, hey, I need you there.
B
Like, yes, for you. It's perfect. Everyone's wearing suits at these film ceremonies, you know, that's it.
A
Yeah. So that's a cool one. And I'm also excited. Just, you know, I'm still pretty passionate about the business I'm in. I'm still really excited about growing it. Like, our goal is to hire 100 more salespeople. We're. We're at a funny constraint in our business. So this is getting into business stuff. Like, it's not client acquisition that's as challenging for us anymore because we have a tremendous amount of social proof. Like, you know, when Jordan Peterson went on Joe Rogan twice and started showing the suit and explaining the company.
B
Million views, right?
A
Oh, 27.
B
Damn.
A
And then when we got. And then he went on, like, kill Tony and it's like, oh, my crazy taste. They're talking about, like, people message us from that. When I was on trigonometry, people messages from that. So we do get that attention, but we can't service a lot of those people because we don't have a salesperson in that area. Like, I get somebody in, you know, San Francisco's like, hey, I want to buy. I want to buy from you guys. Like, okay, I need a person there. We get somebody in Nebraska. I need a person there. We get somebody in New Jersey. I need a person there.
B
You're all in person.
A
Yeah, we were face to face. So, you know, we develop salespeople, like younger people starting out in their career. We develop them with the training, with the, you know, development. Like, it's very, very intensive. It's very, very disciplined. And there's a system behind it. That's how you scale a company. Right. But we need to hire more people. And so I'm really excited about hiring more people. Obviously, for the sake of our business. But also to impact people's lives. So to plug it, if there are guys listening to this or gals listening to this, you know you're looking for that career that's going to take you to the next level. Like, you want to escape the Matrix, not do the same thing every day. Just thinking, like, where do I develop? We are a development organization for that.
B
I love it. We'll put a link below, maybe for people to apply or message. Perfect. Anything else you want to close off with? No, man, that was awesome. We took all sorts of turns, and it was cool that we didn't just talk business. But we'll link lf, lg, FG below and. And everything else, man.
A
Thank you.
B
Thanks for coming on.
A
All right.
B
Yep. Check them out, guys.
Digital Social Hour - Episode: Secrets to Scaling a Global Luxury Business | Dimitry Toukhcher DSH #1363
Release Date: May 5, 2025
In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an insightful dialogue with Dimitry Toukhcher, the visionary behind LG FG Fashion House. The conversation delves deep into the intricacies of building and scaling a global luxury business, exploring Dimitry’s unique approach, personal experiences, and the psychological underpinnings that drive customer loyalty and business success.
Dimitry Toukhcher opens the discussion by addressing the gap between traditional brick-and-mortar luxury retailers and online platforms. He explains how affluent customers prioritize convenience and personalized service, which traditional stores often fail to provide.
[00:37] Dimitry: "There’s actually a gap in the market between traditional retailers and online retailers. Affluent audiences pay to have their time needs solved. They want things fast and convenient."
He highlights the challenges luxury brands face in online selling, citing examples like Nordstrom and Burberry, which struggle to deliver the bespoke service demanded by high-end clients.
Dimitry introduces LG FG Fashion House as a direct sales company where tailors provide personalized services by visiting clients' homes and offices globally. This approach addresses the shortcomings of online luxury sales by offering the high-touch service that wealthy customers expect.
[01:35] Dimitry: "We’re a direct sales company. Our tailors come to our clients in their homes and offices around the world."
Sean commends the impressive roster of clients, including Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Fury, Jordan Peterson, Eddie Hall, and Greg Duchett. Dimitry shares a humorous anecdote about meeting Greg during a flight to Saudi Arabia for a boxing match.
[02:32] Dimitry: "That sounds insane. Yeah, collapsed lung is one of the most painful things."
This story underscores the resilience and dedication of their clients, epitomizing the brand’s commitment to excellence.
The conversation shifts to the discernment of quality in suits. Dimitry emphasizes that women are particularly adept at identifying the subtle cues of quality and status in men's attire, which reinforces the brand's focus on producing high-end, meticulously crafted suits.
[04:14] Dimitry: "Women have a different sense not only for clothing but just like status in general."
Dimitry reveals that 80% of LG FG Fashion House’s revenue comes from repeat customers. He attributes this loyalty to the inherent trust and commitment men have towards their preferred service providers.
[08:27] Dimitry: "Men are surprisingly sticky consumers. They’re very loyal."
This insight highlights the importance of building strong, trust-based relationships with clients to sustain long-term business growth.
Both hosts discuss the significance of integrity and character in business. Dimitry shares his journey of overcoming jealousy and resentment from his university days by consciously reframing his mindset to respect and learn from those ahead of him.
[24:53] Dimitry: "I would really intentionally mentally conditioned myself to adore and respect people that were ahead of me."
He underscores that maintaining integrity and keeping promises are fundamental to building a reputable and trustworthy brand.
Dimitry recounts how LG FG Fashion House expanded to 26 countries organically, driven by employees’ personal aspirations rather than a pre-defined strategy. This organic growth allowed the company to adapt naturally to different markets.
[17:12] Dimitry: "We opened an office in Hong Kong and it became our best office, just like that."
A pivotal point in the conversation is the emphasis on execution over strategy. Dimitry asserts that while strategies are important, the ability to execute effectively determines the success of a business.
[19:39] Dimitry: "Execution is way more important than strategy."
Dimitry reflects on his personal transformation from a university student struggling socially to a confident business leader. He attributes this change to his decision to step out of his comfort zone by selling door-to-door, which honed his communication skills and built his discipline.
[22:30] Dimitry: "It gave me control over my environment."
This segment offers inspiration for listeners on the importance of personal growth and adaptability in achieving professional success.
The duo discusses the critical role of networking in scaling a business. Dimitry shares experiences of meeting influential clients and leveraging these relationships to enhance brand visibility.
[29:50] Dimitry: "They’ll walk through a wall if they have to. They’re absolutely infallible."
Towards the end, Dimitry expresses excitement about expanding his team and balancing business growth with family life. He emphasizes the importance of hiring dedicated salespeople to meet increasing demand and maintain the brand’s high standards.
[35:01] Dimitry: "I’m really excited to hire more people to impact people's lives."
In conclusion, Dimitry and Sean reinforce the idea that success stems from building strong relationships, maintaining integrity, and continuously executing on one’s vision. They encourage listeners to invest in themselves and their networks to achieve sustainable success.
Personalized Service is Crucial: In the luxury market, providing personalized and convenient services can bridge the gap between traditional retail and online shopping, catering to the specific needs of affluent clients.
Customer Loyalty is Powerful: Building trust and maintaining integrity fosters strong customer loyalty, which is essential for sustained revenue growth.
Execute with Integrity: While having a strategy is important, the ability to execute consistently and with integrity is what truly drives business success.
Networking and Relationships Matter: Establishing and nurturing relationships with influential clients and partners can significantly enhance brand visibility and open doors to new opportunities.
Personal Growth Fuels Professional Success: Overcoming personal challenges and continuously developing one’s skills are integral to leading a successful business.
Balancing Business with Personal Life: Achieving a balance between expanding a business and nurturing personal relationships, such as family, contributes to long-term fulfillment and stability.
Conclusion
This episode of Digital Social Hour offers a deep dive into the strategies and philosophies that underpin the success of a global luxury business. Dimitry Toukhcher’s experiences and insights provide valuable lessons on customer loyalty, personal development, execution, and the importance of integrity in business. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or simply interested in the dynamics of luxury markets, this conversation is both enlightening and inspiring.
For more insights and to explore opportunities with LG FG Fashion House, visit their website lgfgfashion.com and follow their journey toward redefining luxury retail.