Brad Johnson: Welcome back to another episode of Do Business. Do Life. We have Bentley Caldwell here with us today. Welcome to the show, Bentley.
Bentley Caldwell: Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me. Excited to be here.
Brad Johnson: As we were joking before we hit record here, you dressed the part. And it only makes sense because by trade, you are a men’s personal stylist. I know you’re right down there in the Nashville area. Shout out to Victor Medina, who made this connection happen. And did you meet Victor through Michael? Or how did you connect with Victor?
Bentley Caldwell: Okay. So, I style Michael Hyatt. And he gave me a shout-out on his Insta story. And Victor follows Michael. And so, Victor ended up reaching out to me about styling, and then we ended up working together. And he’s just a super solid guy. I love Victor.
Brad Johnson: He is. And he has a good sense of style, too.
Bentley Caldwell: I don’t know. He does, for sure.
Brad Johnson: Oh, yeah, that’s right. It went up a couple notches here. And I hadn’t even put together that you knew Michael who’s been a mentor for me for years and, obviously, an incredible human as well. So, we put that together after we connected. But I mean, if I look at the accolades here, I mean, there’s men’s personal stylist, and then you’ve been featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Nashville Fashion Week, Nashville Lifestyles magazine. So, you’re kind of doing this at a legit level, not just kind of running around as a side hobby. So, give me the backstory. How did you find your way into this career?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, my very first job was retail. So, I’ve always been into fashion and I’ve always enjoyed fashion. So, I worked retail all through college. And then I transitioned over to music for a second. And then when my music career kind of came to a stop, it was like kind of think of like, okay, what’s the next chapter?
And I had a friend who was launching a coaching business kind of reach out to me, and he was like, “Hey, man, I know,” because I actually like modeling and stuff like that. He’s like, “I know you’ve been on camera a lot. You could record these videos. Can you help me out?” And I was like, “Yeah, man, let’s go grab a drink. We’ll talk.” And so, we were just kind of talking about just what to do on camera, chin down, and stuff like that. And so, towards the end, I said, “Hey, man, what are you going to wear?” He’s like, “I don’t know.” And so, I said, “Well, if you’re speaking to this kind of client, you probably want to wear something like this. If you’re speaking to this kind of client, you’re going to wear something like this.” Then, simple things like, make sure your shoes and your belt match. And for him, it was just like, any of the things that I always just intuitively knew.
And so, I went home and I was kind of just running that through my mind of, like, maybe I can be an image consultant or something like that. And it has never felt deep enough. Yeah, and so then I was like, okay, I think I want to do styling, personal styling. As I hit that same friend up and I was like, “Hey, man, I got this crazy idea. I just want to see if it has legs. Will you be my guinea pig?” And he was like, “Okay.” I was like, “Yeah, you don’t have to pay me. I just want to see if it works.”
And so, we did a very rudimentary version of what I do now, and we went shopping and I gave him outfit. He went to the fitting room. And on the other side of the fitting room curtain, I heard him go, “Holy.” And he came out and he was just like, “I’ve never looked this good in my life.” And that has how been my goal of styling started.
Brad Johnson: Nice. That first outfit just pops and it took off from there, huh?
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, yeah. Yeah, 100%. And a part of what I want to do and what I strive to do too is just kind of help men become the best versions of themselves. That’s kind of like the Mr. Miyagi, like, wax on, wax off kind of thing. It’s like I’m using fashion and styling as a platform just to help men become better versions of themselves.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. So, if you go back in time and, obviously, so I’m assuming part of that retail journey was in someplace that sold clothes. Just check in, I didn’t want to make any assumptions, but was that where you started to pick up kind of style 101 of here’s the basics, this needs to match that one accent piece, whatever you’re kind of philosophy was? Or was it even before that? Did you grow up with a super fashionable mom or dad that kind of started you down that path? Where did that come from?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, I always just loved fashion. And so, I grew up in a very Christian household, so we went to church all the time. And so, when you go to a black church, it’s like you got to look good. But I was a little bit more meticulous than most. I had to make sure everything is perfect.
Brad Johnson: So, were you like the five-year-old with the bow tie at church or what? How did this go?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah, I was that kid. Yeah, I was that kid. I always had this button, 100% button to the top, and I was like, I had to make sure my socks were perfectly– yeah, it was pretty crazy. I played sports all through high school. And then when I graduated, my mom was like, “All right, now you have to get a job.” And so, it was either like fast food or retail. And I was like, “Yeah, now, we’re going to do retail.”
And so, my first job was at American Eagle. And that was kind of where I kind of just started seeing just how you can put outfits together and you can help people just feel good about themselves. And then after college, I ended up moving to South Korea. And that was just huge because I went from my small town, Kentucky, to a foreign country. And then Seoul, Seoul is basically New York. And so, it’s like, just going there and just seeing all the different fashion houses, and I could pick up a GQ at one train station and then go and buy what was actually in the magazine. So, yeah, that was kind of my fashion journey, just like falling in love with fashion, stuff like that.
Brad Johnson: What took you to South Korea?
Bentley Caldwell: I moved to South Korea to teach conversational English, actually.
Brad Johnson: Oh, okay.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, I got paid to talk, which is pretty cool. Right after college, I was kind of figuring out what to do. I was working at FedEx Ground as a package handler. My college roommate and I were literally sharing a bed. This is going to sound weird, but we were working on opposite schedules.
Brad Johnson: Hey, that’s efficiency. That’s efficiency right there for just like a college kid.
Bentley Caldwell: Literally. Yeah. So, it would be, I had to work this, like graveyard shift. And I’d get home, and he’d be getting up to go to work. He was working at Target or something like that. So, we go basically just like tag team.
Brad Johnson: Hey, I’ve heard roommate stories before, and I mean, I lived with, let’s see, three other dudes through college and there’s the beauty of splitting rent and utilities and all that. But I never took it to that level of efficiency as let’s work on different shifts, so we actually don’t need more than one bed. That’s next level right there.
Bentley Caldwell: We were close. That day, it was just like we both were all about slept on the couch.
Brad Johnson: Yeah, that’s hilarious.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, it was kind of wild.
Brad Johnson: Here’s I’m putting words in your mouth a little bit here, but you’re kind of on this journey to find who you are in life and what you’re meant to do because you’re kind of hopping around through some different careers. So, you go to South Korea. Is Seoul kind of the fashion capital for Koreans?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, Seoul is, I mean, it’s one of the largest cities in the world. So, I always tell people like, imagine New York City, but with just Asians. Like, it’s huge. And there was all these different little pockets of Seoul where you can get just different, there’s like actual fashion houses where you just buy fabric, and then there’s like the shopping districts and stuff like that.
Brad Johnson: So, you could literally build your own shirt or outfit if you wanted to, like make that pattern.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, 100%.
Brad Johnson: And were they tailoring it for you right there? Or how did that work?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, you can literally go in and say, I want this shirt. I want a dress shirt, for example. And then you look through the books, pick your fabric, and then, okay, what kind of color do you want? Do you want your initials monogrammed in there? Yeah, and then you get the…
Brad Johnson: So, you’re in heaven then.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, man, oh. And it was so interesting because, I mean, I came from, I was like living with my roommate to going and just having my mind blown of what is available in the world because, again, like I said, I’m from a small town, Paducah, Kentucky. And so, my first train ride was in South Korea. So, it was just like…
Brad Johnson: Yeah. Okay, so you continue the fashion journey, and then kind of we pop forward to this moment where this friend needs some help. So, if you were just to audience bunch of financial advisors and what I’ve seen, there’s some financial advisors, they’re off the charts, like, here’s the custom-tailored suit that’s 5 to 10 grand with everything matching and coordinated, and then there’s the guy that’s wearing the polo shirt, right? So, with the focus on men’s fashion, I’m going to stick on men. Ladies, not that you don’t matter, but it says here in your bio, men’s personal stylist. So, I guess, few ladies tips, throw them in.
Bentley Caldwell: It’s so funny though. I actually just styled a female two weeks ago. She’s a friend of mine, but I was like, and I told her, I said, “Hey, I don’t style women.” She’s like, “I trust you.” I was like, “Oh, gosh, okay.” So, I’m dipping a toe into women’s fashion, but my main area of expertise is men’s wear.
Brad Johnson: She’s like, “No pressure, I trust you.”
Bentley Caldwell: I know, right? She’s like, “I’m just rebuilding my life. And this is the final step. No pressure.” I was like, “Okay, cool, cool, cool, cool.” We’re not sweating at all.
Brad Johnson: So, if you just said, here are some tried and true philosophies when it comes to styling male or female. Like, if some of these apply to both sides, feel free. But what would those be if you were just talking to a beginner that’s like, I don’t really know the first thing about style?
Bentley Caldwell: The first thing I would say is just keep it simple. I think a lot of people try to go too big, too quick, and then they feel overwhelmed and then they, yeah, because these guys who are starting at this level are looking at the guys who are at this level. And it’s like nobody comes into the league just as LeBron. You got to build up to that.
Brad Johnson: Don’t do the suit jacket with the shorts right out of the gates. Is that what you’re saying?
Bentley Caldwell: No, let’s not do that. So, I always tell people, just start simple. A crisp white button down with a navy blazer and some jeans, nice dark wash jeans and a nice dress shoe, that is a very simple, classic look that you cannot mess up. And then it’s like, let that be your baseline, and then just build from there.
Another thing, another philosophy, and this goes for men and women that make sure your clothes fit. One of the biggest issues I see, and again, this is for men and women, is clothing not fitting correctly. With my clients, I always do a closet assessment. And 99% of the time, my clients are wearing clothes that do not fit them, either it’s too big, too small, or yeah, it’s just bad.
And then, another thing I would say is, don’t worry about following the trends. A lot of times, people are like, well, this is what’s in right now, so I need to like– it’s like no, no, no, no, because what’s in right now will be out very soon. I mean, you have a closet full of stuff that you can’t wear anymore.
And then also, too, as just when in doubt, hire professional to help you out. It’s like if you try to get back into the gym, walking into a gym and seeing all the equipment and all the– whatever can be overwhelming. Same thing when you’re going into the mall or going to the store, you see all the different, can be overwhelming. So, it’s like you’re going to the gym, you hire a trainer. You’re going to help out your wardrobe, hire a stylist.
Brad Johnson: Makes sense. It’s like personal training for your style.
Bentley Caldwell: Exactly, 100%.
Brad Johnson: Just show up. Just show up and trust the expert. I want to get into the psychology of different looks later, but before we get there, kind of a theme I’m hearing you say or there are kind of some tried and true timeless looks. You hit one of them already. Let’s say we’re walking into an appointment with somebody that has a million, $2 million, $5 million as a financial advisor. You’re trying to acquire them as a client. And so, let’s say, let’s go to suit some, where COVID kind of screwed this whole thing up.
I mean, I grew up in finance, I remember at 26, you mentioned in the mall, I went to Dillard’s and I was like, okay, I’ve got to buy five suits. I had to have a tie. I had to have cufflinks at the time. So, it was like super dialed up because I was trying to play the part. I’m a 26-year-old kid, right? Also, small town Kansas. So, probably not too different from your upbringing.
But let’s say we want to crank it up a notch and we want to create some professionalism because if you’re dealing with people that have lots of money, you need to look the part oftentimes, especially if you’re younger, like, hey, this person has some credibility. So, what are your thoughts there on a classic look that would be hard to mess up?
Bentley Caldwell: So, this is like a two-fold kind of question because also, one of the things I always say is like, “Who are you talking to?” If this particular client is not that kind of person that takes a person in a full suit as respectful or whatever the case may be, then you showing up in a full suit might actually turn that person off. So, it’s like, I will go, first off, who is your audience? Now, if it’s a guy who’s like, no, I want this person to be in a suit, then it’s like, okay, start with a good navy suit. You can’t go wrong with a dark navy suit.
And then from there, depending on, again, your audience, sometimes, I like to do a navy suit with a pattern shirt. So, something that has a plaid on it, but simple. You don’t want to do too crazy. And then I just do a solid color tie, but maybe like a knit tie instead of a traditional tie that have the sheen on it. And then I also would just put a little pocket square, and just so people can tell that you have an eye for detail, the attention to detail because if I’m hiring someone to look at my portfolio, it’s like, I want somebody who’s going to notice the small things and take into consideration the small things like, oh, there’s this thing here that we can look at, too. And so, for me, I look at somebody is like, oh, okay, they put in time and intentionality into what they’re wearing and having to put in time and intentionality into my portfolio or whatever the case may be.
Brad Johnson: What’s your take? I’ll give you mine, and you can go agree to disagree. So, prior to COVID, I feel like COVID had a massive shift on style.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, 100%.
Brad Johnson: So, I want to hear your take on that and the before and after of that. But in finance, what I saw, I mean, I’ve been to dozens of financial advisor conferences over the years. And 10, 15 years ago, you saw a lot more suits and ties. And now, I’ve seen a trend where oftentimes, it’s more of a sport coat look, some nice dark wash jeans, like what you talked about, nice dress shoes, nice belt. The tie has been thrown away, but the pocket square remains, so the outfit still pops a little bit. Have you seen kind of a tie almost become extinct since post-COVID or, I mean, I’m just looking at my little bubble. What have you seen?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, I have, actually. It was very interesting. So, I launched in 2019, and then COVID happened like 2020. And so, there was nobody shopping.
Brad Johnson: Hey, we’re like, I guess I’m going to go work at lululemon now for a while, right?
Bentley Caldwell: Exactly, right? And that’s literally what happened, though. It was one of those days where everybody is taking Zoom calls, so they kind of like business up here with lulu at the bottom. I call it the outfit mullet, where it’s like business on top and party on the bottom.
Brad Johnson: Nice.
Bentley Caldwell: But when everything started opening back up, that’s actually when my business kind of took off because everybody, like you were saying, people were going, well, I don’t have to wear a suit to work anymore. And I’ve been doing that for the last 20 years. I don’t know how to dress. And so, I have seen the tie kind of go away in certain industries, and mostly, in the finance industry, because people are going, okay, well, I don’t have to really get that dressed up anymore. And yeah, so there’s kind of like this more relaxed approach to fashion now in menswear, especially.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. Where I see the ties come back out, it’s like a true black tie event, like a dinner party.
Bentley Caldwell: Exactly.
Brad Johnson: That’s the deal. That’s where people are typically throwing them back on. Okay, so let’s go to more of the psychology. And so, I sent you an article by a guy named Michael Kitces who’s a friend, and he did this article. And this has been a few years back. We’ll put it in the show notes. But the title of it was How (New) Advisors Should Dress and the Dangers of Countersignaling. And they actually did this study to where, it was kind of it took me back to my young days when I was 26 years old, getting into this business. It sounds bad, but kind of fake it until you make it mentality of like, okay, I’ve got to have this suit that says they know I’m legit and kind of like I’m going to play doctor, except I’m going to play like financial advisor.
And then the article talks a bit about, hey, kind of a startup founder to where you go so far the other way where it’s like, I’m so successful and so sure of myself, I’m just going to wear shorts and a T-shirt and I don’t care what you think. So, that kind of plays with the psychology and you’ve got two extremes there. What are your thoughts, just in general, if you’re trying to dress in a way that is going to set you up for success in financial services?
Bentley Caldwell: I always see it as you want to be aspirational. Okay? So, you want to be to a place where you’re just slightly elevated above your client. So, for example, like for me, whenever I meet a new client for the first time in my life, I never show up in a full suit, but I do show up in something similar to what I’m wearing, like a blazer, a nice hat, a nice dress shirt, and then a little pocket square. And then I’m wearing chinos on the bottom. So, that way, it’s like I’m not stuffy and unattainable, but I’m still relatable and something that they can aspire to. And so, that would be my advice to financial advisors. It’s like, don’t go so far to where you put your client in this, like, I can’t really even relate to this person, and then don’t go so far where you’re like Mark Zuckerberg if you flip-flop, where it’s like, okay, then also, too, I can’t relate to this person because they don’t seem like they’re taking this serious. And so, I always just say just be one step above to where it’s like who I want to be, I want what he has, or I want to be like him.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. It’s almost this psychology of there has been effort put into how you showed up. Not like I’m peacocking, showing off, but it’s like there’s intention behind.
Bentley Caldwell: Exactly. The intentionality is, and that’s the big key. It’s like, no, I didn’t just roll out of bed and just toss this on. It’s like, no, no, no. I thought of you because that’s also another thing. It’s like, people want to know that you put some effort into them. You didn’t just like, “Oh, man, I’m here. Hey, man, what’s up?” All right, you’re just another person on my docket here. It’s like, no, you woke up and you said, “Hey, I’m meeting Brad today. Let me go and make sure that I look spot on for him.” And people, that’s a big thing because, again, it’s that psychology. People want to be wanted, and so, yeah.
Brad Johnson: Well, it’s a very simple idea, but it’s so true of you put the effort forth to care about how you showed up because you cared about the impression that was made and that, I think of one of my friends, Eddie. If you’re listening, Eddie, you’re going to laugh. But he’s from Miami. Miami has a very different sense of style than small town Kansas. And I remember he showed up, we played football together in college, and it was like a year or two after college, and he showed up and his shoes matched his shorts, which matched his belt, which matched his shirt, which matched his sunglasses, all the same pattern. And I was like, “Bro, I don’t even know what level of style you’re doing right now, but I respect it.” And he just started laughing. And this has been 15 years ago, and I still remember the outfit that he wore that day because it was an authentic representation of him.
Bentley Caldwell: 100%.
Brad Johnson: That’s the cool thing about style is when you can– I always look at a loud suit because I’ve been known to wear some loud suits every once in a while. If you don’t wear that thing with confidence, it’s game over, because your first buddy is going to roast you as soon as he sees it. And so, what’s your take on that? Because we’ve talked external, now, let’s go internal.
And I read a book by Dale Carnegie. It wasn’t How to Win Friends & Influence People, although I’ve read that, too, but it was something about public speaking. We’ll throw it in the notes, but I remember a section out of it, and he said, when you speak, dress up because it will instill this inner confidence in you. It’s like dress to impress. And I never forgot that. And I remember I had a big call one day and I just wore suit into the office, just as I was like, okay, it’s game time. Let’s put this thing on.
So, let’s talk about the internal, what you’ve seen from your clients, kind of the before and afters where they came in, they didn’t really have an approach or sense of style. They got style. What has that done for their confidence or how they show up or how they feel internally?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. It’s one of those things, I always say style is the outward representation of what is going on the inside. And so, a lot of times, it can be flipped, though, because when you– was it Deion Sanders? When you dress good, you play good.
Brad Johnson: I just got sent that meme by a buddy like two days ago. So, yeah, 100%.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, that’s good, but yeah. And so, for me, it’s like, again, like I said, when I first started this, my whole thing was to help men become more confident because when you’re more confident about yourself, then you’re more confident husband, you’re more confident father, you’re more confident employer, employee. And so, like you said, when you put that suit on, it just instilled this light in you, where you’re like about to crush whatever that they bring into you.
And so, with my clients, I tell them, like somebody asked me recently, “Will hiring a stylist make you more money?” And I said, “No, it’s not going to make you more money, but it will get you a seat at the table because you’re going to feel more confident in who you are and how you present yourself and how you walk into the room.” And so, yeah, like I 100% agree with just like, yeah, when you look nice, you feel nice, and then that just has a trickle-down effect into every other aspect of your life.
Brad Johnson: So, what you’re reminding me of Bentley is kind of this Clark Kent to Superman transition. You throw the suit on. Now, there’s this inner power that’s unleashed. I remember the first time walking through an airport, and I had finally said, okay, one of our clients I remember had rocked a custom suit, I’m like, “Where did you get that?” That was really cool. Have you ever been to a place called Stitched in Las Vegas? It’s in the Cosmo. It’s a men’s kind of suit shop.
Bentley Caldwell: I have not. I have not, no.
Brad Johnson: Cool spot. I believe it’s still there. And so, I went there and got my first tailored suit that was truly like kind of tailored athletically where it was kind of formal in the top. And I remember I was walking through the airport wearing it, and a random stranger just stopped me and said, “Dang, bro, where did you get that suit at?” And I realized, in that moment, oh, this stuff really does. As one of my buddies says, it puts a scratch in the record when you’re walking by. And I was like, okay, I see how when you kind of take it up a notch or two, you stand out from the crowd. So, what have you seen, like, if, let’s say that’s the impression not to go way over the top, but you want to stand out a little bit from the crowd, what accent pieces or little things can you do to make an outfit pop?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. But first, let me just touch on whenever you get your first custom suit, that is an experience like none other, where you’re just like, oh, it’s me like a glove. Oh, and it’s like, in the process of it, all the different measurements and this is like one of the best. I always try to let my clients experience that I was a guy who work with you in Nashville and you guys custom suiting is just like the best.
But yeah, back to your question, for me, I think just little accent pieces, honestly, like a good timepiece, a good watch elevates an outfit, a good pocket square, even like a lapel pin. Sometimes, they have little flowers. I’ll put one in mine. They kind of elevate things. I’m a huge fan of hats, clearly, if it works for you. Now, sometimes, hats don’t work for everybody.
So, for me, I always look at, for example, if we’re talking about suiting, I always tell people your suit is like steak and potatoes, right? Like, a good steak, good mashed potatoes. Now, that’s a fine meal on its own. But what adds to it, or just like the seasoning, the great either this or that, and that’s how suiting should be.
If you have a nice suit, add just a nice little accent piece with your pockets, with your timepiece, with the hat. Even if you wear glasses, wear with a nice set of frames. But also, I also use that analogy with the steak and potatoes to say, don’t overdo it because you put too much gravy on there, you put too much seasoning on there, you’ll ruin the whole thing. And so, it goes back to my first point with just keep it simple. So, once you’ve elevated, they’ll keep it simple.
Brad Johnson: Do you have the philosophy? I heard it said once. So, let’s say I have a sport coat that’s maybe a little bit of a little more pattern, that’s like kind of out there a bit, right? A little loud. So, would you consider that the accent piece? And now, you keep everything else kind of you dial the seasoning back where it’s like a solid colored shirt, not a crazy wild pocket square. Can you move where the accent’s at, in your opinion, based on the outfit?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah. So, for me, I always tell people, your outfit, you have an anchor. And by anchor, I mean, where the eye goes to. So, again, if you go with a sport coat or blazer that’s got a wild pattern on it, then everything else should be very subdued. So, go with a solid pant, go with a solid shirt. Even though if you’re going to do a pocket square, go with a solid colored pocket square because your clothes speak for you before you open your mouth. And if it’s just like wild pattern on the jacket, wild pattern on the shirt, wild pattern on the pants, it’s like, well, that’s just a little chaotic. And it’s disorienting and it’s giving off that energy of like, whoa, whoa, I don’t know what’s going on with this guy. I don’t know if I really want to actually engage with him. So, if it’s like if you want a peacock, yeah, go ahead and have that one piece that’s like the peacock piece, but then keep everything else anchored so you don’t come off as like crazy.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. Okay, so you mentioned watches, in an industry, where watches can be almost like a contest. And so, yeah, I mean, I’m seeing Breitling’s, Rolex’s, Tag’s, like some very, very nice watches in our industry. Let’s start at the base level, like, hey, here’s a nice solid timepiece that I’m not going to have to go take a loan out of the bank to purchase. So, what’s your kind of baseline? I really like this brand or this brand of timepieces. And then is it the wristband that kind of you coordinate with the outfit? Or what’s your thought there?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, on the base level, there are a couple of companies that I love. One is this brand called Shinola. They’re out at Detroit. They make some really great timepieces, I mean, and they run thousands, like low thousands, like 1 or 2 grand. And then there’s actually a watchmaker here in Nashville, who is amazing. It’s Weiss Watch Company, this guy named Cameron Weiss. And all of these watches…
Brad Johnson: Can you spell that, if you don’t mind? Just so we can it in the show notes.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. It’s W-E-I-S-S, Weiss Watch Company.
Brad Johnson: Okay.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. But he makes all these watches by hand. And they’re just unbelievably beautiful. And they run about 2,400, 2,500.
Brad Johnson: Made by hand, that’s impressive.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. And the craftsmanship is impeccable. And so, for me, it’s like, start there. There are a lot of watches that, obviously, you start getting into some of those Rolex’s and it’s like, oh, that’s 50,000 and 60,000, and then you go, even higher than that. It’s like, that is a house on your wrist. I’d say like, just stay in your lane, don’t try to keep up with people who are making way more than you, just because you want to play that game.
And then as far as the band, I like a leather band, personally. I think it’s a little more classier personally. I think with the links, it just kind of gets a little too loosey-goosey versus a personal preference of mine. As far as like the face, most people who are watch connoisseurs have more than one watch. So, it’s like having multiple watches that you can wear in different seasons. Like, I have a watch for when I’m outdoors. It’s a little Timex that I bought it from Todd Snyder. It’s like $400. It is like an Army Reissue kind of thing. It’s got a clock band. So, if I sweat, I just take it off, go in to wash, put it back on. It’s little. Face is like that big. It gets scratched up, I don’t care.
Then I have watches that I wear with my suits. And I have watches that if I do a black tie thing, that watch. So, it’s having various watches for different seasons in life, different stages, different places, things like that, so yeah.
Brad Johnson: Question on the watch side. I think it was actually Michael Hyatt that recommended a book and it was like The Revenge of Analog or something. I forget what it was, but it basically was talking about how everything had gone digital, and now, the world’s rebelling and going back to, okay, I’m going to actually use a notepad to write stuff down. But I look at the watch world, and I remember I was one of the first guys to get an Apple Watch because I was like, oh, cool, I can track my health and all that.
And then, a couple of years later, I’m getting texts and I’m getting pinged all the time. And I’m like, this sucks. And so, I just got rid of my Apple Watch. Now, I’ve got some really nice traditional watches that I actually haven’t gone back to. What have you seen in the watch world? Did you see everybody go Apple Watch, and now, everybody’s coming back to more traditional timepieces? Or what’s happened there?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, it’s funny that you brought up Michael. So, I do his diet. And so, when they brought me on, I was looking through some of his old photos just to kind of get kind of like a vibe of what he likes. And in every photo, he had an Apple Watch on. As I said on a text, I was like, “You got sponsored by Apple?” And he’s like, “Oh, no, no, no.” And I was like, “Well, then let’s not have an Apple Watch on. Let’s get to an actual analog watch.” ? And he’s like, “Okay, cool.” And he still wears it to this day. Like, he’ll wear his Apple Watch through, during like the day-to-day stuff, but if he’s ever on stage or if he’s in a photo, he’s wearing an analog watch.
For me, I’m very much an analog person. I am the person who still writes all of his client notes on pieces of paper. I love writing instruments, things like that. I think there is this thing, there’s this give and take of tech guys who are like, no, I need to be able to count my stats and close my loops and da, da, da, da, da, da, da. But there are the people who enjoy things that are well made, who are gravitating more towards the analog thing.
That’s why, like cars, like OG cars, everybody wants the Tesla and all these hybrid things. But people are also going back to trying to find these cars that are just classics and things like that. So, this is my personal opinion, I don’t think we’ll ever completely go 100% digital, especially with watches. I think there’ll always be a market for analog.
Brad Johnson: There’s a great podcast on watches I just listened to, the Founders Podcast. David Senra, I think, is the host, but he reads a biography a week, and one of the more recent ones he did on the Hans, I think, was his name, Hans something, and he was the original founder of Rolex. And it’s a really cool story. So, we’ll have to throw it in the show notes.
But basically, back in the day, men did not wear wristwatches. They had pocket watches. This was like 1800s. It’s like his foresight was, I think, someday it will be a fashion piece. And people will have multiple watches and that only females wear wristwatches back in those days, I guess. So, it’s really cool. He really created the wristwatch as a fashion piece back in the day. So, , it’s a cool story. So, if you ever want to geek out, that’s the podcast for you.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, yes, send it my way.
Brad Johnson: Okay. I’m curious, I remember back in the day, it was real big for financial advisors to carry a Montblanc pen because it was almost like a fashion piece for a writing pen and it was like $1,000 ink pen. Do you see any of that where it’s like, okay, here’s my high-end pen that I’ve got in my suit jacket? Or has that gone out of style?
Bentley Caldwell: I am that guy.
Brad Johnson: Oh, you’re that guy. Okay.
Bentley Caldwell: I love pens. It’s a slippery slope. It’s most like watches. Like, what kind of you start, like, what you buy your first pen at over 30 bucks. You’re like, oh, well, then we’re good to go. We’re going to just keep going. So, yeah, I actually had a conversation with this. This is one of my clients. He’s a tech guy, and he’s like, “If all pens could go away, I would be happy.” And I was like, “Oh, no.” I love pens, I love writing instruments. And so, I think there is still that industry. I mean, clearly, there are pen groups, how guys sit around and talk about watches. There are people who literally sit around and talk about pens and inks.
Brad Johnson: Are they going super old school where they’ve got the little inkwell and they’re dipping it? Because I’ve seen them online where literally, you go pick out your ink and you’re dipping it, like you’re Benjamin Franklin back in the…
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it’s a thing. Yeah, you can buy the wells of ink where you just take the top off, dip it in, and dip. Yeah.
Brad Johnson: You’re giving me a funny memory here. So, Wes, if you hear this, sorry, but I had a buddy with Wes, he was in Michael Hyatt’s group. We had a mastermind, and he went and got one of those pens that you dip. And he’s taking notes and he’s got ink smeared all over his hand. I’m like, “Bro, you might want to just go back to the BIC ballpoint because I think it might be more efficient for you.”
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. There’s a time and a place where though, like you’re trying to think like, note that a mastermind, maybe just go straight with BIC or something, but like I said, when I’m taking notes with my clients and I still write with the fountain pen. It’s just even when I write cards, I write with a fountain pen. I think there’s something about that I love the scratch of the paper when you’re writing. It’s why people still read actual books. It’s just like there’s something about that tactile sensation.
Brad Johnson: Okay, well, let’s round this thing out with we haven’t gotten to shoes, which is also, almost I can get to the watch level sometimes in our industry. Those shoes, and sometimes, I feel like shoes and belts are brother and sister. So, what are your thoughts on just shoes complementing an outfit? Maybe we have the same conversation that we did on the watch. Like, here’s kind of my base level, like nice dress shoe and then take it up a few notches.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. For me, shoes complete the outfit, 100%. You can be wearing a $4,000 suit, but if your shoes are beat up, it ruins the entire look, and then vice versa. You can be wearing, literally, jeans and a T-shirt, but if you put on some loafers, it elevates the outfit. So, for me, shoes are probably the most important investment that you can make in fashion because one, you’re talking about your feet, and it’s like if your feet are jacked up, your feet are out of alignment, then your ankles, your knees, you hips, your back, so on and so forth. That’s why also, we would never buy second-hand shoes because they’ve already been built into somebody else’s gait and it’ll mess up your body. And then, I also tell my clients, invest in your shoes because a good pair of leather shoes will outlive you. So, for me, yeah, shoes are probably the most important piece of your wardrobe.
Some of the starters, honestly, I love, and this is not a shout-out or anything like that. But I love Allen Edmonds. It’s like a base shoe. They’re always high quality leather, and then they can always be rebuilt. So, if you have a pair of Allen Edmonds, they have a leather sole. You can always put a rubber sole and just keep going. And the cool thing is and, again, this is not a shout-out to them, but I just like the way they do it. Once your shoes start to wear down, you can actually send them back to Allen Edmonds, and then they’ll send it to the factory, rebuild it, and send it right back to you. If they can’t rebuild it, they’ll send you a brand new pair of shoes.
Brad Johnson: I did not know that. I actually have a couple pairs of those too. You save me from buying a new pair of shoes just on this podcast episode. Thank you.
And done. See? Turn around.
Brad Johnson: Okay. So, Allen Edmonds, and at least from what I’ve seen from them, they’re kind of a more classic look, where I don’t feel like they get too loud or wild with their styles. Maybe they do. I just haven’t seen them.
Bentley Caldwell: No, I mean, they’re like this classic American-made shoes. If you want the peacock Allen Edmond shoes, it’s not the brand. But if, again, you’re in the finance world, people aren’t lawyers and stuff like that, it’s like a good but they’re classic, the cap toe. They also do sneakers, so like a good solid leather sneaker. Again, same thing, if starts to wear down, send it back. They rebuild it.
Brad Johnson: Have you seen that other, and I feel like this was also a COVID trend, where what used to be typical leather dress shoes have now become almost a hybrid athletic shoe. I know Cole Haan’s where they kind of a less sneaker sole on a dress shoe, sort of. What are your thoughts there?
Bentley Caldwell: Well, with the Cole Haan thing, so for a short period, Cole Haan was owned by Nike. And so, when Nike took over, that’s when they started adding like Nike tech. So, I have a pair of Cole Haan boots that literally have Nike Air in them. So, it’s like walking around a pair of basketball shoes. And so, when they sold Cole Haan or whatever, Cole Haan just kept kind of like that same tech.
I, personally, am not a huge fan of that look. I get why a lot of guys wear them because, well, I’m on my feet a lot, and they’re comfortable, and I’m like, I get that. Yeah, if you’re at the airport traveling, sure, put on a pair. But if you’re meeting with clients, if you’re doing things that are a little more elevated, put on a proper pair of leather dress shoes. Because also, too, leather will mold to your foot, especially if it’s a nice, well-made pair of dress shoes. So, the leather on top will, but sometimes they have a leather insole, so that leather will mold. So, I’ll be honest. I’m not a huge fan of the Cole Haan sneaker, dress shoe. Yeah, I think Johnston & Murphy also does. They might trigger people now. I’m like, Johnston & Murphy also does.
Brad Johnson: Hey, we’re not here to– we’re just calling like it is.
Bentley Caldwell: It’s all in love, it’s all in love.
Brad Johnson: We’re not here to make anybody mad that’s listening in. Well, so I’ve got another question for you. I remember, one of my clients back in the day went to Italy, and he came back in a pair of Ferragamo’s. He’s like, “These are the most comfortable shoes.” And they were kind of the driver mocs, if you’re familiar with those.
And then, one of my other buddies goes, “Did you know the driver mocs are actually designed to only be worn in a car? And it’s for when people have Ferraris, and so, they don’t want to get their Ferrari dirty. So, then you just slip into the driver mocs that stay in the car and they don’t ever touch the ground outside.” So, is that true?
Bentley Caldwell: Yes, that is very true. It’s like if you look at the driver moc, it has that elevated kind of like heel, so the rubber is going on, because that’s how you drive. Like, you drive with your heel kind of– so yeah, that is 100% true. That’s why anytime I see somebody in driver mocs, I’m like, just get a regular loafer. It’s going to do the same way.
Brad Johnson: Oh, man, now, I’m getting roasted on here because I love those driver mocs and I wear them all the time and they’re super comfortable. Well, hey, it’s okay.
Bentley Caldwell: Bye-bye, bro. Bye-bye, bro. Bye-bye.
Brad Johnson: Oh, no, equal opportunity roasting here, it’s fine.
Bentley Caldwell: They’re good for you, man. They look great, I swear.
Brad Johnson: Hey, you try to surround yourself with people that you’re going to learn from and educate yourself. It’s all good. Cool. Any other thoughts on shoes? Maybe if you want to take it up a notch or two above the Allen Edmonds or the Johnston & Murphy’s. Any thoughts on belt and how that combos with it?
Bentley Caldwell: I mean, as far as, like, shoes, there are some really great– oh, my gosh, the shoe market is just crazy, which has various brands. To beat New York is great. My gosh, I mean, there’s just so many. Again, I think it’s one of those things where I say, go ahead and invest. Invest in your shoes, because your return on the investment is going to be huge. It’s like, yeah, okay, you paid $600, $700 for a pair of leather dress shoes. You’re going to wear those dress shoes for years, and then you’ll pay 70 bucks to get them resold. And then they’re going to keep going. And so, I always tell my clients, like I said, invest in good shoes.
As far as the belt, just make sure it’s leather, like actual leather. Sometimes, guys will have these belts that are the two-tone belts, where it’s black on one side and brown on the other side. And it’s like, I get what you’re doing. Like, oh, I need one belt, but that’s not real leather. It starts to crack and then you see that it’s just like cloth with a synthetic leather on the other side. So, it’s like, again, invest in just a good solid leather belt. Again, it’s going to last you because it’s leather. And so, that’s what I would say as far as belts. You don’t have to get anything with a massive belt buckle or anything like that. You don’t have to be like, oh, let me show you this. It’s a Ferragamo belt. Unless you want to go for it, but yeah, just get a solid belt. You’ll be fine.
Brad Johnson: It’s the guy’s version of a Coach purse. Go ahead and throw the big belt buckle on there. Okay, I want to get your take on one other thing because I’ve seen what I would call hip-hop culture kind of make its way, where it’s a little more. So, I grew up in the 80s and early 90s. It would have been my grade school era. So, the Jordans had come out. So, I remember, the first ones were like the 6s, I think one of my buddies had in the third grade, and I was so envious. And I’ve seen this trend where now, a lot of guys will wear suit coat, some nice jeans, and they’ll throw the Jordan 1s on as their shoes. What are your thoughts on that? Is that kind of a fun look? Is that mishmashing two different styles? What do you think?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, again, I go, there’s a time and place. If you’re going and just hanging out with your guy friends on a weekend, yeah, pass on the Jordan. I have heard of Jordan’s. I love the Jordan, one of my favorite silhouette. But if you’re doing something that’s more professional and you’re just trying to be like, oh, I’m a renegade or whatever, again, you’re kind of making yourself look a little foolish, in my personal opinion. It’s like, if you want to wear a sneaker, just get a dress sneaker, and then leave the sneakers, like tennis shoes, like Jordan’s and Yeezy’s or whatever the case may be. Leave those for when you’re hanging out with your bros. Leave those for when you’re hanging out with your kids. Leave those for when you’re just having a beer or whatever. But if it’s a professional sense and you just want to wear a sneaker, get a dress sneaker. That’s my opinion, yeah. Now, this is coming from a reformed sneakerhead.
Brad Johnson: Well, okay, how bad was it? Now, you have to just reveal how many pairs.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, it was over 100 Yeezy. And that’s not even…
Brad Johnson: Over 100 Yeezy sneakers?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. That might be low ball, in my thought, just so you know, looked to that.
Brad Johnson: It’s just, hey, I will say it’s a slippery slope. My wife, if she was down here, she’d be like, “Bro, you need to get some sneaker boxes out of the closet.” Okay, what was your favorite pair? What was your most expensive pair? Did you ever get into the kind of StockX where you were buying and selling sneakers?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. So, my favorite pair were, again, like I said, Jordan 1s are my favorite sneaker silhouette. So, the Jordan 1, they were the reds, which is black and red. Those are the ones that initially got him banned. They were the banned sneakers.
Brad Johnson: Oh, the original color.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah.
Brad Johnson: You call them colorways, is that what they call them?
Bentley Caldwell: Colorways, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Those are my favorite. And then when I was getting out of sneaker culture, I was like, all right, I’m just going to sell all my shoes. And I ended up selling those shoes for $700. They had been worn, like I had worn these shoes. And yeah, so I ended up, I felt bad, and I started like a bidding war between these two guys. And I was like, oh, this guy is paying 440 or 450. And this guy was like, “Well, I’ll give you 500.” And I was like, well, this guy is paying 500. And by the end, this guy paid me like $700 for shoes that I had worn.
Brad Johnson: And there’s no way these could have been original Jordan 1s. These were they had been rereleased at this point.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, they were a rerelease. I think they were like.
Brad Johnson: Because I think the originals are like $500,000 shoes now, if you actually…
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, 100%. And you can’t even wear them, like the sole would literally deteriorate, yeah. Yeah, like I said, it is a very slippery slope. But I think for me, my just maturation as a person, as a man, I was just like, okay, I can’t, I just can’t, I can’t be on board with this anymore. I don’t ever wear them. They were collecting dust in my closet. It was like, okay, here we are.
Brad Johnson: Do you have kids?
Bentley Caldwell: I do not have kids.
Brad Johnson: Well, if you have kids, watch out. It’s going to come back. Then my kids are like, “Dad, we want some Jordans.” And I’m like, “Well, okay, but dad needs Jordans too.” So, watch out if that happens down the road.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, yeah. It’s like, well, we have to look the same.
Brad Johnson: Well, my daughter, it’s hilarious because they had these Jordan 1s that were pink. So, how can you resist that? It’s just too cute. So, her first day of school, I put on my Jordans, she put on her Jordans, and we took a little side-by-side pictures.
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, love it.
Brad Johnson: It was a special favorite moment. Okay, anything that we haven’t hit so far when it just comes to fashion, something that we haven’t gotten into that just, from your approach to styling that you think is really important to share with the audience?
Bentley Caldwell: I would just say with style, with fashion, again, just own it. We talked about this a little earlier where it’s like, yeah, if you’re going to wear that loud suit, own it. But yeah, it’s like own it. Anytime I walk in with a hat or something like that, it’s like, okay, this is who I am. And then, it’s one of those things, never ever be afraid to ask for help too. If you’re just like, I feel like I’m wearing the same three outfits, I’m always just like, dude, just reach out. Reach out for some help.
And then I will say this, too, and this is something that we didn’t touch on, but a lot of times, especially, men will compartmentalize their life or their closet, so it’s like, these are my work clothes. These are my kids’ clothes when I’m with the kids. These are my date night clothes. And it’s that thing of like, all of that needs to be one thing because I always tell my clients we are dressing the entire person. And so, it’s like, all you are one entire being. So, all of your clothes should go together.
Brad Johnson: That’s like, Do Business. Do Life, man. It’s like integration, not separation, right?
Bentley Caldwell: Exactly. 100%.
Brad Johnson: On that front, let’s say somebody rolls in and they’re dressed like Mark Zuckerberg. I mean, I think at this point, that is his style. But let’s just say they roll in and they’re in flip-flops, a T-shirt, and shorts, how do you help someone find what their style is? How do you get there? Is this interviewing them?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah, so for me, it’s one of those things where, yeah, I just get to know them. Again, I always tell my clients, I’m not trying to put you in a costume. I want it to be where you feel 100% yourself because that way, too, you can feel confident because you ever have those moments where you’re wearing something like, I just don’t like this. And so, then now you’re thinking about the clothes, thinking about the situation that you’re in. You’re not thinking about– so your energy is somewhere else.
And so, for me, it’s like, I want to get to know you as a person. And then, so I ask. I ask questions like, okay, one of my favorite questions to ask is, how do you want to feel after we work together? Because that way, it’s like this is the end goal. This is where we want to go. And then we just backtrack from there. It’s like, okay, so then what would that look like for you? And then also, too, I ask people like, hey, send me some photos. If you’re like, hey, I really like this outfit, okay, cool. Yeah, that gives me kind of a better understanding.
Now, people are just like, bro, I don’t know. I’m like, okay, cool, that’s even better because now, you use a blank canvas and it’s like, you have to be work my magic. But my main thing is just getting to know the person and getting to know what their lifestyle is. Some people are work from home. They don’t actually have to go into an office. So, it’s like, yeah, you’re not going to need a suit because you’re not actually needing that kind of thing. But it’s like, so if your life is jeans and a T-shirt, it’s like, well, I just get you a better pair of jeans and a nicer T-shirt. One of the things that I love and I kind of create is elevated simplicity, where it’s like, you can look nice and look simple but just elevated. But I can’t deal with the– oh, go ahead.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. No, I love that, elevated simplicity. There’s actually a really cool denim shop in Nashville one of my buddies told me about. Is it called raw denim? What is like old school denim?
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, yeah, it’s called selvedge denim, S-E-L-V-E-D-G-E, selvedge denim.
Brad Johnson: Selvedge denim. There’s a shop somewhere in Nashville. It’s two words, I don’t remember the name.
Bentley Caldwell: Imogene and Willie.
Brad Johnson: Yes. That’s a cool shop. I still don’t know that I like the jeans because they made them way too tight where I had to break them in, and then I didn’t feel like I could sit down without ripping them out. In fact, I think I did rip up a pair, actually. So, I don’t think I fully embraced the movement, but I respected the movement. Or maybe I just wasn’t fit right, I don’t know, but it was a really cool shop. I feel like they treat denim like shoes, where you almost repair them and keep the same.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, yeah, that’s the second thing I always tell people to splurge on is like, splurge on your denim a little bit. You don’t have to go, unless you want to, but you don’t have to go off and buy like $600 pair of denim. But people live their life in jeans 9 times out of 10. It’s like when you are not wearing dress pants or chinos, more likely, you’re in a pair of jeans. And so, it’s selvedge. I love selvedge denim. It’s some of the highest-quality denim. I love Imogene and Willie, but it is one of those things where raw denim is, you got to earn it. It is like, it has no stretch, like most pants nowadays have some sort of stretch in it. But there is a great brand out of L.A., called Kato, K-A-T-O, that does selvedge denim with stretch. So, they do like 2% stretch.
Brad Johnson: That’s my spot then.
Bentley Caldwell: And it is a game changer. Like, I put on their denim.
Brad Johnson: K-A-T-O?
Bentley Caldwell: K-A-T-O, Kato. It’s Japanese denim from a male in Japan. The guy who designs is, like, first generation Japanese. He’s so cool. But it’s just a really great quality denim. And I love denim. I have denim, obviously, jeans. I have denim jackets, I have denim shirts, like love denim because it just lasts. I love things that are made to last.
Brad Johnson: Well, you’re also in Nashville, so I feel like denim is part of that culture.
Bentley Caldwell: Right.
Brad Johnson: Everybody, they go, how’s your boot collection?
Bentley Caldwell: Okay, I only have one pair of boots.
Brad Johnson: One pair of boots. You have not embraced Nashville yet, my friend. You got to go deep.
Bentley Caldwell: I just wear the hat. I was like, all right, that’s as far as I can go.
Brad Johnson: That’s fair. That’s right.
Bentley Caldwell: And then I’m the cowboy and I do myself with hat, man. I’m a cowboy. I can’t do both.
Brad Johnson: And a big old belt buckle with steer horns on it.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. It’s like a dinner plate.
Brad Johnson: There we go. Nice. Well, my man, this has been a fun conversation. And I’ll tell you what I appreciate is, I can tell you’re the type of stylist, like, it’s not a stuffy stylist. It’s like, you’re like, just be you. Let’s work you into this. And so, I see why Michael works with you and Victor loves working with you.
Bentley Caldwell: Thank you.
Brad Johnson: I might have to hit you up on some Kato denim now that I know about this little hidden…
Bentley Caldwell: Come to me close. I got you.
Brad Johnson: Fair enough. Fair enough. Well, hey, my last question, Bentley, on my side, well, first off, like, Bentley is made to be in fashion. Is this your God-given name?
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah. My full name is Bentley Taylor Ross Caldwell. I was like, mom was shooting for the little moon.
Brad Johnson: She knew what she was doing. Was it inspired by the car? Or was there a different inspiration for Bentley?
Bentley Caldwell: No. It was like a cousin, and mom just liked her name. And so, she was like, “Your name is Bentley.” And so, people always ask me about it, like, “So okay, what’s your first name?” I’m like, “Bentley.” And they’re like, “What’s your last name?” I’m like, “If you just Google Bentley, there’s going to be like me, the car, and like Dierks.”
Brad Johnson: There we go, there we go. You got three options.
Bentley Caldwell: I know, yeah.
Brad Johnson: That’s funny.
Bentley Caldwell: Yeah, but thank you. Yeah, seriously, thank you for having me. This has been amazing. And so, thank you.
Brad Johnson: Yeah. Well, hey, let’s just wrap it with one final question. We’ve kind of touched on this. This is the Do Business. Do Life podcast. It’s really our mission at Triad to help the listeners of this show, our members, our team members really integrate those. And we say a lot, we want to do business with people we want to do life with. So, I would love to hear Bentley’s definition of what does Do Business. Do Life mean to you?
Bentley Caldwell: Oh, man, for me, so like, my life motto is be good and be good to people. So, be good at what you do and be good to people. So, for me, that feels like it’s kind of the same kind of vibe. So, when you’re doing business, do it with integrity, do it with love. And then what you do in life, same thing, be good to the people that you’re doing it with, and then integrate those things.
I remember when I was playing music, Dave Barnes is a great Nashville musician. He’s a great musician, in general. He’s a great Nashville musician. He said this thing where he was like, you never want your stage persona and your real life to have a gap. And it’s that thing of, like, you want those two things to be in alignment. And so, for me, it’s like when I’m doing business and when I’m doing like, I want the same Bentley for both, so I don’t have to go, like, what did I say over here? I mean, it’s like alignment, all about alignment.
Brad Johnson: I love that, man. Be good and be good to people. It’s the golden rule.
Bentley Caldwell: Right. It’s so simple. But yeah, it’s like, anytime, anybody comes in Nashville, like, oh, man, how do I get into that? I’m like, be good at what you do and be good to the people you do it with and you do it to. And that’ll get you really far in life.
Brad Johnson: The rest takes care of itself. I couldn’t agree more. Well, my man, I am fortunate enough to be down in the Nashville-Franklin area typically at least once a year to hang out with our mutual friend Michael. We do a cool mastermind with our Triad members with him. So, next time I come to town, I will give you a heads up, and let’s check out this fashion. Let’s see if I can bump it up a couple notches. Okay?
Bentley Caldwell: I got you, bro. I got you. Hit me up, man.
Brad Johnson: All right, man, that’s a deal. Until next time.
Bentley Caldwell: All right. See you.
Brad Johnson: See you.
