Breakfast Clubbing #23
W/C Sept 16th. We are ON in PDX, London, Philly, Wmsburg, The Hamptons, CDMX, MIA, Cincy, Manhattan, Vegas and Downtown Brooklyn. Milan, Paris and LA again too!
I was thinking of how to start this week, fete Philly’s return, welcome London back and generally capture the excitement around BC for the *900* of you people now subscribing around the world, when I realized Adam’s post kinda does everything for me. To wit:
“ Hey New Yorkers, I'm coming to visit. Join me for breakfast next Friday September 20th at The Ace in downtown Brooklyn. I'm co-hosting this one with my friend (and former client!) Jade Akintola, as part of the weekly BK gathering organized by Kat Popiel and Jeff Weiner (longtime respected colleagues of mine).
Breakfast Club was started by Ben Dietz a few years ago at Five Leaves in Brooklyn, and his spirit of casual community and endless optimism (breakfast being the most optimistic meal) has since grown into a global, headless monster for morning people. Find out more here: ibit.ly/5J0ef
But really, the event is made possible by YOU.
So surprise me: stop by for a coffee!
Photo credit: David Horvitz, “Artist Breakfast.” Gumi Shibata. Fried shrimps, tomato pasta, salad. Japan. 9:51am, JST.
Then Jade chimed in:
“It’s a fact — good things happen over breakfast, especially at The Breakfast Club. Join me, along with Adam Katz and Kat Popiel as we co-host next Friday’s downtown NY meet-up. ...The Breakfast Club brings together beautiful minds for free-flowing chats in multiple cities - learn more here: ibit.ly/5J0ef
Come through and let’s catch up over some eggs…. Excited to see you there! 🌟🍳Disclaimer: Not all pictured foods qualify as breakfast and that’s okay.
And separately Lauren posted: “Come and meet some creative strategists and lovely Londoners on Wednesday. 9:00am - 10.30am at a new venue [called Crepes, Coffee & Chai]”
All very much in keeping with The Breakfast Esprit de Corps:
* Everyone’s invited - especially you.
* Feel free to share, bring friends, colleagues, family, anyone.
* No agenda, no required buy-in, no RSVP. And no pitches.
* Everyone pays their own way.
* Everyone is welcome to subscribe. Join the Linkedin group here.
So … I’ll let them do the talking for me. We are ON in PDX, London, Philly, Williamsburg, The Hamptons, CDMX, MIA, Cincy, Manhattan, Vegas and Downtown Brooklyn this week. I’ll be in the room for the NYC events on Weds, Thursday and Friday. But don’t show up for me - show up for everyone.
Ben
Breakfast Club Events Week of Sept 9th, 2024:
Tuesday, Sept 17th
Portland, OR
Co-hosted by Scott Crane and Nina Sers
9a @ Proud Mary
Wednesday, Sept 18th
Philly
Co-Hosted by Julie Gerstein
8:30am @ The Wayward
Brooklyn (Williamsburg)
Hosted by me, Ben Dietz and a host of regulars
8:30a @ Le Crocodile at The Wythe Hotel
The Hamptons
Co-hosted by Mike Kilcoyne
8:30a @ Tutto Cafe
Mexico City
Co-Hosted by Steve Bryant
8am @ Lardo
Miami
Co-Hosted by Jeff Carvalho and Jesse Kirshbaum
8:30a @ Oasis Wynwood
Thursday, Sept 19th:
Manhattan
Co-Hosted by Heidi Hartwig
8:30am @ Eva’s Kitchen on Grand
Cincinnati
Co-Hosted by Theo Erasmus and Emmit Jones (The Rare Beast)
8:30a @ Mom n Em Coffee
Las Vegas
Co-Hosted by Steph Balzer
8a @PublicUs
Friday, Sept 20th:
Downtown Brooklyn
Co-Hosted by Jeff Weiner, Kat Popiel, Adam Katz and Jade Akintola
8:30am @ As You Are (in the Ace Hotel DTBK)
Breakfast Club Events Upcoming:
* Sept 24th: Paris,Portland OR
* Sept 25th: Milan, London, Williamsburg, Miami, Mexico City
* Sept 26th: Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Cincinnati
* October 4th: Melbourne
* October 9th: LA (East Side)
* October 11th: LA (West Side)
☕️🧇🍳 Breakfast Club Events Last Week:
Breakfast Club Paris Report 9.11.24
Per Radhika’s Post: “Sorry about the long pause but Week 7/7 of #StratBratSummer was spent OOO in Paris, where I had the incredible opportunity to host the debut #BreakfastClub PARIS with Lisa Ono & Karla Rodríguez C. (with Ben Dietz's blessings)!
We chatted about our experiences with career and lifestyle shifts, finding the right work-life balance in big cities such as NY, London and Paris, moving between cities, traveling and being a nomad professional, Paris vs New York pace: while New York promotes a "live to work" mindset, Paris fosters a "work to live" philosophy, emphasizing balance and community, the joys of embracing and falling in love with the French *art de vivre* :)
Excited for Lisa & Karla to continue the Paris chapter as I've made my way back to New York!”
Breakfast Club Copenhagen Report: 9.11.24
Per Amy’s Post:
According to Breakfast Club x Copenhagen, Danes don’t (normally) meet up with strangers.
Leave it to this curious bunch of creative, vibrant voices to be open to shifting the Nordic norm.
Thank you for such a brain-tingly morning.
Dewanshi P., Jonny Almario,Fiona O'Grady, Vicky T. Chen, Anne Gorgy, Susana Hernandez Toro, Marc Francesco Giuricin Engel, Gus Guerrero, Kirsten van Dam, Kate Bowden Rasmussen, Susan Blessing, Juliano L.
And my lovely cohost Megan Routh
Ben Dietz the Breakfast Club baguette has been passed, I have a feeling this lovely bunch will keep this going in Denmark.
Breakfast Club MIA Report 9.11.24
per Jeff’s Post: “We packed in an amazing Breakfast Club Miami today with a fantastic crew of friends new and old. Conversations had: how does an artist get into a gallery for the first time, thinking about public service through OYC Miami, and of course waiting for the heat to die down so we can go outside again. See you all next week.
We were: Sarween Salih, Jennifer Styles, Daniel Allen Cohen, Danielle Salzedo, Justin Elliott, Bill Spector, Michael Farber, Ashley Tyson, Bruce Pinchbeck, Dejha Carrington, Laura Sofia, and ofc Chris 🫶 Adamo. cc: Jesse Kirshbaum, Ben Dietz”
Breakfast Club Hamptons Report 9.11.24
Per MIke’s post: When life hands you limes, make LIME-O-NADE...
Tutto (our go-to spot) was closed today, so we temporarily moved Breakfast Club Hamptons to John Papa's nearby.
It was still dope. Had some deep discussions, and some emotional talks given the day.
What we discussed:
moving from Tutto to John Papa’s
Making Hamptons your home
How non profits market themselves
Annoying billing software
Where were you on 9/11?
Starting school again
What is an omelette without the filling?
Real maple syrup worth the upcharge
Joined by: Margaret barcohana, Jim Porcarelli, Joe Brondo, Phillip Lehans and Mike Kilcoyne
Breakfast Club Williamsburg Report: 9.11.24
The fictional band ‘Naked Eyeballs,” opening for Cake, who the ‘podcast guy’ is, sitting next to your doppelgänger, living in Vermont, Burlingtons music scene, New Colussus fest, the actual band Roost World, Jane's Addiction and Love And Rockets, Perry Farrell as Jim Carrey in The Mask, mistaking James Hetfield for Tim Walz, the debate (of course), listening versus watching, Taylor piling on, a debate watching event for 12 year olds, the tightness of the Swift statement, arriving from Kenya straight to Breakfast Club, transitioning from architecture to advertising, Brynn Wallner and the new Dimepiece newsletter, the ephemerality of newsletters, Kanye’s Malibu teardown, down-trends in the sneaker market, The Armory Show and the vicissitudes of the art market, the 9/11 lights, alien disclosure, military marketing, the death of streaming video, Man or Astroman’s Van der Graff generator, Trans Am the band, the collapse of teen style cues as reflected in the theories of Marc Augé, the evolution of tailoring, the footwear start-up AGS LABS INC. / ALES GREY™, Plus Plus, Camp Cultivate and Breakfast Club in Venice among many other things.
The crew was Nick Bodor, Dan Tracy, Zachary Mallard, Justin Thomas Kay, Charles Bane III, Paul Greenberg, Zach Pollakoff, Kalil Greenberg, Afamefuna Onyebadi, Fernando Music, Ebenezer Bond, David Bloom, Luis Felipe Farfán, Cheryl Miller Houser, Marc Weissman, Paula Herrera, Dan Burt and me.
Breakfast Club Downtown Brooklyn Report 9.12.24
Per Jeff’s Post:
Today at Breakfast Club, we spoke about communities and their reason for being, Gen Z getting introduced to Tumblr for the first time, sustainable business coming out of Guatemala, trips to Italy, NYTimes audio going behind the paywall and more.
Never know where the conversation will go during Breakfast Club DTBK. Thanks to Arielle Nissenblatt for co-hosting and Kat Popiel for organizing!
Join us next week. As You Are at ACE Hotel DTBK. 8:30AM. Pay your own way.
Everyone is welcome, especially you!
cc/Hannah Weintraub Ankit Shah Berton Ridley Adam Relis Catherine Chao Thomas Murphy Cheryl Miller Houser (she/her) Donalee Curtis Sandra Nam Phoebe Lett ari levine
Per kat’s post:
Next week we have Adam Katz & Jade Akintola hosting! And because we like to keep you on your toes, we have moved the date to Friday, September 20th at 8:30am at The Ace Brooklyn.
For all our regulars, I really hope to see you Friday for breakfast!
Breakfast Club Manhattan Report 9.12.24
Breakfast Club Downtown Vegas Report 9.12.24
Per Steph’s Post: “I've never been solo for breakfast club, including this week, but as Steve Bryant and I have discussed, we live in cities, CDMX and Vegas, respectively, where building professional community (especially at the 8a hour) takes time.
Today I had breakfast with one other person who is my neighbor, and whose identity I will protect. As we were in our own private-public bubble, we got real.
"I'm usually dodgy about this stuff," my guest said. But he indulged me, and we talked about his life. How he traveled for years after high school working as an acrobat. His father was an acrobat, as was his grandfather, which is what brought them to Vegas from Europe.
How he grew up with nothing, was on the football team with other poor kids, Black kids, and their team had to stand aside while others were outfitted with equipment and uniforms first. They got what was left.
How after he got his driver's license at 16, freedom and partying were his pursuit. He and his crew knew all of the chefs in town, all the bartenders, everybody, and would go clubbing till 5a every night. They'd order food, so much food, and eat none of it.
How he'd fly to LA and come home with two 70-pound suitcases full of Levis 501s, wear a pair to the clubs, and people would literally buy the pants off of him for $200 a pop. This was before the days of e-commerce.
"Omg I bet you looked like a model. You were an original influencer ..."
"What's that?" He is not on social media.
How at some point he burned out on always seeking something outside of himself. He gave up the clubs, drinking, drugs, the wardrobe. Now he wakes up at the time he used to go to bed.
"What changed?"
"At some point, you let go of society's narratives of you."
Breakfast Club LA (Westside) Report 9.13.24
per Scott’s post: “The first ever LA Westside Breakfast Club gathering was a smash success, with over two dozen folks showing up to share coffee and conversation (among them Amy Finnerty, Alex Morrison, Reid Thompson, Gabrielle Darbyshire, Christian Stein, Dave Dickman, Jim Hustead, Rachel Meritt, Erin McPherson, Jodie Hopperton).
The key word there is "first," so if you didn't make it today we're planning to do do this the second Friday of each month, 9 am at The Rose in Venice. To those who came today, thank you for making it real. And for everyone else, mark your calendars for round two on Oct. 11. Thanks to my co-hosts Kirsten Ludwig and Anita Schillhorn van Veen, and thanks to Breakfast Club creator Ben Dietz for helping to spread this idea across the country and around the world.”
And quoted Kirsten’s post:
Who knew that mixing bleary-eyed professionals with steaming cups of joe could create such magic? ☕
This morning, we launched the inaugural LA Westside Breakfast Club and what a turnout! 🍳 🥓 🥞
To all who dragged themselves out of bed and across the 405 😱 to join us: your energy was infectious.
What struck me most? The genuine connections forming over pancakes and small talk.
No resumes, no agendas, no LinkedIn profiles strategically placed on the table. Just real humans being, well, refreshingly human.
Clearly, we're all hungry for more than just breakfast – we're starving for authentic connections and a community where we can be both vulnerable and valuable.
A massive thank you to my partners in caffeinated crime, Anita Schillhorn van Veen and Scott Donaton. And of course, a shout out to the mastermind behind it all, Ben Dietz.
To everyone who attended (yes, you Jason Boog Adam Katzenback Jennifer Hoppe Cory López Stephen MartinezValerie Bisharat Jessica Berlin Bryn Sanders David De Nino Erin McPherson Christian Stein Amy Finnerty Alex Morrison Reid Thompson Gabrielle Darbyshire Dave Dickman Jim Hustead Rachel Meritt Jodie Hoppertonn Stephen Perlstein @matthewkoppel), thank you for making this morning unforgettable.
Let's do it again, shall we?
Same time, same place, same commitment to fostering genuine connections.
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 11th @9am, for our next meet up @ Rose Cafe in Venice.
Phew… that’s it for this time. So - see you at breakfast.
And if not this week, another one soon.