The Gym Shoe

Welcome to the Blog!

The past month has been completely insane!! Work has been crazy busy and I’ve been out of town a bit. As hard as being busy gets some times, I love it! There is nothing better than waking up determined and going to bed satisfied.

So now on to the point of the post. This is officially the third part of the 5 part series that is titled “The 5 essential shoes every guy should own”. In the past weeks I’ve gone over the “everyday shoe” and the “fashion sneaker”. Although those two shoes are super important and crucial to your fashion and chick magnet success, the shoe I will feature today stands in a league of its own.

As this blog is mainly focused on men’s fashion and everything that comes with it, being a successful dude is much more than wearing nice clothes. Being a successful guy means taking pride in your work, appearance, and everything that has your name attached to it. I firmly believe that every guy should somehow incorporate exercising and physical activity in their daily routine. Fitness has changed my life and impacted it in so many positive ways. I honestly believe my passion for fashion was a direct by product of going to the gym. Once I made the gym a priority and part of my everyday life, every other aspect of my life drastically improved. I had so much more confidence in myself and who I was.

So now that I have convinced you to make physical fitness a priority and part of your routine, you will need the right equipment to get the job done. This is where your “gym shoe” comes in. Your “gym shoe” is going to be the shoe you use every time you work out. I am a firm believer that when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good you do good. So go out and invest in some nice gym clothes that you look forward to wearing. I swear every time I get a new piece for the gym, I can’t wait to go workout so I can wear it lol (no but really). For your “gym shoe” I would pick a shoe that is obviously good for performance and is also aesthetic AF. Believe me when I tell you if you love your gym shoe you will make it to the gym.

My gym shoe of choice is the Nike Flynit Racer. I absolutely love this shoe!! I swear I think I get more excited to wear it than my actual workout lol (JK but not really sometimes lol). This shoe is great for performance and did I mention that it’s aesthetic AF! Nike makes this shoe is soooo many colors so feel free to get creative with it. I will add that if you plan to squat and deadlift (which I hope you do) you will need to compliment this shoe with another lifting shoe that has a flat surface. I actually use the Reebok Nano’s which are absolutely great for performance, but TBH they are kind of ugly lol. As they were a gift I can’t complain, but if I were you a good pair of chuck Taylors will do the trick.

I know this blog post is about the “gym shoe”, but I cannot not talk about a piece that has made my workouts so much more effective and efficient. As you can tell by now, I am not into big name brands and will wear any piece as long as it looks nice and is quality. I love watches and believe that they have the power to take an average outfit to the next level. So this watch isn’t as aesthetic as I would like it to be, but I have gotten so much usage from it. I pretty much wear it every time I am not wearing a “fashionable watch”. During my workouts I use the stop watch feature to time my rest periods. I never realized how much time I was wasting in between sets until I actually timed my rest periods. Trust me just try it once and see for yourself how much time gets wasted scrolling through Instagram or talking to that girl you know you don’t stand a chance with (JK but if you keep reading this blog she will definitely be yours in no time). This watch has shortened my time at the gym and has made my workouts much more intense. I highly recommend getting a sports watch. If you have the money to get something more expensive please feel free to do so, but this Armitron watch will do just fine and it will only cost you about $30. Click the amazon link below and watch your workouts become shorter and more effective.

I hope this post has motivated you to go out and get a gym shoe. Remember get a shoe that will motivate you to get up and workout. I promise you that it will be the best decision of your life! 

Check out the outfit details below!

Gym outfit

Pull over: https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/sphere-element-mens-half-zip-long-sleeve-running-top/pid-11182156/pgid-11072139

Shorts: https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/challenger-mens-9-running-shorts/pid-11467257/pgid-11619199

Compression Pants: https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/pro-mens-training-tights/pid-10289025/pgid-10263846

Shoes: https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/flyknit-racer-unisex-running-shoe/pid-10284845/pgid-12228350?k_clickid=eeac819e-432b-49b7-8fb3-dce740392589&cp=usns_kw_nike_null_pla!g!c!nobr!&k_clickid=eeac819e-432b-49b7-8fb3-dce740392589

Accessories: watch: https://www.amazon.com/Armitron-Sport-40-8309BLK-Chronograph/dp/B06XP738YV/ref=sr_1_16?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1503967417&sr=1-16&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=armitron+watches+men

One thing I would like to add to this post is that exercising and physical fitness are there to enhance your life. Please don’t feel like you need to go to the gym every day. Go when you can and make time for it. Even if making time for it means you work out once a week, that is a lot more than you are currently doing right now. Also please do not ever compare your level of fitness to others. This is your journey and no one else’s. It’s you vs. you and nobody else. This journey is not about getting a “six pack for summer”, it’s about changing your way of life. Enjoy the process and the grind. One thing I can assure you is that you will fail many times along the way, but if you remain true to the end goal I promise you it will be all worth it

So go out there and train, but don’t forget to look great while doing it.

Next week’s shoe will definitely be a game changer, so stay tuned. Please don’t forget to hit the follow button and check out my social media links on the right.

Until next time, work hard and dress well. - BC

The Fashsion Sneaker!

Welcome to the Blog!

It is officially August and I cannot believe how fast this year has gone. There is still sooo much time to make 2017 your most stylish and successful year yet, so make sure to keep reading this blog so you can become a successful, handsome and put together dude!

This is officially the second part of the 5 part series that is titled “The 5 essential shoes every guy should own”. As part of this mini-series, I will go over the 5 shoes that I believe every guy should own. I am not saying that these are the only shoes you should own, but before you go buy more unnecessary pieces make sure you have these 5 essential shoes at your disposal. These 5 shoes will get you ready for any occasion. This way no matter what occasion comes up, you will always show up being the most fashionable and well put together dude at the event.

Last week I went over the “Everyday shoe”. This shoe was used for super casual days where you don’t feel like getting dressed up, but want to maintain your sense of style. So now that have your everyday shoe that the girl you’ve been wanting to talk to complimented you on last week (if she didn’t compliment your "Everyday shoe" then she’s not one….lol jk) Now you want to step your game up a bit, and get a little more dressy yet want to maintain that cool street sneaker vibe. We will call this shoe “The Fashion Sneaker”. This is personally my favorite shoe. You can dress it up with some dope chinos or keep it chill with some distressed jeans and a white tee. My go to “Fashion Sneaker” is the Adidas Stan Smith. I honestly don’t feel that there is another shoe that can compare to the price, quality, aesthetics, and overall awesomeness of this shoe. This shoe has the most versatility of any shoe that I have in my wardrobe. I feel like I mention this a lot, but you should always focus on pieces that have versatility to get the most bang for your buck.

The adidas Stan smith is great for any occasion. Whether you have a date, casual outing, or just want to go grab some coffee, the Stan Smith will not disappoint…. TRUST ME! As shown in some of the pictures, you can wear this shoe various ways, and rest assured that you will look dapper all the time!

So do yourself a favor and add this shoe to your arsenal of awesomeness and I promise you it will not let you down.

Check out the outfit details below!

Casual outfit

White T-Shirt: http://www.hm.com/us/product/71311?article=71311-A
Jeans: https://www.ae.com/men-aeo-extreme-flex-skinny-jean-destroyed-light-wash/web/s-prod/0119_4023_916?cm=sUS-cUSD&catId=cat5850028
Shoes: http://www.adidas.com/us/stan-smith-shoes/M20324.html
Accessories: watch: https://www.mvmtwatches.com/collections/all-mens-watches/products/white-tan-leather
Sunglasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/RB3025%20UNISEX%20043-aviator%20classic-gold/805289602057
Bracelet: http://www.hm.com/us/product/52886?article=52886-B

Dressy Casual Outfit

 

White Short Sleeve Button Up: http://www.hm.com/us/product/48633?article=48633-B&cm_vc=SEARCH
Chinos: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=250771032&CAWELAID=120302000000021107&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=39130227353&CATCI=pla-313699425741&device=c&product_channel=online&Matchtype=&tid=brpl000018&kwid=1&ap=7&lsft=device:c,cvosrc:cse.google.online_Brand,cvo_campaign:718752423,cvo_pid:39130227353,cvo_crid:166196541274,Matchtype:,tid:brpl000018,kwid:1,ap:7
Shoes: http://www.adidas.com/us/stan-smith-shoes/M20324.html
Accessories: https://www.mvmtwatches.com/collections/all-mens-watches/products/white-tan-leather
Sunglasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/RB3025%20UNISEX%20043-aviator%20classic-gold/805289602057
Bracelet: http://www.hm.com/us/product/52886?article=52886-B

I feel like I always end each post with some inspirational stuff lol. I honestly can’t help it, and if you have read this far into the post, THANK YOU!!

Work has been getting crazy busy with new projects starting up and new-year ahead of me. I recently took some time off from work and came back feeling like a brand new kid from college again. I am super habitual and need a routine to stay on track with my goals, so I am stoked to start this year. As hard as my job and life get sometimes, I feel like preparation is a “Major Key” to any successful guy’s regimen. So build great habits and have a plan to tackle each day. Do not go on with the day without a purpose and goals. Always strive to be a better version of yourself than you were yesterday, and you can never go wrong!

I really hope this blog has somehow inspired or entertained you in some way. So many new ideas in the works so make sure to stay tuned.

Next week I will feature a shoe that you might not think is important or wouldn’t even have thought of, but it’s something that I firmly believe every guy should own!! No exceptions!

Please don’t forget to hit the follow button and check out my social media links on the right.

Until next time, work hard and dress well. - BC

The Everyday Shoe

Welcome to the Blog,

As the most random ideas come to my head throughout my busy work week, I began thinking of ways to keep this blog informative and interesting. So I decided to share some ideas on my Instagram story earlier this week. To my amazement, I actually got messages back from various people, so if you are one of those people that responded to me, THANK YOU! You definitely encouraged me to start this little mini-series.

As this blog was created to share my own experiences that I feel could help other dudes with their style, I hope this mini-series will do just that. I had some down time this week, so I took full advantage and cleaned and organized my whole wardrobe. If you haven’t cleaned or organized your wardrobe in a while, please do it asap! I never noticed how many pieces I actually have, and how many different combinations I can actually make with what I already own. So please take my advice and organize your wardrobe before going out and buying more clothes, you might already have the piece you are spending more money on. This will also help you put together different outfits as everything will be nicely organized and clean. I will definitely do a post at some point in the future on how being organized drastically helped me in every aspect of my life. I always feel like I go on a tangent in my blog as there are sooooo many topics I want to cover and how you can become a better dude, not only in your style but also in your everyday life, but we will save all of these topics for another week.

Anyways on to the point of this post. While organizing my wardrobe this week, I looked at my shoe collection and thought to myself, out of all of the shoes that I own (I honestly don’t own that many… maybe like 14 pairs lol I know some people that say they have like 50 WTF lol??) I honestly think that there are only 5 shoes that I use consistently. These 6 shoes I feel are an essential part of every man’s wardrobe. These 5 shoes are going to be your foundation upon which you will become the ultimate dude. If you want to be that guy that is always ready for any occasion, go out and get these 5 types of shoes. So please do not go out and buy more shoes before you have these 5 in your arsenal. This month I plan to dedicate each weekly post to one shoe in this essential collection (maybe 2 as I will somehow fit all 5 in this month lol). I will show you how you can style it and what it will be used for. At the end I will make one large post that will consolidate these 6 shoes so you can always come back to this blog the next time you’re thinking of spending money on shoes.

So this week we will be talking about the “everyday shoe”! This will be your go to shoe for any occasion.

This shoe requires no thought and can be used with absolutely anything. If you want to throw on some jeans and a t-shirt with a dad hat (btw dad hats are super dope so go get one lol) you will use your everyday sneaker. Let’s say you’re running super late to a coffee date with some new girl you just started dating and you have absolutely no time to think about your outfit, use your everyday shoe and blow her away! This shoe will keep you stylish and casual all at the same time. This shoe should and could be paired with just about anything in your wardrobe that is casual.

My go to everyday shoe has to be the all-white “Vans Authentic Shoe”. This shoe has gotten me out of soooo many situations… grocery store runs, awkward dates lol, last minute chill parties, and casual outings with friends. This is my everyday shoe, but this is what fits my style. Your everyday shoe may be different and that is perfectly fine. Your everyday shoe can be anything you feel fits your everyday style. Just think about what you typically wear often, and pick a shoe that will go well with just about any of your outfits, and bammm you have your “everyday shoe”. The list of the everyday shoe can go on for days, but chose one that fits your lifestyle so you could look great in everything you do!

I personally used this outfit for a casual lunch and coffee outing. I feel that my everyday sneaker came in clutch, as I wanted to be comfortable and casual while maintaining a sense of style.

So go out and get your “everyday shoe” if you don’t have one already. Keep in mind this will be your go-to shoe on a regular basis, so choose wisely. Don’t complicate this, stick to the basics and you’ll be on your way to a more versatile and stylish wardrobe.

Check out the details of the outfit below!

T-Shirt: This is a monthly subscription service so I got it in one of my monthly packages. If you like it, please feel free to DM me on IG for my promo code. Also I use the “Fashion Forward Style” option for my subscription.  

Jean Jacket: http://www.levi.com/US/en_US/levi/p/723340206

Jeans: http://www.hm.com/us/product/47714?article=47714-I

Shoes: https://www.vans.com/shop/mens-shoes/canvas-authentic-true-white

Accessories: Watch: https://www.mvmtwatches.com/collections/all-mens-watches/products/white-tan-leather
Bracelet: http://www.hm.com/us/product/52886?article=52886-B

The more I do this blog the more I feel it becoming a part of who I am. This blog has definitely helped me grow sooo much as an individual. I will admit that it does get difficult to manage my client work, go to the gym, find time to shoot pictures, and write these posts. Although it is hard, I have fallen in love with it. I love the grind and the idea of a having my own venture that I am truly passionate about that I can call my own. As small as this blog is right now, I truly believe in it, and hope that it has somehow impacted your life in a positive way. As long as I could do that, then I fulfilled my purpose here and all of this work was worth it to me. So I would encourage any of you that have passion, idea, or goal to start it today and WORK!! Don’t wait for the right moment to start, because it will never come. Learn by doing and don’t be scared to fail. Just "DO" and figure it out on the way. 

Next week I will feature the other type of shoe that is a bit more dressy than your "everyday shoe" but not as dressy as a dress shoe. So please stay tuned for that, as that shoe is my personal favorite!

Please don’t forget to hit the follow button and check out my social media links on the right. Also please feel free to shoot me a message of any other ideas or topics you would like me to discuss on here.

Until next time, work hard and dress well. - BC

T Shirt and Jeans!

Hi Everyone,

So this week has been amazing! I have actually been off from work the whole week so it has been great to catch up with my family, friends, and someone very special to me. As much as I love what I do, I can’t stress how important it is to take time off from your daily grind in order to do things that you otherwise would not do.

Anyways on to the point of this post. LA has been extremely hot the past couple of weeks, like unbearably hot. Although Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons of the year, due to the fact that you can add layers to your outfit, summer is also great for simplicity. Don’t get me wrong you can definitely be stylish when it’s super-hot outside, but in the summer you can throw on any t-shirt, some dope jeans, and you’re good to go. I always try to dress for the occasion, so this weekend I planned to eat at a chill Mediterranean spot in the west side of LA. Total side note, but if you are ever in the west side of LA please go to “Soom Soom”. This place was amazing. It was like a chipotle for Mediterranean food. This was by far the best Mediterranean spot in LA that I have tried. I knew I was going to some sort of bar after, as Saturday’s were meant for drinks. I ended up going to the Resident in DTLA. It was forsure a dope spot, but as it was an “Old School Hip Pop Night” so the music was definitely interesting to say the least lol.

Believe it or not, the majority of the pieces I am about to list out I got from H&M. As you will see in the Blog, I am all about simplicity in putting together outfits. I am not one to get stuck on one single brand, so if I find something nice and it looks great, I will wear it.

Top: As I mentioned before the white t-shirt is from H&M. It is a simple white t-shirt that could go with just about anything. One style tip that you can use to  elevate the look of any t-shirt would be to roll up the sleeves. Rolling up the sleeves on your t-shirt will give the shirt a more fashionable and fitted look. Now do not get carried away and do more than 1-2 rolls. So next time you wear a simple t-shirt roll the sleeves up, and watch as you go from simple to “Zammm Zaddy”- (some random girl’s voice at a bar…. trust me lol). I swear it will give your simple t-shirt life. The jean jacket is actually not from H&M. I picked up this piece a while back from Levis. I plan to make a full post about staple items I feel that every guy should own. A jean jacket is a staple item that I feel should be in every man’s wardrobe. This piece will never go out of style and goes well with just about anything you pair it with. As it was super-hot I did not get a chance to actually wear the jacket, but as you can see below you can wear it three different ways. Please do yourself a favor and get a jean jacket!! They can be a bit pricey, but as I mentioned before staple items in your wardrobe will be used for years to come so please spend the extra cash and reap the benefits.

Bottoms: The jeans are also from H&M. In my opinion H&M jeans are amazing. They are quality, stylish, and very affordable. My go-to jeans are either from Zara or Topman, but H&M would have to be up there as well. I feel like I wear H&M jeans a lot more often than any other type of jean.

Shoes: Chelsea Boots! If you do not own a pair of Chelsea boots please go grab a pair. I have two pairs and the first pair I bought were way more expensive than the ones in this outfit. Someone recommended the H&M Chelsea boots to me, and I must admit I was a bit skeptical before purchasing them. After seeing how well they went with so many of the pieces in my wardrobe, I was hooked! The H&M Chelsea boots are super affordable and a great option for your first pair.

Accessories: I don’t think I have ever gone into the accessories I wear, but believe me when I tell you that they can make or break your outfit! I am minimalist and I always believe less is more, so for accessories I usually wear a watch, bracelet, and maybe a ring (almost never wear a ring lol but I have before). One accessory that should be the first you invest in is a good watch. I have actually fallen in love with MVMT watches lately. They have a great price point, are great quality, and go well with just about anything. I plan to do a full post on these watches as they have become part of my everyday fit, so please be on the lookout.

I honestly do not feel the need to spend much on accessories, so the bracelet in this outfit is also from H&M. They bracelets at H&M are super affordable and could be paired with just about anything. The stunner shades are Ray-Ban’s. I wear these almost every day and have had them for years, so please get a nice pair that will last you years to come.

I actually have never worn a fedora before Saturday. I was never a big fan of them, but as soon as I seen how much it added to the outfit, I was instantly hooked. You will be seeing this hat again at some point in the future forsure! I actually purchased the fedora from Topman, but H&M carries the same exact hat for about half the price. If I could I would have totally gone with the H&M fedora instead.

Check out the details of the outfit below!

White T-Shirt: Brand: H&M, Style: Slim Fit, Size: Medium, Link: http://www.hm.com/us/product/71311?article=71311-A

Jeans: Brand: H&M, Style: Skinny (Stretch), Size:32 X32, Link:
http://www.hm.com/us/product/59598?article=59598-A

Shoes: Brand: H&M, Style: Chelsea Boots, Size: 32 X32, Link: http://www.hm.com/us/product/35453?article=35453-C

Accessories:
Watch: https://www.mvmtwatches.com/collections/all-mens-watches/products/black-black-leather
Bracelet: http://www.hm.com/us/product/38330?article=38330-A
Fedora: http://us.topman.com/en/tmus/product/shoes-and-accessories-1928535/mens-hats-beanies-4663971/black-wool-smart-puritan-hat-5643529?bi=0&ps=20
Sunglasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/RB3025%20UNISEX%20043-aviator%20classic-gold/805289602057

Sumer does not have to ruin your sense of fashion. Next time you go to a bar or have a get together, throw on a white t shirt and some jeans. Feel free to add whatever you want to your outfit and make it pop! This is just one idea of the many different outfits you can put together during this unbearably hot time.

I would like to add that I honestly appreciate the support that I have gotten from people that actually take time out of their busy day to read my blog. I am honestly taken back by the amount of positivity that I have received from various people that I know personally, and that I have met through sharing this passion. I am sooooo excited to put out content each and every week for you guys. Regardless of how busy I get with life and my responsibilities, my gratitude towards you guys drives me each and every day. I actually have been presented with so many great opportunities to share this passion due to this blog, so for that all I have to say is thank you!

Please don’t forget to hit the follow button and check out my social media links on the right.

Until next time, work hard and dress well. - BC

Suit Up!

Hi Everyone,
 

As many of you know I work in public accounting which means a large project can become very challenging and stressful. My team and I recently issued the financials statements of my largest project I work on during the year. As such the partner group on this account decided to take us to a nice celebratory lunch at the Jonathans Club in Down Town LA. As a side note this is a great place for a business lunch so please check it out. As the dress code can be very stringent at this location the team was advised to wear business appropriate attire. I took full advantage of this opportunity to actually dress up. I feel like you should always be over dressed rather than under dressed for any occasion. I decided on wearing a suit that I feel is very simple and sheik, which can be used for various events.
 

I specifically went out and purchased a suit for this post, as I wanted to demonstrate how you do not have to break your bank to look great. Although I feel like a well-tailored suit is an ESSENTIAL staple in a gentleman’s wardrobe, if you do not have one on deck I will go through how I put mine together. There are a couple of pieces of clothing that I feel every man should have in his wardrobe, but I will share these items in a different post. Please note that I literally put this outfit together in like 30 minutes (no joke lol).

The color scheme I went with is super simple and combined with the brown belt and brown shoes goes perfectly.

Top: I don’t feel like you can ever go wrong with a white button down as white goes well with almost anything. Just make sure if you do wear white it doesn’t look like you are trying to pass out flyers for some organization lol. Also as with any piece in this suit make sure you get it tailored by a professional tailor. This is actually a fun experience and is not expensive at all. The whole outfit (excluding the shoes) is from Perry Ellis. I actually love this brand as it is very affordable and nice.

 

Suit: The suit (Blazer and Slacks) are also from Perry Elis. They have a ton of nice dress clothes if you are looking for a dressy outfit or the first suit to add to your arsenal of clothes. As noted above and I cannot stress this more than I have already, please go have your suit tailored! There is nothing worse than seeing a guy with a loose fitting blazer that also has the sleeves of Wizard. As I am no expert in this I do not know the dimensions that a blazer should be, but your tailor will definitely have all of this information. Slacks should also always be fitted. It does not look good when your slacks are covering your dress shoes, please also do not wear loose fitting slacks.

Shoes: I think I mentioned this earlier but there are a couple of staple items, I feel that every man should have in his wardrobe. A nice pair of designer dress shoes is one of them. As you will see throughout this blog I am not a fan a high priced designer clothing, I have always felt that you do not need to break your bank to look good. Please remember that it’s not what you wear but how you wear it. This a Major Key – (Dj Khalid’s voice). One exception to this rule are staple items. A nice pair of designer brown shoes is a staple item. The pair I have on is from Cole Haan and they were approximately $320 ishh. Although this is very expensive in my opinion, I bought these shoes almost 3 years ago when I started my career in public accounting. If I would’ve bought lower quality dress shoes that go for $100, I would’ve have gone through at least 3-4 pairs minimum by this time. Please note that I use these shoes at least 4 days a week due to my line of work. So please go out and buy yourself a nice pair of dress shoes that look and feel great, but will also last you a very long time.

 

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I will always describe the size and brand of the clothing I am wearing in case you want to build your own version of what you see.

White Long Sleeve Button Up: Brand: Perry Ellis, Style: Very Slim, Size: Lg (34/35)

Blazer: Brand: Perry Ellis, Style: Very Slim, Size: 40    

Slacks: Brand: Perry Ellis, Style: Very Slim, Size: 32X30

Shoes: Brand: Cole Haan, Style: Theodore Grand Wingtip Oxford, Size: 11 

Next time you have a wedding, office party, or any other event that requires you to wear a suit or go a little more dressed up than usual, take full advantage and go all out. Look good and do good at everything you do and the rest I feel will fall into place. I hope this post helped!

Please don’t forget to hit the follow button and check out my social media links on the right.

Until next time, work hard and dress well. - BC

 

 

Execution is Key

Although I created this blog to share my passion for fashion and fitness, while driving home from work today and listening to Gary Vaynerchuk’s audio book titled “Crush it” (I highly recommend it) I could not help to ignore the fact of the sole purpose and mission behind this blog. I started this blog to somehow help and connect with people through my posts. Helping people is the one thing I have an absolute passion for. Whether it is helping a new staff at work solve an issue, assisting a client on how to properly account for a transaction, or giving my personal advice on how to put together an outfit; providing value to another individual’s life is the core mission behind this blog.

As I want to be as transparent as possible on this blog, I would like to share not only my current favorite styles of clothing and workout regimen, but also self-development and motivating tools that I feel could be beneficial to someone going through their own struggle.

Last week I officially received my CPA license. The feeling I got from seeing my name with the CPA title right next to it was something I could not explain. This license did a lot more for my life than give me a fancy title at the end of my name. It gave me the sense of belief that I could achieve anything that I set my mind to. Please note that belief is worth nothing, and I mean nothing without execution. Some people I feel go through life as what I like to call “motivation zombies”. They spend all day listening to motivational videos and read all of the self-development books, yet take no action towards their goals. I am a firm believer that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, so long as you are willing to work your face off for it.

I officially started my CPA journey in July 2014, one month after graduating from college. I was lucky enough to get a job with a great firm so my study material for the exam was given to me absolutely free. This was the biggest blessing I could’ve had at the time, due to fact that I had almost no money to my name, as I paid my tuition for college on a small internship and Chipotle salary. At this time my CPA review course offered live courses which I tried attending. I was motivated and driven to pass this exam. After going to a couple of live classes that feeling of motivation and drive quickly vanished. I could not keep up with the style and pace of the live courses. After going to three live sessions I stopped going. I felt like a complete failure for quitting the live classes, but I knew I had to keep studying as my exam was quickly approaching. Instead of focusing on studying the material I kept googling “how to study for the CPA exam”. I think I spent more time trying to find answers on how to study than actually studying. After doing this for a week or two I finally decided that I was just going to study and execute what I felt worked for me, regardless of what anyone else had to say. Although this first exam was a constant struggle of really long nights and frustrating days, I received my first exam score and I passed! I could not believe it. I had actually passed this dreadful exam. Although I passed my first one, there were still three to go before I could celebrate. Although the last three exams were also horrible and unbearable, I believed in myself and the system I developed through countless hours and failures. For the sake of time and length of this post I ended up passing the last three exams with never having to retake any exam. This exam was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. I think I could write a book about all of the bad experiences I had while trying to pass this dreadful exam.

Please also note that I was never academically gifted. Growing up I never did well in school, but I did not let this discourage me. Although I knew I was not academically gifted, I knew I had a work ethic that no one could come close to. I remember repeating to myself day in and day out that I could not control what my competition did or did not do, but the one thing I would never allow is for someone to outwork me. This was the one thing I had complete control over. I feel like success works the same way. People focus too much on what they are not good at, instead of focusing on things that they are great at. Too many people fall short of their goals simply because they put too much emphasis on things that hold absolutely no value.

Know who you are and what you are good at, and put your whole energy and being into these things, and I promise you will not be disappointed. Stop thinking and start doing. Don’t contemplate your goals execute them. As I write this to you I still have no idea what I am doing when I blog but I will never learn if I do not execute and fail.

If I can make the decision to actually start this blog even though I do not have a clue about blogging, editing, or how to set up a website you can too. I will end this post with a picture of my license as proof that you can do anything so long as your are willing to work your face off for it.

As always work hard and dress well- BC
  

Black on Black

Hi Everyone,

If this is your first time visiting my blog, thank you taking the time to check it out. I honestly appreciate it!

As I had planned on visiting a pretty cool “Pink House” in LA, I though it would be a great idea to wear all black, as the pictures I took would come out better due to the contrast of color. I also planned to grab dinner in the city and a drink at a chill and trendy bar after. I feel like the outfit I put together below was great fit for dinner and drinks in the city.

I don’t feel like you can ever go wrong with wearing black on black. It is so simple to put together yet it looks great for any occasion. As I was not going anywhere that requires some sort of dress code I decided on the black ripped skinny jeans instead of the non-ripped skinny jeans. The rips in the knee definitely make this outfit stand out and give it a different look. The bomber jacket is completely optional but is always a compliment to any outfit. I actually almost didn’t wear the bomber as it has been crazy hot in LA the past couple of weeks. I don’t feel I need to mention the shoes I wore, as chucks always speak for themselves.

On each of my posts in this blog, I will always try to be as helpful as I can in detailing the brand of each piece in my outfit. I feel like this will help anyone that might happen to find some inspiration from my outfit build their own version of what they see. I know I am not alone when I say that I hate seeing a cool outfit online, yet I have no clue where to get any of the pieces from. So I hope my descriptions help.

Black T Shirt: Five Four

Bomber Jacket: Five Four

Jeans (Ripped, Skinny): Topman

Shoes: Converse (low top)
Watch: MVMT

I hope this was helpful and you found some inspiration with this outfit. This outfit was super simple to put together, but great for the night we had planned.

This is a complete side note, but while listening to Spotify in the car this I totally discovered Drake's new song titled "Signs". It will more than likely be a hit for summer '17, mark my words.

Please do not forget to hit the follow button, and also leave me a comment as I would love to connect with everyone! Until next time, work hard and dress well. -BC

This is officially my first blog post. If this is your first time visiting my blog thank you! It honestly means the world to me. Just as a disclaimer I am by no means a creative writer or a fashion guru. I am your simple hard working man who has passion for Fashion and Fitness. I hope to be able to share my style tips and overall lifestyle experiences with you to somehow better your appearance, style, and overall quality of life. As I am Certified Public Accountant by day you will get a mix of dressy and streetwear content all over this blog. So if you are headed to a long day in the office or night out in the town, please make sure to check out all of my posts.

Please don't forget to hit that follow button on the right and also follow me on every social media platform noted in the social media section. Stay tuned - BC