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BBG Guests: Piers Grundy |
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Piers Grundy,Sales Executive and International Man of Mystery
London, England
 What made Piers a BBGuest
were his adventures during his sabbatical from some very successful
sales gigs at a few of the world’s largest and most powerful software
companies. An underwater photographer of sharks for National
Geographic, you’ll have to read more to get the whole synopsis of his
relaxing “year off”. Piers has a lot to say on a lot of topics - women,
booze, cars…well, what else is there, really?BBG: What things or people inspire your personal style?
PG: There are two people who have influenced me from a young age. The first may not be familiar to North American guys but the second will: Ayrton Senna and James Bond. Ok, when you’re done sniggering at the Bond thing, read on…
Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian race car driver who died in 1994. He is considered by many to have been the greatest racing driver the world has ever seen: fearless, efficient, calm and utterly obsessed with perfection. He used to live next door to me when he began his career with Lotus in the UK and I remember marveling at his ability to completely mesmerize people with his charisma.
James Bond then...Frankly, if you’re a guy and you’re not partially influenced by James Bond, you won’t want to learn much from me anyway. He’s too much a part of who I would secretly wish to be. Bond is the quintessential Englishman…or so we would like to think. The truth is, Bond is a good role model if you’re able to recognize the lessons in his character.
BBG: Is how you look important to you? Why?
In answer to the first part - yes. More important though is the second part - why? I think what’s really important is the ability to distinguish between looking ‘good’ for an interview, ‘appropriate’ when you meet your girlfriend’s parents for the first time, or ‘chilled’ when you’re on the beach. That’s the key. I want to think that my girlfriend is slightly nervous that I might turn other women’s heads when we go out to dinner (just as she does with guys), but I don’t want to be checking my reflection in the mirror amidst the throes of passion! The trick then is recognizing why your ‘look’ is important, and when.
BBG: What sort of behavior do you see too much of and what would say to young men about it?
I see too many guys compromise their status due to peer group pressure (in other words, getting married).. Don’t think that just because your friends are married/attached/engaged that you have to do it! I have one friend with whom I went to school and he’s now on his 3rd marriage with 5 children. There’s no magic age, only a magic relationship and that can happen at 18, just as it can at 40.
BBG: What unique tip(s) can you give a guy coming up that could make him a Better Guy?
First, read two books: “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu (ideally, get the updated version with the foreward by Richard Chamberlain). These two books can be read in a week and will serve you well as a reference every 6-12 months or so, and you’ll go back to them for the rest of your life. Trust me. Second, learn to be better in bed and especially learn to be an expert at oral sex. I accept that sex is far less important to women than it is to men (if you haven’t realized that by now, may I suggest that you do so quickly) but you’ll find women far more inclined to reciprocate your male whims if you’ve shown willing and able before asking them. On that point, keep it clean – literally.
BBG: You’re having someone special over, what would you make for dinner?
I have 3 ‘must have’s’ when cooking dinner for a lady, over and above the food itself. They are:
- A bottle of champagne in the fridge and two champagne glasses in the freezer (they frost up and look stunning when you take them out). I learned whilst living in France that there is no good reason for not drinking champagne, so drink up.
- A tub of Haagen-Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, ideally “Cookies and Cream” or something neutral..
- A bottle of Baileys. If you can’t find Baileys, substitute with something like Tia Maria or Kahlua and make sure you have single cream and plenty of ice.
The plan is: make a great first impression by offering champagne. It shows you’ve got some style, you’ve made an effort for her and even if you’re a lousy chef, it’s not because you don’t care. Next, you cook your culinary delight and knock her socks off with a cracking wine to compliment your flavours. Finally, you relax together on the sofa drinking a glass of iced Baileys each, as you share the single spoon you took out for the tub of ice cream. Frankly, it doesn’t matter how bad your cooking was at this point. By now you have displayed all the signs of a man who is generous, thoughtful, and stylish. At this juncture you should be feeling pretty smug about the fact that you’ve remembered to put clean sheets on the bed …
BBG:What’s your favorite room in your place? Why?
My wine cellar is pretty special to me. I’ve been collecting wine since I moved to Paris 16 years ago. The oldest I have dates back to the year I was born and the most recent are this year’s. I have some which are there to keep for the birth of my first child and some which are perfect for a barbecue with a bunch of mates when we’re discussing football. I love to drink wine and what I learned in France is that as long as it is not physically flawed (i.e. corked) there is no such thing as a good or bad wine – only wines that you like or you don’t.
BBG: If you could have a conversation with one person, who would it be?
I’d like to ask the UK Income Tax Inspector to “F*** Off”. Does that count? The two most extraordinary people I’ve ever met are Nelson Mandela and Norman Schwarzkopf. Both were extraordinary in their own ways but also have helped shape the world we live in. I guess that on that basis I’d have to say I’d love to have a conversation with Bill Gates, too.
BBG: What do you do/where do you go for fun?
I just took a year out of work to get away from the rat race and fulfill a few personal ambitions. It was “fun”. I spent 5 weeks doing a snowboarding tour of the Alps (5 countries in 5 weeks) and narrowly avoided being crushed in an avalanche in Meribel, Switzerland. From there I went on to Australia where I became a diving instructor and sat through “Cyclone Ingrid” as she battered the North-East of Australia. I wasted some time playing strip poker with some friends at 12m under water too – the photos of 5 divers naked (yes, most were women) with a handful of cards are pretty funny.
Then I went on to the Outback where I learned to skydive but when my primary ‘chute failed to open on one jump, I decided to move on to the next challenge. I flew on to Egypt where I spent the next 5 months teaching diving and filming sharks for National Geographic. I was bitten by a small barracuda whilst filming a tiger shark and I was in the middle of the July bombings in Sharm-El-Sheikh so that had it’s fair share of memories.
At the end of the summer I went on to Mexico where I was on standby for the UK contingent of body recovery divers in New Orleans because back in the UK I’m a volunteer on our maritime Search & Rescue team (Lifeboats). Far from going to assist the people working on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I found myself smack bang in the middle of Hurricane Wilma in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. After 3 days of hiding in a broom cupboard with a tube of Pringles and a bottle of Tequila, I finally swam/hitched my way to Cancun. From there I was stowed away onto a US-Consul evacuation coach traveling to Merida, and finally flown out by the US government to Los Angeles. I spent the next 2 weeks traveling the US trying to get some sense of reality back into my body, before finally flying back to the UK in December 05. These days, I just like to kick back and watch TV.
BBG: Charlize Theron or Tyra Banks?
Neither of them were that good actually. |
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Good Stuff for Better Guys |
 Technology can take care of everything. A new database service, eWine Match matches wine varietals to the meal you’re preparing or ordering. You text the ingredients to a dish to the number 411511, and get a wine recommendation on your phone or wireless device within moments. The wines are moderately priced and widely accessible. It’s like having a wine guy sitting next to you, without him picking out of your plate asking “Are you going to eat that?”
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Your Life