Richard Branson

“Innovation is a restless pursuit—an endless quest. Businesses that stand still, go backwards—fast; leaving the door open for competitors to swoop in and win people’s interest, alongside market-share.”

Sir Richard Branson’s carelessly whiskered face marks him as the rock star of entrepreneurship.

Born in 1950, Branson’s first venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student. Four years later, he started a mail-order record business. Within only two years, he had opened a chain of record stores—Virgin Records. The Virgin brand expanded rapidly during the 1980s to include an airline, Virgin Airlines, and a music label. In 2004 he founded a spaceflight corporation, Virgin Galactic. Branson’s net worth is over $5 billion.

Noted for his flair for adventure, and for his humanitarian work, Richard Branson was knighted by the Queen of England in 2000.

Love On Your Whiskers

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

The peak of winter or summer, depending on where you fall on the map in reference to the Equator, means a lot to the health of your facial hair, as well as your entire body. We know beards, facial hair and body hair are great insulators of the extremes of cold and heat, plus we have had years of scientific research confirm the benefits of hair in blocking harmful solar rays—lessening the instance of skin disease such as Melanoma, a cancer best treated early.

Those whiskers work hard for you! They’re not just your taste in appearance or fashion.

Did you stop to think that your dapper whiskers need TLC? Those inclined to give them good treatment will do so by making visits to a trusted stylist or by trying out new products to see how the results stack up to the usual regimen. All this experimenting is not ‘loving on your whiskers’. Simple observation when you groom, shower and apply products to keep facial hair healthy and strong will tell you in a short span of time (under a week) if you know your whiskers and what they need. Ever have a medical cure given to you that didn’t live up to its promise? You can easily fall trap to the multitude of supplements, elixirs, balms, oils, lotions, hair style variations and other augmentations which, if taken without planning and understanding, will not satisfy.

Here are a few easy things to remember when you want to give that beard the love it deserves. Look at the ingredients label to check for things that won’t work well for your face or hair type. Oily skin and hair don’t need more oils. Dry skin and hair don’t require elements that strip. Sniff the contents to confirm you want that scent (or lack thereof) as a part of your wardrobe because it wears you until it wears off. Scents that work do so in harmony with your body chemistry. Your choices work best when the products you buy cleanse without harshness, moisturize skin and hair with ease of styling, get key nutrients into your system internally that form the foundation of vibrant health and can take a good workout when stressed with labor, exercise or abrupt weather changes. If you’ve mastered these suggestions, I already know you and your whiskers are perfectly in harmony.

Choice Notables from 25 Years of Stage and Screen
by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

Ron Carter, The Bassist Authority. A gentleman who can manipulate such a large instrument is worthy of credit, but when he masters that instrument to the place where he is a legend, that is a landmark. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Ron Carter is the most recorded jazz bassist in history, mounting over 2,200 recordings with his performance as part or whole of each recording. He also plays cellist and has done so with similar vigor. From his early days with the Miles Davis Quintet in the 60s to acquiring honors with the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 2012, Best Jazz Instrumental Group Grammy in 1992, Best Composition Grammy in 1998 performed on the film ‘Round Midnight and an awardee of France’s highest performance award, the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2010, Carter and his famous beard are unmistakable and unmatched by his peers.

​

Ron Carter

Idris Elba, Detective Chief Inspector on BBC’s Luthur. Mr. Elba in this role has expanded his talents way beyond the limits of most as he’s involved in the 8th season of this series. Plagued with the miseries of a failed marriage, an intense job which tests his mind and soul, and combining the image of the man on the screen to one who can be believed as perceived is a gift. Idris Elba has other gifts, less intense, but quite accomplished: Voiceover and Narration, Character Actor, Musician, Producer and Disc Jockey. That’s an exhaustive resume, and at the age of 45, he’s announced recently that giving love a go is once more on his mind. If he’s listening to the gentleman next on our list, love will be a big memorable hit.

​

Idris Elba (BBC)

Barry White, Mr. “Love Unlimited”. The beards of the world who know all about love, the masculinity of it and the folks that have come and gone who were the very energy of love, will understand why this time around the Podcast needed to break new ground. When I look at the great bearded men of Black History in America (and in this case, the world) there is one who was so large in life that he made made an immense impact on music, relationships, and emergence from being misguided in youth to focused lyrical and composition genius. His inspirations came in an instant; he rarely prepared for those moments when piano, voice and his melting charisma produced stratospheric record sales...and no doubt, a lot of pregnancies. And that beard! Since his death Darryl White, Barry’s son and named after his deceased brother, has produced a recording in tribute. It’s on the podcast, and there’s much about the son that is the essence of his father.

​

Barry White (YouTube)