minor genius Live with Special Guest Michael Imperioli
Elliot Aronow is a Spiritual Creative Director that brings out the minor genius in all of us
When people ask, what Wear Many Hats episode should I listen to? The episode that sticks out the most is with Elliot Aronow of minor genius. Our episode together made me wonder, who is this person? Seems like a career coach to me but by the sound of his soothing voice, he may be a therapist? Neither but someone that actually cares about what people do, what they put out into the world and how they go about it in an organic and calm way.
Listen to our episode to get a sense of who Elliot is. Then check out minor genius and then tell me, does the voice fit the project? Then apply it to your project and see if Elliot can help. You can thank me later. Elliot calls himself a Spiritual Creative Director, someone that can help you reinvent yourself, and then release your projects into the wild without compromise.
When I first met Elliot on Wear Many Hats, I didn’t know what to expect. After our talk, I started to believe that me and minor genius was putting in the work. The work that is of people uplifting communities but at the same time we are creating a community in disguise. While committing to the act of doing, for the sense of doing or even senselessly doing, we have no idea if outreach will happen or if everything we do even matters? So many co-existing themes, existential breaches, and both parties going, who is actually subscribing to this?
Here comes Elliot. Where he’ll step into the room and talk to you on how you want your project to go. He won’t tell you the steps you’ll have to take but more so take your virtual hand and guide you on where you have to get to next.
In a world where financial gurus, content creators, and streamers take the stage, who can you trust? We’re currently in a digital wild wild west. Since me and Elliot last spoke on Wear Many Hats in 2023, I have definitely taken advice from digital strangers and done some weird moves such as financial literacy maxing and travel to escape. I see Elliot’s content and see things I’d never thought he would do such as create reels and step out of his comfort zone and create a podcast, live.
Meeting Elliot Aronow IRL
After Wear Many Hats, we met IRL at La Cabra in the East Village. We chatted about the things we were doing and the projects we’ve done in the past. Elliot ran a tie brand called Jacques-Elliot and previously was a contributing editor for GQ, style editor for Playboy, and digging up the past.. co-founder of RCRD LBL.
I remember being young and finding out new music through RCRD LBL. I was very familiar with Downtown Music as well, a lot has changed since. Elliot chatted about his time at The Fader and was very heavily embedded with the music scene.
What I’ve noticed about Elliot is that when he puts out content for Minor Genius. It feels like a song to your favorite soundtrack. The brand is in lower case letters and its a throwback to being nostalgic from seeing so many different time periods. Elliot has Minor Genius in his LinkedIn that it started from 1999 to present.
Speaking of LinkedIn, I’ve seen Elliot do the work of putting minor genius out there. If people say you need to start posting on LinkedIn or you have to start doing reels, he’ll do it. There is no such thing as cringe anymore. We’re in a post cringe era. Post whatever you want, wherever platform, hopefully the algorithm picks your content up and that someone you’ve always wanted to work for sees it and reaches out.
That can’t be me though. Not LinkedIn. I’ll take the lather to suffer and make reels.
Ever since I met Elliot, I’ve been hooked on minor genius. I see that he does not have a separate social media accounts for his personal life. Maybe he has a finsta but Elliot’s page for now is the minor genius homepage, no portfolio needed. It’s all there. Elliot is the band.
I have subscribed to Elliot’s minor genius Substack and it’s been one of my favorites that I open every time he posts. I learn a lot, take note, and am excited for the next minor genius newsletter.
minor genius Live with special guest Michael Imperioli
I’ve been meaning to go to a minor genius breakfast for the longest time. A minor genius breakfast meet up consists of 8-10 people that get breakfast with Elliot and get to talk about their current projects. It’s such an amazing idea. Every time I sign up, there’s something in the way. It’s all good though because this time, I had this saved in my calendar and make sure there was no way I’m missing it.
The first ever minor genius Live with special guest Michael Imperioli was held at Cafe Studio. I’ve been wanting to go to Cafe Studio for a long time. Cafe Studio is at 195 Chystie St., New York, NY.
When I first arrived to Cafe Studio NYC, I knew it would start fashionably late even though the flyer says arrive promptly at 7pm est. There was a lot of people that arrived in their best outfit and the one who showed up late was of course, Dave 1 of Chromeo. Dave pulls up strutting across the room in his leather jacket. I see him sit down and thought ok time to talk since I opened up the year with him at the Chromeo DJ set with my longtime friend Naeem (Spankrock) at Xanadu Roller Arts. We chatted about the New Year show and new album along with their upcoming tour of how Naeem should play that show at Webster Hall. Of course he should, that New Years show Naeem put on was incredible. So proud.
I plugged my studio, Dahsar, including Matsar, the matcha brand, to Dave so of course we had to exchange contact info. He couldn’t stay long because he had a dinner. Well what do you know, we have something in common, I had a dinner as well but I promised Elliot that I would stay. No verbal agreement, but support the homies. Met more people, then showtime.
Elliot’s wife came out as the opening act. She came on, threw on some one liners, and she made us shake it out and do a breathing exercise. It actually made me feel very good. It was a smart move to do having her as an opener. Living in NYC, you forget to breathe. You’re only putting in steps but breaths? None.
Without further ado, Michael Imperioli came out. Started off strong and ended off strong. Elliot did well by bringing up talking points of Michael’s acting career, The Sopranos and being a buddhist. It was very calm and chill. Their voices. Me being a podcaster myself is that Michael was saying a ton of Um’s that drove me up a wall.
The part in the conversation where I knew Elliot was when he asked Michael why he wanted to be an actor? Michael said he wanted to become famous. Elliot can relate and was in solidarity. It was quite comforting to hear two grown men talk about their feelings around fame. The relatability of Michael and Elliot was in the room with us.
Fame is a drug. I told myself I never want to be famous, just successful. At least become recognized for my work. I was at Nowadays over the weekend and saw Nowadays co-owner, Justin Carter, showing off the posters we produced and wheatpasted all over NYC with my studio, Dahsar, to the other DJ, Toribio, and it was a proud moment to had. My crew Speaklow watched it all that go down and the many club-goers witness this at Mister Sunday. It’s not the first time this has happened, it feels cool, then it ends.
At the end of the hour long interview, Elliot gifts Michael a vintage 1993 issue of The Buddhist Review called Tricycle Magazine, and it’s the issue where Tricycle interviews Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys.
I met Michael and we got to talking of his band ZOPA. I saw Elliot and congratulated him on the first minor genius podcast episode.
I met Shu & Alvin of Cafe Studio NYC, Singaporeans who brighten up my night with Malaysian photographer Zane Gan by Zane haivng a conversation and going LAH. I said are..you.. and he goes Malaysian? What a trip.
I gave Matsar teaspoons to Dave 1 and Michael Imperioli. Very zen of me.