162. Queer Beauty: Unfiltered (with Vincent Branchesi & Karim Fadel)

Snarky Opener (0:00)

Vincent Branchesi

We're not going after or positioning ourselves as an ultra-masculine brand that needs to use ultra-masculine language.

Episode Introduction (0:29)

Rob Loveless

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a jaded gay because even though back in July I deleted Scruff, I was starting to feel like I wanted to dip my toes back in the dating pool.

And yes, it seems like a very recurring thing that I go from not wanting to date to wanting to date, which is why I'm sometimes on and off apps.

Anyway, while I deleted Scruff, I was getting ready to kind of look at some other apps. You know, usually Hinge is my go-to. But one of my friends suggested that I try Grindr, which I don't know.

I haven't been on Grindr for at least five years, and in my experience, never really seemed like a dating app.

But I do know that dating is a numbers game, and like I said, it's been a few years, so I thought, why not? I'll try it. I'll see, you know what it's like.

But upon downloading it, I realized that, like, it seems like you can't really use Grindr unless you pay money for it. Like, ad central, just very limited features.

It was, I had it downloaded on my phone for like, 30 minutes, and then I deleted it because, you know what? Yes, I'm lonely, but I'm also cheap. I'm not going to spend money on an app.

Gay Men & Skincare (1:33)

Rob Loveless

Anyway, one thing I'm not cheap about is my skincare routine. Yes, I know very stereotypical. I'm a gay man who really cares about my appearance and preventing wrinkles and my skincare routine.

It's a trope as old as time. But I'm really excited because today we have two very special guests joining us to dive into not only just skincare, but how they are queer business owners giving back to our community, and also redefining the way that masculinity and skincare are perceived.

So, we'll be getting all into that shortly. But before we do, you know the drill, let's pull our tarot card.

Tarot (2:07)

Rob Loveless

So, the card we drew today is the Three of Pentacles in reverse. As you'll remember, Pentacles is tied to the element of earth.

It's feminine energy which encourages us to reflect and meditate, and earth is a very grounding and stabilizing element.

And Pentacles is all about putting in the hard work and reaping the rewards of our labor. And in numerology, three is tied to creativity, collaboration, and community.

But when we draw the Three of Pentacles in reverse, it's signaling that we may be feeling burnt out or lacking confidence.

Specifically, we may be feeling an overwhelming fear of taking our work to the next level. So as a result, we may find ourselves staying in routine, mundane tasks.

And these may feel safe, but ultimately, they cause us to feel underwhelmed, since there's no room for advancement, and we may not be making the best use of our skills.

So, this card is letting us know we need to look within so we can take that next step out of our comfort zone to move forward toward what we want to achieve.

And with the number three being tied to collaboration, it's important that we remember that we don't have to do it alone. Never forget the power of teamwork and community.

Guest Introduction (3:08)

Rob Loveless

And with that in mind, I am very excited to welcome our next guests. They are co-founders of Grimoire. Please welcome Vincent Branchesi and Karim Fadel., Hi Vincent, Hi Karim How are you both doing today?

Vincent Branchesi

Doing really great, Rob.

Karim Fadel

We're well, thank you. Happy to be on this program.

Rob Loveless

Awesome. Happy to have you both here. I'm really excited for this episode. I mean, I think for most queer men, beauty, skin care, it's like goes hand in hand.

We like to kind of prevent the aging as best we can. So, I think this is gonna be a really fun episode to not just talk about skincare, but actually the business you both built.

And I'm so excited for today's conversation. Can you both please introduce yourself to the listeners? Tell them a little bit more about how you identify, backgrounds, pronouns, career, all that fun stuff.

Vincent Branchesi

Hi, my name is Vincent Branchesi. I'm one of the co-founders of Grimoire. I identify with the pronouns he and him.

You know, before Grimoire, I spent the last two decades of my life in financial services industry, leading thought leadership for a Fortune 50 company.

On the stage, traveling a lot, conference to conference, always having to look my best, feel my best, because my image was so important for me and the success of what I was doing at that time.

And now I'm able to take all of those experiences and apply them to this wonderful brand and product, Grimoire.

Karim Fadel

I'm Karim Fadel. I'm one of the co-founders and of Grimoire. I'm passionate about skincare, and I want to look good, and I want my friends of the gay community to look good as well.

And this is why Vincent and I have decided to embark on this adventure that represents us, the way we live, and we want to share this passion for beauty and skincare, and feeling confidence and self-confidence, self self-care, and be loud and proud about who we are and deliver really an amazing product to our customers.

Rob Loveless

Awesome, really excited to get into it. Before we do though, I like to ask all my guests. Today, are you jaded or non-jaded gays and why?

Vincent Branchesi

Jaded or non-jaded today?

Karim Fadel

Not jaded, not jaded gays at all.

Vincent Branchesi

Not really.

Karim Fadel

Love life, and we want more of it, and this is one of the reasons why we started this business and are presenting this, this skincare to our fellow gays.

Vincent Branchesi

Yeah, I'd say for me, it's day. Take it by day. Today, not jaded. Maybe tomorrow, I might be a little bit jaded.

You know, I think there's so many experiences that we're all managing on a day-in to day-out basis, which really form who we are.

Karim Fadel

Or maybe you're going to be jaded in half an hour.

Rob Loveless

Hopefully, I don't have that effect. I hope to never leave my guests feeling jaded after an episode. Well, I think that's fair. I think, like you said, it's a day-to-day basis.

We go back and forth with the jadedness. But even though we may be feeling jaded, I think it's so important that we take care of our skin.

So again, you're both here to talk about your skincare business, Grimoire.

So, I guess to kind of just kick off, can you tell the listeners about what sparked the idea to launch the skincare brand, and how Grimoire came to life?

Karim Fadel

So, the Grimoire idea came from the fact that Vin and I love our lives. We have very active, very active lifestyle, day and night that sometimes can leave some our skin not feeling its best.

And we thought, well, we need to do something for us and for our friends that empowered them and let them live their life the way they want it, without any lecturing. And so, this is how Grimoire was born.

Rob Loveless

And you're not just business partners, but partners in life as well. So, what has it been like building a brand as a couple?

Vincent Branchesi

That's a great question, because Karim and I both had separate business lives, right, separate professional lives before Grimoire, and we all, we both have a set of skills and experiences and expertise, and to be able to bring each of those respective areas of expertise to build this brand was just, was just incredible.

You know, a business partner and a life partner. Well, guess what? You know, the the blurring of work and life is real here.

And I think that's the most empowering aspect, is you get to work with somebody who you love and who you love to be around, and who helps amplify your person to be the best person. And that's really great.

But then you also have to tackle challenges as well, and to be able to lean on each other's strengths to tackle those challenges, I think, is a testament to the relationship, and not just the personal relationship, but the business relationship as well.

And there's times where I just, I just need him to go away for a few moments so I can have a reset of my inner selves to, you know, to tackle whatever that may be that I need to tackle.

So, it's, you know, having a business relationship and a personal relationship with your loved one. It's incredibly empowering.

It's incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with with those challenges, but you're able to tackle. Tackle, what the day throws at you with someone you love it, and that to me, it's just amazing.

Karim Fadel

I would go even further, and I would say that this, the Grimoire, this adventure, this this venture, and adventure is would not have existed if a we were not a couple, if we had not been a couple.

This is really a an idea that that stems from both of us, and I wouldn't have done it without him, and he wouldn't have done it without me.

And this is an idea that came because I felt that Vinnie really represent and we, both of us, but also Vinnie represent the customer that we want to reach and has the marketing tools to to convince them that this is a good product for your skin.

And also, this brand would not have existed if it were not for New York City that we live in New York City. We are, and we feel the mood of New York City and the zeitgeist of New York City.

And this, this brand, really embodies the spirit of New York, which is we want more, and we want to be able to do what we want to do, and we want to look good at the same time.

We want it all. So, this is a very New York thing, that we want it all. And so sometimes I find him in his basement, laying on the couch, and like, what are you doing here?

And he's like, oh, I need a moment, you know, to reset. Like, are you hiding from me? So, you know, sometimes, yeah, we need some, some separation.

But it is very, very blurred. And we go to bed talking about Grimoire. We wake up talking about Grimoire. It's, it's all encompassing, and sometimes it's it's a lot.

But we have a lot of fun doing it, because, you know, we are talking about ourselves. We are taking care of ourselves. We're taking care of our friends, and we love that.

Rob Loveless

And the word Grimoire commonly serves as an alternative name for a book of magic or spells, and it evokes something magical or mystical.

So, what does it represent for you, and how does it tie into the brand's identity?

Vincent Branchesi

Grimoire is, is our magic, right? And it looks to help people tackle whatever moment that they're facing with a little bit of star dust in their their pocket or in their vanity counter, vanity mirror.

You know, for me, it allows me to feel my best, because I think I look my best, and that, you know, have allows me to have a level of self-confidence.

And, you know, self-confidence, feeling good, looking good, having that level of optimism to start your day or end your day or reset is incredibly powerful. So that's what Grimoire is for me.

Karim Fadel

So, Grimoire is a is a word in English and in French, and it sounded good.

And it had this meaning of a book of magic spells, which is, and so our our products are kind of the potions and the jars and that make people feel good about themselves and make their skin glow.

But it's mainly a word that is rarely used in the English language and or in any or even in French language, it's very unknown.

And we thought we found that that was something that was going to appeal to people to understand, where is this? Where is this word coming from?

And, you know, the in the, in the in the last version of The Wizard of Oz, they they were talking about the Grimmerie, the book of magic spells. And so Grimmerie is actually the right word is Grimoire.

And they took Grimoire, and they made it Grimmerie. So, it's a real it's a real word in English and in French.

And we thought, you know, that's gonna spark the curiosity and the interest of our customers and and also it is a it's represent a little bit what we are doing with we're trying to do with our products.

After Fun Skincare (13:03)

Rob Loveless

And you've described your products as after fun skincare. Can you talk about that concept and how it reflects your own lives or lifestyle?

Vincent Branchesi

Karim created after fun skincare.

Karim Fadel

You know, I thought that we needed to find a, we needed to find a word or a catchphrase or something that would really define in just a word or a sentence what we do and what our brand is compared to other brands.

And the whole idea of Grimoire was that we want to live a full life, and we want to be able to do the things that we want to do, but still care for our skin and look good.

And so, I came up with after fun skincare. After fun being, you know a number of things.

It could be being on a boat all day in the sun, and then you need Beach Guise to refresh and to cool down your irritation and redness.

Vanity Monday, it's about a feeling refreshed and and energized, and glowing after a long weekend, doing different things, depending on who you are.

Eye roll is, is about, you know, being social and being in the eye of other people and looking at us.

And we want, we don't want to have those, those bags under our eyes, and we want to have young-looking eyes.

And then Nightmare Away, the night cream is really about when you're having too much fun, or you're up all night, and you need to feel your fresh, your skin fresh again.

So, Grimoire has been thought in the context of activities, of the activities that we do. We love the beach. We love having fun.

And whether it's golfing, being on the on the boat, or or spending the whole night in a club, we need to feel pampered afterwards and feel our best and look our best.

And so, this is how the after fun, after fun, after sun, skin care idea came to life.

Masculinity & Skincare (15:24)

Rob Loveless

What sets Grimoire apart from other men's skincare brands on the market, especially in a space that's often saturated with generic one-size-fits-all messaging?

Vincent Branchesi

Yeah, you know, there's there's proactive skin care, there is treatment-focused skin care, and then there's Grimoire, right?

You know, all of our products are designed with patented technology that encapsulates the key active so that they're the freshest that they can be upon application.

You know, our products look to improve skin health, right? So, we're hitting that proactive element of skin care. They look to mitigate the appearance of wrinkles.

And then, in a way, we can also claim through clinical that we have a treatment-focused element of our product as well.

So, when I think about the peptides we use in our eye roll product that helps to not only reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but helps to ensure that, you know, you help mitigate wrinkles in the future.

Our Beach Guise and the use of plant-based bowl, which looks to calm the skin and the the appearance of sun damage, but we have a proprietary blend of micro broccoli and micro sunflower that act as a tool to help lighten the skin, right?

So, so we're hitting skin care in both of those angles. It's, it's the the use of technology. Our inclusivity, right?

We are a men's skincare brand that has gone out and tested our products across the six, six different skin tones, as defined by the Fitzpatrick scale.

You know, when we look at what that means, it really means about 100 different elements or variations of those six clinical titles for those skin tones, which is incredibly diverse compared to other brands on the market.

I look at our sustainability and ethical messaging that we work to develop into our products. We are vegan certified. We're cruelty-free.

And again, we're using cutting-edge technology here to develop our products. And then lastly, I'd say it's, you know, our overall commitment to our community as a way that continues to set ourselves apart.

We are breaking down the norms of what it means to be a men's skincare brand.

You know, we're not going after or positioning ourselves as an ultra-masculine brand that needs to use ultra-masculine language to go after our customers, and we don't think that that is who our customer is.

Especially as we begin to break this down by different, you know, cohorts or or generations that are utilizing our products.

Karim Fadel

I think that Grimoire is one of the only brands, if it's not the only brand, that is made for gay men by gay men and using their language, their imagery, with their lifestyle, in their activities, in mind, and how to mitigate the effects of those activities on the skin.

So, this really sets us apart. Then we have the our technology and the the microfluidic technology that we offer in our products.

It exists in other products, but they're 10 times more expensive, five times more expensive. We're really a proposing a product that is cutting-edge with cutting-edge technology at an affordable price point.

This is the second thing that really sets us apart, and the microfluidic technology is very efficient. Our clinical tests are amazing.

And then the last thing is that it's a very, it's a brand that is environmentally conscious. We do a lot of things that to relieve the stress on the planet.

The water in the cream, which is the main ingredient, is pumped by solar power and using an under, an underwater lake that is not usable.

The our ingredients, a lot of our ingredients are farmed in-house, and so there is very little waste. 

Because when you have natural ingredients and essences and oils that you are taking from natural ingredients, there is a lot of waste that can happen because you need to pick really the good, the good ingredients, the good natural ingredients, to have the efficiency that you want.

And when, when this is grown in-house, indoor, with temperature and lighting that is controlled, you don't have the waste that other brands have.

So, we're focused on the community, on the lifestyle of the community. We're trying to address the concerns of a certain community. We talk their language. We're a part of them.

We're not selling them something that we're not. So, the integrity here is very important. We offer cutting-edge technology at an affordable price, and then we're environmentally conscious.

Vincent Branchesi

Yeah, and I would just add to that, you know, the underground lake that we use as the water for our products or to cool down the machinery.

We use the water, we recycle the water, we clean the water, and again, and we reuse the water. You know, water is the main ingredient in all of skin care, all of beauty, and it's extremely wasteful.

And so, part of our messaging, or our practice here, is to reduce the waste of water through the manufacturing of beauty and skincare.

Rob Loveless

And I think you both touched upon this in your previous answers, but I did want to dive into this a little bit deeper. Men's skin care has traditionally been rooted in utility and minimalism.

So how are you challenging or expanding that narrative, especially for queer men?

Vincent Branchesi

You know, we are redefining men's skin care, and we're moving away from, you know, this hyper toxic masculinity image that other brands really use to hook in their male customers, right?

It's this idea that real men do this, or this is how men should have, should aspire to be, by using this product.

And you've seen this, and we've seen this from some of the biggest brands and biggest household names that all of us are very familiar with.

And I think you know, Dove, Dove Care began to break, break the norms that went along with this back in 2014, but we're, we're continuing with this, right?

And so, we have removed that ultra masculine language from, or we're not using that ultra masculine language to describe our products.

And you know, that language might have worked with those older generations, our parents. It might have been even worked with, you know, the older millennials.

That type of language or that type of marketing or positioning does not work in the queer community, and it's especially a turn-off for Generation Z, whether they're queer or straight.

So here at Grimoire, we really look to embrace a more inclusive, and I'd say even a luxurious approach to skincare, right? And how do we do this? Well, we celebrate vanity through self-expression, right?

So, it's this act of self-care and self-expression and a celebration of it all, versus more of a functional routine, right?

When we look at our product names, like Vanity Monday or Nightmare Away, this really leans into this idea of celebration and empowerment, and it really challenges those stigmas that are associated with men indulging in skincare, right?

That ultra-hyper masculinity messaging that other brands have used. It's again taking this luxury, our products are luxury, and they're meeting inclusivity, right?

So again, how we are ensuring that we are including the six skin tones in our clinical testing?

That our products are reaching a diverse, a diverse set of people embracing and using cutting-edge, modern technology, and the development of our products through, you know, in in the in our industry, we call, call it biotechnology.

It's embracing this idea of after fun, right? And whatever that after fun may be for you, but it's allowing us to help our customers be able to meet the moment where they are and show up for them.

And then lastly, I say, you know, it's we are a brand that is rooted in our community.

We have partnered with a number of different, different, similar-minded organizations or companies throughout, throughout the spaces where our customers are showing up.

We've done this through our partnerships with Aspen Gay Ski Week. We've done this through our partnership with the Gifford House here in Provincetown, which is a hub of queer art, culture, and expression.

Just recently, we were able to break into the European market and partner with the Rochari Hotel in Mykonos, which is another hub for queer art and culture.

A lot of their programming that you see, a lot of the artists that they showcase at their venue is from our community.

We just recently were announced as one of the sponsors for New York Men's Day as part of New York Fashion Week for this fall's fall show lineup.

We'll be in backstage and part of the model prep, so will be pre-, before the models go into pre hair and makeup, they'll have their skin prepped by Grimoire.

You know, New York Men's Day is a fantastic organization. They work with a lot of up-and-coming, queer designers, and we're super excited and thrilled to be a part of that.

So, you know, we look at what we're doing, we are really embedded into our community, day in and day out, and that's incredibly important for us.

Rob Loveless

And how do you think skincare and self-care tie into the evolving ideas of queer masculinity, and where does Grimoire fit into that conversation?

Vincent Branchesi

You know, skin care, and more specifically, skin care for gay men or queer men or just the queer community, really is a, it's an opportunity for them to become visible, right?

I think us, as gay men or or from the queer community, we are continuing to have to tackle, you know, or attempt to tackle or try and challenge this idea of of marginalized people, right?

And I think what we're doing, or I know what we're doing, is we're giving people a voice to say, I deserve to be seen, and I deserve to feel good in my skin.

So, it's using our products as a as a way to feel a little bit more confident. Confident, confident in who you are, especially as the society continues to scrutinize and police queer people.

Queer Visibility in Skincare (28:01)

Rob Loveless

And obviously, through this conversation, we can see why it's so important to center LGBTQ+ identity in the brand. So how have people responded to it so far?

Vincent Branchesi

We've had an overpouring amount of fabulous support. You know, Karim and I, we're gay. The people we're engaged with, primarily throughout our lives, are gay, day in, day out.

So, it was important that this band, this brand reflected not only who we are, but who our community is. One great thing about Grimoire is that we partner with other like-minded brands.

And what I mean by that is is I look at the vendors that we work with, the creative aspects or talent that we bring in are all either LGBTQ-owned companies, or they are a tremendous ally, and our point of contact at that organization is gay, right?

So, 90% of the vendors that we work with are LGBTQ owned. The other 10%, 100% allies, if not having representation that is that are working with us on those different projects.

And that really embodies our brand and connects to the brand ethos.

Karim Fadel

All our stakeholders are, are gay or in majority, gay in majority, and there is this level of excitement where, for the first time, they see a skincare brand that's actually want to represent them and is part of them, and wants to speak their language and want to showcase their their lifestyle.

So, and all the different, the different, the different people that form the queer community, whether gay or trans or lesbian, and so there's been this amazing excitement around us and around the brand, because they haven't seen anything like this before.

Vincent Branchesi

Yeah, I would say to sum it up in kind of one, you know, one sentence, it's really visibility through representation.

Rob Loveless

And taking it a step further, so much of LGBTQ+ empowerment involves reclaiming space and visibility. So how do you see Grimoire contributing to that larger movement?

Vincent Branchesi

For me, when I look at it, it's really amplifying queer joy and celebration. You know, we are showing up. 

We're supporting our community, and we're allowing our community to be and live the best life that we think that they can.

Again, there is so much happening out there in this world today, when we look at just the different attacks that our community receives on a day-in and day-out basis.

We've seen the headlines coming through of us having to, again, protect our right to get married.

This all takes a psychological effect on one's person, how we think, how we operate, and you know, this is incredibly important and concerning, I think, for the younger generation that are still trying to understand who they are or who they want to be, and having all of this noise impact that.

And then for us to be a brand that says, hey, we see you and we're here to support you, and we're here to let you be whoever you want to be and show up however you want to show up for life.

I think that's incredibly, incredibly important for us as a brand to make sure that that is communicated outward.

Diversity in Skincare (31:45)

Rob Loveless

You mentioned diversity in your skincare products before. So how do you ensure that DEI isn't just performative or a marketing checklist, but truly embedded in how you operate and grow the business?

Vincent Branchesi

Keep talking about it, right? It has to be not just a smoke and mirror show, but has to be truly embedded into the culture and everyday operations of your organization.

And that's that's incredibly, incredibly important. We, we do what we say we're going to do, and we show up when we say we're going to show up, and we continue to think about it day in and day out.

It's not just a once-and-done thing, you know? Like example of just who we continue to work with, or want to work with.

Making sure that their values aligned with our values, is a way that we continue to embrace the DE and I umbrella. It's, you know, working with a diverse set of minds as well, right?

Pushing people to be a little bit better or think differently, I think, is incredibly important. You know, it's like, like I said, it's you can't just say you're doing DEI. You have to really embody it and wholly own it. 

And I think a really good example here is looking at our United by Vanity campaign, which is our evergreen campaign that launched on September 11, and really just to share with your listeners how important it was for us to cast a model, a model cast that was inclusive and diverse.

And, you know, ensuring that we had Black and Brown representation, that we had queer and trans representation, and that is a real challenge these days.

You know, one may think, oh, that should be so easy to be able to do, but as you're working with different modeling agencies, some will come out and tell you, straight to your face, we don't want to work with a gay brand.

We don't want, or our models don't want to work with your with your brand. And as a brand owner, yeah, that kind of kicks you in the stomach a little bit, because you're like, wow, why don't they like me because of who I am?

And I think that allows us to to double down on our efforts around DE and I, and it's so incredibly important for our customer and our mutual customers, who are listeners, to find representation in the brands that you know they associate with or they want to support.

You know, when we were casting this all-star cast, and I hope all of you listening, check out our beautiful, beautiful cast.

You know, we didn't have at we didn't have, you know, Black representation going into the shoot, which was the next morning, and I was sitting there with my creative director, and I let him know, like, we can't shoot tomorrow if we don't have full representation for this shoot.

That's how incredibly important it is for us. And so, I think of just that moment and how important it is to include everyone that you can, to show that you are an inclusive brand and embody that and live by that, right?

Because we weren't going to shoot that day if we weren't truly represented. And guess what? Not only were we truly represented across the six skin tones and Black and Brown and Latino and white and trans, but we were all gay.

The whole model cast was gay. The whole production, again, 95% of the people on set were gay or identify in the queer community.

And for us, we are doing what we're say we're doing, and we're showing you it as well.

The Future of Queer Beauty (35:44)

Rob Loveless

And looking to the future, how do you see Grimoire evolving, and what kind of impact do you hope it makes in the queer beauty space?

Vincent Branchesi

Kind of going back to your, to your previous question around you know, DE and I, we are always looking to continue to support our our community.

And beginning on September 11, or having begun on September 11, we have partnered with the Trevor Project and will be ensuring that those people who need to continue to seek help for whatever reason that they may need help, will be able to do so.

So, we have partnered with the Trevor organization, continuing to give back to our community. In addition to that, it's really allowing people to to be who they want to be, breaking the norms of masculinity and the beauty space.

Karim Fadel

You know, Grimoire is is was born of the idea of delivering self-care and skin care to the gay community, and we are doing everything to represent the gay community in all its diversity.

And all this aspect, to speak its language, to be loud about it, to be really present, and to be proud about it.

And we hope that by doing so, we're going to convince our female friends that this is a great product, that this is a, and then also, we hope to the product to also appeal to straight men, maybe through their their female partners, or through their daughters, or through their mother, or whatever.

Because we want the message of we're queer. This is our life.

We are showing it how it is, and we want to deliver a product that has a real efficacy and for a certain certain concerns, and that this product transcends the gay community to the allies of the queer community.

So, we want to, we're starting smaller with the with a certain focus, but we hope that what we're going to show and is going to appeal to a larger customer base.

Vincent Branchesi

Yeah, and I would just add to Karim, it's really empowering people to be and live an authentic person.

Authenticity as a Queer Brand (38:10)

Rob Loveless

And as we're coming to the end of this conversation, for any LGBTQ+ listeners who may be dreaming of launching their own brand or business, what advice would you give them, especially when it comes to staying authentic?

Vincent Branchesi

Look to your community. You know all of our community has embraced our mission tremendously. You know, our community being our friends, our family, the queer community.

There are so many talented people that sit, that sit in our community, and they're excited to be a part of something. So, if you have an idea, be vocal about it. Share it, get feedback from your peers.

I think as you're starting to put the pen to paper, you know be open to criticism, because if you if you're not, then you know you're not going to build an idea or product that's truly representative of of of your community, because it will be still in from, you know, a siloed lens from your eyes.

So, I think it's important to to reach across the aisle, um, or reach across your friends to to gain feedback.

Episode Closing (39:26)

Rob Loveless

And connecting it back to the tarot, the Three of Pentacles in reverse. Again, this card is signaling that we may be feeling burnt out or lacking confidence.

Maybe there's always that risk we want to take in either our work or our personal lives, but we're too afraid of failing.

So instead of pursuing those things, we decide to just keep ourselves in the familiar day in and day out. 

And while this might feel safe, ultimately, we can feel bored or underwhelmed or that we're not using our skills and our talents efficiently.

And while it's important that we're strategic, we do also need to take risks, because there is no growth without taking risk.

And while that risk and fear of failure may feel really personal, it can ultimately lead to major success and create ripples across the LGBTQ+ community.

I mean, just look at what Vincent and Karim created with Grimoire. They took that risk to challenge the status quo, redefine beauty standards for men, and create a space of authenticity for the LGBTQ+ community.

And not only has it become a huge success for them, but it's creating so much-needed visibility within the LGBTQ+ community, across all races, genders, body sizes, you name it.

And again, with this card, it doesn't necessarily need to be tied to our career or our work or business ventures, but really any situation we may be in, whether it's personal, professional, romantic, whatever. 

So really channel that feminine energy of this card to look within and understand what you want and what you need.

So that way, you can take that calculated step forward and take action to put you towards achieving what it is you want.

And specifically, as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community, never forget the power of collaboration.

You know, we may all be individuals, but as a united community, we are so strong and talented and skilled and can achieve whatever we put our minds to.

Connect with Grimoire (41:03)

Rob Loveless

Well, Vincent, Karim, thank you so much for joining today. This was such a great conversation. As we're wrapping up here, can you tell all the listeners where they can connect with both you and Grimoire?

Vincent Branchesi

Yes, you should follow us @GrimoireNYC on Instagram or TikTok. I'm Vincent, b_vincentnthony is my Instagram handle if you want to follow my personal. And Grimoire journey or GrimoireNYC.com.

Karim Fadel

And I'm on Instagram. My handle is papa_mour, because we, besides having this business, we also have a daughter.

And she's 10-year-old, and she is the biggest fan of Grimoire and our inspirations. She comes up with ideas all the time. And so, this is my my Instagram handle, papa_mour.

Rob Loveless

And all that information will be in the show notes, so once you're done listening, definitely go check it out.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (41:58)

Rob Loveless

And you know the drill. If you have questions or feedback, you can reach out to me rob@ajadedgay.com. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe. Five stars only. I greatly appreciate it.

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Mmm-bye.