Focus those peepers while you can because after this one you won’t be able to see straight. Celebrate the releases of The Investment Club and the paperback of Outside In by joining Doug on October 11th from 7-9 at the acclaimed Spotted Owl in Tremont for a night to remember but likely to forget.
For twenty dollars, all guests will receive a signed copy of The Investment Club and also a custom cocktail created for the event. The remaining menu will be available for purchase along with additional books. Following is the planned schedule for the evening:
7:00 – 7:30: Mingling and Imbibing
7:30 – 8:00: Author Talk and Reading
8:00 – 8:15: Q & A
8:15 – 9:00: Book Signing
Doug’s new releases are being published by Los Angeles-based Rare Bird Books, a PGW-distributed independent publisher of approximately twenty-five books a year in multiple formats, including print, ebook, audio, and limited edition.
The Spotted Owl is located in the old Gospel Press Building in historic Tremont. It captures the old-world cocktail culture adding modern innovation and precision while infusing plenty of timeless passion. Founder Will Hollingsworth, an Oregon native who fell in love with Cleveland during a cross-country trek, opened the 60-seat bar back in 2014 with his plate calibrated to the classics and his imagination released to explore the emerging frontier of craft cocktails. Open from 5 to close Monday through Saturday, the Spotted Owl offers a seasonal menu of punches, cobblers, coolers, fixes, shots, and specialty draft beers.
Be the first to get signed copies of these releases the first day they will be available in stores. Hope to see you on at the Spotted Own at 7:00 pm on October 11th.
Whether it’s date night, an evening entertaining clients, or a night out catching up with friends, take a break from your hectic schedule and travel to the idyllic setting of CVI to immerse yourself in the latest trends presented by these three leaders in their fields. A paid reservation of $175 per person includes the following:
Presentation of the Latest Styles in Men’s Fashion from New York Stylist Steve Krampf of SJK Style
Custom Cocktail, Snack and Five-Course Tasting Meal Designed and Presented by Executive Chef Jamie Simpson
A Paid Reservation Includes All Presentations, Food, Service Gratuity, Tax, and Tailoring As Needed
Wine Pairing Available for $60 Per Person Along With Full Bar, Additional Books, and Featured Clothing For Purchase
Discounted table prices for eight guests and some corporate sponsorships that include tickets and opportunities to have company logo on all event collateral and share marketing materials with guests.
Itinerary
Cocktail Reception
6:00—6:30: Networking and Browsing of Books and Clothing
6:30—6:45: Introduction
6:45—7:15: Food: Jamie Simpson discusses The Creative Process Custom Cocktails, Snack & Beverage Buzz
8:00—8:30: Fashion: Steve Krampf of SJK Style presents Fall/Winter 15-16
Course 3 & 4
8:45—9:30: Q&A and Discussion
Course 5
9:30—10:00: Measurements and Personal Consultation
About The Presenters
Doug Cooper is the author of Outside In, which has won an International Book Award for Literary Fiction, a USA Book News Award for Fiction, and an IPPY Award for Fiction. He has a BS in Mathematics Education from Miami University and an MA in American Studies from St. Louis University. Originally from Port Clinton, Ohio, he has also called St. Louis, Detroit, New York, Oslo, Norway, and Las Vegas home. The Investment Club is his debut novel. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
Steve Krampf is the founder of SJK Style, a men’s style brand committed to bringing the best of European fashion to men who appreciate a modern cut and the best fabrics Italy has to offer from suits, sport jackets, outerwear and sportswear. He is the former owner of Beau Brumnmel, a New York retail institution that for fifty-five years featured the finest fabrics—Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis, Angelico, as well as Italy’s smaller mills—to create unique and original looks for formal, business, and casual occasions. Some of his prestigious clients over the years include Dan Hicks, Phil Simms, Jeff Goldblum, Regis Philbin, Tony Danza, and many leaders of industries in their respective fields.
Chef Jamie Simpson is the Executive Chef Liaison at The Culinary Vegetable Institute. His reputation for the use of unusual ingredient combinations, tastes and textures has led him to direct one of the most prestigious kitchens in the country. At The Culinary Vegetable Institute, he designs dishes around what is available on the farm that day, and his commitment to micro seasonal cooking opens the door for him to be more creative while respecting the plants. His dishes look astonishing, always play tricks on the senses and are constantly evolving.
Space is limited to thirty attendees so act now to reserve your spot for this unique artistic and cultural event by clicking the Get Tickets button above. All major credit cards accepted. Transport and lodging can be arranged upon request. Dress is casual to business casual, whatever you would wear to a nice dinner with friends. At no additional cost, Steve is available to book individual appointments Thursday through Saturday for anyone who would like an extended private fitting or consultation.
Our cares, wants, and worries are all so different when we are happy. The peace we experience assuages the most excessive, and often destructive, cravings and mollifies the nagging, trivial concerns that pervade our day-to-day lives. It is not a great mystery that this is why we spend so much time searching for happiness. Even if only for a few moments, the equanimity we find when engaged and content gives us freedom and independence. We want what we have and have what we want. We no longer question and just accept and appreciate who and where we are.
There is no shame in asking for help or looking outside ourselves for direction. Everything is connected, so what we do impacts the world, just as what is happening in our external environment directly affects us. To expect to have all the answers to our questions and problems, not only limits what we can achieve but easily becomes narcissistic folly. But at some point, we must stop searching and trust ourselves to make critical decisions. While inspiration and guidance can be found all around us, the choice of what we do and how we respond ultimately lies solely within us.
Dreaming is the first step in changing our reality. We either experience hardship or happiness and imagine how things could be, picturing what we really want. Visualizing the improved future is important, but if we stop there, the chances of our dreams coming true are very slim. We need to establish our beliefs, develop a plan to convert our ideas to results, and embark on executing the vision, committing to persevere through all obstacles. While it is sometimes nice just to fantasize to escape our current situations, if we do nothing about it, that is probably exactly what will happen.
You know how old you’d be by the time you achieve that one thing you always dreamed of doing if you started today? The same age you’ll be if you don’t. We often stop ourselves from pursuing an important goal because we feel it’s too late or it will take too much time. But we need to remember, we’re going to be that age anyway. Why not be doing what we love? It’s better to be struggling toward what we value than proficient at something simply because we are good at it or have invested a lot of time in it.
Coincidences happen too often to be random and meaningless. But reading too much into them can be dangerous as well. We have to be careful we’re not just collecting and assimilating events into the story we want to tell to justify our actions or validate our beliefs. After all we’ll never truly know what they really mean. They could simply be warnings to alter our course or encouragement to continue. But rather than obsessing about the meaning, perhaps we should merely observe their occurrence as the special happening that they are: a spark to momentarily lift the darkness around us.
We want our lives to go smoothly and work hard so that they do. This often creates expectations that they will and always should. When they don’t, we become frustrated and often feel lost. We forget that the ups and downs, bumbles and blunders, and gaffes and oversights are where the best lessons and stories reside. Rather than hurry over or around these bumps, we should appreciate and mine them for the treasures that they are. Our mistakes are not independent from one another. Understanding their meaning and connection reveals our purpose and provides direction, creating a unique and extraordinary trip.
When things are not going the way we want them to, we become frustrated and often feel powerless to change our current realities. We try distracting ourselves with other activities and keeping our minds occupied. But while that may make us feel better, it does little to improve our situations and often just makes things worse. We end up dwelling on the past and obsessing about the future—anything to escape. But we forget, we are not expected to correct what has happened and know what is coming. We just need to deal with the present openly and with compassion.
Join 
Itinerary
Doug Cooper is the author of 
Steve Krampf is the founder of SJK Style, a men’s style brand committed to bringing the best of European fashion to men who appreciate a modern cut and the best fabrics Italy has to offer from suits, sport jackets, outerwear and sportswear. He is the former owner of Beau Brumnmel, a New York retail institution that for fifty-five years featured the finest fabrics—Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis, Angelico, as well as Italy’s smaller mills—to create unique and original looks for formal, business, and casual occasions. Some of his prestigious clients over the years include Dan Hicks, Phil Simms, Jeff Goldblum, Regis Philbin, Tony Danza, and many leaders of industries in their respective fields.
Chef Jamie Simpson is the Executive Chef Liaison at The Culinary Vegetable Institute. His reputation for the use of unusual ingredient combinations, tastes and textures has led him to direct one of the most prestigious kitchens in the country. At The Culinary Vegetable Institute, he designs dishes around what is available on the farm that day, and his commitment to micro seasonal cooking opens the door for him to be more creative while respecting the plants. His dishes look astonishing, always play tricks on the senses and are constantly evolving.
