📝 Editor’s Note
I have great childhood memories of reading magazines. Sports Illustrated for Kids with the perforated trading cards or Highlights magazine with the hidden pictures. But the grandaddy of them all….SkyMall.
I was thinking about SkyMall and that incredible Yeti statue, as I try to come up with unique holiday gift guide items. I am not sure how I will top a cobra walking stick or inflatable water park…
However, stay tuned for the 2023 Rambull Holiday Gift Guide dropping shortly 👀
Without further ado….
Why Griffin?
Griffin was recommended by his sister, Liddy. Liddy told me that she thought Griffin would be a great feature given his interests, business, sense of humor, etc. He did not disappoint!
Self-Description
Lifestyle entrepreneur and father of 2 who, when not absorbed by those first two things, will be meetings friends for a beer, at a concert, or living & dying by the performance of a Minnesota sports team.
Griffin’s Recommendations
Written in his own words…
Content
I read historical nonfiction almost exclusively and Erik Larson's books are some of the best in the genre. "The Devil in the White City" was the first of his that I read, but "Isaac's Storm" is my personal favorite. It tells the story of Hurricane Isaac hitting the incredibly unprepared city of Galveston, TX in 1900. The storm killed a quarter of the residents and derailed the development of what was then one of the US's rising cities. Unlike a history textbook, Larson's writing style creates an engaging narrative that causes you to constantly remind yourself that the story your reading actually happened.
Brand
Fall is my favorite season for the weather, football, Thanksgiving and my Red Wing Shoes moc toe boots. It's a buy-it-for-life product that looks as good as when I bought them 5 years ago. I put them through a lot each fall and they've never let me down.
Watch
It's high on my list of the best television comedy series. For context, the others that are up there for me are Arrested Development, Veep, Always Sunny and The Office. It's a dark comedy that tells the story of a US intelligence agent who is both very capable at his job and very depressed. While foreign agents try to take him down, he'd prefer to be playing sad (and far too accurate) folk guitar songs. It's a shame that it only made it two seasons, but as it stands it's one of the most underrated comedy series you'll watch.
Gifting
Wool Blanket from Faribault Mill
Last year I bought my staff wool blankets from Faribault Mill for the holidays. I think, for most people, a high quality blanket is not something you generally buy for yourself but you really appreciate when it's gifted to you. The mill has been open since the Civil War and is one of the only brands that can bost true US-made woolen blankets.
Music
Night Moves (not a Bob Seger cover band) is an indie rock band from Minneapolis that's been criminally overlooked for more than a decade. A couple buddies and I organize an annual block party called Nershfest and they were our headliner this year. I felt fortunate that a band of their caliber was available to us because their performance was that of a band selling out 5,000-seat theaters across the country.
Amazon
This is gonna be a pretty niche and weird recommendation. I've been wearing a bite guard at night for 10+ years. It's far beyond the point where I can't sleep without it. I typically buy generic bite guards off Amazon and each one will last me 1-2 months. Then I found the Protect The Crown brand bite guards. I'm 4 months into my first pair and it's yet to show signs of wear. I'm signing their praises to all the grinders out there.
Want to get in touch with Griffin? Reach out on Linkedin
P.S. I’ve recently finished and recommend The Kids of Rutherford County podcast from Serial Productions and the NYT — “For over a decade, one Tennessee county arrested and illegally jailed hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. From Serial Productions and The New York Times, a four-part series reveals how this came to be — and what it would take to stop it.”
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