By all accounts, the latest venture from Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul is going quite well, perhaps even more so than their decidedly-less-legal fictional enterprise on Breaking Bad. Dos Hombres, the mezcal company the two award-winning actors launched in 2019, has quickly ascended the spirit’s global ranks as it undergoes a swift expansion, its two beloved principals firmly at the helm. Jetset recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the industrious duo aboard a well-appointed Bombardier Challenger 350 to imbibe some of their smoky spirit and discuss the brand’s growing success.

“I think it’s important for people to know that we are very hands-on,” Paul says, filling his rocks glass with Dos Hombres. Paul is proud to say that the pair has hired every single one of their employees personally and are involved in nearly every decision for the global brand. The two frequently embark on whirlwind promotional tours — long days of four, five, six stops in one city — surprising fans at bars, mixing drinks, signing bottles, and getting to know the people whom Paul says “put liquor to the lips.” I’ve had the opportunity to witness one of these things firsthand and found myself struck by his boundless energy, effortless charisma, and genuine passion for the brand. Many celebrities with brands talk the talk; few walk as fervently as these two.

In 2023 celebrity liquor brands are beyond ubiquitous. Seemingly every week, another familiar face lends their weight to a new spirit with varying degrees of quality and success. From a business perspective, the logic is sound. As you are probably well aware, in 2017, Clooney and Co. sold Casamigos to Diageo for a billion dollars. By 2025 the global market size for alcoholic beverages is estimated to surpass $2.2 trillion. A cynic might look at Dos Hombres and think that someone saw what Casamigos did for tequila and said, “Let’s do that for mezcal,” and cravenly found Cranston and Paul endorse it. They would be wrong.

“This is all self-funded by Bryan and [me] from the very beginning,” Paul tells me. “It wasn’t some big corporation that came to us asking us if we wanted to make a quick buck, slap our name on something, and wish it luck.” No, this is a clear labor of love, something born out of hard work, a two-decade-long friendship, and respect for the culture and tradition from which this spirit comes. It began as the pair pondered their next project a few years after their TV show concluded its snowballing run as a bonafide cultural phenomenon with another slew of Emmys and a rightful place in the pantheon of great television.

Following up on a hit of that magnitude is no small feat, and for a while, the right project seemed evasive. Then Paul had a somewhat outside-the-box idea. Mezcal. “I mean, it’s my favorite spirit,” he tells me. “I come from the bourbon/Scotch/whiskey world…I was always having a glass of whiskey or bourbon…and then I was introduced to mezcal 17 years ago…and I just fell in love with it. It’s just such a clean spirit. The older I got the next morning sort of hurt me a little bit with the darker spirits, but I could have a mezcal, and I feel great. I love the smokiness to it, the peaty-ness.”

He also sensed an opportunity. “I saw such a clear opening there,” Paul says. “There wasn’t a clear frontrunner in the space, and I thought we could take a swing at that.” Once Cranston was on board with the idea, they began an immense education in the spirit’s rich tradition and embarked on frequent trips south of the border where they discovered the tercer hombre in this equation, third-generation Maestro Mezcalero (basically “master mezcal maker”) and partner in Gregorio Velasco. Velasco helped bring the duo’s vision to life and craft an accessible mezcal perfect for bringing this somewhat acquired taste to the masses.

The two speak of their maestro with great reverence. “Every time we go down to Mexico and visit our maestro…he teaches us something different,” Cranston says. As Cranston tells it, Velasco carefully guards the formula for Dos Hombres, not unlike the recipe for Coca-Cola, Colonel Sanders’ 11 herbs and spices…or Heisenberg’s infamous blue. “He has a recipe, like a fine chef has a recipe, for Dos Hombres, and it’s very well tightly kept…we don’t even know it.”

When asked about transitioning from acting to business, Cranston admits that while there was a natural learning curve, the pair relished the challenge. “What’s interesting as actors, every time we start a character, it’s outside of us,” he says. “We don’t know if we’re truly going to get it and to be able to understand that character and grab hold of it. So I just looked at this business in the same way. Oh, it’s outside, here… just have to study and do everything I do as an actor, developing a character to learn as much as I can…keep pulling it in. We’re like dry sponges; just pull it in and learn as much as we can.”

The two both owned production companies, but as Cranston points out, that is within a world they know well. “This is really the first ownership of a business completely outside of anything I had ever been involved with before,” he says. But by all indications, they have been quick studies. In just a few years, they are certainly looking like that frontrunner, as their donkey-adorned bottles can be spotted in more and more retailers, restaurants, and bars. The pair admits they have “lofty goals” for the brand. “We just want to keep growing this thing,” Paul says, “keep educating people on what mezcal is, and swing for that number one spot.”

While it seems they have already attained quite a lot through this endeavor, one major milestone might be eluding them. Cranston surveys the Challenger’s cabin before casually admitting, “We could use a jet to get around…that would be great.” Paul agrees. “You know what? We really could use a jet,” he says, laughing, “Just saying…you know a guy?” Cranston echoes a line from Breaking Bad: “You know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy?” (At Jetset, we know a few guys.)

All kidding aside, it would seem that the real goals behind Dos Hombres extend far beyond creature comforts. “We have always felt that we can be a massively successful company and still be good stewards to the earth and to people,” Cranston says. “There’s no reason why that cannot be joined…[to] share the joy, share the wealth, do things that are beneficial for people, both here and in Mexico…I think we feel that way because we have never gone after a money plateau. We are going after a product, whether it is a movie that we make or a mezcal that we make, we focus on that to be the best it can be, and if the ripple effect of that is a success, then fantastic.”

To this pair, the work is all they know. To them, the action is the (smoky) juice. “We both are from blue-collar families,” Cranston says. “We didn’t have much money at all when we were growing up, so we don’t know what that’s like; we just know how to work…and every time we achieve another plateau — we break into the top ten, the top five, now we’re number four — we cheers, and we go back to work.” He pauses for a moment, looking at his partner. “I kind of like it that way.” The two raise their glasses. Salud to the next plateau.

The post Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston: Breaking Into The Beverage Business appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

For twenty years Celebrate the Craft has served as a jubilant celebration of the culinary bounty of Southern California. The festival features food and drink from a wide array of local chefs, food artisans, farmers, ranchers, fishers, wineries, distilleries, and breweries. With over a dozen chefs on hand, it is a tremendous opportunity to conveniently sample the best of Southern California’s culinary scene all in one beautiful, upscale location.

Guests are treated to interactive cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and more all on the historic grounds of The Lodge at Torrey Pines, which offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the legendary Torrey Pines golf course. Furthermore, a portion of the proceeds from the festival benefit The Ecology Center.

VIP tickets are sold out, but General Admission tickets as well as exclusive room packages are available online by vising lodgetorreypines.com/celebrate-the-craft.

The post Celebrate the Craft: The Premier Food & Wine Festival Returns appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

Fast Lane Drive is more than just a traditional car club. As founder Clement Connor describes it, “We are a social community…the common thread just happens to be supercars.” With chapters in San Diego, Miami, Los Angeles, Vegas, and now Scottsdale, Arizona, Fast Lane has become the Soho House of car clubs, a vast culture across America of like-minded but diverse individuals bonded by their common success, camaraderie, desire to give back…and (of course) need for speed.

Fast Lane members drive everything from Porsches and Lamborghinis to far more exotic hypercars such as Bugattis, Paganis, and Koenigseggs. There are over 200 Ferraris in the club. But more impressive than the cars in Fast Lane are its members. “Our members range in age from 21 to 75 years old,” Fast Lane Drive Arizona Partner Ian Blair says, “business owners, entrepreneurs, lawyers…finance, entertainment…we literally cross all demographics and industries.” Blair is proud to add that, unlike most supercar clubs, Fast Lane Drive’s members are 25 percent female.

Fast Lane Drive began in San Diego in 2017 as just “a group of like-minded friends who like to hang out, network, have fun, and drive fast.” But what began modestly has soon blossomed into one of the premier car clubs and affluent social groups in the country, a community that members have lovingly dubbed the “Fast Lane Family”. Whether they are planning incredible member experiences or making dreams come true for Make-A-Wish kids, the bond between Fast Lane members is truly impressive.

Technically, the only real criterion to be in Fast Lane Drive is that you own a supercar. But the reality is that the screening is far more in-depth, and it takes a lot of intention to build a culture like the one that Fast Lane has created. “As we go through the interview process, our goal is to ensure that regardless of your income, your attitude and character align with the overall Fast Lane ethos,” Fast Lane Drive Arizona Partner John Barbuto says. “Members are committed to giving back to the community, helping one another prosper, and conducting themselves in an exemplary manner.”

But that doesn’t mean that they don’t like to have fun. Each year, each chapter plans several dedicated and cross-chapter events, bringing together members for incredible, all-inclusive luxury experiences. “Each event we try to top the last,” says Fast Lane Drive Arizona’s Jamie Hebets, “scenic and exotic drives, dinners from celebrity chefs, private mansion parties, unique VIP experiences…you name it.” Over the years, the club has continued to top itself in providing unparalleled luxury lifestyle experiences for its members. And its exclusivity and cachet only continue to grow.

That’s what brought Fast Lane to Arizona. “Scottsdale is one of the premier emerging affluent markets,” Blair says, “more and more people are realizing that Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are great places to live…and we felt it would be a perfect fit for Fast Lane.” The abundance of HNWI transplants from nearby states like California and the proliferation of fine dining, shopping, golf courses, and nightlife make Scottsdale a prime location for the Fast Lane crowd. Fast Lane Drive Arizona has quickly established itself as the premier car club in Arizona.

With the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open approaching, now is an exciting time to be an FLD Arizona member. “We have some really incredible things in the works,” Barbuto says, “this is going to be one for the books.” Fast Lane members from across the globe will be bringing their supercars and hypercars to the desert for the ultimate celebration. And since all events and experiences are members-only, the only way to join is to be a member.

FLD maintains its exclusivity through its careful selection process and strict 200-member cap. “Once a chapter reaches 200 members, we cannot allow any new members unless one drops out,” Hebets says. This way the group can remain close-knit and ensure a real sense of community. “We want everyone to know and feel a connection and kinship with their fellow members,” he adds, “whether we are hitting the track or organizing a drive for local schools, we want everyone to be proud of the people they are with.”

The sense of community Fast Lane Drive has worked to foster is only reinforced by the number of opportunities created through its ranks. “We have had countless successful businesses created and deals brokered within Fast Lane,” Blair says, “it has become an incredible network and resource for its members.” According to him, “anything you need – reservations, recommendations, professionals – your Fast Lane brothers and sisters got it for you.” This is what helps make Fast Lane Drive a true community… one that is growing with speed.

To learn more about Fast Lane Drive Arizona membership, visit fastlanedrive.com/arizona

The post Fast Lane Drive: Supercar Club With Purpose Expands to Scottsdale appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

Some people are born to answer the call of duty. Skylar Domine is one such individual. In between expanding his numerous growing business ventures, the decorated former Marine and Operation Enduring Freedom war veteran has been committed to helping make a difference around the world. Through his mentorship and brave work with Veterans Empowering To Protect African Wildlife (or VETPAW), Domine is helping fellow veterans regain their honor and get on track in the civilian world after serving their country, all while saving endangered species and making a positive impact on the world.

“The greatest honor of my life has been serving my country,” Domine, who received the Navy Achievement Medal (NAM) for his bravery during combat, says. “But for many veterans, the transition back into society can be tough.” He knows this all too well. “When I got back from Afghanistan, it was quite an adjustment,” he says. “I felt lost…I was dealing with PTSD and horrible nightmares and migraines…I would wake up in a cold sweat screaming; it was really a bleak time.” Like so many of our nation’s veterans, he was in pain and searching for a second purpose.

Thankfully, Domine found salvation through physical fitness and entrepreneurship. He began bodybuilding, fine-tuning his already impressive physique, and went on to set a state powerlifting record. Then he started a personal training business and began owning and managing gyms, eventually launching a successful apparel company and authoring a book on physical fitness entitled You Don’t Need a Personal Trainer. Today he is involved in several industries ranging from credit repair (his company Capital Solutions) to executive protection to real estate and CBD/cannabis.

“With every new venture I take on,” Domine says, “I ask myself if it is helping benefit someone in some way.” After finding success, he knew he was obligated to help give back to his fellow veterans. “Over the years, I was seeing that I was losing more of my brothers to suicide than I had lost while we were in combat,” Domine says. “That simply should not happen.” To him these men and women were heroes, and they should be celebrated as such. “I love this country so much,” he says, “but the sad reality is that many of our veterans are forgotten once they return from battle.” So he made it his mission to give back to them.

Domine began actively mentoring fellow former Marines, teaching them crucial life lessons he had learned such as financial literacy, how to build credit, how to properly deal with depression, and how to start their own business. “My brothers and sisters needed to know that they weren’t forgotten and that there is a pathway to a better life,” Domine says. He was determined to provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills they needed to overcome the pain of war and begin making an incredible impact on the world…because as he puts it “these men and women are incredible, they just lack the tools.”

That mindset is what led to Domine’s involvement with VETPAW, or Veterans Empowering To Protect African Wildlife. Founded by another former Marine, Ryan Tate, the organization takes veterans like the men and women Domine mentors and puts them to work in Africa saving endangered species and rebuilding impoverished communities. “What VETPAW does is really a win/win,” he says. “On one hand we are helping our incredible veterans find purpose and work and on the other, we are saving animals from vicious poachers while helping people in poverty live a better life.”

Domine (who sits on the organization’s advisory board) describes his first trip to Africa with VETPAW as a life-changing experience. “I thought we were only going to be assisting in counter-poaching missions but in reality, the change [the organization] is making on the ground runs so much deeper,” he says. In Africa, Domine witnessed the worst poverty he had seen since the war. “These people are just desperate for a meal…and many are forced to go on poaching missions or else their family will be slaughtered,” he says, “they need all the help they can get.

Today the organization counts many celebrities such as Diplo, Dana White, and Cindy Crawford amongst its supporters and regularly organizes missions to save animals and provide valuable resources to impoverished children in neglected communities. Domine recently returned from a trip to South Africa and was humbled by the work that he and his fellow veterans are accomplishing. “We rescued several animals, cut the overgrown grass so that kids could practice soccer, gave the kids soccer balls, cones, cleats, and jerseys, and provided reinforced security for a special needs school,” he says.

According to Domine, seeing firsthand the kind of impact that these brave men and women can make in the world only validates his belief that they have so much more to give. “My greatest piece of advice to my fellow veterans is to never forget that you are loved and you still have a higher purpose,” he says. “With just a little guidance you can find meaningful work or break away from your nine-to-five and create forms of passive income.” For Domine, the mission is to continue growing and continue helping heroes…one life at a time.

The post Skylar Domine: War Veteran Entrepreneur Gives Back appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

Most people break into real estate and then are forced to learn the intricacies of real estate marketing. Due to a steep learning curve and the inherent pitfalls of a saturated marketplace, many unforeseen struggles typically ensue. Luckily for Jordan Page, he took the opposite approach, transitioning seamlessly from a successful career in sales to e-commerce, then marketing, and then eventually becoming one of the preeminent names in Arizona luxury real estate. For Page, it was easy to see where his contemporaries were wasting efforts and what needed to be done to breathe new life in an antiquated system.

“There are over 70,000 active real estate agents in [the Phoenix area],” Page says, “so if you really want to make an impression, you have to learn how effectively market yourself.” According to him, very few real estate agents truly know what they’re doing as it relates to marketing…at least not at first. “They throw money at courses and agencies and tired marketing techniques without embracing social media or understanding what it takes to differentiate yourself…and in doing so, they set themselves up for failure.”

Page’s innate understanding of 21st Century marketing and branding (as well as his background as an entrepreneur and tech sales specialist) has been integral to his recent success. Recognized as a top agent and recently recruited by powerhouse boutique brokerage America One Luxury Real Estate, he has built a sterling reputation for creating incredible client experiences, spearheading effective and innovative marketing and advertising campaigns, and being as open and transparent as possible with his clients. This reputation has led to top-dollar sales and representing enviable properties like a stunning new six-million-dollar estate he recently sold in Paradise Valley.

Page’s journey began in Arlington, Texas, where he grew up playing football before eventually attending school at Texas State University and the University of Arkansas. In college, Page launched a campuswide recycling initiative that led him to discover a latent talent for leadership and bringing people together. “That taught me that with the proper platform, I had the ability to motivate people,” he says, “and also that with the right strategy in place I could efficiently reach a wide audience.” These talents would certainly be useful later in his career.

After graduating, Page moved to Scottsdale and began working as a sales representative for Yelp. Over the course of four-and-a-half years with the tech giant, he was in the top one percent in sales, and eventually, he cashed the stock options he had accrued to help launch his first business, a nutritional supplement company called AnatomiQ. Page applied his very specific vision for branding to the company and fully embraced the power of Instagram to spread the word. The result was an almost instant sensation. Page couldn’t keep products on the shelves and in less than a year, he had grown the company to over 70 employees.

The company’s success proved that with a clear brand identity and marketing strategy, Page could easily move the needle. But the harsh realities of the retail industry soon taught him a harsh lesson. “The margins were brutal,” he says. The cost of manufacturing and distribution left little meat on the bone at the end of the day, especially with such an extensive payroll, and eventually, he had to shut his doors and let all 70+ sales reps go. “That was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” Page says, admitting he still gets emotional about the experience to this day.

After the fall of AnatomiQ, Page had befriended a Biltmore-area real estate broker who explained his trade succinctly: “You meet people, network, and you can make a lot of money,” Page recalls. The proposition sounded too alluring for one with his skillset, and he soon got his license and began immersing himself in the industry. He focused on creating engaging listing videos (one of which got over 130,000 views) and discovered he had a knack for being on camera. Soon the referrals started to fly in. “Everything I had ever worked on, strived for, had finally started to come together,” says Page.

Eventually, Page began to develop the core tenets of real estate marketing that would help define his career….

Live the Brand

One of Page’s early keys to success was understanding how to convey a clearly defined personal brand. “Many misunderstand what a personal brand is — it’s not a logo, a name, or a catchphrase,” Page says, “It’s your reputation, how you do a showing, how you shoot a video, how you present everything to the client implicitly.” According to Page, most realtors don’t understand that every time you interact with a client, you are representing the brand and you need to make sure it is crystal clear and concise. “There’s incongruence,” he says, “when you call yourself a ‘tech-based, innovative realtor,’ and then you just pass out a flyer at your listing that looks contradictory…or worse, disingenuous.”

Own Your Lifestyle

According to Page, one of the most important things in luxury real estate is understanding that people aren’t just looking for a home or an investment. “They are looking for a lifestyle,” Page says. We always hear “location, location, location,” but according to Page, location equals lifestyle. “The home should be developed as it should be experienced,” he says, “and every time you show it, you need to be explaining the lifestyle that clients could be living in it — schools, golf courses, nightlife, shopping, entertainment — because they already know the information on the fact sheet, trust me.”

Embrace Social Media

Perhaps the greatest key to Page’s rise is not only his willingness to not only embrace social media but his inherent understanding of how it actually works. “One of the most surprising things to me when I learned real estate, is how little most agents actually understand what works on social media,” Page says. “They aren’t creating real estate content that they would want to see if they weren’t an agent themselves. Even if they have a lot of followers, those followers won’t care about the content if it’s apparent that the agents don’t either.” He stresses the importance of creating engaging, well-produced content that people will actually pay attention to. “Give people a good reason to follow, engage them as best you can, and I guarantee when their friend is buying a home, they will think of you over the guy who posts five awful fliers a day,” he says.

Change With the Times

One of the things that Page cannot stress enough to realtors is not doing the same stale thing over and over again. “We have all been to a million open houses and broker previews,” Page says, “and let’s be honest, they usually suck.” That’s why he has strived to think outside of the box, doing things like collaborating with artists, top chefs, and entertainers to help sell the lifestyle aspect of his luxury listings, and embracing changes in the industry. On that note, Page is proudly promoting the fact that his client is accepting cryptocurrency as payment for that aforementioned $6 million PV mansion. “Cryptocurrency is the future,” Page says, “we can’t be looking at everything with a lens from the past.”

Speaking of the future, Page is eager for the opportunity to continue to expand while using his platform to help clients in new and innovative ways. In addition, he has been building towards launching his own team in 2022. “This will be the start of something new, something fresh, something exciting,” he tells me. “I am happy to be delivering amazing experiences to my clientele, and hope to create a team that shares the same passion and drive.”

jordanpageaz.com

The post Selling Scottsdale: Jordan Page and the Power of Real Estate Marketing appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

When looking for luxury real estate in the US, few cities can compete with Miami. Its winning combination of high-end shopping, fine dining, culture, and nightlife coupled with sunny temperatures, ocean views, easy international travel, and Florida’s generous tax policies make it one of the US’s most lucrative real estate markets (condo prices alone are up 27 percent in the past year). Looking to purchase a dream home or investment property in Miami? Here is a collection of some of the most magical properties currently for sale in The Magic City.

30 Palm Ave

One of the most expensive listings on the market in the 305, this recently redesigned modern masterpiece in Palm Island offers everything one could possibly desire. Situated on a manicured 32,000-square-foot lot with 100 feet of waterfront and over 13,000 square feet of interior space, 30 Palm Ave is truly imposing estate.

This two-story beauty features nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a movie theater, an elevator, a recreation room, a gym, and so much more. The home offers beautiful luxury accents like ample hardwood and marble throughout and is being sold impeccably furnished. The pool area offers ample seating and sweeping views of the city and ocean and an IPE wood dock offers direct boat access to both Biscayne Bay and the ocean, making it ideal for embarking on any nautical adventures.

$43,000,000
30 Palm Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Jill Eber, Coldwell Banker Realty

18555 Collins Ave APT 4203

The most prestigious unit currently available in the one-of-a-kind Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles, this five-bedroom, seven-bath luxury condo is a car collector’s dream. What makes this unit so rare is that it is actually two combined units on two floors, offering a buyer endless customization options for its 7,000 square feet of living space.

First-rate finishes and features like ceramic tile, marble, and two-story floor-to-ceiling windows offer expansive views of the ocean and bay. But of course, the most impressive feature is the in-unit four-car garage. Simply drive up to the building and an elevator seamlessly whisks you 42 floors up to your unit where your prized beauties are on open display in your living room.

$21,000,000
Melissa Barragan, Dezer Platinum Realty LLC
18555 Collins Ave APT 4203, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160

Villa Magnolia

Offering nearly 13,000 square feet of interior space and sitting on a 221-foot-wide expanse of private waterfront, this Bal Harbor beauty is nothing short of palatial. With eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, two infinity edge pools, a third-level rooftop terrace, 850-bottle temperature-controlled wine room, a built-in 750-gallon aquarium, a movie theater, and a glass elevator, this privately gated Neoclassical estate truly is fit for royalty.

The rotunda foyer offers a 40-foot ceiling, carved marble, and a dual-sided staircase with white gold leaf banisters, and the home’s regality is reinforced by design flourishes like European paint and hand-crafted stone throughout.

$35,000,000
182 Bal Bay Dr, Bal Harbour, FL 33154
Jill Herzberg, Coldwell Banker Realty

102 24th St PH 1610

It is all about the views in this stunning, two-story penthouse at the famed 1 Hotel & Homes in South Beach. Located on the Southeast corner and designed by the renowned Liubasha Rose, nearly every inch of this beachside retreat offers breathtaking crystal blue ocean views. The penthouse features four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, maid quarters, an Italktaft kitchen with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, white oak floors, and vast terraces for entertaining.and city skyline. Can be placed into the hotel rental program for great potential income.

And of course, being this is the 1 Hotel, you are right in the heart of it all and amenities are among the best in town, including four swimming pools, a rooftop restaurant, a 14,000 square foot fitness center, in-residence masseuse service, and much more. Even more, the property can be placed into their hotel rental program and easily monetized when you are away.

$30,000,000
102 24th St PH 1610, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Matias Alem and Sergio Balinotti, BRG International

The Arsht Estate

One of the highest-priced listings in the history of South Florida, The Arsht Estate is truly unlike any other piece of real estate on the market in Miami (or anywhere for that matter). Actually comprised of two homes — Indian Spring and Villa Serena — and situated on a staggering four-plus acres directly on Biscayne Bay on Millionaire’s Row, this is one of the most epic properties in the world.

Indian Spring is the primary residence and was constructed in 199 to entertain on a grand scale. It offers five bedrooms, a garden room, a rotunda with 360-degree views of the surrounding cityscape, and much, much more. Villa Serena was built by former U.S. Treasury Secretary William Jennings Bryan in 1913, was meticulously restored in 2012, and is a certified historical site.

$150,000,000
3031 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33129
Ashley Cusack, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

The post Heating Up: Top Five Miami Properties on the Market appeared first on JetsetMag.com.

Photography by Jamie Lynn Lloyd

Many people have a sense of what they want to do in life, but few have the courage and determination to make it happen. Nick Ptak, a rising force in residential real estate in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood, falls firmly in the latter category. Genteel, passionate, and idealistic, Ptak is driven by an unwavering ambition and a fierce commitment to better his community and provide exceptional service to his clients. It is this indelible spirit that has seen him achieve profound success, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

“I believe in building meaningful relationships with my clients,” Ptak says. “That means being straightforward with them about expectations, understanding their needs, and helping make the entire buying and selling process as seamless as possible.” It is that level of earnest care and commitment that has earned Ptak effusive praise from his clients. “I have purchased and sold countless homes for over 50 years,” one recent seller says, “and I can easily say that my experience with Nick Ptak selling a home for me was by far the smoothest transaction of them all.”

Today, Ptak is one of the top producing agents in the Phoenix area and has received numerous accolades for his prowess. But his journey to success was long and hard-fought, full of hard work and arduous toil. Post-college, Ptak was working in sales, cold calling 80-100 people a day. It was a draining and uninspiring grind, and he was desperate to find another, more fulfilling way to make ends meet. To escape the mind-numbing monotony, he often found himself going for therapeutic drives in the posh, emerging Central Phoenix and Arcadia neighborhoods during his lunch break. “I would look at the homes I drove by and think to myself, ‘someday I am going to live here,’” he says.

That’s when his future came into alignment along the horizon. “One day, it hit me that this is what I wanted to do,” Ptak says of his real estate career epiphany. “It just clicked into place. I’m a big people person and thought what better way to combine the two than helping people find the house of their dreams.” Ptak realized he was passionate about real estate, and his altruistic spirit loved the idea of helping families find their dream home. “The idea of showing someone a house, seeing their vision come together…it just felt amazing,” he says.

After getting his license, Ptak’s journey into real estate as a career began when he partnered with an associate who wanted to start a brokerage. Ptak oversaw the day-to-day operations — learning everything he could about the intricacies of the business while gaining valuable insight into the market. He already knew what area he was passionate about, the idyllic suburbs of North Paradise Valley, The Central Phoenix Corridor, and Arcadia — those same homes he had dreamed of one day owning — and before long was working full time doing what he loved.

“I just hit the ground running,” Ptak says. Soon he was fulfilling his newfound dream of helping families purchase the home of their dreams. “That was a special realization for me,” Ptak says, “seeing that I could bring such joy to families only inspired me to work harder.” Quickly gaining momentum and rubbing shoulders with the heavy hitters of real estate, Ptak will also never forget when he hit his first 100k commission month — but is even prouder of the fact that every one of those sales came from referrals.

As Ptak began to gain momentum in the industry, he saw his philosophies evolving. For his first couple of years, the focus was on the details, but when questioned about his key to success, Ptak insists that it is his ability to eventually “out-focus on the details” that has allowed him to quickly climb the ranks of real estate professionals and land himself in the top two percent of realtors. “You have to be able to see the macro,” he says, “you have to be able to continuously view the big picture, especially when you are doing a high volume of sales.”

Today, Ptak lives in the Central Phoenix Corridor he loves so much with his lovely wife Erica and their two young children. (“It means a lot to raise my family here,” he says.) He believes that everyone needs to know what drives them every day, what makes them jump out of bed and go to work, what gives them a sense of purpose. For Ptak, it’s his family and being able to help people find the home they love. Proud of his Arizonan roots, he is a fixture in his community and a steadfast devotee to Arizona sports teams (in seasons good and bad), restaurants, and culture. It’s this devotion that has only added to his stature.

Ptak’s commitment to his clients and to operating in complete integrity shows when talking to him — and is undoubtedly another integral piece to what has helped him build his stellar reputation. “In real estate, deliver good news fast…but deliver bad news even faster,” he says. “The one thing clients are owed is instant communication; I cannot control when something bad happens in a transaction…when bad things happen, the longer you sit on it, the more it exacerbates things. Prepare people for the scenarios and outcomes.”

His passion for Arizona and its residents is what drives Ptak to not only stay at the top of his game but also fuels his fierce commitment to applying his real estate industry knowledge and business acumen to give back to those who need it most. “As soon as I started seeing success, I knew it was time to give back,” he says. Ptak is a proud donor to The Arizona Housing Fund, a charitable project dedicated to helping people escape poverty by providing affordable housing. “Besides food and water, housing is the most crucial thing we can provide,” he says. “And I love that 100 percent of the funds donated go to the actual cause.”

Having already made an impact on countless lives through his work in real estate — both clients and those helped by his generous donations — Ptak is determined to leave the world a better place than he found it. What’s more, he is only just getting started. His next mission is to develop a housing unit for those less fortunate. “My goal is to create privately-owned housing that can be available to people who need it…abused women, single and teenage moms…people who need help getting back on their feet and don’t want to have to visit a shelter.”

With big plans for the future — both for his real estate career and for helping others, Ptak is definitely one to watch. As he continues his journey towards the top of the ladder of success, it’s hard not to be inspired by his success and commitment to the greater good. His biggest aim? “Working on being the best I can be, being the most present,” Ptak says. “At the end of the day when I am 90 years old, that is what will matter.” Wise words from someone who knows all too well that the only way to always stay at the top is by focusing on what really matters. That is how you forge a lasting legacy.

nickptak.com

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Located on the true Penthouse floor (96 of 96) of one the most elite and exclusive properties in the world, 432 Park Avenue, New York’s priciest listing is a wonder to behold. This veritable mansion-in-the-sky is among the most spectacular pieces of real estate on earth; it offers a staggering 8,255 square feet of interior space with breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of New York, features first-class furnishings and finishes, and it is currently on the market for a cool $169 mil.

Homes like this seldom become available for sale anywhere in the world. Every inch of this architectural wonder is thoughtfully and artfully crafted to astonish all who enter. It is truly one-of-a-kind from the 12.5-foot ceilings to the 240 linear feet of glass offering breathtaking views of nearly every inch of Manhattan. Currently owned by billionaire Saudi real estate developer Fawaz Alhokair, this palatial estate is designed to satisfy every need of even the most discerning of ultra-high-end buyers.

“Real estate is one of the best investments you can make, as is fine art,” says listing agent Ryan Serhant, founder and CEO of SERHANT. “This penthouse is both – one of the only penthouses like it in the world, making it like a piece of rare, fine art.” And everything about the penthouse, from the layout to the views to the first-class luxury finishings, furniture, and artwork screams “work of art”.

432 Park Avenue was designed by Rafael Vinoly, and Los Angeles-based designer Andrew Cohen is responsible for the penthouse’s interiors. The layout is exquisitely crafted and features a 93-foot-long living and dining great room, six spacious bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a library, and much more. A private elevator opens to the East-facing great room which features a wood-burning fireplace and a stately formal dining area.

The eat-in kitchen offers sweeping views of Central Park and is equipped with ample marble floors, countertops, and backsplashes, white lacquer and natural oak cabinets, polished chrome fixtures from Dornbracht, and a massive island. There is also a North-facing breakfast bar, a butler’s pantry with a utility sink, and a suite of high-end appliances from Miele. Twin powder rooms serve the main living and dining spaces.

The primary suite is a marvel in its own right. It also offers breathtaking Central Park views and features a sitting room and couples’ walk-through dressing rooms leading to separate windowed bathrooms with slab marble walls, heated floors, custom wood cabinets, floating tubs with incredible views, and carved oval sinks. Each of the remaining five guest bedrooms offer breathtaking views, ample closet space, and a full en-suite bathroom.

The home is truly turnkey and the seller is including all the lavish art and furnishings in the sale. That includes designer furniture from the likes of Fendi, Bentley, and Hermes, a Jeff Koons “Popeye” balloon statue, a grand piano, and a near never-ending list of additional first-rate appointments. All a buyer will have to do is grab the keys and immediately be in possession of one of the most opulent properties inside and out on the planet.

But of course, in addition to the penthouse, a buyer will have access to all of the on-site amenities that make 432 Park Avenue one of the most luxurious addresses in the world. That includes concierge and room service and 30,000 square feet of lifestyle amenities such as a private restaurant and lounge, a 75-foot indoor pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a yoga studio, sauna, steam, and massage rooms, an outdoor terrace, a screening room, conference and billiards rooms, a library, and a children’s playroom, and climate-controlled wine cellars.

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Photography by Jamie Lynn Lloyd

There is something to be said about those who leverage their success to inspire positive change in the world. Tim McBride is one such individual. For the past few years, the preeminent Scottsdale real estate professional has been utilizing his platform and mining his noteworthy network to help give back to those in need. His innovative organization Homes for Good uses the incredible access that residential real estate provides and turns everyday business responsibilities into immediate local community impact. The organization empowers several worthy charities through a unique strategy of grassroots fundraising, marketing, and strategic partnerships under McBride’s astute altruistic vision.

“It all started with a simple idea,” McBride tells Jetset, “early in my career, I was holding open houses and bringing people together to view listings and I thought, ‘what if there was a way I could use the space of the open house to elevate my standard of service by raising money for local charities and championing the good happening in our local communities?’” So in 2018, he made a pledge. For every open house he would hold and every person that attended, he would personally donate to a local charity. The more open houses and people that attended, the more impact he could make and stories he could share with his audience and network. As far as he was concerned, it not only brought more attention to his clients’ listings but also shone a spotlight on some truly deserving organizations. Win-win.

“I’ve always believed in the idea that residential real estate has the potential to tell a much bigger story beyond the transaction,” McBride says. “It can be a catalyst for inspiration, impact, and transformation in our neighborhoods and communities.” Today, Homes for Good raises money for local nonprofit partners in McBride’s home state of Arizona through three primary methods: He makes a donation for each home that he or a member on his Wexler Real Estate Group team closes, “matching partners” match donations that the organization makes, and anyone can donate through Homes for Good’s website.

To date, the organization has reached over 25,000 people, raised over $100,000, and benefitted nineteen unique Arizona nonprofits with an emphasis on youth and sports like First Tee of Phoenix and Giving-Sole. “Every year the platform continues to grow,” McBride says, “and every year Homes for Good brings more attention to incredible organizations doing incredible work to meet the needs of others.” In just a few years, McBride has turned Homes for Good into a powerful vehicle to spread inspiring stories of good happening in the community while highlighting changemakers doing transformative things for those in need.

McBride’s commitment to inspiring change long predates Homes for Good. His career began in Los Angeles in the sports and entertainment worlds where his dream was to become a sports agent. “I’ve always believed that sport holds the capacity to teach us and focus us on what matters most in life,” McBride says. “Sport gives power to others, it inspires hope, teaches empathy, and connects us as human beings.” (Growing up McBride had drawn inspiration from professional athletes and saw the positive impact that they could have on people’s lives and their local communities.) He worked his way up through the brutally competitive industries of sports and entertainment, ultimately landing a job at Red Bull North America and helping them manage their partnership with the industry-leading agency CAA.

Eventually, McBride moved to San Diego with his wife to help launch a high-performance athletic training facility. “Around that time is when both my entrepreneurial and philanthropic desires began to take hold,” he says. He was watching the emergence of fantasy sports and wondered if he could marry this new phenomenon with giving back. “But the idea was to have it be a product that was directed to the players so that they could control their voice,” McBride says. And in 2015, the performance-based giving, social impact app Pledger was born.

McBride had moved his family to Arizona to help develop and launch the ambitious project, but numerous internal and logistical issues within the company kept creating setbacks. “It was tough,” he says, “I knew we had something great that had the opportunity to really make something special but we kept facing hurdles.” Frustrated but not dejected, McBride received some advice from a friend in a local entrepreneurs group. “He told me I should take my entrepreneurial experiences and my passion for business and connecting people and get my real estate license,” he says.

McBride was reluctant (“I just never thought it was something I would ever do,” he says), but he eventually concluded that if it would provide the entrepreneurial freedom and flexibility to be available to his family, then why not give it a shot. “But I didn’t want to be the traditional realtor,” he says, “I wanted to keep the brand I had built over the years with organizations like APA and Red Bull intact…to take a lot of the things I had done in the creative and sports world and apply it to this space.”

So McBride launched a campaign entitled You Miss a 100 Percent of the Shots You Don’t Take inspired by the famous Wayne Gretzky quote. “I told my brokerage at the time I was going to hold a hundred open homes in the next four months,” McBride says, “it was a way for me to commit to the business completely.” He immersed himself, taking everything he had learned from his past and applying it to his newfound career. “I knew if I was going to do it it had to be all the way,” he says, adding that “it was a way of showing my family that I was serious about this new venture.”

Once McBride fully committed to the world of residential real estate he knew quickly that he didn’t want to just be a realtor, he wanted to be something more…he wanted to become a change agent. “I wanted to elevate my standard of service beyond the transaction to better impact my clients, the businesses, and the community,” he says. According to McBride, “real impact happens through real relationships and being in service of others.”

Fast-forward three years and McBride is now the number one buyers’ agent for the top-ranked realtor in the state of Arizona. He is a fixture in his local community, beloved by his clients and peers alike for his earnest candor and unwavering desire to help give back. He has hosted several episodes as a “Power Player” on American Dream TV, a national television show that highlights real estate and lifestyle in major cities across the nation; and launched a podcast, Change Agent, as a platform for local entrepreneurs and business leaders to share their insights, passions, and causes in hopes of empowering members of their community to facilitate positive change in their immediate environment.

Meanwhile, Homes for Good has become a powerful force in the community and McBride has ambitious plans for expansion. “When I talk to a client now and we do a deal, yes it is an honor to serve them in the purchase or sale of a home, but I get to tell them that their purchase not just benefited them, but also helped make an immediate impact on a specific need in someone else’s life,” McBride says. “And just that conversation is what moves me and inspires me to think well beyond our city and impact other communities.”

According to McBride, 2021 was defined by his board of directors — a team of local leaders he brought on to help him expand and impact more lives. He had each of them nominate an organization they found to be doing exceptional work that could use the support and allow them to concisely focus their efforts. This could allow him to focus on the larger picture, thus impacting more communities. “I want to take what I’ve been building here in Arizona and go national by identifying Change Agents in cities across the country,” he says earnestly.

McBride goes on to say that he wants to be of service to something bigger than himself and change the way people view real estate as a whole. He sees the public infatuation with shows like Million Dollar Listing, and the polarizing way in which his community and industry are viewed. “We all watch and shows like that,” he says, “and the narrative is always around the commission, the price of the home, and the lifestyle [real estate] can provide…but what if that narrative was flipped to ‘these transactions lead to this immediate impact right here in our own city’…to me that is powerful and that is what drives me forward.”

homesforgoodaz.com

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According to Jordan Baxter, “When it comes to business, connections are everything.” He would know. Through his revolutionary nightlife event company Pandavent, the 27-year-old trailblazing entrepreneur, mentor, and real estate mogul has been bringing people together for years — ever since he launched the company while just a teenager in college. Today, Baxter is overseeing Pandavent’s national expansion while managing a growing real estate empire and mentoring the youth of tomorrow, but he is still focused on applying his myriad talents to helping people form lasting memories.

“I learned at a young age that one of the greatest things you can do is to provide people with meaningful experiences,” Baxter says. “If you can help people have a great time, they will never forget it.” Today Pandavent helps anyone throw a party of any size and scope, securing everything from venues and staffing to entertainment and marketing concepts. Fire dancers, elaborate themes, famous DJs…if you can dream it, they can provide it. And at the center of it all is their charismatic, fresh-faced prodigy of a CEO.

Baxter’s journey to becoming a successful young entrepreneur has been a long one. He grew up in a strict, conservative household. In the eyes of Baxter’s parents, anything less than a perfect grade was a failure; anything less than perfection was unacceptable. Naturally, he rebelled. “I started causing trouble as a teenager,” he says, “nothing crazy, just stupid reckless kid stuff…I was searching for something.” Eventually, his mischievous streak lead to him getting in trouble with the law. “My parents were devastated,” he says, “But it was the wake-up call I needed…it was time to focus on my future.”

Baxter knew he wanted to be successful; he just didn’t know how yet. So he enrolled in college at Arizona State University and began studying marketing and journalism and soon saw that many of his friends were on track to land cushy jobs upon graduation. “I knew that with my degree that probably wasn’t going to be the case,” he says. “I knew that if I really wanted to be financially free by 30, I needed to start my own business and build capital because capital is key….having wealth is what empowers you to help people and create serious change.”

While in school, Baxter interned for TMZ in Los Angeles and learned firsthand the intricacies of the entertainment industry. “Around the same time, he learned that he had a knack for helping fellow students plan events. “Birthday parties, fraternity/sorority parties, you name it,” he says, “soon I developed a reputation on campus for helping put together memorable, theatrical events.” That’s when a lightbulb went off. “I had been looking for my great business idea, Baxter says, “and there it was staring me in the face.”

Baxter had learned from his impromptu event planning that the best time to rent venues was in the off-hours. “So I went to all these clubs I was using and basically told them that if they gave me the entire bar when it was empty for next to nothing, I would pack it,” he said. “It was a win/win.” Then he leveraged the relationships he was building with DJs, talent agents, and liquor companies. And thus, Pandavent was born. In just a short time, Baxter was working with over 20 venues and had hundreds of thousands in revenue.

“That is sort of how it took off,” he tells me. “Soon people were telling their friends, ‘I had the most incredible time at this party last night,’ and we were being flooded with inquiries.” In the process, Baxter knew he had found his opportunity to create the wealth he had always wanted, and he certainly wasn’t going to squander it. “I invested nearly every dime I made early on,” Baxter says. “I started my own stock brokerage and bought my first home at 22…and then another, and another.” Soon he had a growing real estate empire to go along with his flourishing business.

That’s when the time came to start giving back. “As soon as I started getting to a point of security, I knew I had an obligation to do the same for as many as I could,” Baxter says. So he began public speaking, educating young people about the importance of financial literacy and maintaining wealth. Eventually, he was asked to become a mentor at his alma mater of Arizona State University, working hand-in-hand with young business students, helping provide them with the insight to succeed.

Baxter says the mentor role has been the “most rewarding gift” in his impressive young career, and he is grateful for the opportunity to help nurture the next generation of young entrepreneurs. “We have to continue to inspire the next generation and educate them about the importance of building and maintaining wealth,” he says. Baxter has formed meaningful relationships with the students he mentors and strives to inspire them to stay focused on their dreams.

Today as Pandavent grows nationwide and Baxter’s real estate empire expands, he looks back to when he was a teenager full of dreams and ambition. “As entrepreneurs, many of us have been in that early position of trying to find our way in,” Baxter says, “of wondering how we will make our mark…and so I want these kids to know that I was there sitting in their shoes not too long ago.” His best advice is to “keep grinding, don’t get discouraged…work hard, stay disciplined, as the opportunities will eventually present themselves.”

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