The Toledo City Paper depends on readers like you! Become a friend today. See membership options
Local successful men talk about their fashion choices, pop culture preferences and the makings of a good man.
Produced by Riley Runnells, Libby Cassidy & Leah Foley
Photos by Kelli Miller
Parker Wall
Occupation: Financial Advisor, Bush & Associates
Fun fact: Thinking of becoming an expert lawyer after watching Suits
Where do you shop locally?
I shop at LuluLemon, it’s the best place to find all the different things you need, whether it be casual, athletic or even sometimes professional. I also shop at Men’s Wearhouse.
Where do you get your hair done and/or who’s your barber?
I go to The Art of Men’s Grooming on the corner of Central Avenue and McCord Road. I use a couple people over there, but Toni has been fantastic for me. You should go see her sometime.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
Generally, I’m in a business professional setting, so most often you’ll find me in dress pants and a blazer and a dress shirt. Outside of work, you’ll find me in athletic clothes and more casual upscale clothing as well.
Are there any personal fashion rules you make sure to stick to?
The main fashion tip I always stick to is to make sure your belt matches your shoes.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
I would say I’m mostly random when it comes to what I wear during different seasons; Lighter colors during the warmer summer seasons and darker colors during the winter and fall seasons.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
Keys to feeling confident is whatever makes you feel confident in whatever your style is. Whether it’s professional or the complete opposite from what somebody else’s is. You walk out the door being the best version of yourself.
Listening:
I’ve got a wide variety. I just listened to the new Zach Bryan album and recently went to the Greta Van Fleet concert, so it’s a wide variety of rock versus country and some of today’s hits in pop music.
Watching:
I just finished “Suits,” I think most people in America are finishing that right now, but it’s fantastic. I’d recommend everyone watch it and become an expert lawyer after.
Local eateries?
I’m a resident in Sylvania, so I love Inside the Five brewing, it’s amazing. Also Ye Olde Durty Bird has some of the most fantastic food – you’ll definitely have to check them out.
Sports fan? What teams?
Big sports fan. I love the Ohio State Buckeyes as far as football goes. I also love the Indianapolis Colts. Baseball, I’m a huge Tigers fan.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
It’s a common answer, but my dad has taught me everything that I know – work ethic, lifestyle, how to treat people. I look up to him in every direction.
What makes a hard worker?
A hard worker is somebody who is willing to put in the time and give the effort that’s required. I think in today’s world, we’re all looking for instant gratification, but it’s about putting in the time, the hours, and treating people right – doing business the right way. Good business will come if you do the right thing for people, but you have to put in the time and the hours to build relationships.
What makes a good man?
How they treat women and the people that are around them. I think you can tell a lot about a man by the way they treat their mom.
If you weren’t a financial advisor, what would you be?
I might want to be a pilot. I think the idea of being able to fly wherever I want whenever I want and travel and see the world would be really cool. But I’m super thankful for my job and wouldn’t have it any other way.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
It’s not a business relationship – it becomes a really personal relationship. People that I really consider family are clients of mine.
Ryan Creech
Occupation: Art Teacher, Sylvania Northview High School
Fun Fact: Loves his wife more than anything on the planet
Where do you shop locally?
The places I like to shop most are Express and H&M. I really like some of the modern clothes they have there; they make me feel comfortable.
Where do you get your hair done and/or who’s your barber?
I get my hair done at House of Him in Sylvania. I really enjoy the atmosphere – it’s really cool. Marquelle is my barber and she’s awesome. She does a fantastic job – she’s very detailed.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
I’m an art teacher, so most often I’m in very casual clothes, button downs and a decent pair of shoes – sometimes sneakers. When I’m out at night with my wife, or I’m out dressing casual, I like to wear my jean jacket and khakis, maybe a graphic t-shirt under that. I don’t get too fancy just because of what I do for a living.
Are there any personal fashion rules you make sure to stick to?
I don’t go with really bright colors. I like to stick to monochromatic colors and grays and blues and things like that that are cooler in color and darker. I like to match my shoes with my belt, but other than that it’s just personal preference for my job.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
I do a lot of blue. I have blue eyes, so people say I look good in blue and I’ve just stuck with that.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
Being OK with who you are, being authentic. I’m 52 years old and I’m OK with that. I don’t try to be younger – as a matter of fact, you’ll probably hear me say “I’m old,” and I’m cool with that. I like being the age I am and I enjoy the point of my life I’m in right now.
Reading:
I skip around a lot. Sometimes I don’t finish a book before I start another one. I just got done with Ken Follett’s The Evening and the Morning. It’s a middle ages book about art and architecture and there’s a storyline that goes with it. It’s really cool.
Listening:
Being a high school teacher, the kids turn me on to new music all the time. I’d heard of The Neighbourhood, but I just started listening to them because some of the kids said it was good. So whatever they say, I try it and listen to it. I just got a Victrola vinyl player, and let me tell you it’s really cool. I come home and I listen to Miles Davis.
Watching:
This is probably cliche at this point, but my favorite show is Ted Lasso. I’m a soccer coach as well, it’s who I’ve been for so long, but it’s not even about that – it’s about character and leadership, so that’s a show I just can’t stop talking about.
Local eateries?
I’m a craft beer guy, so I love Inside the Five and Upside Brewing’s great because I live in Sylvania and it’s so nice to see really cool craft brew places there that we can go to that are right down the road.
Sports fan? What teams?
Everybody that knows me knows that I’m a Liverpool fan in the English premier league. I went to a Columbus Crew game this year in their new stadium, and it was an awesome experience so I’m going to start following Columbus Crew. But I’m a huge Liverpool fan and, of course, the Steelers.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
This will sound really cheesy, but my wife, Kelly. She changed jobs mid-life and I think that’s really brave and it takes a lot of courage to do that. Not a lot of people can do that.
What makes a hard worker?
I think somebody who perseveres, who struggles through difficult moments and just keeps going. We throw around the words “work ethic” constantly, but I think somebody who can go through the struggle of difficulty and keep going has a really strong work ethic.
What makes a good man?
I think authenticity is really important. Knowing who you are and being OK with it, and being responsible; understanding that people are watching you and like it or not you are a role model for people who watch.
If you weren’t an art teacher, what would you be?
I would love to be an artist. I am, to a degree, but I don’t have time to do it. In another life, and maybe the next life, I’ll be doing pottery and making art.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
I’m not sure there’s a whole lot they don’t know, because we’re everywhere. I will say, and I know most teachers will say this, but we work really hard. I know a lot of people say, “Well, yeah, but nine months out of the year you’re working and then you get your time off,” but that nine months is packed with a lot. The kids need us and I think everybody knows that so it’s kind of a no-brainer.
How do you embrace your masculinity?
I think masculinity is another word that’s really tough to nail down. It changes with every generation. But I would say in this generation, masculinity is about being who you are, and being the best you can be. But also, I think embracing the changes that we see everyday. For me, masculinity is being a responsible husband and, second, father. I know a lot of people will say, “Well, wait a minute.” But my wife is the most important person in the world. My kids are important, too, but that comes second because they get to see that every day and it’s really important that they see how relationships are navigated. For me, I think that’s a sticking point for masculinity. I’m not sure I can define that word, but that’s how I would describe it.
Tony Geftos
Occupation: Anchor, multimedia journalist
Fun fact: Often confused for Tony the Tiger
Where do you shop locally?
For professional clothes I go to Ticknor’s in the Franklin Park Mall. I’m not really one to say, “Oh that looks nice,” so they just say, “You’d look nice in this,” and I have someone else dress me. My wife dresses me a lot, and my kids buy me socks.
Where do you get your hair done and/or who’s your barber?
I go to Cella-Mar in Dundee, shoutout to Shawna Vore, she has been cutting my hair for like 20 years now and we’re Sicilian brother and sister. It’s pretty awesome to have somebody that you can trust. I also want to give a shout out to Ryan Pratt from Pratt Image Salon in Findlay and Carey. He’s my boy, too, it’s just hard to get down to him.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
Most of the time I wear a t-shirt. If you watch Dine in the 419 and see me wearing a t-shirt for the restaurant if they are available. If not, black t-shirts, because that’s typically seen in restaurants and it is something that I’ve sort of adopted. I always was a t-shirt guy. I got away from it. When I had kids, I put on polos and looked like your average Midwestern dad for about a decade. And then I said, “What am I doing?” So I threw them all out and I said I’m going back to t-shirts and now I’m just strictly a t-shirt guy. Unless I’m on vacation, and that’s when occasionally I’ll wear a Hawaiian shirt.
Are there any personal fashion rules you make sure to stick to?
I don’t think there should be any fashion rules. During COVID-19, I didn’t cut my hair – nobody cut their hair – and not everyone liked it. I had to cut it because it was distracting to some of the viewers, and I didn’t want anyone to focus on the way I look and have that be detracting from the message that I was trying to convey. So that may be a faux-pas, growing out your hair when you aren’t in a position to grow out your hair, but once I’m done with news, I’m growing my hair back out because I’m not really a short haired guy.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
A fun fact about me is I’m colorblind. So it’s tough – that’s another reason why I let people choose clothing for me. It’s tough for me to tell, especially between greens, grays and blues, so I tend to go toward black. That’s usually why I’m wearing a black suit, or even a dark blue suit.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
The key to being confident has got to be just rehearsing and practicing at what you’re doing. Because the more you are comfortable doing something, the more confident you’re going to sound or convey.
Reading:
Marvel’s Avengers Annual 2023, the conclusion to the Contest of Chaos. It is a crossover that Marvel’s been doing the past two months and it’s really cool. I collect comic books but I also just read them.
Listening:
I listen to everything. It’s maybe a little mind-numbing to people because I can’t pinpoint a genre. But I do listen to a lot of mariachi music on Sundays because WLEN plays a whole block. I also play in a Polish-American concert band. My kids play in jazz band and I listen to a lot of heavy metal from when I was in the grunge era. I always crave new music. I was a DJ in college, so I’m pretty eclectic. I lean toward pop music, I do have my own Taylor Swift playlist – none of it is melancholy. I will listen to anything.
Watching:
I have taken a break from television, but we just finished watching The Way of Water. I go to the movies almost once a week, and we just went and saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding. New movies are where it’s at.
Local eateries?
I do a segment called Dine in the 419, and I’m very proud of it. I want to make sure I’m a good steward for all the restaurants I profile. The restaurateurs are so meticulous. Everybody trying to make a go of it has my full support. I admire so many restaurateurs here in the 419.
Sports fan? What teams?
I am into Lions football. I marched in the Western Michigan University marching band, and back in the 90s we’d perform once a year for the Lions halftime.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
This is going to sound corny, but I mostly look up to my wife and kids because they really hold our family together. They’re always innovating, steering us in the right direction; they are just the brick and mortar of our family. I wouldn’t be the person I am without my wife, and my kids changed my whole outlook on life.
What makes a hard worker?
The obvious answer here is just going at it. But, there’s got to be a work life balance. Somebody who’s a hard worker has to be really aware of your coworkers, really empathetic and compassionate. If you want to lead, lead by example. You don’t want to demand attention, you want to command attention. A hard worker is somebody who not only gets the job done, but somebody who can also make life worth living while you’re at work.
What makes a good man?
When you ask what makes a man, it’s the shoes.
If you weren’t a media personality, what would you be?
I would be on a beach somewhere.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
The biggest thing is that I do everything. I show up to a shoot and I’m the camera operator, I fly a drone, I edit everything later, I do my own liveshots, etc. People assume we have a huge crew but it’s down to one person. It’s the individual that makes the TV happen.
How do you embrace your masculinity?
I started working out pretty heavily when I turned 40, and even more when COVID-19 hit. The last couple of years I’ve started looking at Instagram to try and learn a couple of workout moves. What you have to do, if you want to get into weight lifting, is look at a bunch of half-naked men and be OK with that. All the guys showing you what to do in the gym are not wearing shirts but are wearing little speedos and stuff. So I think if you want to embrace masculinity, you have to be OK with being masculine and being around other masculine people who are trying to support each other and help each other out.
Kengo Kato
Occupation: Owner, Kengo Sushi & Yakitori, Kato Ramen, Shobu by Kengo
Fun Fact: Absolutely loves the 80s
Where do you shop locally?
Mostly Ticknors for my formal wear. If I have the rare opportunity to go out and dress up besides my chef clothes, Ticknors is where I’ll go.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
Aside from all my chef gear and my uniform for the restaurant, I tend to wear outdoor gear, whether it’s Columbia or Patagonia. For my formal wear, anything Versace or Armani.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
I like to be colorful sometimes, but a lot of times I just stick with the black.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
Feeling good about yourself, being well-dressed, having a very strong support group – for my case, my family, my wife, my kids and my dad. They all give me confidence to be able to do what I do.
Reading:
It’s hard to keep up with it. Being able to work with the younger generation, they keep me in check. I always gravitate toward my pop culture in the 80s; I’m an 80s guy. So I go back to the punk rock generation, and a lot of books that I read are about the punk rock era. I’ve been reading a lot of short stories of Ernest Hemingway’s.
Listening:
I go back to my 80s music, whether it’s punk rock or old school heavy metal. Sometimes when I need to just calm down and chill out, it’s anything that’s calming.
Watching:
I don’t watch much television, unless it’s the rare occasion I get to watch football on Sundays.
Local eateries?
A lot of eateries in town are good friends of mine that own restaurants. Whether it’s Souk or Poco Piatti or Registry Bistro, unfortunately Element 112 is gone now, but I’m looking forward to seeing what they’re doing with Madeline’s Patisserie. There’s so many great eateries and restaurants in town, so it’s hard to pick just one.
Sports fan? What teams?
I am a sports fan. It’s hard for me to follow sports because I’m a little busy right now, but I am a baseball fan. I’m a Yankees fan. And I’m also a New York Jets fan.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
I look up to my dad. He was in the restaurant business for over 30 years in New York. He’s very reputable, and I definitely look up to him and admire him, and look to him for advice and direction.
What makes a hard worker?
In my mind, somebody that’s passionate about what they do. Someone that’s able to multitask and see where there needs to be help. A person that goes above and beyond what their actual job description is, and wants to move forward. Being able to see what needs to be done, what needs to be accomplished.
What makes a good man?
I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been able to create a beautiful family. Being able to be a good leader at the job that you have, and being able to provide for my family, my wife, be a good husband and father, and basically just being a loving person is what it means to be a good man.
If you weren’t a restaurateur, what would you be?
In my early years, there was a point in my life where I really wanted to do something with younger kids, so maybe a nursery school teacher.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
A lot of people don’t know how hard it is. It’s not all glamor and creating good food – there’s a lot of behind the scenes hard work and passion and love put behind what actually is presented to our guests.
How do you embrace your masculinity?
I’m just who I am. I take pride in being a Japanese American man, I take pride in being a good leader in my restaurant and my businesses. I take pride in being a good husband and loving and good father. I think that’s how I embrace it.
Marios & Andreas Kamilaris
Occupation: Restaurateurs, Georgio’s Grill, The Night Owl
Fun fact: Always wearing their bracelets from their grandpa
Where do you shop locally?
Marios: I’m not much of a shopper, but if I’m grabbing a pair of shoes, it’s gonna be from Sole Status.
Andreas: I shop locally at Eli Antypas Jewelers, he does all our rings and watches and bracelets for us.
Where do you get your hair done and/or who’s your barber?
Marios: We go to True Cuts Barber Shop in Temperance. My barber is OG.
Andreas: I go to WisSam.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
Marios: Generally we’re going to wear the same thing every day: Our Georgio’s logos.
Andreas: It’s all about the branding, then everybody knows where you’re from and what you guys do.
Are there any personal fashion rules you make sure to stick to?
Marios: I’m always going to wear my bracelet.
Andreas: We both wear the same bracelets from our grandpa.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
Marios: Black
Andreas: Red, black or gray. I try to keep it neutral as much as I can.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
Marios: Trusting that whatever you’re going to say is going to be good regardless of what people think.
Andreas: Make sure that whatever you do keeps a smile on people’s faces.
Listening:
Andreas: Road trip music. Feel good music.
Marios: It used to be hip hop but I’m kind of moving away from it for more alternative music.
Watching:
Marios: I just finished Ballers. I’ll always rewatch Peaky Blinders though.
Andreas: I finished Suits so I’m back to Shameless again.
Local eateries?
Andreas: We usually go out to eat at places of the people we grew up with. So we’re always at Mancy’s or MyWay Bistro with our friends.
Sports fan? What teams?
Marios: Soccer, Manchester United. Hands down, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world.
Andreas: It’s been like that for years.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
Marios: Definitely the parents. Dad set the tone with establishing his own business, coming in as an immigrant in this country, and mom is a go-getter. She works hard.
Andrews: Definitely grandpa, starting the pizza places and putting the right foot forward for us.
What makes a hard worker?
Andreas: A hard worker means you’re working 24 hours a day. Your phone does not stop, you’re everybody’s go-to person when something is needed.
Marios: You are always there no matter what, whether you want to or not. In the business that we’re in, you’ve got to do it.
If you weren’t in the restaurant industry, what would you be?
Marios: We would still be entrepreneurs and working for ourselves, it would just be outside of the restaurant business, which we still do with our other company that we have. Maybe real estate as well.
Andreas: That’s something that we’ll start getting into more now.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
Andreas: What it takes to make people happy and the art behind it all, being able to hit so many different demographics in so many different locations.
How do you embrace your masculinity?
Marios: In the terms of following footsteps, so my father was a people pleaser. He wasn’t doing it for himself, he was doing it to please everyone else. He put his customers first, not his own better well-being. So following those footsteps and having other people look at you in the same way.
Marios and Andreas Kamilaris run their businesses with their brother Giorgos, who was unavailable at the time of publication.
Brandon Fields
Occupation: Owner, Inside the Five Brewing Company
Fun Fact: Former NFL player and pseudo-chiropractor
Where do you shop locally?
The only spots I shop in general would be going to Kroger, Target or Best Buy.
Where do you get your hair done and/or who’s your barber?
I get my hair done and beard trimmed at House of Him in Sylvania by Nicole.
What kind of clothes do you most often wear?
I usually wear shorts and a t-shirt or jeans, whether or not they are ripped to shreds or no holes at all. My go-to, that my wife Katie loves, is cargo shorts.
Are there any personal fashion rules you make sure to stick to?
Any fashion rules I have I’ve learned from my wife Katie. Typically it’s trying to match my belt to my shoes, but I defer to her to help me and make sure I’m not making any faux pas.
Do you have specific colors you stick to with clothes? Seasonal? Yearly? Etc.
Typically most of the colors I gravitate towards are earth tones, whether that’s darker greens, browns or darker blues.
What are the keys to feeling confident?
My key to feeling confident is my mental state. Just knowing that I can do it, whatever I’m doing, and believing in it, and just going out and making it happen.
Reading:
I used to be an avid reader, but recently most of the reading I do has to do with work and research. Whether that’s new brewing techniques, new equipment, new hops, stuff of that nature.
Listening:
Music I listen to is more rock and metal. Favorite bands are Sevendust, All That Remains, Falling In Reverse, stuff of that nature. Stuff that’s a little more lively. Recently the kids have got me becoming a Swiftie.
Watching:
Most TV and movies I watch depend on if I’m by myself or with my wife. My wife likes to watch one series at a time, so right now we are starting season two of Welcome to Wrexham, we just finished The Bear. Myself, if I’m watching something, it’s usuall;y some action/horror, or some off the wall oddball movie or show.
Local eateries?
Couple of the local eateries that we go to when we go out would be Kengo or Kato, also Benchmark, Claude’s or Harbor Town.
Sports fan? What teams?
I primarily follow football, both college and NFL, Michigan State my alma mater, and for NFL the Miami Dolphins. I like to see how the Lions are doing, a lot of my family are Detroit fans, so I passively follow them.
Who do you most look up to or admire?
I most look up to and admire my father. Growing up, doing a lot of stuff alongside of him, I learned a lot from him of what I know and what I can do now, so he’s definitely someone who has been very inspiring for me.
What makes a hard worker?
Somebody who is willing to lead by example. Instead of just directing somebody to do something, if they’ve got experience and they’re willing to get down on their hands and knees and do it with whoever they’re showing, and making sure the job gets done the right way.
What makes a good man?
Somebody who is respectful, able to listen, not afraid to ask for help when they need to, and also say “Sorry” or apologize when they make a mistake.
If you weren’t a restaurateur, what would you be?
Growing up, I was always planning on becoming a chiropractor. My father, brother and sister are all chiropractors in Toledo at Fields Chiropractic, so I was on that path. Went to pre-med at Michigan State, the plan was to go to chiropractic school afterwards. Fortunately, football panned out, so I took that route instead of going to chiropractic school.
What’s something people don’t know about your profession?
One thing that people don’t realize about the brewing profession is that everything has to be very clean. The first step into making good quality beer is keeping all the equipment and all the processes clean.
How do you embrace your masculinity?
Being myself. I have two daughters and a son, 9, 7 and 6 years old, so there’s a lot of different activities going on at my house. Whether that’s playing Barbies and dolls with my youngest, letting the oldest paint my nails or wrestling with my son. I am who I am, I know it, and other than that just having fun and not worrying about it – just being myself and enjoying life
