Take this test. Go and visit the website of Cool Springs Life Equity Strategy. Go ahead.
The firm provides a form of wealth management services to its high end clients using a combination of bank loans and insurance products. Pretty boring, isn’t it? Now, look at the photo on the top of the homepage. Those are all the investors. Just about all of them look like you would expect: balding, older, boring businessmen. This is the perception of 
guys who would be running a wealth management services firm. Except for one. Doesn’t one guy kind of stick out? Yeah, that’s the guy from KISS.
That’s Gene Simmons. He sticks out. Like a sore thumb. And you know what? If that’s your perception, he could care less. Gene Simmons is an entrepreneur. A very successful entrepreneur. He got this way by sticking out. And not caring.
I spoke to him last week, along with 2,842 other members of the media, because he’s currently promoting his latest venture, called Rock & Brews, which opens tomorrow in Los Angeles. According to an industry website the restaurant’s concept “captures the excitement of live concerts in an authentically themed backstage environment including’ “The Great Wall of Rock,” rock posters and rock art and multiple flat screen televisions.” Besides Los Angeles, future locations are planned in Denver, Atlanta, Maui, Tokyo and Los Cabos with others to follow.
During our 40 minute conversation Simmons lectured. He pontificated. He talked about his business successes (of which there are many) and his failures (which he claims there are none). He was arrogant. Unapologetic. And smart. Really smart. He spoke like a professor teaching a class in entrepreneurship. He never really talked about KISS. He talked about how to be successful in business. And I learned.
As a technology person I wanted to ask Simmons about his use of technology. But I never really got there. The perception of me is a technology guy. But in reality I’m just a small business owner running a ten person technology firm. And this is a 62 year old icon that arrived in this country with nothing and became a success…not just as the lead singer of a popular rock band but as an entrepreneur. And he did it his way.
Simmons always has partners. With Rock & Brews it’s Michael Zislis, a well known restaurateur and Dave Furano, a veteran concert promoter. At Cool Springs, it’s a bunch of boring wealth management guys. But everyone brings something to the table. Everyone has their own expertise. Some may just contribute money. But most, including Simmons, contributes their time.
What does Simmons bring to a partnership? Three things in my opinion: media attention (of course) and ideas. And a superb head of hair. For every new venture Simmons tirelessly promotes. And because he’s Gene Simmons, people want to talk to him. That’s valuable. But his ideas for running and expanding a business are also of significant value. At Rock & Brews, Simmons personally designed the company’s logo and oversaw positioning and branding. Spend some time with him and you realize the guy is very smart about business. Simmons taught me that my technology firm is destined to be a small, limited venture. That’s because the owner is me. I have no partners. I have no guys bringing in new ideas or helping me expand in other areas. No one creates a successful business by themselves.
Of course, to have partners you have to trust in people. And, more importantly, your judgment of people. Simmons likes to “make a list and check it twice.” He met with Ziss four times over the course of six months. He spent time talking to others who knew him. He had his legal team perform the necessary due diligence. He watched him in action, how he managed his life, how he spoke to his employees. And he liked what he saw. This is how he evaluates all of his potential partners.
Some may claim that it’s easy for Gene Simmons to be a success because of his notoriety as the lead singer of KISS. But Simmons is defiant about this. He admits that KISS isn’t the greatest rock and roll band of all time. Nor is he the greatest singer. It’s a great product. A product he created himself out of nothing. And from this he can explore other opportunities.