Dress This post is an interview transcript. Click here to listen to Carlos Gil's interview with Antonio Centeno over at his YouTube Channel
Carlos: What’s up everyone? Carlos here. I am with Antonio Centeno, perhaps the most dapper and nicely-dressed gentleman here at the whole Social Media Marketing World.
Antonio: I don’t know about that, but I’ve seen some pretty sharp-dressed men here. And, it just fits the brand and that’s what I talk about is making sure that you don’t betray expectations with whatever message you want to send to the world. And, I help men master style, so that they send the right message.
Carlos: And the name of your company is Real Men Real Style. What do you guys do?
Antonio: Well, you know how most men can’t dress well. I solve that problem using YouTube videos, military science, history, and I get in there and we talk about how to do this how to make it applicable to any man whatever – because a lot of guys are resistant to it. They just don’t see the why. I make it so that they understand, hey, out of the school of economics did you know that they’ve done studies.
Carlos: Yeah.
Antonio: Showing if you actually dress well look good, you’re going to make $232,000 more over your career.
Carlos: Nice.
Antonio: And that’s how the school – I mean that’s not me making the stuff up. This is documented facts. I mean if you – a fireman walks in there and he says, “Hey, everyone get out.” What do we do?
Carlos: Yeah.
Antonio: We get out. Now, a naked man who comes in and says that we’re like it must be a crazy guy off the street. Uniforms and what you wear matters and a lot of guys don’t understand how powerful and how important that is.
Carlos: You know what? I’m going to ask you just like for your honest feedback.
Antonio: Sure.
Carlos: You see how I’m dressed; I’m the speaker here also, social media marketing world. I’m wearing the Ferragamo’s.
Antonio: Yeah, I saw that.
Carlos: So, a car payment on my feet.
Antonio: Very nice shoes.
Carlos: Nice, you know…
Antonio: And, I’ve noticed your shoes.
Carlos: Fitted jeans.
Antonio: You look great.
Carlos: Thank you.
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: But, I’m wearing a t-shirt.
Antonio: It doesn’t matter. It fits you and it fits your brand. Your brand is across. Also, your hair, very well, you pay attention — let me see right here…
Carlos: I didn’t get a haircut this morning.
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: Usually, I go to the barbershop on the morning of my talk.
Antonio: Yeah. And I think that you could better shave up to this point.
Carlos: Okay.
Antonio: I’ve got a friend, he’s from Beard Brand, go check it out, amazing channel and he’ll help you out with that.
Carlos: Was it beard?
Antonio: Beard Brand.
Carlos: Beard Brand.
Antonio: Yeah. He’s been on what you call it? Shark Tank and he gets into it. Now, a guy names Aaron Marino, he’s been on Shark Tank two times and these guys talk all about, you know, those small details.
I don’t because I’m not really a facial hair kind of guy. But that right there people are looking at your face. Also, you’ve got a monochromatic look.
He’s got black, he’s got the dark blue he’s got the dark-colored shoes. This actually builds him up, makes him look good. And you don’t need to really – you’ve got great shoulders, you workout you take care of yourself. And you’re sending that message right there.
Long term maybe you could slip a jacket over this and we can still see this. You know so if you wanted to dress it up just a bit. But, this is a good look especially in a very casual environment such as we are.
Carlos: It looks like I need to hit up my man right here. We just – we just literally met through Mark Schaefer, you know Mark Schaefer’s book which is Known. And I appreciate this advice because…
Antonio: You smell good too by the way.
Carlos: Thank you so much. It’s Valentino.
Antonio: It is small things like that.
Carlos: So, here’s the thing, normally when I speak at conferences I’m not wearing a t-shirt. This is my company, Social Media Career Academy. So, obviously we’re at an event 5,000 people, you get it.
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: And I want to promote my brand out there. But, I spoke in ten countries last year.
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: And, normally I wear a button-down, jeans like this and nice shoes, but this is a level where I’m trying to get at because I see your point. When people see this….
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: Then, mentally speaking they’re saying I’m speaking to CMOs.
Antonio: They assume you’re a success and then you have to back it up with the goods. You’ve got to be a great presenter; you’ve got to know what you’re talking about, but the first step is simply getting in the door, that’s what clothing does.
And you know it’s funny on my channel, I don’t honestly care about clothing. What I care about is the man and the character. And I look at it like if I can help a guy just get his foot in the door whether he’s starting a nonprofit, he’s starting, you know, an amazing consulting company whatever it may be, that I’ve done my job.
And all of a sudden, it’s when a guy discovers this, he starts to go deeper and he gets into watches, he gets into, you know, the hair products, he gets into fragrances. And that’s when I’ve got plenty of friends who I can introduce them to.
Carlos: It looks like we need – we just met, but it looks like we need to stay in touch.
Antonio: Yeah.
Carlos: I need to consume your content and I need to check out Real Men Real Style.
Antonio: Yeah. We have a lot of fun with it. So, guys, definitely, you know, check it out, but check out what these guys are doing because they’re kicking butt and – how are you going to end this? How are you going to wrap this up? We got to have like a really powerful ending here. What do you think?
Carlos: For any guy out there that needs to up his game when it comes to appearance, what shall he do?
Antonio: He should probably just type my – just type Real Men Real Style.
Carlos: That’s it?
Antonio: That’s it. No, no, no. I would say you know what? It comes down to it you’ve got to identify your why. What do you stand for? I’ve got three little girls, I’ve got my son, and everything I do is about setting the example for them. I want my son to look at his father and he doesn’t always listen to me, he’s a teenager, but he does see what I do and I know that I got to set the example for him.
For my team, for my business, I’ve got to set the example. I’m the first guy in, the first guy out. I’ve got to show that I am willing to sacrifice for them. For my wife, I’ve been with her fifteen years and part of that is because she’s still attracted to me, I’m still attracted to her. And, you’ve got to have that why. For me, I just explained what mine is, you’ve got to find what yours is.
Carlos: Whoa! That’s fire. It’s so good to meet you.
Antonio: Good to meet you too, man.