Nelson Mandela: Free Man, Free Leader, Free Soul

'A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.' Those words are but a few of many wise ones to have come from one of the greatest leaders I have and likely will see during my lifetime, a man whose soul just moved on, Nelson Mandela. Those words, of all his, I picked for this story since the are among those quotes that embody what to me Greater Milwaukee Men is about, the Greater Men part, about being good, trying to be great, in all areas.

MKE's Brass Rooster Wins National Small Business Contest

Congratulations to Milwaukee’s The Brass Rooster for winning U.S. Cellular's Spotlight on America’s Backbone Contest. Reviving a classic look for a new generation, their custom men’s hats can be seen throughout the Milwaukee community and beyond.

They won $25,000 in advertising, one year of service and devices and $5,000 cash to better their business.

The Brass Rooster, located in Bay View, is a hat and accessories shop that offers their own line of hand made and custom hats as well as hats and accessories from well-known brands. They can also clean, shape, block, size and otherwise repair hats.

They have been on our Goods & Services page for a while now do to being a locally owned store catering to men, and it seems we aren't the only ones who think they are Great. Congratulations again to The Brass Rooster!

Going Small Is Big For Holiday Shopping - Support Local On Small Business Saturday

There are so many days and names of the days of shopping now its crazy, but there is one day we are fully behind and that is Small Business Saturday where going small can mean big things for local businesses specifically and Milwaukee - or your local community wherever you may be - in general. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 30th.

Birthday Thoughts: A Great Man Is One Who Is There

Today is my birthday. It falls in the middle of Movember, and this year happens to fall on the third Thursday of the month which is my monthly guys' night get together.At this stage in our lives most of us are husbands, many are fathers, but all are a son, or a brother - we are all special and needed by someone. Which makes me want to refocus our Movember discussion away from the spectacle of the stache and to what it's really about: men's health. After all, we can only be or become Great Men if we have the time to do so.

So it is our number one responsibility to make sure we are around as long as we can be to be a Great Father, Husband, Partner, Brother, Son, Friend, and that means taking care of ourselves as much or more than we care for others, but for so many too many, men that is the last thing on their mind.

Turn Growing Into Grooming at The Art of Shaving

Through the wonders of the web I had heard about the store The Art of Shaving, but up until just over a year ago there was no way to experience it unless you went out of town. I was able to visit the Chicago one once, but then one opened up here in the Milwaukee area - in Wauwatosa specifically - at Mayfair Mall. Now that we have one here, you can experience it during a time when you can make it mean something. In the past, and this year once again, the store has participated in Movember.