[quote style=”boxed”]I would start earlier. Get more dirt under my nails.[/quote]
Anthony Recenello is widely known as New York City’s “Hitch,” teaching men how to vastly improve their charisma to help their love lives, business lives, etc. The only one of his kind, Anthony is hired by successful men to help form and maintain a quality social circle, create better connections in business, work any room to their benefit (whether it be a convention or a cocktail party), or meet their future soul mates. His company is called Wolf & Garden.
You can find him mentoring clients in various social settings all around the city, or even in corporate offices working on community development.
How did you become New York City’s “Hitch?”
It’s a name people gave me after my success with getting most of my high profile clients in serious relationships. I don’t teach pickup lines, I teach deep social theory and conversation. When you know how to talk to anyone, and feel comfortable walking into any social setting, whether it be a crowded party or a work event, you can leverage these skills to connect with the people you want to meet, instead of settling for the circle you’d rather not be chatting with.
There’s a lot to it. Managing logistics, a technique I call “Funnel Theory,” and learning how to create a strong connection with people after only a few minutes—whether it’s a new business contact or a potential significant other. There’s an art I’ve created to building chemistry with a person you’re interested in bringing in your life, and I teach that.
What are you working on right now?
A letter to a client. I expand on the techniques and theories we’ve covered in our recent session, as well as their homework with specific exercises to practice for when I see them next. Letters range anywhere from 500 to 3500 words. I take around an hour writing each. I believe an important part of mentoring are these weekly personal letters.
How do you make money?
I’m in business largely through word-of-mouth. The way I’ve grown this business has been through over-delivering to my clients and delivering massive results. They tell all their friends about me, word spreads, and Wolf & Garden’s client base continues to grow.
What does your typical day look like?
I wake up at 10am every morning, make breakfast, and then rock climb. I then write letters to clients, schedule meetings. Then night comes. I travel to different neighborhoods in Manhattan, and meet up with clients on whatever they need in their social lives.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I’ve been an extrovert/introvert all my life, which is why I think I have the job that I do. I’ll go to a party and have the time of my life, and that night at home, all the cogs will be turning, analyzing what’s just happened. I see trends in responses to specific things I’ve said or gestures I’ve made. I come up with hypotheses and make adjustments to the techniques and over time, end up with theories and teachings that help clients leverage any social situation.
I’ve been fascinated with that magic of what creates chemistry between two people, and I’m fortunate enough to have my job enable me to be cracking the code each day, and then teach it to great people with amazing lives. All of my clients are people with skills that I will never have—an executive at a Fortune 500 company, the owner of a popular New York restaurant, a couple investment brokers, and even a race car driver–to name a few. And just as their lives are exciting and successful, I get to help maximize certain areas that can bring them to the next level socially and romantically, and that is why I feel what I do is so special.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Dating sites. At the moment, dating sites are wildly inefficient to people with high standards for a romantic mate, but I’m confident within ten years there will be a solution that can work side-by-side with organic, traditional dating methods. The programming world is constantly innovating, and I want to be there innovating with them when that next big online dating service hits. And I know it will.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I would start earlier and get more dirt under my nails.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I over-deliver to clients to a ridiculous level. If I have a three-hour session scheduled, I give him four hours.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I would stop the overuse of medication for depression, as I believe 90% of people taking medication can be happier through keeping a healthy body, pursuing a life purpose, and daily awareness and engagement of your surroundings.
Tell us something about you that very few people know?
I don’t drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, use a smart phone, or eat meat.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
1. Evernote, 2. Evernote, 3. Evernote. I use Evernote for almost everything.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“Your Erroneous Zones” by Wayne Dyer. Life gets easier when there are no emotional problems clogging up my work flow.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
@grantcardone – This guy will teach you what it means to work.
@garyvee – This guy will teach you what it means to care.
@louisck – Louis CK is one of the best comedians ever lived.
Who is your hero, and why?
My father, Bernard Recenello, because he works his butt off and doesn’t stop, all just to support his family.
What have you learned about business?
Making money equals high levels of talent, unabated hard work, and marketability. If one of those are not there, you fail. If all three are strongly present, then you will likely succeed.
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.