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PEERING AHEAD OF REAL ESTATE TRENDS
PEERING AHEAD OF REAL ESTATE TRENDS WITH PEERING AHEAD OF REAL ESTATE TRENDS WITH MICHELE SULLIVAN MICHELE SULLIVAN
When it comes to luxury real estate, Michele Sullivan is in a league of her own. Licensed in 1999, Michele has consistently been Vegas’ top producer for American brokerage Berkshire Hathaway. Now, in 2022, she is branching out and partnering with the biggest name in international realty, Sotheby’s.
Michele is known for producing super high quality videos, or “property trailers” as she calls them, showcasing her clients’ luxury homes. With the help of social media, Michele is able to quickly share her amazing content with thousands of potential buyers.
“The goal with luxury real estate marketing is to get the property in front of as many people as possible. Social media allows me to do that easily.”
Today’s buyer demographic is mostly young people who have become successful in tech, specifically YouTubers and cryptocurrency gurus, who are used to online interactions and transactions. It’s no wonder that traditional forms of marketing, like open-houses, are becoming a thing of the past.
“I’m always looking for new ideas and ways to move properties. My ability to adapt is what makes me the best in the business.” Michele is extremely excited for this new chapter in her career. As of November 2021, Sotheby’s is now affiliated with Concierge Auctions, the leading global luxury real estate auction marketplace. As a new member of the Sotheby’s family, Michele will gain access to a vast network of high-net-worth clients. She will also be able to expand her reach from within her main headquarters of Las Vegas and Southern California, to the entire world.
Another exciting venture for Michele is digital real estate. She is Vegas’ first woman to sell real estate in the Metaverse! Along with Montauk’s Dylan Eckardt and Los Angeles’ Tai Savet, Michele recently opened Metaverse Brokerage Ouse Inc., a virtual real estate company selling luxury 3D Real Estate NFTs. Ouse Inc. is the parent company and creator of the OUSE Token, a meme token launched in 2021 to bring attention to the OUSEland Metaverse project.
A recent report by crypto asset manager Grayscale estimates the digital world may grow into a $1 trillion business in the near future. At this stage in her career, Michele Sullivan is ready for whatever the world - physical or digital - sends her way.
— By Ryan Gillum
Sutton Stracke
A CHIC, SUSTAINABLE & FASHION MOGUL IN THE MAKING
— By Paul Zahn
Sutton Stracke went from a socialite Southern Belle to a fan-favorite reality television darling almost overnight after debuting on Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The fashionista joined the cast as a “friend of” for her first season and quickly rose the ranks to a diamond-holding, fulltime housewife for her second season. Showing no signs of a sophomore slump, Sutton has proven herself a strong contender amongst the ladies of Beverly Hills, as well as within the retail and fashion world in Los Angeles. She opened the Sutton Concept in 2019 in the heart of West Hollywood to great acclaim. Sutton has used the chic boutique to showcase two of her passions - fashion and sustainability.
“I had been wanting to do a store for ten years, and it took me a while to get the nerve up to do it. I love fashion. I love art. I love collecting. I love jewelry. Through my travels and my fashion knowledge from going to fashion shows for the hot couture - I finally did it,” Sutton excitedly shares.
Sutton meticulously created a stunning retail space that was a very personal experience. She even included her late father in the process. “My father did my logo - well, he didn’t do the logo, but the logo is my dad’s writing - it is very spiritual to me,” she shares.
The very personal outlet serves two distinct purposes for Sutton. First, the boutique operates as an actual retail space - “it is a concept store, so everything is for sale,” she shares. However, Sutton also wanted to utilize the space to elevate other creatives, as well as under-the-radar designers.
She says, “the idea of the store was to do events with artists we bring in. We want to have artists celebrated - we want to have designers celebrated.”
Sutton recently collaborated with her friend Susan Rockefeller to highlight Rockefeller’s passion project, Muses - a CBD potion. “We have both always been talking about how we can work together. Susan has a really beautiful farm, and during the pandemic, she pulled a lot from her farm and made essential oils - Muses has CBD, and you can roll it on. It is really for tech neck - we are all looking down all the time! We are excited to bring it into the Sutton Concept store,” Sutton exclaims.
Another way Sutton goes green in her life is by living sustainably. “One thing I love - whether home or fashion - is being very conscientious of sustainable living and buying smartly. When you buy something - you want to be able to pass it down. We have items that are eco-friendly in the store and items you want to collect and pass down to your daughter or granddaughter. Buy smart - so that it is not in high quantity but very good quality,” Sutton suggests.
Next up in the pipeline for Sutton Stracke is taking the Sutton Concept on the road and launching a new fashion collection of her own. “We have about eight trunk shows and popups we are working on. We did one in Toronto - it did very well. I think we will be in Capri this summer. We are doing a big tour, and we want to bring our store to other towns all around America,” gushes Sutton. She is also collaborating with local designers in Los Angeles to craft her own line of chic and fashion-forward wearables with her own cashmere line. “Our cashmere is made in LA; it is eco-friendly. It is important for me to have local designers,” she says. Sutton’s plan is grassroots in the beginning, “whenever we do a trunk show or pop-up, we like to leave a cashmere piece. Just drop it - little seedlings, see where that will take us,” she says with a giggle.
With the filming of the next season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in full swing, Sutton Stracke is all systems go. She continues to grow her presence in the fashion and retail world while keeping sustainability front of mind. She shares, “I am slow, and I wanted the store to be created in an organic fashion for me.” The juggling of multiple projects seems to prove successful for Sutton as she gleefully exclaims, “The Sutton Concept is growing at a rapid pace.” Keep your eyes peeled for Sutton’s trunk shows and cashmere line to hit your city soon - we know we will.
DARREN CUNNINGHAM III
IS THE GIFT THAT BOXING FANS HAVE LONG AWAITED
– By Ryan Gillum
For Darren “The Gift” Cunningham III, boxing is in the blood.
His journey began sixteen years ago in St. Louis Missouri. At eight years old his uncle, a former pro, bought him a pair of gloves and challenged Darren to box with his cousins and other kids from the local neighborhood. After a few years of backyard boxing, his grandfather, veteran trainer Joseph Dunlap, invited young Darren to train at his gym. He proved to have great potential. At age sixteen he would place second at the Junior Olympic National Championship. The following year he would place third in the Golden Gloves Nationals.
Urged by his family to attend college, Darren applied to every scholarship he could find during his senior year of high school at Clyde T. Miller Career Academy. He would eventually land a full ride to Harris-Stowe State University. Within a year, however, Darren knew that he had to leave St. Louis and head to Las Vegas in pursuit of his boxing dreams.
Deluxe Version SPORTS
After turning pro in 2017, Darren fought eight of his first nine fights in Tijuana, Mexico. Since then he has fought in California, New York, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and Maryland. For the past three months Darren has been training under The Money Team’s Rafael Ramos. He typically spends three to four hours in the gym each day, his regimen consisting of punching bag work, jumping rope, and a four mile run.
Darren considers himself a ‘pure boxer-puncher’ with sound fundamentals. His favorite boxers are Cory Spinks, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. When he’s not in the gym, Darren enjoys bowling, watching movies on the big screen, and trying out Las Vegas’ endless variety of restaurants.
2022 is looking to be a pivotal year for “The Gift”. With a current record of 14-1-0 in the Super Bantamweight division, Darren has his sights set on another victory in Phoenix, Arizona on February 25th.
Follow him on Instagram: @darrencunninghamiii
PHOTOS BY ELIZA BIGLETE
BRYAN ABASOLO
CARRIES HIS STYLE & SUCCESSFROM MIAMI TO BEVERLY HILLS Deluxe Version BEVERLY HILLS
Bryan Abasolo is well known in the Bachelor Nation. He’s married to Rachel Lindsay, who chose him on season 13 of The Bachelorette. The couple got married back in 2018. Both of them now reside in Los Angeles after spending time in Texas and Florida.
Abasolo had a thriving practice in Miami, but when his wife started getting more work and national exposure, she moved to LA. Abasolo stayed back for six months to run his chiropractic office, eventually closing the Miami location and moving it to Beverly Hills in April of 2021.
Abasolo says, “at the end of the day, family is what’s most important.”
He also says he wanted to mimic what he did in Miami and do it in LA. Leading him to establish the Beverly Hills Disc & Laser Therapy Center. The clinic helps people in a natural way and introduces modern technology to help with natural health, “I have some gadgets here that are very high tech and have published studies behind them, that essentially prove that they are very effective at alleviating what hasn’t been cured with other methods, with traditional medicinal methods.”
Abasolo has treated tons of people that have been in car accidents with a back injury or have had a sports injury, but also professional athletes. He says, “for example… Tom Brady, Jerry Rice… some of the greatest players of all time have sworn by chiropractic, it keeps them healthy, it keeps them functioning at an all time high.” He also points out it’s important for people that work a 9 to 5 office job, “there’s an epidemic in this country, it’s called sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day looking at a computer… that doesn’t do us any favors because our bodies are meant to move.” Abasolo says he provides the movement and the methods to help the body function at a better pace.
There are two phases to Abasolo’s office. He dips in the weigh loss market too by working on a plan for people to shed pounds, “I want to help people become the best version of themselves with whatever health goals they have, whether it’s weight loss, body contouring… I have a great program that I promote that is very effective and I’ve helped out so many people. I also have a lipolaser, which is a very non-invasive, FDA cleared device that is doing wonders when it comes to reducing inches and burning fat in people that want to get a little head start when it comes to their weight loss journey, and I love doing that.” it wouldn’t hurt if they lost some pounds, “the less weight they have on their body and the joints, the less pain they are going to have.” He says he wants to get his patients better but he also wants them to stay that way, and this helps them create a lifestyle.
He and his wife love living in West Hollywood, where they plan to stay and grow their family. He admits being on The Bachelor shows have helped visibility, “it doesn’t hurt that I was on The Bachelor, and I’d be silly not to promote that in my advertising, if it helps get people through the door so I can show them what I got, so be it.” Abasolo is confident in his results, he says he knows he can help people.
If you want to listen to Abasolo’s podcasts, he has two! The Dr. Abs Healthcast (drabshealthcast) is where he brings in different providers and health influencers from all over… doctors, health coaches, nutritionists, dietitians. He says he is constantly growing and learning so he loves to interview people with different backgrounds and specialties, “if I help one person that is watching that podcast and made a decision about their health and their lifestyle, then I’ve accomplished my goal.” If The Bachelor side of things is more your style, he has a podcast called Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation. He hosts this show with Mike Johnson who is also a Bachelor alum. They talk about the show… but they also take it a step further by “talking it out.” Abasolo says, “we like to get down to real topics and have real conversations, sometimes the topic does come from the Bachelor show… whether it be relationships, love, sex, whatever the case may be… if it’s a hot topic, we want to break it down and talk about it.”
Abasolo knows he has a busy life but he’s enjoying it and says it all comes down to helping people. You can reach out to his practice and schedule a free consultation. You don’t have to be located in the Beverly Hills area either.
— By Dayna Roselli
Beverly Hills Disc & Laser Therapy Center www.bhdiscandlaser.com
ON the CUTTING EDGE
With a bottle of Champagne and the ceremonial swipe of a saber, actress Kate Beckinsale officially christened Carversteak, the brand-new restaurant inside Resorts World Las Vegas.
Also looking sharp on the VIP grand opening red carpet were special guests Paris Jackson, Courtney Mazzo Lopez and her husband, self-described carnivore Mario Lopez.
Says the Access Hollywood host, “I’m a big steak lover. I’m about to tear up a steak right now!”
A 42-ounce Wagyu Tomahawk Rib Chop, to be exact; the main event at this cutting edge exclusive steakhouse, sliced and served by Chef Daniel Ontiveros himself.
The man behind-the-blade comes to Carversteak from Scotch 80 Prime at the Palms after working with fine-dining dynamos Joel Robuchon, Thomas Keller, and Michael Mina.
At over 14 thousand square-feet, it is the city’s largest luxury steakhouse. It has a classic-meats, I mean, meets-contemporary vibe, but also offers “playful vegan selections in a modern environment.”
The mid-century modern-designed space overlooking the Strip is the first Las Vegas dining concept conceived and developed by Carver Road Hospitality and opened just in time to ring in 2022.
“[It was] a lot of hard work for the past 15 months to put this project together,” admits Carver Road Hospitality chief Sean Christie. “That’s a pretty quick timeline for a project of this size. It was a hard year, but worthwhile and also very exciting to see the end product.”
An end product that includes a 70-foot honed quartzite stone bar; a sweeping outdoor bar and dining terrace; two private dining experiences – Whiskey Room and The Knife Shop; and a curated cocktail collection from acclaimed master mixologist Francesco Lafranconi.
No matter how you slice it, it’s time to sharpen your appetite.
“Carversteak is always just about pleasing people,” says Christie. “We’re always trying to “Wow!” someone with the basics of having a great meal and having great service with a smile.”
— By Stacey Gualandi
KATE BECKINSDALE
DENISE TRUSCELLO/GETTY IMAGES
