Nissue #42: Bruno Vaghela & Phil McGarr, Best Pals.
One of the things I love hearing from readers is that when they ask their friends and family the very same questions I ask my guests, so much additional conversation ensues. For the uniNishiated, the format of this newsletter is basically me just asking the same Proust-like questions each week — the only thing that really changes is who is on the receiving end of those questions!
So for Nissue #42 (the number of which is not coincidentally the answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything”), I wanted to offer up one possible answer to having a good life: Find and never give up on good friends.
I didn’t meet Bruno Vaghela and Phil McGarr in high school or college, but rather years later when I moved from Manhattan to San Francisco, which puts it around 1999 — as we fiNish up 2021, that makes for one long commitment. Like the Rolling Stones, we’ve withstood excess, questionable solo careers, marriage, divorce and other mishaps… but we’re still here and I believe better chums because of it. To borrow from another old man reference, it ain’t easy havin’ pals.
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Phil: Phil: A lazy long day at the beach in Bolinas with the dogs followed by pizza at Eleven.
Bruno: I have a few. A long bike ride north of the Golden Gate Bridge with my international biking crew, stopping off for that obligatory cortado along the way. Or traveling, anywhere. I am particularly excited to finally get back home to London this holiday season, after not being able to for two years.
And of course, I love when we get our “group” together; that time in Ojai is still one of the most memorable weekends of my life!
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Bruno: I gave the paperboy thing a shot during the early days of living in London. Turns out getting up at 4am on a cold and wet winter morning to deliver newspapers on a bike is as horrendous as it sounds. I lasted two days before quitting.
Phil: Summer internship at Fisher Investments, spent my time shuffling papers around pretending to work. I have avoided having an office job since.
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Phil: Paper route. I made it last at least a year, unlike Bruno. Must have been that Palo Alto weather.
Bruno: When I lived in London, I landed a part-time job working at Baskin Robbins. Before you ask, there are more than 31 flavors, and yes, I got to try them all. Ever tried Pink Bubblegum flavor? It’s terrible. Strawberry Cheesecake all the way.
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Bruno: Working on the early days of Apple Pay. I got the chance to help create an entirely new way of paying for things, wherever you happened to be in the world. One of my favorite memories is trying to convince banks in Moscow that this was the future of payments. It still feels revolutionary when you think about how much we use digital payments in all parts of our life today.
Phil: Working at the children’s zoo in Palo Alto. As a 12 year old, nothing beat feeding the ferrets, raccoons and Poppy the Fox. I couldn’t believe I was getting paid at the time. The best job as an adult has been growing and selling cannabis! It certainly is a WUNDERful life.
[Editor’s note: Phil has been a serial entrepreneur and investor for years and WUNDER, a cannabis-infused beverage that I also worked on, is his latest and greatest].
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Bruno: Overthinking. Wait, maybe it’s procrastination. I don’t know, I might need more time on this one.
Phil: Distraction.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Bruno: Noisy eaters.. doesn’t go well with my misophonia. Close your mouth when eating, people!
Phil: Cynicism, it’s a cop-out.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Bruno: Yes, make that move to San Francisco! You only live once!
Phil: Chill the fuck out Phil, it’s all gonna work out.
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
Bruno: I spend way too much on automobiles.
Phil: My monthly shroom supply.
Nish: You have exclusive dinner reservations for 4 excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Bruno: Eddie Murphy, Elon Musk and Diego Maradona.
Phil: Richard Pryor, Hunter S. Thompson, and John “You cannot be serious” McEnroe.
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Bruno: “Dirty Cash” by Stevie V. My line of work entails moving money without getting your hands dirty, literally. [Editor’s note: Bruno is currently a Senior Director of Global Growth at Visa, and as far as I know has always been talking about the intersection of payments and technology.]
Phil: "If It's Wrong To Love You" by Merle Haggard.
Nish: What is your motto?
Bruno: “You only live once.” Life is short, why wait to do something tomorrow when you can do it today? I think that’s why I get out and still do a 65-mile bike ride no matter what trouble I got into the night before with mates like you, Nish!
Phil: You don’t know what you don’t know.
Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?
Phil: Tennis, picked up my racquet after putting it down for 15 years. Also, my arctic chaga tea stash.
Bruno: My 8-year young daughter and I just went in on a ski lease in Tahoe. Super excited to be hitting the slopes alongside her this season. That, and our next weekend with the gang. Nish, get planning!
End Interview.
This one felt great to do, but interviewing my Dad remains at the top of the list! Phil and Bruno are truly old school though, they date back even longer than my friendship with Michael Ernst, who was my very first interview!
I also did one other double nissue and that was also with two buddies of mine — who happen to be brothers — way back in Nissue #28.
Love it! Keep the dream alive, old chums.