Usually, I am not a fan of popular culture but I have to say that I feel more hooked, grounded and out of the box more than ever before. Showtime's Gigolos is a show that is just more than guys being male escorts and more along the lines of understanding who they are as they evolve as people doing their job in their everyday lives. What caught my attention is the evolution of Brace Land. In the world of male escorts, one does not exactly see someone who confronts his spirituality in the way that Brace does on the show. The format of the show gets the spectator to understand what goes on inside the mind of each character and what they are happy with and what they struggle with, however, Gigolos is not a show that's for the faint of heart. Honesty and openness is crucial when watching this show. I am happy to say that this is by far, the most candid interview I have ever done and The Gypsy Poet is evolving. Here is the amazing Brace Land!


Hello, Brace! How are you? What's new in the world of Gigolos?

Hello and thanks for your interest :) Things are great these days as we just finished season 6 of our hit TV show on Showtime "Gigolos" that should air in Sept. In season 6 I announce that I will be retiring as a Gigolo :( The guys set up a comedy roast to send me off etc.... Very good comedy and will probably be the best season so far!

In the first season, there is a moment you visit a priest and you discuss with him about your spirituality and your line of work as an escort. How has that talk as your character changed you since then? Did you find something new about yourself in that episode?

I have always felt the presence of God in my soul and heart! Maybe its because I was raised by seventh day Adventists until the age of 4 and my biological father studied theology at religious university and planned on becoming a minister. I have a lot of emotions when I concerns God and spirituality and talking with a man of God always touches my soul & heart and its because God is always with me :)

With society rapidly changing, how has Gigolos, in your mind contributed to that change and why?

I have received hundreds of emails from people all across the world telling me how our show Gigolos has changed their lives. People have said that our show Gigolos has changed their lives for the better a d given their marriages new life and new ideas that keep it alive. Society is sexualized by the internet and sex is something that is much more open these days. Take a look at the social sites and women all over the world are showing their tits & ass to the world all the time. Sex is something that everyone wants and thinks about so it seems its much more open. With a mix of comedy and sexual adventures Gigolos has become an international hit with a positive message.


You mentioned in one episode that you had been married for six years and you did all the right things and they did not seem to be good enough. Do you feel differently about marriage since then?

My views on marriage stay the same. I don't see a lot of value in it unless its for religious reasons. I do think marriage is an out dated tradition. I do think that if both parties are marriage oriented that they should do it. I say "whats in it for me"? 98% of the time when two people get married the male is the one who is financially responsible and with today's fast food society people are getting divorced at a rate approximately 70% and the Male pays! Again whats in it for me when the attitude of women these days is "If it doesn't work then just get divorced". I don't want to be on the hook for some women who isn't grounded enough to commit. I have many friends who have had their lives destroyed by some women who uses her gender as leverage to financially destroy their former partners. Marriage is too much of a risk to anyone who has a good financial position. In CA for instance is 50% - 50% in a divorce even if you went into it with NO financial backing. In today's society these women especially in big cities like LA, NY, Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami etc are only interested in the size of a mans wallet not whats in his heart. No thanks!

How has Gigolos changed your life and why?

Starring on Gigolos has changed my life in a way that now everyone looks at me like that's all I am? I have worked hard my whole life and was already set up before I landed Gigolos. I hired into General Motors at the age of 17 and worked in a pit for awhile.I could have played college football but my parents pushed me to work at GM. I then went to school for 4 years and landed a very good job at the company in which I worked for 26 years until I retired and took an early buy out. In that time I was involved in several business, traded in the forex, stock market, owned 30 rental properties, owned a salon etc... In that time I also competed in body building and studied martial arts (Yoshokai Aikido) for 7 hard years. I enrolled in an advanced Aikido school called Kenshu which was a 20 month school that took place every weekend straight for 20 months. I graduated from Kenshu and then enrolled in senior kenshu which was designed for instructors and advanced students and was for 12 months I graduated from that as well. I knew at an early ago that I was responsible for my own life and knew I had to work hard if I wanted to live a good life. I never received a dime from my parents for anything! I have generated every dime I have to my name! I wanted to do action movies in Hollywood :) So before I landed Gigolos I had already worked very hard and experienced many things. Starring on Gigolos has made me somewhat of a C team celeb so I get noticed everywhere I go. It has been a positive experience for me and it gives me a chance to spread the word (Brace Philosophy) to treat people with respect, control YOURSELF and control your ego.


In each episode, I see you confronting something about yourself. Has there ever been a moment that you felt either emotional, or finally disconnected from your past to get where you are?

I try to be open on the show and am not afraid to expose who I am and what I believe. There are times when my emotional past is exposed and I open up. Its easy for me to relive past experiences that have an emotional connection. I try to be as sincere and real as possible when filming and take my role seriously. I also try to send a good message which I feel I do.

In doing Gigolos, how have the friendships with the other men on the show shaped your life?

I have a different relationship with all the guys which are all positive. Each cast member is on his own journey and I see them do things that I once did and I find it interesting. All the cast members are good people with good intentions. Its been my pleasure to be on the show with them and to know them. Since I am the elder statesmen of the group I feel like I need to set the pace or set the example in which I feel I have. Its emotional for me to walk away from the show but all good things must end. I'm grateful for my time on the show.

Do you see some element yourself in each woman that you have sex with? If so, what is it and why?

The women that I have spent time with are from different backgrounds and its all for different reasons. The shows depicts a different scenario that how my operation has operated. I never did back door deals and always screened the women who wanted to spend time with me. I only catered to "high end" ladies.


What was life like for you before Gigolos? Where are you from originally?

I had my first new condo built at the age of 23 and since then have been fortunate enough to have 5 new homes built for myself. I learned from my last home which was 4000 sq ft that I didn't need a home that large. I think a lot different now then when I was 25. I stay out of debt and live below my means so I never have to work again :) I live in a 2006 sq ft town home in Las Vegas that is large enough for me and my dogs :) Life is good when you don't have any debt. Here are pictures of my place that was featured in Las Vegas journal real estate section http://m.reviewjournal.com/real-estate-millions/gigolos-reality-tv-star-finds-home-vegas-condo-photos

What led you to this chapter of your life in being a male escort?

After I divorced in early 2000 I had it with relationships. I met a girl that was making $20,000 a month as an escort in little ole Michigan. I decided to have a site made and see what would happen. I was contacted by women from all over the world and next thing I know I was traveling internationally. I still worked at GM but had weekends and 6 weeks of paid vacation so I could basically take all the time off I needed. So after I was contacted by producers that asked me if I wanted to take part in a show about male escorts. They didn't have a name yet but I agreed. 2 months went by and they contacted me and said the pilot was financed and flew me to Vegas for a week to film it.( I noticed immediately that I was the only TRUE Gigolo as none of the guys had any real money at all. I was already preparing to walk away from GM with a full retirement and selling off my rentals to cash out.) 2 months after the pilot was filmed they said that Showtime had ordered season 1. I felt from day 1 that the show would be a hit and I was right! 6 seasons later here we are.

You are currently developing a product line. What's this you're launching?

I have launched "Braceland Nutraceuticals" which is a supplement/Vitamin line of advanced nutritional products that I sell for discount prices. It is my philosophy to give people MORE value for their hard earned money by offering buy 2 bottles and get the 3rd for approx. $5.00 That's just how I do business. I hope to do other joint ventures or be a spokesmen for anything anti aging or nutritional. Who knows whats next. I know this that I do love to promote good products and have built trust with my current customer base. Check it out at www.braceland.tv I have sold vitamins for 5 different companies in my lifetime which is why I decided to start my own line. As I said I was a competitive bodybuilder (Mr. Michigan) ( Teen Michigan) etc.. and did martial arts for so many years I knew that I needed to flood my body with nutrition and spend a lot of money on them which lead me to start my own.


What is the best advice you ever got from anyone? Do you follow it to this day?

Best advice? Start a Roth 401K, buy real estate, stay healthy, work hard, be good, never give up on your dreams, stay out of trouble :)

Who can you say is your greatest inspiration and why?

I was inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger to compete in bodybuilding and Steven Segal to train in Yoshokai Aikido. I am inspired by people who made it on their own.


What do you hope to achieve when you decide to retire from being a Gigolo?

By retiring from the Gigolo scene I will be able to move forward for other business deals. I hope to also shake the stigma associated with my International fame of being a world class male escort. I hope to land other TV shows and deals since I consider myself a real actor!!


What do you want to say to Punk Globe readers out there?

To all the readers out there I would like to say that I have worked hard my whole life with out the backing of parents or anyone. I have lived a respectable life always being compassionate to others. I have a heart of gold and find myself becoming emotional at times when I think about the past and the ways of the world. I know that being a male escort on an International show leaves me with a stigma of some sorts but I am much more. I retired from a major corporation, had dozens of rental properties and been involved in many business partnerships. You win some you lose some but all in all I would say that I don't have a bad bone in my body. I have never ripped anyone off or hurt anyone and I am proud of that. No once is perfect and no one knows it all. I do know this, Life is short and its best to treat everyone with respect and try to see other peoples point of view. Live life to its fullest because the years go fast. Follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you that you cant do something. Peace :)

Brace, it is a pleasure to talk to you! Thank you so much for an insightful view into your world!