Life’s a party

Words by Sally Howard

A day in the life of Chicago nightlife legend and A-list networker, Billy Dec.

Attorney, real estate developer, celebrity reporter, business consultant and president of Chicago’s top restaurant, bar and nightclub development company—Rockit Ranch productions—Billy Dec (left) is one man with a lot on his plate. Almost as much, in fact, as the diners at Rockit Bar and Grill, Dec’s white-hot Chicago steakhouse, a venture that’s caused waves across the city since swinging open its heavy oak doors a year ago.

Dec, 33, set off on his heady path to Chicago nightlife legend as a teenager, when he used his martial arts experience to get his foot in the door as a bouncer at Chicago’s hottest nightclub. Handsome, charming and naturally business-savvy, Dec proved to have an aptitude for marketing, networking and playing the gracious celebrity host.

He honed his act further, becoming promotions manager at some of Chicago’s top nightlife venues and, at just 22, launched his first lone venture, Solo bar. An abbreviation of “South Loop,” Solo was unique in Chicago at the time—an international style bar with Midwestern attitude. Its abstract twisted artworks, putty-colored walls and champagne brunches were an instant success.

Over the next few years, Dec spearheaded numerous groundbreaking entertainment venues across his home city, including Equinox Café and Wine Bar, celebrity hangouts Skylight and the Bedr oom, and hip club Le Passage—all while he was busy funding himself th rough law school. Today, Dec juggles the management of his portfolio of hotspots in Chicago and Florida with consultancy, arts and charity chair manships, and his nascent TV reporting career for local channel Metromix.

Unsurprisingly, the man all Chicago men want to be (and all Chi-town women want to be with ) has received broad recognition for his light-footed ascent to the upper echelons of success. Dec has been held up as an icon in men’s style magazines GQ and Playboy, and was recently awarded the Illinois Excellence in Business Award.

Opposite, Billy takes us th rough a breakneck day in his life, and lets us in on a few of the secrets of his success.

7am

I always get up at the same time, no matter what—even when I come home at 5am (pretty often in this business). For breakfast I have French-press gourmet coffee and organic cereal with fresh blueberries and soy milk. You need to be into nutrition when your life doesn’t stop.

8am

Most days I’ll visit my martial arts center—POW!— where trainer Sifu Dino puts me th rough my paces.

9am

Sometimes I’ll have a breakfast meeting with an influential Chicagoan who I’m networking with , or a potential client. the consulting work—marketing, events and branding—is a new direction for me and I really love it.

10am

the office. Tuesdays and th ursdays are for meetings with my partners, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez. We spend about two hours talking numbers, quality control, management, new deals, concepts, etc. Otherwise it’s rapid-fire meetings withemployees or the marketing team for each of my properties, while frantically th rowing voicemails and emails over to my angelic assistant Katie.

Lunch!

I always lunch with someone important… I help them, they help me, it’s top-tier networking [Billy buddies ar ound with a brace of A-listers, including David Schwimmer]. And always at our new restaurant and bar, Rockit Bar and Grill, so I can keep an eye on th ings at the same time. My favorite dish is our balsamic-glazed salmon.

2pm

An hour for my own emails and phone calls. then meetings at individual properties with the managers, publicist, marketing teams, liquor distributors, promoters, interviewees and staff.

4-5pm

I’ll work out if I didn’t in the morning—usually ar ound five times a week. If not, there’s usually an after-work social, or a board meeting for a charity group.

7pm

I get home and usually have to crash, because it’s back out on the town at 8:30! I try to catch the dinner crowd at Rockit to say hello to my customers. I’ll eat ther e for another meeting or sometimes (alth ough rare) with a friend or family member.

9pm

I’m in role now. I am working the host, the personality and friend to the customers. Often I’m running into my places, th rowing my jacket down, shaking hands and exchanging business cards with in seconds. Between dinner and the late-night party crowd, I’ll grab one of my partners and check out how it’s going elsewhere. Sometimes I’ll entertain someone from the industry who needs to come to Chicago. they know I am their guy to make it all happen.

Home

I fall into bed anywhere from 11 to 1am and 3am th ursday to Saturday. In my 20s, I did 18-hour days seven days a week. Now I try to average more like 16. But now that I’m filming the Metromix celebrity show, that doesn’t always happen!

this much I know

• “Never forget that this business is a show. When your venues are packed, your staff are all running full speed and customers are all energized and happy, that’s when it pays off.”

• “Chicago does th ings Chicago’s way—the long and hard way—by working for it. We may not have the star power, cameras and social entertainment writers that the coasts have, and miss the fast and easy press ops, but th rough serious talent and hard work we are now being recognized for having some of the best chefs, restaurants and events anywhere.”

• “Chicago is lucrative for business if you’re good. Chicagoans are loyal and will access the best.”

• “You have to learn to ‘read’ celebrities in this field. You need to know the sort of people they don’t want to speak to; understand how to get them to drop their guard and let you in. It’s a skill.”

• “Proving people wrong is an amazing feeling—starting with noth ing, supporting my family and building my businesses. And all the while I’ve created and maintained a solid reputation as a good person to th ose who know me. All in a business that has many stereotypes, challenges and obstacles.”

• “Be very careful before you enter this business. Work hard to figure out what it really entails before you step in at whatever level. Remember, there’s a reason that more than 80% of ventures go out of business with in their first few years.”