I met Paltrow in 2011 working at Yellowstone Capital down on Wall Street. He was one of the original 10 guys who started the company and was 70 years old at the time.

Paltrow was an exec at Revlon during advertising's gilded age, when Mad Men ruled the culture. His sense of humor was colorful, plentiful and not for the delicate. I knew we were going to be friends when I started getting offended by people who were offended by him. He knew we were going to be friends when I started fixing all his computer problems.

Paltrow was such an important part of my success at Yellowstone. He gave me the confidence to swim with sharks by simply reminding me that I was smart, but also went the next step and told others so.

He's the closest to a grandparent that I've had, and I hold on tight to his good advice and nuggets of wisdom.

He also taught me how to enjoy a proper 3-hour lunch.

My Friend and Mentor

Michael Paltrow