MOVERS AND SHAKERS, Brian Powell, founder of Powell & Mahoney, Limited Our Coverage Sponsored by The Peachy Deegan Cocktail!
Brian Powell
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Brian Powell, one of the founders of Powell & Mahoney, Ltd. is a native Philadelphian. Born the seventh child of a police officer and a homemaker, Brian spent his formative years roaming & exploring the corridors of brick row homes and the lumbering mills & factories of South Philly in the 1970’s. The streets were teeming with kids, often as many as 50 per city block and although the environment was stark and the people were generally poor, no one seemed to notice. The neighborhood was equal parts savage concrete jungle & imaginarium and it was a magical place to grow up for a kid with an active imagination.
The streets turned mean as he grew older and the racial strife of the late 60’s lingered in that neighborhood. People began to get killed and Brian’s parents became obsessed with getting him away from the increasingly toxic brew of violence, drugs and despair. In 1977, Brian was fortunate to receive a Policeman’s scholarship to a prestigious Prep school outside of Philadelphia and a whole new world was about to present itself.
Prep school suited Brian: there was a newly found sense of freedom and safety and he flourished there. Upon graduation, Brian matriculated to St. Joseph’s University, where he studied History and Marketing. During his college years, Brian started to explore his entrepreneurial urges. An old abandoned movie theater was located close to campus and he began to rent-it-out and throw massive inter-school parties that sometimes numbered 500 to 600 students. Building something from nothing excited him and he went on to start a summer valet parking enterprise at a giant “food factory” at the Jersey shore as well. An entrepreneur was born.
After college, Brian bumped around in corporate America: Beatrice Foods, Hanover Foods, and The Nutrasweet Company. He was never happy; entrepreneurs never are in a “cage.” An opportunity presented itself in ’96: The Balance Bar Company was a new start-up out of Santa Barbara and he now had the ground-floor latitude to be creative, spread his wings and polish his chops. BBAR went public and eventually sold to Kraft Foods for $168M. There was no turning back!
After Balance Bar, Brian started allGoode Organics, which was on the vanguard of the organic food movement. Timing is everything and selling REAL FOOD organic energy bars was not as well received as he’d anticipated – our country was in the throes of the Atkins mania - and ancient grains, whole fruits & nuts, high fiber and food based micro-nutrients weren’t as poignant as they are today. That company was about a year too early for the market and it was sold-off. The next stop was another start-up, Stirrings. This was another thrill ride that was to built-up to $25M and it was sold to Diageo a few years ago.
Having learned from success and failure, in 2010, Brian approached an industry veteran, Mark Mahoney and they started Powell & Mahoney, Ltd. Mark was the ideal partner: a strict accountant and operations whiz and their talents melded perfectly! The primary goal of this new venture was to create the world’s finest bottled cocktail mixers and it’s hard to argue that they have not succeeded. Although there will be a number of applications for the bar & restaurant trade, the key focus is to make it easy to enjoy excellent, top quality cocktails at home. Each flavor is crafted in small batches with the purest Vermont water, organic cane sugar and the finest fruit varietals available. All of the packaging and 95% of the ingredients are made and grown in the USA, a fact that was part of the initial business model. Mark & Brian agreed that in our struggling economy, that it would be an honor to take less margin and do their part to help create American jobs and they’re very proud of that decision!
Brian resides in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia with his wife of 24 year, Sandra, his children, Alec 16 and Georgia, 13, Phlo (a Lab hound mix) & Peanut (a Basset/Springer mix). He enjoys skiing, hiking with his dogs, collecting “unusual” art, surfing and politics. Aside from P&M, Brian recently managed his brother’s judicial campaigns and he is active in his community’s parkland preservation efforts. We are so pleased to present Brian Powell as our latest Mover and Shaker! Peachy Deegan interviewed Brian Powell for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: What is your first culinary memory in life?
Brian Powell: My first lobster at the Olde Original Bookbinders in Philadelphia on New Years Day, 1972: my father was from the neighborhood responsible for the Mummers and he and his old buddies used to rent a hotel suite at the Bellevue Stratford hotel on South Broad street for the parade. The wives would jockey kids back and forth - downstairs - to the parade while the men played poker and smoked & drank whiskey (real life Mad Men stuff, except the guys were all cops...). Anyway, my dad won $200 bucks at poker so he was pretty frisky and decided to treat "the queen" to a nice meal; I was just an appendage that day, but it was all so unforgettable for a kid that had meatloaf for dinner four days a week.
What is your first mixology memory in life?
Back in the day, my friends and I would head to Avalon, NJ each summer weekend. I was always in charge of the "mixed tape" and the cocktails. We all had a pitcher of martinis, martini glasses, ice, a shaker and a jar of olives. On a typical weekend, it would RAK 2 to 3 hours to get "down the shore" and let's just say that those rides were hysterically funny and forever memorable!
How would you compare and contrast Philadelphia and New York?
Philly is provincial and NY is cosmopolitan. It's funny, but that old bitter rivalry seems to have waned: everyone here was pulling for the NYFD after 9/11, the Giants and we are now Linsane about the Knicks with the rest of the world. If you haven't seen The Art of the Steal, the documentary about the Barnes Foundation's art, you must! The film contains a very telling comment about Philly: an art critic commented on the Mayor's comments (about the move of the famous collection to Center City) that "Philadelphia will soon become a great destination for art lovers, the world over...". The critic said, "That's just like Philly...it's not comfortable in its own skin; it's always striving and comparing itself to other places..." NYC doesn't feel overwhelming to me any longer; in fact I think that it's quite chill. It's the greatest city in the world and I can get there as quickly as someone from Hicksville or Summit. Philly has its own charms and it's park is sensational! It's home for me and I'm comfortable with the "skin it's in," so I love it! By the way: I live in a section of town, Chestnut Hill, that is unlike anything in NY. It's as if my little village was pulled out of Connecticut and plopped-down in the middle of 10,000 acres of old-growth forest... It's a complete urban anomaly and I haven't found it's equal in the U.S.
What do you think are the keys to overcoming adversity in life?
A good partner and a belief that you deserve as many second chances as you want to take. Dogs too!
What does being made in America mean to you?
Quality first and secondly, that we take care of our own (shout-out to The Boss). I drive a Ford Flex and only wear New Balance 993's. Made in America hits me on a very emotional level, especially since 9/11 and the Great Recession. Prior to 9/11, I believe that we were lulled to sleep by the mantra that we were now a "service economy." America is roaring back and I love a good comeback!
How can you influence other brands to be made in the USA?
By selling well to consumers and by having the Made in America feature a reason for the strength of our brand. Again, we don't really flaunt that all of our materials are Made in America, Mark and I felt compelled to take less margin, be all American and, thus, help to re-build jobs. We started in the depths of the recession and our reaction (to made in the USA) was as decisive as if we were being called to war to serve our country...we were filled with patriotism.
We are huge proponents of prep school; which one did you attend and how has it changed your life?
LaSalle College Prep, a Christian Brothers school. Coming from the ghetto, LaSalle was like I had gone to the set of The Philadelphia Story. Kids had their own cars, had crazy nicknames and belonged to Country Clubs. I remember going to a sophomore formal with (get this!) Dotsy Busfield. When we sat down to eat, there was as much silverware around my plate as my mom had in her utensil drawer. Dotsy could tell that I was flummoxed by this and she coyly whispered, "outside, in and leave it on the plate..." To me, High School cracked the world wide open and showed me that - rich or poor- we all want the same things and if we want something...go for it, it's yours! The other important lesson at Prep school was the importance of the entrepreneur. As I began to assimilate, I came to realize that most of these families were only a few generations removed from where I was from. Many of the wealthiest families owned construction companies, or chains of racetracks, etc. That school was a mix of airs of entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs. Many of the parents that I'd met knew that I was rough around the edges, but they saw themselves, or their father in me and did a lot to help and make me a more rounded person.
What is the difference between being an okay entrepreneur and a really excellent entrepreneur? I don't know? Passion and grit are the keys for all entrepreneurs to possess. You have to have a thick skin and you're either born with it, or your efforts reward you with one.
What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence?
The aforementioned experience in High School. However, a number of my close classmates at St. Joe's have done remarkable things and I was very inspired by them. Mike Hagan, Ed Walters and Tim Regan in particular: Mike took a dot-com public and then bought and turned-around Nutrisystem and Tim & Ed are Founders of a very successful construction company, Walters Hones in NJ.
What are you proudest of and why?
My children! They are very respectful, have a great sense of who they are and they are Amazing students, musicians and athletes. Sandy and I hit the jackpot with Alec and Georgia! Alec plays 5 instruments and is a 4.0 student at the most rigorous High School in the region: St Joe's Prep and Georgia is a a star lacrosse player and a 4.0 student at Norwood-Fontbonne. So proud of them....and my wife of 24 years, Sandy!
What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?
Help to guide & fund young entrepreneurs.
What honors and awards have you received in your profession?
I don't really strive, nor care for that kind of stuff. Outside of building my brand, I want to be home with my family, not at a banquet.
What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?
In more Downtown than Uptown. Ground Zero was extraordinarily moving for me and watching it rise up is glorious!
What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?
I love the Chelsea Market and the galleries in SoHo.
What is your favorite drink?
Sumner: Tom Collins: it's especially good with P&M's Lemon Sour with Bitters! Winter: A Jamison's and Powell & Mahoney Ginger Hi-ball...with a lemon twist.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you at a cocktail party?
Let me first say that I'm a huge music fan and I consider myself to be pretty knowledgable about pop music from the 20th century. Anyway, I was at a party and I had this looooong, interesting music conversation with this tall, elderly, stately British guy. He seemed to know some of the real legends and told me a few hysterical stories about Keith Moon, amongst others... As the party was breaking up, he told me how much he enjoyed our conversation and said that he had two tickets for the next day's Fleetwood Mac concert & offered them to me. I went on and on about the original Fleetwood Mac (Tall Trees, etc.) and told him that I didn't much care for the new incarnation of the group and declined the tickets. He laughed and said goodbye and as I returned to my friends, they said, "Wow, Mick Fleetwood, what's he like??!!!" Holy crap, I insulted Mick Fleetwood!
What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
Sandy and I often go to Ouest when we come to the Beacon for shows, however Lombardi's in Little Italy is still our favorite! Philly is a GREAT food town, but a horrible pizza town! Lombardi's is the best pizza in the world! Frank Pepe's in New Haven, CT is a close second.
What is your favorite Manhattan book?
A Drinking Life, Pete Hamill and Just Kids by Patti Smith. I love the wonder, humor and grit of NY portrayed within these books!
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
Paul Krugman. I'd like to debate Carl Rove and George Will at the 92nd St Y and do a pay-per-view (proceeds donated to NYC green spaces ) event to dismantle the myth of "austerity now!" Dr. K's enemies have done a good job of marginalizing his theories (especially the gang from the University of Chicago) and portraying him as a charlatan. He and Jeffery Sachs have been spot-on for years!
If you could have anything in Manhattan named after you what would it be and why?
A park or green space, for so many reasons.
What has been your best Manhattan athletic experience?
The Big East tournements of the 80's and early 90's. The one that I wish I'd seen in person? Frazier- Ali in '71!
What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?
Walk all day....have breakfast at The Cupping Room, cocktails at The Tippler, a few beers at the White Horse, Indian Food on 6th St., pizza at Lombardi's
If you could have dinner with any person living or passed, who would it be and why?
Winston Churchill or Teddy Roosevelt. It's a toss-up. I happen to think that they are the two coolest, self-actualized people that Western culture has produced.
What has been your best Manhattan art or music experience?
New York Rock & Soul review at the Beacon in '91! I got goosebumps just typing that!
What do you personally do or what have you done to give back to the world?
Raise my children properly and work & contribute to Friends of the Wisshickon, a nature conservancy in Philly.
What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
Overrated: Annie Hall and the sports fans- sorry! Underrated: the movie Metropolitan and how expensive NY is said to be...great food and drink can be found at every corner and it's usually reasonably priced. Because of the amount of competition, supply & demand spawns excellence!
Other than Movers and Shakers of course, what is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it?
I'd have to say Etiquette from Connecticut. Civics and civility have become (sadly) anachronistic within our our culture; thank God that there is still a crisp beacon of propriety in our lives!
Have you drank The Peachy Deegan yet and if not, why not?
I made one at home with Powell & Mahoney's Peach Bellini (no schnapps) and it was spectacular!
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
Cocktails are a truly American invention! Celebrate it and revel in it as you have skyscrapers, jazz, blue jeanes and Rock & Roll!
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?Brian@powellandmahoney.com
