Family First - In The Spotlight: Paul Brown

Role I Desire:

A leadership position where I will showcase my passion and love for the brand(s) I represent. Given my experience and success on both the supplier and operations/buyer side of the business, I am more concerned with finding the right fit from a brand and culture perspective than the exact role. I am entrepreneurial, innovative, strategic, goal oriented and highly motivated for success. I also believe strongly in the power of relationship building and have contacts all across the industry. In short, the right fit will allow me to bring great value, both financially and creatively, to a team, organization and brand through my knowledge, experience, relationships, strategic thinking and innovation.

Challenges Solved:

I have excelled in extremely difficult turnaround and brand building capacities. I assumed control of the day-to-day operations and quadrupled sales of a brewery that was left for dead by a multinational winery. Through implementing new cost-cutting and purchasing procedures, I saved a resort hotel more money in the first two years of my employment than they paid me. Finally, I created and grew an award-winning and financially successful beverage program in a staid restaurant brand that was not known for beverage and in the history of the Company had never had a National beverage program.

Length of Time in the Industry:

I entered the industry in the mid 90’s in the early days of the craft brewing industry. After finding success in this segment of the industry, I transitioned to hotels. Here I ran the beverage department for a large multi-outlet resort and had profit/loss responsibility of the hotel’s food and beverage department. From there I moved to the National Beverage Manager role with the Melting Pot which I held for 9+ years.

What Makes You Unique:

In my years in the business I have enjoyed success in roles with suppliers, hotels and a National Restaurant Company. I have launched extremely successful new consumer products and programs. I have worked for both a franchisee and franchisor and have sat on both sides of the sales and negotiating table. Finally, I have been equally successful working with adult and N/A beverages and even have a background and affinity for functional beverages. These experiences and the knowledge gained from them, prove useful each and every day as I move forward in my beverage career.

Personal Life:

The same principals that drive my professional life: passion, commitment, success and excellence, also drive my personal life. I have two wonderful kids, ages 6 and 14 and we lead a very active lifestyle. I am a fitness enthusiast where, just like in my career, I continue to push myself daily to greater heights. I hold one world record in athletics and anticipate attempting to add more in the future.

I have recently co-authored a book, Pillars of Success, with the renowned author, Jack Canfield, and expect to write and release more books in the future. I am a philanthropist and have been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. I serve as a fitness and mindset mentor and coach and, in turn, work with three outstanding coaches who are mindset and excellence coaches to me. Two of my guiding philosophies are: “The more you experience in life the more you can bring to others.” And, “Motivation may get you started towards a goal, but drive, determination and grit are the components necessary to finish it.”