• Uncorked: Episode 25 – Jeff Brown on Grocery Innovation, Social Impact & the Power of Giving Back
    2025/10/20

    In this episode of Uncorked: Wine, Business & Life, filmed in the Saddlehill Winery Tasting Room, hosts Bill Green and Jerrold Colton sit down with longtime friend and Philadelphia business leader Jeff Brown, the fourth-generation grocer behind Brown’s ShopRite and Di Bruno Bros.

    Jeff opens up about his journey from growing up in Northeast Philly to transforming a small family grocery business into a community-driven powerhouse that serves both underserved neighborhoods and upscale markets. He discusses working directly with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to shape national food-access policy and how that partnership helped launch Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign.

    The conversation dives into Jeff’s Uplift workforce initiative—an inspiring program providing second chances to formerly incarcerated individuals and achieving a remarkable 98% success rate. Jeff also talks about serving on Governor Tom Wolf’s Workforce Development Board, tackling issues like inflation, tariffs, and SNAP cuts, and how policy impacts everyday families.

    From running for Mayor of Philadelphia, to acquiring Di Bruno Bros., to raising four sons alongside his wife and business partner Sandy, Jeff’s story is one of heart, perseverance, and purpose.

    🍷 Wines featured: Saddlehill Vintner’s Reserve, Château Lafite Rothschild, and Dominus (Napa Bordeaux-style).

    🎙️ Hosts: Bill Green & Jerrold Colton

    📍 Location: Saddlehill Winery Tasting Room – Voorhees, NJ

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    1 時間 4 分
  • Uncorked: Episode 24 – Michael Schulson on Staying True, Scaling Restaurants & Redefining Dining
    2025/09/24

    We take Uncorked: Wine-Business-Life on the road to Alpen Rose for a wide-open conversation with chef-restaurateur Michael Schulson. Michael traces his path from his Nana’s matzo ball soup on Long Island to Philly institutions like Le Bec-Fin and Susanna Foo, then to Stephen Starr openings (Buddakan, Pod) and his own breakout with Izakaya at Borgata and Sampan in Center City.

    He gets real about nearly shuttering his first spot, the “Stay True” mantra that kept him going, and the operator’s rule he swears by: design first, then service, then food—because dinner is the movie now. We dive into scaling to 15+ restaurants, using analytics (down to dollars per minute per server), forecasting orders, and why his model is asses-in-seats (no ghost kitchens).

    There’s plenty of Philly love, some Knicks-Sixers banter, family, YPO/forum lessons, and—of course—wine: Saddlehill Reserve, a 1999 Lafite, and a 2010 Screaming Eagle.

    Highlights:

    -Origin story: from Nana’s kitchen to Le Bec-Fin → Susanna Foo → Buddakan/Pod

    -First ownership wins & near-misses: Sampan’s slow start and the Stay True philosophy

    -The 3 pillars ranked: Design, then Service, then Food (and why)

    -Scaling smarts: forecasting orders, minute-by-minute server productivity, AI-driven ops

    -Why he refuses delivery/ghost kitchens: the experience can’t be boxed

    -Culture and winners: how Villanova-style mindset applies beyond basketball

    -Partnerships, YPO/forum value, and learning to be a better partner & leader

    -Family & balance: being “the best dad” as his definition of success

    -New openings: Double Knot in Wynwood (Miami), Delray Beach, and New York

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    51 分
  • Uncorked: Episode 21 – Ira Lubert on Iconic Investments, Penn State Legacy & Contrarian Wisdom
    2025/08/18

    In this episode of Uncorked: Wine, Business & Life, Bill Green and Jerrold Colton welcome legendary investor Ira Lubert to the Saddlehill Winery Tasting Room. Known as one of Philadelphia’s most iconic investors, Ira shares the incredible journey from winning a New Jersey state wrestling championship to becoming a contrarian investor who has raised over $17 billion and built a reputation for protecting the downside. He reflects on his deep ties to Penn State as an athlete, board chairman, and philanthropist, including his role in elevating the wrestling program to national dominance. From his early entrepreneurial days buying mobile homes to spearheading landmark investments like the Valley Forge Casino, Ira offers invaluable lessons on timing, luck, discipline, and daring to fail. A rare, candid conversation with a true heavyweight in business and life.

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    47 分