The Oregon Public House Inteview

How did you come with the idea of opening the first “philanthropub” ever?

Really it came about as a dream to start a nonprofit.  Not a pub.  The pub idea just came as an answer to a question: “What does the community need?”  There were lots of things we thought we could do, but we realized there were already dozens of nonprofits across the city trying to meet the needs of the community.  But they were struggling.  Finances are always the most important, and simultaneously least important departments of any nonprofit.  Their challenge is to accomplish the mission of the npo, but they are often hindered by the task of raising funds simply to keep going.  This is where the idea of the business came in.  Why not start a business that could raise funds and awareness for these organizations, simply by running a successful business?  Allowing the nonprofits to focus on their mission, and we can focus on the fundraising.  This is where the idea germinated from.

The Pub idea came about because…Portland.  Portland, Oregon is “Beervana”.  We have more breweries than any other city in the world.  For us, it was simply connecting the dots.

Carl King Interview

1. If you could give only one advice to someone who wants to launch an artistic career, which one would it be? A sort of “cast in stone” mantra that could be repeated over and over.

It's difficult to write it as a mantra. But artists need to learn about healthy compromise. That doesn't mean you should get taken advantage of, or never do the things you love, but unless you're already independently wealthy, you need to trade something of value to others in order to survive. It's how human society generally functions. If you don't bother to create something that other people want, you'll have a difficult life. I see artists of all ages who refuse to learn that simple lesson. 

Louis Ferrante Interview

1. In your book Mob Rules: What the Mafia can teach the legitimate businessman you talk about the importance of sniffing out opportunity. What is the best opportunity that you spotted and took advantage to?

There were many and most dealt with human relationships. Knowing I was a reliable guy who would never break my word, many people who had great opportunities fall into their laps but didn’t know what to do with them would bring them to me. So keeping your word and always delivering on your promises was like a magnet for opportunities.

Steve Jones Interview

 1. Brand Like a Rock Star is a very refreshing and well-researched book about branding. How did you come with the idea of writing it?

I’ve spent the bulk of my career managing radio station brands, and in that capacity I had a front row seat to the rise, and sometimes fall, of some legendary bands. I worked with the bands and labels to promote new releases, concerts, and stunts. Through my radio career I also watched other companies spending literally hundreds of millions of marketing dollars on campaigns that sometimes worked, and sometimes didn’t. So I came away with a unique perspective that combines both business and music… my two passions. Combining them led to the very enjoyable experience of researching and writing the book.