Are you living the life you were meant to live? What if you had a second chance?

In this interview, legendary author Mitch Albom joins us on the Uncorked podcast to discuss his incredible life journey and the powerful themes in his new book. From his early days as a musician and a top ESPN sports writer to the life-altering experience with his professor Morrie Schwartz that led to the global phenomenon "Tuesdays with Morrie," Mitch shares the pivotal moments that transformed his perspective on success, love, and legacy.

Dive deep into a conversation about empathy, regret, and the profound discovery that a second chance is not a magical gift, but a choice we can make every single day. Mitch also opens up about his inspiring philanthropic work in Detroit and Haiti, offering a powerful reminder that the greatest legacies are built on hope.

⬇️ Learn More & Support Mitch's Causes ⬇️

📘 Get Mitch's new book, "Twice" (and his other bestsellers)

❤️ Support the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage

🙏 Learn about SAY Detroit

✅ Subscribe to Uncorked for more conversations on wine, life, and business

👉 Link to More Podcast Episodes

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Introducing legendary author Mitch Albom

(01:02) Inspiration for the book 'Twice': What if you had a second chance?

(02:52) Mitch Albom's "Twice Life": From musician to famed sportswriter

(04:07) The life-altering pivot: Morrie Schwartz's final class on life

(05:32) 'Tuesdays with Morrie': A labor of love that changed everything

(07:08) A new purpose: How readers' stories sparked a life of empathy

(09:02) Inside the heartbreaking reality of the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage

(11:46) What is a meaningful legacy? Mitch Albom on inspiring hope

(12:51) Final thoughts and reflections

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

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