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Time Business News

5 days ago

• Time Business News

From Asphalt to Autobiography: Why Alan Santana Penned UNPROTECTED THE FINAL ROUND BOXING BUSINESS AND LIFE to Share the Grit Behind Boxing, Business, and Survival

Not everyone who fights in the ring ends up pouring concrete and writing books. Alan Santana is one of the selected ones. The man behind Bay Cities Paving Inc. has spent over five decades dodging punches in boxing gyms, boardrooms, and life itself. Now, he's pulled back the curtain in his candid, no-holds-barred autobiography and educational book. , UNPROTECTED 'THE FINAL ROUND' BOXING, BUSINESS AND LIFE. And trust us, an ordinary CEO memoir is what this book is not. This is sweat, street smarts, and survival served raw. Alan's journey starts in the kind of places where dreams are paved with grit, not gold. A boxer by interest and a businessman by instinct, Alan learned early how to take a hit and get back up swinging. That lesson stuck, whether he was dealing with crooked contractors or cracked curbs. His story reads like a heavyweight title fight: round after round of resilience. He wasn't born with a silver spoon… more like a hot patch shovel and a fire in his belly. And now, after 36 years at the helm of Bay Cities Paving, he's finally telling the whole story—gloves off. Founded in December 1989, Bay Cities Paving has been punching above its weight for decades. The company serves Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside County, and if your church, shopping mall, or HOA needs a fresh coat of asphalt, they're the MVPs of the blacktop. For ADA-compliant access ramps, pristine driveways, and more, Alan and his team deliver quality as if it were second nature. He has made pouring concrete precise, prideful, and punctual. According to Alan, 'We are committed to arriving on time and executing the work according to the agreed-upon 'Scope of Work.' Our primary motivation is to ensure our customers are satisfied, as their happiness is what drives our company.' Bay Cities Paving was recently named one of the Top 1,000 Contractors in America. It's the result of decades of five-star reviews, repeat customers, and word-of-mouth that's louder than a jackhammer. They're fully insured, bonded, and organized. From sign installations to complete parking lots, they do it all with swagger. Yelp reviews gush. Google fans rave. The Better Business Bureau even gives them a standing ovation. As one happy client put it: 'I cannot say enough nice things about them.' What makes Bay Cities Paving so special? It's not just the smooth finish or the straight stripes; it's the company culture. Alan's crew knows the streets, the codes, and the common scams that leave property managers in a pothole of regret. They even host seminars to help people spot shady repairs and avoid costly mistakes. Think of it as asphalt school, minus the boring lectures and with a whole lot more parking lot wisdom. And let's be honest, when you've been paving LA since before TikTok was a twinkle in the internet's eye, you've seen it all. Alan's decision to write UNPROTECTED wasn't just to inspire. It was to tell the unfiltered truth. The grit behind the grind. The bruises behind the business. The chaos behind the calm of a freshly striped lot. And because he's Alan, the book comes with humor, heart, and a few haymakers. It's the kind of read you finish in a day and think about for a week. It's part tale, part asphalt adventure, part boxing confessional, and 100% Alan. Because it's real. Because it reminds us that the road to success is rarely smooth, and sometimes, it's paved with blood, sweat, and sealcoat. Are you a budding entrepreneur, a property manager, or someone who's been knocked down a few times and is still swinging? Alan's story hits home. You'll laugh. You might cry. You'll definitely never look at a parking lot the same way again. And most importantly, you'll learn. The most challenging roads make the best stories. Alan Santana proves grit works just as well with asphalt as it does with autobiography. UNPROTECTED, hence, is the blueprint for survival, success, education, and staying power. TIME BUSINESS NEWS

Eater

13-06-2025

• Eater

They Said ‘Don't Join the Family Business.' They Did It Anyway.

When Michael Stillman checks his mailbox, he often finds a large yellow manilla envelope stuffed awkwardly inside the small slot. The 45-year-old CEO of Quality Branded — the restaurant group behind Quality Meats, Italian spots Bad Roman and Don Angie, and Asian fusion-y Twin Tails among others – knows who it's from: Alan Stillman, his 88-year-old father and the founder of Smith & Wollensky. Inside are newspaper clippings, magazine stories, and a print-out of the restaurant group's latest P&L, highlighted in neon yellow with hand-written notes. 'Quality Italian's wine sales were highlighted with a note: 'This isn't as good as it should be.'' says Michael. 'He wasn't wrong.' The restaurant business often draws kids into the family legacy. Many go off on their own rather than work with mom and dad on a daily basis. Danny Meyer's daughter Hallie is the founder of Caffe Panna and Marguerite Zabar Mariscal, the granddaughter of Eli Zabar, is the CEO of Momofuku, for example. Some take the more complicated route of working alongside their baby boomer parents. Michael Stillman followed in his father Alan's footsteps. Massimo Lusardi has several restaurants with his dad Mauro, who made a name for himself on the Upper East Side decades ago with Lusardi's. George Spiliadis works with his father Costas, founder of Estiatorio Milos. Bilena Settepani runs her family's namesake restaurants and bakeries with her parents. These are their stories. Alan Stillman, who founded T.G.I. Friday's and Smith & Wollensky, didn't encourage his son to follow in his footsteps when he was younger. Michael, a Brown grad, considered politics but ended up in the restaurant business first with Danny Meyer at Tabla. That led to a job with his father, opening Smith & Wollenskys across the country. 'You're 25. Go have a good time and open restaurants and learn the business,'' he says. In 2006, Michael convinced Alan to hand over Manhattan Ocean Club to him, transforming a onetime seafood power spot that had lost is luster into Quality Meats. He enlisted chef Craig Koketsu and design firm AvroKO, selling off restaurant art to fund the project. From there, Michael built Quality Branded, which now has 12 concepts in New York and Denver. Alan credits his son's creativity and risk-taking. 'We are 40 years apart, and that age gap allowed him to take risks and to make mistakes that I didn't.' Massimo Lusardi started as a teen coat checker at Lusardi's, his father Mauro's Upper East Side mainstay since 1982. While Mauro didn't push him toward the business, Massimo was all in — working the floor, trying the kitchen, and learning every part of it. Like Alan, Mauro did not encourage his son to join the business. 'This industry is not exactly what you wish for your child. You are always working: not around for the holidays, you miss things.' But Massimo was all 2005, when Massimo was 22, they expanded the Second Avenue footprint, opening Uva, a wine bar a few blocks from Lusardi's. In 2021, they opened Uva Next Door, and then Massimo branched out on his own (with his father's support) to open the speakeasy cocktail lounge Keys & Heels with his partner Jayne Moore, and most recently, a bistro called Nightly's, which shares a wall with Lusardi's. All are on Second Avenue, between 77th and 78th streets. There are conflicts, but Massimo says they don't derail the process. 'It's like when you're playing jazz. You know when it's someone's turn to play rhythm and when it's someone's turn to play lead.' Costas Spiliadis, who opened Milos in Manhattan in 1997, told his son George to finish university before touching the restaurant world. But George spent summer breaks waiting tables and staging in the kitchen. After graduation, he officially joined the team. At his father's encouragement, George built his own strengths, developing Milos's wine program and championing Greek winemakers. In 2024, he became chief business officer. The Spiliadises now run 12 restaurants globally, including in Athens, Dubai, and Singapore, and have recently opened Milos and Milos Wine Bar in Hudson Yards. A Midtown mezze spot is on the way. Bilena Settepani grew up in Settepani, her parents' Williamsburg bakery (1992) and Harlem restaurant (2000), where the chef packed her school lunches she developed an entreprenurial streak by selling her family's focaccia to friends at school. At the time, her father Nino, a Sicilian baker, and her mother Leah Abraham, an Ethiopian-Eritrean restaurateur, discouraged their children from joining the business. But both Bilena and her brother Seyoum both work with the family. For Bilena, it wasn't always that way. After Leah was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, Bilena quit her job in the fashion industry to help with the Harlem restaurant. She urged her dad to focus on the Brooklyn bakery, and her mom on healing. Then she enrolled in culinary school at night to build her pastry skills. Bilena has since added to the bakery's line of cannoli, torta del nonna, sfogliatelle, and launched a panettone of the month with modern flavors like Nutella, almond, and rainbow cookie. She has also helped develop the company's ecommerce and social presence, and began a monthly partnership with Massimo Bottura's Refetorrio. Seyoum has created partnerships with About U and the Harlem Jets, which create opportunities for youth and promote community growth. In addition to the original Settepani bakery in Williamsburg and the restaurant in Harlem, the siblings help has allowed the family to branch out to Brooklyn's Time Out amid the intensity of work, Leah says they keep their priorities clear. 'At the end of the day,' says Bilena, 'we are family.'

Yahoo

12-06-2025

• Yahoo

CNX Announces Promotion of Alan Shepard to President

PITTSBURGH, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CNX Resources Corporation (NYSE: CNX) announces the promotion of Alan Shepard to the position of President in addition to his current role as Chief Financial Officer. "The opportunity set for the CNX team to continue to create per-share value for our owners and to positively transform our Appalachian communities has never been greater," said Nick Deiuliis, CNX CEO. "Since rejoining CNX in 2020, Alan has been integral to the development, communication, and execution of CNX's sustainable business model and the implementation of our capital allocation approach. Today's announcement recognizes both past achievements and our future expectations of his contributions to our continued success." Ian McGuire, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CNX added further: "This promotion reflects the collective confidence that the Board has in Alan's leadership as CNX moves forward. We look forward to continuing to work closely with him on long-term per-share value creation." The Board of Directors of CNX unanimously approved the promotion of Mr. Shepard to the position of President in addition to his current role as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Shepard will continue to report to Mr. Deiuliis. About CNX ResourcesCNX Resources Corporation (NYSE: CNX) is unique. We are a premier, ultra-low carbon intensive natural gas development, production, midstream, and technology company centered in Appalachia, one of the most energy abundant regions in the world. With the benefit of a 161-year regional legacy, substantial asset base, leading core operational competencies, technology development and innovation, and astute capital allocation methodologies, we responsibly develop our resources and deploy free cash flow to create long-term per share value for our shareholders, employees, and the communities where we operate. As of December 31, 2024, CNX had 8.54 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's Midcap 400 Index. Additional information is available at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CNX Resources Corporation Sign in to access your portfolio