Smoosier of the Week - Brett Healey

Brett Healey is a foodie.

It’s like being a Trekkie, but about food, not campy science fiction TV series from the Sixties. Plus Foodies don’t have weird conventions. He loves food so much, he started his own social network for the Traveling Food Junkie, started the Secondi Gourmet website where you can order his hand-made authentic Italian Sauce, and is one of the most knowledgeable food experts on Smaller Indiana.

And that’s just in his spare time.

Brett is also the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for FP Services, a direct marketing fulfillment and support company (when you order things off TV, his company takes the customers’ money, puts their order in a box and sends it to them). His is a real success story too. Brett started at the company in 1994 as a data entry clerk, moved into the call center as an operator, became a lead, then a supervisor, on and on, until he was the VP of Marketing and Sales.

“It’s funny that it takes about 30-40 seconds to talk about what took 10 years to live through,” Brett said.

But it’s his passion for food that stays at the forefront of his mind. The first time I met him for lunch, ostensibly to talk about business, we met at a small restaurant in Fishers and talked about food almost the entire time. His passion for food is even found in his favorite books selection (see below).

In fact, he credits his passion with his success at work and his hobby. “Everything I do has to be its best,” said Brett. “FP is a very family-friendly company, that certainly helped with the ambition, but ultimately whatever position I did I wanted to be great at it. I guess I had a few bosses along the way that believed in me, and what I was all about. That couldn’t hurt.”

Brett also has the backing of his bosses for yet another new venture, Confluence, “a networking event designed to cross all networking association barriers. FP clients, friends, partners, vendors, and extended networks.” The event is on July 30 from 3:00 to 6:00 at the new Forty-Five Degrees restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue and College in Indianapolis.

Brett originally came to us by way of Winfield, Missouri, near St. Louis. “I was in college in 1993 when the great flood wiped out our home,” he said. “ We rebuilt, but then took the government buyout, and my parents moved to higher ground about six miles away.”

But Missouri’s loss is our gain. Our rich, savory Italian sauce-erific networking junkie gain.

(If you read this far, congratulations! You win a prize: Brett made this offer for his new Italian sauces.

(I’ve always wanted to bottle my Italian sauces. The first bottling is complete and it’s Pomodoro sauce which is a Tomato, Basil, and Garlic sauce, in my version I’ve augmented the traditional recipe to include onion. I make these sauces with all my own home-grown fresh herbs. The sauces are available for order online at this site. Fellow Smoosiers with food-backgrounds willing to write a testimonial on the sauce that I can use in my marketing materials are welcome to a free sample jar of the Pomodoro sauce immediately, just leave me a comment.)

Favorite book?
Cook Books of all kinds!

Favorite movie?
Dead Poets Society

What book are you reading right now?
Rosalie Serving Italian

Since you probably named a business book in the previous question, what is the latest fiction book you have read?
I guess you want a business book now… hmmm… 4 Hour Work Week!

What’s your favorite place to eat?
Are you kidding? You’re asking me, a foodie, to give you my favorite. Let’s see… Brett’s kitchen! I have a hunch you mean restaurant so… I’ve found a little place called Frasier’s Gourmet Food on 96th (East of 69). They teach cooking classes at night… and they run a high-end culinary store including a full Italian deli and imported cheese section. But tucked away in the back is this little 12-seat bar where they serve lunch each day. The chef, Brad (I think) takes care of your entire service and eating experience. The food is great, quaint setting, small enough to be very cozy, and quiet enough for a perfect business meeting. Every week (almost) I find myself eating at Mark Pi’s China Gate in Greenwood. You’re probably unimpressed that I’d mention a chain… but they’re independently owned and one does not stand up to the next. The Greenwood location is absolutely spot-on every time. We’re friendly with all the staff (first-name basis) so that has to give you an impression of how serious I am about my Mark Pi! Finally, I’ve recently stumbled upon Sangiovese on 86th St – what an amazing restaurant. It’s NOT the typical shopping mall restaurant. Very high-end… granted pricy, but well worth it, the food is great and the service is impeccable. Great location to entertain clients.