extraordinary grands
Michael Feuer is a
Max-Wellness is at the forefront of the 21st century’s
trillion-dollar health and wellness industry
BY RICHARD J. ANTHONY, SR.
I
n 1988, low on funds but catapulted by a big idea,
Michael Feuer launched OfficeMax, a brand that went on
to transform the retail office supply industry and made
its founder an iconic multimillionaire (OfficeMax sold in
2003 for $1.5 billion).
In 2010 he launched Max-Wellness, which he originally
envisioned as a chain of retail health and wellness
stores. Instead, Max-Wellness has become a movement
led by a disruptive entrepreneur with a very big vision.
GRAND: How did you come up with the idea for
OfficeMax?
Feuer: I was born with a severe birth defect: no
money. I decided I had to make it the old-fashioned
way by coming up with that “special something” idea. I
knew I couldn’t get rich working for somebody else....
I had the Frank Sinatra syndrome—you know, his song
“My Way.”
At the time most of the players in the office
20 GRAND JULY AUGUST 2012
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supply business weren’t putting their customers
first, a lesson I learned early and believe in very
strongly. I didn’t have a lot of capital, so I had to
GRAND recommends: Michael Feuer’s The Benevolent
Dictator for its inspiring and commonsense
lessons for leaders and entrepreneurs.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Benevolent-Dictator-Employees-Competition/dp/1118003918/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339049106&sr=1-1http://www.amazon.com/The-Benevolent-Dictator-Employees-Competition/dp/1118003918/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339049106&sr=1-1http://www.amazon.com/The-Benevolent-Dictator-Employees-Competition/dp/1118003918/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339049106&sr=1-1
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - July/August 2012