THESE GENTS HAVE STYLE IN SPADES. A CLOSER LOOK REVEALS THE PERSONALITIES BEHIND ALL THAT PANACHE.
“You have to chase the fundamentals while interjecting passion projects here and there. It’s all about getting the job done, but you must have some fun along the way.” This is the mantra of Jay Fields, the CEO of The Fields Companies—a vertically integrated global steel distributor, fabricator and manufacturer of products for oil field service and infrastructure projects—which has expanded beyond its initial space into music, film and real estate.. This SMU alumnus (Go, Ponies!) has set his sights on this niche industry, and he’s just getting started.
TOP WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... TAILORED, CLASSIC, CLEAN AND COOL
MY PERFECT DAY IS... COOKING RIBS AND WATCHING COLLEGE FOOTBALL WITH THE CREW
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS... CASH FLOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR MOTHER (NOT MY MOTHER)
THE PLACE I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... BCN AND MY HOMIE JARED AT Q CUSTOM CLOTHIERS. ALSO, KELLY HAMILTON AT HAMILTON CUSTOM SHIRTS. THE BEST!
MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IS... MARRYING MY ALLIE
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, I WOULD... I WOULDN’T
THE CRAZIEST THING I EVER DID... PLUMMETING DOWN WHAT WAS ONCE THE TALLEST BUNGEE JUMP IN THE WORLD IN SWITZERLAND BACK IN COLLEGE. THEY HAVE SINCE SHORTENED THE JUMP…
I WANT MY LEGACY TO BE... A GREAT FRIEND, HUSBAND AND FATHER
“I love creating new experiences and concepts to Houston,” shares Andy Aweida, co-founder of The Kirby Group, along with Jeff Barati. “I’ve always enjoyed interacting with so many talented people from Houston and all over the globe. Houston is a melting pot.” The Kirby Group is responsible for some of the city’s top hits, including Heights Biergarten, Degust, Verde Garden and Harlow District, which is about to roll out a few highly-anticipated concepts. With such a successful roster under his belt, Aweida’s radar is on point. What’s on the horizon for this tour-de-force? “We are ready to grow our concepts and real estate portfolio to other cities, including Dallas, San Antonio and Denver,” Aweida says. “We currently have business ventures in NYC, Bangkok and Singapore.”
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... CLASSIC, CONFIDENT & CLEAN
MY PERFECT DAY IS... MAKE MY BED, WORKOUT, AND WORK WITH MY STAFF… IF I AM TRAVELING WORKOUT, BREAKFAST ON A BEACH, TOUR AND EXPERIENCE A NEW CITY AND CULTURE
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS... TREAT EVERYBODY WITH THE SAME ADMIRATION AND RESPECT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU’RE IN AN ELEVATOR WITH
MY MOST TRUSTED POSSESSION... MY FATHER’S ASHES THAT WERE ENCASED INTO A SILVER LEAF ROCK THAT I CARRY WITH ME
PLACE I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... MY ESTABLISHMENTS OR MEMORIAL PARK
MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IS... MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY
I F I COULD TURN BACK TIME, I WOULD... TAKE MY DAD ON ONE MORE LONG STROLL
THE CRAZIEST THING I EVER DID... CLIMB A VOLCANO TWO DAYS BEFORE IT ERUPTED
I WANT MY LEGACY TO BE... SMILES & LAUGHTER….THAT I MADE PEOPLE FEEL HEARD, FEEL SEEN, FEEL APPRECIATED AND MORE CONFIDENT THAN BEFORE I MET THEM
“Albi has been such a dream come true, and we’ve had such an amazing and warm welcome from the community,” Jim Fakhoury notes his new culinary venture with brother and partner Nano. “I look forward to introducing what we can do for lunch and brunch!” The Fakhoury brothers are on fire, hot off the heels of opening a Mediterranean eatery, Albi, this past spring. What’s next for this dynamic duo? Notes Jim: “I am proud of and excited to share with Houstonians our new Lebanese gin that we are producing called Flower Moon, made here in Houston, bottled and distilled in Houston.” Can we say cheers to that?!
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... FASHIONABLE , TRENDY AND ACTIVE
MY PERFECT DAY IS... WORKING OUT, CHECKING ON MY BUSINESS AND LAYING AT THE POOL
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS... TRAVEL & TELL NO ONE, LIVE A TRUE STORY AND TELL NO ONE, LIVE HAPPILY AND TELL NO ONE , PEOPLE RUIN BEAUTIFUL THINGS
MY MOST TRUSTED POSSESSION... MY BUSINESS
THE PLACE I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... THE OAKROOM & THE HOUSTONIAN
MY MOST OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IS... BECOMING A BUSINESS OWNER
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, I WOULD... I WOULD’VE COME TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS A KID
THE CRAZIEST THING I EVER DID... SNOWBOARDING ON A DOUBLE BLACK DIAMOND THAT SAYS YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN DEATH
I WANT MY LEGACY TO BE... GENEROSITY AND THE ABILITY TO FORGIVE
My family and I moved from Lebanon in 2001, and by 2005, we opened our first family restaurant named after my mom, Mary. We worked all the positions ourselves—my sister and I were waiters, my brother the bartender, my mom the chef, and my dad worked with suppliers,” reflects Nano Fakhoury on how he and his family first stepped foot in the Houston culinary scene over twenty years ago. “We hustled and did it all ourselves, so it helped us learn the restaurant business thoroughly. Throughout the years, we opened up a couple more restaurant locations and now really feel a part of Houston’s amazing food services industry.” Favorite part of the job, one might ask? “The personal learning and evolving that comes with meeting and working with other people in my industry,” Nano shares. For a chance to spot this stylish fam? Head to the newly opened Albi, but of course. Insider’s tip: The feta Gnocchi and Melon Salad are amazing.
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... SPORTY, PROFESSIONAL, AND EVOLVING
MY PERFECT DAY... READING A GOOD BOOK, GETTING IN A NICE WORKOUT, AND SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY
IF I HAD THREE WISHES, I WOULD WISH FOR... HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND WORLD PEACE
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS... DON’T RUSH DECISIONS, PRACTICE PATIENCE
MY MOST TRUSTED POSSESSION... MY BUSINESS LEADERSHIP BOOKS
THE PLACE I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... MY RESTAURANTS AND THE HOUSTONIAN CLUB
“I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida—second generation American with a Cuban and Spanish background,” shares Lance McCullers, Jr. “I dedicated my life early to playing baseball and becoming a Major League Baseball player.” The Houston Astros pitcher is living out his dream one day at a time, and the best part of it all? McCullers shares: “Living my dream and having a platform to impact the community I live in a positive manner.” Having called Houston home since spring 2015, the athlete shines on and off the field with a heavy hand in the community. He launched the Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation, which has saved over 82,000 animals’ lives to date, works closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Houston and is involved with Sunshine Kids. What’s next for this (literal) all-star? Notes McCullers: “My business partner, Juan Carlos Martinez de Aldecoa, and I launched a Coffee brand this year. Maven Coffee Co. (mavencoffeecompany.com) and we have opened a cart inside MMP and Toyota center with flagship brick and mortar locations to come.”
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... ELEVATED STREETWEAR (DIOR TO TOM FORD)
MY PERFECT DAY IS... SPENDING TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER, WIFE AND DOG BY THE POOL
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS... DREAM AS YOU CAN’ T FAIL AND THEN WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
MY MOST TRUSTED POSSESSION... MY FAMILY AND DOGS
THE PLACE I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... MINUTE MAID PARK
MY MOST OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IS... MY DAUGHTER AND FOUNDATION WORK
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, I WOULD... LIVE IT ALL AGAIN
THE CRAZIEST THING I EVER DID... I ’M A RISK-AVERSE KIND OF GUY
I WANT MY LEGACY TO BE... I CARED FOR PEOPLE AND TRIED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Gearing up to open the highly-anticipated doors to PLK Social this fall, Jason Mok is on fire. Having originally moved to Houston at the young age of 18 to attend Rice University (where he undoubtedly caught the friendly competition gene pursuing an opportunity to play on their D-1 men’s tennis team), Mok has settled down in the Houston community with his wife, Stephanie as they raise their two boys, Lucas and Leo. “It was toward the latter half of 2018 when I had the crazy idea of switching careers despite devoting the initial part of my career to moving up the Big 4 Public Accounting ladder—where Mok was working at Ernst & Young—I didn’t know exactly what I was searching for at the time but I knew that I needed to pursue something that I was more passionate about, while utilizing my skills, attention-to-detail and discipline, as well as my ability to lead,” he shares. “I was fortunate enough to land a job managing operations for a family office specializing in commercial real estate while also becoming a partner at FM Kitchen & Bar (FM). Today, I balance my time managing the family office and real estate while overseeing restaurant operations.”
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE... CLEAN. COMFORTABLE. PROFESSIONAL
MY PERFECT DAY IS... EARLY MORNING COFFEE AND BREAKFAST WITH THE FAM, DEFINITELY FIT TING A COUPLE OF HOURS OF PICKLEBALL IN, AFTERNOON POOL DAY WITH FRIENDS FOLLOWED BY A SOLID DINNER AND DRINKS AT A FUN KOREAN BBQ-TYPE SPOT
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS ...“DON’ T LET PERFECT GET IN THE WAY OF DONE.” IS A MANTRA AND MINDSET I TRY TO FOLLOW CONSISTENTLY.
PLACES I FREQUENT MOST IN HOUSTON... YOU’LL FIND ME AT THE HOUSTONIAN MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK, USUALLY PLAYING PICKLEBALL (OF COURSE!) AND SPENDING TIME WITH MY KIDS AT THE POOL
MY MOST OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IS... I AM PROUD OF THE PERSON I AM BECOMING REGARDING MY VALUE S , WORK ETHIC, AND HOW I TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT WHILE RUNNING A BUSINESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE FAMILY ME AND MY WIFE , STEPHANIE, HAVE BUILT. WE NOW HAVE TWO BOYS (LUCAS (3½) AND LEO (2)) WHO ARE BOTH GREAT KIDS (MOST OF THE TIME).
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, I WOULD... HAVE BOUGHT SOME BITCOIN BACK IN 2010
THE CRAZIEST THING I EVER DID... HA! I AM NOT KNOWN FOR BEING “CRAZY,” BUT THE CRAZIEST THING I’VE DONE SO FAR IS PROBABLY QUITTING MY CORPORATE JOB AT THE AGE OF 33 AND PIVOTING AWAY FROM WHAT I WAS “SUPPOSED” TO DO.
Photography by: From top: PHOTO BY TOM WERNER/GETTY; JAY FIELDS PHOTO BY JENNY ANTILL; ANDY AWEIDA PHOTO BY YASH SINGH, BANAVENUE PHOTOGRAPHY; JIM FAKHOURY PHOTO BY MICHAEL ANTONY; NANO FAKHOURY PHOTO BY MICHAEL ANTONY; LANCE MCCULLERS PHOTO COURTESY OF MLB BASEBALL; JASON MOK PHOTO BY MARCOTORRES/@MARCOFROMHOUSTON