Dana Spain-Smith, chief operating officer at Philadelphia Style Magazine, is just like the audience she caters to: upwardly mobile, sophisticated and showered with diamonds and pearls. In spending a day with her, I realize her boundless energy, her fierce ambition and her admiration for venom spitting snakes.
My first encounter with Spain-Smith was in a tight space above the new Grape Street Pub, with seven other people. The scheduled meeting was to discuss cross-promotional opportunities and included a representative from Nicole Miller, the owner of Grape Street Pub, Nicole Cashman of Cashman and Associates for public relations, and three of their assistants. (I gave my assistant the day off.)
Spain-Smith, who came in last and without an assistant, quickly found her spot at the table and wasted no time in getting down to business. As the estrogen filled the room (and there was quite a bit with five women and only two men) and discussions commenced, she remained calm yet decisive, as she seemed to dictate the direction of the meeting.
Spain-Smith played the cooler, easing the tension in the room while ironing out the strategic wrinkles of the project at hand.
It was at that point, although I still hadn’t been officially introduced to Spain-Smith, that I recognized the power of her presence, the brevity of her command and that she was wearing a Nicole Miller skirt. (Nice PR move.)
Philadelphia Style, in only five years, has become much more than just “that other” magazine in the city. Despite the presence of Philly mag, who Spain-Smith feels caters to a completely different audience, Style has been able to create their own niche. Style has been successful in attending to the needs of those that live in the city, looking for the best in fashion, entertainment, food and home design. And part of the reason the approach is so successful is because Spain-Smith is part of the target audience.
She is Center City centric herself, residing in the city and supporting all the local events and establishments that she and her magazine endorse on a bi-monthly basis, which is when Style hits newsstands and mail boxes around the tri-state area.
After negotiations with the Grape Street Pub and Nicole Miller were complete, Spain-Smith took me for a ride to visit a local fashion designer about ad space in the magazine. After going over some rates and complimenting the designer on her new line, we took off back towards the city for a progress report from Styles’s PR firm, Cashman and Associates.
From one party, to another event, to a possible promotion, to an enticing TV spot, they downloaded what’s happening in the world of Philadelphia entertainment, and how Philadelphia Style could take advantage at the helm.
Finally, after so much time experiencing the best girl power had to offer, we had some quiet time, as Dana Spain-Smith invited me into her office to relax on her comfy mushroom chairs. While in her office, as she multi tasks with the computer and her assistant, she shares her love for food and travel and starts to talk about the success of the magazine and her passion behind it.
She revealed some of her favorite dining destinations, such as Morimoto and Dwight’s BBQ, and some of her favorite places to travel, like Italy and Africa. Although of all the recommendations and all the stories, the story of one particular trip to Africa seems to sum it all up to what “Being Dana Spain-Smith” is all about.
Her Africa story was not only the most notable, but the most telling, as to the kind of person Dana Spain-Smith is. While vacationing with her husband Michael (who also happens to be one of the main photographers for Style) they were visited by a spitting cobra, which is one of the deadliest snakes in the world. As Spain-Smith recalls, “I was so amazed by it’s beauty that I didn’t even think of what it was capable of doing.”
Like kill you for example.
Spain-Smith got on her hands and knees and tried to negotiate with this beautiful, completely irrational creature, as she attempted to remove it from the bathroom. After an unsuccessful attempt, a professional came in and that’s when the beauty really came forth as it spread its hood in defense.
Fortunately for Spain-Smith, her husband and the professional snake wrangler everyone was safe, but it proved her ability to come face to face with danger and not even shudder.
That tells me two things about her. One, that she’s not afraid of any opponent, despite its venom, and two, she’s far too fanatical about wildlife. Spain-Smith, much like the cobra, toes the line between a beautiful creature and fierce predator. Fortunately for me, I always carry a mongoose with me just in case for times like these, so I was prepared.
Despite her aggressive business approach, it’s clear that teamwork and loyalty is paramount to her business plan. Most of her day is spent crunching numbers, managing the financial growth of the magazine and getting grilled by local fanatics from Aroundphilly.com.
But it is her passion for the city and for her employees that shines through more than any of her many attributes.
Philadelphia is often criticized for its faltering nightlife scene, that even college graduates are using that excuse to flee Philadelphia. But as Style continues to take on a more active role in where to go when the sun comes down, and Dana Spain-Smith continues to inject her tireless enthusiasm, the “Best Of” awards could soon take on a whole new spin.
AroundPhilly Staff
