5 Minutes with Stephen Miller, Associate Consultant

Meet Stephen Miller and spend your next ‘5 Minutes With…’ this United States Military Academy grad and former Army officer. We have a handful of service academy graduates, so the Army-Navy football game gets a little intense with this crowd—especially for Steve and his family! It’s a holiday in his house.

Steve is a man on the move—from cycling to participating in VSOs to watching sports to investing in a start-up distillery in Ireland—he keeps busy!

Keep reading to learn why he lists ‘orthopedic surgeries’ as one of his hobbies and who his famous brothers-in-law are (hint: they are comedians)!

What are some of your hobbies?

• Cycling/Peleton – cycling for me is like golf. I go with friends in the morning to catch the sunrise and we discuss trivial nonsense and watch the world wake up around us. My riding partners are folks who I have participated in multiple triathlons, and running races, but I have gracefully stepped away from that intense lifestyle…mostly because my body refuses to cooperate. In the fall and winter, my riding partners and I switch to doing Peleton challenges, to stay in shape and discuss our favorite peleton instructors.  
• Participating in VSOs. I am on the BOD of the West Point Society of Philadelphia and I’ve been very involved with training college students to in turn train high school students in Leadership and Ethics. I am also involved with the American Legion. I am also the Class Vice President of my college. I am in charge of our reunions and social activities. It’s one of my favorite things to participate in our reunions and see my best friends. Historically, I was active with Team RWB, which seeks to stop veteran suicide by organizing events around physical activity.
• Snowboarding – My family typically goes West for at least a week and do winter sports. Our favorite spots are Vail Colorado and Jackson Hole/Grand Targhee Wyoming. We love big mountains with deep powder. I am referred to as a “Grey on a Tray” when snowboarding.
• Beach worshipping – really anything at the Jersey Shore or Florida Beaches. Summer time is the best time for me. I enjoy the sand in my toes, driving my jeep with the doors and top off, watching the tides drift and possibly a good stand up paddle.
• Watching Football, college basketball and Lacrosse – especially Army Football and The Eagles and Army Lacrosse and my son’s High School and Club Lacrosse Games. I do enjoy watching my middle son’s rowing/crew events. Typically, as my wife calls it….the High Holy Holiday – That being the Army-Navy Game, and the week prior is an exciting time in my family. We tend to participate in a few Fantasy Football Leagues, and we trash talk each other consistently. It’s like a family version of “The League”. My family was a huge Villanova Basketball follower when Jay Wright was coach. We have connections through our church, that have allowed us to get private tours and time with Jay Wright and floor seats to Villanova games. We all enjoy March Madness and do as many brackets as we can. Now that Jay Wright has moved on, our obsession with Villanova Basketball has waned.
• Orthopedic surgeries (not one that I enjoy) – My body has rebelled against my long history of physical pounding

What is your favorite way to spend a day off?

Early morning bike ride and then taking my dog to the dog beach park and throwing her ball into the ocean and watching her fetch, pork roll egg and cheese bagel for breakfast from the local bagelry, lazy sitting on the beach while listening to the waves crash and some Grateful Dead in the background, margaritas on the rocks with salt and chorizo tacos at my favorite restaurant with my family for dinner, beer and meaningless conversations on the back deck with friends while the sun sets.

What was the best vacation you ever took and why?

Every trip I’ve taken to Ireland, because I get to spend time with my family visiting their heritage and spending time with relatives and friends in a magical land with amazing people. This eventually brought our family to a path of investing in a start-up distillery and brewery (no longer a start-up) that has been fun to watch grow into the largest brewery/distillery in Ireland. I’ve hosted a tour of college classmates to Ireland and some of them now make the annual pilgrimage with me. 

What career advice would you give your younger self?

“Hey Steve, continue to work hard and bring value, that will help you with a successful career. But dude, take some time off and balance your life. Don’t be in such a rush to climb the corporate ladder.”

What is your go-to midnight snack?

Cold pizza, cold beer and a warm fire.

Do you have a podcast recommendation we should check out?

I don’t listen to either, but my brother-in-laws Neal Brennan and Kevin Brennan both have podcasts. They are comedians and both very hilarious. Kevin’s podcast started off by bashing his brother Neal.