Blazing His Own Path, Max Modell Is His Own Man

Max Modell knows the legacy of his family’s business. He has just taken a slight turn away from one of the most famous sporting goods franchises in the industry, following a path that he set for himself when he was a child working in the stock rooms and on the sales floors of one of the 150-plus locations of Modell’s.

“I grew up loving sports and music, and as much as I loved the business, I always knew I wanted to do something different,” says Modell. “I started going after that dream when I was very young.”

But he is still young, on the eve of his 21st birthday. He is a full-time college student while maintaining a growing sports and music agent business, among other things.

“I want to be a part of things I am passionate about,” says Modell. “And the people who I work with are filled with passion and focus. It is the only way to achieve success, no matter what you do.”

Modell did not have to forge his path. He could have kept going down the one that began to be blazed in 1889 when Morris Modell opened his single storefront in New York City. A Jewish immigrant from Hungary, Morris chose Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan to begin his business. The company was a little more diverse through the years, but its presence as a sporting goods store became cemented in the 1980s. If you were from the East Coast — and especially from Long Island or New Jersey — chances are your first piece of sporting equipment was purchased from Modell’s.

Max Modell began working in the stores when he was a very small child. For some kids, it would be just a fun day with mom or dad at the office, but he saw it very differently.

“I met a lot of athletes, famous people, and just knew that I wanted to use the experience for something else,” says Modell. “But I had that moment when I could see a potential future for me.”

At 9 years old, Modell saw his first Golden Gloves boxing match. One of the most important stepping stones in any boxer’s career, the Golden Gloves has seen some of the most famous pugilists in history dance in its rings. Modell was stunned.

“It was such a fascinating event to see live,” he says. “It made a huge impact on me.”

Modell began to learn about the boxing profession on his own, with his father, Mitch Modell, helping him along the way. At 13, he began to scout boxers, seeking out new talent. When he was 14, Modell made his first power move.

Marcus Browne was a promising boxer from Staten Island. A tough southpaw, Browne was a young fighter who was about to put his trust in an even younger manager. In a diner with his father at his side for some support, the young manager made his pitch to Browne, who wound up signing a contract and thus becoming Modell’s first client.

“As a manager, you work to assist with all of the day-to-day needs of your client,” says Modell. “Training camps, transportation, equipment —
anything they need to help them focus on their training and preparation.”

Modell kept the train rolling. He continued to scout new boxers, signing boxer Richardson Hitchins. His youth raised a lot of eyebrows.

“I just wasn’t the typical kid,” says Modell. “I wasn’t into partying, or hanging out; I just wanted to work and learn and grow. I enjoyed working with my father and working for myself, doing everything I could do to be great at something of my own.”

The silver spoon stigma is something Modell has always worked to dispel in his world. His experiences with Hitchins and Browne opened his eyes to a world that he would never have been a part of, or exposed to, growing up in a life of privilege.

“You don’t know about diversity if you don’t experience it,” says Modell. “Suddenly I am with people who are fighting to make money to eat, to survive, in neighborhoods that were nothing like anything I had even seen.”

He adds, “I learned about the real world.”

With some years of managing fighters under his belt, Modell began to focus on working with musicians, signing hip-hop artist Melvoni to his company.

It is no secret that the music industry is nothing like it has ever been. The competition is fierce, and artists are not even considered by a major label unless they come to the table with a built-in audience. Melvoni had been doing the work. Modell wants to help bring it to the next level.

“I think my experience with boxers gave new clients a comfort level, so they can understand that I am there for the right reasons and have an understanding of their world,” says Modell. “It is so difficult for an artist to find a way to set themselves apart. Image is what sells, especially in the rap world. An artist benefits from a manager who will help them keep focused, keep motivated and not be pushed off track by even a little success.”

Modell believes it is the artists who dare to try new things and reinvent themselves who will be the ones who rise above and become the most memorable in their worlds.

This is the credo that has been guiding Modell since he first decided to walk his road. “Don’t be satisfied, keep working, keep them thinking,” he says. “Stay motivated, and keep the light at the end of the tunnel burning.”

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.