Mitch Newlin, the energetic CEO of Gelato Fiasco, lets no grass grow under his feet. This enterprising 32-year-old combines fine business savvy with genuine personal charm. Hearing his story is as refreshing as enjoying a large cup of gelato (pick your flavor).

Mitch, a Brunswick native, attended the Waynflete School in Portland where he captained three sports (basketball, soccer and baseball) while compiling a fine academic record. He began working behind the counter at Gelato Fiasco in 2012 while in high school.

After graduating from Wayneflete, he decided to take a gap year before starting at Bates, the college he chose because he wanted to stay in Maine. He spent part of that year working at Gelato Fiasco before spending several months volunteering at an orphanage in Kenya and teaching math at a school there.

An economics major at Bates, Mitch played some intramural sports, while managing to work 20 hours a week at Gelato Fiasco doing his first two years. His drive and charisma impressed the owners so much that they hired him as a store manager, a position which required him to work 40 hours a week during his junior and senior years at Bates.

Today, this tireless CEO oversees the Brunswick store, the Portland store, two food trucks and the catering business. The man knows how to run a successful business. He hired two fine gelato makers and lets them do their thing, never micromanaging them.

He’s very particular when hiring people to work behind the counter. When someone applies for a job, he first determines whether they possess the personal skills to enhance the customer experience. If applicants pass that first test, then Mitch gives them a big binder that contains pages of information about the history of the store, the making of gelato, the popular flavors and, most importantly, the philosophy of the store. He then spends time training each new employee. Employees who work more than a year at Gelato Fiasco share in the store’s profits, another brilliant management strategy.

You might already know that customers can put two or three or more flavors in their cup of gelato. Did you know about Gelato Fiasco’s creative cold weather marketing gimmick? The store gives a 1% discount for every degree below freezing outside. Tina and I once ventured outside in -7 degree weather, figuring we couldn’t afford not to.

Mitch firmly believes that being a good business entails being a good community citizen. Every year, over 50 nonprofits from the area have the opportunity to have their members participate in “Scoops for Community” and thereby share in the revenue on the nights they serve.

Gelato Fiasco is also a strong supporter of Maine State Music Theatre. The store creates a special flavor for every show.

On the personal front, Mitch first met his wife Estrela at the Portland Store. Originally from Angola, Estrela is a dynamo in her own right, speaking five languages and working as a flight operator and translator at the Portland International Jetport. They hope to raise a family, although Mitch admits he’ll need to hire another person to oversee some of his responsibilities when they have children.

We have long been big fans of Gelato Fiasco. Indeed, we compiled enough Red Spoon points to have a flavor created for us, titled Polar Bear Peppermint Patty. We’re even bigger fans now that we’ve learned more about the wizard behind this iconic local business.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.