John Marino

By Michelle Bruch

Brio is a self-publishing company based in the Plymouth building. It started out as a basic printer and has grown to publish a celebrity cookbook, design the cover of a science fiction story and ghostwrite an NFL player’s autobiography. The company is on track to produce 400 titles this year and offers à la carte services like editing, marketing and warehousing.

Co-founder John Marino thinks self-publishing is becoming more common because it allows authors to retain rights to their copy and keep all of their profits, rather than collect the small percentage of royalties offered at large publishing houses. Even Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki independently published “Why We Want You To Be Rich” so they could keep the profits, he said.

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These are promotional cards for one of Brio’s current projects — a study Bible called “The Strand,” which is slated for release in September. A pastor spent 30 years and 30,000 hours cross-referencing Bible verses for the book. Marino said he loves his job because authors can see years of labor finally come to fruition at Brio. “Everybody has an idea or a dream for a book,” he said. “And now they’re taking it on to the next step.”

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Marino is proud of his membership in the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization. He said members must be corporate owners or founders who are under the age of 46 and have hit the $1 million mark in sales. (In addition to Brio, Marino owns a piece of the Green Bay Packers. He picked up two shares for $200 apiece when they became available back in the mid-1990s.)

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This rock garden is one of several Zen-like elements in Marino’s office. His sales doubled during the month he installed a wall-mounted water feature, so he figures he can’t go wrong with a little more Zen here and there.

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Marino bought this floating picture frame directly from the manufacturer, and it’s been a staple of his office since it opened in St. Paul six years ago. The company has since moved several times — staff doubled in 2008 — and it was once headquartered in the carriage house of a Loring Park mansion.

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A wireless keyboard and mouse.

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This is artwork produced by Marino’s 3-year-old son. Marino’s family lives in a Downtown condo, and he walks to work every day.

If you have a unique or interesting workspace, or know of someone who does, contact us at dtjournal@mnpubs.com or 1115 Hennepin Ave. S. Minneapolis, 55403.