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Ep 37 - Leadership means striving to explore myself as a complete human, feeling person and apply it to all actions that impact my businesses with Josh Harris
Josh speaks openly and honestly about his journey from bartender to entrepreneur. He shares about his sobriety and how education is deeply rooted in his personal life and the fabric of each of his businesses under the Bon Vivants Hospitality umbrella. We cover a rainbow of topics from how he and his team has created such a dope culture at Trick Dog, the impact of Pig & Punch, and his personal journey in discovering his own emotions as a whole human. It’s an awe inspiring and calm conversation filled with so many takeaways!
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
About Josh
Josh Harris, founder, Bon Vivants Hospitality
Hospitality veteran and San Francisco native Josh Harris is the founder of the nationally recognized drinks marketing, development, and trade advocacy agency, The Bon Vivants; awarded hospitality group, Bon Vivants Hospitality; owner of Quik Dog and the James Beard Foundation Award-nominated bar, Trick Dog; and creator of The Bon Vivants Scholarship. Harris is a bulldog lover, an ultra-runner, and a vintage watch peddler. Sober since 2003, Harris is an advisor for ALTR, an alcohol nanotechnology reduction company, and he is a strong advocate for raising the bar of non-alcoholic drinking.
Harris graduated from San Francisco’s St. Ignatius College Preparatory School and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in politics from the University of San Francisco. Upon recognizing his true calling for hospitality, Harris veered off the law school path and doubled down in the cocktail and hospitality world in which he worked part-time throughout college before founding The Bon Vivants in 2009. The Bon Vivants offers beverage consulting services for venues, including the San Francisco Proper Hotel and formerly the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. The company has engaged in numerous drink development projects on an international scale, consulting on liquid profile, packaging, drink strategies, commercial launches, and trade advocacy programs for brands like Tequila Ocho, Ancho Reyes, and the first non-alcoholic distilled spirit, Seedlip.
In 2013, Harris opened his first bar, Trick Dog, the acclaimed, James Beard Foundation Award-nominated San Francisco cocktail bar that changes its highly creative menu in form and concept every six months. Trick Dog has won “The World’s Best Cocktail Menu” at Tales of the Cocktails Spirited Awards twice (and is no longer eligible for the category). In addition to those prestigious awards, Trick Dog has been named semifinalist for five and a finalist for three James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Bar Program. Trick Dog has also been included on the 2014-2019 World’s 50 Best Bars lists, and has earned several nods from the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, with a win for “Best American Bar Team” and nominations for “World’s Best Cocktail Bar,” “Best American Cocktail Bar,” and “Best American High Volume Cocktail
Bar.” Nightclub & Bar Media Group named Trick Dog “Cocktail Bar of the Year” in 2017. Trick Dog is the only establishment of its kind in the Bay Area to receive a three-star review from San Francisco Chronicle’s then-restaurant critic, Michael Bauer.
In 2020, Harris created Quik Dog, a fast-casual younger sibling of Trick Dog focused on burgers, hot dogs, and great drinks. In spring 2025, Quik Dog is scheduled to open in Mission Rock, a 28-acre mixed-use development being built across from Oracle Park in San Francisco. Through all these ventures, Harris has used these platforms to create several philanthropic and community initiatives. Starting in 2010, he has produced the company’s signature fundraiser Pig & Punch in cities including New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Miami, and Austin. In addition to the money Pig & Punch has raised, he has coordinated over 10,500 volunteer hours of service for charter schools and youth organizations in those cities. In 2019, Harris started The Bon Vivants Scholarship, within the San Francisco-based nonprofit Scholar Match, founded by acclaimed author Dave Eggers, whose mission is to make college possible for underserved youth, from application all the way to college graduation. The scholarship is available to Black students, attending high school in San Francisco, and who will be the first in their family to college. https://scholarmatch.org/bonvivants/. In connection with all these initiatives, events and the sales of Trick Dog’s cocktail menus and related events, Harris has helped raise more than $891,000 for non-profits the group believes in, including the BV Scholarship.
In 2021, Harris co-founded the BV Run Club, an initiative of the group focused on Physical, Mental, and Social fitness. BV Run Club meets twice a week for social paced group runs and is open to employees, customers, neighbors, and friends of all running abilities.
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Ep 36 - What would it look like if we sought out wildly different perspectives than our own with Kira O’Brien
Kira joins me in a very honest conversation rooted in community values, curiosity of understanding each other’s languages and how to shine light on those around us.
Kira and I share many of the same values and perspectives on the world and we have two very special things in common - both born and raised New Yorkers and we share the same birthday! I like to believe this is a ground for our ease in conversation flow and sharing to better help anyone that is listening or crosses our paths. Kira also brings up a hot topic of how to navigate networking and stepping away from the small talk. We workshop questions and get really real about what types of questions you can ask at your next working event to get to know someone on a deeper level instead of discussing the weather, the coffee or topics that not everyone can relate to.
About Kira
Dr. Kira O’Brien, LSW - New York Director & Chief Human Resources Officer
Bringing with her a passion for community, empowerment and education, Dr. Kira O'Brien is the NY Director and CHRO for Emma's Torch, a nonprofit social enterprise that focuses on refugee empowerment through culinary education.
Before joining Emma's Torch, Kira's career as a Social Worker spanned from welcoming newly arrived refugees at the International Rescue Committee to supporting undergraduates in social justice work at Princeton University. A recent from the Rutgers School of Social Work, Kira's doctoral research focused on the role of experiential education in empowerment: how learning through doing can shape who we are and how we see ourselves in the world. She can think of no better example for this than right in the kitchen at Emma's Torch.
In addition to her work at Emma's Torch, Kira teaches in the Rutgers School of Social Work masters program and serves on the board of Catalyst Kitchens. A Brooklyn native and Queens transplant, Kira spends most of her free time trying new foods, debating the characteristics of the perfect slice of pizza, reading science fiction and being bossed around by her cats, Yoda & Jonesy (from star wars and alien respectively).
You can also read more about what lights Kira’s up on her substack.
Download our "Networking with purpose" filled with questions you can ask at events or use as icebreakers in team meeting.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Ep 35 - Asking for help from others allowed me to learn different skill sets with Katherine Sprung
This conversation with Katherine reveals so many full circle moments and how love stories in her career always brought her to the next part of her journey. Katherine shares how she’s asked for help each step of the way. This conversation is a great reminder to keep going, follow your intuition and remember to check the ego at the door!
About Katherine
Katherine Sprung is the founder and owner of Squish Marshmallows, host of Sprung On Food, commercial voice over artist, award winning pastry chef, and content creator.
Throughout the years, Katherine, and Squish Marshmallows, have been featured on Hallmark Channel, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, Eater, Insider, Money, Thrillist, Forbes, Food Network, among others, and named as a finalist for "Best Dessert" at the Vendy Awards, selected for Marie Claire’s 2019 Power Trip, a Tory Burch Fellowship 2020 Fellow, and winner of Food Network's Chopped Sweets.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within. -
Ep 34 Designing your business with intention to have better balance and sustainability for the team with Patrick Shaw-Kitch
Patrick is a restaurant industry veteran with over 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry. In this conversation, he shares what he’s learnt along the way and how his mentors have impacted. Patrick’s commitment to leading through a lens of sustainability, open ad kind communication and really putting this colleagues front and center is awe inspiring. He is intentional about his coaching style, how he interacts with the people around him and his colleagues. Patrick is also in the process of building the only grain mill in Brooklyn, that will also be a bakery! Give him a follow as you don’t want to miss the opportunity to grab a loaf of his breads or a pastry when his doors open!
About Patrick
Patrick has worked in top bakeries and restaurants for the last 2 decades, including James Beard-nominated Columbia City Bakery and Bien Cuit, growing his knowledge and experience in baking, cooking, and milling. Most recently, Patrick served as Head Baker at the two Michelin starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns and leader of the Bakery Lab at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. In his nearly five years at Blue Hill and Stone Barns, he operated a stone mill, baked products using exclusively stone milled, whole-grain flour using grain grown in the Northeast, and worked directly with local grain farms, universities, and seed breeders to test and use their products to bake bread and pastries. He is now starting his own company called Brooklyn Granary & Mill. Brooklyn Granary & Mill will be sourcing regional grains, stone milling them into flour for bakers, chefs and home bakers as well as for use in their bakery cafe.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
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Ep 33 - How to make training easier in jobs that are really hard with Rachael Nemeth
“Great leaders evolve” was Rachael’s answer to my final question of our conversation. This quote sums up Rachael’s career path and constant desire to create better tools for the hospitality industry. Rachael shares the evolution of Opus, pointers on how to create and implement great training programs that have an impact, and what she and her team has learnt along the years to support leaders within their businesses.
About Rachael
Rachael Nemeth, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Opus. She is a multifaceted leader in the res-tech space. With a career spanning several decades, she has made an impact not only as a business professional but also as a public speaker and educator. Opus, revolutionizes learning and engagement for the "deskless" workforce in the restaurant industry. Her journey features work at renowned establishments like Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, Baked, and Hot Bread Kitchen, an NGO empowering underrepresented women through baking skills.
Beyond her corporate roles, Rachael's influence extends into the education sphere, where she has championed instructional design and second language acquisition. Her first company, ESL Works, brought industry-relevant English training to kitchen staff via SMS text message. Widely respected in the res-tech space, Rachael is a public speaker, sharing her insights and expertise as a tech leader, restaurant veteran, and educator. As an alumna of The New School and hailing from Kansas City, Rachael's journey is a testament to her dynamic and diverse contributions to the restaurant and technology sectors
Rachael is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, Aug 27th at 2-3pm EST - Speaking up: using data to earn a seat at the table.
register for free here: https://www.opus.so/promo/speaking-up-using-data-to-earn-a-seat-at-the-table#form-text
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within. -
Ep 32 - One foot in front of the other, no matter if you are at the start or in the messy middle with Sam Pogue
Sam Pogue is creative, a free spirit and a master community builder! In this conversation, she shares her career journey while reminding us that there is no linear path, but to always follow your heart and passion. Because it will never steer you astray! She now resides in Baja Sur and has taken all of her business acumen and deep passion to connect people to create multiple spaces to highlight the makers and artisans in her community. We have so much to learn from Sam, including a few words of wisdom and “be cautious with who you share your dreams with.”
About Sam
Sam Pogue is the co-founder of The Co-Op Baja where she focuses on experiential design and operations. Sam is also the founder of paper to table, a small business that post-pandemic has evolved from event programming and production, to working with other small business owners to brainstorm and facilitate their own fresh pivots and expansions.
The Co-Op Baja is a Baja Sur studio that brings to market artisans in Mexico, who create functional art for home & hospitality businesses through the sale of handmade products and programmed experiences.
Sam Pogue’s superpower is building community…said a very smart person to me once.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
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Ep 31 - Hire people who love your business and teach them your systems to succeed with Ori Zohar
Ori is the Co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel. He’s been an entrepreneur since he can remember and shares some really sweet stories about each business he’s founded. Ori shares how he and his business partner, Ethan, built their company culture and how they hire to have access to the best talent to help the brand grow and thrive together. He shares the benefits and hurdles of fractional contracted teams and how this hiring strategy is the foundation of their culture.
About Ori
Ori is co-founder and co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel, the first comprehensive single origin spice company in the US. The company works directly with its partner farms to source unique, beautiful, traceable spices for professional chefs and home cooks. Burlap & Barrel is a Public Benefit Corporation, building new international spice supply chains that are equitable, transparent and traceable. Burlap & Barrel appeared on Shark Tank in April 2023, and you can spot their spices in The Bear on Hulu.
You can join the Burlap & Barrel Spice Forum on Facebook - it is a wonderful place on the internet to connect with fellow cooks and chefs, and discus all things food: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1575414682532699/
Their Spice Club will be shipping out right this week - you are invited to join the best food subscription on the internet: https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/products/spice-club
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within -
Ep 30 - Education and its impact on youth development with Kittrell Breland
Kittrell has dedicated herself to education and supporting youth development. She shares with us how the Food Education Fund helps students and alumni get hands-on experience in the hospitality industry. Through connections with the community, Kittrell has helped students expand their understanding of career opportunities available to them post graduation and puts them in rooms with industry leaders to enhance their networking skills.
About Kittrell
Kittrell Breland is the Director of Postsecondary Success for the Food Education Fund. Born and raised in New York City, Kittrell spent her formative years as a student within NYC's Department of Education. This experience allowed her to witness the significant disparities in educational opportunities firsthand.
As an Education Specialist with a focus on Educational Advocacy, Kittrell gained deep insights into the challenges faced by both parents/guardians and students. Her passion lies in bridging these gaps and empowering communities within the DOE to effectively advocate for themselves and their children.
Kittrell holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Muhlenberg College and a Master's degree in Educational Psychology from Touro University Worldwide.
To support the Food Education Fund, click here.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within -
Elizabeth has a long journey in the hospitality industry starting off in kitchens. She soon started to fall in love with operations and the safety of people in and out of kitchens. Elizabeth is now focused on researching and coaching teams how we handle conflict in the workplace to improve culture. She asked herself often: how can we hold space for two things to exist at once? To find the answer, she’s gone down a rabbit hole of educating herself on reparative justice that encourages us to heal together. Elizabeth’s view on conflict resolution and mediation is honest and welcoming. I’m excited for you all to learn more from her!
About Elizabeth:
Elizabeth is a lifelong advocate for a safe, sustainable, and equitable food system. Most recently, She was the COO of Poppy's, a woman-owned Cafe and Catering company in based in Brooklyn. Before that ,Elizabeth served as the VP of Operations for a multi-unit taqueria, Tacombi. Positions prior to those include the COO of Genuine Foods, a mission-driven school food service company, and Sr. Director of Environmental Health at Dig Food Group, where she oversaw environmental health and safety for the 32-restaurant food group, as well as led the diversity, inclusion, and belonging work.
Up until her time at Dig, she spent 11 years as the Director of Food Safety and Sustainability at both Eataly and B&BHG. She's also the co-founder of Women in Hospitality United (WIHU), a non-profit committed to creating safe(r) spaces to gather, foster leadership, develop solutions, and provide policies that set new standards for equity, accountability, and transparency in the industry. In 2023 she started EM PATH to empower founders, leaders, and teams to overcome internal conflicts, enhance communications, and cultivate a positive workplace culture
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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It’s been just over 3 months since I lost my father and I’ve learnt a lot in this time. I feel the need to share as a continuation to my first article about leading while processing grief. Loss and grief is a powerful thing. This grief is stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced yet so soft and tender at the same time. There are moments where the anxiety builds up so quickly within my throat that I know I need to release it to let it move through me as quickly as possible. I cannot ignore it. I don’t know how to and I don’t want to. There are other moments where it hits for several days straight and my heart feels empty and lost but it’s a soft cry - like a rapid river of tears that just flows until it reaches the opening and it smoothes itself out. In this episode, I share what I've learnt and how I've asked for support that has helped me navigate the rough waters.
For a full article on what I've learnt - subscribe to Hospitality from Within substack.
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Ep 27 - If you don’t know what you want, it’s hard for those around you to help you with Lan Elliott
Lan’s story is inspiring. She is a force that is deeply tapped into what she is passionate about and she continued to follow that light at each step of her career journey. She is not guiding leaders on how to follow their passion to find their path because there is not only one way to get there. She gives us great pointers on how to ask for someone’s time to gather information whether it’s about a career move, a curiosity or building your community.
About Lan
Lan Elliott has been in the hospitality industry for 25+ years as a hotel real estate & transactions executive. Most recently, Lan rejoined Acacia Hospitality LLC, a hotel investment entity she co-founded, which owns interests in four urban convention hotels. Together with its partners, Acacia currently owns interests in four urban convention hotels, totaling nearly 3,800 rooms, managed by Hilton, Hyatt Regency and Marriott. Acacia actively works with its partners and hotel management teams in the acquisition, asset management, renovation, expansion, and refinancing of these assets. Prior to Acacia, Lan spent over 10 years at Host Hotels & Resorts, where she closed on transactions totaling $8+ billion. She also held previous roles at IHG, W Hotels, and KPMG.
Lan serves as the university liaison for ForWardThinking (formerly Castell@College), for which she is a recipient of the 2022 Industry Recognition Award from ICHRIE. She also serves as a Board Member, Principal, and Interview Host for DEI Advisors, a non-profit dedicated to empowering personal success in the hospitality industry. DEI Advisors’ podcast was recognized by IHI as a Top Hospitality Podcast for 2023 & 2024. Lan was also named one of IHI’s 100 Most Inspirational Leaders in Hospitality and Travel for 2023.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 26 Be curious because you never know who’s sitting next to you with Angel Holmes
Angel shares her career journey as an entrepreneur in Charleston, SC. The one thing that has always been weaved into each step was building community and showing up for her people. Angel is an incredible conversationalist, is deeply curious about anyone that is sitting next to her and shines her light so brightly on everyone that crosses her path. She’s recently relaunched Sipindipity to teach us all to find the joy in social media and connect with the community through the platforms.
About Angel:
With over 28 years of experience in public relations, marketing, direct sales, and special events planning, Angel has a broad and deep knowledge of successful entrepreneurship, business planning and execution, and customer growth. Her mission is to inspire others through uplifting mentoring and resources so they can reach their full Godly potential and live out the life of their dreams. Career Highlights: Founder and Executive Director of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival Founder and Producer of BevCon Charleston and BevCon Los Angeles Featured Presenter at Zyia Corporate Basecamp 2022 Public Relations Manager for the South Carolina Aquarium and Charleston CVB Consultant for Chow Chow: An Asheville Culinary Event, Alys Beach Foundation, the Indigo Road Group, Edmund' s Oast, INNATE Wines, Chefs for Farmers, Home Team BBQ, and Lioco Wine Co.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 25 - How to create the structure to solve for this hurdle with Nick Salinger
Nick leads with his heart and his passion for creating memorable experiences for his team and guests alike is very clear to anyone that crosses his path. Nick shares his journey on how he fell in love with the hospitality industry and connected his dots backwards while honoring each step of his career.
About Nick:
Nick Salinger first started working in the hospitality industry in high school when he got a job flipping burgers and making shakes at Shake Shack. After a memorable celebratory night at a restaurant, Nick decided he wanted to build his career in creating special moments for others, and has since built a career fostering hospitality in some of New York’s best restaurants.
While earning a degree in applied math at Emory University, Nick landed an internship working for Danny Meyer at Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). After graduating from college, he entered the restaurant management training program at Hillstone. He subsequently returned to USHG as a service manager at Untitled & Studio Cafe at The Whitney Museum of American Art, where he first met Chef Suzanne Cupps.
In 2019, Nick joined Chef Cupps to open 232 Bleecker, where he continued his beverage education. He rose to the position of General Manager and Beverage Director. When the pandemic forced 232 Bleecker to close, Nick became the General Manager of Charlie Bird and ultimately the Director of Service for Delicious Hospitality Group, which includes New York mainstays like Pasquale Jones, Legacy Records and Bar Pasquale.
At Lola’s, Nick is joining forces with Chef Cupps once again to bring their signature combination of hospitality and delicious, ingredient-driven cuisine to NoMad.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
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Ep 24 - Visibility is so important in your career path with Rachel Humphrey
Rachel retired from a long career in law and in this space, she founded the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance to bring together women in the industry and be of service to lifting us all up. She is the ultimate community builder and a bridge to many connections and conversations that are crucial to the growth of women in hospitality leadership both in organizations, on panels and podiums. .
About Rachel
Rachel Humphrey - Board Member, Speaker, Hospitality Industry Executive, and Counsel Rachel is the Founder of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance and is an Interview Host for DEI Advisors. Before retiring in August 2021, Rachel served as the EVP & COO of AAHOA, the nation’s largest and most influential hotel owners association and served as a member of itsExecutive Leadership Team and in 2019 its Interim President & CEO. Rachel joined AAHOA in 2015 after more than 20 years as a trial lawyer. Rachel has been recognized as one of the “30 Most Influential Women in Hospitality,” “Top 50 Women in Travel,” “24 Most Influential Women in Travel,” “100 Most Powerful People in USA Hospitality,” “100 Most Influential People in Global Hospitality and Travel,” and “100 Most Inspirational People in Hospitality” and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership and service to the hospitality industry. She is dedicated to advancing women in leadership in the hospitality industry. In addition to the Alliance and DEI Advisors, Rachel currently serves on the Board of Judges of the Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame and on the boards of Women in Travel Thrive and the Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business. She is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and serves on numerous advisory boards within the hospitality industry.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Interviewing can be intimidating or sometimes become boring. No matter is you are new to it or a seasoned pro, spicing it up is always important!
In this episode, Kim shares tips on how to interview through a conversation, while sharing some personal tidbits with the interviewee and understanding their language. Setting the space for both parties to be comfortable is key to interviewing success.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 22 - The bridge between the bartender and the brand through storytelling and mentorship with Josh Gandee
Josh shared his career journey starting as a “factory worker” at The Cheesecake Factory to founding his production company with his friend / business partner. Josh’s drive is fueled by his curiosity to learn. He has placed himself in big opportunities for growth throughout his career because he continued to tap into his inner trust that he could achieve anything he wanted to learn about. He shares” there are always pathways around you that can help you move to the next step.” Josh also openly shares his sobriety journey and how it has impacted his life and relationships, what leadership means to him and how he has become a mentor to himself and others.
Josh’s guidance on how he navigates imposture thoughts:
Check in with yourself and take inventory - when you have those moments of constraint, can you pinpoint what it is or simply sit with it. It’s all about trusting yourself that you are an expert at your craft and you will get through this moment of self doubt.About Josh:
Joshua Thomas Gandee is a bartender, runner, creative, and podcast host who has worked in and around the restaurant industry for over a decade. Joshua quit drinking in 2017 and began creating a non-alcoholic culture in his city and beyond through recipes, recommendations, and a penchant for any water that bubbles. Joshua believes a change in mindset, can produce a change in identity and works to be the best version of himself possible while helping to lift the spirits of those around him.
Find Josh at the no/low tour! https://www.barandrestaurant.com/food-beverage/nolow-tour-back-2024
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 21 - There are certain moments in your career that define your purpose with Brianna Borin
Brianna has dedicated her heart and mind to creating community around her - both in her personal and professional worlds. Through this, she builds a safe and inclusive culture based on honesty, curiosity and growth. Brianna has continued to pave the way for herself to keep up with the growing business all while leading herself first so she can lead others.
Brianna asks herself and her teams these questions daily:
What do you want?
What are your superpowers and strengths?
What does the business need?
And where can your strengths serve the business?
What matters to you?
How do you communicate what matters to you?
What are the behaviors and norms that support what matters?
About Brianna:
Brianna Borin, Chief People and Culture Officer for Snooze, an AM eatery, is affectionately referred to as “Mother Hen” by her Snoozers and represents the heart and soul of Snooze. Raised in Wyoming, Borin began working in the hospitality industry when she was just 14 years old and came to Denver to obtain her BSBA in Business and Hospitality Management from the University of Denver’s Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. She eventually found her way to Snooze, where she started as an intern and host at the first restaurant in downtown Denver. Nearly 16 years later, she has held a myriad of roles within the company and is as passionate about the restaurant’s mission as she was on day one. Borin believes that Snooze is about so much more than just serving up amazing breakfasts — it’s also about mindfully sourcing and preparing sustainable food, giving back to local communities, creating a sense of home for Snoozers and Guests and allowing each Snoozer to show up authentically as their true self. She dedicates most of her free time to serving her community and sits on the board for various local non-profits and community organizations, including Urban Peak, Downtown Denver Partnership, Metro State Hospitality School and the Community College of Denver. Through all of her acts of service within her internal and external community, Brianna is dedicated to thinking outside of the box, creating innovative solutions, and pushing others to be the best versions of themselves in all aspects of their lives.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within.
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Ep 20 The ability to build again with Liz Mendez
Liz shares honestly about creativity, how she continues to tap into, and reminds us to have no shame as an entrepreneur that it’s ok to join a corporate position for stability.
Nothing comes out of the world fully baked and we can take a page out of this book to give ourselves some grace while creating and building.
Liz announces about her newest business - Aldea Hospitality and Productions based on community.
About Liz:
Liz Mendez is a veteran of the restaurant and wine industry, who resides in Chicago, IL. Growing up in the Midwest, as the granddaughter of two farming families, Mendez learned the art of hospitality on meager means, through large family get-togethers and a strong community connection. While financing her education and eventual degree in Communications, with a minor in Organizational Psychology, at DePaul University, Mendez began working at some of Chicago’s most well known restaurants of the 90s and early aughts, where a previous study in music came together with food and wine, leading to a twenty plus year journey of working in hospitality.
Over the span of almost three decades, Mendez has gained a reputation for an unwavering commitment to hospitality which led to operating large scale restaurants and consulting in wine education, beverage conferences and travel. Most notably, Mendez is known for a focus of study and writing around the wine and food of the Iberian Peninsula, combined with a passion for supporting local Midwest farmers, which was showcased at the Spanish inspired restaurant and wine bar she owned in the now buzzing west loop neighborhood of Chicago. In 2016 her dedication to wine and service was recognized by the Jean Banchet Awards for culinary excellence.
After spending the last six years working in Restaurant Partnerships with Resy and American Express, Mendez is taking on her third entrepreneurial endeavor, as the founder of Aldea Hospitality and Productions. As a mentor, coach and writer, Mendez aims to apply her extensive experience in support of today’s ever changing hospitality and artistic industries in her most recent venture.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 19 - Building partnerships through the art of communicating clearly with Lauren Darnell
Lauren’s work is to advocate for better work environments and connect partners to provide more equity resources to operators and owners to improve the work spaces for the hospitality industry in Nola and beyond. The work is relational and you have to bring your whole human self to do it so Lauren invites anyone that is ready to walk with her through the process to do something meaningful that will impact their business, team and culture.
A few key takeaways:
Ask for feedback - how is this landing for you? We have a relationship to the partnership. What is your relationship to partnership? It will help you filter bais and uncommunicated needs and wants. Alignment of your goals and values with your partners should always be discussed. Develop a system to prepare for breakdowns. They are going to happen and plan for them. When a breakdown does happen, address it within the week. Asking people to explain what they mean if you are uncertain or the information is too vague.Leadership means taking care of myself so I may be available to others.About Lauren
Lauren A.K. Darnell is doing groundbreaking work to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable future. Born in Lafayette, LA., raised in New Orleans and wired for pioneering.
Her family history includes escaping hurricanes and the pursuit through time of making a way out of no way. She is the daughter of a civil servant, attorney, and a costume designer who in 1969 became the first Black Crawfish Queen of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Lauren dissolves barriers.
As Executive Director of Made in New Orleans (MiNO) Foundation, her work is centered on increasing access for the advancement of BIPOC hospitality professionals and creating a more equitable industry for all. She is a passionate advocate, promoting equity and consulting for business owners. Her work is anchored by the ability to find and carve a path forward.
In 2023, Lauren founded Porch & Okra Consulting that offers leadership consulting and provides customized professional development support to foster healthy, strong team culture and climate across industries. Porch & Okra Consulting (POC) serves profit and nonprofit leaders and organizations through coaching, evaluation, training, advising, and a resource connection that enables clients to sustain transformative work environments with a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging foundation.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 18 - What I've learnt about leading while processing grief
As someone who is constantly called to share experiences with others in hopes that it will help guide someone back to themselves. This episode may be helpful for someone who is grieving or how to support someone in your community or team that is processing grief.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
- Visa fler
