Seat Yourself

This week’s episode features Roger Least, Director of Dining Services for Brightview Senior Living. Drawn to his current company by their culture, in our conversation Roger explains why that culture is so important in the senior living segment and what it especially meant during the pandemic. And, since we have tabletop in our DNA, we asked Roger his view of how the role that tabletop plays in the senior dining experience and just why the dining experience is so important in this growing sector. After our conversation it is easy to understand why Brightview is a regional leader in this all important segment and why they continue to attract top talent at all levels.

This week’s episode features marketing veteran Marc Broccoli. Marc has been helping start-up and established brands grow for the past 20+ years by combining proven marketing strategies and tactics with both traditional and leading-edge methods. Recently, Marc has turned his attention to marketing within the foodservice sector. So, in today’s conversation, we discuss with this veteran marketer how he views marketing versus sales and where he feels the future of marketing in foodservice is headed. Marc’s experience includes working with companies of all sizes in both consumer and the B2B channels. To add to his marketing expertise, Marc started his business career in operations and, in addition, he has also spent time on the agency side of the brand building equation. With a background of such wide – and deep – experiences, we were excited to sit with Marc Broccoli and get his take the future of marketing, in general…. and what he sees as the future role of brands in foodservice. And like any great marketer, Marc has his own website: mbroccoli.com

This week’s episode has us sitting with Ed Grocholski, Sr. Vice President – Brand at the Junior Achievement organization. Recruiting employees and future leaders for the restaurant and hospitality industry currently is a real and present issue. We're fortunate to have Ed join us to discuss how his organization is working to develop top young talent that will hopefully be a source now and in the future for our industry! If you're interested in having young people learn and join our industry, you'll want to check out what Ed has to say! And, like me, I think you’ll be amazed at both the scope – and the impact – of the Junior Achievement organization.

In this week’s episode, friend of the show Greg Kirrish returns to recap his just completed culinary sojourn to the Grand Canyon State of Arizona. Curious adventurer that he is, Greg gives us his food & beverage insights into the dining out goings-on in Tucson and Scottsdale, along with his encounters in the remote outposts of Sedona and Flagstaff. And – bonus – Greg offers up the location for the best tacos he’s had ever! You’ll definitely want to hear of the discoveries that our wandering gourmand has made on his latest trip.

This week, we bring a tech touch to Seat Yourself when we are joined by John Kelly, CEO of Zenreach. Zenreach is a software and information company that helps restaurant operators connect the physical and digital journey for their customers. With customer acquisition and retention as their primary targets, Zenreach offers operators digital marketing that can be measured with in-store results. With our industry’s return from the pandemic, we cannot think of a more important topic than new customer acquisition and retaining those most loyal pre-pandemic customers. What John has to say will be something that every operator – and supplier – will want to hear.

This week, we head back to one of our favorite cities – Edinburgh, Scotland – to speak to founder and creative entrepreneur Nikki Gibson about her start up company Swurf.This talented hospitality veteran seized the opportunity during the current pandemic to create a start to help both hotel properties and those who continue to work from home. Nikki will explain why her company Swurf is of great benefit to both the hoteliers and here Swurfer community, even after the pandemic is over. In addition, Nikki will tell us why she feels challenging times are often the best time to begin something new and what some of her thoughts – and challenges – are in being an entrepreneur. Anybody considering a startup will want to hear what Nikki has to say.

This week, friend of the podcast Zander Lauritzen Hansen returns to talk #tiki! We could not be more excited to have this cocktail savant return to give us his thoughts on this fun concept that will no doubt be riding the returning wave as the hospitality industry begins its comeback. The tiki cocktail, and really the entire tiki concept, is associated with fun and the world could use a bit more of that these days, for sure. We’ll talk about the history of tiki, what are some of the current trends and why it can be a profitable addition to almost any type of restaurant or bar. Plus, you can get a few ideas from Zander’s company - Scandic Bar – by using the catalog link on the Seat Yourself website, just to right of this summary posting.

In this week’s episode, Dave discusses the #coretrait of being true to yourself and your dreams. And, he does it by discussing the future possibilities that lay in front for TabletopJournal as it approaches its 10th anniversary. Ambiguity and uncertainty are always a part of our future and Dave’s personal approach in this week’s episode brings it home with candor, personality and, as always, without varnish.

In this week’s episode, Jay Allie, friend, co-host of our other podcast Every Other Thursday - and Sr. VP of Sales & Marketing for Stolzle Glassware - comes on to discuss his lengthy sales and marketing career, the current state of the foodservice and hospitality industry. Jay also offers up his take on our Every Other Thursday podcast and how it differs a bit from this podcast. For those of you familiar with Jay, you know there’s never a shortage of stories so you’ll definitely want to tune into this episode.

This week, we are joined by England’s Matt Inwood. Matt is well known in British culinary circles for his creative storytelling and his packaging of chefs, restaurants and their associated stories. In the more recent times, Matt has also become known for his extraordinary phone photography skills. In fact, he is so well regarded in that area he has turned to conducting workshops on helping others to improve their storytelling with images taken from our smartphones. Matt’s workshops and his 3 elements for success form the core of this week’s episode. We also touch on Matt’s other creative talents, including his thoughtful and reflective writing. Matt takes us through his writings and his thoughts on being kind to others and why that is particularly important in these current times. Matt Inwood is a man of depth and many creative talents. Our conversation will allow you insights into who he is, what motivates him and what he knows that can be of help to all of us.

In this week’s episode, Greg Kirrish returns to talk about our Every Other Thursday Podcast - where he is a co-host - and what really differentiates our other podcast. Along with that, Greg weighs in with his unique perspective on the #foodservice and #hospitality industry – and, its tradeshow’s – recovery trajectory. Finally, we close out this episode by learning what destinations are on Greg’s developing travel agenda as the ability to move around our country continues to become easier and easier.

In this week’s episode, we discuss our building anticipation of the real beginning of the re-opening of the hospitality sector. Amidst the excitement, there is also the realization that our industry’s recovery will likely not be linear and straightforward. With a patchwork and often erratic recovery, it will take a great deal of positivity to continue to see our way forward. So, this week, we offer up a few simple and easy tips for keeping our individual positivity at a high level and why its important that do that. #positivity Four quick tips, plus a couple of bonus tips – all within our own individual control and best of all, at no cost. Staying positive is always a choice. Make it yours.

In this week’s episode, we sit with sales entrepreneur extraordinaire Bill Flannery. Based in the Washington – Baltimore marketplace Bill has been on all sides of the supply chain to the foodservice and hospitality industry. Using humor as his calling card, Bill discusses his philosophy for staying in touch with his customers, how he has evolved during the past year and much, much more. If you currently know Bill, this episode will help you know him better – and differently. If you’re not familiar yet with Bill, you definitely will want to understand both who he is – and, how he differentiates himself in the crowded field of sales to the foodservice and hospitality sectors.

In this week’s episode, we turn the conversation back to a core belief that, throughout life, there will always be struggles. And, those struggles can be a great source of our strength and help us make decisions that we may have avoided otherwise. Let us all hope to see the many blessings that come from the struggles that life inevitably brings to us. As Helen Keller taught us - “The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings.” After all, how could you get stronger without overcoming a struggle?

This week, our episode has a couple of distinct differences. First of all, we have 2 guests – Josh Callahan and Jason Wange, from Cal-Mil. And, secondly, in our opening segment, we will learn from these two top execs all about Cal-Mil which was started more than 50 years ago by Josh’s grandfather. And, then, in our second segment, we are going to learn about the Foodservice Powerplant Network that Jason has started as a support resource within the foodservice and hospitality industry. What we were most curious about is Cal-Mil’s strong support of the FSPN and exactly where this new FB support group fits into the company’s larger overall purpose and culture. In this episode you’ll hear from both Josh and Jason how these two organizations fit together and, perhaps, it may have just been a bit of destiny that it has all come together so well.

This week, Zander Lauritzen Hansen returns to give us his take on the trends that he sees continuing with us into the future now that the pandemic horizon is – possibly - finally starting to show itself. Much has changed in the past 12 months and there are many new avenues that both operators and spirits companies are traveling to reach their target markets. Copenhagen-based and a global leader in the bartending & mixology scene and owner of bar supply company Scandic Bar, Zander brings us the latest on the trends that he feels have the staying power to be with us for the long-term.

In this week’s episode, we return to a conversation on gratefulness, but with a special perspective on being grateful in the face of great challenge. This past year has seen nearly all of us face challenges both big and small. Both personal and professional. And, while it has been a tough time for everyone, in particular, it’s been difficult for those throughout the hospitality industry. In this year-ending episode, we take a new look at why it is important to know our “Why” and what remaining grateful in the face of great challenge can mean to us and our organization. And, we even get a bit personal along the way.

In our next installment of keeping-things-simple leadership, this episode of our Seat Yourself podcast focuses on the concept of PURPOSE and its heightened importance during complicated and stressful times. Purpose, whether it's our own individual purpose or the purpose of our organization, can offer a guiding pathway through uncertain and often turbulent times. What is purpose? Why is it important? And, finally, how do we find our purpose? All important questions and we address each of them in this latest episode of our Seat Yourself podcast.

This week, friend of the podcast and cocktail & spirits guru Zander Lauritzen Hansen returns to continue the conversation about cocktails and mixology. This episode focuses all on the issue of sustainability. What it means, why its important and what, specifically, bar and restaurant operators can do to up their sustainability game. Zander always brings his passion and energy when joining us and this episode is no different. He also offers us several great takeaways for improving sustainability in the areas of Purchasing, Operations, and Marketing/Storytelling. And, finally as we close out this episode, Zander shares with listeners a great new surprise… all in this episode of Seat Yourself.

This week, we’re honored to be celebrating our 100 episode with one of our most passionate guests – London’s Paulo De Tarso. Having climbed the ranks and worked with some of the world’s best, Paulo is a noted restaurateur, founder of London's Margot Restaurant and now is preparing his next great adventure. A master of the front of the house dining experience, Paulo knows that often it is the little things that make all the difference. In our conversation, Paulo shares his wisdom and his passion for the hospitality industry while giving insights into just what is required to exceed guests' expectations and to create those very special, very memorable dining experiences. Come listen to our conversation with Paulo and feel the energy of his spirit of hospitality on this very special episode of Seat Yourself.