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Ep 44 - Learning the power of no and prioritizing because there’s only so much one person can do with Carli Gordon
Carli is an ultimate community builder that has led her to found The Libi Project. Carli shares with honesty the transition from a full time job to starting her business that is her heart’s calling. There have been a lot of learning opportunities for her along the way, continuously working towards the power of no as well as pausing and being present.
About Carli
Carli’s career sits at the intersection of food and community. A Chicago native, she earned a business degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving to Italy to pursue a master’s in World Food Cultures & Mobility from The University of Gastronomic Sciences. There, she deepened her understanding of the cultural, political, and social intersections shaping our food systems—insights that continue to guide and inspire her work today.
In 2021, Carli returned to New York City to advance her career in the city’s vibrant food and beverage industry. After gaining experience in brand, operations, and events at leading organizations such as Eataly, BentoBox, Hot Bread Kitchen, and Resident Hospitality, she set out to carve her own path. This led to the creation of The Libi Project, a mission-driven production and creative studio dedicated to uplifting early-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs, farmers, producers and programming.
Through initiatives like Culinary Industry Nights, The Libi Project celebrates innovative, mission-driven work in the diverse F&B world, fostering meaningful connections, collaboration, and partnerships. To further this mission, Carli supports early-stage entrepreneurs through First Course, a comprehensive starter pack that combines strategic insights, branding, and photography to empower culinary creatives and build strong brand foundations that reflect the passion and creativity they bring to their craft. From photography to branding support, it’s all about helping these entrepreneurs thrive in this beautiful, passion-driven (yet often challenging) 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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Ep 43 - You have to recognize that what happens to you can also happen to others with Mitch Cynamon
Mitch founded his business 19 years ago and has a lot to celebrate and share with us! Mitch’s growth story was far from linear but the common thread was that he asked questions, he connected with his clients and community and he listened. He may not have always taken the guidance that was offered to him, but he always listened before taking his next actionable step. Mitch celebrates today employees 5th year anniversary with Initiate Care which is a beautiful milestone! We all have a lot to learn from Mitch, both in restaurant safety and CPR and how to stay humble when building and growing a business.
About Mitch
Mitch Cynamon is the founder of Initiate Care. He created it in 2006 for two reasons:
First, because of all of the first-aid work I was asked to do my first few years in the hospitality industry.
Second, it made no sense to me that people I was literally bleeding with were scared to ask for a bandaid. First-aid kits shouldn’t be an adversarial battleground. For many hospitality groups, because we speak the same language, we were the partner to not only expand their safety materials program but also to bring them CPR and first-aid training opportunities.
Safety Saints, a nonprofit focused on providing easier access to CPR/First-aid training as well as first-aid materials for overlooked communities was started in 2021.
Mitch held positions both in the BOH and FOH at some of the most reputable restaurants in NYC including: Union Square Hospitality Group (Eleven Madison Park, Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, Tabla, Union Square Events) Culinary Concepts by Jean-Georges, Craft and The Standard Highline, before starting Initiate Care.
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 42 - The key skill that every leader needs to have is listening with Naureen Ahmed
Naureen was the first podcast host that created the space for me to share my leadership story and I’m honored to have her on as a guest here to shine light on hers. Naureen tells a story unlike most do, with calm, poise and confidence. She shares so openly what feedback was given to her throughout her career and moments that she learned from to help her grow. Listen attentively to this delightful conversation - I promise you, you will want to take notes!
About Naureen
Naureen Ahmed is a seasoned hospitality professional, a fervent community builder, an engaging storyteller, and the visionary founder of ‘Inspiring Women in Hospitality’.
With a life journey that saw her living in four different countries by the age of 10, Naureen's path to the hospitality industry felt predestined. Her academic pursuits led her to the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, where she felt an immediate kinship with fellow students, each with their own unique stories.
Embarking on her career with a position at the Landmark London Hotel, Naureen quickly embraced the operational aspects of hospitality, setting the stage for a significant tenure at STR. Over 12 years, she transitioned through roles from analyst to head of departments, playing a pivotal role in transforming STR into the recognized brand it is today. Naureen's leadership style is marked by inclusivity and a focus on building multicultural team environments.
Recognizing the underrepresentation of women in hospitality, Naureen launched the ‘Inspiring Women in Hospitality’ podcast to amplify female voices and inspire change within the industry. Her efforts expanded in September 2023 with the creation of the Inspire Community, a platform designed to foster support among women through mentorship and career development discussionsFor more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within and join the Lead with Confidence membership.
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Do you identify with needing to be in full control as a leader?
Do you also fear not having everything perfect before service starts?
This episode may bring you some insights.
You can get the full article here.
For more resources to learn how to lead with confidence, visit The School of Hospitality from Within
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Ep 40 - Not every culture is for every person and that’s ok - that’s a sign of healthy culture with Sarah Diehl
Sarah began her career in operations and quickly saw the need to support restaurant owners and teams in helping them create more inviting cultures. She shares her journey and what made her found Empowered Hospitality - it wasn’t linear and all the learning opportunities showed up at the right time to help her pivot. Through these moments, she had continuously come back to herself, redefine what community has meant to her and it has all lead her to creating a really special and unique culture at EH, while helping restaurant owners do the same. Sarah is a gem of a human and steps into a bit of discomfort with me during this conversation to let me shine light on the incredibly inspiring and kind human and leader she is!
About Sarah
Sarah began her career in restaurant operations with Hillstone Restaurant Group, becoming one of the youngest general managers at a $10m+ location before transitioning to a corporate HR role. After several years as an HR director, however, her position was eliminated, prompting her to pursue a similar HR leadership role in NYC's bustling hospitality industry. To her dismay, many of the small hospitality businesses she was drawn to simply did not need full-time HR support, despite their struggle with HR. In many of these initial conversations, Sarah instinctively pivoted her interview into a strategy session, focusing not on her career goals but on the HR needs of each business - often offering to complete small HR projects as a freelancer. A few months of working in this capacity was all Sarah needed to embrace her calling to build a sustainable, scalable consulting business. Empowered Hospitality was born. Sarah earned her bachelor’s in political science with honors from Yale and holds SHRM-SCP, WSET Advanced (Wine & Spirits Educational Trust), and CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) certifications. Sarah was selected as a 2021 Tory Burch Foundation Fellow for her passion for building an equitable, collaborative, and socially conscious small business, is a perennial speaker at the annual FAB Conference in Charleston, SC, a frequent panelist on topics related to people and organization for the James Beard Foundation, and a guest lecturer at the School of Hospitality Administration at Boston University.
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 39 - When the shift has to happen, you’re intuition will show you when it’s time to take the leap with Daneen Green
Daneen is as full of light as her voice is! She shares her career journey and how it has continued to unfold. “Kitchen feels like home to me” and that has been a north star for her ever since she took culinary classes. Daneen has built a deep trust in her own knowledge and allows her authentic self to be front stage - from here, the kitchen has always found her. It’s not easy to have a career as a private chef but Daneen shares how she continues to grow her career and client base from her authentic truth.
About Daneen
Daneen has built a career focused on delivering luxury on a plate, celebrating beautiful food, enticing flavors and her passion for hospitality. With over 15 years experience in the culinary world, including 11 years as a sought-after private chef curating personalized dining experiences for discerning clients and companies (TED, LiveNation).
Recently, she has expanded her expertise into the fields of genetic and microbiome nutrition, blending the science of personalized nutrition with her deep understanding of food as medicine. Daneen offers a truly holistic approach to cooking, merging culinary artistry with cutting-edge nutrition science by focusing on how epigenetics influence individual dietary needs, and how managing the microbiome can heal both body and mind.
At her new company, Soul and Cell, Daneen and her fellow mind-body practitioners, are at the forefront of a new movement that bridges the gap between optimal mental health and holistic cellular wellbeing.
For more resources on leadership and eliminating the sticky energy from team culture, visit The School of Hospitality from Within. -
Ep 38 - I never had a plan but I was always guided by what was curious to me with Jon Check
Jon is down to earth and the realest - there's no BS here. He is true to himself and it shows in his leadership. Jon took the paths unknown in his career knowing that trusting his curiosity and gut would always lead him to his next role. To no surprise, trust is deeply rooted in the foundation of his leadership style and voice. Jon shares with us his career path and how he builds trust with his teams.
About Jon
Jon Check is Head of Culinary and Operations at INDAY, a fine-casual restaurant company rooted in Indian cuisine and philosophy.
Prior to joining INDAY, Jon was Director of Culinary Operations for Dig, Where he led the menu team and the Research and Development Department. Jon has cooked in some of New York City's most beloved and interesting restaurants, including Savoy, Gramercy Tavern, Vinegar Hill House and Buttermilk Channel, where he was Head Chef. He holds a B.A. in Creative Nonfiction Writing and African Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, a diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and an MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College.
Jon is also a life-long musician who has independently released 4 albums of original music.
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 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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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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