The Business of Joy

What if the right jacket didn’t just fit, but helped you own your seat at the table? In this week’s episode of The Business of Joy, I sat down IN PERSON 🎥 in New York City with fashion icon and entrepreneur Nina McLemore, founder of the brand worn by senators, CEOs, and powerhouse women across America. Her mission?
 To design clothing for professional women that commands respect, radiates confide...

“You’re not burned out because of your job. You’re burned out because you’re doing someone else’s job.” That line stood out to me when I sat down with Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC and one of the most joyful, no-BS leaders I know. Monica was the first woman in the US to hold that position and the first member of the LBGTQ community to get to the C-suite at YUM! For the fiftieth episode of the...

🧠 “I knew right away I wasn’t going to be happy just executing someone else’s plan.” -Mark Brezinski That mindset shaped decades of restaurant innovation, from the King Solomon Burger at age 16, to concepting Velvet Taco, Pei Wei, Tin Star, EatZi’s, and more. This week’s episode of the Business of Joy features Mark Brezinski, restaurant conceptor, consultant, & author of Food Fight!
 In our c...

What’s the mistake too many young leaders make? 🚫 Skipping steps. 🚫 Skipping the struggle. This week’s episode of The Business of Joy podcast features Andrew K. Smith, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Savory Fund! From cleaning kennels at 14 to co-founding a $500M fund, his story is a playbook for gritty, joyful leadership. We talked about: 💸 The truth about today’s fundraising climate—and wh...

❌ Innovation by committee. ❌ Waiting for approval.
 ❌ Endless alignment meetings. It’s not working. And Rita McGrath, C-suite strategist, professor at Columbia Business School and Founder of Valize, says it’s time to stop pretending it is! In our latest Business of Joy episode, she breaks down what happens when teams go permissionless—and why it leads to: ✅ 75% faster execution
 ✅ Smarter, mo...

From flipping pancakes to flipping strategy—this episode goes where most interviews don’t. 🎙️ Today on The Business of Joy, I’m joined by Julia Stewart, CEO and Founder of Alurx. You may know the highlights: starting as a 16-year-old server at IHOP, leading one of the largest restaurant acquisitions in history, and launching a bold second act in health tech. But in this episode, we go deeper. Juli...

What if the biggest risk to your business... is your mindset? Many of you know, I just returned from The Reinvention Summit in Dublin, what some are now calling the “Davos for Doers.” My guest this week is straight from Dublin, Aidan McCullen, a former international rugby player, global keynote speaker, and one of the masterminds behind the Reinvention Summit. Let me tell you, after hearing Aidan...

CFO Michelle Hook of Portillo’s joins me to talk about the ingredients behind one of the most craveable brands in the business! From her first paper route at 13 to overseeing finance, IT, and supply chain for a $9M-AUV powerhouse, Michelle shares so many great insights and leadership lessons. In this episode: 📰 How coin rolls, customer notes, and rainy-day tips shaped her leadership style 🍕 What...

🌟 NEW PODCAST EPISODE 🌟 I had the absolute joy of sitting down with Danny Klein, VP Editorial Director at WTWH Media (QSR, FSR Magazines), for a conversation that I can't stop thinking about. We covered so much ground: 💡 How a “breathless” review turned into a rallying cry for differentiation 🤝 Why building a community beats chasing clicks 🛡️ Why authenticity is a business superpower 🎤 And ho...

Brand reinvention is about so much more than products! Sharon Price John is the CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, but she's also a storyteller, an innovator, and an empathetic leader who knows how to build real connection. Sharon’s journey spans Barbie, Mattel, Hasbro, and now Build-A-Bear — but what ties it all together is how she leads: with purpose, clarity, and compassion. In this conversation, we...

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS! 🚨 💡 Each episode now ends with my So What? Now What? to help create the insights to actions! 🎉 We’re rebranding to The Business of Joy Podcast! A business podcast where C-suite leaders and change-makers share real stories and strategies on how joy✨, purpose, and human connection fuel the top line and bottom line. What better way to start Season 5 with the GOAT of the rest...

What world do you want to create? For Bob Dalton, it started with one blanket and a mission to change lives. This week’s episode features Bob Dalton, CEO/Founder of Sackcloth + Ashes! Founder stories are everywhere, but Bob Dalton’s stands apart. After seeing his mother experience homelessness firsthand, he identified an issue — that homeless shelters were drastically understocked on blankets — an...

🚀 Stop the Scroll: The Marketing Leadership Playbook for Reinvention, Growth & JOY What separates leaders who stay ahead from those who get left behind? Reinvention. Curiosity. Adaptability. And let’s not forget—JOY. Becky Johnson, Senior Vice President at the American Heart Association knows this better than anyone. From radio station receptionist to global marketing leader, she has constant...

If you think School of Rock just teaches music lessons, think again! 🎸✨ In this episode, I spoke with Stacey Ryan, President of School of Rock! We just met, yet I absolutely love her passion for leadership, education, and paying it forward! School of Rock is the WORLDS LARGEST music education brand! 📍 Just under 400 locations open and operating in 17 countries, with 6 more in development 🎸 App...

Sam's Band Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wkp6yWAqvf6Hvga07alzT?si=ca99ccfad1ac4f08 Live life loudly! Couldn’t agree more! This was a blast! Thanks Sam Oches, Editorial Director at Informa and the mastermind behind Nation’s Restaurant News. We dove into everything in this podcast from his passion for drumming (yes, drumming!) to our shared childhood obsession with Little Debbie Nutty...

For this episode of Bring More Joy to the Table, I talked with my friend Wade Allen, President at Costa Vida! One of Wade’s favorite quotes (from Abraham Maslow) is that “at any moment, we can step forward into growth or step back into safety.” I think it is perfect! He has repeatedly chosen to lean into new opportunities and his willingness to press beyond fear has kept him on the forefront of in...

The key to being a successful entrepreneur? Being “Irrationally Passionate!” – Wow! I can relate! For this episode of Bring More Joy to the Table, I spoke with Zach Goldstein, CEO and Founder of Thanx. His company is a leading guest engagement platform in the restaurant industry. Zach shared tons of great lessons and insights. It was hard to pick my favorites, but here goes: >>>His first...

Passion + Excellence = Success! In this episode of Bring More Joy to the Table, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with my friend, Dr Shawnda Floyd, Provost and Vice Chancellor of Workforce Education at Dallas College. Today, Shawnda leads with a servant's heart, guiding over 4,300 faculty and adjunct professors and 127,000+ students toward a big audacious goal of reaching 180,000 student...

From busboy to brand builder, how Clay Dover brings create opportunities and joy in the hospitality industry! We’re back for season four of Bring More Joy to the Table. I spoke with Clay Dover, CEO, President, and Taco Maker at Velvet Taco! It was an incredibly fun conversation in which we covered so much ground... >>>Clay’s early experience in the industry, and how his early love for hos...

Boost sales, boost Guest satisfaction…. AND fight hunger… It’s a perfect real world example of the Business of Joy in action! Meet Andrew Glantz, CEO and founder of GiftAMeal! For this episode of Bring More Joy to the Table, I spoke with Andrew about his amazing company that is elevating restaurant experience… and creating a BIG social impact along the way! His company has already partnered with t...

Your mom was right! It’s not what you say but how you say it! For the finale of Season Three, I spoke with the legendary Mac Brand! From his early days working with his father in downtown Los Angeles, to his time working at big companies like PepsiCo and Mars, to his experiences traveling around the world, Mac has so many valuable insights. Emotional intelligence & 55/38/7: Mac explains the Me...

How today’s leaders can better support the next generation – A student’s perspective. Meet Chayil Hyland! She’s a Senior at Cornell University studying hospitality. I have no doubt she will be one of the leaders of this industry some day! From the first time I saw her speak at Will Guidara's The Welcome Conference, I knew Chayil was wise far beyond her years. And unlike many who just “end up” in t...

From selling lemonade as a child to overcoming a life-changing injury in 1994 that ended his military and athletic careers.... this conversation moved me! Today’s episode is with John Register, a resilience architect and also a business man, Paralympic silver medalist in the long jump and keynote speaker. He shared his remarkable journey and for the first time he connected that his resilience star...

From the farm, and small-town roots, to big city success as a hospitality leader. Wonder what it’s like being the youngest of 11 children and living on a working farm, then growing up to be Managing Director at the prestigious Omni Dallas? For this week’s episode, I had the joy of talking with Carolyn Dent! Here are some very cool stories that stood out to me…. 🌱 Carolyn’s childhood “farm-to-tabl...

We’ve all been watching the success of Chili’s lately - even during these crazy challenging times! Want to know Brinker President/CEO Kevin Hochman’s secret sauce? It’s pretty simple… literally! “Ruthless simplification” is Kevin’s mantra that runs through all aspects of the business – · Menu reduction (cutting the menu by 25% in the last 2 years) · Training procedures (did they really need to be...