Hospitality with Purpose

What does it really take to lead a university, manage a $70M reserve, and still make time for karate, campus walks, and connecting with students? On this week’s episode of Leadership Unplugged with WiFi , we sit down with Joe Greene, Vice Chancellor & Providence Campus President at Johnson & Wales University, to talk about: - His unexpected path from factory work to university leadership -...

To wrap up the 4th season of Hospitable, Nick & Dean welcome a very special guest to the HwP Studio - JWU Providence Campus President, Marie Bernardo-Sousa. Marie has been a JWU staple for the past 36 years and she sat down to talk all things JWU, here career path, and some awesome words of advice reflecting on a long and fruitful career. Turns out, saying "yes" and challenging yours...

On this special episode of Hospitable, Dean reconnects with his High School buddy, also Dean, to catch up on the last 40 years of their lives. Dean (as in "Guest Dean") offers some incredible insights on being a corporate chef for Marriott and details some of the very cool things he is doing on property down in Louisiana. Chef Donnell hit's all the highlights of the mentality needed...

As the academic year begins to wrap up, Dean surprises Nick with a long time friend - Saki from Hope St. Pizza - as this week's guest. In addition to sharing a ton of history and culture, the boys breakdown some nuances of Greek cooking and philosophy, share stories about restaurant ownership, and take a walk down memory lane. There is so much the Saki is doing right from the way he treats em...

Ever wonder what it's like to build out your own event facility? We've got you covered on Hospitable with Nick & Dean! In this episode Hugo Adames stops by the studio and explains the process he went through to launch the Event Factory - a totally unique event venue right here in our own backyard. Hugo has a fascinating background from club scene origins, to the performing arts, to n...

Local legend and Bonafide hospitality guru Rick Simone stopped by the HwP Studios for a chat with Nick and Dean. From his early days as a JWU Hospitality Management Graduate to learning by doing out in the field, there isn't anything that Rick hasn't experienced during his career. A cornerstone of the community here in Providence, Rick shares his journey throughout the industry, the evol...

Data Expert and Mobile Technology Guru Evan Saunders stopped by the HwP Studios to talk about his journey into the field of data, how it represents a massive new frontier in the tourism and hospitality field, and some insights into how students can prepare themselves for a career in data. This is a wide ranging conversation about Evan's career in the field of events, travel, luxury electric s...

Professional Bartender and Bitters Guru Josh Warrener Zoomed into the HwP studios for this very fun episode. Josh is a cocktail maker and recipe designer in Los Angelos and can be found regularly behind the bar mixing his own concoctions along with the classics. Josh chats with Nick and Dean about the world of Bitters and how this drink ingredient is having a moment on the scene. Anything from cla...

Alex Highsmith, General Manager and co-owner of Spirited Away and Brand Representative for Pentire Zoomed into the HwP studios for an awesome conversation about the Sprit Free Movement. Alex shared with us her journey to becoming a managing partner of America's first spirit free bottle shop, her path toward repping premium NA options like Pentire, and her takes on spirit free's place in...

Chef Thom Webb stopped by the HwP studios with some incredible food for the team. Thom is an accomplished chef who recently launched a line of allergen free meals that taste great and avoid all of the major allergy ingredients. Thom walked us through his career as well as the very personal inspiration for launching his line of foods. While still in it's start up phase, if you have a food alle...

In the very special episode of Hospitable, JWU's very own Marita Hurn drops into the HwP Studio to chat all things social media. This episode is a wild ride with Nick in the driver seat, guest co-host Ron Blum, and Lavin on the production. Marita walks us through her strategy and approach to content development, how the pandemic launched her into this creative field, and some of the ways that...

Comedian and local "legend" Charlie Hall and his partner in crime, Doreen! Collins stopped by the HwP studios to talk show biz with the boys. Charlie has had a long career in entertainment and shares the fun and interesting story about how he and Doreen became partners and created the show Aging Disgracefully as a hilarious way to look at their very own journey's in aging. This epis...

In part 2 of this deep dive into the field of Tourism, Bryan Lavin adds another title to his responsibilities for this show as not only the producer and guest, but also the co-host on this Episode! After Dean and Lav rock a 2-sip review of a very cool cold brew coffee, they get down to brass tacks and dive right into the economics and ecosystems of tourism. This is a wide-ranging episode where we...

On this week's episode of Hospitable, the show's "Executive Producer", Sound Guy, and resident voice of reason adds another credential to his resume...Guest!! Based on Listener feedback, Nick and Dean decided to tap into the man behind the scenes to learn a bit more about the field of Tourism! In part 1 of a two part series, Bryan Lavin flips his role a bit and talks about his...

JWU Faculty Member Lou Pullano stops by the HwP Studios for a chat with Nick and Dean about his career trajectory, how he got into teaching and higher education, and weighs in on all the amazing opportunities the JWU students have as they begin to explore their careers. Lou has a great story highlighting how finding your passion is the first step toward success...from there it's understanding...

COHM Alumni Michaela Ruffino of Landmark Educational Tours and Carolina Villela of Envoy Boston stopped by the HWP studios for a in-depth chat about what they have been up to since graduating from the COHM. Michaela founded and launched an awesome travel company despite a pandemic and Carolina found her way back to Hospitality and is now leading the sales and marketing efforts for one of the coole...

Director of Academic Programs for JWU's College of Professional Studies, Michael O'Malley, joines Nick and Dean in studio to share his origin story and highlight some of the goings on in online education. Michael is THE definition of the non-linear career path that is often connected to Hospitality professions. Joining the restaurant industry on a whim, Michael shares his journey that to...

Please, welcome to the show....CARSON KRESSLEY!!  Carson joins the Hospitable podcast live from Las Vegas, NV and talks all things hospitality. Literally, the human form of Hospitable, Carson shares with Nick and Dean how he got into show business, some of the fabulous adventures he has been on, and how the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a groundbreaking moment for television and his...

Resident food safety expert and newly minted Grandma, Patty Bowman, stopped by for a chat with Dean and fill-in Co-Host Lavin about food safety. Patty dropped so much knowledge in her first visit we had to bring her back to talk about food safety issues in commercial situations highlighted by recent transgressions by Boars Head Meats and Chipotle. Patty also reviewed some common food safety issues...

Jason Evans drops into the studio for part 3 of a 4 part series walking through his origin story, current roles as Dean of the College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) and what the future could have in store. This episode is full of great leadership lessons and insights into what it means to be in charge. In addition to some great take-aways Dean literally falls out of his chair, Nick br...

Nick and Dean are joined in studio by colleague, fellow Professor, and resident guru on the Hotel Industry, Katie Davin. Katie shares her experiences getting into the hotel business and then transitioning to Academia. In this rapid fire episode the crew chats about terminal degrees, advancements in the hotel industry, and the management structure of many of the larger hotels. The show wraps up wit...

Nick, Dean, and show producer Bryan Lavin revisit Season 3 of Hospitable by recapping episodes and sharing their favorite moments. This episode explores the world of coffee, how much of a snob Lavin is, and ends with a spirited game of Foodie Fight....who will win, Lav or Mistretta? What was your favorite episode of Season 3? Drop us a note a NickandDeanPodcast@gmail.com or hit the show on IG @Nic...

Chef Ken is the leader of JWU's dining services and spearheaded a dining hall revolution over the summer on the Providence Campus. Nick & Dean kick off the season getting to know the man behind the plan focused on improving the dining experience for students across campus. In addition to getting the scoop on how the improvements went from idea to reality, the boys discuss proper usage of...

Guy Hanuka, owner of Navad Bakers dropped into the studio to tell the story of his journey to owning one of the best bakeries in Rhode Island. In addition to bringing along babka that literally left Nick, Dean, and Bryan speechless, Guy shares his passion for baking along with an incredible entrepreneurial story that aligns the right place, at the right time, combined with an incredible amount of...

Nick and Dean welcome back Matt Samel, PhD to talk private clubs and the impact that this industry segment has on the students here at JWU. Private Clubs are like no other segment in the Hospitality Industry and Matt is the resident expert on the topic here at JWU. In addition to talking business, Dean reviews some listener feedback and almost immediately puts the commentary into action, and we an...