Next Up Podcast

In this episode, Marlon talks with guests Shani Hall and Ervin Watson about leadership and support in the context of school nutrition services. The guests discuss the importance of having a strong support system and team behind a leader to achieve success. They also talked about their experience working together and the challenges they faced in centralizing the school nutrition program. During the...

Sponsored by Heartland School Solutions Artificial intelligence (AI) is here and it’s already being utilized by school districts and Heartland School Solutions to increase productivity. On this episode of Next Up Live, the group discusses the definition of AI, its evolution over the years, and its current use within school foodservice. They highlight the benefits of generative AI in menu planning,...

Alison Carnegie and Marlon Gordon discuss the importance of self-care, prioritizing oneself, and finding motivation in fitness. Alison shares her journey from college to joining the military and working in lab sciences, eventually transitioning to clinical lab advising and consulting in the field of oncology. The conversation explores the importance of taking responsibility for one's health an...

Pastor Mark Quattrochi and Marlon engage in a conversation that explores Pastor Mark Q's journey as an innovative leader. They highlight the unconventional approach taken by Pastor Mark Q and emphasize the overarching theme of community building and leadership development. Their exchange reflects a shared commitment to empowering individuals and supporting the growth of future leaders in diver...

Join host Marlon Gordon and guests Shaun Sawko and Melissa DeAngelo from Fairfax, along with Harry Catalano from Amtab, for an insightful chat about the importance of school environments and leadership. =========================== Connect with us! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_network/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextuptalkshow/ Instagram: https:/...

Join Marlon and serial entrepreneur Tommy Wafford as they discuss what Tommy calls the “Leadership Framework” Tommy was co-founder of MealViewer where Marlon received his first opportunity to experience school nutrition from the industry side. And since then, has been a friend and mentor to Marlon and NxtGen Network. Since MealViewer, Tommy has went on to start other businesses but leadership has...

Roy Pistone is the Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Citus County Schools, he's a friend, and he's a mentor to Marlon. For quite some time he's been encouraging Marlon to share his story of entrepreneurship to give people a glimpse of what he went through to build NxtGen Network and to encourage others that tasks that seem impossible can actually be possible. This episode is guest-hosted...

On this episode of the NextUp Podcast, Marlon is joined by Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council; Brittany Jointer, Child Nutrition Director at Wayne Township; and Sheri Shipp, Youth Wellness Manager at the American Dairy Association, Indiana. The conversation explores the benefits of milk and the role of dairy in school nutrition. The guests discuss the...

The moment Food and Nutrition Service departments across the country have been waiting for is here. The USDA just released the new food and nutrition standards! These guidelines are meant to enhance the way children eat at school, ensuring they receive healthier and more nutritious meals than ever before. But that's not all Administrator Long and Marlon spoke about. They spoke about innovative...

Join Marlon and Laisha Daley as they explore the concept that nothing in our careers or personal development is ever wasted. Prepare to be inspired by stories of growth, faith, courage, and the power of stepping beyond one's comfort zone. They discuss how each experience, no matter its scale or difficulty, contributes to our overall growth and development. From overcoming a fear of public spea...

Catch up with Marlon and Frank Samuelson from Butterball on their conversation as they discuss the importance of relationship-building in sales and the undervalued expertise of food service professionals. Frank shares Butterball's role in K-12 nutrition, emphasizing their commitment to nutritious meals, support for family farmers, and a balanced approach to meal planning. They also touch on ho...

This conversation explores the journey of a police officer and the impact of childhood experiences like growing up in a military household and living in different countries. Noel shares shares about his time working as a reserve officer and transitioning to full-time law enforcement reflects on the calling to serve as a police officer and shares a defining moment of saving a life on the job. In th...

The conversation explores video training, consulting, equipment and virtual reality as they relate to foodservice and the importance of standardization, efficiency, and the ability to track progress in training programs. But most excitingly...We go to the Metaverse! The use of virtual reality and immersive design technology for creating customizable solutions and collaborative spaces is also discu...

Joe Urban shares his journey of transforming school food in Greenville, South Carolina. He pushed the limits and changed the perceptions of school food, making Greenville one of the most recognized school nutrition programs across the country. Joe's vision and drive, along with the dedication of his team, led to numerous improvements in the quality and presentation of school meals. Despite fac...

Palmetto Gourmet Foods, a subsidiary of Borealis, is focused on developing nutritious, sustainable, and affordable meals for schools. Woodles, their branded whole grain K-12 compliant ramen noodles, was developd by Soodeh Shakhravi, a food scientist, and is being shared districts nationwide by Sally Nicholson, Senior advisor, and Amanda Bott, VP of K-12 . The innovative and customizable nature of...

In this conversation, Tara Sharpe from National Food Group, ZeeZees discusses the Grab the Tab initiative, which helps schools with meal debt relief and the need for universal meals for all students. Tara also shares stories from schools that have applied for Grab the Tab and the struggles that school districts face. She also talks about the evolution of the ZeeZees brand and how they provide fun...

In this conversation, Dr. Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE discusses her journey as a leader and the importance of authenticity, mentorship, and self-care. She shares insights on effective communication, delivering feedback, and the challenges of being a leader. Dr. Wiggs-Harris emphasizes the need for leaders to stay true to themselves and their values, and to be disruptors in their organizations....

This episode was filmed at Red Gold's headquarters and explores the importance of tomato products in food service with a focus on Red Gold's success in the tomato category. Marlon, David, Jodi, and Michelle talk about the history and evolution of Red Gold, the nutritional benefits of tomato paste, and its role in school food service. The conversation also highlights Red Gold's commitme...

On this episode of the Next Up podcast, Marlon met with Dr. Katie Wilson, the Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance, where they discussed the growth and impact of the organization in transforming school meals. The Alliance, consisting of the largest school districts in the country, uses its collective buying power to disrupt the marketplace and improve the quality of school meals. T...

This episode of the Next Up podcast features the core production team of NextGen Network. Marlon, Kalista, and Jamie discuss their backgrounds and how they met sharing their experiences working at GameStop, their love for video games, the Internship program at their church, and their career journeys in the film and production industry. The conversation also touches on topics such as human traffick...

There aren’t many people Marlon has known longer than Amanda career wise and not many people he can say that have followed a path so similar to his… Amanda Bot is the real deal with a really long string of letters behind her name and the experience to solidify her as one of the brightest in the industry. She’s held leadership positions in massive urban school districts at a young age where she was...

Thanks for tuning into the Next Up Podcast! In this episode, Marlon had the pleasure of speaking with the Texas Association for School Nutrition President-Elect and Director of the year, Lacy Willey! Lacy is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 18 years of foodservice experience and is currently the Child Nutrition Director for Cleveland ISD which is the fastest growing district in Texas....

How do we describe DJ Bonoan? He’s an engineer turned filmmaker, bulletproof coffee expert, road cycling, jeep driving, hip hop bumpin’, chihuahua loving, creative director Jedi…and also our friend. This episode features one of the smartest, coolest guys on the planet and we're excited to share a little bit about our story, how we met, and why DJ is passionate about video marketing and support...

This is a special episode sponsored by Cool Tropics that was recorded at Houston Independent School District with Ms. Betti Wiggins, the Child Nutrition Administrator, Marcus Glenn, Area Manager of Nutrition and Agriculture, and of course our sponsor, Frank Massabni, President and CEO of Cool Tropics. During this episode, we spoke about the importance of Farm to School programs, what Houston ISD i...

Yes…the title is correct. Big Chicken is going to space! But that’s not the only thing exciting about this booming restaurant franchise. People are a major part of their formula for success and on this episode, Marlon had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Samuel Stanovich, Big Chicken’s SVP of Franchise Leadership. Sam is an author, connector, servant leader, and one of the most business sav...