The Shifting People Podcast

Sobriety, Mental Health & Leadership in Restaurants with Jeffrey Boland Sr. of Postino WineCafe In this Shifting People Podcast episode, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough welcome back Jeffrey Boland Sr., Area Director of Operations at Postino WineCafe and “The Culture Coach,” for a conversation on sobriety and mental health in hospitality. Jeffrey shares how addiction derailed h...

Guest Experience Strategy That Sticks: Training, Shift Huddles & Service Recovery with Josh Liebman On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Josh Liebman, founder of Lieberman Leisure and co-host of the Attraction Pros podcast, about building sustainable guest experience culture across attractions and other service businesses. Josh shares his p...

Stop the Shift Show: Scott Greenberg on Leading Hourly Teams, Building Culture, and Hiring Better in Service Businesses On the Shifting People Podcast, hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Scott Greenberg—author of Stop the Shift Show, speaker, consultant, coach, and former Edible Arrangements franchisee—about leading and retaining hourly workers in service and franchise busines...

Building a People-First Culture at P. Terry’s: Scaling HR, Training, and an LMS with Marisa Garcia & Kelly Cockrell @ShiftingPeoplePodcast Co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough welcome Marisa Garcia, VP of Culture at P. Terry’s Burger Stand, and Kelly Cockrell, Director of Training and Development at P. Terry's Burger Stand, to discuss scaling people operations while protecting cult...

How Income Advance Loans Reduce Financial Stress, Turnover, and Lost Productivity | Rhino Foods Foundation On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Christina Blunt (executive director) and Chris Hines (income advance program manager) from Rhino Foods Foundation about the employer-sponsored Income Advance program, created at Rhino Foods in 2007 with...

From Robotics to Frozen Yogurt: Vee Patel on Hiring for Character, Community, and Cross-Training Teams On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Vee Patel, Executive Director at Wize Computing Academy and KGS Foundation and a Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt franchisee. Patel shares her journey from growing up in India and moving to the U.S. in 2007 to build...

Leadership in Hospitality: Jennifer Thomas on Rooted Connections & the Power of Five On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Jennifer Thomas, founder of Rooted Connections and VP of Sales at John Anthony Wines, about her hospitality-to-wine-sales journey and why she built an online, self-paced leadership development platform for nontraditional...

Communication, Cohorts, and the Myth of Burnout with Matt Heller | Shifting People Podcast Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough welcome Matt Heller, founder of Performance Optimism Consulting and co-host of Attraction Pros, who shares his nearly 40-year journey from ride operator at Canobie Lake Park to leadership development at Universal Orlando and launching his consulting firm in 2011. Helle...

Building Restaurant Culture That Scales: Jeffrey Boland Sr. on Love, Dignity, Respect & Hiring for Growth On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Jeffrey Boland Sr., Area Director of Operations at Postino Wine Cafe (Upward Projects), about his journey into hospitality after being fired from construction work amid substance abuse, and how the i...

How Data, Coaching, and Culture Drive Restaurant Performance | Oscar Castillo (Rise Up Restaurants: Pizza Patron + Wingstop) On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Oscar Castillo, Manager of Operational Performance at Rise Up Restaurants (Wingstop franchisee and Pizza Patron franchisor), about using data to improve restaurant operations while kee...

We Built a Free Reverse Recruiting Tool: AI Job Search Organizer Walkthrough (Part 2) Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough continue their discussion on “reverse recruiting,” where job seekers pay services to apply and follow up on their behalf, often costing over $1,000/month plus a percentage of salary. They explain why they believe job seekers shouldn’t be charged and walk through a free tool...

On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Fern Chan, TEDx/keynote speaker, communication coach, and author, about practical communication frameworks for the hospitality and service industry. Drawing on her experience training New York law enforcement in de-escalation, Fern explains how leaders should first diagnose the real problem, connect with the...

It’s probably time to introduce ourselves: Welcome to The Shifting People Podcast! We’re on a mission to have conversations with the great minds in people operations and leadership in service-based businesses because it’s much harder to lead folks on the restaurant floor - and in my humble opinion, the service industry is where the best people are. We chat with everyone from general managers to ar...

From Sandwich Line to CEO: Ric Gruber on Scaling Billy Bricks with Real People, Real Food, Real Fast On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Ric Gruber, CEO of Billy Brick’s Restaurant Group (Billy Brick’s Wood-Fired Pizza and Moo Joe’s ice cream), about joining the family business during college, taking “pit stops” while pursuing law school and o...

Burton Snowboards’ Talent Development Leader on Miscast Roles, Transitions, and Performance Management | Aaron Raby On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Aaron Raby, Director of Talent Development and Performance at Burton Snowboards, about his non-linear career from county government programs to HR and leadership development roles at Gallo Wine...

Description: Why Hiring Feels Broken: AI Job Applications, Job Boards, and the Future of Recruiting In this episode of the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough discuss what’s happening in the labor market as employers report hundreds of low-quality applicants while job seekers feel forced to apply to massive numbers of roles. They explore how AI is disproportio...

Exploring HR Strategies with CARC Inc.'s Chris Harris | Shifting People Podcast Welcome to the Shifting People Podcast! Co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough dive deep with Chris Harris, Human Resources Director at CARC Inc., about practical HR insights you can apply in your business today. Harris shares his journey from paramedic to HR professional, discusses the diverse services offer...

Leveraging Creativity in HR and Elevating Company Culture with Brittany Di Nicolò Pride Welcome to the Shifting People Podcast! In this episode, hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough sit down with Brittany Di Nicolò Pride, HR Manager at KFC, Latin America and Caribbean. Brittany shares insights into her diverse career journey, spanning roles in ed tech, global digital teams, and advertisin...

Chasing Magic: Empowering Guest Experiences with Ryan Tiffin In this episode of the Shifting People Podcast, hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough dive deep into guest experience and empowerment with Ryan Tiffin, Vice President of Brand Strategy and Guest Experience at Incredible Food and Fun Restaurant. Ryan shares his unconventional journey through various industries, including his trans...

Navigating Leadership & Culture: Insights from Ed Janikowski on the Shifting People Podcast Join hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough on the Shifting People Podcast as they sit down with Ed Janikowski, District Manager at a National QSR Brand. Ed shares his extensive journey in the service industry, detailing his experiences and leadership evolution over the years. From discussing the...

From Teaching to HR Leadership: Justin Ostrynski's Journey & Insights | Shifting People Podcast In this episode of the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Justin Ostrynski, Director of People and Culture Development at Hendricks Commercial Group. Hear Justin’s incredible journey from teaching to corporate HR, including his impactful roles at Chic...

Inside Dunkin's Success: CEO Christopher Angiolillo's Journey & Insights Welcome to the Shifting People Podcast! In this episode, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough delve into the intricacies of people management and the service industry with Christopher Angiolillo, CEO of Dunkin and Signify Ventures. Discover how Christopher's journey from growing up in the family business to le...