Titans of Foodservice

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Johnny Hughes, a veteran of Tyson Foods who has seen the company grow from $4 billion to over $50 billion in his time there. Johnny discusses his career journey from the operations floor to a senior vice president role in sales at Tyson Foods. He shares valuable insights into the benefits of understanding the m...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Bill DePaola, President of The Lime Truck and an accomplished entrepreneur in the food service industry. Bill shares his inspiring journey from his roots in New York City to establishing a successful franchise business. With an emphasis on financial accessibility and scalability, Bill explains how The Lime Truc...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Walt Postelwait, President of Pak Group for North America. Walt shares his extensive journey in the food service industry, from his initial steps in the citrus business to rising as a prominent figure in the flavor industry. He offers advice for those aspiring to ascend in their careers, emphasizing the importa...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo invites his father John Portillo, CEO of Portillo Sales & Marketing, to celebrate nine years of Portillo Sales and Marketing. They discuss the evolution of their business, key strategies that have driven their success, and the importance of building strong relationships in the food service industry. John shares insight...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Chris Nisi, Founder and CEO of Nisi’s Craft Bakery. Chris shares his fascinating upbringing in an Italian-American family and how those roots influenced his career in the food service industry which now spans over 25 years. He discusses the unique processes behind creating his bakery’s high-quality frozen artis...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Eric Martin, Chief Performance Officer at Food Sales East. With an extensive career in the food service industry spanning over three decades, Eric has a wealth of experience and expertise, having navigated significant industry changes and scaled Food Sales East through pivotal expansion phases. Eric shares his...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Reed McCord, the innovative founder and CEO of First Bite. Reed shares his experiences and the challenges he faced while building First Bite. He explains how First Bite helps businesses in the food service industry by offering a vast database of restaurant information, contact details, and sales tools. Nick and...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Jen Roth, Vice President of Away from Home and Small Format for Hain Celestial and Emily Mark, National Sales Manager for Away from Home Food Service and Vending at Hain Celestial. Nick, Jen, and Emily discuss Hain Celestial's intentional efforts to revolutionize the food service sector by integrating a health-...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo delves into the grueling yet exhilarating world of Ironman triathlons, connecting his personal journey with universal lessons in business and personal growth. Following his participation in the Ironman Texas event, Nick shares an honest and detailed recount of his rigorous training and the unfolding of race day, illustrati...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Charles Bililies, Founder & CEO of Souvla, a Greek-inspired restaurant that has burgeoned into a culinary staple in San Francisco. Charles boasts a rich lineage rooted in the food service industry, with his family's restaurant background paving the way for his introspective approach to hospitality. Charles...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Mark Chavez, Director of the Tustin Unified School District. With a strong background in the food service industry, particularly within school nutrition, Mark shares his deep understanding of the complexities and responsibilities inherent in feeding students healthily and efficiently. Listen this week as Mark s...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Paul Fournier, president at TacticWare Resources and a highly sought-after food service consultant. Nick and Paul talk about the evolution of the broker industry, the importance of maximizing broker relationships, and how manufacturers can work with brokers to achieve their sales objectives. Paul shares why cle...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Hannah Lopez, the Director of Marketplace for Food Service at the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA). Nick and Hannah discuss exciting developments in the plant-based food movement, recent legislation in Los Angeles County, and Hannah's background in starting a juice business. Hannah also shares her passion f...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo takes an intimate look at the nearly nine-year journey of his company, Portillo Sales and Marketing. Nick talks about the importance of having a strong founding team, investing in key hires, and embracing change and innovation. He shares how building a strong company culture and valuing excellence has steered his company t...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Paul Neal, CEO of Vantage Point Commercial Capital and a real estate finance expert who's carved a niche in helping business owners secure their financial future through property ownership. Paul shares his wisdom on how owning your building can significantly propel wealth creation, tax advantages, and operation...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Dan Gordon, a transformative coach in the fields of business, sales, and public speaking. Dan shares his philosophy on the importance of being interesting over just being good at something. Through a blend of personal experiences and sharp insights, Dan illustrates how evoking curiosity and engaging others is t...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Stephanie Lind, whose extraordinary story embodies the resilience and innovation at the heart of the food service industry. Stephanie brings invaluable insights from her multifaceted career, emphasizing strategies that drive small, impactful brands toward success against the backdrop of an ever-evolving sector....

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Mario Sakora, a thought leader in the realm of human behavior, leadership development, and Enneagram application within the business space. He discusses the Enneagram model of personality styles and how it can be used in leadership development. Mario shares insights into the strengths and challenges of differen...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Laura Chute, Vice President of Sales for Custom Culinary. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Laura shares her passion for helping customers optimize their businesses and create positive outcomes. She discusses the importance of rest and recovery in a high-stress industry, the art of influence in...

In this solo episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo delves into the profound changes and consolidations occurring in the food service broker industry. Nick touches on the emotional journey and the evolution of his business, Portillo Sales and Marketing, emphasizing its challenges and triumphs. He discusses how they navigated through the changes brought by industry giants such...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with food service maven Candace Williams. Set against the background of Candace's expertise in the plant-based beverage space, this dialogue delves into her career trajectory, her innovative approach to national accounts, and her integral role in the ascent of Califia Farms. As the director of national accounts at C...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Ed Zimmerman, a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience in the food service industry. He is the President of The Food Connector, a company that specializes in B2B marketing and strategy within the sector. Ed shares valuable perspectives on the multifaceted nature of the food service industry...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Dan Bubniak, former CFO and COO of Dirty Hands, a natural food merchandising company. Having occupied the helm of a small family business that underwent a remarkable 20x growth over six years to become a national powerhouse with a presence in over 35 states and 250 employees, Dan Bubniak is an entrepreneurial f...

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Russ Hawkins, a celebrated influencer in food service technology. With Russ’ extensive experience in tech, he discusses the transformative potential of data analytics for businesses and shares how Agilence, Hawkins' company, allows food service entities to tap into existing data to make critical business decisi...

This episode previously aired on the CEO Podcast. "In this episode, Vince and Scott are joined by a special guest, Nick Portillo, to delve into the fascinating world of building a generational business. They explore various aspects of thriving in a generational business and offer valuable insights on what it takes to create a successful family-run enterprise. Going the Distance: Nick shares h...