Top Business Leaders Show

Jeff Tolke is the CEO of Compaction Technologies, providing restaurant automation for touchless handling of waste. Jeff has been with Compaction Technologies for nearly 14 years, helping reduce the volume of waste and divert it from landfills to be a viable resource. Jeff holds an MBA in marketing from Washington University in St. Louis. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad...

Fred Langley is the owner and CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, a complete operating system for restaurants including organization, hands-on training, apps and software, and more. Fred has been in the service industry since he was 12 years old and opened his first restaurant at age 27. Fred holds an associates degree in Business Administration from Santa Rosa Junior College. In this episode… In this...

Richard Weil is the Principal and Owner of National Restaurant Consultants, a restaurant consulting firm that partners with restaurateurs embarking into entrepreneurship. Richard holds a bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Houston. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen speaks with Richard Weil, the Owner and Principal of Nation...

Tariq Johnson is a franchise coach and the Founder and CEO of Dream Life Mastery. He spent over a decade working as a financial advisor for PNC and other firms before transitioning to franchise ownership. Tariq now uses his skills and experiences to help others make the move to business ownership and quickly become profitable. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen sp...

Lauren Coulter is the Owner and Director of Franchise Development for Biscuit Belly. She and her husband Chad opened their first location in 2019 and now have five corporate locations across Kentucky and Indiana with several franchises on-target. Lauren is also a Doctor of Pharmacy, having earned her PharmD from South University. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen...

William Vablais is a business development executive with over 20 years of experience in developer relations, business development, digital content, licensing, and product marketing. He is the Founder and CEO of FirstWave3D Corp and most recently launched FlowingEdge, a company that optimizes file delivery without using the cloud. William is specialized in adapting multimedia technologies and has a...

Austin Samuelson is the Co-founder of Tacos 4 Life Grill, a restaurant chain devoted to fighting world hunger through their Meal4Meal program in partnership with Feed My Starving Children. Austin has a bachelor's degree in finance. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen speaks with Austin Samuelson about Tacos 4 Life and the mission to fight childhood starvation. Aust...

George McKerrow is the Co-founder and CEO of Ted's Montana Grill, a classic American grill serving made-from-scratch dishes in an eco-friendly environment. George opened the first Longhorn Steakhouse in 1981and co-founded We're Cookin' Inc. in 1996. He received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Restaurant Association in 2007 and was inducted into the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of...

Dennis Kelly is the CEO of Postalytics, a fast-growing direct mail automation software company that helps marketers do more in less time. Postalytics syncs your existing CRM to your direct mail campaigns and integrates as a digital marketing channel by offering an all-in-one solution to create, print, mail, and track personalized direct mail postcards and letters. Postalytics is Dennis' sixth star...

Steven Gardner is the Co-founder of QSR Franchise Development Group, a team of experts in the step-by-step process of creating, developing, and growing quick-service-restaurant (fast food) franchises. He has over 25 years of franchise development experience and has represented almost 100 brands including Chock Full o' Nuts and Energy Kitchen. He has helped open over 1,000 franchise locations as an...

Jameel Burkett is the President and CEO of Burkett Restaurant Equipment, a market leader in the food service equipment industry. He's been awarded the Business Excellence Award from the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame, the Champion for Young Leaders Award by the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association (FEDA), and the Management Excellence Award by the Foodservice Equipmen...

Tom Fricke is the CEO of Bar Louie, a gastrobar with over 70 locations across the US. Tom has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from Stanford University. He was a Naval Intelligence Officer in the US Navy for five years and has over three decades of leadership experience in multiple industries, including consumer products, retail, and res...

Amy and Vivi Wanderley-Britt are Co-owners of 360 Degrees Restaurant Group, whose brands include Pig & A Jelly Jar and WB's Eatery. Amy has over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and she first opened Pig & A Jelly Jar more than a decade ago. Vivi spent 20 years in the paid media field before joining her wife to grow their restaurant group. In this episode… In today's episode of th...

Casey Cavell is the Founder of Legacy 4:12, an entrepreneurial team consisting of advisors, mentors, investors, and experts who serve growth-minded entrepreneurs. After building over two dozen self-sustaining businesses, the team has turned its focus to helping its clients experience consistent and predictable growth and make an impact far beyond the profit and loss statement. Casey is an award-wi...

Mike Pruitt is the Chairman and CEO of Amergent Hospitality Group, which owns, operates, and franchises casual and full-service restaurants such as American Burger Co., Little Big Burger, and PizzaRev. Mike has a demonstrated history as a chairperson in multiple industries and previously played on two NAIA World Series baseball teams while working toward his business degree at Coastal Carolina Uni...

Mark Moeller is a national restaurant consultant, operations expert, and turnaround specialist with decades of experience in the restaurant industry. He is the President and Founder of The Recipe of Success, a nationally recognized restaurant consulting firm that has held the secret ingredient to creating some of the best restaurants, fast casual dining venues, cafes, bars, bakeries, and multiface...

Ken McGarrie is the Founder and CEO of Korgen Hospitality, a consulting firm for hospitality leaders, and the COO of Fabio Viviani Hospitality, one of the leading restaurant groups in the United States. Ken has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and is also the Author of The Surprise Restaurant Manager . He and his team at Korgen make it their mission to help restaurateurs rea...

Paul Carolan is the Principal at Paul Carolan Consulting, where he brings over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry to help clients achieve financial and unit growth. He became President of Genghis Grill in February of 2020, just prior to the pandemic, and managed to avoid closing any stores or losing anyone in their leadership or management teams during his tenure. Paul has also ser...

Kirk Mauriello is the President and Co-founder of Virturant, a company that establishes delivery-only restaurant brands that can be run out of existing kitchens. He started the virtual restaurant business in 2019, and it has since pioneered a new business model for eateries and experienced huge growth in a short timespan. Before this, Kirk spent almost a decade leading successful restaurant brands...

Michael Schultz is the Founder and CEO of Infuse Hospitality, a management and consulting company that works with offices, retail spaces, hotels, and more to create first-class food and beverage amenities. These spaces are fully customizable and range from simple beverage carts all the way up to full-scale restaurants. With 25 years of experience in hospitality, Michael entered the industry at age...

Ethan Huynh is the Founder and CEO of EAAT Restaurant Group. He's currently based in Austin, Texas, where he operates several restaurants, including HappyRito Seafood, his newest venture. He has been a restaurateur for 14 years and previously worked as a sushi chef. Ethan has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and an associate's degree in c...

Dan Rowe is the CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest franchise development firms in the world. Dan has over 30 years of experience as a franchisor and franchisee, having grown brands like Five Guys, Qdoba, and The Halal Guys. Dan and his team at Fransmart help brands succeed by staying on top of the next big opportunities. Additionally, Dan is the Managing Partner of Kitchen Fund and an active Boa...

Brandon Webb is a combat-decorated Navy SEAL sniper turned entrepreneur and best-selling author who has built two brands into eight-figure businesses. Brandon is the Founder, CEO, and Publisher of SOFREP Media, the world's leading military culture, defense, and foreign policy news site. Millions of people read from SOFREP every month, and it's regularly featured on some of the largest news media s...

Sarah Hawley is the Founder and CEO of Growmotely, the world's first platform that helps companies engage with worldwide professionals and hire them into long-term remote roles. Sarah is a serial entrepreneur and an investor in startups and has founded eight companies since 2009, including three successful exits exceeding $2 million each.  She is the author of Conscious Leadership: A Journey from...

Dallas Hale is the Chief Executive Officer at Shell Shack, a successful seafood chain with six locations in Texas and one in Florida. He is also the CEO of Texas-based restaurants Sushi Marquee and Ebb & Flow. He's gone from working as a busser to operating some of Texas' top restaurants and overseeing more than 500 employees. Before this, Dallas proudly served in the US Coast Guard for five years...