Throughout the episode, Emma shares her insights from 13 years working in the lodge to becoming GM. Emma and I talk about their journey to systemise and streamline the business and the benefits of building a systems-led business.

For owners and senior managers striving to build a world-class business, this is a great listen.

Throughout the episode, James and Mark dig into the nuances of what “CX” really means, and why Mark himself prefers the term “guest experience.” They challenge the traditional view of customer experience as simply a department or metric, instead positioning it as a mindset and practice embedded in every aspect of a successful hospitality business.

Mark draws a powerful link between employee experience and guest experience, emphasising that treating staff well directly translates into memorable customer moments, higher reviews, and increased loyalty. Mark shares practical advice for restaurateurs and café owners struggling to inspire repeat business or boost online ratings, with actionable tips on team engagement, recruitment, and the importance of authentic connection on the frontline.

In this episode, Mel shares her personal insights about what it takes to become a successful hospitality leader. From picking the right place to work to understanding that success comes with commitment and resilience, this episode is thoughtful and honest.

Mel also shares thoughts on how the industry and individual businesses can become and remain competitive. We examine the importance of ‘staying honest’ in building a high-performing business and the need to prioritise employee experience over customer experience.

This episode offers valuable takeaways for both owners and managers.

The conversation also explores the challenges and strategies behind scaling a hospitality business, emphasising the importance of systemisation, developing internal talent, and maintaining strong hospitality values across multiple sites. Matthew reflects on his coaching journey with James and THC, describing how focusing on vision, values, and structure transformed their operations and team alignment. Together, they discuss the future of Costa Taco, ongoing improvements in HR and training systems, and their shared commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in authentic hospitality, growth strategies, and the power of building businesses with heart.

In this episode, Leo and I look at what it takes to be ready to franchise an F&B business. Leo shares his over 20 years of experience in this area of F&B management and provides important insights on scale and growth. We break down what makes groups and franchises successful and the first steps to take to begin the process of franchising.

We also discuss leadership, and Leo highlights the importance that relationships and structure play in growing a hospitality group. If you’re looking to scale or franchise, this is a must-listen-to podcast.

In this episode, Kerry shares the power of having a clear vision and how it shaped the decisions they made and continue to make. We discussed the opening period (2018/19) and their challenges, having not been in the hospitality industry before.

Kerry joined THC as a coaching client (with initial COVID funding) in 2019 and began the journey of putting a best-practice approach into the business. In this chat, we examined how systems and strong financial reporting turned the company around. Kerry shares some key insights on team engagement through open-book management and how Hygge has turned into a highly profitable F&B business.

Kerry is one of the industry’s most authentic & caring leaders, and we are proud to have him as a member of our THC community.

In our power-packed session, Sarah discusses customer engagement's role in sales and marketing. We also examine how to build and leverage your database and why automation needs to become a standard operating procedure in your marketing activities.

Sarah shares her many years of experience and provides listeners with real-world examples of how to build stronger relationships with customers and drive repeat business.

Sarah Franklyn - Director of Sales & MarketingA hospo marketing expert, Sarah has been helping small independent local businesses and some of Australia's favourite hospo brands understand their customers better to get them to keep coming back. By breaking down the barriers between the business and the data that matters, she has helped hundreds of businesses in Aus and the UK learn what matters when connecting with your customers.

sarah.franklyn@impactdata.com.au

In our open and honest conversation, Dom shares how her passion for the hospitality industry pulled her away from careers in law and journalism. She talks about her and Hayden’s business journey and the lesson of covid and the opportunities for growth that these challenging times presented them.

Dom unpacks the transformation in their business over the last 12 months and shares incredible insights into their approach. Combining creativity with a focus on knowing the numbers, is a powerful message Dom is excited to share.

Listening to this episode will have a profound impact on any F&B owner looking to WIN in our industry!

In this episode, Hayden and I discuss his move from Head Chef to business owner and the lessons his learnt along the way. He speaks frankly about his transition from creative chef to financially smart operator and why they should not be mutually exclusive.

We talk about the importance of planning and the need to stay the course with you business. Hayden also shares his powerful insights into how the business implemented open book management and how it’s led to a better business with more engaged employees.

In this episode, Benedikt and I unpack what makes a great ‘guest experience’ (GE). We breakdown what GE means for your business and the incredible difference it can make to your guest & employee experience and your bottom-line. Benedikt provides real world examples of how a business can improve it’s GE and make it a strong part of culture building and business strategy.

All F&B businesses need to evolve from ‘customer service’ to ‘guest experience’ if they want to stay competitive in this competitive industry…and in this episode we discover why!

In this episode, Shaun and I discuss the importance of delivering an outstanding employee experience. We zero in on the first three steps of the ‘employee experience’ attract, hire and onboarding! Shaun breaks down each steps and shares real world practical steps owners can action in their business.

If you’re looking for answers on how to attract and retain great talent, then this is a podcast you don’t want to miss!

Shaun’s Bio:

Shaun has been fortunate to work with amazing mentors along the way who have guided him and allowed him to grow in the hospitality industry. Having been a venue owner himself, Shaun knows the time, effort and experience required to develop a hospitality concept.

 Today he and his team advise the hospitality industry through his brands Open Pantry Consulting and 42 Days, as well as co-founding the hospitality podcast Principle of Hospitality for the last 7 years which talks to the great leaders in the industry.

In this episode we discuss how the company came about and the problem it is fixing for the industry. We look at some best practice operational task, checklist and SOP’s that will help deliver a great employee experience and deliver a better guest experience.

Operandio is about giving employees’ the tools to thrive and creating accountability that leads to improved productivity. Is 2024 the year you create a more productive and engaged frontline team?

In this episode we discuss the importance and power of ‘post visit’ marketing and how automation and technology can help hospo owners grow and scale in this critical area of their business.

Justin shares with us some important lessons and ‘best practice’ processes that will help you set-up and deliver marketing strategies to drive repeat business and ultimately grow sales. If you’re looking to improve customer engagement, customer retention and drive repeat business, then you’ll enjoy this podcast.

Paul is an industry leader in the food safety space and he and his outstanding team have created New Zealand’s leading food safety software.

In this episode we talk about the evolution of food safety and why it’s moved from paper to digital over the last 8 years. Paul also warns of the consequences of food safety mistakes and the impact it can have on a business or a brand.

Finally, Paul share what best practice food safety looks like and the importance of owners using industry leading training and tech to empower staff and deliver consistent and measurable results.

Olivia is an expert in Digital Marketing and in this podcast we pick her brains as to the best strategies for a hospitality business. Olivia's client Kaiser Brew Garden (in Christchurch) recently won the Best Marketing Award at the 2023 Lion Awards for Excellence.

In this episode we discuss strategy, planning, and measuring in relation to your digital marketing approach. Olivia shares  a number of real work hospitality examples that you can apply to your business straight away.

Richard is one of the smartest guys in the hospitality industry and it was great to get this time to chat about the industry and gain his valuable insights.

Richard starts by sharing some stories about the early days of owning the Captain Cook Tavern in Dunedin with his three friends and business partners. We then discuss some of the critical steps the company took as it grew to improve profitability and business performance.

We then look at the insights Rich has gained as CEO of Loaded and what he see’s the best in the business do. We discuss profit drivers, systems and leadership in this wide ranging chat.

Measuring performance is critical to a clear and successful working relationship with all your employees. Employees need to know what is required of them at work, not just the work itself. This starts with defining performance metrics at the start of the relationship, through onboarding and then ongoing training and coaching.

In this podcast we break this down and give listeners a real world example of key performance metric for a hospitality position.

Bert and James Ace have created one of the most respected hospitality groups in the country. The company won The People & Culture Award and the Lion Awards for Excellence in 2022. The group have established a reputation as industry leaders in the areas of employment brand, employee development and leadership….just to name a few!

Bert shares some powerful insights and knowledge that all hospitality business owners could learn from to improve and grow their businesses.

By listening to this episode you’ll get to hear a servant leader at the top of his game.

Leon tells the story of the early days and reflects on the journey the company has taken over the last 5 years working with The Hospitality Company.

Epic Hospitality has been one of the industry leaders of Open Book Management and has created a company that’s focused on employee engagement & transparency to delivery it’s purpose.

Leon shares the company’s key drivers of success and offers some thoughtful advice to future multi-site operators.

Seb’s a numbers guy - in this episode we hear how he and his team took the restaurant from 4% to 20 % profit in one year. Seb’s also a great leader - so we talk able how he built a team of loyal and engaged employee’s who he trusts to run the business each and everyday (so he can work on his business).

This interview with Seb shows how committing to a best practice business approach and having a culture of growth and development leads to outstanding results.

Fraser shares the steps the company has taken to improve the numbers, develop higher levels of employee engagement and scale for growth.

This interview shows how a pathway for managers to ownership is a powerful and important consideration in retaining great people.

Damien shares his insights on best practice planning, financial leadership and employee development.

This interview also shows how Damien’s ability to self reflect and ask for help has provided he and his wife Helen with a clear purpose and WHY for being in business.

Helen shares how she focused on growing her people to grow her business.

We talk systems, financial management and leadership in this wide ranging episode.

This energetic chat with Helen, shows what it takes to transition from top chef to smart business owner to humble leader.

Cam details how a best practice approach to the areas of financial management and HR management led to improved profitability and staff retention.

This honest and down to earth chat with Cam ( NZ Beef & Lamb Ambassador) explores what it takes to build a thriving hospo business in NZ.

Kat shares her tips on what’s required to make a new hospo business profitable from year 1.

Kat & Ryan’s story is one of teamwork, dedication and growth.

Hear the key steps Liz took to grow her people, her profit, and herself.

Liz’s story is an inspiring one and I'm excited to share it with you.