Off the Cuff with John Inserra

As Season 3 comes to an end before the upcoming holiday season, John shares his final thoughts on taking initiative with a focus on acting purposeful as a way to stimulate energy towards taking more initiative in your day.  Success leaves clues, and acting with purpose supports more proactive habits towards complete productivity. Season 4 will start back up in the New Year! Until then, Happy Holidays from Off the Cuff!

As a jack of all trades at our Restaurant Support Center, Monika’s natural sensibility to pave her own path, one diverse brick at a time, has enabled her to take advantage of gaining experience across several different departments within CH. In a short time, learning with every step,  Monika has provided support to our tasting room experience, our member & guest service call center, as well as our retail and marketing departments. As Tony Robbins often preaches, “success leaves clues,” and I think Monika drops plenty of valuable clues in this episode for our benefit. Cheers!  

This was an absolute mic dropping episode; trust me, if you tune-in and listen, stay in the moment and pay attention to Cara’s story. You will grow instantly as a stronger CH team member (period)!

I loved this particular conversation with Tyler because I personally learned so much from him in a very short, 10 minute, impactful conversation. A true student of the industry, Tyler has made many key decisions to organically advance his career through leading by example, never standing still and always being prepared; three extremely meaningful character traits for someone who loves to take initiative.

I had a chance to sit with Rebecca during our recent Downers Grove Cooper’s Hawk opening for a very rewarding conversation. All that Rebecca has accomplished over her 4 years at CH Brookfield can be specifically attributed to her ability to take initiative, to trust her intuition and to not be afraid of making mistakes. I am excited to share her unique outlook on life and her positive approach to her growing role within our organization. Enjoy!

I am excited to share Christina’s story and how her experiences with CH all started because she was simply looking for a career to help others. We are fortunate that she chose CH as her personal growth platform because over these past 5 years, Christina has taken advantage of every opportunity available, helping her develop into one of our key office manager leaders and trainers; none of which would have been possible if it was not for Christina’s confidence in taking initiative along the way.

Jamaal’s approach to any given day, opportunity or situation is centered on positive energy and an active mindset - two key attributes to any self-starter looking to take initiative. Over his 5 years with Cooper’s Hawk, he has been using his time wisely, taking full advantage of building relationships and prioritizing his commitment to personal and professional growth. This episode shares his story. Enjoy!

Bryce learned to take initiative early on in his career in order to satisfy his hunger for knowledge, experience and growth. He played Elite Junior Hockey growing up and discovered that there was way more to life than sitting around playing video games. At a very young age, he fell in love with the “heat” of the kitchen and ventured down a culinary path just like skating down an ice rink, embracing the curves, the struggles, and the personal satisfaction along the way that comes with the comradery of any team. He joined the CH family two years ago in Tampa and has since never stopped moving. With the help of others and the understanding of how to take initiative on his own, Bryce is poised for some major upcoming career steps.

Excited to share Aimee’s life-long focus on not being afraid to put herself in uncomfortable situations, taking full advantage of those opportunities presented to her at CH and those she uncovered herself, and taking initiative in order to grow both personally and professionally.

Over the last two years, Suzette has been on a constant growth curve at Cooper’s Hawk, following her ever-evolving career dreams. Bravely, there has not been a challenge encountered along the way that she was not willing to face and conquer, having the courage to take risks and overcome many obstacles. This attitude in taking initiative has lead her recently to her first management role in Virginia Beach and I am excited to share her story. 

As a lifelong restaurant apprentice and now 12-year industry “student,” including the last 5 years with Cooper’s Hawk, Brandon is motivated daily to take initiative through his genuine love for learning. Brandon chooses NOT to switch his love “on and off” each day, but instead incorporates the lessons from each day at work into everything he stands for outside of work. Brandon shares how he takes the initiative to simply replace any unmet expectation in any given day with genuine gratitude for what he actually does have, allowing him to face all challenges with unlimited positivity. I met up with Brandon at the CH Kentwood, Michigan NRO so he could share a bit of his story and thoughts around taking initiative in life.

Season 3 of Off the Cuff with John Inserra dives deep into the power of taking initiative in life, personally and professionally. Throughout this new season, John shares his personal thoughts on how important the principle of taking initiative is to the continued growth of Cooper’s Hawk. Cooper’s Hawk was built upon the shoulders of Tim McEnery’s self-starting energy which should be, by itself, a daily reminder to focus on going the extra mile, beyond your normal capacity or routine, in order to meet the growing demands of taking care of each other and our guests as we continue to create community in existing and new markets. To emphasize this point, throughout Season 3, John will be hosting conversations with Team Members from across the organization sharing their stories of how impactful taking initiative has been on their careers, both on a personal level and a professional basis. This fall, let’s all take the initiative to tune in and listen to this new season of Off the Cuff and continue to grow together by consistently staying alert with the willingness to get things started and completed on our own, proactively solving problems that others might not see.

As we bring Season 2 of Off the Cuff to its end, I had the distinct pleasure to sit down in conversation with Tim. Even with his intense schedule, Tim was fully present, locked in, and fully engaged, sharing a few thoughts about his life-to-date philosophy, including the evolution of our special culture, the power of hospitality, and how deeply meaningful his persistence has been along the way in building our iconic brand. To no surprise, Tim modeled exactly who he has grown into as a committed, influential leader during our conversation. This episode is honestly one of my greatest pleasures to share with the CH nation!  Look for Off the Cuff to start up again this summer with the launch of Season 3. In the meantime, please pass the word, encouraging all TMs to subscribe and get caught up on all our past episodes in support of One vision; One voice. #CHStrong!

Like many of us, Brian fell in love with the restaurant business while earning college spending money. He brought 13 years of service and hospitality experience as an opening team member to our new CH location in New Lenox. Over the past 6 months, he has found a home with Cooper’s Hawk, taking on the very first LRT role in addition to his server responsibilities. I really enjoyed this conversation centered around how the CH culture in New Lenox has reinforced Brian’s commitment to positive behaviors, including finding the silver lining(s) that allows him to achieve all the rewards a day might have to offer.  

Jordan’s natural smile, energetic approach to life and enthusiasm for Cooper’s Hawk is contagious and I had a blast chatting with her recently in New Lenox. She has over a decade of restaurant experience, including the last 4 years with CH, opening both the Oak Lawn and New Lenox locations as a bartender. Most recently, she supported the opening in Virginia Beach as the Bar NROT.  Enjoy!

A 7-year CH veteran, Chris started as a server in South Barrington before moving into a leadership role quickly thereafter. Chris opened our restaurants in Ashburn, Oak Park and New Lenox and is currently a Senior Restaurant Manager back in South Barrington, building strong TM and Guest relationships along the way. I am excited to share a small part of Chris’ story, including his inspiring outlook through statements like, “(At CH) it does not matter where you start, it is about the work that you put in and where you want to go at the end of the day!”  

I had a chance to catch up with Shawn at this home restaurant in Town & Country earlier this year to talk hospitality and culture. Shawn started in the kitchen at 13 years of age and has spent the last 3 years of his career with CH, currently a Senior Kitchen Manager at CHTC. As he masters the technical skills required to be successful in our kitchens, Shawn has also fully embraced his leadership role, walking his talk every day, ensuring his personal thumb print is on our culture through his own messaging and actions.

Matty joined Cooper’s Hawk 5 years ago as an opening team member in the bar for our Waterford Lakes location and has grown into his current role as the private event manager. I recently caught up with Matty at his home restaurant for this conversation and I'm thrilled to share his story of how his decision to join Cooper’s Hawk was truly life changing for him, refueling his passion for the restaurant business and finding incredible satisfaction in extending his hand in hospitality.  

As a 2½-year Team Member of the CH Town & Country family, Caitlin is focused on mastering the ultimate Tasting Room experience. Staying true to her energetic self, she has passed the level 2 sommelier test to support her technical growth.  More importantly, she stays in the moment - focusing on keeping an open mind to her surroundings, fully appreciating the gift of guest feedback, and never allowing herself to be content with settling for anything less than her very best.  I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to engage with Caitlin and I am excited to share a bit of her story!

A 9-year veteran with Cooper’s Hawk, Matthew sat down with me to share how he continues to grow every day as a manager, leader and friend, facing every opportunity with grit and positivity. He is a consummate learner in hospitality and feeds off of connecting with others, no matter their walk in life. I especially enjoyed how Matthew explains how he tries to stay in the moment, tuned in with his eyes up to every opportunity to extend his hand in hospitality.

I have absolutely loved every single conversation so far in Season 2, but with this latest episode, I have to say it was truly special to connect with Val Badon.  Val is the original pastry chef when Cooper’s Hawk opened over 13 years ago in Orland Park, and for the past 6 years, she has been our Executive Kitchen Manager at the same location. As a mother of two small children, Maddie and Charlie, Val continues to WOW us all with her poise and grace in heading up the busiest restaurant in our company. Our conversation truly helps explain why she is so successful and it was truly an honor to have her as my guest. Enjoy!

In his 4 short years with CH, Eric Fox has made a significant impact on many team members and guests as he genuinely commits to growing an engaged community in Wheeling. He has found an effective formula in balancing his mission to be a great husband, father, and leader that starts with the ultimate positive mindset. He truly understands that success is today! I had the pleasure of catching up with Eric earlier this year to connect and share. Enjoy!

Catching up with Kara was very rewarding as we shared a conversation focused on how important understanding and appreciating your “why” can be toward excelling in your career and in life. As a Tasting Room Attendant/Host/EC Assistant/Trainer at our Cooper’s Hawk in South Barrington, Kara makes the most of every day with confidence and positivity, always connecting her performance to her “why” in life. Her love for CH is contagious and I am excited to share our conversation with all of you!

As a career hospitality veteran, Matteo started at CH 8 years ago as a General Manager in South Barrington. He was then promoted to Area Culinary Manager before moving into his current role as an Area Director. Matteo and I caught up over the holidays for a spirited conversation about his personal story as a son of Italian immigrants, growing up with strong role models that afforded him a true understanding of what it was going to take to excel in hospitality and honestly appreciate everyone’s perspective.

Theresa has been with Cooper’s Hawk since Day 1 in South Barrington. Over these past 10 years with CH, Theresa has taken on the extra responsibilities as SB’s LRT, as well as committing to 4 different CH openings as a NROT, all while being a proud mother of 15-year-old twins with her husband of 20 years, Guy. I recently had the chance to sit down with Theresa to share her CH story and her personal commitments to a life in hospitality. 

Kelsey has had an impact on every Cooper’s Hawk in the state of Virginia over the past 3 years. She opened our Ashburn location as a bartender, was then promoted to RM in Richmond, then opened Reston where she was promoted to Senior RM. Kelsey is currently SRM for our newest restaurant in Virginia Beach where I had a chance to connect and talk story with her.

Linda is currently a Tasting Room Attendant and Server in Waterford Lakes and has participated in our last three restaurant openings as an NROT. She started with CH 3 years ago as an opening team member in Jacksonville, Florida. I caught up with Linda in Orange, Ohio while we were opening our 34th Cooper’s Hawk.

To wrap up the first season of “Off the Cuff,” John is once again joined by Emily Wines to talk about her role as a mentor to 12 Cooper’s Hawk Team Members who recently passed the Level 1 Introductory Sommelier exam and to talk about the importance of mentorship in our professional and personal lives.  “Off the Cuff” will return with new episodes in January!

Blessings and burdens are not mutually exclusive.  In this week’s episode, John talks about how we can appreciate the adversity we face as a company and use these opportunities to learn, grow, and turn these burdens into blessings.

It can be hard receiving feedback, especially if it’s something you don’t want to hear!  But it can be equally hard to give feedback, and in this week’s episode, John talks about the power of feedback and the need for two-way communication.

Are we focused on the right things?  As individuals and as an organization, we’re constantly evolving with new obstacles and stresses being thrown at us.  In this week’s episode, John talks about the importance of prioritization and let’s us know what the company is going to be focused on in 2019.

What kinds of words do you use to describe Cooper’s Hawk to your family and friends when you’re away from work?  In this week’s episode, John talks about how the answer to that question is the key to our culture and our success.

Last week, we talked about controlling what you can control.  This week, as a follow up, John identifies five specific things that are within our power to control: our attitude, how forgiving we are, how we start our day, how we treat our bodies, and how many times we get back up.

Whether you’re in the spotlight or working behind the scenes, we all have a role to play on our Cooper’s Hawk team.  In this week’s episode of Off the Cuff, Cooper’s Hawk President & COO John Inserra talks about how we can all contribute by focusing on the things we can control.

In this week’s episode of Off the Cuff, Cooper’s Hawk President & COO John Inserra discusses living and promoting a positive mindset in the workplace.

Harmony is the key to life, and in this week’s episode of Off the Cuff, Cooper’s Hawk President & COO John Inserra talks about the importance of working together harmoniously in our restaurants and how we can overcome some of the obstacles that get in the way.

What story do we want our guests to tell about their experience with Cooper's Hawk? In this week's episode of Off the Cuff, Cooper's Hawk President & COO John Inserra and Master Sommelier Emily Wines discuss how every bottle of wine also tells a story, and how we as Team Members can enrich the Cooper's Hawk guest experience through storytelling.

In this week's episode of Off the Cuff, Cooper's Hawk President and COO John Inserra discusses the importance of humility and how our ability to be humble is vital to our continual daily success.

In in our inaugural episode of Off the Cuff, we join Cooper's Hawk President and COO John Inserra to discuss emotional connections and the role they play in the hospitality industry.