Podcasts about unreasonable hospitality

If your team doesn't buy into the vision, it's not because they don't care, it's because they don't see themselves in the story yet. Jim Robinson and co-host Lori Prust dig into how to actually cast a vision that sticks: the difference between a vision and a goal, why storytelling (not authority) is what gets people to follow, and how repetition turns a one-time pitch into a habit your whole team lives by.In this episode:

About the Guest: Kristin Andree, CFP® With 26 years of financial planning and advisory experience, Kristin Andree is a former Fortune 100 managing director who now serves as the founder of My FA Coach and creator of Advisor Edge. She has coached thousands of top advisors and firms across the industry, though she deliberately takes fewer than a dozen private clients and firms per year — typically those north of $1M in revenue. She's known for her signature philosophy: "know your people, find your people, love them hard." The Four Stages of an Advisor's Business Kristin frames every advisory practice as moving through four stages. Emerge covers the beginning, where advisors build momentum and habits. Elevate is where they start to scale and differentiate, pushing to the next level. Elite marks the shift from simply being an advisor to building real enterprise value, and Exit involves retiring, selling, or transitioning the practice to a successor. Along the way, predictable plateaus appear: the first typically hits around $250K–$350K of revenue, where advisors are working hard but not smart, and the next around $600K, where small tweaks are usually enough to get them past $1M. The Two Biggest Mistakes Advisors Make The first mistake is information overload — ideas are everywhere, but without help sorting through what actually fits your practice, market, and style, execution stalls. The second is trying to be all things to all people, failing to define a niche narrowly enough to stand out from the "sea of sameness." The fix, Kristin argues, isn't more information — it's accountability, implementation, and someone to help you eliminate everything below your minimum acceptable floor. Niche & Differentiation Most advisors can't clearly define who they serve, and "business owner" is far too broad to count. Narrow messaging is what makes an ideal client stumble onto you and think "that's me." The fear of narrowing is real, but when you go hard in your market, the other clients still show up through referrals. This matters more than ever because AI and search are changing discovery — prospects now search by their specific situation, so your messaging has to match to be found. AI in the Modern Practice Kristin uses AI daily for research and industry trend digests, and she built "Pocket Kristin," an AI coaching concierge trained on her frameworks, videos, and coaching, so Advisor Edge members can get answers between sessions. It's deliberately limited — handling practice management and languaging only, never planning, tax, or compliance topics. The real opportunity is time: AI note-takers alone can save advisors roughly 10 hours a week to redeploy toward clients. She sees a great divide in the industry, with some advisors embracing AI while others stay frozen — but as she puts it, it's a "when," not an "if." What AI Will Never Replace What technology can't touch is the human, relationship, and emotional side of advice, including the work of managing fear and greed that's hardwired into our biology. Kristin points to being present for clients in the moments that matter — recalling sitting with her aunt after a loss, where the paperwork took seconds but the human part was everything. AI can surface the strategy, but the advisor still owns implementation, accountability, and trust. The Race to Success Connection Coaching and practice management map directly to OIP's Business Throttle piston. The four growth levers — people, systems, marketing, and technology — all matter, but messaging comes before marketing. The biggest inflection is the seven-figure shift: moving from "best advisor" to business owner and CEO, building something that outlasts you. It all comes back to "slow down to speed up" — growth comes from doing the right, often hardest, things, not simply doing more.   **This is the Optimized Advisor Podcast, where we focus on optimizing the wellbeing and best practices of insurance and financial professionals. Our objective is to help you optimize your life, optimize your profession, and learn from other optimized advisors. If you have questions or would like to be a featured guest, email us at optimizedadvisor@optimizedins.com Optimized Insurance Planning

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Karessa Parish, a true veteran of the digital customer success space. If you've been grappling with how to differentiate digital CS from scaled CS, or how to build out effective self-onboarding programs, this episode is a must-listen.Karessa shares her unique journey from middle school teacher to a leader in digital customer experience, highlighting how that "scrappiness" and educational mindset translates directly into building scalable, customer-centric programs. We dive deep into why digital CS acts as "the connective tissue" between customer touchpoints, making sure customers get the support they need even when a CSM isn't directly involved. Karessa also unpacks her strategy for internal "roadshows," fostering cross-functional collaboration, especially with product marketing, to ensure a unified and consistent customer experience. We explore the nuances of community building, gamification, and the ongoing challenge of customer engagement. Join us for a candid conversation packed with practical insights you can apply to your own digital CX initiatives. If you're a new Digital CX leader looking to fast-track your onboarding, an individual contributor wanting to learn more about Digital or a senior leader looking for ways of enabling your team - look no further than the Digital CX Masterclass: visit https://digitalcustomersuccess.com/masterclass. Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review.  FREE Digital CX Maturity Assessment:Want to see how your digital cs program stacks up against The Four Pillars of Digital CX? Take a free, 15-minute assessment followed by tactical advice for advancing your program. Register for The Digital CX Masterclass:An 8-week, cohort based course that will get you fully operational in a few weeks instead of a few quarter! Fast-track your digital CS maturity and start shipping great work within the first week!Subscribe to the Newsletter:A weekly-ish companion newsletter in which I share the latest in digital cs, my own work and occasionally annoying opinions about the state of CX.Thank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

Every leader loses customers. Few know how to win them back. Will Guidara, the restaurateur behind Eleven Madison Park and author of Unreasonable Hospitality, joins Carey to talk about taking the anxiety out of service, the customer-service pet peeves that drive him crazy, what AI is actually doing to hospitality, and the lesson Simon Sinek taught him about leading people.

What if the thing that sets your design business apart isn't the design itself? In this episode, Renee sits down with Rick Campos of Design Biz Survival Guide to talk about something the design industry doesn't discuss enough: hospitality. Not restaurant hospitality. Human hospitality. The kind that makes clients feel seen, remembered, and emotionally connected to the experience of working with you. Inspired by the book Unreasonable Hospitality, Rick shares how designers can elevate their client experience through thoughtful touchpoints, small moments of surprise, and genuine attention to detail — often without spending much money at all. From custom presentations for clients' children to a private porta potty on a construction site, this conversation is packed with examples of what clients actually remember long after the project is over. If you've ever wondered what truly separates a luxury design experience from everyone else offering beautiful rooms, this episode is for you. You'll learn: Why hospitality matters more than ever in luxury interior design How small client touchpoints create lasting emotional impact The difference between checking a box and creating a memorable experience Find out more about Rick here:  Website: https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/business-coaching-for-interior-designers/  Get an inside look at this year's Design Biz Retreat: https://youtu.be/sz_czKvZ3Wg?si=zkr2K-nN4zqDHXD5   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/unreasonable-hospitality-missing-piece 

Leadership is not about finding the perfect title. It is about discovering the purpose that drives every decision you make. In this special episode, Scott Albrecht turns the microphone around and interviews co-host Scott Anderle about the experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy. From struggling as a musician and discovering the credit union movement to building a personal mission centered on inspiring and equipping others, Scott shares how purpose evolves over time. They also explore how leaders can create stronger cultures through intentional development, continuous learning, and a commitment to raising the production value of every member and employee experience. If you've ever wondered how to align your personal purpose with your organization's mission, this conversation provides a practical roadmap.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  How can your personal purpose evolve as you grow in leadership?  Why should your department's mission align with your organization's mission?  How do books and continuous learning sharpen leadership effectiveness?  What does "production value" mean, and how can leaders apply it to member and employee experiences?  What leadership framework helps create accountability while developing people?  How can practice and preparation build confidence before difficult leadership conversations?  Click Here to Submit Your Questions   Links from show:  Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara  Atomic Habits by James Clear  Start With Why by Simon Sinek  Emerging Leaders Program  Subscribe to the ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service 

This Week In Startups is made possible by: DigitalOcean https://do.co/twist Sentry https://sentry.io/twist Lightfield https://lightfield.app Today's show: A hedge fund just blew up shorting SaaS stocks. In turns out, the software companies that went all in on AI are bouncing back. Figma's CEO — still riding high on strong revenue — forfeited roughly $46 million in stock awards to ease investor nerves. Twilio posted its strongest quarter in years. Airbnb's CEO credits AI as the single biggest factor in the company's incredible turnaround. Jason and Lon break down what's separating the winners this earnings season from the companies that are falling behind. PLUS we're chatting with Bluecore Energy CEO and founder Kofi Asante about his plan to power ports, and one day AI data centers, with small, floating nuclear reactors. AND we're kicking off the TWiST Weight Loss Challenge! Co-host Lon and Jason's brother, Jamie, are both starting GLP-1s. We'll track their progress and follow along as they attempt to collect $15,000 EACH in prize money. Guest Kofi Asante on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kofiasante1/ Bluecore Energy: https://www.bluecore.energy/ Jamie Calacanis on X: https://x.com/CalacanisJamie Relevant Links Bloomberg: Figma CEO forfeits $46M: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-05/figma-ceo-forfeits-46-million-in-stock-after-share-decline Twilio announces second quarter 2026 results: https://investors.twilio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/twilio-announces-second-quarter-2026-results TechCrunch: Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson buys The Onion: https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/26/area-man-twilio-co-founder-jeff-lawson-buys-the-onion Chesky: Airbnb will spend a lot more on AI: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/chesky-airbnb-ai-earnings.html "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573 The Times: Meet the unreasonable hospitality master who inspired "The Bear": https://www.thetimes.com/magazines/the-sunday-times-magazine/article/will-guidara-hospitality-the-bear-tkgzqz33w Port of Long Beach partnership on nuclear-powered shipping: https://gcaptain.com/port-of-long-beach-marad-launch-first-u-s-partnership-on-nuclear-powered-shipping/ Reuters: ByteDance targets mega AI model: https://www.reuters.com/technology/bytedance-targets-mega-ai-model-nearing-anthropics-mythos-ft-reports-2026-08-07/ Axios: OpenAI says its AI agents breached its own systems before Hugging Face: https://www.axios.com/2026/08/06/openai-hugging-face-black-hat Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House: https://franklloydwright.org/site/ennis-house/ Dwell: Why "The Studio" built a faux Frank Lloyd Wright HQ: https://www.dwell.com/article/the-studio-apple-tv-filming-locations-production-design-frank-lloyd-wright-john-lautner-97c68081 "Predators" documentary trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVZkvpAJjI A24 "Primetime" trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fHXyqQOKL8 Alex Honnold free solos Taipei 101: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/25/sport/alex-honnold-taipei-101-free-solo-netflix-intl-hnk Harmonic.ai: https://harmonic.ai/ Ro.co: http://ro.co/twist Timestamps: 0:00 Figma, Twilio & Airbnb earnings: who's winning at AI? 9:50 DigitalOcean - Head to https://do.co/twist to start building on DigitalOcean's AI-Native Cloud today — and cut your AI workload costs by up to 50%. 11:32 The real cost of stock-based compensation 17:38 Kofi Asante of Blue Core Energy joins the show 19:47 Sentry - Your team should be focused on shipping features — not chasing down bugs. New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST 20:51 What is a small modular reactor (SMR)? 26:00 Floating nuclear reactors for ports and data centers 29:47 Lightfield - Name one person who's ever enjoyed updating a CRM. Exactly. Lightfield's AI agent does it for you — it even prospects and books your meetings. Used by thousands of startups. Free at https://lightfield.app 31:56 Nuclear waste, submarine risks, and public perception 42:41 The generational shift in how we think about nuclear 48:19 ByteDance is training a 10 trillion parameter model 53:47 When AI models plan heists: the Hugging Face caper 58:02 Jason's Roko weight loss competition 1:11:38 Off duty: To Catch a Predator, Alex Honnold, and comedy Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp   Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons   Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis   Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/   Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland   Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis   Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Are online courses really dead? I recently sat down with attorney-turned-entrepreneur Sam Vander Wielen to discuss her latest course launch that generated over half a million dollars in just four days.In this episode, Sam shares the exact strategies she uses to consistently achieve massive success with her webinars and online courses, proving that these methods are far from "dead" in today's creator economy.We also discuss the power of personalized customer interactions, Sam's genius email list strategy that keeps her audience engaged and growing, and how she tackles the challenges of AI while maintaining an authentic and profitable brand.If you have a course or are thinking of building one, you need to watch this entire episode.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: Courses, Launches, & AI01:20 Breaking Down a $500k Launch02:49 Consistent Revenue Beyond Launches04:48 Refilming with Kit Studios06:17 Webinar Sign-ups & Email List Growth14:00 The Weekly Lead Magnet Newsletter Strategy20:30 The Unscalable Strategy: Personalized Videos25:00 Unreasonable Hospitality & Handwritten Notes31:00 The Impact of Podcasting on Business Growth35:00 Order Bumps: Adding $100k to a Launch36:00 AI and the Legal Industry41:00 Financial Splurges: Cars & Property44:00 Investing in Your TeamIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://kit.comFollow Sam:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samvanderwielenWebsite: https://www.samvanderwielen.comPodcast: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samvanderwielenFeatured in this episode:Kit: https://www.kit.comTypeform: https://www.typeform.comSam's book: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/bookHighlights:01:20 Breaking Down a $500k Launch14:00 Newsletter Strategy20:30 The Power of Personalized Videos

Jay and Seth return from extended overseas travel to break down real-world client experience principles that apply directly to law firm operations. They contrast the power of high-touch service delivery with the friction caused by rigid communication breakdowns during operational delays. The hosts explain how small service touches cultivate extreme brand loyalty, while poor communication actively damages client trust.

See what the team at The Successful Bookkeeper has on right now → Customer experience expert Shep Hyken is back, and this conversation cuts straight to one of the most stubborn problems in the bookkeeping profession: the race to the bottom on price. Shep lays out why competing as a commodity is a choice — and a dangerous one — and gives bookkeepers a practical framework for building client relationships that make price almost irrelevant. Chapters [00:00] Welcome and what has changed [02:35] AI, automation, and human jobs [06:30] The commodity trap explained [10:00] Competing on experience not price [13:00] Panera and moving humans to high-impact roles [16:00] Making routine interactions memorable [19:00] The six-step I'll Be Back framework [25:00] Journey mapping your client touchpoints [28:00] Consistency is what amazing looks like [30:00] Free resources from Shep Hyken The Commodity Trap Is a Choice You Make When a client sees you as a commodity, they're looking at your price, not the value of the experience you deliver. Shep argues that most bookkeepers already have the expertise to serve virtually any client well — so expertise alone no longer differentiates you. "Somebody that views you as a commodity is looking at your price, not just the experience that you have to offer." The solution isn't to slash rates; it's to make the relationship so strong that price becomes a secondary consideration. Competitive pricing and lowest pricing are not the same thing. AI Amplifies Who You Already Are Shep is clear that AI and automation aren't going away, but the firms quietly losing ground are the ones that have over-automated and stripped out the human element. He describes his own CPA firm eliminating his year-end review meeting in favor of a digital questionnaire — and how that single change made him start shopping around. "By going automated and not having that meeting, they just threw themselves into a commodity." The better move is to use automation to absorb the repetitive, low-touch tasks so you have more capacity for meaningful client conversations — not fewer. The Six Questions That Build an "I'll Be Back" Experience Shep walks through his six-step framework for understanding why clients choose you, why they might choose a competitor instead, and how to borrow ideas from outside your industry to raise your own standard. The exercise ends by asking: after everything you've learned, does your answer to "why me?" change? He also points to Amazon's order-confirmation model as an example bookkeepers can adapt — proactive, personal communication that keeps clients informed and feeling looked after. Journey Mapping: Find the Pain Before Your Client Does One of the most practical ideas in this episode is journey mapping every touchpoint a client has with your firm — from how the phone is answered to how the monthly invoice lands. Shep uses the example of restaurateur Will Guidara, who turned paying the bill at a high-end restaurant into a moment guests couldn't wait to tell their friends about. The same thinking applies to bookkeeping: "Find where those memorable opportunities are." There are moments in every client relationship — onboarding, monthly reporting, the annual review — that feel routine to you but could be genuinely memorable for them. Consistency Is What "Amazing" Actually Looks Like Shep closes with a reframe that is easy to miss: you don't need to be dramatically better than the competition. You need to be consistently and predictably better than average. "When that word always creeps in there — they always get back to me quickly, they always have the answers — you are operating above average." Trust is built through repetition, not grand gestures. Clients who can rely on you without having to think about it are clients who never seriously consider leaving. Links Mentioned Hyken.com — Free annual customer experience research report and the Customer Confidence Score PDF (no email required) "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara — Referenced for journey mapping and memorable experience design Pure Bookkeeping — Episode sponsor: purebookkeeping.com The Successful Bookkeeper — Show home and episode resources: thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com About the Guest Shep Hyken is the Chief Amazement Officer at Shepard Presentations and a hall-of-fame keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author specializing in customer service and experience. He has advised organizations across industries on building loyalty, reducing churn, and creating cultures where clients feel genuinely cared for. Shep is a returning guest on The Successful Bookkeeper and brings research-backed, immediately actionable thinking every time he joins the show. About the hostMichael PalmerMichael Palmer is the host of The Successful Bookkeeper podcast and co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping and The Successful Bookkeeper. He started this work because of his father — a brilliant electrical contractor who worked twice as hard as he should have had to, because nobody on the financial side was in his corner. That gap is what The Successful Bookkeeper exists to close. His view: bookkeepers are the most undervalued force in small business — and every bookkeeper who builds a real business changes two families: theirs, and their clients'.

Welcome to the Boomer Briefing Podcast — your 10-minute insight into the conversations shaping the future of the accounting profession. In this episode, Jim Boomer and Marc Staut recap the latest Managing Partner Circle meeting, where firm leaders came together to discuss the evolving realities of leadership, growth, client experience, and AI in today's profession. They explore how firms are rethinking traditional success metrics, why AI is becoming a leadership imperative—not just a technology initiative—and how managing partners are preparing for the ripple effects AI will have on pricing, hiring, accountability, and firm strategy. Jim and Marc also highlight conversations around the modern client experience, inspired by concepts like Unreasonable Hospitality, and discuss how firms can raise the bar by creating more intentional, personalized client relationships in an era of rapidly changing expectations. The episode also touches on the value of peer collaboration through the Managing Partner Exchange, where members openly share ideas, projects, and lessons learned with fellow firm leaders.

0:00 "You picked the wrong guy" – the audiobook story 3:12 "You own [Comedy Cellar], one of New York's treasures" 7:28 The customer who will never tip again 15:41 Motivating a team after you've won: finite vs. infinite games 23:23 Noam doesn't like fine dining 39:55 Handling Google reviews & hunting down critics Noam sits down with Will Guidara — author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (named the best restaurant in the world under his leadership), and co-producer of The Bear — for a conversation between two obsessives who refuse to run their businesses as businesses. They compare notes on why the money has to be a byproduct, how to answer a customer who swears he'll never tip again, keeping a team motivated after you've won, why fine dining lost its way, tracking down anonymous Google reviewers, and why Will walked away from the top restaurant on earth to be a better dad.

0:00 "You picked the wrong guy" – the audiobook story 3:12 "You own [Comedy Cellar], one of New York's treasures" 7:28 The customer who will never tip again 15:41 Motivating a team after you've won: finite vs. infinite games 23:23 Noam doesn't like fine dining 39:55 Handling Google reviews & hunting down critics Noam sits down with Will Guidara — author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (named the best restaurant in the world under his leadership), and co-producer of The Bear — for a conversation between two obsessives who refuse to run their businesses as businesses. They compare notes on why the money has to be a byproduct, how to answer a customer who swears he'll never tip again, keeping a team motivated after you've won, why fine dining lost its way, tracking down anonymous Google reviewers, and why Will walked away from the top restaurant on earth to be a better dad.

Kiera shares ways practices can make patients feel valued from that first visit to their final treatment, including tips for establishing consistency, intentionality, and the genuine connections between it all. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera. And today I wanted to just talk about how to help people feel valued. Like, I know that seems so cliche. I know you're like, great, but patience to team members, like, what are some of those secret sauces that just really make people feel that extra ump to feel that extra peace? Because honestly, patients don't leave because of bad dentistry. Patients leave because they don't feel seen, known, or valued. And I don't think it's about being overly nice.   I just think it's about being intentional. And so today I want to just kind of dive into something that's going to impact your patients, your team, your leaders. of just like little tips. What are some little ways? And I'll I'll do a patient side and I'll do a team side of how do you help people just feel valued, feel like humans? And the reason I want to bring this up is because I feel like this actually is a like, gosh, it's like the   Like the cheat code, if you will, to success right now. I feel like so many people are mean. I feel like so many people don't genuinely care right now. People are just not nice in the world anymore. And so to me, I'm like, this is the cheat code to success. This is one of the easiest ways for you to improve and to win in the patient experience, to improve and to win in the team retention experience. And it's one of those of like, how do we have a full journey and different little things to have? So   A lot of pieces that I'm gonna pull from are a book that I really enjoyed, Unreasonable Hospitality. If you haven't read it, read it. That one is one of my like go-tos that I think of often of how can I make magic moments for my patients and for my team. And that's really showing them and help them to feel valued. So a couple of things, and this ties to leadership and this ties to patient experiences. We've got to make sure that we're consistent, having consistency in how we lead, not having favorites, consistency in our patient experience. There was a book, gosh.   I can see the title of it. It's blue. You guys are gonna like write me an email and tell me what it is. But it was about this guy who went to the barber. And every time you go into the barber, it was a different experience. So, like the first time he got like a warm towel and a great shave. Then the second time he like got a shave, but not a warm towel, and then he got a drink. The third time, like towel, no shave, no drink. And he left. And I thought about it like.   Gosh, if you could just be consistent. I think about Starbucks. People say I go to Starbucks not because they have great coffee, but because I know it's always going to be consistent every time I go. And I think about this like people want that consistency. They want the experience to be consistent. They want their boss to be consistent. Like every single month we do one-on-one check-ins and I check in on you on your life and who you are. And we do morning huddles every day. Like things that can feel consistent with our patients. We have a warm handoff. Like it's   A handoff every single time where it just feels like we're a put together movie set, if you will. Like it's like we don't feel rushed. I remember I was in the ER for my appendix years ago. Yep. That was fun. That was a fun moment. And I remember the ER doctor just it felt like he was the nicest human in the entire world. I was not doped up on drugs. at the point, I was in a lot of pain still, but he was so nice to me. And my husband happened to like step out to go use the bathroom and   I remember he's like, Kiera, I saw that ER doctor and he was freaking running, like running. But as soon as he got to the door, he like put himself together, walked in, and was like calm as a cucumber. And I think for us in our patient experience, like we don't want to feel rushed. We don't want to feel like we are rushing through. You can be very efficient and consistent and help patients really feel very valued. So for example, we have a very consistent handoff from hygienist to doctor, where the patient's a part of it. We're not talking behind their head.   We're talking to them as a human, they're part of it. And like I call it the ICRP handoff. So introduction, compliment, recap the treatment already discussed, and do a personal note. This way the patient feels like you heard me, you listened to me. This hygienist has been actually taking care of me or dental assistants. Dental assistants are a little trickier, I get it. but if we say like, hey, Dr. Jones, this is Kiera, you met her last time. she's been doing an amazing job on her flossing. She's really, really ramped that up.   Just so you know, we already chatted. She knows she's got a couple of crowns probably on the upper right. She knows she needs to come back for that deep cleaning. and then she also knows that there's probably a couple of fillings on the lower left. And then just so you know, Dr. Jones, Kiera is headed off to Hawaii next month. and she's just we're so excited for that Hawaii trip. She's gonna absolutely love it. Well, now Dr. Jones can seem incredibly warm. Have a warm welcome, talk to me about Hawaii, compliment me on my flossing. Me as a patient, I instantly feel at ease and I feel like you love me.   You know me, you heard about me, you're going to take great care of me and you're genuinely interested in me. Then doctor does the exam. Doctor then wraps up with the next visit, the date, the time, the recare, making sure that's all done. Wishes me well on Hawaii because we've already made that easy connection. That could take five to seven minutes tops from start to finish. And that patient just felt like I had the most incredible experience with that doctor. I felt like the whole team is on board. Then that hygienist takes that front office team member up.   Or that patient up to the front office and they say, Hey, perfect, Dr. Jones on C Care back in two weeks. We're gonna start with the upper cro the upper right crowns. We're also gonna get her scheduled for that deep cleaning. Kiera, Sarah's amazing. She's gonna take incredible care of you. We've already got your cleaning scheduled for you. I can't wait to see you back in a couple of weeks. she's gonna take great care of you. Now Sarah picks it up and Sarah schedules me and perfect. Let's get you in with Dr. Jones. We'll make sure you're super taken care of. How was it today for you? All these different pieces for you.   Let's get you scheduled. We're gonna get you scheduled for that crown. Blah dah da. Gets me scheduled, sends me on my way. I have a great experience. That feels so consistent. And if that happens every single time where the doctor gets a handoff, the doctor handoffs to the hygienist, hygienist hands off to the front office or clinical team. We say it the same way. We have it. People feel like this experience was magical. They feel like, wow, they like really have their stuff put together. They feel very connected. They feel like they know me. I didn't feel rushed through the process.   You can be psychotic, rushed and behind, but that patient doesn't need to feel that because you are like that ER doctor where you are a duck on water and you're just paddling underneath, but you're taking care of all the pieces. And they're judging like patients and team judge the entire experience. So if we're talking about patients and helping them feel valued scene, practice these interactions. Practice how it is. We can practice how the new patient experience happens. Like, what do we say on the phone? How do we schedule them? What happens if it's ringing?   Also pay attention to when they walk in. Like, does someone greet them consistently every time? Do we have our coffee bar stocked all the time? Do we have like nice things all the time for them? Whatever our experience is, you don't have to go expensive. You don't have to have, but you just make it consistent for them where they can count on it and it feels welcoming. I will also do a hard, like no food at the front office. It drives me nuts. I can't tell you how many times I've walked in and they're eating, and I'm just like, stop it. I know you don't think it's that big of a deal, but it feels you're in a medical space. Stop that. Don't.   Front office, I used to be guilty of this. I had like my little snacks in the drawer. No, go to the break room, get your water in the back. Don't have clutter everywhere. Have it clean when they walk in. Make those patients feel like this is the best decision. It's clean. It's welcoming. Also, if you're on the phone, no problem. You can like wave to them. You can make eye contact with them. You can like point to the drinks. give them a little heart. Like you're so happy that they're there and so welcoming to them. When you answer the phone, smile.   Like every single time we smile, we're so happy to answer that phone. and to truly love them. And so if you do each of those little checkpoints, patients feel insanely valued. And then we pivot that to how do we make our team feel the same way? Let's have morning huddles where we do shout outs of core values. Let's have one-on-one check-ins with them every time. Let's every single day doctors like if you need to, I had a doctor set a compliment alarm where you genuinely compliment and say thank you. Not just a   Thanks for a great day. It's a, hey Kiera, thanks for rocking that root canal with me today. Like you crushed it. I couldn't do this without you. And I'm so grateful I can always count on you. Very intentional thank yous to your team members. Both sides of that equation make both people feel very valued. Doesn't take a lot of time. It's just very consistent. Other things I feel are just very confident on like next steps. And this ties to patients and team members. that's NDTR. Like, what is the next step at the end of my exam? Like,   What am I doing? Where are we going? How much time is this? That way patients aren't defaulting to like, I'm gonna think about this or whatever. Same thing with team members. If we've got one-on-one corrective action, like what is the next step? What is that process? Britt in our company, she does a lot of our operations in HR and she says clear is kind. And I think for both patients and team members to feel valued, to feel seen, what's clear? Like how do I make this as clear as possible? Clear is kind. So what are the next steps? Being very clear on our communication.   Making sure our treatment plans are clear, making sure we're asking what questions do you have, not do you have questions? Same thing with team members. Both of these are interchangeable. Like, here is the plan. What questions do you have for me? When we're rolling out a new training, what questions do you have for me? I'm going to send over the plan. This is what's expected of every person. These are the dates. These are the times. This is the expectation of what we're going to do. This way people feel certain. Certainty creates confidence and certainty creates value. People feel like   They're ready to go. Like confusion is the enemy of execution on either side. Confusion is where people feel anxious. People feel don't value. They don't feel seen. They don't feel loved. So how do we make everything with our patient experience and our team experience where we have clear communication, where it's drawn out, it's very much where people can just feel solid. You might not like the decisions, you might not like the treatment, but you're very clear. The communication was clear, the expectations were clear. Pieces were very, very clear for you. And then another piece is like,   Making sure we have genuine relationships, not just transactional relationships. So knowing people, like so if we have a big case, I'm really big on like calling those patients. There are pe places where you can have automated voicemails so it acts like you call them, but you don't actually have to call them. Medenta was fantastic at this. And you could just have a voicemail after a big case where it's like, hey, care, hey, like, hey, this is Dr. Jones. I'm just calling to check in and see how that appointment went for you. If you have any issues or any pain, please give me a call. I'm hoping that you're doing really, really well on all of this.   You don't even have to the patient's name, but it feels like you cared about them. what are check-ins? How can we check in to see how they're doing? like when patients come in, remembering little subtle things about them. So if care is going to Hawaii, we put it in our notes and we ask her, How is Hawaii when you come back in? Those little simple things create relationships. Same thing on the one-on-ones. If someone tells you that they're going on vacation, ask your team member how was that vacation? if it's their birthday or anniversary.   What ways can I foster the relationship? And to me, this is where I tie into unreasonable hospitality of how do I make magic moments for these people where they're like making meaningful moments in the everyday moments. So how do I help people feel seen, heard, and loved in both of them? So we don't just stop at checkout for our patients. We don't just stop after the one on one. We know them as humans. shout out to Tiff with her consultant team. She does Tiffany's connection time.   And she literally like meets with the consultants, talks to them, connects with them as humans. And I love that she calls it connection time because I feel like that's her building relationships. Connection time with your patients. How do I build those relationships? How do I remember who they are? How do I remember little things? I have a fee for service chiropractor. I love her every time. She's like, So you just got back from Kentucky? And I'm like, Yes. And she's like, How is like in your next trip? You guys are headed out to wherever? Like, I feel she knows me. She has a lot of patience.   But people want to be known, they want to be remembered, they want to be seen for birthdays and anniversaries, like big small big team, small team. How do you make that person feel seen, valued, heard? How do you do the small daily things where you're looking out, you're sending out thank yous? you guys compliment each other? Do you guys have a shout-out jar where you guys call out on each other? What can you do to make sure that there's strong bonds and relationships? Because people don't leave offices because of   usually money, sometimes they do, but typically it's due to a lack of a relationship, a lack of a bond. Tip told me she said, cure the reason I've been with you for almost a decade. Shout out to the TT Spiffy Tiffy over there. she's like it's because of the relationship we have. And I think about that and I know it can feel like as our team's getting larger, this is something I'm often questioning of how do I make sure team members feel seen, valued and heard. And I will say as a CEO, one of the things I do and as an office manager,   Gosh, I hope my team doesn't listen. I don't, I'm not perfect at this, but I do have a list of every team member and I actually hand write letters to them and I'll mail them to them. or if I know something's going on for them, I will make it a point to either ask about it or make sure I help out with certain things with them. I'm not perfect at it, but I do feel like when people feel seen, valued, and heard, we always for their birthdays, we have in a survey and we send them their absolute favorite things. And every time, and we send them a gift, we send them something personal for them.   when I know someone's got a rough day, we'll just send over a little treat. You don't have to have a lot of money, you just have to have intentionality. And this goes to patients and it goes to team members. If you know someone's birthday's coming up, like so many times I I check in at places and it's my birthday, and people get my ID. They type in my birthday and they don't say it. Like, could you just look ahead and see whose birthday's coming up? How could I like could we celebrate? Anyone whose birthday is in June or July? Tell your patient happy birthday.   If you see something that they did, how do you just build the relationship so it's not transactional? It's very much feels like a it feels like you know them, that you love them. And I would say that comes from genuinely loving people, from genuinely wanting them to feel valued, genuinely wanting to make a magic moment for them, getting excited. There's a doctor in Georgia that's on our team, and he got so giddy. He just got so giddy. He's like, Here, I'm putting together the holiday party for them. And   He like goes all out and he like spent all night decorating and he just got so giddy. And I love working with him. I love learning from him because to have that genuine joy and curiosity and excitement and love for your team, it filters into then how you say thank you to them. And I think it's seeing teams and patients. Do you see them as liabilities or do you see them as assets? Do you see them as value ads or soul sucking?   and the way you view them is how you're going to treat them and you're going to create more of that. So I might encourage you of just looking to see how we can do that. So just a couple of things, just as a quick recap for you, is making sure you are consistent, making sure you have clear communication, clear as kind, and really truly trying to build that relationship with them. and I think if you can can just again.   To me, these are the sprinkles on a cupcake. You've already got the cupcake, you've already got the frosting. I feel like the sprinkles really are what make the pop, the pizzazz, the the what makes you stand out from the other offices. All the other offices have a cupcake and they got frosting. Maybe some offices only have cupcake. Like they do dentistry. You need dentistry and you at least have some of the pieces. But to me, this is where I feel like value comes from sprinkles. And I think it in the analogy of this cupcake, the cupcake's the core. That's their job, that's their coming to the dentist. The frosting is   I don't know, probably their management and their clinical care. the sprinkles to me are what are going to set you apart and what people are going to remember. And I love the analogy because the cupcake is the largest, the frosting is smaller, and the sprinkles are really just the accent pieces. but it's crazy. I had a designer come out, we were doing some fun things and she's like, Kiera, it's crazy because the little things, like she literally like had a bowl and   rolled the napkins and like the placemats and put them in the bowl rather than just like I was gonna just stack them. And she's like, Kiera, those small little details are what make people feel like this is a home and it's cozy and it's warm versus like sloppy and not put together. And I thought about that and I'm like, it's those sprinkles that make people feel valued or make them feel like they're just a transaction or just a number on the page. And so I would I would encourage you to figure out like what sprinkle of these ones that we talked about can you do to make your patients and your team feel more valued.   Again, it's not more and I know I said more valued, but I think it's just intentionally valued where it's not doing more, it's being intentional. It's changing of how I do it. Can I be intentional on my thank yous at the end of the day? Can I be more intentional on my communication with them so everything's clear and mapped out for them? Can I have it where I have a consistent experience for my patients every single time? can I look to build the relationship a bit stronger and write?   a thank you card. It could take six months, guys. Like I'm not saying it's every single month. Like I have a list and I work through it and then I go back and is there a way where I can maybe change our birthdays and our anniversaries? Our team does videos for everyone and I know it's like we have so many. They come up so often. But to get like that takes 30 seconds from our teammates to make somebody feel valued and important and special. Those to me are the sprinkles. 30 seconds out of an entire eight hour day is so minimal. And yet   That's sprinkle on your cupcake. So where can you add the sprinkles? Where can you add the value? Teams deserve it. You deserve it. And I believe that this is the greatest way to like truly it's the secret sauce to win, to win, to hire and retain people, to bring in patients that feel valued, to feel seen, to feel loved. We're all looking to see how we can compete with others and how we can have a cutting edge. And I would say, like, add the sprinkles, add the sprinkles, stand out just a bit stronger. Everyone else has the cupcake. Most people have the frosting. Not all have the frosting.   But if you've got the cupcake and the frosting, add those sprinkles, help people feel valued. And if you're struggling with this, or you're like, gosh, that's just not my thing. As I said, we give doctors the the to-do of you put a compliment alarm on your on your phone and you do that. this is where I love to help people go to the next level to optimize, to scale, to have structure, but in a way that's not necessarily production scale.   But in happiness scale and fulfillment scale, which ultimately is going to lead to higher production, higher profitability. So reach out. I'd love to chat with you. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Go make it a magical day. Go spread some sprinkles. Go share. Go love. Go genuinely enjoy what you get to do every single day. It won't be forever that you get to do this. So let's make it magical. Let's make it impactful. And let's make it meaningful with helping people feel seen, valued, and loved. And as always, thanks for listening. And I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.  

SummaryHospitality is not a department. It is a posture.That was the thread running through our conversation with Mia Berloni, CEO of Teatro Group, as Garth and I dug into the idea of unreasonable hospitality and what it actually asks of a leader. Mia has spent her career inside rooms where the smallest gesture, a remembered name, a note passed at the right moment, can matter more than the meal itself. What she has learned in those rooms translates directly to how schools and organizations build culture.We talked about clarity as an act of kindness rather than its opposite, and how feedback delivered with care becomes one of the most generous things a leader can offer a team. Mia's approach to hiring is not built around credentials first. It is built around who fits the culture and who will carry it forward, because culture is not something you announce, it is something you practice in a hundred small decisions a day.What stayed with us was her insistence that kindness has to hold even when it is inconvenient, even when it costs you time or comfort in the moment. That is where unreasonable hospitality stops being a nice idea and starts being a discipline.This is a conversation for any leader who wants their culture to be felt, not just stated.Chapters00:00 introduction to unreasonable hospitality05:47 Mia's journey into hospitality08:50 the role of culture in leadership11:51 hiring for culture and team dynamics14:49 leading with kindness and clarity17:56 feedback as a tool for growth21:00 rapid fire questions and final thoughts33:04 Beards Book Club outroKey TakeawaysUnreasonable hospitality means going beyond expectation in ways that are small, specific, and personal. It is not about grand gestures, it is about noticing.Clarity is kindness. Leaders who avoid hard conversations in the name of being nice are often doing the opposite of what their people need.Culture is built through hiring. Bringing in people who already carry your values forward is easier than trying to teach values after the fact.Feedback, given well, is a form of investment in someone's growth rather than a correction of their shortfall.Kindness that only shows up when it is convenient is not really a value. It becomes real in the moments it costs something.Sound Bites"Clarity is kindness.""Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest things.""Leading with kindness even when it's inconvenient."ResourcesUnreasonable Hospitality by Will Ghidara - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Unreasonable+Hospitality+Will+GhidaraMia Berloni - Teatro Group - https://www.linkedin.com/in/miaberloni/

Most practices focus on winning referrals, but very few think seriously about keeping them. That gap is where long-term growth is either built or lost. Joining us to explore this topic is Dr. Vic Martel, a General Dentist who has supported countless other Doctors to open and run their practices. Listen as we unpack the five pillars together and explore how you can eliminate the hurdles that sometimes keep your strongest referral relationships from becoming truly enduring partnerships, from elevating patient experiences to ensuring every interaction reinforces trust to building intentional, human communication that keeps relationships active rather than passive. We also dig into what it really means to make your best referrers feel valued, why consistent appreciation matters more than ego or self-promotion, and how even subtle gaps in how you present or position yourself can weaken otherwise strong connections. Along the way, we explore the role of education in strengthening referrals, how “hospitality” translates into clinical relationships, and the practical systems that help you sustain consistency over time rather than relying on goodwill alone.Key Points From This Episode:Why retaining referrals is just as important as getting them. Unpacking the non-negotiable need for outstanding patient experiences.A strategy for maintaining personal communication with referrals.How to make your really good referrals feel extra special.Why appreciation is more important than ego. An example of what isn't good enough when it comes to selling yourself. What to educate your referrals on and how to do it. Understanding how to show ‘hospitality' in the context of dentistry. How to appreciate your referrals and show it. Practical tips to keep connections alive. Leveraging systems to create consistency in your referral base.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Dr. Vic Martel Email — martelvic@gmail.com Dr. Vic Martel on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-martel-dmd-fagd-91431922/ Unreasonable Hospitality — https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ Giftology — https://giftologygroup.com/  Beyond Giftology — https://giftologygroup.com/beyondgiftology/ The Ritz Carlton Effect (The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company) — https://www.amazon.ca/New-Gold-Standard-Leadership-Ritz-Carlton/dp/0071548335 Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.comDr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Today's author and restaurateur shares hospitality lessons learned from turning Eleven Madison Park into the #1 restaurant in the world. Join Mike & Cory as they consider how they, too, can transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.Support the ShowUnreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraNathan Barry Show with Will Guidara & Brian CanlisThe One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer JohnsonRadical Candor by Kim ScottDiary of a CEOIntelligentsiaChemex Coffee BrewerChemex OttomaticSiphon BrewingTheory11Simon Sinek | The Optimism CompanyLeaders Eat Last by Simon SinekThe Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric JorgensenThe Book of Elon by Eric JorgensenMike's Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Cory's Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This episode of The Building Bigger Lives Podcast features a book club episode discussing "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara. Kathryn and Michael explore key takeaways from the book, including creating memorable experiences through personalized gestures, the importance of serving both customers and team members with excellence, and the value of asking thoughtful questions to understand client needs. The hosts apply these concepts to the real estate and housing industries, suggesting ways to enhance hospitality in business interactions, though the takeaways and applications of the book are absolutely relevant to any entrepreneur. Michael and Kathryn emphasize the book's focus on leadership and management, particularly the need to invest in team culture to deliver exceptional customer experiences. The discussion highlights how seemingly small, thoughtful actions can significantly impact client perceptions and business relationships. Building Bigger Lives Podcast https://www.instagram.com/buildingbiggerlives Contact Coach Michael Regan- www.facebook.com/CoachMichaelRegan www.instagram.com/coachmichaelregan/ www.linkedin.com/in/mregan/ Contact Kathryn Pedersen- http://www.instagram.com/steamboatmortgage

Most organizations invest in culture, but few actually change it. The gap is not intention, it is execution. In this episode, Scott and Scott sit down with Amber Herman to challenge how leaders think about learning, culture, and employee experience. From her journey into the credit union movement to her work in data, marketing, and member experience, Amber makes a strong case that culture and learning are inseparable. The real tension is this. Are we creating moments that feel good, or movements that drive change? Through practical examples like culture guides, pre and post event planning, and borrowing ideas from outside the industry, this episode equips leaders to stop wasting effort and start building culture that sticks.  In this episode we talk about and answer these questions:  • how do you turn culture initiatives into lasting behavior change instead of one time events  • what does it mean to be a learner even if you are not a reader  • how can leaders use ideas from outside the industry to strengthen their culture  • what role do culture guides and structured tools play in building consistency  • how should leaders prepare for and follow up after training or conference experiences  • what is one unreasonable action you can take in the next 30 days to elevate your team  Click Here to Submit Your Questions  Links from show:  CultureCon  STRUM Platform  Amber Herman LinkedIn  Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara  Culture Wheel Playbook  Disney Hall of Traditions  Bit of Optimism Podcast with Will Guidara  The Hot Dog Story  ServiStar's Emerging Leaders program ServiStar's TARGET Leadership course Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on YouTube  Subscribe to ServiStar Leadership Podcast on your favorite streaming service 

Most hospitality businesses fail by chasing perfection. This book summary reveals the counterintuitive secret to creating unforgettable experiences.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!emersonk78@me.comExcel Still More Journal - AmazonNew GENESIS Daily Bible Devotional!Daily Bible Devotional Series - AmazonTitle Sponsor: Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer, Statewide MortgageWebsites: https://statewidemortgage.com/https://tylercain.floify.com/Phone: 813-380-8487Check out the book Unreasonable Hospitality1. Hospitality is Bigger than Entertaining -- it's about the people!2. Jesus Practiced Unreasonable Hospitality - go and do likewise!3. People Remember How You Make Them Feel - "do unto others..."-- A Quick Guide For The Week --- Notice Someone- Do One Unnecessary Kindness- Create One Memorable Moment This Week

What would change in an oral surgery practice if the office manager truly ran every non-clinical part of the business? In this episode of Everyday Oral Surgery, host Dr. Grant Stucki is once again joined by Dr. Roger Levin, CEO of Levin Group, for the final episode in their series on office managers as chief operating officers and their role in improving practice management. Dr. Levin revisits why surgeons need to delegate more effectively and why office managers should be trained to lead the practice's operations. He also breaks down key areas office managers need to master, the value of clear communication, the need for financial understanding, the importance of adaptability and consistency, and how stronger one-to-one relationships can improve team performance. They also discuss the patient experience, customer service, goal setting, progressive discipline, and why surgeons should not be the ones managing every staff issue. Dr. Levin provides insight into how a stronger office manager can protect practice growth, reduce stress for surgeons, and create a better environment for both team members and patients. Tune in to learn how office managers can step into a stronger leadership role and help oral surgery practices run more effectively with Dr. Roger Levin.Key Points From This Episode:Discover why office managers should function as a CEO in oral surgery practices.Learn how surgeons can use a scoring system to evaluate office manager performance.Explore why clear and direct communication matters between surgeons and team members.Why managers need to drive vision and keep the team aligned with long-term goals.How financial understanding helps managers monitor performance and identify opportunities.Uncover why adaptability is essential when practices face changes or new challenges.Examine why consistency in leadership and communication strengthens the whole team.Hear how one-to-one relationships help managers learn what motivates team members.Find out about the qualities that office managers need to be successful leaders. Assess how office managers can train the team to create a stronger patient experience.Unpack why practice goals should be written down, measured, and reviewed weekly.Final takeaways on how surgeons coach their office managers into stronger leaders.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Dr. Roger Levin — https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-levin-69ab744/Dr. Roger Levin email — rlevinconf@levingroup.comLevin Group: https://levingroup.com/Fierce Conversations: https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Conversations-Achieving-Success-Conversation/dp/0425193373/Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.comDr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Dan and Nicole are back after a few weeks away, and they're jumping right in. After a quick catch-up on birthdays, anniversaries, and Nicole's notable failure to remember either of Dan's, the conversation takes off in all directions. First up, Dan's been reading "Unreasonable Hospitality" -- the fascinating (and slightly creepy) story of one of the world's most celebrated restaurants and the lengths they go to make guests feel like they're the only person in the room. Hint: they know more about you before you walk in than you'd probably like. The gang also digs into the tasting menu experience and whether a $500-a-plate dinner with no choices is brilliant or just insane. Then things get scary. AI-powered travel scams have officially gone next-level. Scammers are now creating fake hotel listings -- complete with AI-renovated photos that make dingy motels look like boutique resorts -- and some travelers are arriving to find no hotel at all. We're talking paid-in-full reservations that simply don't exist. Dan breaks down how it works, how to protect yourself, and why the advice to "just book direct" is easier said than done. And finally: are you still paying $200+ a month for cell service? Dan made the switch to Mint Mobile and has some thoughts. Some very enthusiastic, slightly evangelical thoughts. It's good to be back. Come hang with us.

It's almost the official dog days of summer, and today we're sharing with you some great reading suggestions to plan out your reading for these long hot days. We're going to tell you about what's new and hot this summer, what's on our reading lists, plus some suggestions for titles that can help you complete our Adult Summer Bingo challenge. And don't miss joining us for the first official podcast buddy read! Ellyn's Currently Reading | American Fantasy by Emma Straub, Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson, & Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Amanda's Currently Reading |  Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin, & Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Join us in our first official Bubbles & Books buddy read! We're reading True Grit by  Hottest New Releases Coming Out this Summer June: Land by Maggie O'Farrell Whistler by Ann Patchett The Children by Melissa Albert Harvest Season by Brynn Weaver June 9 It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell June 23 July: Country People by Daniel Mason July 7 Helpless by Jessica Knoll July 7 The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren July 14 Make Nice by Ryan Effgen July 14 Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst July 28 Daggermouth by HM Wolfe July 28 August: The Unknown by Riley Sager Aug 4 Dreamland by Olivie Blake Aug 11 A Tender Age by Chang Rae-Lee Aug 11 God's Country by William Kent Krueger Aug 18 Daggerbound by T Kingfisher Aug 25 What we're looking forward to reading this summer: Ellyn: Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Barker, The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig & Helpless by Jessica Knoll (July 7) Amanda: Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett, & Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger  ______________________________________________________________________ Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames Shop Dog-Eared Books and pick up your books in store or have shipped HERE. Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Interested in e-books? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE. Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

On the first day of each month we review the book of the month. The book is called Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. And I'll say this upfront — it may be the most useful book I've read this year for anyone who is in the business of managing assets, attracting capital, or building long-term relationships with tenants, investors, or partners.So let me tell you a little about Guidara's story.He co-owns Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant in Manhattan that climbed from obscurity to the number one restaurant in the world. That's not a subjective claim. In 2017, Eleven Madison Park was ranked first on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. And the central thesis of this book is deceptively simple: the food alone didn't get them there. What got them there was a relentless, almost irrational commitment to making people feel something.------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Adam Marburger is a serial entrepreneur, author, Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, and CEO at Ascent Dealer Services. Adam helps leaders build wealth, win in business and lead with discipline and purpose. Along the way we discuss – the paper route (1:15), Jiu-Jitsu (4:15), White Belt Mindset (11:15), Pressure Management (14:00), Getting Out of Your Own Way (17:00), Unreasonable Hospitality (19:30), Auto F&I (21:15), Turn off the News (26:00), Tribe of Mentors (28:15), and Adam's Memo (30:00).  Access Adam's skills and solutions @  Ascent Dealer Services Grab Marburger's book @ You're the F*cking Problem: A Guide to Getting Out of Your Own Way Learn more about Adam's designated nonprofit @ Riverbend Rescue (Keys for Kids and Jiu-Jitsu for Joy). This podcast is teamed with LukeLeaders1248, a nonprofit that provides scholarships for the children of military veterans. Help us sponsor 5 scholarships for 2026. Send a donation, large or small, through our website @ www.lukeleaders1248.com, PayPal, or Venmo @LukeLeaders1248.  Music intro and outro from the creative brilliance of Kenny Kilgore. Lowriders and Beautiful Rainy Day. 

What makes the Will Guidara story and his book "Unreasonable Hospitality" so compelling--and so useful? We share insights we've used from the book. Mark had the opportunity to train under Will Guidara and shares what he learned from Will's team. https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Natalie Cilurzo joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha, to tell us about Russian River Brewing News and upcoming events. Her last time on the show was with Pliny the Younger  back on March 18. Natalie has brought three beers to taste, including Vinnie Cilurzo’s first signature beer, Blind Pig. Herlinda and Natalie were at the Craft Beer Convention in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. The industry is contracting. Schlitz beer is closing, in Milwaukee. They have been there for 120 years. Somebody might acquire that brand. Unreasonable Hospitality One of the speakers they heard was Will Guidara. He talked about his book called Unreasonable Hospitality. Natalie is a fan and describes his advice for companies and people in any industry related to hospitality. He used to own 11 Madison Park, a Michelin 3-star restaurant. His approach is to do things for guests that are unexpected. For example, he sent his staff outside to get a hot dog from a street vendor, so he could serve it to his guests at his Michelin restaurant. He overheard their wish and did this to surprise them. ••••Visit Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Check out their website and socials for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more.•••• That made Natalie and Vinnie think a lot about the experience that people get from their annual Pliny the Younger release. Natalie remembers a young family there last year and the mom was pregnant, so Natalie gave her a RRBC onesie. The next year, they were back with the baby, wearing the onesie. The little details and personal touches are what make a customer’s experience special memorable. “It’s not just the beer, it’s the experience,” says Herlinda. The first beer they taste today is called Stivo. It’s a Keller Pils that they have made in collaboration with Firestone Walker for about 20 years, although this is the first year that RRBC is actually producing it. It has a dry hoppy flavor, but not like an IPA, what they call German hoppy, not as strong. A Really Fun Busy Summer at Russian River Brewing Natalie grew up around cars and racing, and when they built the location in Windor with a big parking lot, she thought it would be a great place for a car show. So, they are doing that and there are 4 of them on the calendar this summer. One of the cars on display is an original Volkswagen van, owned by the third generation of the family. There will be lots of cars, a chopper sometimes shows up, a fire engine and an old Highway Patrol car too. The NHRA top fuel drag races are coming to Sonoma Raceway and they will display the cars on Wednesday, July 15, before the race, Anton Brown’s top fuel dragster will be on display. 

Empathy is not the opposite of Stoic strength. It's part of what keeps that strength from becoming coldness. In today's episode, Ryan talks with Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, about why empathy is one of the most powerful skills a leader can build. They discuss why hospitality is really about making people feel seen, the Stoic idea of slowing down to speed up, the importance of not wasting adversity, and why we should never let someone else's bad behavior pull us away from the person we want to be.Will Guidara is a restaurateur, speaker, and the author of Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect and the new Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide. He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which earned three Michelin stars and was named the number one restaurant in the world.Will's work on hospitality has been featured in his TED Talk, The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality, and his book Unreasonable Hospitality was featured in the hit series The Bear.

Will Guidara's bestseller now has a field guide! Tune in to hear some of the surprises you can expect in this excellent follow-up. https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Joe Stephens just helped close a 49-million-dollar raise at steno. He also became a sommelier on the side. David Cowen sits down with Joe, director of legal solutions, law school professor, and one of the most thoughtful voices in litigation technology, to ask the question that defines this moment: what would you not automate? The answer pulls in John Cage, Unreasonable Hospitality, and why curiosity may be the only truly un-automatable skill left. Key Topics Covered: Service vs. hospitality: The distinction that powers steno's brand and why feel beats commodity What Joe would not automate: Physical connection, hugging his kids, walking the dog John Cage's 4'33": Why four and a half minutes of silence is the hardest piece of music ever composed The sommelier hobby: How Joe spends part of his AI dividend on deep human pursuits Listening and curiosity: The two skills Joe tells his students matter more than any technical knowledge Voice to text vs. pen and paper: Why composing a prompt forces slow thinking Unreasonable hospitality: Why delivering experience — not service — is the central differentiator in legal tech

Most people think hospitality is just about service. Will Guidara believes it's about making people feel seen. In this conversation, Will and I talk about what it really means to care for people well—whether you're leading a team, managing a business, sitting across from someone you love, or just trying to become a better communicator. From turning Eleven Madison Park into the #1 restaurant in the world to helping create the hit show, The Bear, Will shares the mindset that changed everything for him: the smallest moments often leave the biggest impact. We talk about thoughtful criticism, leading with grace, creating team culture, and why the best communicators listen for what people aren't saying. Buy Will's book, Unreasonable Hospitality and the field guide we dug into in today's episode - https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books  Leave me a voicemail to be featured on the show! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/ask-jefferson  Join me on Supercast for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and AMAs: https://jefferson.supercast.com/ Order The Next Conversation Workbook: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/workbook Thank you to our sponsors: Cozy Earth. Upgrade Your Every Day. Get 20% off at cozyearth.com/jefferson or use code JEFFERSON at check out. Our Place. Visit https://fromourplace.com/JEFFERSON and use code JEFFERSON for 10% off sitewide. Upwork. Visit https://Upwork.com right now to post your job for free and connect with expert freelancers who can help you grow faster without adding full-time overhead. BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Order my book, The Next Conversation, or listen to the full audiobook today. Like what you hear? Don't forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show!  Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter.  Join My School of Communication Watch my podcast on YouTube  Follow me on Instagram  Follow me on TikTok Follow me on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the secrets to unreasonable hospitality? That's what I wanted to find out when I sat down with Will Guidara and Brian Canlis. Will spent over a decade running Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant voted number one in the world, and Brian is the force behind Canlis in Seattle, one of the most respected fine dining institutions in the country. Their insights on hospitality extend far beyond the restaurant world, and I was particularly struck by how they've systematically approached building meaningful connections, both online and off. Their approach to "unreasonable hospitality" has completely reshaped how I think about every customer touchpoint in my own business, and there are so many actionable ideas here for any creator or entrepreneur.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:07 How Will and Brian started working together03:07 The first big project they worked on04:47 Brian's "friend internship" and meeting his wife05:56 Brian's career running Canlis08:26 The vision for their current business14:16 Shifting from consulting to creative studio16:18 The broad applicability of hospitality30:53 Chewy's pattern recognition and customer experience35:16 "What would have to be true?" for seemingly impossible goals45:40 Mapping every tiny guest interaction54:19 The value of "fresh eyes" and notebook feedback1:07:47 Why doing the "right thing" matters long-term1:09:15 The 95/5 rule for managing resources1:11:49 Opportunities to elevate the Kit platform experience1:15:16 Making powerful tools accessible and fun1:18:18 Celebrating user milestones and personalized momentsIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://kit.comFollow Will:Website: https://unreasonablehospitality.comThe Field Guide: https://uhthefieldguide.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wguidaraLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willguidaraFollow Brian:Website: https://unreasonablehospitality.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcanlisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-canlis-2820122a6Featured in this episode:Kit: https://www.kit.comUnreasonable Hospitality: https://unreasonablehospitality.comUnreasonable Hospitality Field Guide: https://uhthefieldguide.com

Remarkable customer experiences don't happen because someone on your team happened to be in a good mood. They happen when a business decides, in advance, how people should feel at every step. Without that kind of intention, even great companies become forgettable. So how do you design moments customers actually remember and share?   In this episode, Donald Miller sits down with Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, to talk about how business owners can turn everyday transactions into memorable moments. Will explains why hospitality is not just for restaurants, how systems can teach your team what "right" looks like, and how his new field guide helps companies build teams, create a culture of excellence, and deliver magic in a deliberate, repeatable way. Listen in to learn how to make customers feel seen and turn that into a competitive advantage.   Learn from Will: Will Guidara / Unreasonable Hospitality https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ Unreasonable Hospitality The Field Guide https://uhthefieldguide.com Pre-Meal Newsletter https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal   If you want help creating messaging that drives sales, attend the next StoryBrand Your Business Live workshop for direct teaching from Don and hands-on guidance from a StoryBrand certified marketing Guide:    https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop   Buy the updated Building a StoryBrand 2.0  https://storybrand.com/building-a-storybrand-book-new/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=basb2.0&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=BASB2.0  

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, “Unreasonable Hospitality.” He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is the host of The Welcome Conference, a Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series “The Bear,” and is a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award. He is also the author of the book, “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide.” In this episode we discuss the following: When Will's restaurant ranked 50th out of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, he leaned on something his dad taught him: adversity is a terrible thing to waste. That night, he wrote two words on a napkin—Unreasonable Hospitality. And just a few years later Will achieved his goal of  becoming number one in the world. What stands out most isn't just the turnaround—it's the insight behind it: excellence isn't just about what we deliver; it's about how we make people feel. Will realized that the real differentiator was the experience. It was “one size fits one.” It was DreamWeaving. It was an obsession with the human side of every interaction. DreamWeaving was buying sleds for a family whose kids were seeing snow for the first time so that their after meal activity could be sledding for the first time in Central Park or creating beach scenes in the private dining room for a couple who was only there because their beach vacation got canceled. So often the people who achieve at a high level do so by being a little unreasonable. Never let a gracious impulse pass. We all have small instincts to do something thoughtful and too often, we ignore them. But that's where the magic is. Hospitality, at its best, is being creative and intentional in pursuit of relationships. And even something as simple as asking our guests to really listen isn't an imposition. It's a gift. No detail is too small to be poured into. Especially when it comes to valuing people.

In this episode, Jim Gordon, owner of Peninsula Prime in Cornelius, joins the podcast to share how 2025 became a pivotal turnaround year for the upscale steakhouse. After taking full operational control in January 2025, Jim and his wife Robin rebuilt the restaurant from the ground up — starting with aesthetics, modernizing systems and processes, and redefining the brand's identity.Jim opens up about the three pillars now guiding Peninsula Prime: hospitality, quality, and community. He shares how the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara shaped his approach, why he spent six months listening to guest feedback before rewriting the menu, and how new GM Dawn Serens is helping elevate the entire team.Whether you're a longtime Peninsula Prime guest or new to Lake Norman, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn around a beloved restaurant — and do it with heart.Visit Peninsula Prime: 18665 Harborside Dr, Cornelius, NChttps://www.peninsulaprimelkn.com/The Best of LKNhttps://thebestoflkn.com/Hosted by:Jeff Hammhttps://lknreal.com/Powered by:https://aidawerks.com/Support the show

The Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) rolled into Philadelphia this week – and so did the Brewbound Podcast On Location Studio. In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, the team shares their early reads on a week in which the vibes seem high compared to previous years.  Zoe recaps the opening keynote speech by Unreasonable Hospitality author and former restaurateur Will Guidara, including his hyper-experiential approach to customer service and what a "dream weaver" is and whether you should be concerned that your server is eavesdropping on you.  But first, Justin provides details on Firestone Walker and Duvel USA striking an agreement to acquire the Stone Brewing brand and four California taprooms from Sapporo USA – just under four years after the Japanese brewing giant acquired the San Diego craft brewery.  Justin, Jess and Zoe dig into what the deal means for craft market share in California, how the combined company plans to approach distribution and which taprooms are on the move, as well as what this means for Sapporo in the U.S. and what happens with the Escondido production brewery.  The trio also share takeaways from Brewbound's party at Love City Brewing. 

If your customers forget you, they won't come back. In this episode, Will Guidara joins Dave Ramsey to show you how to turn ordinary interactions into unforgettable experiences that build loyalty, drive referrals, and make your business the obvious choice.  Next Steps:

Today's guest is Will Guidara, author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality and former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is a Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear. His new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide comes out this month. In today's episode, Will discusses how unreasonable hospitality can turn routine service into memorable human connection. He explains why unreasonable hospitality is less about grand gestures and more about intentionality, creativity, and empowering teams to take ownership of memorable customer experiences. To close, Will shares how small acts of care can transform relationships, culture, and loyalty across financial services. (0:00) Starts (2:28) Will Guidara on Unreasonable Hospitality (8:18) Implementing this philosophy in your organization (17:11) The importance of admitting mistakes (26:15) Examples of unreasonable hospitality (37:37) Will's conferences ----- Sponsor: To learn more about CAOS, read the Fund's prospectus and important information, visit: ⁠funds.alphaarchitect.com/caos ----- Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube For detailed show notes, click here To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com ----- Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok ----- Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com ----- Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more.  ----- Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here!  ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecretsE just got back from the Unreasonable Hospitality Summit in Nashville — and this solo episode is his full recap.Will Guidara wrote Unreasonable Hospitality during COVID. He took Eleven Madison Park from a nice restaurant to the #1 restaurant in the world — the only restaurant to ever go from one Michelin star to three in a single year.His philosophy: service is what you do for people. Hospitality is how you make them feel.In this episode E breaks down the biggest lessons from the summit — how to systematize hospitality so your team delivers it consistently, why hiring the person over the resume matters more than you think, how to build a culture of praise and feedback that makes teams want to grow, and why the magic moments your guests remember are never accidental.He also tackles the AI question head on: the answer is not cutting your team — it is repurposing them to create more human moments in a world where genuine connection is becoming a scarce resource.The episode closes with the question Will Guidara asked the room that E says called him to greatness: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn't fail?"Get the book: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraNew book: Unreasonable Hospitality Field Guide (released April 28, 2026)Free 6-step course for scaling STR operators: https://level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookSTR Secrets FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STRentalsecrets

When every practice says "excellent care," patients can't tell you apart, and choose based on price. Here's how to build differentiation that makes you the obvious choice. If your website says "patient-centered care" and "experienced physicians," congratulations — so does every one of your competitors. In this episode, Alisa Conner breaks down why generic messaging is silently costing specialty practices revenue, referrals, and patient loyalty. This is a foundational conversation about what real differentiation looks like and why it matters more now than ever, as AI commoditizes content creation across every specialty. In this episode:  Why clinical excellence is table stakes, not a differentiator The Walmart vs. Tiffany framework for specialty practice positioning Why specificity attracts more patients (the cyclist clinic example) The "outhuman your competition" philosophy and what it looks like in practice Three types of content that create differentiation no AI can replicate A 3-step action plan to start building your differentiation today If you're a practice administrator, physician leader, or healthcare marketer who suspects your messaging sounds like everyone else's, this episode is the place to start. Resources mentioned: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Godara Full blog post + FAQ Book a free exploratory call Subscribe for weekly strategy content on revenue, referrals, and patient experience.

My new book is The Price of Becoming. To order, go to www.LearningLeader.com/Becoming This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire one person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world has the hustle and grit to deliver. My Guest: Will Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant he took from a struggling two-star establishment to become the number one restaurant in the world. He's the author of the New York Times bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, the host of the Welcome Conference, and a co-producer on the Emmy award-winning series The Bear. Notes: Key Learnings "Obsession is a beautiful thing when you can grab it by the tail." This quote is from chef Sean Brock when he opened his pizza place in Nashville. For Will, obsession is when you care so much about something that you give all of yourself to bring its most fully realized version to life. What obsession means to Will: "Loving with every ounce of my being the pursuit of something."  He can't imagine a life where he doesn't have something to be obsessed about. When you lose yourself in the pursuit of something, that's when it gets ugly. Obsession is a beautiful thing if you can grab it by the tail. For those that can't, it becomes ugly. You need to hold onto yourself while obsessively pursuing whatever it is. Find a hobby to be obsessed with before you retire. Will is 46 and has seen people he's long looked up to finally retire in their late seventies without a hobby they're obsessed with. They're feeling listless and without purpose. He's thinking about this now for his future: start to become obsessed with a hobby so that when you do one day retire, there's something else to fall into. "Adversity is a terrible thing to waste." You cannot always control what life throws at you, but you can always control how you react to those things, what you choose to learn from them, how you allow them to fuel your competitive spirit, the perspective you glean from those moments. Allow yourself and your team to feel the weight of the disappointment. When there's a moment of adversity, leaders hear "adversity is a terrible thing to waste" and immediately shift into cheerleader mode. That is not the right thing to do. You need to allow yourself to be as human as humanly possible, and give your team the grace to fully feel the weight of that disappointment.  Sometimes adversity sucks, and you just need to be able to say, "This sucks. I don't feel good. I feel bad. Let's feel bad for a moment." Suffer together. When your team is going through adversity, you want to know that your leader thinks it sucks, too. It's good to feel bad alongside a community, but then after a measure of time, that's when you say, okay, now how do we grow from this? How do we use this to compel us forward? Be thankful for the tough moments. Will can look back at every tough moment with gratitude. The girl who broke his heart two years before he met his now wife, he's so grateful that she did. Breaking up with his business partner and selling his restaurant company felt like the worst thing ever, but he wouldn't have written Unreasonable Hospitality had that not happened. "Who is a restaurateur without restaurants?" COVID forced Will to find the space to decide what he wanted to do next. When he sold the company, two days later, he had a full-blown identity crisis. COVID gave him the gift of forcing him to find the space to decide what he wanted to do next, as opposed to running back to do the thing he'd always done. Team first. "The best way to make sure that you are taking care of your customers is to start by taking care of your team." This is what Will learned from Danny Meyer. The power of language to define a culture. How beautiful and impactful it is when you take the time to clearly and succinctly articulate your values through language. Danny spoke in "isms." Every time he gave them an ism, it was clear that thing mattered to him, so it needed to matter to the team as well. Cult is short for culture. Will's friends from college joked that he worked for a cult, but cult is short for culture. The funny thing is, they worked for companies that lacked a culture. Every great team feels a little cultish, and that's because of the leader. Hospitality is the advantage. The only competitive advantage that exists over the long term comes through hospitality. Every company is trying to identify its competitive advantage: what is the thing about the business that will prevent someone else from coming in and taking away its customers? Those conversations almost always center around the quality of the product or the strength of the brand. Here's the thing: it does not just matter how good the product is, and it does not just matter how strong the brand is, because eventually someone's going to come around and build a better product or create a stronger brand. Relationships matter. Hospitality comes through consistently, generously, and creatively investing in relationships. Those take a long time to build, and if you build them in the right way, the loyalty you will earn takes a very long time to erode. McDonald's vs. Chick-fil-A. The hospitality difference. McDonald's does some of the coolest marketing things in the world. Their product is consistent, and there was probably a season for a very long time where they were the best burger chain out there. Compare that to Chick-fil-A: if you ask 10 people who makes a better chicken sandwich, a lot of people would say other people make better chicken sandwiches than Chick-fil-A. But people are still loyal to Chick-fil-A, not because of the brand, not because of the product, but because of the way that they make people feel. Little gestures go a long way. Chick-fil-A does things like "my pleasure" and refilling your drinks in the dining room. These little gestures go a long way because we are much less likely to leave one company and go to another, even if the other company is better priced and the product is a little bit better. Food is just a conduit through which to express hospitality. As many stories as you hear about Chick-fil-A doing little and big things to make people feel seen, you don't hear those stories about McDonald's. And that's not an accident. One company has chosen to invest all of itself in pursuit of that. The other one has not. If you're in the business of serving other people, these opportunities exist for you in an endless way. Find the smallest touchpoints. Every experience you're serving is filled with lots of big and little touchpoints. The problem is so many companies focus on only the most obvious touchpoints without realizing that there is impact to be made with each one of them.  Hospitality is a craft, a muscle that you can strengthen. Will created the Welcome Conference because he wanted someone who was a server at a restaurant who had dreams to own their own restaurant to have a place where they could learn about the craft of hospitality. What you can't afford to do with money, you can afford to do with time. Will can't afford the kind of speaking fees that people who inspire others on stage at his conference deserve, so he came up with a more creative way to show appreciation: a dinner the night before. It's about community, because the people who take that stage have the responsibility to create the conditions through which attendees can come together and form community. And it's impossible to form a community for others until you first feel a sense of community amongst yourselves. There needs to be a good reason for the event to exist. Will created the Welcome Conference years ago because there were chef conferences all over the world, and he was always the only dining room person speaking at them. He wanted a place for the dining room people to have community. Gift bags are a terrible idea. People think the more they put in the bag, the more hospitable they are. It's usually junk. "I look at something, design the version of that I wish existed, work obsessively to bring that vision to life, and then welcome others into my imagination."  What makes a great conference is meeting the people at those events. The best events are about the people in between the meetings. That time matters. Energy in a room is so important. Will is one of the most extroverted people in the world, but if he walks into a cocktail party and he doesn't know anyone, he seizes up. He doesn't like it. He likes to be around people he knows. Be a connector. A month before Will's event, he realized many people were coming alone, which he wasn't expecting. They sent an email to all of them and said, "We saw that you're coming alone. We have an idea. If you'd like to meet some people, let us know." They set up dinner reservations at Will's favorite restaurants in Nashville and did some matchmaking. Those 40 people ended up coming into the beginning of the conference the next day already like this one big, awesome community. Make the "yes" as easy as possible.  Will gets Emmy screeners, and some people send DVDs (which he doesn't have a player for), while others send QR codes, which make it very easy to watch. The lesson: make it easy for people to say yes to what you're offering. Shop your own business. Stay in your own hotel. Until you've actually been on the receiving end of whatever you're serving, you have an inability to see all the things you're doing wrong or the opportunities you have to do more things right. "Never let a gracious impulse pass." There's the devil and angel on your shoulder. The devil will tell you how hard it will be. Don't listen to that. If you are going to shop your own business, when an idea pops up, do something about it. Get out of the sea of mediocrity. The Unreasonable Hospitality Guide is the "how." There are exercises on how to build a team, how to build a culture of hospitality, how to work with your team to create magic, daily huddles to move the needle, the dreamweaver concept, etc. "I've never once regretted caring more. I have regretted not caring enough." People can't always notice things, but they can feel it. Reflection Questions What are you obsessed with? If you had to retire tomorrow, what hobby would you fall into? If you don't have one, what can you start becoming obsessed with now? What adversity are you currently facing? Have you allowed yourself and your team to fully feel the weight of that disappointment before shifting into problem-solving mode? Map out every single touchpoint in your customer experience. Which ones is nobody else thinking about? How can you make those more awesome? More Learning #545 - Will Guidara: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect #372 - Will Guidara: The Nobility of Service Podcast Chapters 01:00 The Price of Becoming 02:16 The Correlation of Obsession and Excellence 08:06 Adversity Is Fuel 11:38 COVID Identity Reset 15:19 Lessons From Danny Meyer 20:36 The Hospitality Advantage 26:01 Touchpoint Experience Audit 28:55 Welcome Conference Preview 30:44 Creating Community Over Dinner 32:02 Creating A Magical Event  33:35 Why Events Must Exist 35:30 Designing Hospitable Touchpoints 40:42 Make It Easy To Say Yes 45:58 Never Let a Gracious Impulse Pass 47:29 Unreasonable Hospitality Field Guide: The How To 51:20 Obsession, Care, And Excellence 55:53 EOPC

If you've ever been the only fundraiser in the room running the gala and fielding board questions about why an auction underperformed, today's guest has been exactly where you are. Andrew Edwards spent years on the front lines of nonprofit fundraising, from coaching small shops, to scaling 60+ events nationally at the Epilepsy Foundation.In this episode, we're getting into what helps small teams focus, larger teams scale, and fundraisers at every level work smarter, how to make the case for attending a conference (even with limited budgets), why investing in your team pays off, and how to approach networking and planning so you don't waste the opportunity!Resources & LinksCheck out one of my favorite books, Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you're building a movement, join Bloomerang's GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what's working right now in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: books that grow as we read and book festival serendipity Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: partaking in bookish traditions Before We Go: our new segment featuring bookish friend posts and a sleeper hit brought by Meredith Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). . . .   1:31 - Bookish Moments of the Week 2:46 - Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan 5:40 - All Systems Red by Martha Wells 5:49 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman 5:50 - Wreck by Catherine Newman 7:02 - Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb 7:03 - Honey Bee Mine by Sarah T. Dubb 8:02 - Current Reads 8:34 - The Inn at Penglas Cove by Lauren Westwood (Meredith) 13:08 - The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa (Kaytee) 17:37 - The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 18:04 - Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McCallister 18:34 - The Extra by Annie Neugebauer (Meredith) 19:05 - Book Talk, Etc 20:08 - Talking Scared Podcast w/ Annie Neugebauer 23:50 - Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara (Kaytee) 24:01 - CR Season 7: Episode 16 29:10 - @wguidara on Instagram 29:34 - The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery (Meredith) 31:35 - An Unlikely Story 33:24 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett 34:27 - How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin 35:36 - The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow 36:18 - Waterstones 39:15 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 39:24 - The Ten Thousand Doors Of January by Alix E. Harrow 40:24 - Deep Dive: Our Reading Traditions 45:27 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 45:29 - Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh 45:32 - Beauty by Robin McKinley 48:47 - BookPage 49:23 - Before We Go Kaytee highlights a bookish friend post 49:37 - The Better Mother by Jennifer van der Kleut Meredith brings a sleeper hit 51:09 - The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker   Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. March's IPL is brought by our lovely friends at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads | Substack | Youtube The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Most restaurants have a major problem.  Paying the bill.  Give the bill too early, and the customer feels rushed. Too late, and they feel ignored.  To solve this problem (and many more), Will Guidara turned to behavioural science.  And his solution helped his restaurant become the world's best. ---  Listen to the bonus episode: ⁠https://nudge.kit.com/aeea58886f⁠  Will's book Unreasonable Hospitality: ⁠https://amzn.to/4tPrMl8⁠  Will's new book The Field Guide: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Orq1u0⁠  Will's newsletter, Pre-Meal: ⁠https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal⁠ Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 10,728 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list ⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today's sources: Kahneman, D., Fredrickson, B. L., Schreiber, C. A., & Redelmeier, D. A. (1993). When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science, 4(6), 401–405.  Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House. Strohmetz, D. B., Rind, B., Fisher, R., & Lynn, M. (2002). Sweetening the till: The use of candy to increase restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(2), 300–309.

As businesses race toward faster systems, smarter tools, and total automation, something critical is getting lost: human connection. And ironically, the rise of AI is making that gap impossible to ignore. In this episode, I sit down with returning guest and close friend Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, to explore why humanity is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage in the age of AI. Will helped transform a restaurant into the best in the world, not by reinventing the food being served, but by reinventing the experience around it. He calls this philosophy "Unreasonable Hospitality," which is the practice of going beyond what's expected or required to make someone feel genuinely seen, valued, and cared for to create a memorable human experience. He argues that in a world where people expect excellence, the real differentiator is care. And Will isn't alone in this belief. His book Unreasonable Hospitality, which I'm the proud publisher of, is a global bestseller. And his follow up book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, comes out April 28, 2026. In this conversation, Will and I unpack why human value will continue to rise in an automated world, how the smallest moments of care can create lasting loyalty, how we can turn automation's efficiency into better experiences, and why the things that matter most in our lives are the hardest to measure. And fair warning, Will and I do giggle our way through some of this conversation about why technology can't replace human connection, the hidden cost of achievement, and a story about how a single piece of Basque cheesecake delivered to a hotel room is a gesture thoughtful enough to make someone feel seen. That's just the kind of friendship we have. So if you're wondering how to stand out and live a more meaningful life in a world increasingly shaped by AI… and share a laugh with us… this is a conversation for you. This… is A Bit of Optimism. --------------------------- To stay in the loop with Will or purchase his best-selling book Unreasonable Hospitality, head to: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ If you'd like to pre-order Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, out April 28, 2026, check out: https://uhthefieldguide.com/ ---------------------------

There comes a point in so many creative careers where what once felt exciting starts to feel heavy. The work may look successful from the outside, but internally, something feels off. In this episode of Play It Brave, I'm joined by photographer Raphaëlle Granger for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to outgrow a brand, walk away from work that no longer fits, and rebuild from a deeper place of artistic truth. Raphaëlle shares her journey from building a successful adventure elopement brand to realizing that the work she had carefully created no longer aligned with who she was. What followed wasn't just a rebrand, but a full creative reinvention rooted in intuition, artistry, emotion, and a desire to tell richer, more human stories. We talk about the difference between building a brand that performs well and building one that actually feels like home. We get into curation, luxury branding, portfolio editing, client alignment, and the courage it takes to stop shooting what you think you should shoot in order to make space for the work your soul is actually drawn to create. In this episode, we discuss: Raphaëlle's transition from adventure elopements to multi-day luxury weddings How burnout can be a sign that your brand no longer fits Why rebranding is often more about alignment than aesthetics How to know when it's time to let go of an old brand What luxury clients are really looking for in a photographer and brand experience How to curate your portfolio more ruthlessly and stop diluting your work Why "less is more" is such an important principle in luxury branding How Raphaëlle communicates her artistic process to clients before they book Why studying luxury hospitality, design, and psychology can elevate your brand The importance of trusting your artistic voice instead of following trends What I loved about this conversation is how deeply Raphaëlle trusts her own eye now. She's not chasing what wedding photography is supposed to look like. She's building a brand that is specific, soulful, elevated, and unmistakably hers. If you've been feeling the tension between what's working and what's actually right, I hope this episode gives you permission to pause, reassess, and listen more honestly to what your work is asking of you. Meet Raphaëlle Raphaëlle Granger is an award-winning wedding photographer known for her refined documentary approach and her ability to capture the in-between moments that hold the most meaning. Named one of Rangefinder's 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography, her work spans Canada, Europe, and beyond, serving couples who value presence, artistry, and legacy. In addition to her photography, Raphaëlle is the co-founder of Les Annexes, an educational platform created to redefine support for wedding creatives through curation, communication, and visibility. Her mission is to guide artists not only in refining their craft but in building enduring legacies that resonate across markets and generations. Connect with Raphaëlle & Resources Raphaëlle's WebsiteRaphaëlle's InstagramAcétate La Boite (Raphaëlle's brand designer)Unreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraThe Luxury Strategy by Jean-Noël Kapferer and Vincent Bastien Click here for more ways to listen to this episode.

Will Guidara is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and the soon to release Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide. Unreasonable Hospitality has become a New York Times bestseller and a business bible for elevating customer experiences. Will was co-owner of Eleven Madison Park alongside Danny Meyer when the restaurant ascended to #1 in the world, the co-producer of Emmy Award-winning streaming series The Bear, host of the Welcome Conference, and advisor to business leaders ranging from professional sports to financial services on the delivery of hospitality as a primary business strategy. Our conversation explores the operating principles of "unreasonable hospitality" across the identification and enhancement of customer experiences. Will describes operationalizing exceptional service, finding magic in repeated touchpoints, building teams that embrace hospitality, and leading others through vulnerability. Once in a while, I share a conversation outside of managers or allocators designed to help you level-up your performance and business. From the day I met Will several years ago, I knew he could do just that from his valuable insights and colorful stories.   Learn more about our Strategic Investments: Ascension.   Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership     Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠)

Will Guidara is the co-founder and restaurateur behind the world's best restaurant.  But Will's not a standard restaurateur. He didn't just focus on creating the best food.  He used psychology and behavioural science to build the best experience.  Listen to learn how his restaurant became #1 by using anchoring, reciprocity and many more psych principles. ---  Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/aeea58886f  Will's book Unreasonable Hospitality: https://amzn.to/4tPrMl8  Will's new book The Field Guide: https://amzn.to/3Orq1u0  Will's newsletter, Pre-Meal: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Join 10,728 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/ --- Today's sources: Mukherjee, A., Smith, R. J., & Burton, S. (2021). The effect of positive anticipatory utility on product pre-order evaluations and choices. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51, 551–569. Pariyadath, V., & Eagleman, D. M. (2007). The effect of predictability on subjective duration. PLOS ONE, 2(11), e1264.