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In Ann Arbor, Ari Weinzweig needs no introduction. The founder of Zingerman's Deli is a legend in the worlds of entreprenuership and food, and the story of Zingerman's is a source of pride for Ann Arbor Townies and UM Alumni around the globe. In late January of 2020, Rishi sat down with Ari at Zingerman's Roadhouse to get the story behind some of the Deli's most iconic sandwiches (and also an amazing story about Big Bad Voodoo Daddy!) Contribute to the Ann Arbor Hospitality FundraiserLearn more about the Zingerman's Community of Businesses:----Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts or Watch on: YouTubeSouth U Stories is sponsored by:State & Liberty - Visit our newest sponsor, State & Liberty, and use code SOUTHU for 10% off your next order.Underground Printing - Visit UGP for all your custom printed apparel and promotional product needs!Destination Ann Arbor - DA2's mission is to enhance the economy of the Ann Arbor area, and Washtenaw County in general.Follow South U Stories: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn
If you live in Michigan or run your company with a bit of an anarchist bent, you've likely heard of the Zingerman's Community of Businesses, including a coffee roaster, creamery, and candy factory, all co-owned and operated. On this episode, co-founder Ari Weinzweig shares the story behind his alternative business empire, starting with a single deli in 1982 that grew into a collective making $60m a year in revenue. Plus, Manoush and Jen reveal their own attempts at business visioning as they try to take community, cash flow, and personal sanity into equal consideration at Stable Genius Productions. **Who You’ll Hear: **@manoushz (Manoush Zomorodi, host of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), @jpoyant (Jen Poyant, cohost of ZigZag and cofounder of Stable Genius Productions), Ari Weinzweig, cofounder of @zingermans Community of Businesses ZigZag is the business show about being human. Join a community of listeners riding the twists and turns of late-capitalism, searching for a kinder, more sustainable way. Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant investigate how work and business impact our wellbeing and the planet we live on. On Seasons 4 and 5, hear from rebels and visionaries with radical ideas on how we can build stable lives, careers, and companies. If you’re also interested in Jen and Manoush’s personal story and their adventures in starting their own business with a little help from blockchain technology, listen to the first three seasons, starting with Season 1, Chapter 1. Thank you for supporting us by using special offer codes from our sponsors, signing up for our free newsletter, and subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Breaker.
Day two of our original TCN trip finds us in Ann Arbor, Michigan, talking to Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. We start at the Roadhouse, for a sprawling tour before heading to the Deli, where it all started and eventually their Coffee Roaster and Bakehouse, where we talked to partner, Amy Eberling. Ari's unique perspective is compelling and shows through in Zingerman's vision and execution. This is a longer interview, but a significant example of how individual entrepreneurs can impact their community. www.zingermans.com
Spent a few minutes with Valentina Silva, Communications Specialist at the Zingerman's Service Network, to get an employee's perspective of the Zingerman's Community of Businesses. The hiring process - pay attention and care She’s working harder than she ever has, yet loves it more than any job she’s had. Creating uplifting open workplaces are good for society. Let’s not downplay it. If you enjoyed the episode and believe we can create meaningful work that balances purpose, people, and profits, then please participate in the community. You can do this by going to http://inspiredandintentional.com/episode90 and clicking on the “join email list” link, joining our Inspired and Intentional Facebook group, and rating us on your favorite podcast app. Share this with your fellow inspired leaders and until next time, be inspired and intentional.
Ambitious Radio | Inspiring Conversations with Ambitious Entrepreneurs & Thought Leaders
Brought to you by TOWNSQUARE MORTGAGE - www.tsmlending.com/jjannasch In this episode of Ambitious Radio, host Doug Parker discusses new approaches to management getting employee engagement with Founding Partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses Ari Weinzweig. Golden Nuggets: • Nov 1,1981 2 Month Notice • 2009 Vision • Managing by pouring water • Open Book Management • Pay them to be there • 12 Natural Laws of Business • We are not born with it, it’s learned behaviors • Journal – rarely re-read – helps reduce risk of injury • Being around positive people makes life 100X EASIER • Unhealthy relationship with time Other sponsors: www.Road2Black.com - Credit Reports, Scores and Monitoring www.RepairMyCreditNOW.com - Credit Repair www.AutoFlex.com - Automobile Leasing http://grasshopper.com/ambitiousradio - The Entrepreneur's Phone System www.Electricity.Guru - Residential Electricity Subscribe by texting the word Ambitious to 69922 *text rates apply see website for more details. www.AmbitiousRadio.com Get our Newsletter https://goo.gl/T3ftQJ
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business, Cornman Farms. Zingerman's produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $55,000,000 a year in annual sales. Ari was recognized as one of the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon (Zingerman's Press), Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating (Houghton Mifflin), Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Building a Great Business, and Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Being a Better Leader. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Managing Ourselves, was released in December of 2013. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business is scheduled for release in the first part of 2016. What do you do in the first 60 minutes of your day? Ari journals every morning on yellow legal pads -- clear your mind and focus on the positives. ONWARD! Favorite quote or lesson? "Just go ahead anyway." What makes as "A player" an "A player"? An "A player" is built by having the right ecosystem -- people do their best work when they're part of a great team. Final Round – “Breaking Down the Recipe for Success” How can we become better mentors? Have positive beliefs about your mentee's ability How best to connect with Ari: Email: ari@zingermans.com Books and training: www.zingtrain.com Food: www.zingermans.com
Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig joined forces, to found Zingerman’s Delicatessen, and opened the doors on March 15, 1982. All they wanted at that time was a great corned beef sandwich and an organization with soul. Zingerman’s started as 1300 square feet of combined restaurant and specialty food retail space, run solely by Paul, Ari, and two employees. The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses now has 23 partners, employs over 750 people and generates over $60 million in annual sales from ten separate businesses: Zingerman’s Delicatessen (including Zingerman’s Catering), Zingerman’s Mail Order, Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Zingerman’s Training Inc., Zingerman’s Coffee Company, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Zingerman’s Creamery, Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory, Zingerman’s Cornman Farms, and Miss Kim. Paul believes that he has been successful in spite of the fact that he has limited natural talent and abilities because he has always thought that the only real limits are those of vision. You can reach Paul at paul@zingermans.com and visit the Zingerman's Community of Businesses at www.zingermans.com
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $60,000,000 a year in annual sales. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon (Zingerman’s Press), Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating (Houghton Mifflin), Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business, and Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Managing Ourselves, was released in December of 2013. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business is scheduled for release in the first part of 2016. Zingerman's Community of Businesses Zingerman's Mail Order Foods Zingerman's Training
The first time I met Ari was through his book, Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Being a Better Leader. After underlining, circling, and writing all over the inside of his book, I couldn’t help but reach out and personally thank him for writing such an exceptional book. I wanted to hug him then, but alas I had to wait a couple of years before I could give him a virtual hug through this podcast. Throughout this podcast interview, Ari outlines critical elements to gaining the diversity and creativity that comes with a fully engaged team. He distinguishes between “shaming” your staff, and providing “creative consequences.” His approach is simple and incredibly powerful. Naturally, they also require discipline, which Ari and I talk about during this interview. The basic concept of discipline that we’re referring to is not much different from the daily decision to go for an apple verses a Hershey’s bar for nutrients. The obvious choice for health purposes is an apple, but for many of us (myself included) that chocolate is more tasty. Ari also talks about the 12 Natural Laws of Business, which he agreed to share with you here, for free. They are also in his book on leadership mentioned above – get the book, you’ll be so glad you did! Many (and more) of the stats Ari referenced during our interview are both in the book, and noted below. Enjoy! Thank you for giving me the great privilege of interviewing you, Ari. I hope to do so again in the near future! About Ari Weinzweig: He is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Cornman Farms. To learn more about Ari and Zingerman’s history, go here. To order some of the most delicious food on the planet (the holiday are upon us), go here. Stats (taken from, Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Being a Better Leader): Take a look at this data from a Harris Poll cited in Dean Tucker’s great book, Using the Power of Purpose. Of those surveyed: Only 37 percent of employees clearly knew the company’s goals; Only 20 percent were enthusiastic about those goals; Only 20 percent saw how they could support those goals; Only 15 percent felt enabled to work towards them; Only 20 percent fully trusted the company they worked for. Thank you, Ari! You are remarkable, and I’m grateful I had the chance to learn from you! Here’s to Your Greatness, Misti Burmeister
A young chef finds her passion for cooking again, a factory worker's marriage improves because he's talking more with his wife, and an owner regains her energy and love for business as she finds a renewed purpose and a vision for her company. These are a few of the stories I heard while interviewing the gang at Zingerman's for the first few episodes of the Inspired and Intentional business podcast. This episode is going to be a brief overview of the top lessons learned and to also point out a few resources I've learned of while getting this podcast going. Lessons: 1. There's an art to this whole culture thing. To creating and thinking about organizational development. Really thinking through how your people, customers, suppliers and community experience your company. Are you adding benefits beyond pay, product/services and taxes? Why should you? 2. People will make up stories in a vacuum. Fill in the holes with truth, openness, and authenticity. Work through what they need to know by putting yourself in their shoes and thinking through what they worry about. What questions will they ask you? This really goes beyond the simple issue of being open during a crisis. This vacuum is filled day by day via the building of trust within the team. You can't be open in a crisis and expect people to believe you, you have to open all the time. During the good and the bad. This topic came up during the discussion of numbers, salaries, profits and what the owners are making, and why certain decisions are made. If they don't understand numbers and how a company makes a profit and generates cash...on a daily basis, they will make up stories about where all that money is going. (Probably to the government and the bank! : ) 3. Collaboration and consensus doesn't mean you have to agree all the time and always see eye-to-eye on all decisions. Collaboration does need the parties involved to share values and vision. It also doesn't mean that every decision has to be by consensus or by democratic vote. Just be clear on how the decisions are being made and who's involved in the process. 4. Systems help employees consistently perform their best when they otherwise don't feel like it. 5. Dissent - come up with ways to encourage it. There's the "what's working/not working" meeting or the open forum method. 6. Create a system for change. Some call it Kaizen and some continuous improvement. Zingerman's calls it Bottom Line Change. 7. The importance of a vision. So many of the issues brought up would come down to vision. Do your systems support you vision? Do you HR practices support the vision? People are engaged when they're clear on the vision, take part in creating it, and understand the role they play in making that vision a reality. Clarity, communication, and consistency are the 3 "C" words I would use when working with my vision. Resources Classes - Books - Tours - Certifications B-Corp - from their website - "B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency."BW Leadership Institute - a Barry Wehmiller company Everybody Matters Book by Bob ChapmanGreat Game of Business - business coaching, classes, free resources Hitachi Foundation - Good Companies at Work Holocracy - A complete system for self organization ZingTrain (Books, DVDs, classes, and free resources like essays and webinars.)News Feeds and Blogs Forbes - Bill Fotsch and John Case - They write We write about economic transparency and open-book management Huffington Post - Impact News Feed - good news in the world of business and volunteers Huffington Post - What's Working Purpose+Profit - News Feed Truly Human Leadership - Barry Wehmiller blog written by Bob Chapman, their CEO. This also ties into their podcast, Everybody Matters. They claim to be transforming lives through people-centric leadership. Talks - Webinars - Podcasts TED Talk's Social Good, Inc - ways companies are contributing to the greater good. TED Talk - Barry Schwartz - How we think about work is broken TED Talk - Ricardo Semler - How to run a company with (almost) no rules Businesses that seem to be running well. Amy's Ice Cream Barry Wehmiller - Building a better world through business.SRC Holdings - The remanufacturing company that started it all - The Great Game of Business anyway. Tasty Catering - Illinois catering company that has successfully changed the way they do business. Zingermans Community of Businesses I would love to see your answers at one of the many Inspired and Intentional outlets: You can find show notes, the questions, at http://inspiredandintentional.com/tweener1 . While there you can also sign up to be kept up to date on the latest podcasts and happenings in the world of Inspired and Intentional business news. I can also be reached on Twitter @ToddAReed, on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/toddareed, and on Facebook, search for inspired and intentional. https://twitter.com/ToddAReedhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/toddareedhttps://www.facebook.com/Inspired-and-Intentional-1658283491074728/ One last favor, reviews and ratings really help other leaders looking for a podcast to inspire them. Please take a moment to review this podcast on iTunes or stitcher. Thank you for listening and join us next week as continue our conversation with Matthew Bodary from Zingerman’s Coffee Company. Until next week, be inspired and intentional. The inspired and intentional business podcast is copyright 2016 by it’s owner. The music is Funk Game Loop, Kevin MacLeod Royalty Free from Incompatech. Thank you for sharing your talent.
The program focuses on Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and its philosophies and Customer Complaint Process. The businesses include the original business, Zingerman's Delicatessen, plus Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse Restaurant, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Events at Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $50,000,000 a year in annual sales. Effectively managing conflict has allowed Zingerman’s to grow from 2 employees to 700 over 33 years. Like Apple Computers, Zingerman’s delights its customers with its food and its customer relations. It has also been lauded by President Obama and others for its employee support, including its fair base salary, hours and benefits. Zingerman’s philosophy of Servant Leadership, Energy Management, Going Direct and Handling Customer Complaints is at the core of its popularity and success. Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books.
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business, Cornman Farms. Zingerman's produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $55,000,000 a year in annual sales. Ari was recognized as one of the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon (Zingerman's Press), Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating (Houghton Mifflin), Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Building a Great Business, and Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Being a Better Leader. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Managing Ourselves, was released in December of 2013. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business is scheduled for release in the first part of 2016. Secret -- timesaving technique Keep a journal -- writing down your thoughts each morning is a great way to stay organised. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Ari likes to cook during his free-time at home -- being in the food business requires experimentation. Could have ruined your business -- but now -- an invaluable learning experience Ari dealt with growing his business over the years -- and Ari tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be successful “A business owner has to stay grounded -- resist the hierarchical model -- and focus on self-management.” Most influential lesson learned from a mentor “Don’t look for one heroic person -- the world is a giant classroom full of information.” Final Round -- “Breaking Down the Recipe for Success” What systems would you go back and put into place sooner? I would have went back and put a system in place to hone the practicable skill of creating a vision. What one strategy or “recipe” would compound into big wins for business owners? There’s three steps to great customer service -- the key is to create an ecosystem of collaboration. How to exceed expectations and add the most value? An individual who can collaborate -- service the customer -- and reflect on their actions daily. What strategy would you recommend new business owners focus on to best ensure success? Business is exhausting Try to focus on self-management How best to connect with Ari: http://www.zingermanscommunity.com/press/bios-of-key-people/ --------- Find us at OnwardNation.com -------
The program focuses on Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and its philosophies and Customer Complaint Process. The businesses include the original business, Zingerman's Delicatessen, plus Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse Restaurant, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Events at Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $50,000,000 a year in annual sales. Effectively managing conflict has allowed Zingerman’s to grow from 2 employees to 700 over 33 years. Like Apple Computers, Zingerman’s delights its customers with its food and its customer relations. It has also been lauded by President Obama and others for its employee support, including its fair base salary, hours and benefits. Zingerman’s philosophy of Servant Leadership, Energy Management, Going Direct and Handling Customer Complaints is at the core of its popularity and success. Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books. Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The neat thing about delivering a remarkable customer experience is that it can be the foundation of a strong brand. Or a community of brands. Unless you live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, one of the best experiences you've never had is from a community of businesses you've never heard of: Zingerman's Zingerman's Deli is a featured company in Bo Burlingham's Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big. Co-founders Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw have grown a community of businesses in Ann Arbor founded on the mission of delivering a great experience. That community is now nine businesses strong and will probably swell to 13-14 by the year 2020. Ari Weinzweig is Co-founding partner and CEO of the Zingerman's Community of Businesses. In this episode of Power to the Small Business, Ari shares how Zingerman's explored their mission to discover a brand based on experience. Ari says real mission statement contain the answers to four questions. For links and show notes: http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/2009/02/customer-experience-brand.html