Insights from 15 years in operations

Labor is the one lever that costs you people, not just money — which is exactly why good operators keep putting it off. What it actually takes to fix it.

A consistent 86 list looks like a chef problem. Usually it's a symptom of something upstream — margins, pricing, covers. How to read it like a director.

He was my most dependable cook, so I made him sous. He lasted a month — and it was my fault, not his. What promoting on talent alone gets wrong.

We took 15 points off labor at OTG, and it wasn't complicated. It came down to the schedule, accountability, and getting people to think like a team.

I'm still fighting this one every day. What I'd tell myself if I could go back to the day I landed in Vegas with no network.

After 15 years hiring in hospitality, here's what I actually look for on a resume — and the one thing it can never tell me.

The last thing you want after a twelve-hour day is job hunt. What nearly finished me off wasn't the search — it was managing it. Here's what I learned.

Skills are the easiest thing to evaluate in an interview. They're also the least important. After 15 years hiring in hospitality operations, here's what actually matters.

Discover strategies to overcome age bias and secure director-level roles in hospitality for those over 50, navigating hidden challenges with confidence.

Lead from the front. Delegate and let people fail. Don't micromanage. Twenty-five years. Three rules. They still work every time.