2 Pages with MBS

199. How to be Hospitable: Will Guidara [reads] ‘Setting the Table.’


Listen Later

Today’s guest is Will Guidara, author of the national bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. Known for transforming Eleven Madison Park into the number one restaurant in the world, Will shares insights from his journey in the restaurant industry and beyond.


Will embodies the delicate balance between two seemingly opposing forces: perfectionism and empowerment. As a former restaurateur and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, he has always been passionate about creating memorable experiences through exceptional service. His book, Unreasonable Hospitality, is a testament to his belief in being as relentless in pursuing people as other restaurants are in pursuing product quality.


Will reads two pages from Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, his first boss and a mentor who profoundly influenced his career. These pages capture the essence of Will’s leadership philosophy—what he calls "constant gentle pressure"—a method of maintaining excellence without sacrificing the dignity of those around him.  [reading begins at 17:54]


Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages newsletter at https://2pageswithmbs.substack.com.


Hear us discuss:


"I made the choice to be as unreasonable in pursuit of people as the other restaurants on that list were solely in pursuit of product." [02:05] | "Hospitality and excellence are not friends. But if you pursue them both with persistence, you can achieve something truly remarkable." [09:29] | "Every superpower, if left unchecked, can be your villain story." [10:06] | "I pray the things that we are being forced to do today are things we choose to do tomorrow." [32:19] | "Ask yourself what right looks like and do that." [37:11]


...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

2 Pages with MBSBy Michael Bungay Stanier

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

36 ratings


More shows like 2 Pages with MBS

View all
On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

On Being with Krista Tippett

10,406 Listeners

HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

HBR IdeaCast

177 Listeners

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly by Apostrophe Podcast Network

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

814 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,287 Listeners

The One You Feed by Eric Zimmer

The One You Feed

2,501 Listeners

The Psychology Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

The Psychology Podcast

1,831 Listeners

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk by Ryan Hawk

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

1,288 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,483 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,553 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

4,084 Listeners

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler by Everything Happens Studios

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

5,058 Listeners

3 Books With Neil Pasricha by Neil Pasricha: Bestselling Author

3 Books With Neil Pasricha

257 Listeners

The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures

The Daily Stoic

4,786 Listeners

The Next Big Idea by Next Big Idea Club

The Next Big Idea

1,276 Listeners

A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek

A Bit of Optimism

2,190 Listeners