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 was released in summer of 2016.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Ari’s background and how he founded Zingerman’s
• Why Ari didn’t want to open Zingerman’s Deli in other locations
• Why they decided to to grow Zingerman’s Deli into Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
• Ari’s “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading” books
• Why Ari self publishes his books
• Why Ari studies and practices anarchy within his organizations (anarchy that has nothing to do with the government)
• Leaders that Ari follows
• Why it’s okay to struggle
• What all of ZIngerman’s Community of Businesses look like
• Why your beliefs as an owner determine your employees’ beliefs
• Why survival of the fittest is all about the best collaborators

Ways to contact Ari:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website (for food mail order): zingermans.com
• Website (for business training): zingtrain.com
• Website (for general info): zingermanscommunity.com

Ari’s books:

 

• “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business”

• “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”

• “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business”

Recommended Books:

• "Servant Leadership" by Robert Greenleaf
• "Stewardship" by Peter Block
• "The Empowered Manager" by Peter Block
• Bo Burlingham’s books
• "The Great Game of Business" by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham
• "Leadership Is an Art" by Max Depree
• "If You Want to Write" by Brenda Ueland
• "The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri