In this episode of Sh!ft Happens, Jeremy Friedman and Shaun Coe sit down with Andy Knapick to talk about workforce dynamics, entrepreneurship, restaurant operations, commercial real estate, and the changing labor market.

Andy shares his path from college athletics and restaurant franchising to commercial real estate, along with lessons learned from building teams, opening stores, navigating labor challenges, and using networking and personal branding to grow a career.

Main Topics:

• Andy’s transition from restaurant operations to commercial real estate
• How operational experience improves site selection and business strategy
• Workforce challenges across hospitality, manufacturing, and franchise businesses
• The decline of traditional high school employment
• The impact of youth sports, NIL, and changing labor availability
• Networking, personal branding, and authority building
• How automation and AI support, but do not replace, human connection
• Practical advice for franchisees, entrepreneurs, and business owners

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introductions and workforce evolution
02:22 – Shaun’s Bar Louie turnaround story
05:11 – Financial lessons from Andy’s ventures
08:44 – Andy’s path from athletics to franchising
11:15 – Building teams at Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’
14:25 – Moving from food service to commercial real estate
17:14 – Lessons from opening multiple retail stores
20:48 – Workforce challenges in Indiana
22:20 – High school workers, youth sports, and NIL
26:54 – Labor availability and overqualified workers
30:36 – Authority building and personal branding
35:06 – Social media, storytelling, and professional reach
40:34 – Automation, AI, and human interaction
41:32 – Final thoughts and how to connect with Andy

Resources & Links:

Sh!ft Happens Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sh-ft-happens/id1870894885

Taking Chances with Shaun Coe:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taking-chances-with-shaun-coe/id1671331085

HC-Resource:
https://www.hc-resource.com

HC-Core:
https://app.hc-resource.com

Instawork:
https://www.instawork.com

Authority Leaders:
https://authorityleaders.ai

Connect:

Jeremy Friedman
Instawork

Shaun Coe
HC-Resource | HC-Core | Ascendium

Guest: Andy Knapick

#ShiftHappens #FutureOfWork #WorkforceStrategy #Hospitality #CommercialRealEstate #Franchising #Leadership #PersonalBranding