In this episode, host Taylor Baker speaks with Mike Mawn, founder and CEO of Standby Jobs, an on-demand workforce platform built for the food service and hospitality industry. The conversation explores how Mike transitioned from a college-based gig app to building a compliant staffing solution that helps restaurants access reliable, flexible labor.

What You’ll Learn:

• How staffing shortages in the hospitality industry created an opportunity for technology-driven workforce solutions
• Why compliance with evolving labor laws, especially the shift from 1099 contractors to W-2 employees, is critical for gig-based platforms
• How Standby Jobs helps restaurants quickly fill shifts with pre-vetted, insured workers
• The operational challenges restaurants face when managing staffing, scheduling, and last-minute labor gaps
• Why the gig economy continues to grow and how businesses can responsibly tap into flexible labor pools
• Lessons Mike learned from building and pivoting his first startup while still in college
• The importance of reliability, worker quality, and trust when creating a marketplace for labor
• How technology platforms can improve efficiency and workforce management in food service businesses

This conversation highlights how entrepreneurship often evolves through iteration and close attention to industry needs. Mike Mawn’s journey from launching a campus gig app to building a specialized workforce platform demonstrates how founders can identify patterns in customer behavior, adapt to regulatory changes, and build solutions that solve real operational problems for businesses.

To learn more about Mike Mawn and their work, visit standbyjobs.com